Irate Digong sacks mulcting LTO, DPWH officials
KIDAPAWAN CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the relief of Land Transportation Office (LTO) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials allegedly involved in extortion activities at a government truck weighing station in Aritao, Nueva Viscaya, according to Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol. The “angry President” issued the directive upon receiving complaints from rice industry stakeholders from Cagayan Valley Region at a forum in Malacañang on Thursday night, Piñol said in his “Kidapawen News around the World” Facebook page Friday morning. In a phone call arranged by Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go, the Chief Executive also asked Transportation Secretary Arturo Tugade to present to him in Malacañang the erring personnel.
“Bring them to me in Malacañang and I will squeeze their faces,” Piñol quoted the President as telling Tugade.
Tugade was reportedly undergoing hospital check-up at the time of the call, he said.
LTO and DPWH workers jointly run the Artitao station established more than 10 years ago to determine whether trucks passing the area are overloaded.
But the required weight tests were being allegedly abused by the workers by exacting R500 to R1,000 from each truck operator, rice traders reportedly informed the President.
More than 1,000 cargo trucks, mostly carrying rice and other agricultural commodities, go through the station daily, translating into an average of R500,000 to R1 million paid by operators who just wanted to avoid delay and inconvenience, Piñol said.
“Ang sipag-sipag po nila Mr. President. Maski holidays at maski noong Holy Week, naka-duty sila at wala kaming ligtas,” Piñol quoted the rice traders as complaining on Thursday’s forum.
Highway extortion activities result in higher prices of food commodities in the market because traders pass on the added cost to the consumers, Piñol said.
He said the traders claimed that the irregularity has been going on for over 10 years under past administrations “seemed helpless in stopping the extortion operations.” MAGPET, North Cotabato – Police authorities are hot on the trail of New People’s Army (NPA) terrorists responsible for the death of a local tribal leader, who sits as mandatory representative of Indigenous People in the Sangguniang Bayan here. Supt. Bernard Tayong, spokesman of the Cotabato provincial police office, said security forces have launched manhunt operations against the NPA rebels, led by a certain Bobby Rosete, who waylaid Antonio Takinan, municipal Indigenous Peoples (IP) mandatory representative and two other companions in Barangay Tagbac, here last Thursday. Tayong said Takinan died on the spot while his two other companions, Robello Tambunan,72, barangay mandatory IP representative and Rene Soriano, 58, a member of Civilian Volunteer Organization, were seriously wounded.
Police said three suspected members of NPA waylaid the victims who were riding a van and a motorcycle along the national highway in Barangay Tagbac here.
The victims were on their way to Barangay Tagbac from municipal hall after attending a regular session when attacked by the NPA communist rebels.
Police said the victims were able to return fire to ward off the NPA attackers.
SPO1 Jose Marie Dusaban, an investigator of Magpet police station, said Takinan had earlier reported to Magpet police station that he was under threat from the NPA rebel group.
Security forces are pursuing the group of Rosete are facing murder charges in connection with the ambush-slay of Takinan.