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MASTERMINDS of Kapa Community Ministry International, Inc. (KAPA), touted as the largest investment scam in Philippine history, have been sentenced to suffer the penalty of life imprisonment for syndicated estafa, following a case build-up by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) over its illegal investment-taking activities. In a decision promulgated on December 12, Branch 33 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Butuan City found Kapa leaders Joel Apolinario, Cristobal R. Baradad, and Joji A. Jusay guilty beyond reasonable doubt of eight counts of syndicated estafa, as defined and penalized under Article 315 (2)(a) of the Revised Penal Code, in relation to Presidential Decree No. 1689. Apolinario, also referred to as Pastor Joel, was the founder and president of KAPA, wh...

DIVIDED COMMUNITY Didipio villagers in the copper and gold deposit-rich upland town of Kasibu in Nueva Vizcaya rally in support of Australian OceanaGold’s renewal of its financial or technical assistance agreement or FTAA. PHOTO BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (August 26)—A provincial board member has told Australian OceanaGold (Philippines) Inc. (OGPI) to respect the independence and right of barangay (village) officials in opposing the firm's mining operation in their village. "It is harassment when their (barangay officials) independence becomes a reason for the mining firm not to release funds because they are obliged to release such funds for the development of the community where they operate," board member Edgardo Balgos said. Also a...

A multi-sectoral tree planting activity in Quezon town in Nueva Vizcaya was led by the Office of Civil Defense as part of the National Disaster Resilience Month observance. NVDRRMO FB PAGE PHOTO BY BENJAMIN MOSES M. EBREO BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya (August 12)—The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Cagayan Valley led a multi-sectoral Tree Planting recently in this province as part of the National Disaster Resilience Month celebration. According to Robert Corpuz, Disaster Risk Reduction Management officer, the tree planting activity was carried out in Barangay Maddiangat Watershed in Quezon town. It was joined by various government agencies and private organizations in the province and neighboring provinces in Region 2, all members of different municipal disaster risk reduction man...

Engineer Nestor Bambalan, FCF-Community Relations Office resident engineer, conducts final inspection and turns over two completed infrastructure projects in Cordon, Kasibu town and Bonifacio, Quezon town in Nueva Vizcaya province. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya (July 15)—A British-based mining firm operating in Barangay Runruno has funded the concreting of two farm-to-market road (FMR) in two municipalities worth more than P2.38 million. Agnes Rosales, FCF Minerals Corporation Community Relations Office (FCF-CRO) manager, said the concreting of FMR in Purok 1 in Cordon village here worth more than P1.52 will benefit 1,431 residents while the concreting of the FMR in Lower Diayan in Bonifacio village in Quezon town worth more than P855,194 will bene...

BY LEIF V. DAHL NPA WEAPONS SEIZED. Former New People’s Army rebels led the 77th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army in the recovery of the firearms storage in Santa Teresita, Cagayan, on Sunday, March 6, 2022. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO SANTA TERESITA, Cagayan (March 8)—A storage of weapons here believed to be owned by the New People's Army (NPA) has been raided by the Philippine Army's 77th Infantry Battalion (77IB) with the help of two former rebels. The Cagayan Provincial Information Office (CPIO) said it received the report on Sunday that the 77IB has recovered several high-caliber firearms from the NPA's stockpile in Sitio Aboli in Barangay Aridawen in Santa Teresita town. The CPIO said former rebels identified only as Alias Lawin and Alias Leen revealed the whereabouts of ...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO KASIBU, Nueva Vizcaya: Another provincial government-managed hospital in the province has also suspended its outpatient services due to the sudden surge of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) cases in this upland town. Dr. Lucena Laliray Caldito, Kasibu Municipal Hospital chief, has released an advisory on Thursday afternoon temporarily suspending their outpatient services as a result of this town and neighboring towns racing against time with the surge of the dreaded Covid-19 disease. “The [Kasibu Municipal Hospital] is beyond its maximum capacity with 30 hospital beds dedicated to Covid-19 positive patients,” Caldito said. She said the general ward of the hospital is in full occupancy and most of the time with increased admission of ob-gyn cases. ...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO In Nueva Vizcaya, five local cases of Delta variant were recorded, according to the Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit. TUGUEGARAO CITY: The Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) here said on Monday a report from the Department of Health (DOH) central office confirmed an additional 32 Delta variant of Covid cases in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley). The report said samples analyzed on August 25 and 26 showed that four provinces in Region 2 were the source of the newly recorded cases. The RESU said there were 10 local cases in Cagayan, 14 local cases and one returning overseas Filipino worker or ROF in the province of Isabela. In Nueva Vizcaya, five local cases were recorded while two local cases were in the province of Quirino. The mu...

BY LEANDER C. DOMINGO FEATURING Ifugao’s rich cultural heritage, the Ifugao State University (IFSU) has published two books after years of extensive research, according to IFSU President Eva Marie Codamon-Dugyon. The first book titled “Inabol: Ifugao Traditional and Contemporary Textiles @2020” is a coffee table book that documents the hand-woven textiles of Ifugao. The second book was titled “the Ifugao Indigenous Knowledge, Systems and Practices (IKSP) @ 2021,” a textbook on various Ifugao IKSPs. Codamon-Dugyon, who wrote the preface of the books, said the contents of the books were contributed by various Ifugao scholars, academicians, indigenous knowledge holders and practitioners led by IFSU Professor Serafin Ngohayon. Former Senator Loren Legarda, who wrote the for...