The Results of last election by: flif_ting

All five Espinas make a record-breaking win in Biliran by: PIA-Biliran
NAVAL, Biliran – In what seem to be a record-breaking event, all five immediate members of the Espina family-one congressman, one governor, two municipal mayors and one sangguniang bayan member – won their electoral bids during the recently held elections, headed by last term congressman Gerry Espina Sr. who won the mayor ship of the capital town of Naval.
This occurrence, where a father and four children won on each of their electoral bids in the same election, may be the first yet in the country or anywhere else.
The incumbent mayor of the capital town of Naval , Mayor Gerryboy Espina Jr., ran to replace his father in Congress and handily defeated his opponent. The twins Roger and Rudy, both professionals and incumbent Mayor respectively, also won their respective re-election bids.
The father, last term Congressman Gerry Espina, Sr., who is also the founder of the Bando Espina local coalition of Lakas and NPC, won as mayor of capital town. Another child, the youngest, Roselyn Espina-Paras, a businesswoman, also was elected as member of Sangguniang Bayan of the capital town of Naval .
Governor Espina, an orthopedic surgeon, pulled the widest margin ever in this province’s election history, to win second term in office. He is also the first governor in Biliran’s history as a regular province to be re-elected into office since 1992.
Many observers noted that the unprecedented victory of the Espina family and the rest of the Lakas-NPC (Bando Espina) coalition in Biliran province reflected the kind of leadership and achievements they have made and accomplished.
Former Congressman Gerry Espina, Sr., now a mayor of Naval, is instrumental in the nearly complete face over of the province’s infrastructure such as highways, farm-to-market roads, electrification’s, public building projects, scholarship program, etc.
His achievement at the House of Representatives have earned him and the province the recognition of peers, and national figures in government and business.
Source: PIA Biliran

The Espina Regime makes offer of Peace and Teamwork to their Political Rivals by: sonny solite saclolo

Afghanistan – Mayor Espina’s moved to bury of animosity with their political rivals, calling for peace and join teamwork for the maturation of the Biliran province. The offer came after a spit of Arroyo’s political upheavals in Manila.

He asks the people of Naval through his owned RN radio program for self- restraint and avoids the so called street news or radio baktas and humor mongering instead find a job to put every individuals in full of activity.

People of Naval welcome the offer and ask Mr. Espina for jobs however as reported Mr. Espina cannot obtain jobs for all who are seeking. The people of Naval acknowledged as much, injecting of what mayor Espina own note of hard-nose realism that a solution to the job issues had to be based on ground of realities.

Analyst saw mayor Espina’s move as evidence of its rising confidence in light of its growing strategic ties with the people of Naval and/or Biliran, and a bid for teamwork into a moribund harmonization his allies and his political rivals. Although the opposition has said that mayor Espina’s modus operandi is to boast his family’s political ambitions in the island.

The opposition accuses the Espinas of political hierarchy and monopolizing of businesses in the island as what he learned from Marcos regime, some report said.-sss-

Anthony Villo’s brutal murder by: Christy Delis Ramagos

Naval/Biliran – More or less 20 years ago the brutal murder of Antonio Villo were remembered when he was whack and smashed to death by his known-assailants. He beg for his life and screamed for help however, the assailants never give mercy for unknown reasons and nobody rescued him even his brother heard the commotion outside their residence.

Anthony came home from a drinking spree not knowing that there was an earlier fight ensued by the member of his fraternity in his neighbor’s vicinity. When the other group came back to take revenge against the group of Anthony’s neighbor whose members of his fraternity, he was mistaken as one of them. He was mercilessly attacked. During the attacked, one member of the attacking group was also seriously hurt and landed in the nearby hospital.

He was brutally attacked and bit to death by more or less four known-culprits. His body was dragged for about 50 meters away from his residence. The following morning his parents were shocked to discovered his motionless body. The extreme violence of the attack is indicative of the cruelty of the perpetrators which one of them was a judge’s brother. Another brother of a policeman was in the scene when the crime was committed.

The suspects were identified however all of them were set free without bringing them to court. The murder charge against the culprits was not heard due to victim’s financial incapacity. The court case was closed without fair trial but cut-pain of the incident is still fresh.

The death of Anthony is one of a milestone of Naval Biliran injustice system while the victims cannot hire legal representative because of financial incapability. And it was equally known that Philippine justice system is generally inadequate, incompetent and hopeless how much more in the Biliran province, the report said.-naval-

The rise of the Espina Oligarch by ADREA PITAO TAN

Naval/Biliran – At the rise of Marcos regime Gerry Espina is one of EPZA’s highest authority that made him successfully transformed his life into a political magnet from a shine-shoes boy in Cavite to a politically hierarchy in the Biliran province.

Now Biliran province political magnet, he has remained true to his achievement. By institutionalizing/monopolizing the islands private and business sector and he has transformed Biliranons relation with Manila, particularly with the office of the President.

When Mr. Espina became a congressional designate, Biliran was still in mayhem. Its islands still in ruin, political parties were bickering and a handful of will-to-do, the so called politically immature and stupid-oligarch controlled most of the island job positions.

In a short period of time, Mr. Espina addressed all these problems. He established his own political party with his family and relathieves. He concentrates his power in the Biliran province, and destroys his political enemies as reminders to others as to who was the king.

Mr. Espina was never popular in Manila. But he enjoys support from other political personalities. Yet the most spectacular change has taken place in Biliran’s province-hood policy.

When Jaroism collapsed, Biliran was embraced by the Parillalism as the redeemer and the sentiments were genuine but Parilla’s government never followed through. Biliran was covered by promises which never realize.

By the time Mr. Espina came to power, Biliran politician’s frustration could no longer be hidden. As more or less member of the board put it seriously. Mr. Espina never set out to confront his political enemy in the Biliran province. Indeed, he tried to establish a personal link to the Arroyo family.

In recent years, Mr. Espina has refined his strategy: instead of just responding to his political enemies’ initiatives, he is now launching his own with the help of money weapon and his own installed media outlet.

Now Espinas clumsy attitude to use money weapon with an under dog method to get rid of his political enemies has alarmed the indigenous Navalians and/or Biliranons. -apt-

A test to the local judiciary and appeal to the police force…by:juns.a.lee

Statistic Crime rate recorded in 1997 was 183.45%, while in 1996 145.36%
Biliran is a peaceful place with no recorded atrocities involving communist insurgency. However, since 1980, brutal killings, human rights violations and unsolved cases are rampant.

There are cases in Naval alone that have not given fair justice. Others have either never been known nor were dismissed without given at least a fair trial, i.e. the brutal killing of a certain Elmer Callosa, Antonio Villo, Boy Icain, Beting Uy, etc.

Witnesses were either scared to testify for fear of their own lives or were admonished adversely by the assailants and/or their relatives.

In this province, unidentified criminal offenders and unsolved crimes are copious. Many believe that justice in this island can be bought. The victims and their relatives were mostly destitute people and cannot afford to hire the legal service of a lawyer.

The government has created a department to provide free legal services especially for the pauper litigants. However, the people are skeptical on their services.

It was reported that more or less five (5) judges have been convicted, suspended or discharged from the Biliran judiciary. But no confirm reports of their dismissal. To name a few, RTC Judge Villamor, Judge De La Piña and lately Judge Pepe Domael who was charged for gross ignorance of the law. However, others were not been charged due to lack of sufficient evidence against them.

However though, cases of corruption in the Biliran judiciary are isolated.

Hold-up, highway robberies, brutal killings, drugs, rape and other crimes against persons are also reported in raging. The police force has the principal responsibility in these aspects. And we extremely are pleading their dedicated service protection to the people.

A hearsay report said that two conflicting policemen who controlled a gambling session during a fiesta celebration had a fistfight that almost landed for a duel. It was said that the two argued on whom would be the real controller of the gambling dean.

There was a group of Naval Police Officers that brutally murdered a Philippine coast guard on duty for unknown conflict. The culprits are now serving their sentence.

Due to immeasurable odds and poverty, a desperate couple went to Cebu to buy illegal drugs called “shabu” or ice (in Philippine dialect) to be sold in Naval and other part in the Biliran province. I had been informed from a reliable authority regarding the names of all suspected users and drug pushers. The late shooting incident that killed a certain Boboy Ibajo was due to a dispute on illegal drugs, a source said.

There has never been any mentioned of the exact problem which contribute corruption, human rights violation and injustice in our history in the Biliran Province.

On the other hand, literacy rate in Biliran was 88.52% of 132,209 as of Sept 1, 1995. The latest data showed that Biliran employment rate 94.7% previously 96.4%, and the unemployment rate is 5.3%, previously 3.6%. The labor force participation rate were 69.3%, previously 79.2%, while visible under-employment rate is 11.6% previously 9.3%. Poverty stills in progress.

Statistician believed that Biliran Province is still 20 years behind from other neighboring provinces. However, if the people and its government official will work in tandem and educate the people against graft and corruption, foreign and local support will generate to the island. -jun-

Biliranon who live from foreign land should lengthen their helping hands to entice foreigners to invest in the Biliran province. -jsal-

bodyguards rob couple…By Rolando O. Borrinaga, PDI Visayas Bureau

Pol bodyguards rob couple in Biliran/
Biliran gov denies he had bodyguards among 7 robbers
(March 18, 2005 / April 6, 2005)

http://geocities.com/rolborr/vinrobbery.html

(Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, March 18, 2005, p. A19.)

NAVAL, Biliran – A band of seven men, mostly identified as bodyguards of the ruling Espina political family and wielding government-issued firearms, broke into an apartment rented by a Vietnamese businessman in the commercial district here on Monday [sic, on March 7, not March 14 as implied by the delayed publication] and ran away with P600,000 and US$800 in cash, mobile phones and cell cards.
Gov. Rogelio Espina said he regretted that the suspects betrayed his trust and made a farce of his community rehabilitation efforts for reformed penal offenders.
Police solved the robbery several hours after it took place since some of the suspects were easily identified because they were not wearing masks. They were captured in three hideouts in different towns.
Some P173,000 of the money and four cell phones were recovered, as well as the guns used in the robbery.
Arrested were Eugenio Nierras Corpin, a native of Biliran town; Sergio Corpin Azur, Martin Carbo Rocete and Nicomedes Azur, all of Barangay Binohangan, Caibiran; and Elijeo Rocete, Enrico Verotiao and Joseph Demate Piad, all of Villa Vicenta, Caibiran.
Corpin and Nicomedes Azur were reportedly in the government payroll as provincial jail guards. They have been released on parole from the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila.
Some of the seized firearms and getaway motorcycles belong to the provincial government, said a police officer, who requested anonymity. This was not mentioned in the police report, however.
The report said the victims, Cuong Luong and his Filipino wife Lily Rabasto-Luong, had just arrived at the apartment at around 7 p.m. from their dry goods store and cell phone center nearby when the robbers barged in.-rolly-

Biliran gov denies he had bodyguards among 7 robbers

(Published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, April 6, 2005, p. A20. Unknown to the writer until two months later, his March 19 follow-up dispatch of items with the governor’s denial was published in Cebu Daily News and Bandera on March 21, 2005, one day before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan passed SP Resolution No. 42, Series of 2005. The prompt publication of the denial in an Inquirer-affiliated newspaper, which is routine for controversial issues like the robbery incident here, had rendered the condemnatory resolution moot and academic. Yet the official threat of harm and punishment implied in the word “condemn” remains [is this a libel suit, stoning, lynching, or perhaps, murder?]. At best, the resolution is “constitutionally-incorrect”; its documented threat continues to violate the writer’s freedom of the press and freedom of movement right in his hometown and home province.)

NAVAL, Biliran – Gov. Rogelio Espina denied that the robbers who victimized a Vietnamese and his Filipino wife on March 7 were his bodyguards.
Espina, in a statement on March 18, said among the seven men, who were all captured several hours after the robbery, only one man named Eugenio Corpin was found to be an employee of the provincial government.
He added that none of the arrested robbers, including Corpin, worked as bodyguard of the Espina family.
Corpin was issued an appointment as security agent and was assigned to the Civil Security Unit as a guard at the capitol grounds, not as a jail guard as earlier reported.
At the time of his arrest, his appointment was still being processed by the provincial government, the governor said.
As security agent, Corpin was issued a 9 mm pistol, which was found in his possession during his arrest. It was the only item owned by the provincial government involved in the heist, contrary to an earlier report that stated that some of the seized firearms and getaway motorcycles used in the robbery belong to the provincial government.
The governor said that while it was true that he regretted the incident and even commended the police for their efforts, he felt betrayed just by Corpin. He said he gave Corpin a chance to be employed by the provincial government.
Rosana Solite, the supervising officer of the Biliran Parole and Probation Office, also said in the same statement that Corpin had never been a client of her office, contrary to the report that said Corpin and another suspect, Nicomedes Azur, were released on parole from the national penitentiary.
She concurred that Azur was a parolee but has since served his time.- PDI Visayas Bureau-

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