10/S1

The
Nation FRIDAY-SATURDAY, AUGUST 18-19, 2017
EDITOR MARIFI S. JARA

#nationataglance NATIONWIDE ROUND-UP

China reasserts indisputable
sovereignty over South China Sea,
pushes for joint development
THE CHINESE governments position
regarding its indisputable sovereignty
over the South China Sea is consistent,
Beijings foreign ministry said on Wednesday, as
it evaded questions regarding its supposed assur-
ance to the Philippines that it would stop expand-
ing the areas it occupies in the disputed waters.
Ian Nicolas P. Cigaral
Chinese nationals can now get visa upon arrival,
extend up to six months
CHINESE NATIONALS visiting the Philippines are now
given a Visa Upon Arrival (VUA) and may stay in the
country for up to six months, the Bureau of Immigra-
tion (BI) announced on Thursday. In a statement, Im-
migration Commissioner Jaime H. Morente said the move
is in line with the governments bid to draw more tourists and investors
from China.The program applies to Chinese nationals who are part of tour
groups organized by operators accredited by the Tourism department;
businessmen endorsed by local and foreign chambers of commerce and
other government agencies; and athletes and delegates to conventions
and exhibitions. Kristine Joy V. Patag
>> See full story on https://goo.gl/hm95Eb

INSTAGRAM/@RICHARDGUTZ
>> See full story on https://goo.gl/VqYTud

JAPANESE EMBASSY PHOTO

CAGAYAN VALLEY: BAGGAO Richard Gutierrez faces perjury, falsification of documents raps
ACTOR RICHARD GUTIERREZ is facing perjury and falsification of documents
Got corn? Will make charcoal charges, on top of a pending P38.57-million tax evasion complaint, filed
This facility for the production of corn cob-based charcoal, along with a mini-truck yesterday by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). In a statement, the BIR
for hauling, was turned over to the town of Baggao in Cagayan Valley on Aug. 14. The said Mr. Gutierrez used fake and falsified tax returns to secure the dismissal
project for the production and marketing of clean and green (non-wood) charcoal of the tax evasion case filed against (his company) R Gutz Production Corp.
was funded by the Japans Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects The BIR said that the Annual Income Tax Returns (ITR) and Quarterly Valued-
through the initiative of St. Paul University Philippines. Added (VAT) Tax Returns attached to Mr. Gutierrezs counter-affidavit in his
tax evasion case currently pending at the DoJ are falsified. The attached
returns were deceptively made to appear to have been stamped received
by Revenue District Office No. 42 - San Juan City, the BIR said. The RDO 42
- San Juan and the Document Processing Division of BIR Quezon City both
have certified that R Gutz Productions Corp. had no VAT returns filed for the
2nd, 3rd, and 4th quarters of 2012. Kristine Joy V. Patag

AUTONOMOUS REGION IN MUSLIM MIND-

ANAO: SULTAN SUMAGKA, MAGUINDANAO
AND ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA:
DUMINGAG, ZAMBOANGA DEL SUR
2 Mindanao local government execs
dismissed for Serious Dishonesty
in asset statements
THE OFFICE of the Ombudsman has
dismissed two high-ranking town
officials in Mindanao for failure to
declare properties they own in their
Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SALN). The two
are Mayor Montasir M. Sabal of Sultan Sumagka
(formerly Talitay) in Maguindanao and Vice-Mayor
MITCHELLE L. PALAUBSANON/THE FREEMAN
Nacianceno M. Pacalioga, Jr. of Dumingag, Zambo-
THE NUMBER of customers at LIV Super Club in Mandaue City has dropped by 50%, anga del Sur. Both were also meted the accessory
according to operations manager Benray Conti, after one of the establishments penalties of perpetual disqualification from holding
directors, Kenneth Dong, was linked to illegal drugs. public office, cancellation of eligibility and forfeiture
of retirement benefits. They will also be facing perjury
CENTRAL VISAYAS: MANDAUE CITY, CEBU and graft charges. The Ombudsman, in two separate
Disco bar of businessman linked to P6.4-B shabu shipment statements released yesterday, said the local gov-
delinquent in tax payments ernment officials nondisclosure of real properties
LIV SUPER Club, a popular disco bar in Mandaue City, where businessman Kenneth Dong constitutes Serious Dishonesty as the acts were done
is one of the directors and stockholders, has been found to be delinquent in paying local fraudulently and were committed several times. The
taxes. Lawyer Mae Elaine T. Bathan, chief of staff of Mandaue Mayor Gabriel Luis Luigi Ombudsman cited records showing that Mr. Sabal
R. Quisumbing, said the luxury club has not paid its amusement tax in 2016 amounting to failed to disclose his ownership of five real-estate
P361,000, excluding penalties. It also has not paid amusement tax this year. Ms. Bathan said properties located in Davao City and Cotabato City.
the city treasurers office is now assessing the clubs total dues. We expect that they will be Mr. Pacalioga, on the other hand, failed to declare
assessed for more than half a million or to a million, she said. The clubs business permit, 10 parcels of land located in different barangays of
which it secured last June 22, will expire on Dec. 31. It started operations in 2014. In Janu- Dumingag. Mr. Pacalioga has defended that he did
ary, na-issue-han man sila ng temporary business permit that was set to expire on Aug. 9, not need to declare these as he had already waived
2017. However, on June 22, 2017, they have complied with their business permit, thus they his rights over them in favor of the Dumingag United
were issued a business permit valid up to Dec. 31, Ms. Bathan explained. It was also only this Subanen Association, Inc. and a certain Roel Dumay-
year that the club started complying with the SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG requirements on prior to the years in question. Mindanao Bureau
for its employees. Based on the general information sheet from the Securities and Exchange
Commission, at least five people are behind the management of Liv Disco Club, Inc. Brian
Tan Del Solo, chairman and president; and Yi Shen Dong (Kenneth Dong), Henry Reyes Yu,
Raymond T. Go, and Hua Zhou Ling, directors. They will be issued with notices to pay these WWW. WESTERN VISAYAS: ILOILO CITY
HARBORSTAR.
amusement taxes wherein they will be given 10 days to comply. If they do not pay these COM.PH/ Harbor Star opens Iloilo branch
taxes, then they will be recommended for closure, Ms. Bathan said. The mayor has also HARBOR STAR Shipping Services, Inc. (TUGS), an integrated ma-
ordered the police to heighten monitoring and intelligence-gathering activities to determine rine services provider, inaugurated its Iloilo City branch on Aug.
if the bar, along with other establishments, are involved in illegal activities such as narcotics 11 as part of the listed companys program to increase base ports
trading. The Freeman around the country and expand operations. TUGS currently has
>> See related story on NBI files drug rap vs nine over P6.4-B shabu shipment two tugboats, MT Mira and MT Wezen, assigned at the Iloilo Port,
https://goo.gl/221Wct providing service mainly to international vessels. BW

Iloilo-based truck drivers go on strike

TRUCK DRIVERS of ARR trucking services
have gone on strike following managements
failure to grant them their minimum wage
request and other benefits. Elmer D. Blanca-
flor, president of the Iloilo ARR Enterprises
Labor Organization (IARRELO), said the group
started their strike on Aug. 16 with 13 of the
18 members joining. We proposed that the
management grant us with the minimum
wage which is part of the economic provision
of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
But until now they have yet to respond to our
request, Mr. Blancaflor said. The group also
SOCCSKSARGEN: GENERAL SANTOS CITY AND SARANGANI filed charges against the management for il-
Preparations under way for 1st BIMP-EAGA culture and arts festival legal dismissal, unfair labor practice and union
ARTISTS AND indigenous cultural experts from the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia- busting before the National Labor Relations
Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) are gathering in General San- Commission, an attached quasi-judicial agency
ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA: ZAMBOANGA CITY tos City and Sarangani province on Sept. 20-24 for the 1st Budayaw Festival. The of the Department of Labor and Employment.
Zamboanga-Sandakan flights to boost BIMP-EAGA ties, says MinDA chief sub-regions diverse art forms will be simultaneously featured in various venues. While the CBA negotiation is ongoing, Mr.
SECRETARY Abul Khayr Dangcal Alonto, chairman of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), The Budayaw Festival is envisioned to be held every two years, rotating within Blancaflor said he and the union secretary were
welcomed the launching of direct flights between Zamboanga City and Sandakan, Malaysia, saying this the four member countries. In a press conference earlier this month, Engr. Maritess dismissed for supposed redundancy. Their
will boost ties within the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EA- K. Maguindra, director of the Bureau on Cultural Heritage of the Autonomous respective assigned truck units were also trans-
GA). Cebgo, a unit of budget airline Cebu Pacific, will have four-times-a-week flights from Zamboanga Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), said Budayaw is a platform and mechanism ferred to another province where ARR Trucking
to Sandakan beginning Oct. 29. This route, said Mr. Alonto, is among the major connectivity projects to bring about cultural appreciation. The ARMM will be showcasing works of its also operates.
in the four-country sub-grouping within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). (It) is a cultural artists and will be setting up an exhibit on the Muslim Filipinos history The Partido
clear manifestation that with strong private and public partnership, we can truly make things happen as and culture. Twenty years of economic cooperation in the BIMP-EAGA led to Manggagawa
one BIMP-EAGA family, Mr. Alonto said in a statement. BIMP-EAGA is composed of the entire Sultanate the realization that culture is an element in the sustainable development of the has expressed
of Brunei Darussalam; the provinces in Kalimantan, Sulawesi, Maluku, and Papua in Indonesia; the States four countries, said artist Nestor T. Horfilla, who is heading the festival organiz- support for
of Sabah and Sarawak and the Federal Territory of Labuan in Malaysia; and Mindanao and Palawan in ing committee. Budayaw comes from words Budaya, a Malay term that means the union.
the Philippines. Mindanao Bureau culture, and Dayaw, a Filipino word that signifies goodness, value and beauty. Louine Hope
>> See related story on https://goo.gl/P5HYZn Mindanao Bureau U. Conserva

BUSINESSWORLD GRAPHICS: ERKA CAPILI INCIONG