ILOILO CITY -- Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. has said he will run for re-election following the Court of Appeals decision barring the implementation of the Ombudsman order to dismiss him from office for graft.

Tupas dismissed talks that his son, Barotac Nuevo Mayor Raul Tupas, will be running in his stead, because of the uncertainty of his status during the May elections. The governor said he will run for his third and last term while his son will also run for re-election as mayor. Another son, board member Niel Tupas Sr. will run for congressman of Iloilo's fifth congressional district.

Tupas said the CA decision will set a precedent that would benefit other elected officials facing suspension or dismissal orders from the Ombudsman.

Last Friday, the CA issued a preliminary injunction barring the implementation of the orders of the Ombudsman and the Department of Interior and Local Government against Tupas and provincial board members Domingo Oso Jr. and Cecilia Capadosa.

The appellate court had said that the dismissal orders were not immediately executory and that the three dismissed officials were deprived of due process. It said the Ombudsman "acted with grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or in excess of jurisdiction."

But Tupas said they will pursue administrative cases against officials and policemen involved in the armed assault of the Iloilo provincial capitol last January 17.

Around 200 fully armed policemen forcibly entered the capitol to enforce the dismissal order against Tupas and the two provincial members. The assault was stopped after the CA in Cebu City issued a 60-day temporary restraining order.

The Ombudsman and Commission on Human Rights have investigated the incident to determine any liabilities of policemen and other officials. The two agencies have not released their reports.

Iloilo Vice Gov Roberto Armada said they will question the order of the CA by filing a motion for reconsideration or a petition for certiorari before the Supreme Court.

"It's not yet over, contrary to what they (Tupas camp) are saying," Armada said in a telephone interview.*NPB

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40 cataract patients set
for surgery in Bacolod

The Cataract Foundation in Bacolod City yesterday conducted a pre-screening for cataract patients at the Senior Citizens Center in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, a press release from Kabankalan said.

Dr. Fortunato Eusebio, a volunteer ophthalmologist of the foundation screened the patients. He identified around 40 patients who are ready to undergo surgery the Riverside Hospital in Bacolod City scheduled on March 26, 28 and 30. The project is facilitated by Cyril Distajo and Chiqui Gonzales of the City Social Welfare Department and the Federation of the Senior Citizen of Kabankalan.

The surgery can be availed free by Philhealth card holders while those without cards will pay only P1,500 to be shouldered by the city government of Kabankalan, the press release said. The foundation will hold another screening on April 11 in the upland barangays of Kabankalan.

The Cataract Foundation has been conducting this project in many provinces in the country for the past 15 years and has so far benefited already 250, 000 patients all over the country, the press release added.*

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Charity for travel
grantees launched

The Philippine Airlines Foundation has programs to help indigent Filipinos to access quality medical care as charity patients, a press release from PAL said.

The Mending Kids International is one of these charities helping PAL medical travel grantees. Through it, indigent Filipino children up to 18 years get free care for serious but correctable medical conditions at UCLA, Cedars Sinai, Shriners Burn Institute and the L.A. Children's Hospital.

The PAL Foundation and Mending Kids could bring over many more medical missions for indigent Filipino children. These kids must have hands-on host families in Southern California.

MKI hosting is purely voluntary with the child staying an average of one to two months, the press release said. Filipino-Americans who want to help but just don't have the time can also serve as "Respite Host Families." They don't host the child full-time but may be called on to pinch hit for a day or a weekend.

Interested parties may call Mending Kids: 661.288.1957; email at mendingkids@sbcglobal.net, for inquiries, the press release added.*

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