"Oplan Baklas" in Camarines Sur, relentless

By Analiza S. Macatangay

NAGA CITY, April 10 (PIA) - True to his word, lawyer Arnel Rodriguez, Department of Environment and Natural Resources officer, took away and stripped the trees with the illegally posted campaign materials nailed on it during yesterday’s launch of "Oplan Baklas".

The composite team composed of the Commission on Elections (Comelc), DENR, Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Army (PA) and other stakeholders simultaneously went around the main thoroughfares of various municipalities in Camarines Sur and removed the posters and other campaign paraphernalia hanged, nailed and posted on the trees.

Rodriguez said that this is a clear violation of Presidential Decree (PD) 953 which clearly stipulates that it is prohibited to use trees as election campaign sites, more so harm it by nailing the said materials on it.

The team simultaneously conducted the activity in all the five (5) districts of the province, not sparing even the names of big politicians both from the local and national levels.

The activity also signaled a series of more "Oplan Baklas" to come in the next few weeks until all the trees are secured from the hand of irresponsible supporters and politicians who are too hard-headed to heed the call of the government.

The roads leading to the municipalities of Canaman, Camaligan and , Bombon all the way to Tinambac area were not spared from Oplan Baklas team. The same was true to other municipalities of Pili, Ocampo, Goa, San Jose, all the way to Partido area. The same scenario was also common in all other municipalities covering the Camarines Sur area.

After the activity, tons of tarpaulins, posters and other election paraphernalia were taken in custody by DENR.

The confiscated illegal campaign materials will also be used as evidence for complaints against the violators. (MAL/LSM/PIA5)



Four from Catanduanes are new lawyers

By Edna A. Bagadiong

VIRAC, Catanduanes, April10 (PIA) -- Four Catandunganons were among the 17.76 percent or 949 out of 5,343 examinees who passed the 2012 Philippine Bar Examinations.

Catherine Beatrice O. King Kay, whose mother is from Viga, placed second with 84.72% rate. She is a certified public accountant and a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila Law School.

She works at the Romulo, Mabanta, de los Angeles and Sayoc law office, the firm where two of its lawyers stood as defense counsels for impeached Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

In 2008, she also landed 11th place in the accountancy board exam.

Other new attorneys from the province are Ma. Arlene S. Borja, Virac; Theresa B. Botabara, Baras; and, Raul V. Angeles of Panganiban.

Borja, 28, daughter of a government employee, graduated from University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree in Public Administration and took up law at San Beda College.

Botabara, finished her accounting degree at San Beda College (Alabang) and pursued law proper at the same school.

Angeles, meanwhile, graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Fisheries at University of the Philippines and finished his Master of Science at the Asian Institute of Technology in Bangkok, Thailand before taking up law proper at Adamson University.

According to the Supreme Court, the results of the 2012 Bar Exams was the second lowest passing rate in the history of professional licensure examination for lawyers in the Philippines. (MAL/EAB-PIA5/Catanduanes)