News Briefs: New labor attaché to Kuwait named

New labor attaché to Kuwait named

The Department of Labor and Employment has named a new labor attaché to Kuwait following the execution of a Filipino worker  and the death of another abused Filipino woman last month. The new labor attaché, Alejandro Padaen, is expected to arrive by Feb. 15, according to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello. Bello recalled the Kuwait assistant labor attaché, Angelita Narvaes, for “inaction and a lack of concern for the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there” following the execution of Jakatia Pawa last January. She was hanged for killing her employer’s daughter in 2007. At around the same time, OFW Amy Santiago died at a hospital in Kuwait after she was allegedly abused by her employer. —Julie M. Aurelio

Ex-Cagayan vice gov faces raps over P6.6-M IRA scam

The Office of the Ombudsman has directed the filing of graft and estafa charges against former Cagayan Vice Governor Leonides Fausto and two others over the anomalous disbursement of the internal revenue allotments of several barangays in 2006 and 2007. The Ombudsman found probable cause to press charges for estafa and violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. The other respondents are Eulalie Taguiam-Fausto, assistant vice-president and branch head of the Tuguegarao City branch of Land Bank of the Philippines, and Ricardo Cabacungan, Jr., an executive assistant in the office of the vice governor. The three were implicated in the alleged “grand scheme of divesting the barangays” of P6.6 million in funds through 206 check disbursements.   —Vince F. Nonato

Ex-acting mayor charged for trust fund misuse

A former acting mayor of Santo Domingo, Albay province, has been charged for allegedly misusing the town’s trust fund for nonpriority expenses, like catering services, raffle prizes, and  candles. Incumbent councilor and then acting mayor Edna Banda, as well as assistant for accounting  Gemma Banzuela, were charged before the Sandiganbayan for violating  the government auditing code. From October 2008 to January 2009, the two allegedly misused P2.18 million from the town’s trust fund  created for priority development projects. —Vince F. Nonato

Pope Francis names new Lipa archbishop

Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Gilbert Garcera of the Diocese of Daet as the new archbishop-elect of Lipa, Batangas province, to succeed Archbishop Ramon Arguelles, who has resigned at the age of 72. The Vatican announced the  appointment  after Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Arguelles, who served the archdiocese of Lipa for almost 13 years and was vocal in campaigning against mining and other environmental threats to the province. The archdiocese of Lipa has a population of 2,815,235 Catholics. Garcera, 58, was appointed bishop of Daet by Pope Benedict XVI. —Julie M. Aurelio