January 23, 2010
The Alfonso Charitable Foundation (ACF) started in 2005 a year after Mayor Joy's 1st term of office.
FLASHBACK - May 10, 2004
Joy Peñano(my younger brother) defeated then incumbent mayor Ver Varias during the May 2004 election by a narrow margin of around 1500 votes. The town of Alfonso was in bad shape financially with P4 million deficit and in a state of social decay. Corruption and social ills such as illicit drugs (shabu specifically) and gambling rampant. The town was turned over to the new mayor with government equipment such as vehicles and heavy equipments sabotaged or in disrepair. Gone were batteries, tires and parts were switched with old ones. The municipal building was in a shameful,dilapidated condition with ceilings falling off and bathrooms unusable without running water. Ver Varias and his cohorts had a long list of documented wrongdoings such as overpricing municipal projects, falsifying documents regarding bidders and so on.
Joy Peñano is a successful businessman who grew up in Alfonso, Cavite and could have avoided the rigors of politics. His only desire was to make his hometown a better place for his family and constituents and cannot have any more motives to enrich himself since he didn’t have to.
In just 3 years in office as Alfonso Mayor, his accomplishments were unprecedented in the town’s history. Below are some of his major accomplishments.
Eliminated corruption and restored order in the municipal government using his experience in running a business. He restored the municipal building to become a decent, clean and presentable condition with clean bathrooms where people didn’t have to go somewhere else; basic necessities that Ver Varias neglected to provide during his term.
Alfonso became a NO “SOP”(Standard Operating Procedure)local government that symbolized honesty and dedicated service to the people. SOP is the common knowledge slang for bribery such as 20% or more overpricing for contractors and suppliers. This overprice goes to the pockets of the corrupt leaders in the government.
Example: Mayor Joy’s first encounter with SOP when he took over was receiving an envelope of cash from the supplier of medical supplies for the Health Clinics. He asked, “What is this for?”. The salesman replied, “Sir, this is for the SOP as usual”. Mayor Joy politely returned the envelope to the salesman and told him to put the true pricing from then on. This led to the discovery of numerous documented corruption practices of VerVarias’ previous administration.
Mayor Peñano risked his life and family waging war against drug traffic in
his town and succeeded with a lot of support from concerned citizens. Drug trade from the lowlands was practically non existent before the end of his term.
He accomplished a formidable record of replacing 3 major post war artery bridges with new ones and the concreting of the Amuyong dirt road which is a part of the National Budget. This stretch of main road is even a political territory of Mr. Varias. No other Mayor, Governor nor even a Philippine President succeeded in making these projects a reality in the history of Alfonso.
He brought street lighting to every dark street where needed in every barangay and sometimes spending his own money to make it happen without political party leanings.
Through efficient and honest governance, he elevated the stagnation of Alfonso from a third class to first class municipality.
The list goes on... to be listed here in the future.
To be continued..
Friday, January 22, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
January 21, 2010
I've been figuring out how am i gonna start this blog. My mind has been focused on Alfonso, Cavite - my hometown in the Philippines where I want to retire but it has been on hold due to personal matters here in USA. There is no question about retiring in Alfonso after more than 30 years raising my family in the USA. It is a matter of spending my golden years where I grew up - my old country and my own people. There are no regrets about my spending 36 years in a foreign country which enabled me and my family to live a very exciting and rewarding life. I am very fortunate to now have an option to live a new challenge unmindful of whatever happens in the future.
I have been preparing for this since 2004 when my younger brother was elected as the Mayor of Alfonso. We share the same ideals and goals to make a difference in the lives of the people of our hometown. I took the opportunity to create the USA based Alfonso Charitable Foundation which took more than a year to realize. It's main recipient was our hometown - the motto; "One town at a time". For the next 2 years, with the support of my college friends and many "kababayans", and my personal money, we succeeded in raising funds and delivered donations such as medicines, books, computers, shoes, refrigirators for barangay clinics, seed money and tools for some start-up cooperatives. My personal time and transportation expenses going back and forth from the States and Alfonso came from my own pocket. My wife thought I was crazy at first but after she saw the fruit of our labor, she even donated a lot of her own real estate commissions.
The Foundation is not without controversy. It created a lot of criticisms from some detractors and accused me of politicizing the organization because my brother is the mayor. My brother's political opponent even tried to use the Foundation in his campaign that the organization is a fake and just a family foundation. I figured somebody checked the SEC and did not find it's existence. They were right because I went to the SEC to register it in the Philippines. All I got was runaround and the typical government bureaucracy that I left very exasperated without any registration. The Foundation did not really need any since it is fully registered in the US as a 501(c)(3) foundation and Alfonso is just a recipient without intention to raise funds from the Philippines. Alfonso never asked for a registration every time we delivered donations.
To be continued...
I've been figuring out how am i gonna start this blog. My mind has been focused on Alfonso, Cavite - my hometown in the Philippines where I want to retire but it has been on hold due to personal matters here in USA. There is no question about retiring in Alfonso after more than 30 years raising my family in the USA. It is a matter of spending my golden years where I grew up - my old country and my own people. There are no regrets about my spending 36 years in a foreign country which enabled me and my family to live a very exciting and rewarding life. I am very fortunate to now have an option to live a new challenge unmindful of whatever happens in the future.
I have been preparing for this since 2004 when my younger brother was elected as the Mayor of Alfonso. We share the same ideals and goals to make a difference in the lives of the people of our hometown. I took the opportunity to create the USA based Alfonso Charitable Foundation which took more than a year to realize. It's main recipient was our hometown - the motto; "One town at a time". For the next 2 years, with the support of my college friends and many "kababayans", and my personal money, we succeeded in raising funds and delivered donations such as medicines, books, computers, shoes, refrigirators for barangay clinics, seed money and tools for some start-up cooperatives. My personal time and transportation expenses going back and forth from the States and Alfonso came from my own pocket. My wife thought I was crazy at first but after she saw the fruit of our labor, she even donated a lot of her own real estate commissions.
The Foundation is not without controversy. It created a lot of criticisms from some detractors and accused me of politicizing the organization because my brother is the mayor. My brother's political opponent even tried to use the Foundation in his campaign that the organization is a fake and just a family foundation. I figured somebody checked the SEC and did not find it's existence. They were right because I went to the SEC to register it in the Philippines. All I got was runaround and the typical government bureaucracy that I left very exasperated without any registration. The Foundation did not really need any since it is fully registered in the US as a 501(c)(3) foundation and Alfonso is just a recipient without intention to raise funds from the Philippines. Alfonso never asked for a registration every time we delivered donations.
To be continued...
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Military Coup
January 22, 2010
It has been 11 days since the "Military Coup" staged by Gov. Maliksi ousting the duly elected Mayor Joy Penano from office and installing his henchman Ver Varias. It was a historical and dark event for the small town of Alfonso, Cavite, Philippines. Since then, I have been trying to expose this political violence to wherever I can especially to the constituents of Cavite and the political leaders of the country. The abuses of power by the corrupt leaders must be stopped. I'm not sure where my efforts would lead to but this is something I just can't ignore.
For those not familiar with what really happened in Alfonso, Cavite, please read on background information below.
ALFONSO MAYORAL ELECTION DISPUTE TIMELINE:
May 10, 2007
Incumbent Mayor Joy Penano was defeated by Ver Varias by a 241 vote margin in the election.
May 25, 2007
Joy Penano officially filed his protest of election fraud.
December 17, 2007 7 months later
The lower court declared Joy Penano as the righful winner with a plurality of 142 votes.
December 17, 2008 One year later
Exactly 1 year after, COMELEC First Division affirmed the decision of the court declaring Joy Penano was the winner.
August 17, 2009 8 months later
COMELEC En Banc affirmed the decision of COMELEC First Division declaring Joy Penano as the winner.
September 23, 2009 1 month later
Joy Penano assumed the Mayoral Office after COMELEC released a "Writ of Execution" directing Ver Varias to relinquish and vacate the Office of the Mayor.
It took almost two and a half years of legal conflict to arrive here.
December 17, 2009 3 months later
Mayor Peñano received what purports to be a “status quo” order from the Supreme Court directing the Commission on Elections “to maintain the status quo in the mayoralty position in Alfonso, Cavite” and enjoining it from enforcing the COMELEC resolutions assailed in the petition.
The petition referred to is the petition filed by petitioner Varias elevating on Certiorari to the Supreme Court the resolutions of the COMELEC First Division and En Banc upholding the Cavite Regional Trial Court’s protest case decision finding Peñano the duly elected Mayor of Alfonso.
As of December 16, 2009, the date of the status quo order, the prevailing status quo in Alfonso, Cavite is: Peñano is the Mayor, having assumed said position on September 23, 2009 or three months earlier via a writ of execution issued by the COMELEC, with Varias peacefully vacating the same.
December 18, 2009
In need of clarification of the import of the status quo order and entertaining some doubts as to the order’s authenticity, Peñano filed “An Urgent Manifestation with Motion to Clarify and/or Vacate Status Quo Order”.
Varias is solely to blame for the confusion as he did not disclose that at the time he filed his Manifestation he was no longer Mayor of Alfonso, Cavite. Moreover, he likewise did not disclose that at the time, there was nothing more to be restrained or enjoined, as the COMELEC had already implemented its final and Executory Judgment Finding Peñano the duly elected Mayor.
December 20, 2009
Gov, Ayong Maliksi, together with Varias and “supporters” that are not residents of Alfonso, Cavite, went to the Alfonso Municipal hall and attempted to oust Mayor Joy Peñano claiming he had a copy of a Supreme Court Status Quo Order. Gov. Maliksi insisted that the SC resolution invoking the status quo is sufficient enough, and that the party who is authorized to implement such are Varias and Peñano. Furthermore, they insisted that the COMELEC no longer has jurisdiction over the subject matter. Gov. Maliksi even suggested a foolish scenario wherein Varias will be allowed to work within the Municipal Hall while Peñano continues his duty in the Mayors Office. The Governor failed to unseat Joy Peñano who insisted that the Governor had no legal basis to back his attempt.
January 11, 2010 Dark moment in Alfonso, Cavite
Governor Maliksi together with an army of military police stormed the municipal hall and forcefully ejected the incumbent Mayor Joy Peñano who finally stepped down after seeing his people getting hurt. Click here for video 1, here for video 2. He was in office for less than 4 mos.
Same day, Jan. 11, COMELEC released as order stating that Peñano is the INCUMBENT Mayor following their past Decision and Resolutions and advised both parties to seek clarification from the Honorable Supreme Court.
Mayor Joy Penano received this order on January 12, a day too late. Gov. Maliksi took this opportunity to accomplish his goal with complete disregard for the rule of law and order using his power to twist the military police in his favor
To be continued.....
It has been 11 days since the "Military Coup" staged by Gov. Maliksi ousting the duly elected Mayor Joy Penano from office and installing his henchman Ver Varias. It was a historical and dark event for the small town of Alfonso, Cavite, Philippines. Since then, I have been trying to expose this political violence to wherever I can especially to the constituents of Cavite and the political leaders of the country. The abuses of power by the corrupt leaders must be stopped. I'm not sure where my efforts would lead to but this is something I just can't ignore.
For those not familiar with what really happened in Alfonso, Cavite, please read on background information below.
ALFONSO MAYORAL ELECTION DISPUTE TIMELINE:
May 10, 2007
Incumbent Mayor Joy Penano was defeated by Ver Varias by a 241 vote margin in the election.
May 25, 2007
Joy Penano officially filed his protest of election fraud.
December 17, 2007 7 months later
The lower court declared Joy Penano as the righful winner with a plurality of 142 votes.
December 17, 2008 One year later
Exactly 1 year after, COMELEC First Division affirmed the decision of the court declaring Joy Penano was the winner.
August 17, 2009 8 months later
COMELEC En Banc affirmed the decision of COMELEC First Division declaring Joy Penano as the winner.
September 23, 2009 1 month later
Joy Penano assumed the Mayoral Office after COMELEC released a "Writ of Execution" directing Ver Varias to relinquish and vacate the Office of the Mayor.
It took almost two and a half years of legal conflict to arrive here.
December 17, 2009 3 months later
Mayor Peñano received what purports to be a “status quo” order from the Supreme Court directing the Commission on Elections “to maintain the status quo in the mayoralty position in Alfonso, Cavite” and enjoining it from enforcing the COMELEC resolutions assailed in the petition.
The petition referred to is the petition filed by petitioner Varias elevating on Certiorari to the Supreme Court the resolutions of the COMELEC First Division and En Banc upholding the Cavite Regional Trial Court’s protest case decision finding Peñano the duly elected Mayor of Alfonso.
As of December 16, 2009, the date of the status quo order, the prevailing status quo in Alfonso, Cavite is: Peñano is the Mayor, having assumed said position on September 23, 2009 or three months earlier via a writ of execution issued by the COMELEC, with Varias peacefully vacating the same.
December 18, 2009
In need of clarification of the import of the status quo order and entertaining some doubts as to the order’s authenticity, Peñano filed “An Urgent Manifestation with Motion to Clarify and/or Vacate Status Quo Order”.
Varias is solely to blame for the confusion as he did not disclose that at the time he filed his Manifestation he was no longer Mayor of Alfonso, Cavite. Moreover, he likewise did not disclose that at the time, there was nothing more to be restrained or enjoined, as the COMELEC had already implemented its final and Executory Judgment Finding Peñano the duly elected Mayor.
December 20, 2009
Gov, Ayong Maliksi, together with Varias and “supporters” that are not residents of Alfonso, Cavite, went to the Alfonso Municipal hall and attempted to oust Mayor Joy Peñano claiming he had a copy of a Supreme Court Status Quo Order. Gov. Maliksi insisted that the SC resolution invoking the status quo is sufficient enough, and that the party who is authorized to implement such are Varias and Peñano. Furthermore, they insisted that the COMELEC no longer has jurisdiction over the subject matter. Gov. Maliksi even suggested a foolish scenario wherein Varias will be allowed to work within the Municipal Hall while Peñano continues his duty in the Mayors Office. The Governor failed to unseat Joy Peñano who insisted that the Governor had no legal basis to back his attempt.
January 11, 2010 Dark moment in Alfonso, Cavite
Governor Maliksi together with an army of military police stormed the municipal hall and forcefully ejected the incumbent Mayor Joy Peñano who finally stepped down after seeing his people getting hurt. Click here for video 1, here for video 2. He was in office for less than 4 mos.
Same day, Jan. 11, COMELEC released as order stating that Peñano is the INCUMBENT Mayor following their past Decision and Resolutions and advised both parties to seek clarification from the Honorable Supreme Court.
Mayor Joy Penano received this order on January 12, a day too late. Gov. Maliksi took this opportunity to accomplish his goal with complete disregard for the rule of law and order using his power to twist the military police in his favor
To be continued.....
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