Prosecutor wants security guard to face trial on Aeta's slay

The Aklan Provincial Prosecutor’s Office is urging a security guard of the Crown Regency resort-hotel here to face the murder trial as prime suspect in the killing of an Aeta spokesman in February this year.

In a four-page resolution, Deputy Provincial Prosecutor Reynaldo Peralta said the murder case filed against suspect Daniel Celestino is proper.

The Kalibo Regional Trial Court is expected to issue a warrant of arrest against the suspect soon.

At least four witnesses came forward alleging that they saw Celestino in the area where the victim Dexter Condez, then 26, has been assassinated.

The resolution was signed by Peralta on July 3 yet, but it was only released on July 29 at the request of the media.

Earlier, Celestino together with the lawyers of the Crown Regency faced the media, denying his participation in the said killing.

Celestino said he is willing to undergo a lie detector test to prove his innocence.

Peralta said he received the result of the lie detector test confirming that Celestino is telling the truth, but he said the suspect should still answer the allegations of the four witnesses in the trial court.

The Boracay Ati Tribal Organization has condemned the killing of Condez and accused the management of the Crown Regency as behind the death of their spokesman. The Crown Regency is allegedly interested in the lot currently occupied by the BATO.

The BATO is occupying a piece of land in this resort-island through the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) given to them by the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.

The Crown Regency management has continuously denied its involvement in the killing of Condez.

Power Shortage in Boracay Seen

Due to the increasing electrical power demand brought by the flourishing tourism industry, this island resort may experience power shortage in 2016, a power cooperative official said.

Thus, the Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO) is preparing to “prevent the worst scenarios,” its general manager, Chito Peralta, said.

AKELCO recently held its 30th Annual General Assembly here.

A similar activity was simultaneously held at the AKELCO–Lezo main compound and the Andagao Substation in Kalibo.

The cooperative had as keynote speaker Rep. Michael Angelo Rivera of the 1–CARE (Consumer Alliance for Rural Energy) party-list.

1-CARE party-list has committed to help improve the rehabilitation of submarine cables in this island resort.

“If we could not rehabilitate our submarine cables, problems may later occur due to the heavy traffic of electricity [toward] Boracay,” Peralta said.

AKELCO is expecting a huge demand for electricity due to incoming investments in Boracay.

Among these investments were those of the San Miguel Corp. and the Oceans Park.

“We are doing everything to ensure sustainable electricity [supply] in Boracay and the whole of Aklan province,” the cooperative manager said.

AKELCO also distributes electricity to Pandan and Libertad towns in Antique, and a barangay in Capiz province

Town council to probe proposed shooting range in Boracay resort

The Municipal Council of Malay, Aklan is set to conduct an inquiry on the proposal of a resort here to build a shooting range.

The schedule of the inquiry has not been disclosed yet.

Councilor Floribar Bautista said Thursday he is objecting the said proposal because it will create a negative image for Boracay.

"If the plan pushes through, the idea would then be duplicated by other resorts," Bautista said, adding that this may spark an increase of gun owners in this resort-island.

The Municipal Council will conduct the investigation to determine if the proposed location of the shooting range is safe for local residents. Council members will conduct an ocular inspection inside the resort where the shooting range is being proposed.

The Philippine National Police had earlier said it is up to the Department of Tourism whether to recommend the proposal or not.

DENR moves to protect bats, other critical natural resources in Boracay

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is working for the conservation of the remaining critically endangered habitat in this resort-island especially the flying foxes (bats).

Ivene Reyes, head of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) in Aklan, said they will initiate the conservation efforts by entering into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) together with the stakeholders here.

"Some of the critical habitat of Boracay is under the jurisdiction of private investors such as the resorts. So we are planning for a MOA to ensure that the natural habitat is being properly taken care of," Reyes said.

The PENRO-Aklan currently is conducting an environmental audit of the remaining critical habitat of Boracay.

For several years, the environment of Boracay suffered from degradation due to either natural phenomenon or man-made causes.

The DENR report said there are only around 740 flying foxes in Boracay compared to the 15,000 in 1998.

The flying foxes not only help in plant seed dispersal, they also eat thousands of mosquitoes each day which is necessary to keep the resort-island free from dengue and other related diseases.

Boracay exec wants to hear PNoy’s tourism agenda

The head of a business group in this resort-island wanted to hear the tourism agenda of President Benigno Aquino III in the next three years during his State of the Nation Address.

Dionisio Salme, president of Boracay Foundation Inc., said he wants to know the priority projects of the President in terms of tourism, particularly on how the country can attract more tourists.

“Also, I hope to see additional improvements of airports in the country and infrastructures for tourism," Salme said.

Malacañang had earlier announced that it wanted to see 10 million foreign tourists coming to the country in 2016. The Aklan provincial government expects to draw 1.5 million tourists this year.

Stakeholders in this resort-island are upbeat on the economic benefits brought about by the tourism industry as Boracay is considered one of the premier tourism destinations in the world.

Last week, Salme, together with the officers and board of directors of the BFI, was given a fresh mandate by its members.

South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Hyuk Lee arrived here to induct the BFI officers.

South Koreans topped the tourist arrivals not only in Boracay, but also in the entire Western Visayas last year.

Cruise ship arrivals in Boracay until 2014

The management of the Wallem Philippines Shipping Inc. has confirmed the arrivals of the Star Cruises to this resort-island from October this year to April next year.

Niven Maquirang, Caticlan jetty port administrator, said Wednesday that Wallen Philippines is the official agent of Star Cruises in the country.

He said Star Cruises vessel MS Superstar Gemini is expected to arrive here at around 6 a.m. on October 17 and will return to its route by 3 p.m. of the same day.

Another vessel, the MS Superstar Aquarius, will arrive on November 4 at 10 a.m. and will leave the port of Boracay at around 8 p.m.

Superstar Aquarius is expected to return to Boracay on April 1, 2014 as confirmed by Wallem Philippines.

All Star Cruises arrivals has a route coming from Xiamen, China to Manila and then this resort island.

Recently, personnel of the Star Cruises based visited Boracay to check its facilities.

PENRO:No violation in operation of hotel’s mini-zoo

The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office-Aklan has cleared the management of the Crown Regency Hotel here of possible violations for operating a mini-zoo in this resort-island.

Ivene Reyes, PENRO-Aklan chief, said Wednesday this was based on the investigation they conducted in the area on July 4.

A group of concerned residents had earlier reported to the Earth Island Institute-Philippines that the animals being taken cared of by the Crown Regency Resort are allegedly being drugged because these seem emaciated and always asleep.

"When our team went there to conduct the investigation, they found that no harm has been done to the animals. So we recommended the extension of the operation of the zoo to the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources,” Reyes said.

He added that it will be the DENR Region 6 that will decide on the finality of the decision.

The operation of the mini-zoo has been temporarily closed after its permit to operate expired on June 30.

The DENR report indicates that the animals came from Cebu and are allowed to be housed in the mini-zoo. Animals seen at the resort-hotel include a tiger, a python, a cuckoo bird, among others.(