The Ilocos Times

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Batac City —Members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod here headed by Batac Vice Mayor and presiding officer Ronald Allan M. Nalupta gave a warm welcome to newly appointed councilor Dr. Amaryllis Abellon. Dr. Abellon filled up the post vacated by the death of her husband, former Batac councilor Amable Abellon. Mr. Abellon died on December 25, 2014. Dr. Abellon officially took her oath of office on June 8, 2015 before Ilocos Norte Gov. Ma. Imelda “Imee” R. Marcos. In her first session on June 15, Dr. Abellon thanked her colleagues for the warm welcome. She is not a neophyte at the council, having been elected to the same post in 1992-95 and 2001-04. During those times however, the council was still a Sangguniang Bayan as Batac was still a municipality then. She stressed that the feeling is different this time since she was excited to be elected before but as she was just appointed now to complete the term of her husband, she said

POLICE  Sr. Supt. Albert Ocon, acting provincial director of Ilocos Norte presents Kimberly Agapay, 32, of Barangay Barangobong, Nueva Era, Ilocos Norte as he was arrested at Brgy. Magsaysay in Alicia, Isabela on June 16. Mr. Agapay has been listed as number six in the provincial anti-partisan armed group under the Ilocos Norte most wanted persons in various shooting incidents. (Lei Adriano) By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter Laoag City —After almost a decade, Kimberly Agapay alias “Ampopoy”, single and a resident of Brgy. Barangobong in Nueva Era was finally arrested by police operatives on June 16 in a rented house at Brgy. Magsaysay in Alicia, Isabela province. Mr. Agapay has been listed as number six in the provincial anti-partisan armed group task force under the Ilocos Norte’s most wanted persons involved in various shooting incidents. He was the prime suspect in three murder cases involving barangay officials and is the youngest of the Agapay brothers who a

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter BANNA, Ilocos Norte—Over 1,000 saplings of narra , mabolo , duhat , bugnay and other indigenous tree species were planted on a three-hectare arboretum located in the mountainous Brgy. Valenciano here. Every month of June, employees of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources led by provincial environment and natural resources officer (PENRO) Juan delos Reyes along with other groups and individuals in Ilocos Norte go out in the field and look for barren spaces where they can plant more in celebration of Arbor Day. This year, the town of Banna in the eastern part of Ilocos Norte was chosen as site for the Arbor Day activity with a series of information and education campaign to inspire everyone to plant more trees and care for this planet. Edison Taroma, Brgy. Valenciano chairperson said he is thankful his barangay was chosen as location of the arboretum where various indigenous species are being planted. Accordi

Din, a US citizen (USC) petitioned to have her husband Berashk, an Afghanistan citizen and a former civil servant in the Taliban regime, to be classified as an “immediate relative” under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Din’s petition was approved. However, after interviewing Berashk, his visa application was denied by a U.S. consular officer in Pakistan on the ground that he was inadmissible under INA § 212(a)(3)(B) which excludes aliens who have engaged in “terroristic activities.” The consul provided no further information. Din filed in the U.S. District Court an action for mandamus to direct the U.S. government to properly adjudicate Bershak’s visa application; declaratory judgment that § 212(a)(3)(B), which exempts the government from providing notice to an alien found inadmissible under the terrorism bar is unconstitutional as applied; and a declaratory judgment that the denial violated the Administrative Procedure Act. The Court dismissed her complaint. She appea

Newcomer   Senator Grace Poe   left   Vice President Jejomar Binay choking in her dust   in the latest survey on preferred 2016   presidential contenders. She is now Number 1 nationwide   at 30%, the   May 30 to June 5 survey conducted by Pulse Asia found. Mr. Binay gagged   in Ms. Poe ’ s dust at   22%. Ms. Poe looks set to further widen that lead, as persistent scandals drag back      Binay’s standing. Just before the survey publication, for instance,   the Supreme Court, scrapped the bid by Binay’s Makati mayor son   to get three justices—Lourdes Sereno, Antonio Carpio and Martin Villarama—to inhibit from hearing graft charges. These   link also the   other family members. “The justices   indicated they are not voluntarily inhibiting,” Court spokesman Theodore Te said in a   press briefing. “That’s it."   On March 17, Sereno, along with associate justices Carpio and Villarama Jr,   junked   Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin   Binay Jr.’s motion to inhibit themsel

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Where there are people there are differences of opinions, and what would government be without disagreements? Would we even need government? Every election season, politics proves to be an important factor in determining the nation’s leaders. This shows that politics has a strong influence on the opinions of citizens, including long-term issues and current affairs. Young people today think little about politics and how politics affects them. I assumed for a long time that politics was over my head. For me, there was no point in politics and no reason to try and understand them. But when I took up political science as a subject I found it interesting that I became more aware of political issues.  Also, I have begun to develop my own beliefs about politics and the government, including its leaders, judicial system, and the military. Young people often overlook the significance of understanding the relevance of politics in their lives as I did. Students do not know what they’re