THE Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the order issued by  the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) directing the Gokongwei-owned Universal Robina Corp. (URC), a local food-and-beverage conglomerate, to pay a fine of more than P1 million for polluting Pasig River.

In a 10-page decision penned by Associate Justice Marlene Gonzales-Sison, the CA’s Fourth Division dismissed the petition for certiorari filed by URC seeking the annulment of the LLDA order dated January 21 directing the corporation to pay a P1,274,000 fine for discharging  pollutive wastewater to Pasig River for a period of 1,247 days.

PALOMPON, Leyte—This town’s local government is set to pursue criminal charges against the provincial assessor if he refuses to cancel the tax declaration he issued to Celso de los Angeles on Kalanggaman Island.

This was revealed by Vice Mayor Lloyd Surigao, who blamed Provincial Assessor Rafael Iriarte for the fiasco.

PRESIDENT Arroyo has designated the deputy executive secretary for legal affairs as an additional member of the Presidential Antigraft Commission (PAGC) to strengthen the investigation of graft complaints in the government.

The President authorized the expanded PAGC membership through Executive Order (EO) 842, citing the “need to further strengthen the investigation and adjudication of complaints of graft and corruption within the bureaucracy.”