VACC picks STAR as newspaper of the year

The STAR was judged "Newspaper of the Year" by the watchdog group Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) for its contribution to advancing the group’s causes.

During the awarding ceremonies held yesterday at the Rizal Hall in Malacañang, The STAR’s Jarius Bondoc was chosen as best columnist. This is Bondoc’s second award this year, the first being from the Manila Rotary Club.

President Arroyo led the awarding and praised the awardees and the VACC for their contribution to curbing crime and corruption.

VACC founding chairman Dante Jimenez said The STAR was chosen for its balanced and consistent reporting on crime. He said the newspaper’s coverage, especially of heinous crimes, was extensive and involved follow-up reports.

"We normally pick up from these reports and some of the victims come to us," he said.

Bondoc, on the other hand, was chosen for his series of columns exposing the alleged corrupt practices of Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, former Armed Forces deputy chief of staff for comptrollership.

Jimenez said Bondoc’s "fearless exposés" led to the filing of cases against Garcia before both the civil and military courts.

"We are closely monitoring that case. Mr. Bondoc is very balanced in writing about corruption cases and also consistent," Jimenez said.

The President, in her speech, lauded the VACC for being "one of the most credible organizations in our community pillar."

"You guard the police… the prosecutors of the Department of Justice (DOJ). You have contributed in no small way to speeding up the investigation, prosecution and trial (of cases)," she said.

Mrs. Arroyo noted that of 81 cases handled by the VACC, "75 resulted in conviction, so the success rate of VACC is 92 percent."

The President thanked the VACC for citing the exemplary work of the police and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) as well as the DOJ prosecutors in fighting the country’s crime.

She also appealed to the group to help in the fight against terrorism and assist the DOJ and other government agencies deal with child offenders based on local and international laws, aside from its usual role in stopping kidnappings, robberies, the proliferation of illegal drugs and illegal gambling operations, among other crimes.

"The executive cannot dictate to the courts but you, as a citizens’ group, can. That’s why you have a big role to play," the President said.

Jimenez said that, in the group’s seven years of service to victims of heinous crimes, suspects were acquitted in only six cases.

He added that the VACC also helped convict Dominga Manalili, a tax collector from the Bureau of Internal Revenue-Quezon City who was found guilty of plundering P258 million in tax payments.

Jimenez said the VACC has assisted 600 victims of large-scale illegal recruiters who were subsequently meted life imprisonment.

The VACC proposed the creation of two citizen-oriented agencies to monitor cases pending in various investigating agencies, prosecutors’ offices and the courts.

Other recipients of VACC’s major awards for 2004-2005 were Manila Regional Trial Court Judge Luis Arranz from the judiciary, Senior State Prosecutor Ruben Carretas from the prosecution, and Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao from law enforcement.

Awardees for community service were The STAR; Bondoc; radio station dzRJ, chaired by Ramon Jacinto; radio host Jose Taruc Sr. of dzRH; television network ABS-CBN; television host Ricardo Puno Jr. for his show "Dong Puno Live" on ABS-CBN; and reporter Christian Esguerra of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Special awardees from the judiciary were Judges Ismael Casabar, Winlove Dumayas, Zosimo Escano, Pedro de Leon-Gutierrez, Leoncio Janolo Jr. and Jaime Salazar Jr.

Special awardees from the ranks of the litigation lawyers are Private Prosecutors Deo Deocampo and Braulio Tansinsin; Assistant Provincial Prosecutor Floro Floren; State Prosecutors Albert Fonacier, Pablo Formaran III, Rachel Nebrao and Josefino Subia; and Assistant City Prosecutors Rector Macapagal and Andres Marcos II.

Those who received special awards for law enforcement were NBI Director Reynaldo Wycoco, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Undersecretary Anselmo Avenido and the PNP-5th Regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group unit in Legazpi City.

Special awards for community service were given to Metrobank chairman George Ty, forensic medicine expert Dr. Raquel Fortun of the University of the Philippines, and the VACC’s NCR chapter.