NBI-Davao denies abduction of suspects

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Davao City to boost greening initiatives amid int’l citation

The Davao City Planning Coordinator revealed on Thursday that the city’s green city initiative, which was achieved with the help of various offices of the city government, got the bronze award during the 21st International Awards for Livable Communities by LivCom.

The awarding was held on June 2 in Valletta, Malta.

Davao was picked from among 232 cities from all over the world and became among the 22 that were chosen as awardees.

The city received the bronze award under Category 8 or those with more than 400,000 population, along with Eskisehir Turkey and Narayanganj, Bangladesh. For that category, the 1st gold was given to Abu Dhabi UAE, the 2ND gold to Xinyang, P.R. China, and the 3rd gold to Cankaya District, Ankara Turkey. Two silver awards were also given to Katowice Poland, and Avcilar, Turkey.

The award was given through a hybrid awarding setup, where City Environment and Natural Resources Office Head Engr. Marivic Reyes was also given the opportunity to present the city’s greening efforts.

City Planning and Development Coordinator Engr. Ivan C. Cortez, during the I-Speak Media Forum held Thursday, June 8, 2023, said that such an award serves as an evaluation of the efforts of the city in terms of greening and sustainability.

“They took notice of our efforts in terms of parks development, peace and security, and also our efforts in protecting our remaining forest nasa ordinances natin and regulations,” he said.

Cortez said that the city is lucky to have a green advocate leadership through the city mayor, who pushes and takes further these initiatives.

“We have a standing order from the mayor to improve further the greening efforts of the city, we are introducing greening efforts in our sidewalks and our center islands. We want to lessen the urban heat effect, especially in our downtown areas kasi masyadong mainit na siya (because it is very hot) during noon time,” Cortez said.

He added that they are now

Lawyer Arcelito Albao, director of the National Bureau of Investigation-Davao Region (NBIDavao), denied abducting suspects.

Albao reiterated that abducting suspects is not a work of NBIDavao.

The NBI-Davao issued the statement amidst allegations that the agency investigated and kidnapped Dennis Roy P. Panzan, one of the suspects linked in the rape-slay of 28-year-old architect Vlance Marie L. Bragas last month.

Panzan, 18-year-old and a resident of Purok 7 in Barangay Lacson, Davao City, was reported missing on May 27, 2023. Panzan claimed that he was abducted by a group of men but was able to escape while traveling aboard an unidentified vehicle. He sought refuge at the barangay hall of Matina Pangi and later rescued by Talomo police, but collapsed while being debriefed and died at the Davao Adventist Hospital in Bangkal, Davao City on May 29, 2023

Albao said NBI-Davao always follows the rule of law and due process.

“It’s not the style of NBI to abduct any persons of interest or suspects of any case,” Albao told Edge Davao.

Albao stressed that Panzan was not among the persons of interest of NBI-Davao in the parallel investigation of the Bragas rapeslay case.

Albao added that NBI-Davao only investigated the case of re-