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Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. is encouraging local government units (LGUs) to intensify their tax collection as he assured that it will go back to the people in terms of projects and services.

Defensor made the call during the awarding of top performers in Municipal Treasury Services held at Iloilo Grand Hotel Tuesday.

He said that the help of the LGUs in revenue generation for the province is crucial considering that there is a reduction in the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) starting next year.

“Let me assure you that during my watch you will not regret having increased tax collection because we know how to spend people’s money wisely… Whatever you can collect or raise, the provincial government will do everything that these taxes will go back to our people,” Defensor told the local chief executives and municipal treasurers and assessors present.

Defensor along with Provincial Treasurer Melba Sullivan, Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, Board Members Emmanuel Gallar, Demy Sonza, Jett Rojas, Hernan Biron Jr., and Suzette Alquisada gave plaques of recognition and cash incentives to the awardees.

The Municipality of Mina received the Award for Best Practice on Revenue Generation and the Excellence Award on Tax Record Management.

Bingawan, on the other hand, obtained the Hall of Fame Award for Prompt Remittance of Provincial Tax Shares.

The awardees for the Top Real Property Tax Payers were Coca Cola Bottlers Phils Inc. (Pavia), International Automobile Components Asia Corp. (Leganes), Pepsi Cola Products Inc. (San Miguel), Company of Friends Inc. (Pavia), Vitarich Corp. (Pavia), New Panay Agri-Ventures Inc. (Pavia), Camella Communities (Oton) and St. Rafael Development Corp. (Pavia).

Those who were recognized as top performers in Realty Tax Collection included towns of San Dionisio, Balasan, Pavia, Leganes, Cabatuan, Guimbal, Sta. Barbara, Tigbauan, Mina, and San Joaquin.

On the other hand the top performers in the collection of Annual Fixed Tax for Delivery Trucks and Vans were Cabatuan, Zarraga, Leganes, Oton, and Pavia towns.

The towns of Bingawan, San Dionisio, Cabatuan, San Joaquin, and Barotac Nuevo were recognized as top performers in Tax Records Management while those who are prompt in the remittance of their provincial tax shares were Cabatuan, San Rafael, Mina, Guimbal, Calinog, Sta. Barbara, Dueñas, Leon, Igbaras, and San Miguel.

Those recognized for being early in the submission of e-Statement of Receipts and Expenditures were Dueñas, Mina, Cabatuan, Zarraga, Calinog, San Rafael, Bingawan, New Lucena, Sta. Barbara and Maasin.

Personal grudge motivated a 46-year-old unmarried man to shoot dead a bus collector and to stab dead the bus driver along the national highway in Barangay Manuangan here Monday night, police said.

Senior Inspector Donaldo Cabigas, Pigcawayan police chief, said a long standing feud between the suspect and the bus collector was believed to be the real motive.

“The motive was personal grudge, it was not a case of hold-up,” Cabigas said.

He identified the suspect as Melco Lavinia, 46, former barangay tanod of Barangay Poblacion 3, Midsayap, North Cotabato.

The driver was identified as Rogelio Valdevieso of Toril, Davao City and the collector Adam Bael of Bansalan, Davao del Sur.

According to witnesses, Lavinia, who wore a bull cap, boarded the Weena Bus (MVV-364) at 6:45 p.m. in front of Pigcawayan town hall and sat at the back portion of the vehicle with about a dozen passengers.

Baby Chan Soldevilla, one of the passengers, said they heard two gun shots at the back and saw the bus collector slumped on the floor.

Lavinia then proceeded to the front of the bus and told the driver to stop so he could alight.

Alarmed by what happened to his bus collector, Valdevieso locked the door and attempted to grab the suspect’s hand gun and grenade.

But Valdevieso was shot and stabbed dead by the suspect who returned to the vehicle when he saw people milling around the vehicle armed with huge stones and bolo.

The city government has donated Tuesday four units of desktop computers with complete accessories worth P120,000 to the Zamboanga City Police Office (ZCPO).

Mayor Celso Lobregat, who turned over the city government’s donation, said it is aimed at enhancing the administrative functions of the ZCPO.

The donation of computers was accepted by ZCPO director Senior Supt. Edwin de Ocampo in a simple ceremony held at the mayor’s office and was witnessed by Councilor Benjamin Guingona, III, City Hall Chief Executive Assistant Mario Roca and other police officers.

“This is part of our continuing assistance to the city police to make them not only efficient and effective in their work but more importantly pro-active, especially in law enforcement and in keeping peace and order in the city,” Lobregat said.

He said the city government has assisted the police in so many ways than one like the provision of transportation, gasoline, office equipment, communication facilities to infrastructure projects like construction and/or renovation of police stations and police action centers among others.