BELIZE POLICE DESTROY A YEAR WORTH OF FIREARMS THEY HAD CONFISCATED

Every year or so the police publicly dispose of all the crime related firearms they have confiscated in the course of their work. And while criminals don’t seem to have much trouble finding equally lethal replacements, the annual exercise at least gives us an indication of what kind of weaponry is out there.

News Five’s Marion Ali reports.

Marion Ali, Reporting

This morning the Queen Street Police Station compound was noisy with the sound of a heavy duty power saw cutting through metal as the Department destroyed well over a hundred illegal weapons.Most of the weapons were seized and/or discovered over the past year during house raids or personal searches. While the guns are dismantled, the seized ammunition is used by the police.

Allen Whylie, Assistant Commissioner of Police, “At times those ammunitions would be put into in-service training practice by the police. It does not get back on the street and again the principle of guns being recovered, small arms are being sold back to the public through the Ministry of Finance that has been discontinued for quite some time also. So once we retrieve it, it will be destroyed.”

The weapons were rendered harmless following court orders.

Supt. Miguel Guzman, Commander, Administration, “We will disable the firearms, cutting off the main components of it, make sure that it cannot be repaired again. After that exercise is done we will go with it one by one until the entire stock is destroyed or disabled and thereafter we will proceed and dispose of it in the deep waters of the sea.”

Marion Ali, “So if they’re found they can never be reconfigured?”

Supt. Miguel Guzman, “They can never be. They will not be able to be repaired or used for any parts. They will be completely disabled.”The destruction comes three days after a blast by a hand grenade killed a teen and injured eleven others. Although there were no grenades in today’s collection, there was no shortage of firepower, as police disposed of two rocket launchers and five machine guns. But the heavy calibre of weapons is nothing new for Assistant

Commissioner of Police, Allen Whylie. A.C.P. Allen Whylie, “The trend for many years has been that we’ve been retrieving high powered weapons off the street so I’m not surprised.”And while he is not startled by the types of weapons, Whylie believes there needs to be closer cohesion among the various law enforcement authorities in detecting and intercepting illegal weapons entering Belize.A.C.P.

Allen Whylie, “These things come through the borders, they come through the seas, they come through the various ports we suspect and we need to improve our level of collaboration that we’d be able to be more proactive. We need to get more information that we’ll be able to interdict more of these things and try to prevent them from getting into the hands of criminals.”

Altogether there were one hundred and seventy-four weapons destroyed, including thirty-two rifles, thirty-seven shotguns, five machine guns, two rocket launchers, ninety-three handguns, and five pellet guns.

Reporting for News Five Marion Ali.

Present to observe the destruction was Chief Magistrate Margaret Gabb, along with senior police officers and the media.

A DAY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES IN BELIZE UNDER NEW GOVERNMENT

The report of the Sitting of the House of Representative that follows worries me. As a Belizean I have to wonder what this country is coming to when these two people, on who has the most power in Belize, and the other who just lost it, can talk to each other like this knowing that we are in the eyes of all the world. I take great shame in posting this blog and I pray that in the future the new government of Belize acts professionally for the betterment of this beautiful country which is going to the dogs if we are not careful. Let us work for Belize, gentlemen. It is time to accept that this country need strong men and not bickering ones.
Brenda A. Ysaguirre


REPORT OF THE SITTING OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIE HELD EARLIER THIS MONTH. AN EXAMPLE OF THINGS TO COME!!!
In the U.S. Military and some secret societies, there’s a process called hazing – it’s a ritual of initiation, which involves harassment, abuse and humiliation for the novitiate. And that’s kind of what Said Musa got today in his first session back to the House on the Opposition bench. Sure, Mr. Musa is no newcomer to the House, he’s in his 6th term, but he’s not been on the Opposition side for 10 years and he missed the first House sitting. So when he came today, the government side – particularly the Prime Minister – had a punishment in store for him. But the government majority didn’t have to go out of their way to get at Musa, it came up in the regular order of business.
That business started with the debate preceding the second teading of the Referendum Amendment Bill. It proposes to allow the public to trigger a referendum provided they get a petition signed by 10% of the electorate and provided that 60% of the electorate participates in the referendum. And it’s those provisions that the Opposition felt were too stringent.

Hon. Johnny Briceno, PUP Leader, “It requires the signature of the voters and then it continues, ‘the full name of the elector in block letters, his or her date of birth, the place of their residence, the electoral division in which she is registered, and any other such information that the Governor General may by regulation under this Act prescribed.’ I mean wow, that is certainly a lot that people would have to go through if they want to hold a referendum.”

Hon. Mark Espat, Area Representative for Albert“60% of the total electors in Belize or in any particular area or district, as the bill says, would have to participate in this referendum in order for it to be recognized. Yet even at 60%, even if we attain the 60%, the results would still not be binding. 60% is not easy to achieve Mr. Speaker. The recent referendum on the elected Senate for example, which the government chose to ignore, the referendum here in Belmopan on whether Belmopan was to become a city – neither of those two received 60%.”

Hon. Francis Fonseca, Area Representative for Freetown, “Because Prime Minister I think the general perception is that it is an in fact unattainable threshold.”

Hon. Mark Espat,“Mr. Speaker there is a far more serious issue. There is an issue of paramount concern, one that I would refer to as a Trojan horse in this Bill and that is the removal of the requirement for an automatic referendum on any proposed change to part 2 of the Constitution of Belize. The original referendum law would force any government to go to the Belizean people and ask them to approve changes to their fundamental rights and freedoms. It is an additional safeguard, another checkpoint if you will, against arbitrary altering of these sacrosanct rights and freedoms by a government with the super majority.
The proper thing to do is to make the case to the Belizean people to secure their support by way of a referendum. Belize does not need a Caesar, benevolent as he may consider himself to be, to interpret the will of the people for the people. That should be done by way of a referendum.”

Hon. Francis Fonseca,“People in other countries are dying to protect their fundamental rights and freedoms and here we are in Belize today moving to remove out of the Referendum Act the protection of those rights, saying to the Belizean people, ‘you will not have a right to vote on whether or not those fundamental rights and freedoms should be kept.’ That was put in there for a specific purpose, because all of us, the entire world community appreciates the vital importance of protecting those rights and freedoms.”

Hon. Patrick Faber, Collet Area Rep, “Mr. Speaker but it is important that I point out as Chairman of the Constitution and Foreign Affairs Committee that when the official opportunity was presented for members on that side to make their contributions, not even one of the members on that side made their way to Belmopan to contribute to the debate.”

Rt. Hon. Said Musa, Fort George Area Rep, “The fundamental issue at stake in this bill, which is the reason why I support my colleagues in saying we cannot support this bill, is because it is a ‘one-two punch’ that the government is hoping to put on the Belizean people. The first punch is to pass this referendum amendment. The second punch, straight to the temple, is to take away their right, by abrogating their right under chapter 2 of the Constitution.
How can the Prime Minister call this a reform measure? It is more a deform measure affecting the rights of the people. The amendment is not only anti-democratic, it is a sinister ploy, like I said to set the stage for the government to be able to abridge citizen’s rights by amending the constitution with their three-fourths majority without allowing the people to express their opinion on the matter.”

Hon. John Saldivar, Belmopan Area Re,“I sit here and from my layman’s point of view, I am not a trained lawyer, but I’ve heard at least the two lawyers on the other side now get up and complain about the fact that we are repealing the section of the Referendum Act as it pertains to these special freedoms. And I have to ask myself Mr. Speaker, if the constitution is the supreme law of this land, how can we have a law which is lower than our constitution suggest how we should go about changing our constitution.
If it is the will of the people that we go to a referendum to change the constitution then it must be enshrined in the constitution and not in another law. And so that is the difficulty I am having with the representation the Honourable Member for Albert and the two legally trained people on the other side Mr. Speaker.”

Rt. Hon. Said Musa,“They know how to attack people but they can’t take criticism.”

(Here the representatives of the other party excahnge words with the Rt. Hon. Said Musa)

Rt. Hon. Said Musa,“Mr. Speaker, there they are resulting to insults and offensive language, totally contrary to the Standing Orders of this House. They can’t take it, when you tell them the truth about what’s happening.”

Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister“Tell us...how you betray the Belizean people.”
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,“It seems like I have riled up the government. They have all the power. You all have all the power. I am simply stating what this bill is proposing to do and why are they afraid for the Belizean people to hear it.
Mr. Speaker I really object to this unparliamentarily language that’s being used today.”

[Dean Barrow talking, applause follows.]

Rt. Hon. Said Musa,“This is the behaviour of our Prime Minister, Mr. Speaker. I understand an application has been made to the Supreme Court...”

Hon. Dean Barrow,[Interrupting Musa] “You are a traitor to this Belizean nation. You will get no quarter from me. Not you.”

Rt. Hon. Said Musa,“Mr. Speaker the slings and arrows of great fortune and vindictiveness I am used to from that Opposition, from that government. I am used to that Prime Minister firing off all his slings and arrows. But I will not be intimidated, Mr. Speaker. I want him to know this and I want all the members to know this. I will stand here because the people of Fort George put me here to defend their interests and when I see that matter threatened, I will speak out.”

Hon. Dean Barrow,“My remarks that I will make sitting here, from my seat, so as to offend you Mr. Speaker or the rules of the House, there will be no restraint because that member for Fort George, I consider to have betrayed the Belizean people in serial ways, in multiple ways. This is the man who signed a witness statement, who did a witness statement against Krem, against the owner of Krem who has been his friend for almost 40 years. That is the measure of the man that sits over there and that used to lead this country, representing Fort George. Him I will give no quarter.
I don’t think he has a clue as to how hated and reviled and disgusted he is in this nation. And it is not personal. It is because of what he has done we are grappling with all those, I can’t even call them contracts – all those betrayals that he signed. Anyway, Mr. Speaker let me content myself with saying that him I will give no quarter.
Obviously he is either a fraud or a fool. He is a lawyer. He has been a lawyer for a long, long time, far longer than I and he ought to have known what it took a layman, the Minister of the Public Service to point out to him. So if he didn’t know it, as I said, he is a fool or at the very best an ignoramus a lawyer. And if he did know it, he is a fraud.
The fundamental rights provisions in the constitution can only be altered in the manner prescribed by the constitution. And the constitution in fact contains such prescriptions. You get a three-fourths majority, the constitution says, you wait ninety days, you have the Senate subscribe to it by a simple majority and that’s how you can alter chapter 2 of the constitution. Any ordinary law is subject to the constitution.
So when he passed the Referendum Act with that particular feature, again he talked about misleading, from those days his proclivity for falsehood and deceit was obvious. He put that in the Referendum Act knowing full well that that was fool’s gold, that that was cosmetic window dressing and in fact it was meaningless.
If you had known this, if you had been anything of a lawyer in 1999, you would never have inserted a provision that was from the start unconstitutional. That’s why we are taking it out because we don’t fool the public.”

The Referendum Amendment Bill was one of 7 bills takes for second and third readings today. We’ll tell you more about the others later on.

ATTENTION ALL PED STUDENTS OF CJC ACE

ATTENTION TEACHERS IN THE PRIMARY EDUCATION PROGRAMME CJC ACE

ON SATURDAY MAY 24 AND 31 THE FIRST AID COURSES WILL BE HELD FOR PED STUDENTS IN THE SECOND YEAR. THE COURSE WILL BEGIN AT 9AM UNTIL 12 NOON AND FROM 1PM TO 5PM. THIS CLASS MUST BE TAKEN BY ALL MEMBERS OF THE PED PROGRAMME.

Brenda A. Ysaguirre
Director CJC ACE

41 BECAS DE MEXICO PARA BELICE

MEXICO OFFERS 41 SCHOLARSHIPS TO BELIZEAN STUDENTS
May 13, 2008
The Government of Mexico is offering Belizean students the opportunity to study in Mexico at the technical, graduate and post graduate levels. The Mexican Government is offering 22 scholarships for the 2008 academic year and another 19 scholarships for the 2009 academic year. Love News spoke to Marcelino Miranda, Chief of the Press Office of the Mexican Embassy.
Marcelino Miranda, Chief Information Officer, Mexican Embassy
“We are offering more scholarships and this is in connection with an educational and cultural agreement with the Government of Belize. In Mexico we have a school that is called CONALEP and this is a technical, Professional Education School and we are offering 18 scholarships to Belizeans to study at CONALEP and we have for 2008 four other scholarships at Bachelor’s Degree level at any University in Mexico. And for academic year 2009 we have four scholarships at the technical level at any CONALEP campus in Mexico and we have another 15 scholarships for studies at any university in Mexico and this includes Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate Degree.”
Miranda says that any student can apply for the scholarships and can stop by the Mexican Institute and get assistance in applying for the scholarships.
Marcelino Miranda, Chief Information Officer, Mexican Embassy
“We want to facilitate all Belizean students with their submissions. So we are inviting all applicants to contact the Mexican Embassy through the Institute of Mexico in Belize and we will be very happy to help you to explain the process, the application forms and the documents that you need to submit. We are welcoming all Belize students to submit their application before the 23 of May for CONALEP and by the 31st of July for any Bachelor’s Degree at any University in Mexico.”
Interested applicants can also contact the Mexican Embassy at telephone number 501- 223-1408 or by email at institutodemexico@embamex.bz.

FELIZ DIA DE LOS MAESTROS

HAPPY TEACHER’S DAY

Today is the close of Education Week in Belize and is the day set aside every year for the educators. TEACHER’S DAY is a holiday for all the teachers of Belize and today hundreds of teachers are leaving their areas to go off and enjoy a day or the entire weekend.

While some of the teachers of the Corozal District will be heading for Cancun, others will be going to Spanish Caye and other areas of Belize and Mexico.

HAPPY TEACHER’S DAY TO ALL THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO HELP TO EDUCATE THE CHILDREN OF BELIZE.

Congratulations to all the teachers taking the Associate Degree in Primary Education Programme for their dedication to their educational development.

Yesterday in Corozal the teachers in the part time programme finished their second semester of studies. Hats off for juggling work, family and education of self. Enjoy your week off and see you on May 28th for the commencement of the summer sessions.

Brenda A. Ysaguirre

WHERE NEXT FOR THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF BELIZE TO STRIKE??

7NEWS is a media house in Belize. These days it seems as if there are many in power who are abusing of this right and the people beneath them are crying for it to stop. Belizeans have come a long way and it seems that this Government has inherited a new Belize indeed. One in which the people find their voies and demonstrate the way thet feel.
Let this be a warning to all Principals countrywide that they are not GOD. They must learn to listen to the masses and they must be respectful if they want to be respected.

The person who believes only what he or she wants and who walks on others in their hunger for power, loses everything in the eyes of their peers.
Brenda A. Ysaguirre



We’ve reported plentifully on the sickouts that were staged at Escuela Mexico in San roman Village. The teachers called in sick to protest the management of principal Juanita Lucas. Well today at Sadie Vernon High in Belize City, a similar thing happened. Except that the teachers didn’t call in sick; they showed up to school and simply didn’t go into the classrooms to teach. That left the students in the breech, not quite sure what to do. Jacqueline Godwin was there looking for answers.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,

When 7NEWS arrived at Sadie Vernon Technical High School around ten this morning there were no classes in session. Many of the students were outside their classrooms and members of the school’s board were arriving for an emergency meeting. We did approach Principal Laura Baptist for comment but she said she could not talk because she was about to go into a meeting with the board.

While we were waiting a teacher invited us into the staff room and that is where we found fourteen of the seventeen members of staff. The teachers say they are not in the classrooms because they have had enough of what they called a total disrespect by the school principal. According to Geraldine Tillett, they have been frustrated by administration for two years.

Geraldine Tillett, Teacher – Sadie Vernon High School“For quite some while we’ve been having some problems with the administration and we’ve tried to iron it out but it seems to be escalating. So today we had a meeting. It was supposed to be a short meeting and what happened, we brought up the issue of students who are supposed to go on suspension, for those who had twenty five or more demerits. The principal basically told us that she will handle it herself. These students have not gone on suspension as yet and she is practically telling us that the demerits we gave were not valid. That’s basically what she said, not in that many words. And so we started to discuss with her and she walked out and said that she didn’t have time for that. So we are sitting in the staff room, waiting for her to come back and continue the meeting before we go into class because this problem must be resolved.

Well the way she treats teachers and she has a tendency to put the student’s word above that of the teacher and she has even mentioned to one teacher that the students is the jury for teachers.”

We did interview the president of the student body and other students but late this afternoon we got a phone call from Principal Baptist telling us that the school board stated that because we did not get permission to enter the compound and speak to the students, we could not air the interviews. There was mixed reaction from the students who claim they do not now what the situation but understand why the teachers and the principal may not be in agreement.

Jacqueline Godwin, "What does this mean for the students of Sadie Vernon?

Geraldine Tillett,“Well we want to go into the classrooms but this could have been resolved a long time. When she saw us sitting in, all she had to do was to come back and find out what was the problem and continue the meeting. We would have been in the classrooms a long time. Our concern is the students. I don’t think teachers can lose their jobs for standing up for their rights. That is our rights. This is Education Week, what better way to can we teach our students to stand up for their rights than during this time.”

Jacqueline Godwin, "If nothing is resolved what will happen?

Geraldine Tillett,“Well we will see what will be the next step. But we have to get this problem resolved as soon as possible. Exams are coming up, CXCs are going on, this problem must be resolved.”

But some two hours after the sit out the teachers and students returned to their classrooms and that is because the teachers say they were promised a meeting with the school board. Jacqueline

Godwin reporting for 7NEWS.

Late this afternoon Principal Laura Baptist did tell us that she has not been disrespectful. Baptist said she could not comment further because the situation is still being discussed. Late this evening we contacted a member of the school board who told 7NEWS that the school board, the Ministry of Education, the school principal and the teachers continue to dialogue to resolve issues. The board members also told us that as of this afternoon, the teachers returned to their classrooms.

SEMANA DE ENFERMERAS EN BELICE

NURSES’ WEEK OBSERVED

May 12, 2008
This week is also being observed as Nurses’ Week. With over three hundred registered nurses and midwives serving the country, President of the Nurses’ Association, Isabel Bennett, says it is important to recognize the importance of this group of healthcare providers.

Nurse Isabel Bennett, President of Belize Nurses Association
“Nurses are the backbone of the health system in any country that you go. This year we are celebrating under the theme “Delivering quality, serving community – nurses leading primary health care”. The whole concept of primary health care was started some 50 years back worldwide. The focus shifted from primary health care which is basically prevention to curative. An assessment evaluation of health system in the world has given an indication that we have to go back to the basics, primary health care prevention. We do a lot of health education, stop smoking cigarettes, stop the drinking of excessive alcohol, being able to monitor your stress, being able to handle the care of homeless people etcetera. So the thrust now for nurses and we have been doing this for a while now, is to actually cement our focus on having to prevent illness rather than have to reach to that stage of prescribing medication and monitoring the patients when they are sick.”
Bennett told us nurses are involved in several programs that care for the health of Belizeans, such as the immunization campaign but she would also like to see other programs started. Some of these include more nurses in the healthcare system as they face a shortage and also nurses going to schools to assist with health education. In order to make the work of nurses easier in Belize Bennett says they also need some attention in key areas.

Nurse Isabel Bennett, President of Belize Nurses Association
“Definitely opportunities for continued education, that has always been our thrust and it will continue to be. In the Caribbean right now a nurse has to have a Bachelor’s Degree to be able to qualify to work in any given institution. Nurses in Belize have done three years of study and now they need the opportunity to be able to be able to obtain their Bachelor’s Degree. In some Caribbean countries you would have completion courses which would run roughly about two years so all the studies that have been done by the registered nurses over the first three years they would be able to pass those over to the continuing programme and be able to certify to get their bachelor’s; at this point in time Belize is not there so that is education. Another thing definitely is to improve the working conditions; you would find some hospitals within the region there are really nice lounge, eating area for our nurses. In a lot of the district branches and health centers that is very lacking; to touch on that as well as, the human aspect as well as the equipment that is needed to carry the work.”
Bennett told us that they are presently working along with the Minister of Health to have these addressed, as well as working on a proposal to have salaries for nurses raised. Bennett said she would want for her colleagues to know that their work is important and should be appreciated.

Nurse Isabel Bennett, President of Belize Nurses Association
“I would tell them, say to my colleagues, keep up the hard work. Nurses have always been the pioneer for health, they are the backbone, we are at the forefront. It is not easy, but because of the love and the trust that the society has given to us, we continue to push forward. I would like to say to my colleagues happy nurses week, keep up the good work and become a more active part of your professional organization, it will make a big difference because we can continue to influence policies; not just health policies but political policies, social polities that impact because those policies, once they are established can help to provide us a better workplace to give the care with the little that we have.”
Activities for nurses’ week are being held across the country. Some of these include free testing at health centers, sporting activities, and student nurses awarding their mentors who are nurses. In Punta Gorda a female football marathon will be held in the memory of Nurse Dorothy Avilez and Isabel Palmer, two nurses who were dedicated to their career especially in the immunization program. Today is also being celebrated as International Nurses Day which has been celebrated since 19-65.