“The arrest of these suspects is a big
blow to the illegal drugs trade in the region as we will be going hard
against high value targets in our continuing anti-illegal drugs
operations,” Police Chief Superintendent Elmer Ragadio Soria, Regional
Director of PRO8 said.
Soria
added that for the month of January 2013 alone, PRO8 had already
conducted a total of 24 successful anti-illegal drugs operation
resulting in the arrest of 24 suspected drug pushers, 10 drug users,
confiscation of 5.196 grams of methamphetamine hydrochloride or
“shabu” and 214.890 grams of dried marijuana leaves with a total
estimated market value of P73,130.00, several drug paraphernalia, and
filing of 24 drug charges in different courts.
The Regional Director
informed that on Friday night in Catbalogan City, elements of PRO8
Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) led by Police Inspector
Constantino Jabonete, Jr. arrested Jose Pilapil y Valles, 48, married,
while selling one heat-sealed plastic sachet containing white
crystalline substance suspected to be “shabu” to a poseur buyer at the
corner Rizal Avenue and San Francisco Street.
Pilapil is a Barangay
Kagawad of Brgy. 1 Poblacion, Salug, in said city.
Recovered from Pilapil were
two P500.00 bill with serial numbers FK201906 and SV769471 and bundle
of buy-bust money. He was immediately brought to Catbalogan City
Police Station for proper documentation while the confiscated items
were submitted to Samar Provincial Crime Laboratory Office for
examination.
Meanwhile, another buybust
operation on Saturday afternoon infront of Gaisano Capital department
store in Sogod, Southern Leyte resulted in the arrest of Romychito
Riveral, of Brgy San Roque of said town.
In a report submitted by
Police Senior Inspector Alfred Reynald Dauz, the police were able to
purchase from the suspect 20 pieces small heat-sealed transparent
sachets containing suspected “shabu” with an estimated street value of
P10,000.00.
Also recovered from Riveral
were the P1,000.00 buybust money bearing serial number WW911858, four
other P1,000.00 bills and one unit Samsung mobile phone used in his
drug transactions.
Further investigation
disclosed that Riveral is out on bail for drug charges.
In Ormoc City, a police team
led by Police Chief Inspector Ibrahim Jambiran of Police Station 1,
Ormoc City Police Office, implemented the search warrant number
N-01-25-18 issued by Judge Clinton Nuevo of the Regional Trial Court
Branch 12, Ormoc City against Cheryl Canoda yke Talipa, 27, married,
of Purok Rosal, Brgy. Cogon, Ormoc City.
The operation conducted in
the evening of January 29 resulted in the arrest of the suspect who
was caught in a drug session with 5 other persons, namely: Jeorge
Jaralbio, security guard, of Dolores, Eastern Samar; Jericho Templado,
security guard, of Brgy Lim-ao, Ormoc City; Alvin Daludo, construction
worker of Brgy. Nadongholan, Ormoc City; Emmanuel Danola, jobless of
Brgy. Bagong Buhay, Ormoc City and Edgar Baludo, employee of South
Seas Cargo and a resident of Brgy Nadongholan, Ormoc City.
Recovered during the
operation were 3 small heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet
containing of suspected “shabu”, 2 heat-sealed transparent plastic
sachet containing suspected ”shabu” residue, several drug
paraphernalia, 5 mobile phones and cash amounting to P1,800.00 in
different denominations. Suspects were brought to the police station
for proper disposition.
On Thursday evening in
Tacloban City, entrapment operation conducted by RSOG led by Police
Senior Inspector Dinvir Revita along P. Gomez St, resulted in the
arrest of drug suspects Allan Lozada y Calabria and Lawrence Mora y
Padagdag.
Follow-up operations at the
house of Lozada resulted in the arrest of 4 drug users while engaged
in a drug session, namely: Jave Muaña, Christian Perpetuo Margallo,
Christian Aimel Malate, and Charlie Jason Salazar, all of Tacloban
City.
Confiscated during the
operation were more or less 1 kilo of dried marijuana leaves in
different packaging estimated to be worth P12,000.00, two plastic
sachet of suspected “shabu”, several drug paraphernalia and buybust
money of two P1,000.00 bills.
Soria informed that cases
for violations of the provisions of Republic Act 9165 or the
Comprehensive Drugs Act of 2002 will be filed by the police against
the above suspects.
Leyte remains
champion of EVRAA
By Philippine Information
Agency (PIA-8)
February 4, 2013
TACLOBAN CITY – The province
of Leyte remains the champion in the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic
Association meet lording it over the ten other delegations from the
different provinces and cities in the Region.
Leyte which is the defending
champion, garnered a total of 331.34 points and was officially
proclaimed the overall champion of the EVRAA 2013 during the closing
and awarding ceremonies held on February 1 at the Leyte Sports Center,
Dr. Rebecca Ragrag, DepEd 8 Information Officer, said.
Placing second was the
delegation from Eastern Samar with total points of 184 while coming in
the third place was Ormoc City with 166 points.
Tacloban City garnered a
total of 155.67 points; Maasin City, 131.50 points; Northern Samar
with 75.5; Biliran, 75; Borongan City, 69; Baybay City, 59.84;
Southern Leyte, 57 points, followed by Catbalogan City, 55; Samar with
42; and Calbayog City with 37 points.
The winners of the EVRAA
2013 will be qualified to participate in the upcoming Palarong
Pambansa to be conducted in Dumaguete City on April 21-27, 2013, Dr.
Ragrag said.
The athletes who are
qualified to participate in the forthcoming Palarong Pambansa will be
officially informed by DepEd Regional Office, she added.
The Palaro athletes will be
give time to practice before the national sports competition, Dr.
Ragrag said.
This year’s EVRAA is
considered to be the biggest in terms of number of participating
schools divisions with the creation of three new schools divisions.
These are the city schools divisions of Borongan, Catbalogan and
Baybay which are among the newly-created cities in the country.
Another NPA Camp
seized by government troops in Northern Samar
By 20th Infantry Battalion,
8ID PA
February 4, 2013
BRGY. MAGSAYSAY, Lope de
Vega, Northern Samar – A newly abandoned communist terrorist’s
temporary camp was recently discovered by government security forces
at Barangay Luisita, Victoria, Northern Samar just this morning at
around 7:30 in the morning.
Lieutenant Colonel Noel A
Vestuir, 20IB’s Commanding Officer, in his report to 803rd Brigade
Commander, Colonel Rolando Malinao, said the camp was seized by the
troops of Charlie Company, 20IB led by 1LT Florencio Tayo.
The camp can accommodate
more or less fifteen communist terrorists and has just been abandoned
by the CTs as they evade armed engagement with the operating troops.
The camp has also a strong signal for globe and is near a water
source. The camp was discovered after 20IB has launched sustained
combat operations in the area of Victoria and San Isidro in response
to the reported presence of communist terrorists in the area as
tipped-in by the peace-loving residents.
According to LTC Vestuir,
persistent reports were monitored regarding the presence of
unidentified armed men in the hinterland barangays of Victoria and San
Isidro towns collecting food stuffs from the residents. Vestuir added
that the group was possibly in the area to enforce their Permit to
Campaign (PTC) and Permit to Win (PTW) to some candidates running for
local posts during this forthcoming 2013 election.
As can be recalled, another
camp was also seized by 20IB last week in Catarman. According to LTC
Vestuir, “the continuous discovery of NPA camps was made possible
through the support of the residents in the area. Through their
information, our troops were able to pinpoint and find the location of
their camps that serve as a staging ground for their terroristic
activities. The information provided by the populace is a clear
indication that enemy revolutionary organization has already alienated
the people and the communities where they got their support through
their forced extortion activities”.
The seizure of the said NPA
encampment is a big blow to the CTs considering that we have denied
them of their safe haven and sanctuary and once again proven that the
people are with us in our pursuit for peace in this part of the
country”, Vestuir concluded.
DOST bares industry
and energy research and dev’t plans for 2013
By Philippine Information
Agency (PIA-8)
February 3, 2013
GOV’T CENTER, Palo, Leyte –
With the high momentum gained from the impressive accomplishments in
2012, the Eastern Visayas Consortium for Industry and Energy Research
and Development has set 3013 plans geared on the realization of the
Eastern Visayas Regional Development Plan by addressing the research
and development concerns of the industry, engineering and energy
sector.
Department of Science and
Technology Region 8 Director Edgardo Esperancilla informed that the
2013 R&D plans for industry and energy was finalized during the
January 16-18 conference of the Eastern Visayas Consortium for
Industry and Energy Research and Development, a consortium of
government agencies and colleges and universities in the Region
supported by DOST 8 and which has been a long time partner in the
delivery of Science and Technology services in Eastern Visayas.
The 2013 plan has identified
five (5) Key result Areas (KRAs) namely: Capability Building (HRD);
R&D Projects; Resource generation; Promotion and Technology Transfer;
and Operations and Management.
Director Esperancilla
disclosed the R&D priorities for 2012 as R&D for Agribusiness
particularly on functional foods such as the product development of
Sago and the product development of Palawan, a root crop found only in
the Region; R&D for Aqua Business particularly that of the Mussel,
Fresh Water Prawn and Tinapa; and R&D on ICT and other engineering
devices for industry applications. Another priority is the R&D on
Rubber.
For this year, the EVCIERD
has already confirmed its co-sponsorship of the August 19-21, 2013
Regional Inventions Contest and Exhibits (RICE 2013) which will be
held at the Robinson's Place Activity Center, Tacloban City, Director
Esperancilla said.
The DOST Director added that
EVCIERD is also looking into the possibility of conducting
benchmarking in Vietnam and Cambodia or China to enhance the knowledge
of its members on the current technologies used in the industry and
energy sectors of the aforementioned countries. He said that the
consortium now includes international cooperation with Singapore-and
Taiwan-research and development institutes.
Also this year, EVCIERD has
already confirmed its co-sponsorship of the August 19-21, 2013
Regional Inventions Contest and Exhibits (RICE 2013) which will be
held at the Robinson's Place Activity Center, Tacloban City. At the
side, EVCIERD is also looking into the possibility of conducting
benchmarking in Vietnam and Cambodia or China to enhance the knowledge
of its members on the current technologies used in the industry and
energy sectors of the aforementioned countries.
Director Esperancilla
explained that the Consortium’s 2013 Plans are in keeping with the
Eastern Visayas Consortium for Industry and Energy Research Strategic
Plan 2012-2016 which was launched during the National Science and
Technology Week celebration last year, and which maps out activities
to be engaged in for the next five years in the areas of industry and
energy in Eastern Visayas.
In the joint Board of
Director (BOD) and Regional Technical Working Group (RTWG) Meeting
held last January 18, 2013 at the EVSU Executive House in Tacloban
City, the RTWG headed by its Chairman, Dr. Francis Pitogo of Northwest
Samar State University (NwSSU), presented the plan to the Board headed
by the President, Dr. Socorro O. Bohol, who is the President of NwSSU.
The plan was approved and
will be implemented with the period of CY 2013, Engr. Ramil Uy, DOST
Senior Science Research Specialists informed.
In the recent years, EVCIERD
became the source of consultants for the implementation of the DOST’s
program on Consultancy for Agricultural Productivity Enhancement
(CAPE), Manufacturing Productivity Extension Program (MPEX), Energy
Audit (EA), Food Safety Assessment, and the Cleaner Production
Technology (CPT), Engr. Uy said.
Notwithstanding, the
consortium also co- sponsored several major activities of the
Department like the conduct of the Regional Invention Contest and
Exhibits 2011 (RICE 2011) of which one of the entry from its members
brought the bacon as winner in the national level of the contest last
July 2012 during the NICE in consonance with the celebration of the
NSTW 2012 at MOA, Pasay City.
The consortium also
co-sponsored the recently conducted Visayas Cluster S&T Fair and
Exhibits which was held at the Tacloban City Convention Center,
Tacloban City last September 24-28, 2012.
PNoy certifies land
use bill as urgent
By CLUP Now!
February 2, 2013
QUEZON CITY – President Benigno S. Aquino III certified the two-decade old land use bill as
urgent last Friday.
“Providing for a rational,
holistic and just management and allocation of the country’s land
resources and the introduction of land and physical planning as proper
mechanisms for determining appropriate land use would promote
sustainable economic and social growth without compromising
environmental integrity and stability” President Aquino said in the
certification, following the continuous lobbying of civil society and
peoples’ organizations to certify the bill as urgent.
Senate Bill No. 3091 or the
National Land Use Policy Act (NLUA) sponsored by Senator Gregorio
Honasan II, was one of the 35 bills stalled due to the controversies
that took much of the Senate’s time after the resumption of the
session last January 21.
The bill aims to ensure
Protection Land Use to guarantee that prime agricultural lands will be
preserved for the needs of future generations of Filipinos, and to
strengthen laws that protect the rights of indigenous peoples in their
ancestral lands, among others. NLUA also mandates the creation of
geo-hazard map that will identify disaster-prone areas in the country
for use in land utilization planning and disaster prevention programs.
"We thank the President for
the Certification for a very important Bill that would define the
country's sustainable and just allocation of our natural resources. We
now challenge both Houses of Congress to pass the NLUA," said Campaign
for Land Use Policy Now! (CLUP Now!) convenor Anthony Marzan.
The NLUA was first filed in
1994 during the 9th Congress. After more than two decades, House Bill
6545 or the National Land Use and Management Act, finally passed on
the third and final reading in the Lower House last September 2012. It
now awaits approval on Third Reading in the Senate and finally, its
ratification before the 3rd regular session of the 15th Congress
adjourns.
IACAT, PTFAIR
assist 1K victims of trafficking, illegal recruitment
By OVP Media
February 2, 2013
MANILA – The combined
Operations Center of the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT)
and the Presidential Taskforce Against Illegal Recruitment (PTFAIR)
assisted more than 1,300 human trafficking and illegal recruitment
victims last year, Vice President Jejomar C. Binay said today.
“From Jan. 1 - Dec. 31,
2012, the IACAT-PTFAIR Operations Center received a total of 537
complaints consisting of 1,353 victims and complainants,” the Vice
President, who heads both the IACAT and PTFAIR, said.
The anti-trafficking czar
added that operatives of the Operations Center, under the supervision
of the National Bureau of Investigation’s Anti-Human Trafficking
Division (NBI-AHTRAD), conducted 10 rescue and six entrapment
operations last year, resulting in the rescue of 262 victims and the
arrest of 86 suspects.
Binay also lauded the
Center’s efforts in locating witnesses who were needed to testify in
courts.
“The Operations Center was
able to locate 25 victims who turned witnesses from as far as
Pangasinan in the north and Davao City in the south,” Binay said.
“This is very important for
us because most of the cases we file do not prosper due to the lack of
witness who are willing to testify against the suspects,” he added.
The Vice President said the
witnesses were brought to Manila to attend preliminary investigations
and court hearings.
“Their presence allowed our
prosecutors to successfully present evidence and hopefully will result
in the conviction of suspected traffickers and illegal recruiters,” he
said.
“In fact, seven of these
witnesses were found just in time to save four human trafficking cases
from being dismissed by the presiding judges,” he said.
The Vice President said
these efforts were in line with the recommendations for the
Philippines in the United States State Department’s annual Global
Trafficking in Persons (GTIP) Report last year.
“One of the recommendations
was for us to strengthen case monitoring and conviction. I hope our
efforts to comply with this recommendation will be recognized by the
US State Department when the 2013 GTIP Report comes out in June,”
Binay said.
Leyte guv vows to
support Social Integration Program
By Provincial Media
Relations Center
February 1, 2013
TACLOBAN CITY
– Leyte Gov. Mimietta Bagulaya vowed that the provincial government of
Leyte would continue to be the conduit party of the Social Integration
Program of the Philippine Army and Office of the Presidential
Assistant on the Peace Process (OPAPP) that provides livelihood and
financial assistance to rebel returnees.
This the lady governor said during the recent Ceremonial Awarding of
Financial Assistance to 28 Former Rebels held at Brgy. Cagnocot,
Villaba, Leyte.
“The provincial government of Leyte has become the conduit party of
the Social Integration Program that provides livelihood and financial
assistance to our rebel returnees. This program has already been done
in other provinces in the country where there are rebel returnees and
a growing number of rebels wanting to go back to the mainstream
society,” Gov. Bagulaya said.
Each
former rebel received P10,000.00 worth of pre-surfacing assistance
while another P25,000.00 were also given to five of them who
surrendered with firearms.
“It is one of our top
priorities –to continue to help accelerate the integration process of
rebels into mainstream society and help them become productive and
peace-loving members of our community,” Gov. Bagulaya declared.
She believes that the Social
Integration Program has proven catalyst to help achieve peace and
progress.
The Philippine army assigned
in the province lauded the provincial government for remaining
responsive in as far as the SIP is concerned and is particularly
supportive by means of providing financial assistance to former rebels
voluntarily surrendering to start a new life.
The Social Integration
Program (SIP) which encourages rebels to give up their armed struggle.
In addition to the immediate assistance and livelihood assistance the
program also offers remuneration for surrendered firearms, explosive
and ammunition.
Meanwhile, Lt. Col. Joel
Alejandro Nacnac, commanding officer of the 19th Infantry Battalion
based in Brgy. Aguiting, Kananga, Leyte confirmed that the recipients
of the provincial assistance were former members of the
Front-Committee Leyte (FC-L) which the military battled for several
years.
In his message, Col. Rafael
Valencia, area commander of the military in Leyte urged the recipients
to set as examples and encourage their former comrades to return to
the folds of the law and avail the programs in store for them.
The army in the province
further stressed that the assistance received by the former rebels is
just the start of the new life and brighter future that lies ahead of
them and their respective families.
With DOJ’s Resolution to
withdraw information
Karapatan calls on
govt to immediately release Acosta, file charges vs. 34th IB
By KARAPATAN
February 1, 2013
QUEZON CITY – With
the recent findings and resolution of the Department of Justice (DOJ)
to withdraw information against detained poet-artist Ericson Acosta,
“it is in incumbent upon the Aquino government to file charges against
the members of the 34th IB for violations of RA 7438, rights of
persons arrested, detained or under custodial investigation,” said
Cristina Palabay, secretary general of Karapatan.
Karapatan said Ericson
Acosta's case shows the all-too-familiar violations committed by
Aquino’s Armed Forces of the Philippines against activists and
ordinary folks they encounter in the course of their
“counterinsurgency” campaign: warrantless arrest; the right to be
informed why he was arrested; denial of the right to counsel and to
inform his family; prolonged interrogation and torture; planted
evidence; detention in a military camp, among other violations.
“Acosta’s experience and
plight showcase the situation of the 430 political prisoners in the
country who were falsely accused of committing various criminal acts.
In December 2012 alone, 28 people were arbitrarily arrested by the AFP
based on trumped up criminal charges,” Palabay noted.
Karapatan cited the case of
Maricon Montajes, a UP student, who was arrested in June 3, 2010 by
elements of the 743rd Squadron of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) while
photo-documenting the plight of the peasantry at Brgy. Mabayabas,
Taysan, Batangas. Montajes was charged with Illegal Possession of
Firearms and Ammunitions and Illegal Possession of Explosives. She is
currently detained at the Batangas Provincial Jail.
On Dec. 7, 2012, lay
churchworker Anecita Rojo, 48, was arrested in Bago City, Negros
Occidental by members of PNP Regional Intelligence Unit on December 7.
She was arrested for murder charges for an alleged NPA ambush in
Negros. Rojo remains in detention at Cadiz City-BJMP.
In Isabela, Negros
Occidental, 19 indigenous peoples, including three minors, were
illegally arrested on December 13 by members of the 11th Infantry
Battalion of the Phil. Army for allegedly supporting the NPA. Of the
19 arrested, eight are still detained and charged with murder and
multiple frustrated murder. They are currently detained at the La
Carlota-BJMP jail.
“Lies were concocted by the
AFP to arrest Ericson and to keep him in jail for almost two years.
The 430 political prisoners are on the same boat and should be
released immediately. It was done in the case of Acosta, it could be
done for the other political prisoners who went through the same
harrowing experience as Acosta,” added Palabay.
She reiterated Karapatan’s
observation that there is an uptrend in the cases of people who are
falsely charged with criminal offenses “in the course of the
implementation of Oplan Bayanihan”, adding that “Ericson Acosta was
among the first victims of OpBay when he was illegally arrested and
detained on the 2nd month of the implementation of the
counter-insurgency policy.”
“The Aquino government
should stop its malicious and dangerous policy of filing trumped up
charges against persons they perceive as rebels,” said Palabay,
stressing Karapatan’s call to junk OpBay.
