CATBALOGAN, Samar
– Police authorities
here scored in its campaign against wanted person’s with the arrest of
Samar’s No. 1 most wanted criminal recently.
Elements of the PNP’s
San Sebastian Municipal Police Station led by P/SInsp. Nestor Juan
finally collared murder suspect Ereneo P. Gacita, 42 years old and a
resident of Brgy. Canticum, Calbiga town, some 50 kilometers south
from Samar’s capital, last September 8.
Insp. Juan, in a press conference Monday,
informed they received intelligence reports that Gacita was spotted in
Brgy. Canticum. After receiving the information he then coordinated
with the Calbiga Police Station and the PNP Provincial Mobile Group
stationed in the said barangay to arrest the suspect who showed no
sign of resistance.
Gacita has a standing
warrant of arrest issued by Judge Rogelio Jucobo of the Regional Trial
Court Branch 27 in Catbalogan for the alleged murder of Sergio
Cabuenza, a barangay councilor of Brgy. Hita-asan, San Sebastian last
March 10, 1993 during a drinking session.
In a related
development, San Sebastian Police likewise arrested recently another
suspect identified as Dondo Abaigar, 55, and a resident of Brgy Balogo,
Hinabangan, Samar who is facing homicide charges.
Abaigar, who is
confirmed by the military intelligence reports as former member of the
New People’s Army (NPA), South Samar Front under the Jovito Ragay
Command, was charged for the killing of Narciso Bercito of Brgy.
Balogo, Hinabangan town last July 13, this year. The suspect, however,
is reportedly suffering from mental impairment.
Insp. Juan suspected
that the officials of the guerrilla command let go of Abaigar since he
is already of no use to the Revolutionary Movement due to his mental
condition.
Samar PNP Director
P/Supt. Asdali Idja Abah, meanwhile, said he will immediately submit a
report to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)
and to the PNP higher headquarters so that those police officers who
took part of the apprehension will be given the credit.
He said these
recent apprehensions have a great impact to the government’s campaign
against criminality.
NDCC commends So. Leyte effective rehabilitation plan
By REBECCA G. CADAVOS (PIA Southern
Leyte)
September 12,
2006
MAASIN CITY,
Southern Leyte – The
National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) supported the province’s
rehabilitation plan for an effective local governance, NDCC Executive
Officer Glenn J. Rabonza disclosed during his visit here last Friday,
September 8 at the provincial capitol.
Rabonza revealed that
NDCC will refer to the master plan developed by the Provincial
Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) and will probably replicate the
same in the provinces of Guimaras and Albay, where another calamity
hit their areas.
Rabonza further
commended the PDCC through its Chair Gov. Rosette Lerias because of
the holistic plan. It already integrates all efforts from different
stakeholders including non-government organizations (NGOs) not only
locally but also internationally.
“If something is
lacking, NDCC will support, funds will be taken from united donations”
Rabonza said. The local government will do the guidance, Rabonza
quoted NDCC Chair Avelino Cruz as one of their guidelines in preparing
a master plan.
They will assist the
local community based on the program developed at the local level. It
specifically helps build lives and their community as well, in
addition to the sustainability of the survivors. Their program
prioritizes livelihood centers, school buildings, day care centers and
scholarship for the survivors. They are something meaningful to the
victims, Rabonza added.
Meanwhile, NDCC bared
their budget allocation for Southern Leyte, P100-M for Subangdaku
Flood Control Project in Sogod, P37-M for mitigating projects, and the
released P9.2-M for the site development for the 1st relocation site
in Brgy. Magbagakay, St. Bernard. NDCC had a total of P106-B donated
funds for disaster stricken areas, Rabonza revealed.
Office of Civil
Defense (OCD) Administrator Rabonza during the Oplan: Kinabukasan
meeting was accompanied with PHIVOLCS led by Renato Solidum, PAG-ASA
Head Nilo Presco, Department of National Defense (DND) Undersecretary
Ernesto G. Carolina and some of their staff.
VP Noli closes illegal
dumpsite
By OVP / PNS
September 9, 2006
MANILA, Philippines –
Owners of an illegal dumpsite in Cabuyao, Laguna was served
Wednesday a closure order by Vice President and concurrent Housing and
Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairman Noli 'Kabayan'
De Castro as this was deemed to protect the health of some 8,000
families.
Despite resistance
from around 200 protesters, mostly workers of the Severino Hain Enterprises
Inc., which owns and operates the dumpsite, De Castro personally
handed over the Cease and Desist order issued by Department of Natural
Resources and Environment (DENR) to the owners of the illegal
facility.
With the order, De
Castro said operations of the dumpsite would be terminated. "This
means that starting immediately after I handed the closure order, no
dump trucks would be allowed to enter this facility," De Castro told
the owners.
The owners attempted
to justify confined operation of the dumpsite but De Castro stood firm
on the DENR cease and desist order dated September 6, 2006.
"It is very clear from
the order that the illegal dumpsite has made a lot of violations and
is severely affecting the health and life of the relocatees. This
facility has to be closed now," De Castro said.
Thus, De Castro
instructed PNP Laguna Provincial Director Sr. Supt. Col. Luisito P. De
Leon to make sure that the dumpsite remains closed at all times.
"If possible, I want
you to station your men here just to make sure that the order is being
enforced at all times. I will have this facility monitored," he added.
The facility is
allegedly being used as dumpsite for mixed wastes and is causing
health hazards to residents of the adjacent Southville, the
government's resettlement area for railway families from
Manila,
Makati, and Cabuyao, Laguna.
Despite complaints
from residents and repeated closure orders from DENR and the local
government, the facility reportedly continued to produce leachate
wastes in the dumpsite, detrimental not only to the Southville
relocatees but also the entire Laguna Bay.
"This is why we're
determined to close it now. More would be in danger if the bay gets
affected," he explained.
De Castro also
questioned why the dumpsite has been accommodating wastes from Biñan
and Los Baños when it is located in Cabuyao. He said the dumpsite
should not have been allowed by the local government to operate in
Cabuyao in the first place.
After the closure, De
Castro said a rehabilitation plan should be implemented jointly by the
NHA, DENR and the local government on the facility. These include:
slope finalization, improved perimeter fencing and prescribed covering
for completed cells, daily application of soil covering at the active
area, installation of additional signage, improved operation of
Material Recovery Facility (MRF), decrease the area of active cell,
improved drainage system, improved security measures and installation
of gas vents.
Biliran province
mourns death of Ex-Gov Danny Parilla
By JUN OLIVA / PIA Biliran
September 9, 2006
NAVAL, Biliran
–
Governor Rogelio Espina of this province enjoins all Biliranons Friday
in mourning the untimely death of former Governor Danilo Parilla, who
was shot dead Thursday in Cebu City allegedly by Eugenio Corpin.
Parilla has served
Biliran province as governor from 1998-2001 and as vice governor from
1992-1998. After his defeat in the 2001 elections, he has led a quite
private life with his family and business.
"He is a Biliranon who
has served his people capably, and his death is a loss not only to his
bereaved family but to the entire province as well," Governor Espina
said.
However, Governor
Espina is disheartened by a news article posted September 7, 2006 in
GMANEWS.TV linking the alleged assailant Eugenio Corpirn to him as
"former bodyguard of the powerful Espina clan."
Said article also
reported PNP Region 7 Chief Superintendent Silverio Alarcio to have
said that Corpin was a bodyguard of the Espinas who was placed on
probation after being accused of participation in a robbery.
The article added that
"Corpin was linked to a robbery in 2005 where he and six other
supposed bodyguards of the ruling Espina political family allegedly
robbed a Vietnamese couple.
"They [GMANEWS.TV]
must have used a PDI article published in March 18 of last year which
carried the title ‘Pol bodyguards rob couple in Biliran’, which also
alleged that the robbers "were mostly identified as bodyguards of the
ruling Espina political family," Governor Espina commented.
"I have since denied
the allegations which were erroneous and even the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan has issued a resolution strongly condemning the erroneous
report and also to demand rectification from both writer Dr. Rolando
Borrinaga, PDI Visayas Bureau and publisher of the paper," he
stressed.
To set the facts
straight involving the PDI article, the Governor issued a press
release on the same day clarifying that only Eugenio Corpin was found
to be connected with the provincial government, not the seven robbers
as reported by PDI; and also as a security agent assigned to the
capitol grounds as per records by the Administrative Department, not
as jail guard assigned as bodyguard to the governor, as alleged in the
same PDI report.
At the time of the
robbery, Corpin’s appointment papers were still being finalized, and
he was dropped from the payroll after the incident and was never
connected with the provincial government or any of its officials since
then.
Governor Espina is
categorically refuting the GMANEWS.TV article as malicious for
borrowing information from a news item which has already been found to
be erroneous and not based on facts.
He said that he is
deeply saddened for the death of a man who has the strength of
character and willpower to advance the cause of his fellow Biliranons,
but he could not appreciate the malicious reporting of GMANEW.TV which
can only tarnish the quite and pious observance of the former
governor’s passing.
Crime rate in Region 8
decreased by 8 percent
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
September 9, 2006
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– The crime rate in Region 8 decreased by about 8% in the past eight
months, from January to August 2006 as compared to the same period of
last year.
This was revealed by
Col. Cleve Taboso, chief of the operations and planning division of
the PNP Regional Command 8, during the Harampang Ha PIA media
interaction held Thursday morning.
Col. Taboso said that
the crime occurrence in Region 8 from January 2006 to August 31, 2006
totaled to 159 lower than the 2,098 crimes committed from January to
August 2005. He said that what is worth noting, is the increase in
crime solution efficiency.
He revealed that the
province with lowest crime rate is
Southern Leyte while the province with the highest crime rate is Biliran.
Among the Region’s cities, the city of
Maasin has the lowest
crime rate while Tacloban City has the highest crime rate considering
the population of the city and the fact that it is the center of trade
and activities in the Region. It is in Tacloban where people from
different parts of the Region converge, he said, and so it will follow
that the crime rate will be also be higher.
Further, Col Taboso
reported to the media that with regards to the illegal drugs problem
in the Region, the Task Force has conducted 57 operations and 71
prosecutions. He bared that the biggest drug operations they have
conducted so far is the one in Baybay, Leyte where 3 kilograms of
marijuana was found in the possession of a woman pusher.
He said that the
operatives has no knowledge of big time drug dealers in the Region.
What they noted is the shift of preference of the users from shabu to
marijuana. Accordingly, there is also a shift as to the source of the
illegal drug. Whereas before the source is from Manila, the operatives
now noted that the source is usually in
Central Visayas.
He said that the
reason for the change of preference of the users is the very
prohibitive price of shabu which he said is about P5,000.00 per gram.
He advised the public
to be more vigilant and to coordinate with the Philippine National
Police for any unusual happenings in their respective places. He said
that the Philippine National Police is not an enemy of the people but
the defender of the people from anyone who wants to sow havoc and
disorder in the society.
Ombudsman files graft
charges against Samar Governor, 6 others for anomalous purchase of
medicines
Press Release
By Office of the Ombudsman
September 7, 2006
Ombudsman Ma.
Merceditas N. Gutierrez yesterday ordered the filing of graft
charges against the Governor of Western Samar and six others for the
alleged anomalous purchases of medicines and other goods worth P16.1M
without public bidding for the period Dec. , 2001 – Dec. 2002.
In a 36-page
Resolution, Ombudsman Gutierrez found probable cause and hence ordered
the filing of eight informations for Violation of RA 3019 ( Anti-graft
and Corrupt Practices Act) against Gov. Milagrosa Tee Tan; Treasurer
Damiano Zerda Conde Jr.; Budget Officer Maximo Darunday Sison;
Administrative Officer Rolando Bolastig Montejo; Gen. Services Officer
(GSO) Aurelio Bardaje Jr.; GSO Record Officer and Inspector Numeriano
Legaspi; Accountant Romeo Chan Reales; and several John and Jane Does.
The said officials
were charged by the Isog Han Samar Movement of Catbalogan, Samar
represented by Fr. Noel Labendia of the Diocese of Calbayog,
Catbalogan, Samar, based on investigation conducted by the Commission on Audit
(COA) on selected transactions of the
Province of Western
Samar from Jan. 1, 2001 – April, 2003.
Among the transactions
audited were for the purchase of medicines worth P3.9M;assorted goods
and rice – P10.6M; and electric fans – P1.6M for a total of P16.1M.
Investigations also
reveal that no competitive public bidding took place for the purchase
of electric fans as the delivery of the same were made even before the
conduct of public bidding.
Based on records, the
respondents also used the occurrence of typhoon “KIdang” on Dec. 4-5,
2001 to justify their action to dispense with the public bidding and
instead resort to an emergency purchase of various medicines and
goods.
However, it was found
out that while the emergency purchases for various medicines and goods
were intended for victims of typhoon “KIdang”, “the Sangguniang
Panlalawigan Resolution No. 88-2001 attached to the Disbursement
Vouchers refers to typhoon “Nanang” which hit the province of Samar on
Nov. 6, 2001.”
At the same time, one
emergency purchase of assorted medicines was anchored on a request
made by the Local Health Board of Gandara dated Oct. 22, 2001, two
months prior to the occurrence of typhoon “Kidang”.
The other purchase was
based on a letter-request of the Tarangnan Municipal Mayor dated Dec.
3, 2001, a day before the locality was hit by the typhoon.
On the other hand, it
describes as “absurd” the emergency purchase of rice and goods from
Wilmart’s Mini Mart seven days after the typhoon. Also, the canvass,
issuance of Purchase Order, the delivery of the merchandise and the
inspection took place in just one day. The Office of the Ombudsman
said the transaction is highly suspect as Wilmart’s Mini Mart only has
a capitalization of P100,000 and is not even registered as a rice
supplier. It is also 107 kms. away from Samar which makes it
improbable to deliver several hundreds of sacks of rice in just one
day.
As a result, Ombudsman
Gutierrez ordered the filing of eight Informations for Violation of
Sec. 3(e) of RA 3019 before the Sandiganbayan against the said
respondents. All respondents were likewise found guilty of Grave
Misconduct, Dishonesty and Conduct Prejudicial to the Best Interest of
the Service and were meted the penalty of dismissal from the service.
However, since Tan was
re-elected during the May 2004 elections, the said penalty cannot be
imposed on her.
Assistant Ombudsman
Mark E. Jalandoni then directed Gov. Tan and the Dept. of Finance to
immediately implement and report the implementation of the Decision to
the Office of the Ombudsman within five days from receipt of the same.
