Eastern Visayas has
new police regional chief
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
May
22, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– The Philippine National Police in Region 8 underwent a change of
command Monday morning with PRO 8 Regional Director Eliseo Decena dela
Paz turning over the command to the new Police Regional Office 8
Regional Director Abner Dayanan Cabalquinto.
In a turn-over
ceremonies held at the PRO 8 grandstand at Camp Ruperto Kangleon at
9:00 o’clock in the morning of May 21, no less than Police Deputy
Director General Avelino Ignacio Razon officiated in the Turn-Over of
Office Symbol in the presence of some members of the Maguilas Class 76
to which both General dela Paz and Director Cabalquinto belong.
General dela Paz was
relieved from his current post in order to assume a bigger one which
is that of the Director for Human Resource and Doctrines, a position
which will make him a two-star general.
General dela Paz, in
his valedictory address, said he will not enumerate his achievements
as the Regional Director of the Philippine National Police in Region
8, but instead left it to the people of Region 8 to evaluate and judge
his service which lasted for one year, eight months and twelve days.
Judging from the
reactions from his men and the people, General dela Paz served the
people of Region 8 well and stirred the PNP in the Region into great
heights, as General Razon said, it was a job well done.
The incoming Regional
Director, Police Chief Superintendent Abner Dayanan Cabalquinto, said
that three years after his graduation from the Philippine Military
Academy, he was assigned in the Regional Command as a junior officer.
After 28 years, three
years before his retirement, he is back at Region 8 but no longer as a
junior officer but as a Regional Director.
Director Abner was
accompanied by his father who lives in Ormoc, his brothers Lt. General
Allan and Rey, his wife and his four children, three of who were born
in Eastern Visayas particularly Ormoc City and Tacloban City. The
Cabalquinto family originates from Carcar, Cebu.
Army soldier gave his
life for an honest election
By LtC FELIX M. MANGYAO (INF) PA
May
18, 2007
CAMP LUKBAN,
Catbalogan, Samar – Elements of the Alpha Company of 63rd Infantry
Battalion were ambushed by fully armed NPA rebels while on mission to
secure the retrieval of the ballot boxes in Silvino Lobos, Northern
Samar in the afternoon of May 15, 2007 at around 2:45 p.m.
The troops led by
Second Lieutenant Rosuelo were on their way to barangay Giparayan De
Turag of the said town when they were ambushed by heavily armed
communist terrorists.
A brief firefight
ensued that lasted for about 15 minutes but enemy withdrew with their
fallen comrades while one army soldier gave his precious life to
secure the sanctity of election for the bright future of his children.
The incident was
another product of a barbaric mind of the CPP/NPA leadership who
intend to hamper and ruin the honest and orderly conduct of the local
and national canvassing in the region.
Meanwhile on 3:15 a.m.
of the same day, military troops from 46th Infantry Battalion while
conducting security patrol encountered ten (10) fully armed communist
terrorists in Matuguinao, Samar.
A five-minute
firefight ensued that resulted to undetermined number of casualties
from the enemy side due to the bloodstain seen in the encounter site
while negative casualty from the government side.
The series of
encounter with the NPA during the election period shows that the
communist party is trying to disrupt the election and create a climate
of fear and terror in the region as they were not successful with
their collection of Permit to Campaign (PTCs) and Permit to Win (PTWs).
Reports reaching defense establishment that the CPP/NPA will resort to
kidnapping and assassination of electoral candidates who did not pay
PTCs.
MajGen. Armando L.
Cunanan, AFP, Commanding General of the 8th Infantry Division
encourages the public to be vigilant and help the military forces to
watch out for the security of the ballot boxes as we await for the
election result.
Court orders release
of all 16 men apprehended by Tagapul-an police
By GINA SUELLO-SORILO (San Juanico News)
May
10, 2007
CALBAYOG CITY,
Samar – The rest of the 16 men
apprehended by Tagapul-an police at Brgy. Manlangit, Tagapul-an, Samar
on board the boat “Charina” last April 19 were ordered released last
April 27, 2007 by the Regional Trial Court, Branch 32 of Calbayog
City. The men, who according to the police were apprehended along with
8 assorted firearms and live ammunition, were detained at the PNP
Lock-Up Cell in Catbalogan, Samar.
Ordered discharged by
Branch 32, RTC Presiding Judge Roberto A. Navidad were Noel M.
Sulibaga, Noel L. Picorro, Henry S. Basas, Filmor E. Basas, Arnel P.
Rojas, Charlot D. Picorro, Michael S. Maloloy-on, Romulo L. Sanches,
Arturo M. Francisco, Michael M. Lucero, Carlito C. Lucero, Rodel S.
Villa, Orlando M. Sarco and Jurry S. Mahinay.
Earlier, Charlie L.
Picorro, Sanggunian Bayan Member of Tagapul-an and vice mayoralty
candidate for the same town and the owner of motorboat “Charina”, and
Adriano L. Picorro were able to post bail.
The police earlier
paraded the 16 last April 20 at the Samar Provincial Office at Maulong,
Catbalogan and presented to the media together with an M16 Armalite
rifle, 2 US Carbine Cal 30 M, a KG99 Cal 9mm Machine pistol, an Ingram
Cal 9 mm, an M1 Garrand, a Cal .45 pistol, a Cal .357 magnum; and
assorted live ammunition.
The arresting
officers, SPO1 Eduardo A. Base, SPO1 Norberto U. Compoto, PO1 Errol
Cid C. Mandreza, and PO1 Bobby M. Martires, all of the Tagapul-an
Police Station, as well as Station Chief SPO4 Diogenes G. Balais and
the PNP Lock-up Cell Warden were made respondents on a petition by the
arrested men seeking Habeas Corpus last April 25 citing innocence of
the offence for which they were arrested.
And in an
unprecedented hearing upon orders from the court, early morning of
April 28 at about 2:00 a.m. under the threat of contempt, the officers
in question were ordered to release the men and the motorboat “Charina”.
Here, the police
questioned the propriety of also releasing the motorboat together with
the arrested men; and for this the policemen were detained at the
Calbayog Police Station for contempt of court. And on or about 1:00
p.m. of the 28th that same day, the motorboat was released and the
Tagapul-an policemen were also freed from their detention.
The Tagapul-an police
said they will be pursuing the case of illegal possession of firearms
and violation of COMELEC election rules on the earlier apprehended men
and are presently waiting for the preliminary investigation.
Read related story: Police
seize firearms from vice-mayoralty candidate in Samar
Arrested NPA hitman
with Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño
By LtCol. FELIX M. MANGYAO (INF) PA
May
9, 2007
CATBALOGAN, Samar –
Following the recent arrest of the NPA hit man in Leyte in the
company of Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño, majority of the
Leyteños and Waray-warays are now aware of the glaring tie-up between
the Bayan Muna Partylist Group and the CPP/NPA/NDF.
The hit man was
identified as Vincent Borja, alias Bebot/Tata. He was arrested during
a raid in his hideout, which was disguised as a Bayan Muna
Headquarters, in Brgy Linao, Ormoc City by the joint elements of the
AFP and PNP in the evening of May 7, 2007 at around 8:30 p.m. The
arresting party was surprised to see the unexpected presence of
Representative Teddy Casiño in the company of the fugitive.
Borja is the chairman
of the Regional White Area Committee of the Eastern Visayas Regional
Party Committee (EVRPC) and the concurrent Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU)
Regional coordinator.
He was arrested by
virtue of warrants of arrest duly issued by the courts. One warrant
was issued by Honorable Judge Apolinario Buaya of Regional Trial Court
Branch 35, Ormoc City for two (2) murder cases including the shooting
to death of Sgt Guillermo Analasan of 19IB in Kananga, Leyte on
November 7, 2006. Another warrant was also issued against him by
Honorable Judge Aquilino Inopeques Jr of the Municipal Trial Court,
Kananga, Leyte for destruction of property.
During the arrest of
Borja, Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño physically obstructed
the police and vigorously argued with them. Instead, the arresting
team invited Casiño for questioning.
Series of incidents in
the past indicate linkages of Bayan Muna and CPP/NPA/NDF. To cite an
example is the successful arrest of team leader SPARU and Commander,
Front Operational Command, North Leyte Front (NLF) Paterno Opo alias
Loloy in his hideout disguised as Bayan Muna Headquarters in
Tacloban
City last April 6, 2007. Several firearms and hand grenades were
recovered including Bayan Muna documents. Similarly, several
encounters between the government forces and the NPA yielded
voluminous subversive documents that indicate link of Bayan Muna with
the CPP/NPA/NDF.
The presence of Casiño
and Borja in one hide out is a clear manifestation of the symbiotic
relationship between the NPA and Bayan Muna which is being led by
Casiño and Satur Ocampo. The latter was also accused of multiple
murder relative to the purging of anti-revolutionaries,
anti-communists and suspected government informants of CPP/NPA/NDF in
the 80’s.
Samar gets P9M for
irrigation projects
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA
Samar)
May 8, 2007
CATBALOGAN, Samar –
Samar province gets a slice of P9M for its irrigation projects from
the P1.126B President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Hunger Mitigation
Program.
Based on the record of
the National Irrigation Administration (NIA)
Samar field office, P3M was given to Danao,
Calbayog City and P2M
for Mabagdok, Calbayog City in District 1; while in District 2 both
Tag-alag and San Roque in Marabut were allotted P2M each.
These irrigation
projects have started work and are expected to finish this year 2007,
added Oscar Salamida, Provincial irrigation Officer.
A total of 25 hectares
will be serviced by the new irrigation project while some 60 hectares
of farm area will be taken cared of by a repaired or rehabilitated
irrigation project.
In addition to the P9M
from the Hunger Mitigation Fund, the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
Program (CARP) Agrarian reform Fund (ARF) also funded some P 4.5M
irrigation project in Roxas Communal Irrigation Project (CIP),
Calbayog City and Calapi Communal Irrigation System (CIS) in Calapi,
Motiong.
The renewed funding of
the irrigation system is believed to spur the province’ agricultural
productivity and increase food production.
In Camoruboan, Jiabong
where some 35 farmers are enjoying the fruits of a fully irrigated
farm land, rice production has been enormous that farmers here have
produced 150 bags of palay per hectare.
In Calbayog City where
irrigation projects have also been poured, rice yields have increased.
However a great
portion of rice fields in Samar have not yet enjoyed the benefits of
irrigation.
In data culled from
the NIA website, Samar enjoys but only 31% of its potential irrigable
land area. Of the estimated 8,140 ha of irrigable area, only 2,511
have benefited from the communal irrigation system NIA offers. Some
5,629 ha have yet to be irrigated.
While Samar is
still struggling to produce food needed by its population, it
acknowledges that the P9M allocated this year is good enough and its
fruits may come in additional yield from the rice farms Samareños
untiringly cultivate.
Communist rebels
attack Samar town
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA
Samar)
May 7, 2007
CATBALOGAN, Samar –
Town folks of Paranas, Samar were jolted from their early evening
activities when they heard gunshots - Paranas PNP Headquarters was
under attack.
Some 50 armed men
believed to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA) on board three
L300 vans rushed to the two PNP buildings and immediately opened fire.
PO1 Leandro Abaigar
who was at the main building retaliated, while Police Inspector
Emmanuel Arteche who was then in the adjacent building also returned
fire.
Mrs. Tess Tobalado, a
teacher from the Wright National high School whose house was located
some 50 meters away from the PNP Headquarters said the firefight
lasted for about thirty minutes.
Leticia Cabandon who
was visiting her brother whose house was just across the building
sustained bruises on her knees when she scraped them while trying to
drop as the fire fighting became more intense.
Her husband, a
candidate for SB in Paranas who was with her, said that the commands
he heard were a mixture of Cebuano as in “dugay kayo!”,
Estehanon Waray as in “unina, mayday pa!” (Samarnons would have
said niyan) and some Tagalog who said, “dyaging (jogging)
lang tayo!”
Some of them, Cabandon
said positioned right on their door step. In their haste to scamper
for safety they forgot to close their door. Apart from the lady’s
scraped knee, their kins inside the house were all unhurt.
Paranas Police Chief
Arteche sustained bruises and cuts on his right toe in the process; he
also suffered fracture on his left leg. When asked by PIA, he said he
did not believe he would live for the rebels were so many. He said he
and Abaigar fought it out bravely.
Abaigar’s personal
account narrates that his presence of mind pushed him to fight; a lady
inmate who was just called Rhea Rose helped him reload his gun. As his
ammunition ran out, and the rebels were closing in, he said he played
dead under the table and it was when the rebels reportedly carted the
three remaining M 16 rifles in their armory
Meanwhile, Rhea Rose
said that a woman-fighter grabbed her and pushed her outside. The same
woman, she narrated ordered her to run, she said she resisted for she
thought she would be killed if she ran. The captive-inmate got the
chance to run to safety when a new command diverted the fighter’s
attention. Rhea Rose remained unhurt.
Joseph Canellas, a
senior citizen who lives near the municipal hall said that he saw the
rebels retreating towards Eagle Park (across the Municipal Building ).
He said he saw some that alighted from the van carrying wounded
comrades. He said the injury could have been fatal as the bloodstains
were enormous from the abandoned vans to the highway which the rebels
crossed to retreat.
The PNP building was a
total wreck, all glass windows were broken including plastic chairs
and the rebels even fired at the only working typewriter the police
force had. The typewriter remains useless now, said the remaining PNP
personnel who were off duty when the attack was done.
Government troops from
the 62nd IB came in after an hour when the rebels had already
retreated. The attack came just as Samar is preparing for elections
and have just requested an augmentation of PNP elements from the
Regional Police Force.
Just on April 27,
2007, Police Senior Superintendent Arcadio Borres Lelis, Chairman of
Task Force HOPE (Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections) vowed to
deploy 100 PNP elements to Samar as the province was listed as among
the top Area of Immediate Concern in the region due to history of
election-related violence in the past elections and the heavy presence
of the communist insurgents.
City mayor clarifies
projects during his term
By KIMRO (City Media Office)
May
7, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– Clearing the rumors that Mayor Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez is just
politicking in the guise of series barangay project turnover, he
announced publicly that it is required for an outgoing local chief
executive to do so.
In his speech on
Wedneday (May 2) before a huge crowd at Plaza Rizal during a project
turnover to various barangays in downtown area, he said that, all
these are in consonance with Commission On Audit (COA) and DILG rules.
He clarified that as
per regulations of the Commission on Audit, any outgoing Mayor is
required to turnover and announce publicly all the projects given to
the different barangays. This is, to erase any doubt from the public
that he had ghost projects and give the public a chance to raise
objections or protest publicly if those projects are not actually
existing.
“During my incumbency
as City Mayor, I am proud to tell you, that there is no single ghost
project in this city - saying that all projects have been implemented
in all the 138 barangays in the city, the Mayor said.
According to Mayor
Romualdez that when he ran for the local chief executive post, the
main purpose was to make improvements in the City and boost the
economic status of Tacloban.
Romualdez recalled
that, when he was a new mayor, the City had only P100 million income
per year, but in his next two terms, it escalated to over P600
million.
“We need to further
improve Tacloban, not only because it is the capital City of Leyte,
but because it is the Center of the Eastern Visayas region”, Romualdez
said.
Further, the Mayor
said, that the very reason he had been giving various projects to the
138 barangays, is that they contributed a lot in generating income for
the City government by effectively collecting taxes in their
respective areas.
“Gin buligan man ako
niyo nga mag riko an Tacloban tungod han pagbayad han buhis, salit
ginbalus ko ini pinaagi han mga proyekto”, Mayor said in the
vernacular.
Among those
projects given to various barangays were drainage systems, barangay
halls, multi-purpose halls, pathways, water systems, and street
lightings.
Local fisherfolks face
charges for dolphin fishing
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA
Samar)
April 26, 2007
