ORMOC CITY-Two sachets containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu were recovered from a newly-identified drug peddler during a buy-bust operation conducted by anti-drug personnel of Palompon, Leyte.

Palompon police chief Capt. Realthur Tanernero identified the suspect as Arnold Arevalo,32, single, farmer, and a resident of Barangay Mazawalo, of said municipality.

The police officer described the suspect as under their drug watch list as a street-level individual.

Recovered from the possession of the suspect were three sachets of suspected shabu with a street value of P3,000.

Charges of violations of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Drugs of 2002, were filed at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office against the suspect who is still languishing at the locked-up cell of the Palompon police station. (ROBERT DEJON)

MAASIN CITY– The province of Southern Leyte has sustained its drug-cleared status since it was pronounced by the regional oversight committee on April 17, 2018, according to Eduardo Makabenta, provincial head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Speaking as guest during the radio program Kapihan sa PIA live over DYDM on Friday, January 13, Makabenta reported that during the assessment of the various anti-drug abuse councils last year covering the year 2021, 13 out of 19 local government units in the province garnered 100 points hence they were awarded in ceremonies organized by DILG in Manila in December last year.

These included the municipalities of Anahawan, Hinunangan, Hinundayan, Libagon, Liloan, Macrohon, Malitbog, Padre Burgos, San Francisco, San Ricardo, Silago, Sogod, and Tomas Oppus.

Makabenta expressed confidence more LGUs will be cited this year for the 2022 assessment, since all the 500 barangays in the province have maintained their drug-cleared status, and that they had undergone community-based anti-illegal drug advocacy and drug-free workplace program orientation in 252 barangays.

In addition, some 121 individuals have been trained last year for the multi-sectoral training of trainers (TOT) and they were the ones, working by team of at least 12 persons, who conducted and will continue to conduct information drive on the evils of illegal drugs down to the barangays, Makabenta shared.

He added that these TOTs were already done in eight (8) LGUs last year, in Anahawan, Hinunangan, Bontoc, Pintuyan, Sogod, Tomas Oppus, Padre Burgos, and the city of Maasin, and this year, more LGUs have signified their intention to organize TOTs in their localities.
Makabenta clarified that a drug-free status did not mean the place has been rid of illegal drugs, for it means the supply and demand of the vice was regularly checked.

In fact, since the drug-cleared declaration in 2018, PDEA and police elements had conducted a total of 260 drug-related buy-bust operations which resulted to 14 incidents of suspects being neutralized, Makabenta reported. (LDL/MMP/PIA Southern Leyte)

As experienced by the Jipapad station submerged with flood waters

TACLOBAN CITY – Hazard-prone municipal police stations need to be relocated to higher or safer areas, thus said Police Regional Office Director Brigadier General Rommel Francisco Marbil.

Marbil made this statement after he visited the police station in Jipapad, Eastern Samar where flood water reached up to the second floor of the three-story building when the town experienced massive flooding early this month.

The policemen, including the four individuals who are inside the custodial facility, had to be evacuated to third floor of the facility.

Hearing this problem, PBGen Marbil said that they will now include in the assessment whenever there are donation of lot for a PNP facility if the location is safe from any type of hazard.

“Ang donation po ng lupa, tinatanggap po natin ito basta safe sa New People’s Army okay na tayo, pero hindi po natin kasama yung calamity,” he said.

“Now it will be part of system natin.It will be part ng proseso natin na pagka may nagdonate sa pagpagawa ng building kasama na dapat sa checklist na hindi lang dapat NPA-free, dapat calamity-free rin po,” the police regional director added.

During the flooding this month, four of the police personnel and two civilian personnel of the police station who are residents of Jipapad were badly affected by the flooding after their houses were submerged to flood waters.

Marbil personally gave them food assistance and cash assistance worth P10,000 which they can use to repair their houses.

Marbil also promised the Jipapad police a new service vehicle.

After visiting, Jipapad, Marbil also visited Taft municipality to lead in the inauguration of the new police station located next to the municipal town building.

The said facility was built at a cost of P6 million which started on February of last year.
“Isa po sa mga pangarap ng mga police is for us to have a permanent place kasi kung mayroon lugar na kagaya nito permanent, we can give more services. Yung lang naman po ang kailangan ng mga police natin para umaksyon, sabi nga nila, ang police pag umaksyon, napakabilis,” Marbil added.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)