ORMOC CITY-A member of the notorious Magbutay criminal gang was killed when he put up a gun fight with authorities during an entrapment operation at about 11:30 am on Thursday (Sept.7) in Barangay Bagacay, Calbayog City.
The suspect was identified as Ricky Casaljay, a resident of Brgy. Hamorawon in the said city. He was known to be a member of the Magbutay criminal gang which is operating in Calbayog City and nearby towns like Santa Margarita.
The suspect was caught in the act by joint forces from the Philippine National Police selling loose firearms in violation of RA 10591, the comprehensive law against illegal possession of firearms, ammunitions and explosives.
The police said that the joint operating units conducted an entrapment operation against the suspect with their asset was able to purchase a one-unit caliber 9mm revolver at P5,000 from him.
However, after the consumption of the transaction, the law enforcers rushed towards Casaljay to arrest him, he sensed and noticed the approaching police officers and immediately drew his firearm of unknown caliber and fired towards the operating team while trying to evade arrest.
This resulted for the government enforcers to fire back, hitting the suspect in the different parts of his body.
Casaljay was brought to the Calbayog District Hospital where he was declared as dead on arrival.
The police said that suspect was among the suspects in the ambush that killed Vicente Luzong Jr., 45, Angelito Lustico, 43 and Rachel Ann Bolinao, 14 and the wounding of two others in Brgy. Victory, also in Calbayog City last April 15 this year that also resulted in the wounding of two others including a barangay treasurer identified as Emy Casaljay and Lani Dealagdon.
Casaljay was arrested for illegal possession of firearms last May 10 this year but was released from prison after posting bail. (ROBERT DEJON)
RICE PRICE CEILING. Starting today (Sept.5), the government will monitor rice sellers if they will comply the P41 to P45 selling prices of rice per kilogram as mandated by President Marcos, Jr. The traders and even the farmers said that this order would only result to their economic losses. Photo shows the high prices of rice being sold at the Tacloban city public market. (ROEL T.AMAZONA)
Farmers also express their apprehension
RICE PRICE CEILING. Starting today (Sept.5), the government will monitor rice sellers if they will comply the P41 to P45 selling prices of rice per kilogram as mandated by President Marcos, Jr. The traders and even the farmers said that this order would only result to their economic losses. Photo shows the high prices of rice being sold at the Tacloban city public market. (ROEL T.AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY– Rice traders in the region would not comply with the directive of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos to have a rice price cap which is to take effect today (Sept. 5).
This was disclosed by Frederic Dy, president of the more than 330-strong members Grains Retailers Confederation of the Philippines (Grecon).
He, however, said that their reason for not obeying the order is simply due to business reasons.
“We will not follow that order. Most of us bought our supplies before the issuance of the rice cap order and doing so would lead to our losses,” he said.
Dy said that they bought their current bags of rice at about P2,400 which they sell at P47 per kilogram for them to make a profit.
“But at P45 per kilo, we will only earn P2,250. Now, this is no longer business,” he said.
Dy, who owns a stall at the city’s main public market, said that they were caught by surprise on this directive of the President putting the price of rice per kilo at P41 for regular milled and P45 for well-milled rice nationwide.
“They could have issued that directive as early as February when the prices of rice were skyrocketing. At that time, we have sought for government interventions like rice ceiling,” he said.
“So it’s wrong timing as it is now a season of harvest which means there will be more supply of rice in the market which could result in lower prices,” Dy added.
According to him, most of the retailers like him have stock of bags of rice before the issuance of the directive which is to take effect today, Tuesday (Sept.5).
Dy said that they hope that Pres. Marcos will give them more time before setting the deadline for them to consume first all their stocks which they bought at higher prices for them to recover their expenses.
He also said that the national government should conduct a thorough inventory of all rice warehouses across the country.
This way, they could determine if there is really indeed a rice shortage or just an artificial one created due to hoarding by some unscrupulous rice millers, he said.
“The government should run after them and not to us ordinary retailers,” Dy said.
Meantime, farmers are also not sold on the directive on rice price ceiling.
Rodrigo Alumbro, president of the 107-strong members of a farmers association in Barangay Odiongan, Abuyog, Leyte, said that while they are with the move of Pres. Marcos to place a cap on the prices of rice, this would also result in financial losses to them.
“We are not opposing on this move of the President as this will benefit our ordinary rice consumers. However, it will also impact us in a bad way,” he said in a phone interview Sunday (August 3).
“With lower prices of rice in the market, traders will also buy our fresh harvest at a lower price to our disadvantage. This will only result for us farmers to take more loans for us to survive,” Alumbro,65, said.
He said that from the previous rate of P23.70 buying price by the traders, they are now buying the freshly harvested palay at just P18.50.
“It is the traders that dictate the price, not us farmers. We are at their mercy,” Alumbro said.
Alumbro, who tends a two-hectare rice field, said that Mr. Marcos should also look into the impacts of his directive on the plight of the farmers who he said majority are deep in debts.
“He should also provide assistance to us farmers like lowering the prices of pesticides and fertilizers,” he said.
He said that in preparing his rice field alone, before planting palay, he needs at least P20,000 of which majority goes to pesticides and fertilizers.
“Of this amount, P8,000 goes for pesticides and another P4,000 at least for fertilizers unless we can get some help from the Department of Agriculture,” Alumbro said.
For his part, Ruben Latoja, president of the Pangpang farmer’s association in Villareal, Samar, echoed the same sentiment of Alumbro saying this will only further push the farmers into poverty.
“It will never make the farmers improve their economic condition but would result in further debts because the traders will buy our harvest at a very, very low price,” he said.
According to the 42-year-old farmer, traders in their area buy their newly harvested palay at P11 to P12 per kilograms.
“If the President will push this order, he should subsidize the inputs of the farmers like fertilizers and pesticides,” Latoja said.
Incidentally, Mr. Marcos sits as the concurrent Agriculture Secretary.
TACLOBAN CITY – Out of the 20 villages in Matuguinao, Samar, only one village is to be contested relative to the October 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
It was learned that the challenger of the incumbent chairman of Barangay San Roque, Santos Verano, is said to have a family member reportedly to be a member of the New People’s Army (NPA).
Verano, meantime, has a son who is a soldier.
Earlier, Mayor Aran Boller met with aspirants running for the village elections to have their own common candidates and ensure that the NPA could not put up their own candidates.
Matuguinao, a remote town in Samar’s first congressional district, continues to battle with communist insurgents with Mayor Boller at the forefront in the fight against the outlawed armed group.
“Out of 20 villages, one la an may kontra, nadire gud an NPA san kamurayaw,” Mayor Boller said in a message.
The town mayor has asked assistance from the Army to help them secure the conduct of the barangay and SK elections.
“I have made a request to our soldiers to help us guard the conduct of the barangay elections in our town so that the NPA could not disrupt the elections,” Boller said.
As this developed, Samar Police Provincial Office Provincial Director PCol Peter Limbauan said that despite practically the outcome of the barangay and SK elections in the town is now known, they would still deploy additional troops to make sure that the conduct would still be peaceful and orderly.
“There is a security threat in the area, so we might as well deploy but we will focus the number of our personnel in other barangays where there could be some problem,” Limbauan said.
The police official said that they could not yet identify barangays that could be considered as areas of concern relative to the barangay balloting. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
The Philippine Statistics Authority – Regional Statistical Services Office VIII (PSA – RSSO 8) will conduct the 2022 Census of Agriculture and Fisheries (CAF) on 04 September to 25 October 2023.
The 2022 CAF is a large-scale government undertaking geared towards the collection and compilation of basic information on agriculture and fishery sectors in the country. Specifically, this aims to 1) determine the structural characteristics of agriculture and fisheries, including their facilities and services in the barangay; 2) provide the sampling frame for the conduct of periodic agricultural and fishery surveys; 3) provide basic data on the agriculture, aquaculture and fishing characteristics for use in the government’s national and local development planning; and 4) provide data on the agricultural, aquaculture and fishery facilities and services available in the barangay.
During enumeration, all households in the sample barangay will be listed and interviewed to determine the presence of household members who were operators (those who managed or operated crops, livestock/poultry and/or insects/worms, aquaculture, and /or fishing activity) during the period 01 January to 31 December 2022. All Punong Barangays or any incumbent barangay officials will also be interviewed about crop farm, livestock and poultry farm, aquafarm and fishing operations in their respective area.
The main method to be used for household and barangay interviews is Computer-Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI). However, if face-to-face interview is not possible, either telephone interview or Self-Administered Questionnaire in printed form will be used.
In line with this, PSA enjoins all sample barangays and households to support the nationwide conduct of the 2022 CAF by providing truthful information to authorized PSA Statistical Researchers who will visit them to conduct the interview. The office assures the public that required public health and safety measures will be strictly observed in all phases of field operations. All PSA personnel and hired statistical researchers who will be deployed are healthy and will wear PSA ID for proper identification.
PSA – RSSO 8 adheres to the principles of transparency, legitimate purpose, and proportionality pursuant to R.A. No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and R.A. No. 10625 or the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013. Section 26 of RA No. 10625 stipulates that “individual data furnished by a respondent to statistical inquiries, surveys, and censuses of PSA shall be considered privileged communication and as such shall be inadmissible as evidence in any proceeding”. All survey results will be released in the form of summaries or statistical tables. (PR)
Catarman, Northern Samar – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Northern Samar First District Engineering Office (NSFDEO) participated in the Brigada Eskwela of the Department of Education (DepEd) for School Year (SY) 2023-2024.
As of to date, the district office has already extended its support to 9 schools under its jurisdiction and rendered the following activities; school grounds improvement, Grass cutting, trimming of trees and plants among other initiatives.
In a statement, District Engineer Mario Villena said that the NSFDEO is committed in supporting the DepEd’s Brigada Eskwela and ensuring that all schools in the district are ready for the opening of classes.
“We find great satisfaction in being able to contribute to our schools’ preparedness for the commencement of classes. Our assistance aims to foster a safe and nurturing learning space and conducive atmosphere for our students and educators alike,” said District Engineer Villena.
The Brigada Eskwela is an annual nationwide activity that aims to ensure the readiness of schools for the opening of classes. The DPWH is one of the government agencies that support the DepEd’s by creating an environment that is not only aesthetically pleasing but also conducive to learning and development. (ANALIZA A. PABIA/PIO Alternate)
ORMOC CITY-The PNP Maritime group has expressed gratitude to Mayor Rolando Villacencio of Merida, Leyte for approving their request to amend a municipal ordinance in connection with the permit and registration of fishing vessels of 3 tons and below.
Police Major Benjamin Lodo, chief of the PNP Maritime Northern Leyte, said that the approved amendment includes a provision directing all fishing vessels that would ask for a permit should seek their office first before the municipal government would issue their permit and registration.
Major Lodo explained that there is only one reason that their office sought the LGU’s support on this matter and that is to ensure that the engines used by fishing boats are legally owned and not stolen.
Major Lodo also appealed to the fishermen and fishing operators in Merida to comply in registering their vessels and motorboats and ask permission from their concerned LGUs to avoid arrest while doing their livelihood. (ROBERT DEJON)
