TACLOBAN CITY– The regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported a total confiscation of illegal drugs worth P3.8 million.
Based on the report of the headquarters’ operations division, a total of 20 buy-bust operations were conducted across the region from March 6 to 12 of this year.
The operations yielded a total 23 arrests with 42 cases filed against the suspects. And of the 23 drug personalities arrested, 21 of them were under the drugs watch list.
Of the drug personalities arrested, 14 were considered as street-level individuals (SLIs) and nine as high-value individuals (HVIs).
Among the HVIs arrested was Erwin Apuya, 40, who was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Naungan, Ormoc City on March 9 who was in possession of alleged shabu with a commercial value of P2.92 million.
B/Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, the police regional director, has expressed his commitment in eradicating drug proliferation in the region.
“We will exert more effort in our intensified campaign against illegal drugs in support to DILG’s B.I.D.A. Program to reduce drug demand in the communities,” he said in a statement. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
CAMP VICENTE LUKBAN, Catbalogan City – Six members of the communist terrorist group (CTG) surrendered to the joint force of the military under the 803rd Infantry
“Peacemaker” Brigade, Philippine Army, and the Northern Samar Police at the Headquarters of 43rd Infantry Battalion in Brgy. Magsaysay, Lope de Vega, Northern Samar last March 8, 2023.
They surrendered two M16A1 rifles, one M14 rifle, two cal .45 pistols, one cal .38 revolver, and NPA propaganda materials.
Lieutenant Colonel Manuel B. Degay Jr, commanding officer of 43IB, together with the Northern Samar Police formally accepted the surrender of six NPA members who belong to the Executive Committee of Front Committee 2 (FC2) Sub-Regional Guerilla Unit (SRGU), Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) Emporium, of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC).
“We have been struggling in the mountains evading the government security forces, we are tired and hungry since we no longer have the masses’ support. We only eat once in a while,” alias Arthur said in a statement.
Alias Webb, the former finance officer of SRC Emporium who surrendered earlier, said that the people are now aware of their deception; the NPA is finding it hard to recruit and organize in the countryside resulting in a crisis and desperation of its members in their movement.
Lt. Col. Degay Jr. praised the sacrifices and efforts of the 43lB troops and the local government units in the successful campaign to defeat the insurgency in the area. He also assured the former rebels that they would not regret their decision.
“I encourage the remaining members of the NPA here in Northern Samar to return to the folds of the law so that you can take advantage of the services prepared by our government so that you can start over and live in peace with your loved ones. The Provincial and Municipal Task Forces in Ending Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) here in Northern Samar have prepared benefits for those who will return to the government,” Lt. Col. Degay Jr. added.
Major General Camilo Z. Ligayo, commander of the 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division, Philippine Army and Joint Task Force Storm (JTFS), is grateful for the trust given by the six surrenderees to the government. This effort only shows positive results of tireless work of soldiers and law enforcement to achieve peace in the region.
“The surrender of the six members of CTGs to our authorities is just a demonstration of their trust in the government. Therefore, I am calling out to all the remaining members of the CTGs to lay down your weapon and return to the folds of the law. It’s not too late, our government will help you to start a new life and hope with peace in your hearts and minds” said Major General Ligayo. (PR)
TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla said that he is for amending the country’s Constitution but it should only tinker with its economic provisions.
Petilla, who is a businessman, said that it’s about time that the economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution be revised if we want to encourage more investors to come to the country.
“I think we are way behind when it comes to economic reform that cannot be changed by law but it has to go through constitutional amendments like for example, allowing a foreigner to own a land,” the governor said.
On Tuesday (March 7), the House of Representatives approved in the second reading House Bill 7352 which calls for a constitutional convention (Concon) as a method of amending the Constitution with prospective delegates to be appointed and elected.
The Leyte governor said that if he would to choose who will compose the delegates that will be tasked to amend the economic provisions of the Constitution, he preferred them to be in the business sector.
“If I were to choose, the less politicians, the better. Private sector-driven, businessmen who understand the economy,” Petilla said.
Amending the Constitution has been opposed in the past as several sectors have raised their apprehension that it could lead to revising the entire fundamental law of the land and not just particular provisions. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
ORMOC CITY-A giant ocean sunfish was discovered by residents of an island village in Salcedo, Eastern Samar which later died.
A sunfish, weighing 200 kilograms and measuring 258 centimeter, was found on the shore in an island village in Salcedo, Eastern Samar Monday (March 13). The giant fish, locally known as ‘mola-mola’later died. (MA.ROCHELLE MELGAR FACEBOOK)
The sunfish, locally known as ‘mola-mola’ was found by the villagers of Maliwaliw at about 7 am on Monday (March 13), Mayor Ma. Rochelle Mergal said on her social media account post.
Mergal said that the giant fish, weighing about 200 kilograms, was wandering near the shore of the island village when discovered by residents in the area.
She said that the sunfish looked ‘disoriented’ as it swimming aimlessly reason that the locals tried to push it back to the sea.
However, the mola-mola swam back to the shore where it died past 11 am.
Representatives from the Guiuan Development Foundation Inc. (GDFI) a non-government organization, conducted a post-mortem examination of the giant fish and discovered that an infection was found at the liver of the fish.
The examination further revealed that the stomach of the giant fish was empty.
The sunfish, which measured 258 cm from the apex of the dorsal fin to the apex of its anal fin, was immediately buried in the island village after the examination.
It was learned that villagers of Maliwaliw are not strangers to seeing big fish as there were dolphins and sharks. (ROBERT DEJON)
RPOC CHAIR. President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., appointed his cousin, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez (right), as the chair of the Regional Peace and Order Council. Photo shows the city mayor taking his oath before Arnel Agabe, the regional director of the Department of Interior and Local Government.
(DILG-8 Photo)
To serve the post for the next 3 years
RPOC CHAIR. President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., appointed his cousin, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez (right), as the chair of the Regional Peace and Order Council. Photo shows the city mayor taking his oath before Arnel Agabe, the regional director of the Department of Interior and Local Government. (DILG-8 Photo)
TACLOBAN CITY-Mayor Alfred Romualdez of this city formally took his oath as the chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) for Eastern Visayas on Wednesday (March 15).
Romualdez, appointed to the post by his cousin, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., took his oath before Arnel Agabe, the regional director of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
In a statement, the city mayor said that he was humbled by the appointment extended to him by the President.
“I thank the President for the trust given to me,” Romualdez said.
He will serve the post for three years.
Also appointed that will serve as Romualdez co-chairs were Major Gen. Camilo Ligayo, the commanding officer of the 8th Infantry Division, and B/Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil, the regional director of the Philippine National Police.
The newly-named RPOC chair was also briefed on the current situation of the region related to peace and order and the council’s accomplishments and undertakings.
Romualdez also vowed to serve as a bridge of the region to House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez to secure funding for projects and activities that could lead to the development of Eastern Visayas.
Eastern Visayas, composed of the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar, remains to have an active insurgency problem often cited among the reasons why it continues to be economically underdeveloped.
Ligayo, in particular, has vowed to quell the insurgency problem in the region, notably in Northern Samar where four of the five communist guerrilla fronts in the country continue to exist.
The Army general sees the problem to come to an end within the year.
As part of the campaign, over 1,000 soldiers, including its elite Scout Rangers, were deployed to Northern Samar.
The security officials in the region are also luring rebels to surrender and avail the assistance it provides under its Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).
ORMOC CITY-A driver of a motorcycle was killed when it hit another motorcycle in Barangay Hiagsam, Jaro town, Leyte on Sunday at about 2:50 pm.
The victim, Jeffrey Bardiago, 35, and a resident of Brgy. Arado, Tanauan, while the driver of the other single motorcycle involved was identified as Alexis Jim Sorima, 31, and a resident of Brgy. Hiagsam.
Initial investigation conducted by responding police disclosed that both vehicles were traversing on the same direction heading towards Tunga, Leyte when Bardiago accidentally bumped the rear portion of the motorcycle driven by Solima which resulted in him to lost control and fell into a drainage canal at the side of the highway.
Bardiago sustained injuries in the different parts of his body and was immediately brought to Jaro Rural Health Unit where he was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician. (ROBERT DEJON)
