TACLOBAN CITY– The regional Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarter reported that 4, 659 individuals who have outstanding warrants were arrested across the region from the start of the year until October 31.

These arrested individuals were part of the 4,605 operations conducted by the police in the said period, Col. Romeo Desiderio, acting chief of the regional operations division in a report.

He also reported that 185 illegal gun owners were also apprehended resulting in the confiscation of 1,965 loose firearms. Some of these firearms were also voluntarily turned over to the police by the owners.

Desiderio also disclosed that in the same period, 512 individuals engaged in the illegal drugs trade were arrested.

The police seized from these suspects shabu and marijuana with a combined commercial value of over P15.75 million.

Also, 2,116 persons were arrested for illegal fishing with the confiscated items valued at more than P114.15 million. About 402 persons were likewise apprehended on illegal logging valued at P5.57 million.

About 3,380 individuals were also arrested due to illegal gambling activities with bet money confiscated in the amount of P1.58 million.

On the campaign against insurgency, the regional PNP recorded a total of 140 rebels voluntarily surrendered to the police authorities with 45 arrested and 84 surrendered/recovered/confiscated firearms and explosives.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

ORMOC CITY-A woman who recruited members for an organization for a fee was arrested by the local police of Gandara, Samar on Saturday (Nov. 19).

Major Rio Tan, town police chief, identified the suspects as Analiza Austria, 37, a resident of Barangay Oyandic, Motiong, also in Samar.

Her alleged accomplice, Gilberto Abadiano, a resident of Brgy. Adela Heights, of Gandara, is still at-large.

Major Tan, in a telephone interview, disclosed that their station received information that the suspects were in Brgy. Canhumawid to recruit villagers for them to become members of the Alpha Omega World Development Marshall Program and with a corresponding fee of P300 each.

He said that upon receipt of said report he led the station personnel and proceeded to the said barangay. He added that upon arrival in the area, the two suspects were wearing Alpha Omega World Development Marshall Programmed ID’s, with logos of different departments including the Philippine National Police.

Major Tan continued that as the two suspects were asked for their authority to use the logo of the PNP, they two failed to show any and instead they showed a certificate of incorporation from the Security and Exchange Commission.

He said that he immediately called the higher headquarters to verify the said documents, but upon verification it was learned that the Alpha Omega World Development Marshall Programmed, Inc. was revoked by the SEC.

However, during the verification of the documents, Abadiano was able to leave the area and escape arrest as he was no longer seen at the place, the police chief said.
The local police filed charges against Austria, who is now detained, for violation of PD 38, Art. 179 (illegal use of insignia), and Art. 170 of the Revised Penal Code for falsification of public documents. (ROBERT DEJON)

ABUYOG, Leyte-A 74-year-old woman died after the motorcycle she was on board was bumped by another motorcycle in Barangay Paguite, this town, on Sunday (Nov. 20).

Based on information relayed by Major Luis Hatton, town police chief, the motorcycle where the casualty Sulpicia Angoring was back riding with her companion, Teofilo Ladra, Jr., 51, who is a teacher, was cruising to Paguite at about 3:50 pm when it was hit by a motorcycle driven by Rodel Obias, 27, and a resident of Zone 3, Dulag, Leyte.

Due to the strong impact, all three sustained injuries with the octogenarian woman declared dead on arrival at the Abuyog District Hospital due to the serious wounds she suffered.

Both drivers, who were brought to the hospital for medical treatment, failed to present their driver’s licenses, Hatton said.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY– Travel and tour operators from the region participated the first North Luzon Travel Fair held at SMX Convention Center at SM Clark in Pampanga province.

The three-day travel fair which ended on Nov.20 was organized by the regional offices of the Department of Tourism in the Cordillera Administrative Region, Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon in partnership with the Alliance of Travel and Tour Agencies of Pampanga (ATTAP) in a bid to boost tourism recovery of the country.

Four travel and tour operators from the region joined other 100 exhibitors and 30 sellers offering tour packages for Kalanggaman Island, Canigao Island, and Cuatro Islas in Leyte province; Sambawan Island in Biliran province; Limasawa and San Pablo Island, both in Southern Leyte province; Biri Island in Northern Samar province; Calicoan Island in Guiuan town, Eastern Samar.

The tour operators also sold packages for Ulot Torpedeo Extreme River Boat Ride in Paranas town, the Sohoton Cave in Basey, both in Samar; San Juanico Cruise, and Leyte country-side tour.

Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco had earlier disclosed that one of the seven objectives of the DOT is the diversification of portfolios from traditional to multidimensional tourism encompassing from accommodation, destinations, food providers but also showcasing local artisans and craftsmen.

Among the activities of the three-day event included presentation of tourism trends, business-to-business (B2B) networking, artisan demonstration, and interactive games.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is proposing a P28.9 billion Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) to raise the capability of local government units in assuming devolved functions under the Mandanas-Garcia ruling.
Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a press briefing at the regional DBM office here last week that the proposed 2023 LGSF is higher than the P17.96 billion actual allocation this year.

“To facilitate this transition towards full devolution, our proposed budget next year provides allocations to empower the local government in delivering the services that have been devolved to them, including the PHP28.9 billion LGSF,” said Pangandaman, who was in the city to grace the Visayas area conference of local budget officers on Nov.16.

Of the proposed budget, P10 billion is intended for the Support to Barangay Development Program (SBDP) under the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), P13.87 billion for the growth equity fund (GEF), and P5 billion for financial assistance (FA) to local government units and support for capital outlay and programs.
The SBDP is a hallmark program of the NTF-ELCAC created to bring progress to former conflict-prone communities. Among its projects are the construction of farm-to-market roads, health stations, rural electrification, school buildings, and water and sanitation systems.

The LGSF-GEF, on the other hand, was formed to provide additional funding to local governments that are identified as poor, disadvantaged, and lagging to support the implementation of their priority projects and services to be allocated to provinces (10 percent), cities (10 percent), municipalities (70 percent), and barangays (10 percent).

The P5 billion for LGSF-FA will be used by local governments to fund the eligible programs and projects, such as infrastructure; purchase of ambulances and other vehicles; purchase of medical, rescue, and disaster-related equipment; street lighting or rural electrification; installation of closed-circuit television surveillance system; and assistance to poor individuals or families.

Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan thanked the national government for setting aside a higher LGSF in 2023 that would help underdeveloped areas in the country.
“It augments what the local government cannot provide since we only have P400 million local development fund this year. The amount is divided by 24 towns, two cities, and 951 villages,” Tan said.

Pangandaman said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. directed the review of functions that should be devolved to local governments vis-a-vis those that should remain with the national government. The period for the devolution of some functions is extended up to 2027 instead of 2024.

Last year, then president Rodrigo Duterte issued a directive to boost the local government’s preparation for more responsibilities with the implementation of the Mandanas-Garcia ruling in 2022.

The Supreme Court Mandanas-Garcia ruling resulted from the petition made by Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas and former Bataan governor Enrique Garcia Jr. before the Supreme Court on local government shares on internal revenue allotment (IRA).

With the increased budget share, the LGUs are expected to be responsible for the funding and delivery of the activities, which have been devolved to them under Republic Act 7160, the Local Government Code of 1991, and other subsequent laws.

Among the functions assigned to local governments based on the Local Government Code are agriculture programs, local infrastructures, environmental services, revenue mobilization, health services, maintenance of peace and order, employment facilitation, transportation, tourism, and housing.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)