TACLOBAN CITY-A 23-year old man was killed after he was hit by a lightning in Zumarraga town in Samar province on Sunday (June 7) while he was trying to untie a rope of their motorized banca.
Killed was Romulo Papelerin of Barangay Mualbual who was with his friends on a motorized banca on their way for a swimming when the freak incident happened at around 11:30 am on that day, said Staff Sergeant Mat Jomel Tañega of the Zumarraga municipal police station.
Tañega, in a phone interview, said that Papelerin was with 13 others, including their village Sangguniang Kabataan chairman Esmeraldo Alborta for a swimming to an island located across their village, when he was hit by the lightning.
“As he was pulling the rope of the motorized banca as they were to leave for a swimming, heavy rain suddenly poured followed by a lightning which hit the victim who was standing at the rear portion of the banca,” the police officer said.
The victim died immediately though he was brought at the Samar Provincial Hospital in Catbalogan City.
None of his companions were hurt by the incident, the police said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Lightning kills man in Samar
Gym instructor killed after assaulting a police officer in Baybay City
ORMOC CITY- A gym instructor was killed by a police officer whom he challenged to a fist fight.
Baybay City police station chief Lt. Col. Alberto Renomeron said that Samuel Managbanag, 31, a gym instructor, sustained single gunshot wound in his chest and was already dead upon arrival at the city’s Western Leyte Provincial Hospital as declared by attending physician Dr. Russel Gerry Dejarme.
Renomeron said in an interview that in that Police Corporal Ronel Tapales, 32, was doing an intelligence work in that area of the city’s Barangay Sto. Niño, particularly in Zone 1, when he chanced upon a group of persons having a drinking spree beside on the street.
The police officer reminded the men that drinking of liquor in the public is prohibited under an existing ordinance of the city.
When told to stop their drinking binge, Managbanag, a man of huge body build and known to be expert in martial arts, challenged the cop for a fist fight.
Tapales ignored the suspect’s challenge but he was assaulted which prompted him to run.
While being chased, Tapales was cornered near a bamboo fence, and had no choice but to pull out his service firearm and fired the suspect once at a close range, Renomeron said.
Recovered at the scene was one piece fired bullet of caliber .9 mm pistol.
Tapales voluntarily deposited his service firearm, a .9 mm caliber gun and one magazine loaded with 11 live bullets.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA with RONALD O.REYES)
PRO-8 turns over 597 units of ISO equipment
PALO, Leyte – The Police Regional Office (PRO-8) has turned over 597 units of Internal Security Operations (ISO) equipment to its different units.
PRO-8 Regional Director Police Brigadier General Bernabe Balba said that the 597 units consist of 372 units 5.56mm Basic Assault Rifle (BAR) “Galil Ace22N” with accessories; 141 units 5.56mm BAR “K2C1” with accessories; 50 units 9mm “Taurus” Striker Fired with accessories; 20 units “NEGEV 7” Light Machine Gun (LMG) with Retractable Butt Assembly and accessories; 12 units K3 5.56 Light Machine Gun (LMG) with accessories and 2 units 9mm “Canik” Striker Fired with accessories were turned over to different Police Provincial Offices (PPOs), City Police Offices (CPOs), Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) and all Provincial and City Mobile Forces.
Balba said that along with the 597 are 20,020 rounds cartridge 5.56 mm ball; 20,000 rounds cartridge 7.62mm ball; 3,627 Magazine 30 rounder for AR15/M16 5.56mm; 2,600 rounds cartridge 9mm ball; 863 ballistic eye wear; 208 Magazine for 9mm Pistol and 128 magazine box/pouch were also turned-over to the said recipient units.
“We are very grateful to our President for giving priorities to our men in uniform. Maswerte tayo dahil meron tayong ganitong kagamitan. Indeed, it will boost the morale of our personnel to fight our battle against the CPP/NPA,” Balba said.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
300 City Hall employees designated as COVID-19 monitoring team
T
ACLOBAN CITY-Acting City Health Officer Dr. Gloria Fabrigas during the deputization seminar on Monday, June 8, talks to the 300 local government employees to help strengthen the implementation of the city ordinances on anti-smoking and facemask (City Ordinance 2020-14-07).
As ordered by Mayor Alfred Romualdez, the said employees will be part of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) Monitoring Team and will assist in ensuring that the public observes the wearing of face masks and other health protocols such as physical distancing, in the community.
According to the facemask ordinance, all persons are required to wear a facemask when going outside their homes, while in transit, inside an establishment, and in public spaces.
Any person found violating the ordinance shall be penalized ranging from P1,000 to P5,000 with community service.
To date, Tacloban City has recorded two COVID-19 cases, the first case, who is a 29- year old returning overseas Filipino (seafarer) is now isolated but will soon be discharged after her second sample tested negative, while the second case, who is asymptomatic and currently admitted, is a 31-year old locally stranded individual (LSI).
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Mayor Gomez reiterates appeal to national agencies to swab test returnees before leaving for provinces
TACLOBAN CITY- A returnee overseas worker is Ormoc City’s first coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) case.
This was confirmed by its city mayor, Richard Gomez, who issued his appeal to national government agencies to test all returnees before they would be allowed to return to their respective hometowns.
Gomez said that its first confirmed COVID-19 case is a 46-year old man who previously worked in Saudi Arabia but returned to Ormoc on May 27.
His swab results were part of the 90 samples released by the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center Testing Center on Friday.
Gomez, who confirmed their first COVID-19 case on Friday night, said that he was sad that the coronavirus has now entered the city which imposed one of the strictest quarantine measures in Eastern Visayas.
With this development, the actor-turned city mayor said that he would bar individuals coming from areas where there are COVID-19 cases to enter Ormoc and his people would also be prohibited to go to areas where there are also cases of coronavirus.
Gomez said that while he is accepting the fact that Ormoc has now its own COVID-19 case, he could not avoid expressing his disappointment.
He said that national agencies should have at least tested for COVID-19 those who wished to return to the provinces before they would be allowed to return home to ensure that the virus would not spread to the provinces so all the efforts of these local government units like Ormoc would not go to waste.
“When we close our borders here in Ormoc City, a lot of people did not feel good about it why we have to be strict. Because COVID-19 could easily infect. Sana, before papuntahin yung mga tao sa kanila-kanilang mga bayan, i-rapid test, i-swab test muna natin before they leave the plane, bago makasakay ng bus, (para) malaman na sila ay safe at hindi infected,” he said.
And if these people would turn to be positive, they should not be allowed to travel to avoid spreading the virus, the Ormoc City mayor said.
“We will be more strict in our borders. I am asking for the cooperation of the PNP.People coming from other COVID positive areas will not be allowed to enter Ormoc City and we will also bar people of Ormoc to be going out of the city,” he said.
Gomez reiterated his call for national agencies to coordinate with the local government units on this scheme. “We really need to cooperate, to coordinate,” he said.
“I am not happy on what happened but it could have been prevented if strict health protocols have been followed. But again, nandiyan na yan, so we have to deal with it,” he said.
Mayor Gomez said that the 46-year old man is now placed at their quarantine facility.
He asked his people to inform the city government to report any returnee coming to their villages saying he does not like to see Ormoc City having more COVID-19 cases.
Meantime, the regional office of the Department of Health confirmed the second COVID-19 case of Tacloban City.
John Paul Roca, information officer of the DOH-18, said that Tacloban’s second case involved a 31-year old woman who was stranded in Metro Manila when it was placed under lockdown last March.
“She is now confined in the city’s quarantine facility,” he said.
Tacloban City’s first COVID-19 patient involved a 29-year old woman who was also returning overseas worker.
Roca also said that the town of Isabel in Leyte province also recorded its first COVID-19 case involving a 39-year old overseas worker who was on board with Ormoc City’s first COVID-19 patient.
With three new cases, Eastern Visayas has now 51 COVID-19 patients.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Borongan mayor asks public to always observe health protocols
TACLOBAN CITY – Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda of Borongan City is determine to continue making his city COVID-19 free through strict implementation of health protocols and having information of residents who wanted to return to the city.
With the ballooning of COVID-19 cases in the region, Agda urged his people to be vigilant to make sure that Borongan will remain without any coronavirus case.
As of present, Borongan is the only two cities in the region without any COVID-19 case. The other one is Maasin City.
The city mayor calls on the public to always observe health protocols while going out of their houses and by wearing of face masks, observing physical distancing and remembering places they visited and people they meet when going out of their respective houses.
“Let wearing of face masks be part of our new normal,” Mayor Dayan said.
The city mayor also his people to inform the city government if they have relative who are planning to go back to their city.
“We shall maintain our city a COVID-19 free by being vigilant, particularly in spotting the location of returning individuals who opt to hide their presence and irresponsible acts just to get rid of having to stay in isolation facilities”, Mayor Agda said.
As of last week, there are a total of 40 individuals who are being monitored by the city government who are staying at their isolation facilities.
Upon finishing their quarantine period of 14-days, they shall be certified by the city health officers and proceed further for another 7-day home quarantine.
For those with relatives who wanted to go back to Borongan, their family members will have to inform the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Borongan is placed under Modified General Community Quarantine under Executive Order 006-0520 from June 1 to June 15 in compliance to the national mandate as recommended by the National Inter-Agency Task Force.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)