ORMOC CITY-The body of an 8-year-old child with special needs was fished out in a seashore in Baybay City on Friday (May 5).

The girl, Rasheed Maglahus, and a resident of Barangay Punta of the said city was believed to have been drowned, the local police said.

Initial investigation conducted by the responding police disclosed that prior to the drowning incident, the victim was noticed by his parents while heading to the seashore.

However, at around 1:45 pm, the victim was seen floating by the children who passed by along the seashore of Brgy. Punta.

The victim was retrieved by a concerned citizen in the community who tried to revive her but unfortunately, the victim failed to survive.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY – The mother of Eastern Samar candidate to the Miss Universe Philippines Airissh Ramos asked for help and prayers from her supporters and followers for her daughter to advance to the finals.

Thelma Ramos said that it will be a great pride for their town of Arteche and the rest of the region if her daughter will make it in this year’s Miss Universe Philippines which is slated on May 13.

“I’m really excited and thankful that my daughter is getting recognized and noticed at the pageant,” she said.

“I’m appealing to her supporters to help her make it and pray for her to be part of the finalists,” the proud mother added.

The Miss Universe Philippines is scheduled to crown its new queen this May 13. The winner will replace the reigning MUPh titleholder Celeste Cortesi and will compete in El Salvador for the Miss Universe title.

This is the first time Airissh joined a national pageant although she joined local pageants in the past.

In 2021, she was crowned as Miss Arteche, and in the same year she bagged 1st runner-up at the Bb. Silangan Samar Turismo.

In 2022, she was the 1st runner-up for the oldest beauty pageant in the region, the Miss Pintados.

For the MUPh 2023, Airissh was also named as among the top five winners on the photoshoot challenge as she also emerged as the winner on the national costume competition held in the city on May 4.

Meantime, Airissh expressed her gratitude to her gown designer John Hubert Capito and to those who helped him, particularly the students of the Oras National High School, Oras, also in Eastern Samar.

“This is a fruit of love. This is for Hubert and the young creatives of Eastern Samar who once found it impossible for their creations to take on the national stage. This journey will always and forever be for you and about you, Eastern Samar,” she said.

The beauty queen admitted that at first, she was adamant to join the Miss Universe Philippines but eventually submitted her application.

“When I got a call from our priest encouraging me to join MUPH, I didn’t fully understand then why, I was even hesitant to heed the call. After days of praying and introspection, I submitted my online application with just one goal in mind—to showcase the talent and culture of the Waray,” she said.

Incidentally, aside from Airish, two others from the region, Kimberly Escartin of Southern Leyte and Layla Adriatico of Northern Samar, are also competing for the title.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY– Government troopers were able to recover the cadaver of a former barangay official reportedly abducted and killed by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) last July 9 ,2022.

The cadaver of Jaime Asinas, village councilor of San Jose, Las Navas town in Northern Samar, was located through the help of a former rebel who surrendered to the government.
Members of the 3rd Infantry Battalion recovered the cadaver of Asinas in Brgy. Epaw, also in Las Navas, last May 5.

The cadaver was positively identified by Asinas’ family and relatives.

According to them, Asinas was abducted because he refused to use the village’s internal revenue allotment (IRA) as he was also suspected by the rebels to be a government informant.

They also claimed that the rebels forced Asinas to dig his own grave using a piece of wood and was shot several times that led to his death.

Lieutenant Colonel Isidro Vicente, the commanding officer of the 3rd IB, condemned the brutal killing of the village official.

“It only shows the true faces of NPA terrorists. Terrorists that continuously violate human rights, the Ottawa Convention, the International Humanitarian Law, and RA9851. We still call for those victims of this communist terrorist ideology to lay down their arms and live a normal life as all Filipinos should do,” he said.
(ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY– A relative of one of two killed in a reported encounter in Palapag, Northern Samar is calling for justice on the death of her nephew.

Arlyn Balading, in a post on her social media account, said that her nephew, Joel Balading, was not a rebel member as reported by the police.

“Managot kayo sa walang awang pagpatay sa enosenting pamangkin ko at ng kasama niya. Wag sana kayo matahimik sa bawat araw ng buhay nyu,” she said on her post.

“May mga pamilya din at mga anak kayo. Sana alam nyu din gaano kasakit mawalan ng mahal sa buhay, kinitil nyu ang buhay ng pamangkin ko. May Diyos tayo na di natutulog,” Balading added.

To recall, the police reported that an armed encounter took place in sitio Ibalew of Barangay Capacujan last Friday (May 5) that resulted in the death of two alleged members of the New People’s Army.

Balading said that they are calling that justice be served to her nephew and his family.
“The relatives of Joel Balading Recare from Palapag Northern Samar are asking for justice for his killing. He was one of two individuals who were killed last May 5 by government troops for allegedly being members of the NPA. Joel was working as a chainsaw assistant and the relatives say he is not part of the New People’s Army,” she said.

The police and the Army, particularly those belonging to the 74th Infantry Battalion, has yet to response to these claims of the relative of Balading. (ROBERT DEJON)