TACLOBAN CITY-Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez presided the 3rd Quarterly Joint meeting of the City Peace and Order and City Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (CPOC-CADAC) on Friday, September 6 at the CMO Boardroom.
The 25-member CPOC-CADAC discussed several agenda that included an update on the Peace and Order Situation of the City, the sustainability of Drug-Cleared Barangays, Organization of the City Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC), and the Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Performance Audit, among others.
According to the TCPO, Tacloban remains relatively peaceful, owing to the downward trend of crime incidence, and the increased crime clearance efficiency of the local police office.
The group also discussed the recent Regional Peace and Order Council Resolution declaring the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) “Persona Non-Grata” and enjoining other Local Government Units in the Region to do the same.
Mayor Romualdez is set to convene another meeting to further discuss other concerns.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Mayor Romualdez presides joint 3rd quarterly CPOC, CADAC meeting
PNP has new legal officers to be deployed in all six provincial offices in EV
CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte- Six lawyers were assigned in all of the region’s six police provincial headquarters.
These pool of lawyers are to assist the police provincial directors and chiefs of police for them to deliver effective and efficient enforcement of laws in their area of responsibility thru aggressive and pro-active conduct of legal education and legal representation, Police Brigadier General Dionardo Carlos, police regional police, said.
These lawyers are under the supervision of the Regional Legal Office.
These legal officers will act as on all service-related legal suits, issues/problems or concerns that affect the administration and operation of the PNP and its personnel, Carlos said.
Following are the Legal Officers with their unit assignment: Police Major Anna Luisa Centino for Leyte Police Provincial Office (PPO); Police Captain Albert Azura for Eastern Samar PPO; Police Captain Felicito Garcia Jr. for Biliran PPO and Ormoc CPO; Police Captain Ana Maria Gono for Southern Leyte PPO; Police Captain Loret Javier Jr. for Samar PPO; and Police Captain Alexander Opeña for Northern Samar PPO.
They will have their Office within the camp of the police provincial offices where they are assigned.
“These additional legal officers will be of great help to us especially our men involved in service-related cases,” Carlos said.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
Northern Samar board member elected as chairman of PBMLP-Eastern Visayas Chapter
CATARMAN, Northern Samar- Two legislators from this province were elected to the highest positions during the recently concluded 7th Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines (PBMLP) regional elections for Region 8 held on September 5 at the Waterfront Hotel in Cebu City.
Board member Neil “Nonoy” Hernandez (first district) was elected as regional chairman of the PBMLP winning by four votes over Leyte’s first district board member Ranulfo “Bob” Abellanosa.
Hernandez had 37 votes while Abellanosa got 33 votes from fellow board members in the region.
Board member Hazel “Chin” Dela Rosa, also from the first district of this province, won as regional vice chairman with a six-vote margin over Rolando Bacoy of Southern Leyte.
Dela Rosa got 38 votes while Bacoy had 32 votes.
Dela Rosa, a newbie board member, ran under Abellanosa’s line-up.
In their respective Facebook page, both Hernandez and Dela Rosa expressed their gratitude to their fellow provincial legislators from the region for their trust and support in electing them.
Hernandez also extended his thanks to Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan, and Reps.Paul Daza (1st district) and Jun Ong (2nd district) and former congressman Emil Ong.
The new set of Regional Council officers who will serve until 2022 were the following: Regional Chairman: Neil Hernandez; Regional vice chairman: Hazel Dela Rosa (1st district, Northern Samar); secretary general: Karen Alvarez (Eastern Samar); treasurer: Gina Merilo (1st district, Leyte); auditor: Napoleon Regis (2nd district, So. Leyte); public relations officer: Jerome Arcinal (1st district, Biliran).
Elected as board of directors were Trinidad Apostol(Leyte); Teofisto Roxas(Southern Leyte); Carlos Chan(Biliran); Alvin Abejuela(Samar); and Miguelito Ayong(Samar).
(RACHEL V. ARNAIZ)
Tingog Rep. Romualdez calls for stiffer penalty on human trafficking
photo by Ver Noveno
TACLOBAN CITY-Tingog party-list Rep. Yedda Marie Kittilstvedt Romualdez on Sunday commended Immigration personnel who foiled an attempt by an American woman to smuggle out of the country a six-day old boy hidden in her sling bag at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport last Wednesday.
Romualdez, chair of the committee on the welfare of children at the House of Representatives, also called on her fellow legislators to support initiatives that will impose stiffer penalties on human trafficking, particularly child smuggling.
“Let me commend our airport authorities, especially the alert immigration officers, for a job well-done. Their dedication to duty paid off and led to the arrest of a foreigner engaged in child smuggling,” Romualdez said.
“I cannot understand how a woman, a mother of five, could stuff a week-old child in a hand-carried luggage. Such cruelty is beyond comprehension,” the lady solon added.
Romualdez said she would discuss with her committee members the possibility of amending existing laws on human trafficking with the end in view of increasing the penalty further for child smuggling.
“I am in favor of imposing stiffer penalties against child smuggling. I am optimistic that my colleagues in Congress will extend their full support to such initiative,” she added.
Republic Act (RA) No. 10364, which expanded the law on human trafficking, imposes the penalty of imprisonment of 15 years and a fine of not less than P500,000 but not more than P1 million to those found guilty of attempted trafficking in persons.
Section 4-A of the law state that: “In cases where the victim is a child, any of the following acts shall also be deemed as attempted trafficking in persons: facilitating the travel of a child who travels alone to a foreign country or territory without valid reason therefor and without the required clearance or permit from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, or a written permit or justification from the child’s parent or legal guardian; executing, for a consideration, an affidavit of consent or a written consent for adoption;recruiting a woman to bear a child for the purpose of selling the child; simulating a birth for the purpose of selling the child; and soliciting a child and acquiring the custody thereof through any means from among hospitals, clinics, nurseries, daycare centers, refugee or evacuation centers, and low-income families, for the purpose of selling the child.
Romualdez said she would also support moves to impose stiffer penalties against accomplices and other individuals who participate in the commission of the crime of child smuggling.
“A child is a blessing that needs to be protected and nurtured. Anyone who endangers the safety of the child deserves to be locked up behind bars,” Romualdez stressed. (PR)
DOH asks local government units to continue clean-up drive to contain dengue fever cases in EV
GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte – The regional office of the Department of Health(DOH) is encouraging local government units to continue doing their clean-up drives to destroy mosquito breeding sites that may carry the dengue fever virus.
DOH-8 regional information officer John Paul Roca said that the number of dengue patients recorded in the region is now decreasing every week but people must not be complacent as they should instead continue in destroying the mosquito breeding sites.
Roca cited as an example the provincial government of Samar which declared August 9 as a special non-working holiday for all government employees for them to participate in the clean-up drive.
An executive order signed by Governor Milagrosa ‘Mila’ Tan mandated for a province-wide clean-up drive every Saturday for four consecutive weeks.
“This is what we called a good practice for a local government unit which others must do because the implementation of health programs are handled in their level while on our part is more on technical assistance,” Roca said.
Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone also issued an executive order declaring every Friday as special non-working holiday in all government offices in the province for four consecutive weeks starting September 13.
“Especially now that rainy season is coming, regular clean-up drive is very important and the most effective tool to ensure that mosquito will have no breeding site and to prevent the spread of dengue,” Roca said.
The DOH in the region reported that the from week 1 to week 35, dengue cases in Eastern Visayas had already reached 17,670 or a 327.12 percent increase to the same period of dengue cases in 2018 with only 4, 134.
Most of the cases or 26 percent of the reported dengue victims came from Leyte province with 4,633 cases. This is followed by Samar with 3,014 cases and Eastern Samar with 2,190, Northern Samar with 1,371, Biliran with 548 and Southern Leyte with 487.
Among cities, Tacloban has the most number of dengue reported cases with 2,248, followed by Calbayog City with 1,029 and Catbalogan City with 777.
Number of deaths due to dengue also increases to 53 compared to 26 of the same period in 2018.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Tacloban gov’t, groups move to introduce single use plastic
As a way to address wastes problem of the city
TACLOBAN CITY- An environment group based this city is calling the public to practice proper waste disposal and join in their campaign on single use plastic.
This call of the Mother Earth Foundation came amid the declaration of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) that the lifespan of the city’s sanitary landfill would be just three years instead of its original 10 years of usage.
The city’s sanitary landfill begun its operation six months ago and is located in Barangay San Roque, a village located on the northern part of the city and is more than 10 kms away from the city proper.
Elizabeth Biagcong, project officer of the Mother Earth Foundation, said that one way of helping in curbing the city’s wastes is for the public to observe proper waste disposal and not just throw their garbage anywhere.
The group, together with other environment groups Waste 360, and TOES (Tender Foot Organization of Enthusiastic Striders) conducted clean-up drive Saturday (Sept.7) along the stretch of Magsaysay Boulevard.
During their clean-up drive, which lasted for just two hours, the groups collected more than 40 sacks of wastes, mostly plastic materials, Biagcong, speaking during the weekly media forum ‘Express it at the Park’ held at the Leyte Park Resort Hotel, this city, said.
It was learned that if wastes are properly disposed by the residents of this city, its daily waste collection could drastically reduce.
Biagcong said that thus, the lifespan of the city’s sanitary landfill could really be used up to 10 years or even more.
According to her, of the city’s 110 tons per day of wastes, only 40 percent of them should be deposited to the city’s sanitary landfill.
At present, all wastes collected go straight to the sanitary landfill, shortening its load capacity in the process.
Councilor Aimee Grafil, who chairs the committee on environmental protection and solid waste management, meantime, said that the city government is also working on this issue.
In fact, she said, they are moving for the city to enforce a single use plastic.
Grafil said that the Sangguniang Panglungsod is now in the process of enacting such an ordinance which she hopes would be approved before the year is over.
“If this policy is being practiced in other areas, why we cannot do the same here in Tacloban City,” the lady councilor said, referring on their proposal to ban single use plastic.
According to her, under the proposed ordinance, violators, both individual and companies or establishments, faces a penalty or even imprisonment.
Grafil also issues an appeal for business establishments in the city to start using paper or eco bags as their way in helping address the city’s growing waste problem.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)