TACLOBAN CITY- More than 500 plate numbers for motor vehicles were released by the regional office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Thursday (July 6).
Edgar Catarungan, LTO regional director said, that the released plate numbers by their office covers the registration periods of July, August, and September of 2016.
On Thursday, about 504 plate numbers were released by the agency.
They intend to release 50 to 100 plates a day until all identified vehicle owners are given of their plate numbers, Catarungan said.
“Vehicle owners need not visit our office as we will notify car dealers for them to pick up their plate numbers,” Catarungan said.
Catarungan said that Eastern Visayas has around 100,000 vehicles, to include motorcycles, which have yet to be issued plate numbers.
But the LTO regional director assured the owners that they would be given their plate numbers soon as they were directed by President Rodrigo Duterte to distribute plate numbers to all motor and vehicle owners.
He said that their central office could now process 20,000 plate numbers day which could hasten in the distribution of plate numbers across the country. (JOEY A. GABIETA with HYDE OPADA,MARIA FELINDA CADA, ESSU Student Interns)
LTO-8 start release of motor plate numbers covering 3rd quarter of 2016
DOH: Dengue fever kills 16 in EV last month alone
GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte- The regional office of the Department of Health(DOH-8) reported that 16 people have died across the region due to dengue fever just last month alone.
The DOH-8 said that of the reported casualties due to dengue fever, Ormoc City posted the highest number of deaths with five followed by Salcedo, Eastern Samar with two fatalities.
Meantime Calbayog City; Pinyutan, Saint Bernard, and Libagon, all in Southern Leyte; Baybay City and Bato, both in Leyte; Santa Margarita, Samar; Cabucgayan, Biliran; and San Isidro, Northern Samar have one each confirmed fatality.
The regional health office said that about 1, 724 people from different parts of the region were hit by dengue fever, a disease cause by a mosquito bite of Aedes type.
It reported that the ages of the victims ranged from a month old to 82 years old.
And of the 1,724 dengue fever reported by the DOH-8 last month, 22 percent were in Leyte, the DOH reported.
For the safety of everyone, the DOH strongly suggest to follow their 4s Advocacy to prevent dengue- search and destroy – where mosquitos are residing; secure self-protection by wearing long sleeves, use anti-mosquito products; seek early consultation within two days, especially if fever does not stop and support fogging and spraying but only on hotspot areas. (FRANZ ERICK DADIA, KEN LOUISE DE LUNA, ELIZABETH BAGUILOD, ESSU Student Interns)
Comelec urge qualified voters to register, list to be used for the 2019 national elections
TACLOBAN CITY – The elections officer of this city is calling for qualified registrants to visit their office as the listing up for voters has started early this week.
Lawyer Ma. Goretti Cañas, city elections officer, said that their office, located at the Tacloban Convention Center or astrodome, is open during office hours for the registration of voters.
For this purpose, their office will also be open during Saturdays, to include holidays.
“We will be accepting applications for those who will be turning 18 on or before May 13, 2019 which is the schedule of our next national and local elections,” Cañas said.
The registration of voters begun on July 2 and is to end on September 29 this year.
Cañas said that applicants have only to bring with them identification cards issued by the government and if students, their school identification cards.
They can also bring with them their certificates of live birth or baptism.
The Commission on Elections is accepting for new registration, transfer, reactivation, and change of status or correction of entry or entries and inclusion or reinstatement of voters. (MARIE CRISSALYN A.AGUJA, ADFC Student Intern; GILAMAE P.RONCALES and EDEN C.TEJERO, ESSU Student Interns)
Families seek speedy probe
By: Joey A. Gabieta
PALO, Leyte- As separate investigations on the misencounter involving policemen and soldiers are now underway, the families of the slain policemen are calling that these probes would not be whitewashed and swift justice be given to them.
The families maintained that what happened in sitio Lunoy, Barangay San Roque, Sta. Rita in Samar, was an ambushed and not just a mere ‘chance encounter’ as what the military and the police officials described the incident.
Both the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are conducting their own separate investigations on the incident.
Earlier, both Police Director General Oscar Albayalde and AFP Chief of Staff General Carlito Galvez, Jr. vowed of a transparent investigations.
PO3 Jessie Escalo, whose younger brother PO1 Julie Escalo was among the six policemen killed in the incident, said that while they welcome the probes being conducted, they hope ‘truth will come out.’
“We just hope that no whitewash will happen in any of these investigations. We want justice for us and for my brother,” Escalo said.
Teresita Suarez, 69, and mother to PO1 Julius Suarez, said that only a real and impartial result of these investigations would somehow give her peace of mind.
“They should give us justice and punish those responsible for the death of my son. I cannot allow that the death of son will just remain as an ordinary crime. He was killed,” the sobbing mother said.
Rachel Reyes,23, wife of PO1 Rowell Reyes, said that its hard for her to accept his death at the hands of soldiers.
“It was ambush and not just a mere misencounter,” she said.
The death of her husband left her widow with two young daughters, aged 2 and five months old. They are from Victoria, Northern Samar.
The slain cop’s mother, Virginia, also asked for justice.
“That’s all we want, justice for my son. Whatever assistance that they are giving to us is nothing. Its justice,” she said.
The families of the slain cops said that while they are waiting for the results of the investigations, they are putting the blame to the military, all members of the 87th Infantry Battalion.
On Wednesday night, the families rejected the wreaths offered by the military.
“It hurt us. It just like an insult,” Rachel Reyes said.
The soldiers in charged were said to put back the wreaths at their military truck.
The remains of the six policemen, PO1 Wyndell Noromor, PO1 Edwin Ebrado, PO1 Phil Rey Mendigo, PO1 Julius Suarez, PO1 Rowell Reyes, and PO1 Julie Escalo, lie in state at the gymnasium of the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police in Camp Ruperto Kangleon, Palo town.
Wreaths from the PNP, Department of Interior and Local Government and from other donors were placed each of the six white caskets.
The incident also wounded nine others, PO1 Elmer Pan, PO1 Cris Angelo Pialago, PO1 Romulo Cordero, PO1 Joenel Gonzaga, PO1 Rey Barbosa, PO1 Roden Goden, PO1 Jaime Galoy, PO1 Rommel Bagunas and PO1 Jomark Adones.
Bishop emeritus Bactol to lead Pontifical Concelebrated Mass for the 129th Tacloban City fiesta
TACLOBAN CITY-Thousands of faithful are expected to hear the Pontifical Concelebrated Mass at the Santo Niño Church relative to the 129th annual fiesta of the city today(June 30).
The Pontifical Concelebrated Mass will start at 9:30 in the morning with the bishop emeritus of Naval, Filomino Bactol, as the main celebrant.
And in the evening, Palo Archbishop John Du will be the main celebrant of another Pontifical Concelebrated Mass.
Prelates and priests from other dioceses of the region are expected to attend the Pontifical Concelebrated Mass.
Top officials of the city government lead by Mayor Cristina Romualdez and Leyte Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez of first district are also expected to attend the Pontifical Concelebrated Mass.
Today’s Pontifical Concelebrated Mass will serve as the highlight of the nine-day novena to the June 30 fiesta celebration of Tacloban in honor of its patron, Senior Santo Niño.
At around 2:30 pm today, a fluvial procession will be held to be followed by a land procession at 4:30 pm.
This year’s celebration, which falls on the year of the clergy and consecrated persons, has a theme “Hatag ha Diyos, Halad hin Tawo, Pagbag-0 han Bungto.”
The Santo Nino de Tacloban, as the patron is known, is different from other similar images as it is the only one who has a silver and gold vestment.
Bishop Teotimo Pacis, then the bishop of the Diocese of Palo, issued a decree in 1969 making the Sto. Nino de Tacloban as the heavenly patron and protector of Leyte.
Faithful from the city are known to have a deep devotion to the Child Jesus, calling His name during personal crisis and calamities like when Tacloban City was pummeled by super typhoon “Yolanda” in 2013.
The church itself sustained major damage. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
1 soldier wounded, gov’t troops recovered rebel camp
ORMOC CITY-A short gun battle between members of government troops and the New People’s Army (NPA) at the hinterland village of this city has resulted in the wounding of a soldier and the recovery of firearms and improvised explosive devices at the rebels’ camp.
Brig. Gen. Lope Dagoy, 802 brigade commander, said the soldiers of the 93rd Infantry Battalion based in Barangay Aguiting in Kananga town, were having foot patrol operation on Tuesday (June 26) morning at the vicinity of Brgy. Mahayahay, this city, when they came across a group of NPA combatants said to be belonging to the Front Committee Leyte.
The rebels allegedly fired at them and detonated improvised land mine which resulted in the injury of one of the soldiers.
A 30-minute fire fight also ensued between the two groups with the rebel members fleeing, Dagoy said in a press conference.
The wounded soldier, who was not identified by Dagoy, was rushed to the hospital and is now in stable condition.
A hot pursuit operation was conducted immediately for the possible arrest of the NPA members.
The operating team, led by 1Lt. Sheenan Kub-, recovered M16 rifle, several magazines loaded with bullets, IEDs, blasting caps, subversive documents, medical equipment, numerous cellular phones, communication equipment, personal belongings, and several others at the rebel camp.
Dagoy described the newly-built insurgent camp as a temporary structure that was built with movable set up and could be subjected to transfer at any time.
It has 16 bunkers, kitchen and a toilet.
Dagoy lauded the informant for providing tip on the presence of the NPA rebels at the said village which eventually hampered possible activities the left group may have arranged.
He said that the Front Committee Leyte operates in the towns of Carigara, Capoocan, Barugo, Tunga and Kananga, all in Leyte, with no less than 30 members.
Meantime, Dagoy, who once served as the commanding officer of the 19th IB who’s based is now occupied by the current 93rd IB, warned businessmen to refrain from providing revolutionary money to the rebels or face raps if evidence suffices for charges filing against them.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)