TACLOBAN CITY- The Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) led by Supt. Lope Macauba, Jr., officer-in-charge, conducted successful arrests of two most wanted persons.
First to fall was Antonio Omawas, Jr. who was arrested in Barangay 88 Alimasag, San Jose, this city, on October 31 at about 6:35 am.
Omawas, 53, who is a native of Daram, Samar but currently resides in Barangay 106, North hill Arbours, is accused of frustrated homicide.
His arrest, which was by virtue of an alias warrant issued by Judge Alphinor C. Serrano, presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court-Branch 6, this city, was facilitated by the elements of the TCPO-CIB led by Senior Inspector Leonides C. Sydiongco and TCPO-CMFC led by its force commander, Supt. Michael Jude P. Dotingco.
Accused was brought to TCPO-INTEL branch for documentation and proper disposition prior turn-over to court of origin which set P24,000 bail for his temporary liberty.
And on November 1, at about 6 am, joint elements of TCPO-CIB led by PSI Sydiongco and PSI Roniel M. Perlas and Talalora municipal police station led by Senior Inspector Romualdo P. Doncillo, conducted a manhunt operation at Brgy. 89, Sitio Balanak, San Jose, this city, which led to the arrest of Jowelo Dignos, 37, farmer, and a resident of Brgy. Nabatas Guti, Sitio Cancorbinos, Talalora, Samar.
The arrest of the suspect was by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Tarcelo A. Sabarre, Jr., presiding judge of the RTC- Branch 30, Basey, Samar, dated December 28, 2017 for frustrated murder.
The accused was ranked 6th in the Top 10 most wanted person at Talalora Municipal Police Station.
He was then brought to TCPO-INTEL branch for documentation and proper disposition prior turn-over to court of origin.
The court put a P200,000 bail bond for the temporary release of the accused.
These notable accomplishments of this Office attributed to the commitment of the operating teams and the support and cooperation of responsible, active and concerned stakeholders in Tacloban City. (PR)
Tacloban city police nabs 2 wanted persons during the ‘Undas’ commemoration
Leyte officials visit Germany to adopt its disaster management system
TACLOBAN CITY- Officials from Leyte provincial government visited Germany to learn on their disaster management system.
The visit of the provincial officials was sponsored by the International Search and Rescue (ISAR) of the German government.
According to Vice Governor Carlo Loreto, who spearheaded the team, their visit was aim to develop and implement a disaster management system for Leyte, which is prone to natural disaster.
“Through this workshop, we were able to learn crucial information that will help the province prepare for any natural disaster,” he said.
The Leyte delegation, during the workshop, shared its first-hand experience before, during and after the onslaught of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ which devastated the province.
The group also discussed how the province got back on its feet after Yolanda’s onslaught exactly five years ago.
Germany was among the foreign countries that provided assistance to the Philippine in the aftermath of Yolanda’s onslaught.
ISAR Germany has been doing a lot of humanitarian projects in Leyte which were focused on the reconstruction and the supply of rescue equipment like an ambulance or a rescue boat and providing education and training to rescuers and trainers with a focus on emergency aid.
Loreto said that ISAR Germany will apply for a research and development project for the promotion and implementation of a disaster management system for Leyte before the end of this year.
The said project will be a common scheme between the Philippines and Germany with run time of three years.
The BMBF is funding research and development projects within the International Disaster and Risk Management or IKARIM program. The goal of IKARIM is the common development and implementation of innovative and application-oriented solutions in the fields of disaster prevention, disaster management and restoration.
The program aims to strengthen the resilience of the partnering countries against natural and technical risks as well as the transfer of know-how and the form of international partnerships for disaster risk management.
As part of the project, several equipment will be provided to Leyte such as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones, communications equipment, etc. Personnel from Leyte will also undergo actual trainings while developing actual solutions to actual challenges during calamities.
Aside from Loreto, other officials who went to Germany were board member Mesias Arevalo, police provincial director, S/Supt. Norberto Tuazon, fire chief Leonardo Bañago, provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer Arvin Monge and Major Marvin Caspillo.
Also part of the delegation were Office of Civil Defense assistant regional director Rey Gozon and Director Wilberto Rico Neil Kwan of the Bureau of Fire Protection.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
Año: There will be no sacred cows against fight on PAGs
To ensure peaceful elections in 2019
TACLOBAN CITY- There will be no sacred cows in the dismantling of private armed groups (PAGs).
Thus said acting Interior Secretary Eduardo Año as he disclosed that he would ask the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG)to initiate in the filing of appropriate charges against those behind in the operations of PAGs and the member themselves.
The presence of PAGs have been identified as one of the factors why orderly conduct of balloting during election times are affected or disturbed.
The Philippine National Police said that in the region,PAGs mostly operates in Samar.
“Our campaign against PAGs will continue and we will dismantle them. There will be no sacred cows (on this campaign),” Año said during his visit to the city Wednesday (Oct.24).
Aside from leading in the inauguration of the Peace and Resiliency Building at the regional office of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Interior Secretary also presided the closed door meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) held at Oriental Hotel, Palo town.
Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan, who is also the regional chair of the RPOC, said that she is giving her full support on this campaign of the DILG acting Secretary.
“We have been in support in the campaign against PAGs.It has been the clamor of the provincial government of Samar to dismantle the existence of PAGs in Samar,” Tan said.
The outgoing governor, who is seeking for a congressional seat in next year’s midterm elections, had previously said that she and her family does not operate any PAGs.
The presence of PAGs in Samar has always been used as basis of the PNP and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) why the province is always considered as a hot spot during elections.
According to her, by dismantling the operations of PAGs in the province, Samar would enjoy peace and order not only during election period.
Sec. Año said that he would direct the CIDG to file appropriate charges against those who are maintaining the existence of PAGs.
“We will use the CIDG to develop a case against those people. We will file charges against them like illegal possession of firearms and other appropriate charges,” the DILG chief said.
By: Joey A. Gabieta
Defective weighing scales in Tacloban City destroyed
TACLOBAN CITY – At least 99 confiscated uncalibrated or defective weighing scales from the different markets in the city were destroyed as part of a crackdown of the city government under Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez on fraudulent weighing scales on Monday (Oct.22).
The Office of the Market Superintendent led the confiscation of the tampered weighing scales pursuant to City Ordinance No. 2008-10-71 which provides for the regulation of weights and measures in public market and private establishments in the city.
OIC Market Superintendent Bernardo Villarante said that the operation is one way to protect consumers from being cheated as well as to stop some fraudulent vendors from their illegal practices.
Majority of the confiscated weighing scales came from the fish section of the Central Public Market.
According to Villarante, the ordinance carries a maximum penalty of P3,000 fine and revocation of the business permits of the vendor/business establishment.
All weighing scales must be registered and calibrated by the Operation of Market Office which has a corresponding fee of P200 (P150 –calibration free and P 50-sticker fee), Villarante said.
The following are prohibited under the ordinance: tampering with the weights by replacing the inside parts, i.e. springs, which will diminish the measuring capability of weights; replacing of plates other than those provided for such weights; using the weighing scales which are already worn-out and rusted; manipulating of adjustments; removing the seal on the weighing scale; placing of any metal or concealed materials in such manner as to reflects greater weight other than the true weight of goods or merchandise; and use of tampered/defective weighing scales.
To be assured of the right weight of goods purchased, consumers are encouraged to check if the weighing scale has the sticker of the city government.
‘Timbangan ng Bayan’ can also be found in the central public markets for verification of weights. (HENRY JAMES ROCA/Photo: K. NAPALA/CIO)
Group leads in transforming Tacloban as a model of climate resiliency
TACLOBAN CITY-An environmental group is undertaking several activities designed to make Tacloban a model of climate resiliency.
For one, the Ph Haiyan Advocacy Cooperative, a cooperative formed by concerned individuals from this city in the aftermath of the massive destruction brought by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ on November 8,2013, has initiated in the planting of mangroves in different coastal areas in the city covering 49 hectares in all.
Mangroves are said to be effective protection against storm surge which was witnessed by the people of Tacloban after it was pummeled by Yolanda that resulted in massive destructions and loss of over 2,200 lives in the city.
Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) is said to be a proof of a natural disaster brought by climate change. It’s considered to be the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland.
In 2015, the group, which is chaired by a noted neurosurgeon Dr. Gil Asoy, established a beach forest along the shores of Cancabato Bay in San Jose district, this city, by planting more than 3,500 trees of various varieties like talisay, bitaon, and narra.
The Ph Haiyan Advocacy Cooperative also continues to conduct information education campaign on environmental preservation and protection to various communities as well as coastal cleanup, tree planting particularly in Barangay 83(Paraiso),San Jose district.
The group also advocated for the passage of an ordinance (Ordinance 2017-13-29) at the Tacloban city council declaring every Nov.8 as a “Day of Remembrance and Gratitude” which was principally authored by Councilor Aurora Aimee Delgado-Grafil.
They also worked for the crafting of Ordinance Number 2018-13-22 declaring every November 1 to 7 of every year as “climate change adaptation and mitigation week.”
The group has also entered into an agreement with three state universities, Leyte Normal University (LNU), Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) and the University of the Philippines-Tacloban College (UPVTC), all based in this city, for the development of the watershed area in Brgy. Salvacion.
It also sponsored the first Regional Conference on Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation on October in 2016 attended by Senators Loren Legarda and Cynthia Villar and on February,2018, led in the 2nd Climate Change Conference and Workshop attended by 500 students coming from various schools across the region.
The group, which is duly-registered with the Cooperative Development Authority, has the following as its board of director members: Pete Ilagan, former undersecretary of the Department of Energy; Mimmiette Bagulaya, former governor of Leyte and former vice mayor of Tacloban City; Dr.Eulito Casas, Jr., of the UPVTC; and Dr. Jude Duarte, the current president of the LNU.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)