TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan, Vice Mayor Sherwin Gabon and seven councilors of Catbalogan City were suspended for six months by the Office of the Ombudsman.
The suspension of these city officials, along with other City Hall employees, stemmed from alleged irregular purchase of a lot and on the leasing of the city public market to a private company.
But a source told Leyte Samar Daily Express that Mayor Uy-Tan has yet to receive the decision of the anti-graft court.
Aside from Uy-Tan and Gabon, also ordered suspended by the anti-graft court were Councilors Coefredo Uy, former mayor and father of Mayor Uy-Tan; Maximo Pescos; Edward Uy; Christine Jos Escobar; Beethoven Bermejo, Rodolfo Aquino, and Nanette Jasmin.
Also suspended were city assessor Romero Tuazon and his assistant Arthur Macabare and Rizal Ignacio, employee of the City Assessor’s Office.
All the officials were said to have committed abuse of authority, grave misconduct, and gross neglect for the purchase of the property from private individuals.
The complaint against Mayor Uy-Tan and her co-respondents was filed by Bernard Jake Ramos, a city council legislative staff officer, who claimed that they purchased an agricultural land owned by Alvin Cesar Laohoo and Lorenzo Laohoo, Jr. at an ‘exorbitant price’ of P120.225 million when the property had only a market value of P155,497.84 in 2016.
The anti-graft court also slapped a separate six-month preventive suspension against Mayor Uy-Tan, Councilors Coefredo and Edward Uy; Pescos and Bermejo and assistant assessor Macabare and Renante Aquino for grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty.
This arise from a separate complaint filed by vendors of city’s public market on the decision of the respondents to lease the city public market to a private company.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

BORONGAN CITY- No less than Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol visited Jipapad town, Eastern Samar after tropical depression ‘Samuel’ rendered the whole town flooded with heavy rains.
Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Eastern Samar chanced upon the Secretary’s convoy of vehicles in Barangay Buray, Paranas on their way to Jipapad town with other representatives from government agencies.
“Titingnan natin kung ano ang maitutulong natin sa agriculture doon,” Piñol told the PIA and Radyo Pilipinas.
The Secretary himself posted on Facebook page his departments’ intervention for the flooded Eastern Samar town.
Piñol said he has allotted some P30 million to Jipapad town to help the farmers move on from the calamity brought by TD Samuel.
The Secretary reported that some 640 hectares of rice fields were damaged, so he pledged to provide at least some P5,000 to each farmer or fisherfolk family affected by the flood under the Survival and Recovery (Loaning) Program.
He added he will extend a P10 million loan fund under the Production Loan Easy Access (PLEA) Program from DA Agricultural Credit Policy Council (ACPC).
He said he will also give out rice seeds to the 641 hectares of rice fields and vegetable seeds for the women’s groups.
Still another is the P1.5 million capitalization fund and P1.5million to purchase hauling truck for the coconut farmers for them to buy copra and deliver the same directly to oil mills.
In addition, he will provide two 35 HP tractors with plow and rotavators and three 30-footer fiberglass fishing boats from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
He also facilitated the opening of a special NFA outlet so that Jipapadnons can readily buy cheap rice until their full recovery.
Piñol’s post generated 1.4 likes and reactions, 340 shares and close to 100 comments praising the secretary for his love and care to the families in Jipapad town.
(PIA 8-E Samar)

PhilHealth launched the Expanded Primary Care Benefit Package (EPCB) for the employed sector, senior citizens and the lifetime members last October 29, 2018 in Robinsons Place, Ormoc City, Leyte.
PhilHealth came in full force with no less than President and CEO Dr. Roy B. Ferrer spearheading the activity together with PhilHealth senior officers and board members with the support of the PhilHealth Regional Office 8 Team.
Four hundred sixty participants were on hand to witness the historic event to include health care institutions, employers and employees as well as senior citizen members. This benefit package has long been awaited especially by the members of the employed sector as well as the elderly members as this will ensure that they can avail of the much needed physical check-up.
Among the benefits of the EPCB are medical consultation, laboratory or diagnostic exams, and medicines for acute gastroenteritis, urinary tract infection, upper respiratory tract infection, pneumonia (low risk), asthma, hypertension and diabetes mellitus (Type II). These can be availed of in health care facilities accredited to provide for this specific benefit.
During the event, there were eight (8) health care providers awarded with Certificates of Commendation for being the first to heed the call of PhilHealth to get accredited for the provision of the EPCB services. They included Corrompido Specialty Hospital and Pudpud PolyClinic & Specialty Hospital of Sogod, Southern Leyte; Leyte Baptist Hospital of Hilongos, Leyte; Our Lady of Porziuncola Hospital and St. Camillus Hospital of Calbayog City; Samar Provincial Hospital, St. Jude Hospital of Guiuan, Eastern Samar; and St. Scholastica’s Hospital of Pambujan, Northern Samar.
PhilHealth 8 Regional Vice President (RVP) Acisclo B. Militante said that “The Expanded Primary Care Benefit package is a product born out of PhilHealth’s desire to provide a holistic health assistance from preventive to curative care for its members.” On the other hand, PhilHealth Acting President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Roy B. Ferrer said that his mandate is to improve systems, push for innovations & enhancements to the health insurance benefits, services and programs. “The EPCB empowers the members of the Formal Economy, Lifetime Members as well as Senior Citizens as it provide for diagnostic and laboratory tests,” the health insurance honcho added.
(MIRAMAR P. ZABALA)