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Alleged Muslim militant gun runner killed in Ormoc City
TACLOBAN CITY- A joint intelligence operations conducted by police and military operatives resulted in the death of a suspected ISIS-linked member in Ormoc City.
Killed was Joseph Anulga Jr., who was reportedly into gun running activity, after he resisted arrest during a buy-bust operation with members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) along sitio Lawis of Barangay Airport about 8 am on Thursday (November 22).
CIDG Northern Leyte Chief P/Supt Marvin Pedere said that Anulga, who was also known as Dawud, pulled a caliber .45 pistol and tried to shoot it out with the operatives when he sensed that he was dealing with police operatives.
But other operatives, who acted as security to the buy-bust, shot the suspect, hitting him at his head which resulted to his instant death.
Supt. Ma Bella Rentuaya, regional spokesperson of the Philippine National Police, said Anulga resisted arrest during the buy-bust operation conducted by Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in connection with his gun running activities.
Recovered from Anulga were two units of caliber .45 pistol, one improvised explosive device, P10,000 used to procure the firearm, and one motorcycle.
Brigadier General Lope Dagoy, commanding officer of the 802nd Brigade based in Ormoc, said that Anulga is set to go on “Hijirah” to join the local terrorist group in Mindanao and intends to die as a martyr of Islam.
Anulga was said to have pledged allegiance to Daesh and its recognized caliph, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi.
“Anulga is a direct associate of the late Yusuf Macuto. Macuto was involved in a foiled plot to bomb the US Embassy last November 2016 and the main suspect in the Hilongos(in Leyte) bombing last December 2016, and was killed during the Marawi siege,” said Dagoy in a press statement.
“Anulga’s death shows the government’s conviction in protecting the people from these lawless elements. This is a clear message that your AFP and PNP will not allow neither tolerate terror groups in our midst,” he added.
Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, in a message he posted on his Facebook account, maintained that the government “will not tolerate any acts and personalities who can and may bring harm and terrorism in Ormoc.”
“The PNP and the Army will work hard to take them out of our city by all means,” he said.
Meanwhile, businesswoman Lalaine Marcos of Rotary Club of Ormoc Bay thanked the police and military for acting right away against Anulga.
“I think Ormoc has nothing to worry about the incident. This shows that our Army and PNP are getting A-1 intelligence (report) that is why the alleged ISIS member was caught. We are very proud that Ormoc is the safest city in the Philippines and want to keep it that way,” she said.
(RONALD O. REYES)
DPWH in Leyte’s second district to construct school buildings worth P372 million
CARIGARA, Leyte-In support to the education program of the government, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-Leyte Second District Engineering Office will implement a total of P372 million worth of 29 units of school buildings or 159 classrooms under the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Basic Educational Facilities Fund (BEFF).
Out of 29 school buildings, 25 units are already on-going while four units are still in the processing of their contract documents.
There are four units each in the municipalities of Carigara and Jaro, three units each in Burauen and Capoocan, two units each in Barugo, Dagami, Dulag, Julita, MacArthur and Pastrana, and one unit each in Lapaz, Mayorga and Tabontabon.
District Engineer Carlos Veloso said that these classrooms will be in multi-storey structures that will utilize and provide conducive learning environment for the increasing number of students under the K-12 program.
Veloso expressed the willingness of the department to aid the DepEd in its continuous aspiration to educate and guide students.
The BEFF is an annual budget of the Department for its School Building Program, which covers the improvement and maintenance of school facilities. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
DPWH Eastern Visayas lowers 2020 outlay proposal
PALO, Leyte — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in the region has proposed a lower and “more realistic” budget for 2020 in a bid to raise the chance of its approval in the national level.
From the P123.12 billion proposed for 2019, the infrastructure agency had cut its proposal to P61.11 billion for 2020.
Even with the lower outlay request, DPWH Regional Director Nerie Bueno believes that the entire amount would not be approved.
“Maybe half of the proposal for 2020 will be approved. I’m not pessimistic, I am just realistic. Historically, we only got 10 percent higher than the actual budget in the previous year,” Bueno said during the Regional Development Council’s (RDC) infrastructure committee meeting here on Wednesday (Nov.21).
For 2019, only 22 percent or P27.4 billion of the P123.12 billion budget endorsed by the RDC has been included in the National Expenditure Program. The DPWH regional chief expects additional budget next year from special projects and fund realignments.
“The disadvantage of proposing huge budget is that the national government does not consider the proposal for more critical projects. We have to wait for another year and make another proposal and endorsement,” Bueno added.
The DPWH regional office here got a P34.89-billion budget for 2018, higher than the approved allotment for next year. However, Bueno said there was no budget cut for regular infrastructure program.
“According to DBM (Department of Budget and Management), our budget was not reduced since the approved funds is based on the obligated amount in 2017. What was released to us is based on our absorptive capacity,” she added.
The official hopes that 98 percent of the 2018 and 2019 budget will be utilized with their improved project monitoring and implementation systems.
Of the P27.4 billion budget for 2019, P5.34 billion is for maintenance and rehabilitation of primary highways, P5.82 billion for road network development, P2.4 billion for bridge replacement and rehabilitation, P6.48 billion for flood mitigation, P1.02 billion for convergence and special support program, P6.31 billion for local infrastructure program, and P20.72 million for foreign-assisted projects.
The DPWH Eastern Visayas regional office is tasked to maintain 2,560 kilometers of national roads and bridges, built in 18 towns and one city.
This quarter, the region’s highest policy-making body has started the scrutiny of the agency’s proposed budget for 2020 to check if its activities are aligned with the regional development plan.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)
Phil. Army hits NPA in Samar anew
ORAS, Eastern Samar – Troops of Charlie Company, 14th Infantry (Avenger) Battalion, and Philippine Army encountered 10 Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army terrorists (CNTs) in the area of Barangay Concepcion, Paranas, Samar on November 20, 2018 at 7:50 pm.
While the troops were conducting their combat operations in the area to confirm presence of armed men in the said barangay, they were firedupon by the armed CNTs that prompted a firefight that lasted for 10 minutes that forced the CNTs to scamper to different directions.
During clearing operations in the area, soldiers recovered from the encounter site two improvised explosive device, one rifle grenade, empty magazines and empty shells of AK46, M16 and M14.
“We continue to validate and confirm information regarding the casualties of the fleeing CNTs.On the other hand, our engaged troops are safe with no casualty”, said Lt.Col. Jimmy V. Jimenez, commanding officer of the 14th IB, 8ID, PA.
Lt.Col. Jimenez further explained that the Stormtroopers through the Avenger Battalion will continue to intensify offensive against the CNTs in the area of Samar “to degrade their armed components to further eradicate the CNTs by 2019 in our area of operations”.
“Rest assured that our battalion will remain to be vigilant in performing our mandated task to serve the Waraynons and in securing the island of Samar”, Lt. Col. Jimenez added. (PR)
Explosion incident killed 2, wounded 2 others in Northern Samar
CATARMAN, Northern Samar – Two persons were killed and another two were wounded after an explosion hit their rented house in Barangay Bobolosan, Laoang town in Northern Samar on Thursday(Nov.22) afternoon.
The police identified the fatalities as alias “Ome” and alias “Gaga”, both residents of San Antonio town in this province.
While the injured were identified as Junjun Donato, 32, and Nilo Cuanico, both residents of Purok 9 Poblacion, Lope De Vega.
Ome died on the spot while Gaga died while being treated at the St. Scholastica Hospital in Pambujan town.
Laoang town police chief, Chief Inspector Manuel Castillo, told Leyte Samar Daily Express that the explosion happened around 3:40 pm Thursday inside a house owned by Natalia Capas but was being rented by one Dario Ayes, said to be a former policeman.
It was not yet established what is the relationship of Ayes to the victims.
The explosion was so huge that it was reportedly heard by residents in the neighboring barangays.
An employee of the Department of Public Works and Highways-second district Engineering Office situated in Brgy.Burabod, two kilometers away from the scene of the incident, said their office was shaken due to the impact of the explosion.
The investigating team from the PNP Explosive Ordnance Division (EOD) recovered hundreds of blasting caps, a sack of detonating cords and time fuse.
These are materials that are used in making improvised explosive device (IED) according to the military.
The police are still investigating the kind of explosive that blew up which killed and wounded the victims.
Donato, Cuanico, and Ayes were detained at the Laoang Police station as they are considered suspects in the incident.
PO2 Eleazar Diu, investigator- on-case, said they would be filing charges against the suspects for violation of sections 1 and 2 of Republic Act 9516 on illegal possession and manufacture of explosives.
(RACHEL V. ARNAIZ)