TACLOBAN CITY – Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos, police regional director, assured the public that Eastern Visayas remain to be peaceful.
Carlos made this assurance in the wake of the killing of an alleged member of a terror group in Ormoc City and the explosion incident in Laoang, Northern Samar that killed two people and injured two others.
Carlos said that police operatives and other law enforcement agencies in the region are conducting intelligence gathering and monitoring to ensure that no terror group will even enter the region.
“We are doing our best to monitor everything especially in the southern part to ensure that all threat groups will not able to enter Eastern Visayas,” the police regional director said.
The ports in southern part of the region including Ormoc City has a link to Mindanao and Cebu that can be used by unscrupulous people, to include terror group.
“So we monitor these areas to ensure that all threat groups would not spread chaos in the region. If there is violation of law, then we take precautionary measures so that we will not be caught off guard of their presence,” Carlos said.
But Carlos said that they could only do much reason they still need the help and cooperation of the public.
“If they see suspicious people in their area, they should immediately report it to the police station so that we can monitor these people,” Carlos said.
On Thursday (November 22), a joint forces from the 802nd Brigade, the PNP and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group killed Joseph Anulga, alias Dawud, which military believed was linked to Dawlah Islamiya, in a buy-bust operation.
Report from the authorities said that Anulga was involved in gun running activities and tried to recruit local residents of Ormoc to convert into Islam.
The military also linked Anulga to Yusof Macuto, the main suspect in a foiled bombing try at the US Embassy in 2016 and the Hilongos, Leyte, bombing incident on December 28,2016 that injured more than 30 people, some of them were children.
Meanwhile, two men were killed and two others were injured when a bomb exploded in Barangay Bubulosan, Laoang, Northern Samar, also on Thursday.
The victims were identified as Ome Inocentes and Gaga Solana, both from San Antonio, Northern Samar while injured were Junjun Donato and Nilo Cuanico.
Initial report from PNP Laoang said that the explosion happened in a house rented by a certain Dario Ayes, said to be a former policeman.
The house was allegedly used by them in making improvised explosive devices.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Chief Supt. Carlos says EV remains peaceful amid killing of a Muslim militant in Ormoc City
‘Yolanda’ memories and hopes
At 47, Elena Abayan, felt there was no more chance to get a share and enjoy a bit of life’s little comforts. She works all day responding to neighbors’ calls for errands, from cooking to house cleaning and doing the dirty clothes in their laundry.
She would get a measly P500by the end of the day, good enough to buy her family’s food and children’s school needs.
This was Abayan’s routine, so toxic and exhausting who is unfortunate to have a lazy husband.
But being the economist for her children, she neglected her weary flesh and thoughts bearing in mind the future of her children, whom she aspired to achieve a better life than hers.
She continued the daily reeling for the precious day’s income. She also bore the suffering of sharing a small house with her husband’s family until super typhoon “Yolanda” struck with its storm surge gulping their house instantly.
Fortunately, the rushing water inland and outland did not grab any of the kids from her sight until the flood subsided. They all survived.
It was five years ago. Now, Elena opts to send those sad memories with the gushing of Yolanda waters toward the higher seas, and choose instead to thank the blessings she and her children have received from generous people and organizations.
As she reflects, Yolanda was both good and bad.
While the disaster wrecked many a people’s lives, it is the same calamity that gave her a “blessing in disguise”.
Being a beneficiary of the government’s housing program she now owns a unit she calls home to her family. It is located in a resettlement area to the north of the citywhere other victims of the disaster have likewise found their permanent place to live.
The area is far from the noisy city streetsbut Abaya and the rest of her neighbors feel there is better security and opportunity to live a peaceful and more comfortable placethat is still surrounded with hills and abounding lush green forest, giving them a fresh morning breeze.
“Even if we are new in our place, and even if my source of income is far from our place, for me, I consider our small community a peaceful and safe place to live in,” she said.
“I know our place will ultimately become progressive because I am sure we will be taken cared of by the government under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte who is determined to help poor people like us,” Abaya added.
She still continues to work for her family as her source of income, but she can now concentrate better on her job even as she leaves behind her children for work knowing they are in a better and secured home.
The Yolanda survivorremains hopeful for a continued improvement of their lives with other victims, through government interventions. She believes and fully trusts in the integrity of government’s effort for the less privilege few.
November 8 for her is not only a day to recall the catastrophe and sufferingsbut also a day to celebrate for the resilience of the people and above all, a day to thank the Almighty for the extension of life, a life more resilient and full of hope.
‘Though it is painful for me to remember the date because I also have relatives and friends who perished during the typhoon, we also have to accept the reality and be hopeful in order to have a peaceful and bright future,” Abaya said.
”The sad experience on Yolanda will never be forgottenbut we also have to appreciate the positive aspect it has brought to us. Let us bear in mind that the government is always ready to help us, most especially our God, the Almighty,” she added, reminding other disaster survivors who keep on whining and complaining of their situation despite being provided with assistance from the government.
Abaya was among those who witnessed the activities of relative to the fifth Yolanda Commemorative Anniversary held last November 8 at the Tacloban City Astrodomewhere a series of activities were conducted such as wreath-laying in honor of the departed victims of the super typhoon, followed by a commemorative program and candle-lighting ceremony.
The commemorative activities were not only held in Tacloban City, but also in some parts of the region, especially in areas most hit by the disaster. (GTT/PIA-Leyte)
Barangay information officers in Maasin City undergo writeshop training
MAASIN CITY- Designated information officers in their respective barangays gathered on Thursday, Nov. 15, for a communicators writeshop/training under the E-Power Mo campaign of the Department of Energy (DOE).
The city has 70 barangays, and each barangay sent a kagawad or the punong barangay himself to be the barangay information officer (BIO)while some personnel for city offices were also present to represent their heads.
Invited speakers were from the Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (Soleco), who were tapped in behalf of the DOE.
In the morning, several topics were thoroughly discussed by the Soleco personnel, including power-saving tips, know-your-cooperative, and patronage credit, among others, while some technical matters were also raised during the open forum.
BIOs then went on a writeshop in the afternoonso they can practice writing news stories about developments that happened in their barangays, or from the topics Soleco personnel earlier discussed.
This was the second gathering of information officers of the city. The first was held last monthin which they were taught on writing a one-sentence news lead.
This time they were taught basic tips other than lead sentence or paragraph, such as the support lead, details, and backgrounder, to complete a five or six-sentence news story, in a one sentence, one paragraph format.
(LDL/MMP/PIA8-Southern Leyte)
Generation Amazing Festival/Sama Sama Games 2018
On 6-9th December 2018, the province of Cebu will host the Generation Amazing National Festival/Sama-Sama Games, a sports and education festival bringing together over 600 children and youth from across the Philippines.
Through play, they will advocate for greater inclusivity and opportunity for all. The festival is powered by Generation Amazing, a football-focused corporate social development programme of the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, Qatar’s delivery and legacy authority for the 2022 FIFA World Cup™.
The festival, organized and hosted by FundLife, a locally-based organization founded after Typhoon Yolanda, and working with its local Cebu-based partner, Giuseppe Football Club, carries the theme “We are all ONE” – using sport as a level playing field to bring together youth from both the underserved and the more advantageous communities, uniting them through dignity and equality.
“Sport and football in particular, is incredibly powerful at bringing polarized youth together and empowering them to dream big. We’re excited about bring this festival to the province of Cebu, where educational access can lead to legitimate employment opportunities for so many young people,” Marko Kasic, FundLife Founder and managing director, says.
To promote gender equality and increase community participation, there will be 9 different categories from Under 7’s to Under 18’s for the festival with over 250 female players taking part. Unlike traditional football tournaments, the Generation Amazing Festival/Sama Sama Games promotes equal opportunity through harmony, dignity and equality by having 36 trophies up for grabs for the 72 teams joining – increasing participation and opportunity for all players, regardless of skill.
The festival will also celebrate the launch of the Community Football Girls League to promote greater access to sport and education for girls living in at-risk communities.
The action kicks-off on the 6th of December with 24 young leaders from underserved communities in Manila, Davao and Tacloban, flying to Cebu for a two-day educational and training seminar before they join the 72-team Futsal tournament on the 9th of December. The festival concludes with a special performance from local community dance groups. (PR)
‘Samuel’ leaves 1 dead while over 11,000 families displace due to floods in Eastern and Northern Samar provinces
TACLOBAN CITY — A 23-year-old man was drowned and 11,700 families were displaced when tropical depression “Samuel” dumped heavy rain and flooded 12 towns in Northern Samar and Eastern Samar on Wednesday(Nov.22).
Rescuers found the body of Ronel Quibal floating on the river at Barangay Magsaysay in Palapag town, Northern Samar, around 1:20 pm, about 21 hours after he was reported missing.
Quibal was swept by strong current while crossing the rampaging river aboard a motorcycle in Barangay Paysud, Palapag.
Seven towns in Northern Samar, including Palapag, were flooded, affecting 1,319 families, or 17,779 people, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office which is headed by Rei Josiah Echano.
The other towns were Mapanas, Pambujan, San Roque, Gamay, Lope de Vega and San Isidro.
The evacuees sought refuge in public schools and barangay halls that were on high and safe ground.
There were landslides in Barangay Mirador, Mondragon town and Barangays Nipa and Maragano in Palapag but no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
In Eastern Samar, 10,398 families, or 40,601 people, fled rising waters in the towns of Oras, Arteche, Guiuan, San Julian and Sulat.
As many as 4,488 families, most of them living near riverbanks, were affected by the flood, said Mayor Vivienne Alvarez.
Many started heading home when the water subsided hours later.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Mayoralty candidate survives slay try
In Samar
(Photo: Aran Boller Facebook)
TACLOBAN CITY- A former mayor of a Samar town who is running in next year’s elections survived an attempt to his life.
Aran Boller, who served as mayor of Matuguinao town after then mayor Celso dela Cruz, an uncle, was killed in an ambush in 2009, was hit at his right hand from the bullet coming from one of the three suspects in Barangay San Francisco, a commercial area in Catbalogan City, Samar, at about 6:45 pm Sunday(Nov.18).
Boller was immediately brought to an undisclosed hospital in Catbalogan City, 52 kms away from Matuguinao, reports reaching the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) based in Palo, Leyte, said.
Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos,police regional director, has ordered for a full investigation on the incident.
“We are looking for a possible motive of this crime and rest assured that PRO-8 will double its efforts in chasing the perpetrators,” Carlos, in an statement, said.
The 42-year old Boller, who maintains a house in Catbalogan City, is running for mayor in Matuguinao in next year’s election.
His opponent is his cousin, incumbent Vice Mayor Carmel dela Cruz whose sister, Melissa, the current mayor is her running-mate for the 2019 midterm polls.
Melissa defeated Boller during the 2016 elections.
With this incident, the police force in Matuguinao is in full alert, said its town police chief Inspector Joel Merino.
“We have put up checkpoints in strategic locations to ensure that no untoward incident would happen here. He has his own supporters, you know. But so far, it’s peaceful here in Matuguinao,” Merino, in a mobile phone interview, said.
The town of Matuguinao is considered as among the hot spot areas in Samar during elections time due to presence of so-called private army and members of the New People’s Army and hotly-contested elections.
Last October 8, another former mayor in Samar and is running for vice mayor in next year’s balloting, Ananias Rebato of San Jose de Buan town, was ambushed. He died six days later while being confined at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City.
Members of the New People’s Army claimed responsibility on the killing of Rebato.
By: Joey A. Gabieta