PALO, Leyte- Police in the region have arrested seven most wanted persons and 201 other offenders, including 16 illegal drug personalities and 94 illegal fishers, during a 12-day simultaneous operations from June 19-30, 2019.
This was reported by Brigadier General Dionardo Carlos, police regional director.
“We are doing our best to keep Eastern Visayas a safe and secure place,” he said in a statement.
Leyte Police Provincial Office nabbed four most wanted persons for the crimes of rape; attempted murder; and violation of P.D. 449 or “Cockfighting Law.”
Another 49 wanted persons were also arrested in the province.
Southern Leyte police arrested one most wanted person for the crime of rape and 9 other wanted persons for various crimes.
At least one most wanted person and 11 other wanted persons were nabbed in Eastern Samar.
Northern Samar Police Provincial Office nabbed one for murder and 12 other wanted persons for the crimes of attempted homicide; frustrated murder; grave oral defamation; statutory rape; murder; and other violations.
In Samar, police arrested seven wanted persons facing the crimes of rape, estafa, attempted theft, statutory rape, reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and serious physical injuries, for violation of RA 8550.
Four wanted persons were caught in Biliran, six in Tacloban City, and two in Ormoc City.
During the 12-day operations, police confiscated 89 pieces of heat-sealed plastic sachets suspected as “shabu” and a total of P8,000 marked money from 16 alleged illegal drug personalities.
A total of 94 illegal fishers were also arrested.
Confiscated from them were assorted fishes and fishing paraphernalia amounting to P5, 864,260. (RONALD O. REYES)
E. Visayas cops nab 7 most wanted, 210 other offenders in 12-day simultaneous ops
All set for San Juanico Bridge light and sound project
TACLOBAN CITY- The San Juanico Bridge light and sound project will finally start soon, after over a year of extensive review of technical details by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).
Officials had set July 26 for the groundbreaking of the much-awaited project, the Department of Tourism (DOT) regional office here confirmed.
Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said works on illuminating the bridge is expected to be completed by December.
“This project is a tool to attract tourists to come to our place. If we have many tourists, it becomes an opportunity for people to invest in restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, and create new tourism activities,” Tiopes told reporters.
The P80-million bridge lighting project, funded by the TIEZA, has been delayed due to lengthy technical review and 2019 election ban for government infrastructure work, Tiopes said.
It will use light-emitting diodes, one of today’s most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technologies.
It was proposed that there would be a 10-minute light show for six times nightly that may include water, light, and laser aspects. Every night, there would be six-hour park mode or static mode lights with the subtle movement of lights.
Just like other shows, its colors will be in support of various events throughout the year, the lighting will also be programmed to celebrate special occasions.
Last year, then-Samar governor Sharee Ann Tan shared the idea of illuminating the iconic bridge to then-Tacloban City mayor Cristina Romualdez, Regional Development Council chairperson, in an effort to add vibrancy and interest to night-time tourism.
At present, tourists can enjoy daytime activities at the San Juanico Bridge through the tour packages offered by a private operator, Aqua Momentum.
The bridge’s transformation would be a new attraction under the Spark Samar, a branding campaign initially launched in 2015.
Once called the Marcos Bridge, the San Juanico Bridge was built in August 1969 over the San Juanico Strait, the narrowest navigational strait in the world that separates Samar and Leyte Islands, and was completed in December 1972.
The bridge that spans 2.162-kilometer was built as part of the Pan-Philippine Highway now called the Maharlika Highway, a network of roads, bridges, and sea routes that connect the islands of Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao.(ROEL T. AMAZONA with PNA)
E. Visayas cops nab 7 most wanted, 210 other offenders in 12-day simultaneous ops
PALO, Leyte- Police in the region have arrested seven most wanted persons and 201 other offenders, including 16 illegal drug personalities and 94 illegal fishers, during a 12-day simultaneous operations from June 19-30, 2019.
This was reported by Brigadier General Dionardo Carlos, police regional director.
“We are doing our best to keep Eastern Visayas a safe and secure place,” he said in a statement.
Leyte Police Provincial Office nabbed four most wanted persons for the crimes of rape; attempted murder; and violation of P.D. 449 or “Cockfighting Law.”
Another 49 wanted persons were also arrested in the province.
Southern Leyte police arrested one most wanted person for the crime of rape and 9 other wanted persons for various crimes.
At least one most wanted person and 11 other wanted persons were nabbed in Eastern Samar.
Northern Samar Police Provincial Office nabbed one for murder and 12 other wanted persons for the crimes of attempted homicide; frustrated murder; grave oral defamation; statutory rape; murder; and other violations.
In Samar, police arrested seven wanted persons facing the crimes of rape, estafa, attempted theft, statutory rape, reckless imprudence resulting in homicide and serious physical injuries, for violation of RA 8550.
Four wanted persons were caught in Biliran, six in Tacloban City, and two in Ormoc City.
During the 12-day operations, police confiscated 89 pieces of heat-sealed plastic sachets suspected as “shabu” and a total of P8,000 marked money from 16 alleged illegal drug personalities.
A total of 94 illegal fishers were also arrested.
Confiscated from them were assorted fishes and fishing paraphernalia amounting to P5, 864,260. (RONALD O. REYES)
Leyte SP defers appointments of two officials as they were directed to first appear before the body
TACLOBAN CITY – The appointments of two former Leyte mayors as provincial legal officer and provincial health officer were deferred by the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
The deferment on the appointments of Alden Avestruz as provincial legal officer and Dr. Lesmes Lumin as provincial health officer III was motioned by Board Member Trinidad Apostol during their regular session last week.
Apostol said that while she personally knew the two former mayors, she would still prefer to see them appear before the members of the provincial board before she agreed for their appointments be approved.
“I don’t have objection to their appointments but I would like first to see these people who are to be appointed. In fact, I knew them but at least we should see them first,” Apostol, who chairs the committee on appointments, said.
Avestruz is a former mayor of Barugo while Lumen was once the mayor of Lapaz.
Meantime, the provincial board members approved on the re-appointment of lawyer Edgardo Cordeño as provincial administrator.
Avestruz, in a text message he sent to Board Member Gina Merilo, said that he will personally appear before the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on July 22.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Yaokasin hopeful for ‘united’ Tacloban city council
TACLOBAN City- Vice Mayor Jerry “Sambo” Yaokasin of this city remained hopeful of a “united” 14th Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP).
“I’m hoping that we will be able to rise above and beyond our political differences,” Yaokasin told Leyte Samar Daily Express.
Six councilors, Leo Bahin, Steve Brian Granados, Dalisay Erpe, Evangeline Esperas, Aimee Grafil and Dr. Elvira Casal are considered to be allies of Mayor Alfred Romualdez while Councilors Jose Mari Bagulaya, Edmund Edward Chua, Rachelle Erica Pineda, Nikki Chua as well as Sangguniang Kabataan city federation president Thomas Diaz and Association of Barangay Chairmen president Eden Chua Pineda are considered to be members of the opposition in the city council.
In his inaugural speech, Yaokasin said: “Let us act like true leaders of Tacloban: servants, not spectators; contributors, not critics; doers, not destroyers. As we begin the work of leading and serving our city, may these principles bind us together and guide us in this august body: mutual regard for one another; genuine humility of spirit; respect for each other’s views; a willingness to work hard and work together for the common good.”
Meanwhile, a “movement for pro-people change” in Tacloban challenged the new officials and adopt what they called their 12-point people’s agenda.
‘Gios Taclobanon Kita an Pagbabag-o’ along with progressive group Bayan Eastern Visayas formally submitted their demands to the new set of city councilors on July 5 after lobbying their agenda to council during the July 3 inaugural session.
In its 12-point agenda, Gios Taclobanon Kita an Pagbabag-o urged the new city officials to “release a moratorium for all the demolition cases within the city, to distribute land title and ownership to Yolanda housing beneficiaries, to halt the jeepney phase-out scheme so as to review the anti-MCH (motorcab for hire) drivers and commuters scheme, release immediate aid for the agriculture sector, repeal the existing comprehensive land-use plan and provide the marginalized sector in Tacloban City a bigger voice in the decision-making and formulation of laws and rules in the city.”
The groups challenged the council to listen to their demands and push for a pro-people legislation.
Yaokasin admitted that “there is still so much to be done to uplift the lives of our fellow Taclobanons,” following the 2013 super typhoon Yolanda that devastated the city.
Six years after Yolanda, survivors at the northern resettlement sites have complained of the lack of water supply, electricity, livelihood support, and “substandard” housing. (RONALD O. REYES)
Leyte launches automated system for teachers’ notices of step increment
GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte- Teachers and personnel from the Department of Education (DepEd) in Leyte Division will no longer need to submit documents after every three years of service for the increments in their salary following the automation system of their Notices of Step Increment (NOSI).
Jose Mariano Barril Jr, human resource management officer, said the division through the leadership of Superintendent Ronelo Al Firmo started the automation system in June.
“It will be the personnel section who will automatically produce the said documents for its employees. The only thing that the employees will submit are the latest pay slips for the purposes of submission to the Regional Office so that said increments will be included in the payroll,” Barril said.
According to Barril, the move is part of harnessing the Personnel Section’s Project MIS DepEd Leyte (Management Information System for DepEd Leyte Division Employees) and their way of welcoming the teachers of Leyte for the new school year.
“Further, employees in DepEd Leyte should expect more innovations and improvements in the systems and processes of DepEd Leyte, more specifically in the Personnel Section in the coming months,” added Barril.
He said the division will also automate the service records of teachers “so that request can be online and teachers from as far as Matalom or Villaba no longer need to visit the office personally and spend for their transportation.”
While saying that their system is not the first in the country, he maintained that for an “extra-large division” like Leyte, the task to automate “is quite daunting but we made strides to realize it.”
Also, the division is holding a regular induction program-cum-orientation for newly-hired teachers as an offshoot of the Teacher Orientation and Personnel Induction to the Career Service (T.O.P.I.C.S) program of the Personnel section in line with its banner project “Management Information System and other Integrated Services for DepEd Leyte Employees “ (Project: MISIS DepEd).
Meanwhile, applicants for teaching and promotion in the division continue to avail the “New Doors” or Nurturing Employees Welfare thru the Division’s Objective Open Ranking System, a breakthrough in hiring system in DepEd-Eastern Visayas region.
The open ranking system allows the applicants to see for themselves the evaluative assessment of their documents by different committees before they will undergo an interview and examination.
To maintain transparency, an applicant will be given an opportunity to see the rating which he or she garnered before confirming it.
Applicants who earned the required number of points will be included in the Registry of Qualified Applicants (RQA).
“Equal opportunity, fairness, objectivity, transparency and team work. All these capsulized in one significant innovation- New Doors. The passion and love of each committee member toward their services is very evident which made each aspirant to keep pushing and reach the end,” said Freddie Timon, a head teacher III applicant.
Institutionalized in July 2017, the New Doors was made possible through the initiative of Firmo, along with his Assistant Schools Division Superintendents Marilyn Siao and Edgar Tenasas and division personnel.
Leyte Division has over 17,000 teachers assigned in 40 towns in the province. (RONALD O. REYES)