MAASIN CITY– The province of Southern Leyte has sustained its drug-cleared status since it was pronounced by the regional oversight committee on April 17, 2018, according to Eduardo Makabenta, provincial head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

Speaking as guest during the radio program Kapihan sa PIA live over DYDM on Friday, January 13, Makabenta reported that during the assessment of the various anti-drug abuse councils last year covering the year 2021, 13 out of 19 local government units in the province garnered 100 points hence they were awarded in ceremonies organized by DILG in Manila in December last year.

These included the municipalities of Anahawan, Hinunangan, Hinundayan, Libagon, Liloan, Macrohon, Malitbog, Padre Burgos, San Francisco, San Ricardo, Silago, Sogod, and Tomas Oppus.

Makabenta expressed confidence more LGUs will be cited this year for the 2022 assessment, since all the 500 barangays in the province have maintained their drug-cleared status, and that they had undergone community-based anti-illegal drug advocacy and drug-free workplace program orientation in 252 barangays.

In addition, some 121 individuals have been trained last year for the multi-sectoral training of trainers (TOT) and they were the ones, working by team of at least 12 persons, who conducted and will continue to conduct information drive on the evils of illegal drugs down to the barangays, Makabenta shared.

He added that these TOTs were already done in eight (8) LGUs last year, in Anahawan, Hinunangan, Bontoc, Pintuyan, Sogod, Tomas Oppus, Padre Burgos, and the city of Maasin, and this year, more LGUs have signified their intention to organize TOTs in their localities.
Makabenta clarified that a drug-free status did not mean the place has been rid of illegal drugs, for it means the supply and demand of the vice was regularly checked.

In fact, since the drug-cleared declaration in 2018, PDEA and police elements had conducted a total of 260 drug-related buy-bust operations which resulted to 14 incidents of suspects being neutralized, Makabenta reported. (LDL/MMP/PIA Southern Leyte)

As experienced by the Jipapad station submerged with flood waters

TACLOBAN CITY – Hazard-prone municipal police stations need to be relocated to higher or safer areas, thus said Police Regional Office Director Brigadier General Rommel Francisco Marbil.

Marbil made this statement after he visited the police station in Jipapad, Eastern Samar where flood water reached up to the second floor of the three-story building when the town experienced massive flooding early this month.

The policemen, including the four individuals who are inside the custodial facility, had to be evacuated to third floor of the facility.

Hearing this problem, PBGen Marbil said that they will now include in the assessment whenever there are donation of lot for a PNP facility if the location is safe from any type of hazard.

“Ang donation po ng lupa, tinatanggap po natin ito basta safe sa New People’s Army okay na tayo, pero hindi po natin kasama yung calamity,” he said.

“Now it will be part of system natin.It will be part ng proseso natin na pagka may nagdonate sa pagpagawa ng building kasama na dapat sa checklist na hindi lang dapat NPA-free, dapat calamity-free rin po,” the police regional director added.

During the flooding this month, four of the police personnel and two civilian personnel of the police station who are residents of Jipapad were badly affected by the flooding after their houses were submerged to flood waters.

Marbil personally gave them food assistance and cash assistance worth P10,000 which they can use to repair their houses.

Marbil also promised the Jipapad police a new service vehicle.

After visiting, Jipapad, Marbil also visited Taft municipality to lead in the inauguration of the new police station located next to the municipal town building.

The said facility was built at a cost of P6 million which started on February of last year.
“Isa po sa mga pangarap ng mga police is for us to have a permanent place kasi kung mayroon lugar na kagaya nito permanent, we can give more services. Yung lang naman po ang kailangan ng mga police natin para umaksyon, sabi nga nila, ang police pag umaksyon, napakabilis,” Marbil added.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY– The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Leyte Chapter has condemned a shooting incident that wounded a lawyer and a court sheriff that transpired on Wednesday (Jan.25) while they were serving a court-issued writ of demolition.
The group said that they are seeking that justice be served to both lawyer Alexander Lacaba,60, and court sheriff Adolfo Petilla,59.

Both are still recuperating at the hospital due to the gunshot wounds they sustained.
“The Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Leyte Chapter strongly condemns this unlawful and vicious act of disrupting a sacred judicial process thru use of violence,” the group said on its open letter.

“The chilling effect of this incident to the members of the legal profession will certainly be felt for quite a while. But we will not cower in fair,” the IBP-Leyte chapter added on its statement.

The group called on authorities to act on this issue ‘swiftly’ otherwise, this could establish a negative precedence for future litigants.

“Lawyers and court officers are only doing their jobs. Getting shot or injured while doing so should never come along with the peaceful administration of justice,” it stressed.

Both Lacaba and Petilla, joined by some police personnel from Palo, were in Barangay Cavite West to serve a writ of demolition of a house.

However, the suspect, Conrado Boren, Sr.,67, suddenly appeared and fired toward the group, hitting Lacaba on his foot and Petilla who sustained a bullet wound on his spine.
Boren, who is incidentally assisted by the Public Attorney’s Office, was charged with two counts of attempted murder and is now detained at the Palo lock-up facility.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

MANILA—On January 13, the United States government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), inaugurated a hearing test center in Batangas City as part of a P112 million ($2.05 million) program to improve access to education for children with vision and hearing disabilities.

USAID Mission Director Ryan Washburn and Batangas Governor Hermilando Mandanas led the inauguration of the center, which houses an audiometer and hearing test devices donated by the U.S. government.

Director Washburn also visited the Inclusive Education Community Resource Center (IECRC) in Batangas City East Elementary School where he turned over Filipino Sign Language storybooks to Department of Education (DepEd) officials. The IECRC houses U.S.-donated braille embossers and other assistive devices used by teachers to produce learning materials for young students with visual and hearing impairments.

These facilities are part of USAID’s four-year, P112 million ($2.05 million) Gabay project, which aims to increase the access of blind, deaf, and deafblind children to quality education. Implemented in partnership with DepEd and Resources for Blind, Inc., Gabay works with local governments in the provinces of Batangas, Sorsogon, and Southern Leyte to identify children from kindergarten to grade three with vision and hearing impairments and to provide them with literacy support early in their educational journey.

“USAID is deeply committed to the inclusion of people who have vision and hearing disabilities and those who advocate and offer services on behalf of people with disabilities.

This commitment extends from the design to the implementation of our programs that advocate for people with disabilities,” said Mission Director Washburn. “The U.S.

Government remains your enduring friend, partner, and ally as you charter a path toward inclusive and resilient growth for all Batangueños.”

“This is a symbol of us being able to hear the needs of the people and this could be a motivation for us being able to see the need to contribute in the society,” Governor Mandanas said. “We should work together with sincere commitment in improving the welfare of these children and persons with disability.”

Since 2019, U.S. assistance through Gabay has strengthened education access for people with disabilities in the three target provinces by nearly tripling the enrollment of deaf and blind children from 135 students in 2019 to 395 students in 2022.

While in Batangas City, Mission Director Washburn also signed a memorandum of understanding with local government officials led by Mayor Beverley Dimacuha for the implementation of USAID’s Cities for Enhanced Governance and Engagement (CHANGE) Project. Through the five-year, P820 million ($15 million) project, USAID and Batangas City will collaborate to improve decentralization, enhance local government service delivery, and promote the effective engagement of civil society in governance. (PR)