ALBUERA, Leyte-Operatives of the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) here arrested a drug peddler in a sting operation in sitio Canlalin, Barangay Poblacion here on Jan. 20.
Town police chief, Major Miguelito Bocade, who led the operation, identified the suspect as Adrian Makabenta, 48, married, and listed as a street level individual in the drugs list of the local police station.
Recovered from the suspect was one sachet containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu which was procured by an operative in the amount of P500.
During the conduct of a body search, police recovered one coin purse that yielded six more sachets containing white crystalline substances suspected to be shabu with an estimated street value of P3,000.
Charges of violations of RA 9165, or the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Drugs of 2002, were filed by the local police against the arrested suspect who is temporarily detained at the locked-up cell of the local police. (ROBERT DEJON)
Ormoc City – Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Leyte 4th District Engineering Office (DEO) completes the Rehabilitation of Spillway in Brgy. Can-untog, Ormoc City with a total allocation of Php 38,599,979.26 under the Quick Response Fund of the Department.
Before the rehabilitation of the 286.2 square meter and 30 lineal meter long spillway, residents from the area experienced extreme difficulty in going through Brgy. Quezon Jr., an upland barangay of Ormoc City, due to massive overflow of rampaging floodwater at the existing spillway.
With its completion, flood overflow has been mitigated, thus, providing better accessibility and mobility between neighboring barangays which significantly improve the travel efficiency of residents and farmers during rainy season. Further, making it easier to transport farm products to and from the city center, flourishing the economic status of the area. (PR)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) downloaded P1.5-Million to the local government unit (LGU) of Palo in the province of Leyte for the establishment of a greenhouse that will be managed by an agrarian reform beneficiaries organization (ARBO).
DAR Eastern Visayas chief of the Program Beneficiaries Development Division (PBDD), Melecia Ong, disclosed that the said amount is taken from the Agrarian Reform Fund (ARF) for the implementation of the Sustainable and Resilient Agrarian Reform Communities (SuRe ARCs) program.
Assistant Regional Director Ismael Aya-ay of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Eastern Visayas, representing Regional Director Robert Anthony Yu, and Mayor Remedios Petilla sign a memorandum of agreement for the implementation of DAR’s Sustainable and Resilient Agrarian Reform Communities (SuRe ARCs) program in the municipality of Palo. (JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA)
She further disclosed that the SANAG (San Agustin) Rice Farmers and Livelihood Association, a DAR-assisted farmer organization within the Palo Agrarian Reform Community (ARC), was pre-selected to be the recipient of the greenhouse to help them expand their livelihood activities and generate more income by undertaking the enterprise-based crop nursery project, which is in line with the food security program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the nine primary goals of Agrarian Reform Secretary Connrado Estrella III, particularly in the provision of modern farm equipment to agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).
Ong added that the strong support of Mayor Remedios Petilla made this municipality qualify for the said project.
The collaboration between DAR and the Palo LGU was sealed towards the end of December last year when DAR Eastern Visayas Assistant Regional Director for Administration and Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Development Sustainability Program, Ismael Aya-ay, representing Regional Director Robert Anthony Yu, and Petilla signed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the implementation of the said project.
The LGU will take the lead in the implementation of this project including the engagement and procurement of goods and items.
Petilla, expressed her appreciation and thanks to DAR for choosing her municipality as the recipient of the said project.
According to her, DAR is very receptive. She assured DAR officials and other national agencies of the LGU’s support to any agricultural projects.
“We hope we can put our hearts and minds together to really come up with good agricultural production areas in the province of Leyte, especially in the first district,” Petilla added.
Aside from the benefits the recipient ARBO will get, this project will provide the farmers in the locality access to quality seeds and seedlings and ensure the production of improved crop varieties and better quality of plant materials.
Aya-ay and Petilla likewise talked of intensifying production of herbs and flowers which are also in demand in the markets. (JOSE ALMSITH L. SORIA/PR)
TACLOBAN CITY– Two fishermen were rescued after their motorboat was capsized off the waters of Libagon, Southern Leyte on Saturday early morning.
Rescued were Elajo Encluna,64, and Paul Bayron,61, both residents of Barangay Tigbao of the said town, whose motorboat capsized off the waters due to the heavy rains and big winds, the Coast Guard based in Maasin City, also in Southern Leyte, said.
The fishermen left their village on Friday at 11 pm but encountered the bad weather Saturday at about 2 am, the Coast Guard added.
The report added that the two fishermen tried to paddle their motorboat and drifted, reaching the coast of Brgy. Ilag, also in the same town.
Fortunately, the two were sighted by a passing motorboat which immediately sought for assistance from the local police and Coast Guard. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
ORMOC CITY– A member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu) was shot dead by a village official in Calbayog City on Saturday (Jan. 21).
Reports reaching the regional Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters based in Palo, Leyte, disclosed that the victim, Crisanto Domayan, 57, was shot dead by Noli Sameniano in P-5 Barangay Himalandrog, a remote village in Calbayog City at about 6:40 am.
Report said that the victim armed with bolo locally known as “sundang,” tucked in his waist, and with a homemade shotgun locally known as “Doble Zero” had gone berserk and roamed the village, challenging anyone for a fight.
He then proceeded to the house of Sameniano, who at that time, was attending to the wake of his wife.
Sameniano got an unknown firearm and shot the victim several times which caused his immediate death.
Police operatives are now conducting a manhunt operation against Sameniano who fled after the incident. (ROBERT DEJON)
ORMOC CITY-A septuagenarian woman who was living alone in her house was killed after a fire consumed her house in Barangay San Gabriel, Borongan City on Saturday (Jan.21).
Investigation conducted by the local police disclosed that the victim, identified as Josefina Arre and suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
The police said that the 1:10 am fire spread as the house was made of light materials. The fire, however, did not affect other houses as the fire personnel with the help of the residents arrived on time.
The fire was declared out at around 01:40 am.
During clearing operations, the local fire bureau found the charred body of the victim under several debris. (ROBERT DEJON)
