TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Interior and Local Government(DILG) and the Philippine National Police(PNP) in the region are to campaign for the elimination of illegal drugs and criminal activities.
The ambitious campaign, dubbed as Mamamayang Ayaw Sa Anomalya – Mamamayang Ayaw Sa Illegal na Droga (Masa-Masid), aim to end proliferation of illegal drugs and existence of criminal acts by December this year.
Marivel Sacendoncillo, officer-in-charge of the DILG-8, said that she and Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar, police regional director, will still discuss exactly how they will implement the campaign for them to hit their target.
Masa-Masid is a community mobilization program that will assist government agencies in the campaign against illegal drugs, criminality and corruption.
“Community members will help in gathering information of the security agency but the most important way how they can help is in assisting those who are into illegal drugs to recover,” Sacendoncillo said.
Sacendoncillo added that success of government program like the campaign against illegal drugs need participation and help from the community especially the family.
“Whether you like it or not, the community, primarily the family, is the most affected. That is why we need to strengthen our family to ensure that no member will be involved in the illegal drug use and if there is, they should be the first one to initiate the action to help their family members who are addicted to illegal drugs,” Sacendoncillo added.
In the region, all of its 4,390 villages will be involved in the campaign.
And out of this number, 839 are drug-affected representing 19 percent of all the villages in the region based on the report that Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.
Of the affected villages, 361 are in Leyte; 219 in Southern Leyte; 75 in Samar; 74 in Eastern Samar; 59 in Northern Samar and 51 in Biliran. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Institutionalizing the government-run sports program at the Leyte Sports Academy (LSA) is seen as a solution to make the program last.
Leyte Vice Governor Carlo Loreto said that the provincial board is already readying an ordinance institutionalizing the six year program which was started during the administration of former governor Carlos Jericho Petilla aimed at developing a comprehensive sports program for Leyte’s aspiring athletes.
It was earlier reported that LSA’s operation this year is facing a budgetary problem after the Commission on Audit disallowed the provincial government to use budget under Special Education Fund for sports development.
The fund supports all the necessary equipment, accommodation and lodgings, trainors and coaches of the sports scholars under the program. They are likewise enrolled in academic training.
Loreto admitted that the program’s operations is very expensive for which the province spends P 1.5 million to P2 million annually.
However, Loreto said that with the world-class performance and achievements the LSA athletes have given the province in national and international competitions, the program should continue.
During the regular session on September 6, members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved a supplemental budget to support LSA operations for the remaining part of the year.
“By the next session, we are working to bring to the floor the ordinance institutionalizing the program,” Loreto said.
During the 6th founding anniversary of LSA last month, Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla advanced the idea of expanding the program to include athletes from other parts of the region.
From athletics, swimming and boxing when it opened in 2010, LSA now also offers scholarships in powerlifting, wrestling, taekwondo and wushu.
LSA currently has 120 sports scholars.
LSA-bred 16-year old Rowella Abrea of Matag-ob, Leyte is the latest addition of world-class athletes produced under the program.
Abrea recently won two medals at the World Powerlifting Championship in Warsaw, Poland. She won a silver in the deadlift category and a bronze in the bench press category in a competition participated by other countries such as USA, Russia, Japan, Ukraine and Poland.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY- Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar said that drug money has apparently been used by those in the illegal drug business to provide them protection.
Beltejar was reacting to the revelation of embattled Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. who tagged 72 personalities as their alleged protectors of their illegal drug activity in the region.
Espinosa had earlier executed an affidavit wherein he named his alleged protectors.
The Albuera mayor together with his son Kerwin is considered as the region’s top drug lords.
In his affidavit, Espinosa allegedly named four police generals, two police senior superintendents, five police superintendents, eight police senior inspector, three police chief inspector, one director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, three personnel from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, three Army officers and 15 police non-commissioned officers.
Espinosa also named a governor, a vice governor, four mayors, two vice mayors, six board members, a retired associate justice secretary, two barangay officials, two lawyers and three members of the media as under their payroll.
Beltejar said that if this will be proven true, they will not condone their acts as appropriate charges will be filed against them.
“Such behavior will not be tolerated and we’ll take every possible measure to ensure that they face appropriate charges in court,” the police regional director said.
Meantime, Beltejar said that he had issued an order to all his personnel to be always on alert and take precautionary measures as they continue on their crackdown on the illegal drugs activity.
“We always presume na syempre galit sila sa amin, so we need to be vigilant and to be very security conscious,’ Beltejar said. (JAZMIN BONIFACIO)

CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, CAMPETIC, Palo, Leyte- A barangay leader and an alleged drug pusher were killed by armed men in this city in separate incidents.
Killed were Estrella Olyado, 53 and barangay chairwoman of Brgy.Guinbaoyan Norte and Leonardo Garalza, 37, said to be a drug pusher.
Olyado was on board a motorcycle together with her son, Ismael, 30, and husband Esmeraldo, when suspects appeared and shot them repeatedly.
Olyado and son died on the spot while Esmeraldo managed to run away during the September 6 incident that took place around 8 in the morning in Brgy. Guinbaoyan Norte.
The three suspects, one was identified as Rogelio Salvame, fled after carting away P80,000 cash from the victims.
One Erika Rollo, who was texting along the street, was hit by a stray bullet in her leg and was immediately brought to Calbayog District Hospital for medical treatment.
Recovered from the crime scene were 32 pieces fired cartridges; six pieces deformed slugs and two pieces live ammunition for 45 Caliber pistol.
Meantime, Garalza was also shot by two unidentified suspects at about 4:45 pm. last Wednesday (Sept.70 2016, at Brgy. East Awang of the same city.
Initial investigation disclosed that the victim was on his way home riding a motorcycle when the suspects appeared and shot him several times.
Garalza sustained multiple gunshot wounds on his body which resulted to his instantaneous death and was brought to Junjun Funeral Home for post mortem examination.
Recovered from the crime scene were nine pieces fired cartridges for 45 Cal. pistol and a piece of card board with writings “Wag tularan, pusher ako.”
The elements of Calbayog CPS, Samar PPO are conducting hot pursuit operation for the arrest of the suspects. (PR)