CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte- Two days after his daring escape at the Northern Samar Provincial Jail, a prisoner was sent back to jail.
Arvino Ballesta, 24 and charged with robbery and theft, managed to escape at the provincial jail on January 2, reports reaching the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police(PNP), based here.
But during a manhunt operation by the police operatives of San Jose municipal police station, led by Senior Inspector Lloyd Lagrimas, the escapee was arrested at his village in Barangay Layuhan of said town at about 1:15 pm on January 4.
Ballesta was brought to San Jose municipal police station for proper disposition for eventual return to the provincial jail. (PR)
Jail escapee enjoys 2 days of liberty in Northern Samar
Group says term extension could lead to public outcry
President Duterte beyond 2022?
TACLOBAN CITY- The idea of extending the term of President Rodrigo Duterte beyond the constitutional limit could only result in a possible public outcry.
Thus said Joshua Sagdullas, spokesperson of Bayan- Sinirangan Bisayas, reacting to reports that some Congress leaders are toying the idea of extending the term of Mr. Duterte.
Mr. Duterte, under the Constitution, is only to serve for a single term which is good for six years. He is supposed to step down by 2022.
“This term extension is a by-product of the federalism which is being pushed (by his political allies). But this will only spark a public uprising. This will replicate what Marcos did who imposed martial law just so he could extend his term,” Sagdullas said.
Sagdullas claimed that extending the President’s term has no other purpose but to solidify his grip on power saying that there is a possibility that the scheduled 2019 barangay polls could be scrapped.
Thus, this could only ‘stifle grassroots mobilization effort’ of which their group has been doing in raising certain issues initiated by the government which they consider as anti-people.
Meanwhile, opposition lawmaker Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza dismissed the report as ‘highly speculative.’
“We have yet to discuss about conass (constituent assembly). Let’s wait for development,” Daza, reached on his phone, said.
Daza, who belongs to the Liberal Party, however, said that if ever this term extension would push through, he would oppose to it.
“I think, the terms of office of the President and congressmen as stipulated under our Constitution are enough. Let’s give others the chance to serve our people,” the veteran solon said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Floodings, less blast injury cases mark EV celebration
Welcoming 2018
TACLOBAN CITY- The New Year celebration in the region was marked by flooding incidents but was considered to be ‘generally peaceful’ with less number of people injured due to firecracker blasts.
Tropical storm ‘Agaton,’ the first weather disturbance to hit the country in 2018, struck the region resulting in flooding incidents, to include Tacloban City.
In Kawayan town, Biliran, 41 families consisting of 215 individuals were evacuated to an elementary school after their village, Tucdao, was hit by a massive flooding compounded further when its spillway was destroyed due to the heavy rains and floodwater spawned by Agaton.
The families were evacuated at a nearby Tucdao Elementary School to ensure their safety, town disaster risk reduction and management officer Jessie Victorioso said in a phone interview.
“There were families in other villages who reportedly abandoned their homes and sought shelters at their neighbors’ homes after their houses were affected by flooding,” the official added.
Agaton struck Biliran province as it is still reeling from the devastation caused by tropical storm ‘Urduja’ that lashed the region on December 16, 2017.
About 52 people were killed in Biliran due to landslide incidents.
There were also families in Tanauan and Palo, both in Leyte, that were evacuated after their villages were hit by flooding, said Arvin Monge, provincial disaster risk reduction, and management officer.
In Jipapad town, Eastern Samar, 55 families were also evacuated due to flooding, a report from the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) based in Borongan City.
More than 3,500 passengers from different seaports in the region were stranded as the Coast Guard implemented a ‘no sailing policy’ among sea crafts due to Agaton.
Meantime, the regional Department of Health (DOH-8) reported of 26 people who were injured during the New Year revelries.
Ching Juntilla, DOH-8 information officer, said that the number was considerably lower compared to the 2017 record of 93 cases.
“We can attribute this to our relentless campaign (against the use of illegal firecrackers) with the help of our police officers, Bureau of Fire and Protection, and other concerned government agencies,” Juntilla said.
Several local government units in the region have also identified their fireworks display zones like Tacloban City wherein the City Hall grounds was used for its firework display.
The inclement weather due to Agaton could also be a contributory factor as well as the full implementation of Executive Order Number 28 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte banning firecrackers like piccolo that pose danger to the public why there was a big drop of blast-injury cases, Juntilla said.
Of the 26 blast-injury cases, Northern Samar had the highest with 12 cases.
Chief Inspector Ma. Bella Rentuaya, information officer of the regional Philippine National Police (PNP), reported that there was no indiscriminate firing was monitored by them during the New Year’s revelries.
“It was generally peaceful (as) no indiscriminate or stray bullet incident (was reported),” Rentuaya said.
By: Joey Gabieta
9 Chinese nationals rescued off the waters of Northern Samar
Ship made emergency docking due to ‘Agaton’
CATARMAN, Northern Samar – Nine foreigners on board a Chinese-registered cargo vessel were rescued off the waters of Pambujan, this province, on Tuesday (January 2).
The cargo ship, Jin Ming No.16, was said to be on its way to Chile when it encountered heavy rains and strong winds spawned by tropical storm ‘Agaton,’ forcing it to have an emergency docking 300 meters away from the shorelines of Barangay Poblacion 2 of Pambujan.
The ship made a distress call which was received by the local police which immediately conducted its rescue operations at about 12:30 pm, said S/Supt. Felix Diloy, police provincial director.
The rescued passengers were identified as Hans Febie; Xu Xi; Yin Yui Q Jin; Lu Wei Long; Chen Xin Chuen; Lun Xi Long; Wunens Jin and Ho Sai Cheong.
One of the rescued Chinese nationals was not identified by Diloy as his name was written in Chinese.
Diloy said that the Pambujan police received a distress call from the Chinese registered cargo vessel which immediately conducted its rescue operation after assessing the safety of the waters.
Joining the six-hour rescue operation were members of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Philippine Coast Guard, Provincial Mobile Force Company 2nd Mobile Platoon and the Red Cross- Northern Samar chapter.
The rescued crew members were immediately brought to the rural health unit of Pambujan for a medical checkup and were made to stay at the residence of Mayor Felipe Sosing.
The Philippine Army’s 20th Civil Military Operations (CMO) Battalion reported that the ship was severely damaged.
“Said vessel sustained severe damage on its bottom portion which is the entry point of sea waters that gradually submerged the vessel in more or less 350-400 meters”, the report said.
Diloy said he has ordered a thorough investigation on the foreign ship and the rescued crew as it was possible that they are not ordinary fishermen.
He added that based on their interview to one of the crew member, the ship left China on December 12 going to Chile to buy some goods.
While on their way, their ship was battered by huge waves which resulted in the rupture of its hull and eventually the seawaters flooded the compartments and the engine room causing the engine to conk out.
Their ship drifted towards the municipal waters of Pambujan when the Coast Guard received a distress call from them.
The ship was loaded with 100 packs (cartons) of alcoholic beverages.
(RACHEL V. ARNAIZ)
P4 million worth of firecrackers, pyrotechnics seized from a Chinese businessman in Ormoc City
ORMOC CITY- Police authorities here seized prohibited firecrackers from a Chinese businessman worth P4 million on December 30.
James Sy, 28, however, immediately posted bail of P2,000 as he was charged for violations of Republic Act 7183 and Executive Order 28 issued by President Rodrigo Duterte, both edicts mandate for the regulation on the sale, distribution, and manufacture of firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices.
Sy was arrested during an operation conducted jointly by the members of the City Public Safety Company headed by Supt. Joel Camacho and Police Station 1 led by its chief Supt. Reynaldo Torlao on Dec.30.
The police were armed with two search warrants against Sy and a certain Juliana Co issued by Judge Carlos Arguelles, presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court based in Abuyog, Leyte.
Co, however, was not around when the police personnel conducted their raid at a cellular store owned by the suspects located along districts 5 and 7, this city.
Ormoc City Police Office Intelligence Division Chief Senior Insp. Ian Salvador Po said a surveillance against the suspects were earlier conducted which resulted in the discovery that they were in possession of banned firecrackers which they sold in volumes to their prospective clients.
Confiscated from the suspects were 217 boxes of various firecrackers and pyrotechnic devices with an estimated value of P4 million.
Sy, who could not speak the local dialect, did not give any comment.
Camacho said that not all items seized from the suspects were illegal. However, they were selling without the required permit. (ELVIE ROMAN-ROA)
DOH in EV says Dengvaxia is effective against dengue fever immunity
TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Health (DOH) here in the region debunked allegation that children who were vaccinated using the Dengvaxia could get severe dengue fever.
In fact, children who were vaccinated by Dengvaxia could get immunity from getting the ailment for the next 30 months, said regional health information officer John Paul Roca.
“We want to inform the public that Dengvaxia is beneficial if a child had a dengue before and if not, the vaccine can give you 30 months immunity. It is not true that if the child who got sick of dengue before will suddenly have dengue after the expiration of the vaccine. The child will only have dengue if they will be bitten by a mosquito (harboring the) dengue (virus),” Roca said.
Roca stressed that only a mosquito carrying dengue virus can infect a person or a child with the deadly disease. Dengue fever could not be transmitted through person-to-person.
He added that a clean environment is one way to prevent and avoid getting the dengue virus.
Roca added that a report of a 12-year old girl said to have been inoculated by the Dengvaxia vaccine and was hospitalized at the Samar Provincial Hospital and later confined at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center was not immunized in the region but in Bulacan province.
The girl suffered mild dengue but was later on discharged from the hospital after she recovered.
The girl was in Samar for a Christmas break with her family when she got sick due to dengue fever.
The DOH did not conduct immunization on dengue using the Dengvaxia vaccine in the region in 2016 although 800,000 students from Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) received the controversial vaccine.
Dengvaxia, developed by a French manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur became controversial after the company admitted that those who received the vaccine but do not have prior dengue infection could possibly develop a severe dengue.
The Senate conducted a probe on this issue summoning former President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino and his health secretary, Janette Garin.
The national government spent P3.5 billion for the procurement of the Dengvaxia vaccine.
Earlier, the World Health Organization issued a statement saying that Dengvaxia vaccine against dengue was safe and reduces the risk of dengue infection and was proven to be effective in cutting the rate of infection and the risk of hospitalization for seropositive persons.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)