TACLOBAN CITY- A human rights group based in the city expressed their fear on the recent declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte to shoot-to-kill any members of the outlawed New People’s Army (NPA).
Joshua Sagdullas, spokesperson of Bayan-Eastern Visayas, said that this directive has a chilling effect not only among the identified targets but even among activities and members of legal organizations.
“To say the least, we are raising the alarm for all activists, community organizers and protesters in the country in lieu of Duterte’s recent shoot to kill order,” Sagdullas said.
“Although Duterte’s exact statements were directed at the revolutionary New People’s Army, history has shown us that generic and passing statements such as these are blown out of proportion by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police and are meant to include legal organizations and activists who in recent days have been tagged as no less than conspirators to acts of terrorism,” he added.
Thus, Sagdullas said, “manhunt” could be conducted against anyone who speaks and stands against the administration of Mr. Duterte.
Last November 29, the President issued a directive to all soldiers and police personnel to shoot and kill NPA members.
The order of the President came in the light of his recent declaration to stop the peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) claiming that the NPA, armed wing of the group, continue to stage ambuscades against government troops despite of the talks.
This claim, however, is being denied by the CPP-NDF leaders.
Eastern Visayas remain to have an active insurgency problem, particularly in the Samar provinces.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

CATARMAN, Northern Samar – Three alleged members of the New People’s Army(NPA) surrendered before the military, this province, but human rights group claimed they were farmers and abducted by the military.
The three alleged former rebel members who surrendered were identified as Richard Avino, Arnel Aquino, and Tinny Gerbon. They were said to be members of the special partisan unit of the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Brigadier General Mario Lacurom, commander of the 803rd Infantry Brigade, based this town, told Leyte Samar Daily Express (LSDE) that the three men surrendered to the officers of the 20th Infantry Battalion based in Barangay Opong, Catubig on Friday (November 24).
They also turned over to the military three firearms that included two caliber .45 pistols and a .38 caliber revolver, Lacurom said.
The three will be enrolled under the Comprehensive Local Integration Program (CLIP) of the national government giving them legal and livelihood assistance and other social benefits.
They are also expected to receive similar benefits and cash rewards for the firearms that they surrendered under the Local Social Integration Program (LSIP) of the provincial government.
Each of the three reported former rebels are to receive P100,000, Lacurom said.
But the Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas, based this town, however, claimed that the three were not rebel members and were just farmers.
Sargie Macallan, provincial chairman of the Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas, said that they would ask before the court for it to issue a writ of habeas corpus for the immediate release of the three.
“They are not NPA members as claimed by the military but are farmers who were forcibly abducted as they were tilling their lands as reported by their families to us,” Macallan said.
But according to Lieutenant Colonel Noli Lapizar, commanding officer of the 20IB, the surrender of three were “legitimate”.
“It was a legitimate combat operation that our troop conducted in Sitio Canunghan, Barangay Osmena (Palapag town) where the three surrendered to our men,” Lapizar said.
The three are now in the custody of the 20IB based in Catubig together with their wives and children.
“Sumama yung family nila kasi natatakot daw at hinahabol sila ng mga NPA. They are well taken care of; may kanya-kanya silang kwarto,” Lapizar said.
On Sunday (Nov.26), three persons who introduced themselves as “parents” of Avina, Gerbon, and Aquino went to the Palapag Police station to report about the alleged abduction of their sons by the military.
Chief Inspector Alex Mendez, chief of police in Palapag, told LSDE that the parents were accompanied by a member of the Katungod-SB.
(RACHEL V. ARNAIZ)

ORMOC CITY- Government troops engaged members of the New People’s Army in a firefight in a remote village of Albuera, Leyte on Tuesday (Nov.28).
Lt. Col. Danilo Dupiag, commanding officer of the 78th Infantry Battalion based in Burauen town, said that his men were in Barangay Talisayan of said town doing their security patrol as the 10 rebel members were conducting their recruitment activity.
This chance meeting resulted in a 15-minute firefight.
The soldiers recovered two pistols of caliber 45, four magazines for cal. 45 with around 50 live ammunition, one hand grenade, five units of a cellular phone, subversive documents and personal belongings of the rebels who broke into different directions on their way to escape.
Dupiag confirmed there was no casualty on the government side.
The battle area can be reached by a 50-minute walk from the national road but located in a mountainous portion of the town, the Army official said.
The armed forces continue hunting the communist terrorists to stop them enticing the civilians to join their organization.
Dupiag ensures the government troops are doing their mission at their best to protect the interest of the community.
Last Nov.23, President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the peace talks between the government and the communist group due to alleged continued attacks by the rebels despite of the then ongoing peace negotiations.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)

CAMP CARLOS DELGADO, CATARMAN, Northern Samar- Personnel from Provincial Intelligence Branch (PIB) of the Northern Samar Police Provincial Office (NSPPO) under the command of Police Chief Inspector Eddie Esidera together with the elements of San Jose Municipal Police Station led by Police Senior Inspector Lloyd Lagrimas conducted an anti-illegal logging operation in Barangay Mandugan, San Jose town last November 28 at about 11:10 am that resulted in the recovery and confiscation of 136 pieces illegally sawn “Apitong” lumber with a total of 1,326 board feet and has an estimated market value of P26,520.
Meanwhile, said lumbers were brought to the Northern Samar Police Provincial Office (NSPPO) for documentation prior turn over to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
PS/Supt. Felix A. Diloy lauded the efforts of the Personnel of Police Intelligence Branch (PIB), NSPPO and San Jose Municipal Police Station for their continuing effort that contributes to the success of the campaign against illegal logging. (PR)

ISABEL, Leyte- A liquefied natural gas and a diesel-powered energy sources that are to be established in Isabel are expected to produce 270 megawatts (MW).
Isabel Mayor Saturnino Medina said in an interview that Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), a clean energy source, is estimated to deliver 200 MW and 70MW from the diesel-powered plant.
The two power sources are expected to be operational in 2018 since both power plants are using pre-fabricated materials in the construction of their plants, Medina added.
He further said negotiations on the establishment of LNG are underway while the preparation of requirements for the establishment of the diesel-powered power plant has started like the conduct of a public hearing on November 7.
Medina informed that the foreign investors have planned to put up these two power sources in his town after the intermittent power interruptions affected the operations of the companies of the town’s industrial zone, the Leyte Industrial Development Estate (LIDE).
The power that will be generated by the two power sources will pass in the transmission lines of the Nation Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the Isabel local chief executive said.
“Both the LNG and the diesel-powered plants will be established in the LIDE area located in Barangay Libertad,” Medina further said.
He informed that these two power investors will boost the town’s income through the payment of local taxes estimated to reach P10-P15 million per quarter beginning 2019.
Medina assured the two power plants will generate big employment opportunities for the residents of the town.
He also attributed the peace and order situation of the town under his terms of office for the confidence of investors to pour their big investments in the town. (PIA)

TACLOBAN CITY -The national government has already released P172.34 million educational assistance to college students in Eastern Visayas affected by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013.
The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is eyeing to complete the release of P227.75 million financial aid meant for 45,551 identified students before the year ends.
Each student will receive P5,000 assistance from the central government as approved by CHED on Feb. 14, 2017.
Narciso Candiza, CHED regional office education program specialist here, said on Wednesday the 60 state-run and private colleges started releasing the money since last week of October.
“Qualified to receive the financial assistance are victims of super typhoon Yolanda who are enrolled in higher education institutions during the second semester of the school year ‎2016-2017,” Candiza said.
Funding for the program is from the budget of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund.
CHED has been releasing checks to higher learning institutions since last week of October this year. Schools disbursed the cash assistance to identified beneficiaries.
Based on the guideline, the schools submitted the master list of students together with the billing and certificate of enrollment to CHED regional office. After validation, the field office sent the list to the CHED central office for funding.
The financial aid covers Yolanda-hit areas in Eastern, Central and Western Visayas, and some parts of Southwestern Tagalog region.
Super typhoon Yolanda is the deadliest typhoon in the Philippines on record, killing at least 6,300 people and displaced more than a million of the population in central part of the country when it made landfall on Nov. 8, 2013.
(SARWELL Q.MENIANO/PNA)