Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Chief Eduardo M. Año calls on punong barangays to ensure that no tanod under their supervision uses firearms even in the performance of their duties.
Año reminded all barangays that tanods or community brigades composed of civilian volunteers appointed by the punong barangay upon recommendation of the Barangay
Peace and Order Council are not allowed by any law to carry firearms even in maintaining peace and order in their communities.
“Bilang kayong mga punong barangay ang pumili, nagtalaga, at nangangasiwa ng inyong mga tanod, kayo rin ang may pananagutan sa paraan ng pagsasagawa ng katungkulan ng inyong mga tanod,” he says.
Año said that tanods may only use nightstick with teargas (probaton) with belt and holster, handcuff with holster, whistle, flashlight, raincoat, rain boots, small notebooks and ball pens, first aid kits, and other non-lethal gadgets.
“Bagaman mahalaga ang papel ng mga tanod sa pagtulong sa pagbabantay at pagpapanatili ng kaayusan at seguridad sa mga komunidad, kailangan pa rin pong
linawin at ipaalala na hindi sila otorisadong magdala at gumamit ng baril kahit pa ang armas ay personal nilang kagamitan at kahit pa mayroon silang permit to carry outside their residence,” he adds.
“If our barangay tanods see themselves in a potentially dangerous situation, they should seek the help of their local police officers. That’s the job of the police,” he said.
The DILG chief explained that Republic Act (RA) No. 10591 known as Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act enacted in 2012 has revoked the authority of police auxiliary units’ members such as tanods to carry firearms, which was previously allowed by Circular No. 2008-013 of the National Police Commission. “There is no longer any legal basis for arming barangay tanods,” said Año.
The DILG chief called on all local chief executives to ensure compliance with this directive and to withdraw any firearm that has been issued by them to barangay tanods.
He stressed that registered firearms of local government units (LGUs) shall only be issued to a government official or employee with a permanent plantilla position as provided in Section 5.5.2 of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 10591.
Punong barangays, on the other hand, are entitled to possess and carry firearms within their territorial jurisdiction, subject to appropriate rules and regulations, as stated in Section 389 (c) of the Local Government Code but only in the performance of their peace and order functions. (PR)
Año: Brgy tanods not allowed to carry firearms; brgy captains liable for tanods under their supervision
Chief Supt. Cruz brings medical caravan to a remote N. Samar town
LAS NAVAS, Northern Samar- Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Gilberto Cruz brought his “Lingap ng Kapulisan’ program to this remote town.
Cruz said that their visit to the town is their way of showing that the Philippine National Police (PNP) is not only for securing peace and order but also provide assistance to the people.
“Hindi po kami nagpunta dito para alamin o mag-tokhang o maging kaaway ninyo. Ang iba kasi ang tingin sa mga naka-uniporme mga kaaway, hindi ho totoo yun. Kami ho ay nandito para magkaloob sa inyo ng kaunting kaginhawaan,” Cruz said.
During the visit, dental services, optometry, medical consultation, circumcision, psychosocial support, and Philhealth membership cards were provided to the residents.
School materials and toys were also distributed to the school children.
Lt.Col Nilo Lapizar, commanding officer of the 20th Infantry Battalion based at the neighboring town of Catubig town, lauded the activity of the PNP.
Lapizar said that this initiative of the PNP under the leadership of Chief Supt. Cruz, must be reciprocated by the villagers by helping government agencies in solving the problems that have plagued their respective areas.
“Ang purpose namin dito ay makatulong sa community and at the same time, malutas ang problems at concern sa mga community. Alam din natin na itong ginagawa natin will lead the way na ang problema natin particularly sa kahirapan, sa insurgency na at least ang community marealize na ang gobyerno ninyo ay may ginagawa,” Lapizar said.
Town Mayor Minda Tan expressed her gratitude for the visit of Cruz to their municipality.
Tan said that with the services provided by the PNP personnel headed by Chief Supt. Cruz during their visit, her people was able to benefit them without shelling even a centavo.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
LMWD general manager recognizes city-backed board of directors
TACLOBAN CITY- In a surprise turn around, the acting general manager of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) has extended his recognition to the board of directors named by City Mayor Cristina Romualdez to the said water agency.
And in doing so, Engr. Pastor Homeres was immediately appointed by the new set of board of directors to continue to hold the post he had held for more than three years now.
Homeres, who was named as the acting general manager of the board of directors appointed by Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, made known of his recognition to the new board of directors in a letter addressed to them wherein he also said that the member-consumers of the LMWD expect ‘highly’ on them.
He also issued a separate letter to the officials and members of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District Employees Union (LMWDEU) praising them for their decision in withdrawing their support to the previous members of the board.
“And with this, I am repaying you with my full support and commitment to be with you all the way,” Homeres said in his one-page letter to the workers.
The LMWDEU had also expressed their support to the board of directors named by Mayor Romualdez.
“Both the employees and the general manager have now thrown their support behind the board of directors appointed by City Mayor Cristina Romualdez,” Roberto ‘Bobby’ Muñoz, who was elected as chairman of the board of directors, said in a press conference, on Thursday said.
Aside from Muñoz, also named to the LMWD board by Mayor Romualdez were lawyers Bautista Corpin, Jr., Jenny Lyn Polistico Manibay, and Sharalee Gaspay; and Bernardita ‘Bering’ Valenzuela, concurrently the city information officer.
Polistico said that with the recognition extended to them by both Homeres and the employees, question as to their legality has been put to rest.
“We have assumed actually since December but with this recognition, there is no more issue as to who will act as board of directors but us. We are going to stabilize the situation,” Polistico Manibay said.
“People want a change and we are stepping up to that,” she added.
Polistico-Manibay also said that they are not closing the possibility that legal challenges will be hurled at them.
It was learned that the board of directors appointed by the provincial government, namely, Aldin Surpia, Teodoro de Veyra, Teresa Montubig, Alice Blas and Ilumindao Lantajo, Jr., had an emergency meeting on Friday.
As of press time, no details yet have come out as a result of this meeting.
Polistico-Manibay said that they have appointed Homeres as the acting general manager of the LMWD through a resolution they approved on January 16.
Valenzuela said that with their full assumption as members of the LMWD board, they could now help Mayor Romualdez realize her plan to provide water service to the people in the northern part of the city, particularly those residing at the various resettlement sites there.
“She has a mandate to fulfill,” she said.
The management of LMWD had been under fire mostly by member-consumers from Tacloban City due to its alleged poor service, particularly on low or lack of water service.
The assumption by these city-appointed officials was by virtue of a law giving Mayor Romualdez the authority to appoint the board of directors to the LMWD and for Tacloban having more than the majority of the number of member-consumers among its eight service areas.
Aside from Tacloban, LMWD also serves the towns of Palo, Tanauan, Sta. Fe, Tolosa, Tabon-Tabon, and Pastrana.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Tacloban gov’t to assess areas seen as possible flood, landslide incidents
Prompted by the Quarry District incident which killed 4 people
TACLOBAN CITY- The city government here is set to conduct a reassessment on areas that could potentially result to flooding or landslide incident.
The move came in the wake of an incident in Barangay 43-B, Quarry District, when a concrete perimeter fence collapsed towards seven houses that resulted in the death of four people, to include a 17-year old student.
Idelbrando Bernadas, head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), said that he was directed by Mayor Cristina Romualdez to identify areas across the city that have not been identified as a potential site of flooding or landslide incident.
It was learned that the area where the January 13 incident was not among the areas in the city tagged as landslide-prone area.
“The mayor had a marching order since the landslide happened to reassess all residents or families living along mountainside and in areas prone to flooding, landslide, and houses along the waterways,” Bernadas said.
The reassessment will be conducted with personnel from the City Engineering Office.
“If found that they are in danger zone, they will be forcibly evacuated and will bring them to the evacuation center and make a resolution to provide them with (permanent) housing for their safety,” Bernadas said.
Killed during the said incident in Brgy.43B, blamed due to the incessant rain brought by the tail of a cold front, were Delia Carson, chief of the barangay tanod members, Sherry Jean Amancio, barangay secretary and her daughter, Zoe,17, and common-law husband Alejandro Mayolargo.
Meantime, Vice Mayor Jerry ‘Sambo’ Yaokasin, who is the vice chairman of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, lauded the efforts of all the groups and volunteers in retrieving the dead bodies.
“In behalf of the people of Tacloban, we are thankful to all of you. (You) never stop ;( you) never give up,” the vice mayor said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
DPWH to build 55 high rise classrooms in S. Leyte
MAASIN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) field office here and Department of Education (DepEd) will soon start the construction of 55 two-story school buildings in Southern Leyte province under the Basic Educational Facilities Fund.
Under the DepEd-approved project list, 22 units are included in batch 12 with P457.08 million budget, and 33 units under batch 13 with P576.57 million allocation. These projects will be financed through the 2017 allocation for education facilities.
DPWH Southern Leyte district engineering chief Ma. Margarita C. Junia said their office rushed to complete pre-construction activities and bid out all projects before the expiration of special allotment release order on December 31, 2017.
Each unit will have an average of eight classrooms. It will have upgraded designs enough to withstand typhoons and earthquakes.
“All these new facilities are disaster-resilient. Its structural components such as footing, columns, and beams will be expanded based on the upgraded standard designs of DPWH and DepEd,” said Junia.
Of the 55 buildings, 13 will rise in Maasin City; six in Bontoc town, four each in Libagon, St. Bernard, Pintuyan, Pintuyan, Silago, and Bontoc; three each in Liloan and Macrohon; two each in San Francisco, Sogod, Anahawan, Hinundayan, San Ricardo, San Juan, Malitbog; and one each in Hinunangan and Limasawa towns.
Aside from the high rise school buildings, 13 one-story units worth P38.73 million are also included in batch 12. Two buildings are meant for each of the towns of Bontoc, Hinunangan, and St. Bernard; and one each in Silago, Libagon, San Francisco, Malitbog, Anahawan, Hinundayan, and Silago towns.
In the last quarter of the year, the district engineering office has already bid out 47 school building projects under batch four and seven, which was initially included in DepEd fund release.
“This is literally a massive school building projects for this year. If completed, including the previous batches, there will be a total of 550 new classrooms for the province,” Junia said.
Overall, the school building projects for Southern Leyte will cost P 1.21 billion covering construction of K-12 classrooms and technical vocational laboratories. (PR)
PNP 8 offers skills training for ‘Tokhang’ surrenderers
CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON,Palo, Leyte- Former drug users who surrendered under the government’s ‘Oplan: Tokhang’ are encouraged to join a skills training that could help them become useful members of the society again.
The skills training, in collaboration with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and dubbed as ‘Pagbabago’ will last for 45 days to be held inside the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police(PNP), here.
Its first day started last Thursday (January 18).
The training will involve on food processing by salting, curing, and smoking; processing food by fermentation and pickling; organic vegetable farming; organic poultry; bread-making; motorcycle or small engine servicing; service consumer electronic products and systems and wellness massage or ‘hilot.’
Chief Inspector Ma. Bella Rentuaya, information officer of the PNP-8, said that for this activity, they are opening 200 slots for former drug users.
But so far, only half of the slots have been filled up, she added.
It was learned from Rentuaya that those who will avail of their activity will have to choose two of their preferred courses and will have sessions from Monday to Friday.
At the same time, they will also be taught on search and rescue, and traffic management during weekends.
Rentuaya is optimistic that this project will change the drug surrenderers and will give them the opportunity for employment because it was found out that some of them indulged into illegal drug activities for reason of not being employed or they don’t have a livelihood.
Chief Supt. Gilberto Cruz, police regional director, said that after the program the drug surrenderers will do well, he will coordinate with provincial governors and mayors and even private companies to prioritize them for employment.
He added that this program is a way of solving the problem in the rehabilitation of the drug surrenderers and will show that they can still be rehabilitated and become useful members of the society.
The budget allocation of TESDA for the classes is worth P492,000.
TESDA will award a certificate of competency to the drug surrenderers after the program.
Barangay officials helped in identifying the participants. Some of the supplies were sponsored by various civilians and sectors.
(EDIZON CAHINDO, LNU Student Intern)