At least 10 singing groups joined in a competition which aim to discourage youths, in particular, to join the communist armed group. The October 1 competition offered cash prizes to the winners. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY – Ten bands competed in the first Battle of the Bands Musika Laban sa Insurhensiya organized by the Tacloban City Police Office and the Kabataan Kontra Droga at Terorismo (KKDAT) – Tacloban Chapter.
The competition was lauded by the Police Regional Office 8 as it urged other police offices to emulate and also conduct the same activity in their respective jurisdiction.
“We need the success of this activity to be shared in other units and for the KKDAT to sustain this program. The PRO-8 is always here to support you, so let us start planning on how to cascade this to their units of the PNP,”B/Gen. Joel Limson, PRO8 deputy regional director for operation representing PRO-8 Regional Director BGen Rommel Marbil, said.
Ten bands from Tacloban City and Leyte province joined the competition held last Saturday (Oct.1) at the HRUDC building at the Leyte Normal University, this city.
The competing bands sang a cover song and their original compositions whose main message is to discourage the youths to join the communist armed group or against the insurgency problem of the country.
Winners of the competition bagged P15,000 for 1st prize; P10,000 for 2nd prize; and P8,000 for third prize.
Declared as winners were Speck (3rd place) with their song composed ‘Gising’; Fortisimo (2nd place) with their original song; ‘Ikaw, Sila, Ako’, and Jilla (1st place) with their original song composition, ‘Yan Dapat’.
The song, ‘Injustice’, ‘Isn’t it’ by the After School, bagged the special award and best on original song composition, respectively. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY- A lifeless body of an abandoned newborn baby was found along the national highway of Barangay Can-abay, Basey, Samar Friday(September 30).
Authorities said they received a call from a barangay official around 7:15 am and found the newborn baby still on the ground and naked.
They also coordinated with the Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) to process the crime scene.
Authorities are investigating the incident. (RONALD O.REYES)
MISS ORMOC. After almost two years of hiatus, the Miss Ormoc beauty and brain competition will be staged again. About 20 young ladies from different barangays of the city will compete for the crown won by Aura Shaznay in 2019. The candidates were presented on Sunday (Oct.2) before a large crowd at the city’s main plaza. Story on Page 1. (ORMOC CITY GOVERNMENT)
ORMOC CITY-This city will be celebrating its 75th Charter Day anniversary for the whole month of October starting off with the presentation of candidates vying for Miss Ormoc title on Sunday(Oct. 2).
This early, Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres Gomez said that health protocols will still be strictly observed as big number of people are expected to see the various events relative to the celebration.
At present, Ormoc has two active COVID-19 cases, based on the record of the Department of Health.
Aside from staging the Miss Ormoc, several activities have been lined up to mark the city’s diamond founding anniversary which includes concerts featuring some of the country’s big-name artists; business seminars; agri-aqua fair; sports competitions, and its diamond jubilee parade on October 20, its founding day anniversary.
The city mayor said that after almost two years of having no celebration of the city’s founding, they will be making a series of activities considering this year marks its 75th year.
“This year’s celebration is really a milestone for Ormoc……from being labeled as Eastern Visayas illegal drug capital into its richest city,” Torres Gomez said.
She, however, gives much credit on the transformation of Ormoc to the six-year term of her husband, now congressman Richard Gomez.
The former mayor had prioritized in ensuring the peace and order of the city for him to invite investors, which included addressing the proliferation of illegal drugs in the city.
Under his watch, Ormoc City was regarded by the Philippine National Police as one of the safest cities in the country on top of solving its illegal drug activity.
It was also during the term of now congressman that several investors came to Ormoc like the establishments of two shopping malls and operations of several hotels, among others.
On Sunday, 20 lovely candidates coming from different villages of the city were presented before the public and guests at the city’s main public plaza.
This year’s candidates are Abiah P. Dicdican, Dianne A. Espinosa, Jorochelle Euliza Swartz L. Grafilon, Crissa Althea B. Colon, Francheska Terese C. Matiga, Ma Kim Bocao, Desiree Solejon, Angel Mae R. Duallo, Donna P. Ramada, Alexandra P. Juanillo, Liezle N. Jones, Hannah Grace Caintic Yuson, Zeljemer del Rosario Castro, Quintine L. Saligue, Jessajane P. Belic, Lerrish Frances Dawa Belarmino, Erice Beatrice Tan, Charybel Faith Dizon, Mitzi Lucaban, and Marie Carmen Songalia. The coronation is on Oct 15, 2022.
Noted singer-composer Rey Valera also entertained the with his smash hits. The event was hosted by Mr. Fu.
Among those in the audience of more than 10,000 people were Rep. Gomez and his wife, Mayor Lucy, and other city officials. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone lauded the decision of a couple for ending their communist armed struggle. The couple surrendered to Evardone on Sept.30 who vowed to help them have a peaceful and productive life. (PHOTO COURTESY)
TACLOBAN CITY- An alleged member of the New People’s Army (NPA) and his wife surrendered to authorities in Eastern Samar on September 30, citing difficulties living in the mountains and the campaign of the government against their group as reasons for giving up the armed struggle.
‘Ka Cardo,’50, was said to be the political officer while his 49-year-old wife,’ Ka’ May was the finance officer of the sub-regional committee Artic, Browser, Elcon platoon, squad 2 which operates in several towns in Eastern Samar which include the town of Dolores.
The surrender of the two mid-ranking NPA rebels to Governor Ben Evardone on Sept. 30 was facilitated by Luisidro “Bong” Moscosa, a media worker based in Can-avid town, also in Eastern Samar.
Moscosa, who agreed to be named for this story, said that he received surrender feelers from the couple as early as August 19 telling him of their desire to surrender and live a normal life with their 10 children.
According to him, the couple made their desire to surrender through their cousin who is his friend. They first met in an interior village of Dolores, also in the same province, on August 19 and met again on Sept.27 on their way to Borongan to escape and abandoned their former comrades for two years.
While in Borongan City, they stayed in a hotel until they formally surrendered on Sept.30 to Evardone and witnessed by Police Regional Director B/Gen. Rommel Marbil and Eastern Samar police provincial director Col. Matthe Aseo.
It was learned that the couple was among the rebels whose camp was the target of a massive air and land assault by government forces in Barangay Osmeña, Dolores last August 16, 2021.
The attack resulted in the death of 19 rebels inside their camp classified by the government forces as the communist rebel bomb-making facility.
Gov. Evardone provided cash incentive to the couple and for them to receive other assistance being given by the government to NPA surrenderees. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY- An employee of the Department of Education (DepEd) was arrested by a composite team led by the members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) after he was accused of stealing money owned by the provincial board secretary of Eastern Samar.
Reports reaching the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP) based in Palo town, Leyte said that Nieto Yerro, 56, managed to open the car owned by Franklin Robedizo on Tuesday (Sept.27) morning parked in a resort in Borongan City, Eastern Samar.
It was learned that Yerro, a driver of the DepEd regional office, tried to forcibly open some vehicles that were parked at that time inside the Melinda’s Resort, where both the personnel of the DepEd and the provincial board were having their seminar, without luck.
However, he was able to open the vehicle owned by Robedizo as it was not locked and in the process, took the P85,000.
However, through the help of closed circuit television (CCTV) inside the resort, Yerro was identified as the culprit.
And with the help from his coworkers at the DepEd, he was tracked to have checked in in a lodging house in Paranas town, Samar.
The police operatives arrested Yerro inside the lodging house last Tuesday at about 8:30 pm.
Seized from him were the amount of P52,500.
Robedizo said that he will file a complaint against the suspect for thief saying that the money was loaned by him for the educational needs of his children.
The suspect is presently detained at the Paranas police lockup facility. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
A simple ceremony marked the 121st anniversary of the Balangiga Encounter last Sept.28,2022 with town Mayor Dana Flynch de Lira giving emphasis to make the historic event as one of its tourist attractions especially with the ‘Balangiga Bells’ now in display at their main church. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar- A very low-key event marked the 121st year commemorative program of the Balangiga Encounter was held on Wednesday (Sept. 28) with town Mayor Dana Flynch de Lira leading the historic occasion.
The town mayor said that they are planning some ways to market the town, especially among tourists, with the return now of the ‘Balangiga Bells.’
“We are already known for our bells. It’s just a matter of marketing, kasi what’s happening right is the bells are not that much appreciated, we are reaping the benefit out of it. So if we can only make a little improvement siguro to help recover economically and financially,” Mayor de Lira said during the simple anniversary.
She added that she will be talking with tourism officials in the region to help them prepare tourism plans and programs to market not only the bells of Balangiga but also other tourist destinations of the municipality that are waiting to be developed and promoted.
To recall, after many campaigns by the national government, Church, and some private sector, the bells were returned by the United States on December 11, 2018.
The three historic bells were eventually installed at the Saint Lawrence the Martyr Church on Dec.15, 2018 with former President Rodrigo Duterte witnessing the event.
Vice Governor Maricar Goteesan, representing Gov. Ben Evardone, said just like 121 years ago, the people of Balangiga continue to fight and this time it includes poverty, social injustice, and insurgency.
“But we are no longer using bolo or offering our lives instead what we need to do is to keep our beloved Eastern Samar as a zone of peace. Let us bravely face the trials of today because it is us who can save ourselves from adversity,” Goteesan said, reading the message of Gov. Evardone.
For her part, Tourism Secretary Maria Esperanza Christina Frasco urged the people of Balangiga to make the Sept.28,1901 as an inspiration as the country is slowly recovering from the pandemic caused by coronavirus disease(COVID-19) which also affected the tourism industry.
“Our goal in the industry is still in the early stage of planning and implementation, yet we are confident that we can achieve this with the support of people like you here in Balangiga who are more than willing to work hand-in-hand to improve the country’s economy,” Frasco said in her message read by DOT-8 tourism operations officer Rina Apostol.
The Balangiga Encounter happened on Sept. 28, 1901, when the town residents led by Valeriano Abanador initiated an attack against US soldiers who are part of the Company C of the 9th US Infantry Regiment.
Dubbed as the biggest defeat of foreign troops during the Philippine-American war, villagers who were armed with bolos defeated the American soldiers who are armed with a much sophisticated guns.
The incident however resulted to the death of around 2,500 Filipino men, women, including children when the Americans’ launched a retaliatory attack as ordered by Gen. Jacob Smith transforming Samar into a “howling wilderness.”
The Americans then took the three Balangiga Bells as war booty that resulted for a more than a century call for the US government to return them back to the country. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
