TACLOBAN CITY- Operatives of this city arrested three men in separate buy-bust operations which resulted to the confiscation of nine sachets containing methamphetamine or shabu with a worth of more than P20,000.
Arrested during the 5 pm of January 17 operation was Rammy Cortano,28 at their village in Paseo de Legaspi, this city.
Seized from the jobless suspect were five pieces of sachets containing shabu and paraphernalias and two pieces P100 bills.
On January 18, Rammy Nelson Setosta,25 and Rico Cordova,39, were arrested at about 7:15 pm at their village of Barangay 12, GE Palanog.
Seized from the two suspects were shabu contained in four sachets and one P500 bill.
Confiscated pieces of drug evidence were turned over to the Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO8) for qualitative and quantitative analysis while the other pieces of non-drug evidence were turned over to the Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) evidence custodian.
The suspects are now under the custody of TCPO custodial facility while case for violation of Sections 5, 11 and 12, Article II of RA 9165 is being prepared for filing before the City Prosecutor’s Office.
The operation was conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 8 under the supervision of S/Supt. Rolando V. Bade, TCPO acting director. (PR)
Shabu worth more than P20,000 seized from 3 men in buy-bust operations
13 cane workers injured after vehicle went out of control in Ormoc City
ORMOC CITY- A ten-wheeler truck carrying around 20 sugarcane workers lost its brake and bumped to a coconut tree along a national road while on its way to a sugarcane farm in Barangay Cabulihan, this city.
The vehicle came from the nearby town of Kananga where the farm workers were picked up in the morning of January 14.
While traversing the national highway particularly at Brgy. Valencia, driver Antonio Pareja, 61, said he noticed the truck brake was not working.
He said he decided to direct out from the lane to head towards the grassy area to avoid colliding with other vehicles but noticed the steering wheel was also not functioning.
Pareja decided to just smash at a coconut tree putting the automobile to a halt.
About 13 passengers sustained minor bruises. They were brought to the hospital for further medical care after receiving first aid from the rescue unit which responded the accident.
Some of them complained of bone strain and shock.
One of the four passengers seated beside the driver got a wound at his head while the rest sustained minor injuries.
The vehicle was severely damaged that its anterior went heavily dented and various parts including drag link were detached.
The police cautioned Pareja to refrain from allowing passengers to sit at his left and for travelling at a higher speed.
The driver sustained minor bruise on his left hand. (ELVIE ROA)a
3 Samar provinces received financial help from DA
TACLOBAN CITY – Poverty incidence in the three Samar provinces, particularly the farmers, are expected to decrease with the funding released by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Governors Sharee Ann Tan of Samar, Jose Ong of Northern Samar and Conrado Nicart, Jr. of Eastern Samar received P25 million from Agriculture Assistant Secretary Lerey Panes on Monday(January 16) that will be used to implement DA’s Special Area for Agricultural Development(SAAD).
SAAD is a special program of the DA focusing on 10 top poorest provinces in the country of which the three Samar provinces are included in the list.
DA is targeting to reduce poverty in Samar provinces by 25% in the next three years.
The three Samar governors received the first tranche of the P50 million SAAD fund.
The national government allocates P50 million budget for each province while P150 million is allocated to the DA regional office for the implementation of SAAD.
Of the P50 million budget per province, P31.5 million will be used for enhancing rice production, P3.3 million for corn production, P7.5 million to enhance vegetable production and P7.6 million for sustainable livestock production.
Under the P150 million budget for the region, P94.6 million will be used to enhance rice production, P9.9 million for corn production, P32.5 million to enhance vegetable production and P23.1 million for sustainable livestock production.
ASec. Panes said that Secretary Manny Piñol’s mandate to all offices of DA is to implement the SAAD project free from corruption to achieve their goal of improving the living condition of the people in poorest provinces of the country.
“That is why, he entrusted us this budget to help the farmers to create a good environment and that good environment will affect others, making them productive and we will evaluate this after three years to know if the program is effective or not,” he said.
Panes added that SAAD has two funding components- one is to be implemented by the provincial government through the fund they will turn over to the governor and projects to be implemented by the DA regional offices.
Gov.Tan said that for the project to succeed, social preparation among the beneficiaries is really necessary.
“The biggest responsibility in this program is on the implementation but its success will depend on the attitude of the people,” she said.
Gov. Ong, for his part, said that in support to the SAAD project of the national government, they will also implement agricultural projects that will complement it and will augment the income not only of farmers but including fishermen.
“Our role in this program is to monitor and see that the funds are utilize properly by the beneficiaries who will decide if this program will succeed or not,” he said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Town council resolution calls for the return of Naval-Cebu route
NAVAL, Biliran- Residents of this town have expressed their support on a resolution introduced at the Sangguniang Bayan for the resumption of the Naval-Cebu sea travel route, which was stopped last year.
Councilor Ofelia Espina has introduced a resolution at the town council seeking for the return of the said route saying, among others, it would be beneficial to the residents of Naval as well as towns of the province.
The resolution also stated on the long and historical trade ties between Naval and Cebu why shipping companies should resume the route.
Local businessmen have claim that the absence of the Naval-Cebu route causes them additional expenses in transporting their goods.
The same sentiment is also being shared by the parents who have children studying in various schools in Cebu City as they incur more expenses.
The residents of Naval and those coming from other municipalities of Biliran have to travel to Ormoc City for them to reach Cebu City in Cebu province.
Councilor Espina said that the resumption of the Naval-Cebu operations will also benefit other towns of the province for easy transport.
Sometimes last year, the Naval-Cebu route was suspended by the Roble Shipping Company which serves the area due to low volume of cargo and passengers.
(REY FAJARDO)
Man arrested for homicide thru reckless driving
ORMOC CITY- The police here arrested a 35-year old man who was charged with homicide inside his house in Barangay Hibunaon on Thursday (January 19)
Inspector Rito Pallomino, chief of police station 2, identified the arrested suspect as Renato Beronilla who did not resist when the police served him the warrant of arrest issued by judge Girlie Borrel-Yu of Regional Trial Court- Branch 35 that was issued on January 16, 2017.
Beronilla faces murder in relation to section 12 of Republic Act 10586 otherwise known as An Act Penalizing Persons Driving under the Influence of Alcohol, Dangerous Drugs, and Similar Substances, and for Other Purposes.
Pallomino added that the suspect was drunk when he got involved in a vehicular accident in Barangay Luna sometime in September last year that caused the death of another single motorcycle driver.
He is currently detained at the station while his family prepares for a surety bond worth P30,000.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)
Hot lumbers seized in Northern Samar town
CATUBIG, Northern Samar- More than 2,640 board feet of illegally cut lumber of various species were recovered by the police this town.
The forest products recovered by the members of the police operatives of this town headed by station chief, Senior Inspector Gary Nee Tungala, were found near Irawan Bridge on Tuesday (January 17).
The sawn lumbers were valued at P79,365.
The anti-illegal logging operation was launched acting on a tip coming from an informant on that same day.
“Confiscated lumbers were turned over to CENRO-Pambujan Office for custody and proper disposition. However, owners of said confiscated forest products amid nationwide ban on illegal logging are still unknown as of the moment,”Tungala said in a press statement.
Police provincial director, S/Supt.Ceasar Tannagan, solicited the public’s cooperation by giving information to the police for any omission of forestry laws in order to protect and conserve the environment. (PR)