PALO, Leyte – The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Philvocs) has reported more than a thousand aftershocks three weeks after the magnitude 6.5 earthquake that rocked Leyte last July 6.
As of July 27, 1,035 aftershocks with magnitude ranging from 1.5 to 5.8 were recorded by the agency, according to an update of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
About 33 tremors were categorized by Philvocs as felt.
Myra Dolina, Phivolcs Eastern Visayas science research analyst, said the magnitude of ground movements after a strong earthquake is normal within several weeks.
“If the fault line moves a lot, it releases energy that can cause weak earthquakes, but we must wonder if it didn’t move in a year because it stores energy that can cause a strong earthquake,” Dolina added.
Most aftershocks had its epicenter in Ormoc City and nearby Kananga town, the two most affected areas.
These areas are within the Central Leyte Fault line from Barangay Villalon, Calubian, Leyte and ends in San Francisco, Southern Leyte.
The active fault line forms part of the 1,200-kilometer long Philippine Fault Zone extending throughout the country.
The July 6 earthquake has killed at least three people and injured 310 others. Several aftershocks rocked the province in nearly two weeks. The strongest was magnitude 5.8 that injured 78 people.
Initially, government agencies identified a total of 113 schools, 10 health facilities, 35 government buildings, and seven commercial buildings in Leyte province as badly damaged by the tremor.
(MELVA MAE C. MENIANO)

CATARMAN, Samar- Two police personnel of the Catarman Police Station survived an ambush by suspected members of New People’s Army in Jiabong, Samar on Wednesday (July 26).
The policemen, PO1 John Cervantes and PO1 Ralph Roan Sabanal, were aboard a Hilux patrol car on their way to the police regional office in Palo, Leyte when they were reportedly attacked by undetermined numbers of communist rebels along a national highway located along Barangay Jia-an, Jiabong town at about 12:10.
PO1 Sabanal, who was driving the vehicle, did not stop and continued driving despite several shots bombarded at them by the rebels.
The two policemen reached the Jiabong police station with minor wounds from the broken glass windows of their vehicle.
But none of them was hit by bullets from the rebel group.
“Buti na lang may presence of mind ang driver (Sabanal) hindi sya huminto; idiniretso niya kahit flat na na sasakyan,” Senior Inspector Russel Calubag, deputy chief of Catarman police station, said.
Supt.Jose Manuel Payos, Catarman police chief, immediately went to Jiabong to respond on the incident and rescue their ambushed policemen
Cervantes and Sabanal were on their way to the regional police headquarters at Camp Ruperto Kangleon, Palo for qualitative examination of drug evidence (shabu) that the Catarman police recovered from a buy-bust operation on Tuesday (July 25).
The rebels also reportedly used landmines in the said attack.
(RACHEL V. ARNAIZ)

ORMOC CITY- The damaged due to a fire incident that engulfed the Gaisano Capital here was initially placed at P190 million.
The damage is expected to increase as the losses incurred by tenants of the shopping mall have yet to be accounted, said Senior Fire Office Roel Wenceslao.
Gaisano Capital, located right at the commercial area of this city, was hit by a massive fire last July 16.
As to what cause the fire, investigators have yet to fully disclose it.
Wenceslao disclosed that preliminary investigation suspected the blaze might have started at the building’s second floor particularly the children’s wear section.
An investigation from their national office is soon to be conducted to exactly determine the origin of the blaze, the biggest to hit this city in eight years.
In 2009, Unitop Store was hit by a big fire due to a firecracker incident that trapped and killed 25 people.
The building occupied by Gaisano Capital is owned by the government which it leased for 25 years and is to end on 2021.
The building is now safeguarded by police officers on shift duties while waiting for the national investigators.
Tenants were temporarily disallowed to go through their stores for safety reasons.
The management has yet declared the number of employees who may be displaced following the huge fire that destroyed the establishment.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)

TACLOBAN CITY- A top regional official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said the recent harassment by the New People’s Army (NPA) was all just for show as they were trying to project their strength.
PNP Eastern Visayas Regional Director Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar said the armed rebels are incapable of launching major attacks or even fighting back government forces.
“The incident of harassment is alarming because it injured soldiers and policemen, but we are more than prepared to face them,” Beltejar said.
The police regional chief backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to terminate peace talks with the communist rebels frustrated by attacks against government troops.
“There are many violations committed by the NPAs indicating that they are not sincere about peace talks,” Beltejar told reporters Wednesday (July 26) night.
He reiterated his call to all units to be on alert against possible attacks after two policemen were wounded when rebels detonated an improvised explosive device targeting a police patrol car at a national road in Jiabong, Samar on Wednesday.
Police officers of Catarman, Northern Samar were heading to this city to attend a meeting when attacked around 12:15 p.m. in Barangay Jia-an, Jiabong town.
Samar police provincial director Supt. Nicolas Torre said about five NPA members planted the explosives to harm policemen.
“When we responded, they just ran away and not attempted to fight back. This is just pure harassment since they have no capability to really fight back,” Torre said.
Citing intelligence report, Beltejar said rebels in the region have not increased its numbers.
“We know their real strength. They’re just launching attacks as a strategy to project that they are strong,” he said.
The police have stepped up its security plan after the Communist Party of the Philippines asked its armed wing, the NPA, to launch “armed counteractions and offensives” across the country.
The violent action is a protest against the five-month extension of martial law in Mindanao.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The 2017 Nutrition Month Celebration in the region has culminated with a one-day array of activities on July 27 at SMED Center, this city.
In coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), the National Nutrition Council (NNC-8) spearheaded the activity led by Catalino Dotollo, Jr.; Leyte Board Member Ranulfo Abellanosa; Emilie Grande, a non-government organization representative; Sonia Cabahit, regional chief of the Food and Drug Administration; members of the technical working committee, barangay nutrition scholars from the six provinces and the representatives of the different regional line agencies, LGUs, academe and NGOs including HIMSoG (Harmonized Initiatives of media for the Spread of Good Nutrition), the media arm of NNC.
A photo exhibit, announcement of winners of the region-wide contest nutri-jingle, nutri-photo, nutri-comics participated in by students served as the highlights of the celebration.
The on-the-spot contest participated by the barangay nutrition scholars, the front line of the nutrition program at the grassroots level were poster-making, cooking using vegetables, ‘siday’ and nutria-quiz.
This year’s celebration centered on the theme “Healthy Diet, Gawing Habit for Life”. It emphasized eating a balanced diet with a variety of food, adding ample amounts of fruits and vegetables and exercise.
(VICKY C. ARNAIZ)