TACLOBAN CITY- Local government units in Biliran province have suspended works and classes on Monday (Oct.4) amid the threat of Tropical Depression ‘Lannie.’
Among the local government units that issued the suspension were the towns of Almeria, Cabucgayan and its provincial center, Naval.
However, medical and frontliners will continue to work despite of the suspension.
The Coast Guard based in Naval also issued suspension of voyage of all type of sea vessels and watercrafts as the entire province was placed under signal number 1.
The suspension will be lifted once the weather improves, the Naval Coast Guard said on its notice to mariners.
In Eastern Samar, a road section located in Barangay Binaloan, Taft was closed to all motorists due to a possible occurrence of landslide amid heavy rains, Governor Ben Evardone said.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council has issued advisory of heavy rains that may result to landslides in Eastern Visayas due to Lannie.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
‘Lannie’ forces Biliran LGUs to cancel work, classes
Mayor Romualdez leads Tacloban in marking the Consumer Welfare Month celebration
Welfare Month which opened on October 1.A consumer information market
and exhibit was held at the Robinsons North here in the city. (TCIO)
TACLOBAN CITY- The city government here in partnership with Leyte ConsumerNet, joined the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Leyte Provincial Office in its celebration of 2021 Consumer Welfare Month.
To mark the occasion, the 11th Consumer Information Market & Exhibit, which ran from October 1-2, 2021, was held at Robinsons North Tacloban.
Revolving around the theme, “Digital Consumers: New Normal,” said exhibit was aimed at “institutionalizing networking among government agencies with consumer protection functions and displaying Leyte consumer member agencies’ programs and services to the consuming public.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez, who spearheaded the ribbon cutting ceremony on Day 1 of the two-day event, thanked, thru his Facebook page, the different agencies who organized the said purposeful event.
Joining the city mayor were DTI Regional Director Celerina Bato, BIR Assistant Regional Director Zennen Tabanao, FDA Regional Field Supervisor Benedict Ortega, DTI Leyte Provincial Director Araceli Larraga, Leyeco II Department Manager Christopher Garcia, and Save the Children Project Manager Hector Tuburan.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE
Gov. Petilla endorses proposal to ELCAC-EV
Granting amnesty to NPA members
TACLOBAN CITY- Providing amnesty to the members of the communist terror group, the New People’s Army (NPA), in the region is not a remote.
This after Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla revealed that he will bring the matter at the regional panel of the End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).
The proposal to give amnesty to rebels was pushed by Fr. Edwin Perito, representing the religious sector of the Leyte peace and order council, as a way to encourage more NPAs to surrender and give up their armed struggle.
The priest said that one of the problems that they have received in convincing NPA members to surrender is when they brought up the cases filed against them.
“They are afraid to surrender because they are facing charges,” Perito said.
“Do we have a local amnesty to encourage them surrender?” Perito asked.
“We can discuss that matter with the ELCAC if we can suggest that,” Petilla replied.
“In ELCAC we have discussed many programs but we never talked about amnesty,” the governor added.
He stressed that those who surrenders are provided with livelihood and financial assistance under the enhanced comprehensive local integration program.
“Several of those who surrendered were given assistance under E-CLIP which does not cover relative to the cases filed against them,” Petilla said.
He added that aside from discussing the matter at the regional ELCAC level, this concern should also be brought to officials in the national level for them to decide.
Giving amnesty to rebel members is not part of the ELCAC program of the national government.
The program which aims to convince rebel members to return to the fold of law to start a new life in normal community mainly focuses on the “whole-of-nation approach” wherein government agencies and their partners provide government services to areas affected by insurgency problem.
A resolution filed at the House of Representatives has been filed calling to grant amnesty not only to the NPA members but to include the members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the Moro National Liberation Front, and the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Mangagawa ng Pilipinas/ Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Bonyacao Brigade.
Jail guard yields ‘shabu’
TACLOBAN CITY-Anti-narcotics operatives and local police arrested on Wednesday (September 29) a prison guard for alleged selling and possession of illegal drugs in Carigara, Leyte.
The suspect was identified as Ricardito Javines, 54, and listed as a high-value target (HVT) of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).
Purchased from the suspect was a sachet believed to be containing shabu, while confiscated from his possession were 5 grams of suspected shabu worth 34,000, and a P1,000 bill used as buy-bust money, police said in the report.
The documentation and inventory of confiscated pieces of drug evidence were held at the place of arrest in the presence of the suspect.
Representatives from the barangay, Department of Justice, and media also witnessed the documentation and inventory, it added.
On September 27, PDEA and police operatives apprehended another HVT in Carigara.
The suspect was identified as Edsil Brier, a resident of the said town.
Confiscated during the operation were several sachets of shabu weighing 5 grams with an estimated market value of P35,000, according to PDEA.
Cases for violation of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, are now being prepared for filing in court against the suspects.
(RONALD O.REYES)
Leyte pastor nabbed over rape, child abuse charges
TACLOBAN CITY-Joint police operatives arrested a 27-year-old pastor for two counts of rape and child abuse charges in Barangay San Isidro, Mahaplag, Leyte Wednesday(September 29).
The accused was identified as Wennie “Pastor Wennie” Oghayon, single, and a resident of the said barangay.
Authorities identified him as Top 1 most wanted person in Leyte province.
Judge Carlos Arguelles, presiding officer of Regional Trial Court-Branch 14 in Baybay City, did not recommend bail to the accused for the rape case, while P200,000 bail bond was recommended for each case of violation of Section 5 (b) of Republic Act 7610, otherwise known as “An Act Providing For Stronger Deterrence And Special Protection Against Child Abuse, Exploitation And Discrimination, And For Other Purposes.”
The operating units were the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-Northern Leyte Provincial Field Office (CIDG-NLPFU) led by Major Duane Francis Ducducan, Regional Intelligence Unit-8 led by Major Delfin Tan, Northern Leyte Maritime Police led by Major Glenn Michael Amoyen, Northern Leyte PHPT led by Master Sergeant Amancio Diola Jr, Leyte Provincial Intelligence Unit led by Lieutenant Colonel Dinvir Revita, and Mahaplag Municipal Police Station headed by Captain Rodolfo Renomeron.
Police brought the accused to the station for documentation and was subsequently brought to CIDG-NLPFU for proper disposition prior to turn-over to the court of origin.(RONALD O. REYES)