TACLOBAN CITY- Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar said that drug money has apparently been used by those in the illegal drug business to provide them protection.
Beltejar was reacting to the revelation of embattled Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. who tagged 72 personalities as their alleged protectors of their illegal drug activity in the region.
Espinosa had earlier executed an affidavit wherein he named his alleged protectors.
The Albuera mayor together with his son Kerwin is considered as the region’s top drug lords.
In his affidavit, Espinosa allegedly named four police generals, two police senior superintendents, five police superintendents, eight police senior inspector, three police chief inspector, one director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, three personnel from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, three Army officers and 15 police non-commissioned officers.
Espinosa also named a governor, a vice governor, four mayors, two vice mayors, six board members, a retired associate justice secretary, two barangay officials, two lawyers and three members of the media as under their payroll.
Beltejar said that if this will be proven true, they will not condone their acts as appropriate charges will be filed against them.
“Such behavior will not be tolerated and we’ll take every possible measure to ensure that they face appropriate charges in court,” the police regional director said.
Meantime, Beltejar said that he had issued an order to all his personnel to be always on alert and take precautionary measures as they continue on their crackdown on the illegal drugs activity.
“We always presume na syempre galit sila sa amin, so we need to be vigilant and to be very security conscious,’ Beltejar said. (JAZMIN BONIFACIO)

CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, CAMPETIC, Palo, Leyte- A barangay leader and an alleged drug pusher were killed by armed men in this city in separate incidents.
Killed were Estrella Olyado, 53 and barangay chairwoman of Brgy.Guinbaoyan Norte and Leonardo Garalza, 37, said to be a drug pusher.
Olyado was on board a motorcycle together with her son, Ismael, 30, and husband Esmeraldo, when suspects appeared and shot them repeatedly.
Olyado and son died on the spot while Esmeraldo managed to run away during the September 6 incident that took place around 8 in the morning in Brgy. Guinbaoyan Norte.
The three suspects, one was identified as Rogelio Salvame, fled after carting away P80,000 cash from the victims.
One Erika Rollo, who was texting along the street, was hit by a stray bullet in her leg and was immediately brought to Calbayog District Hospital for medical treatment.
Recovered from the crime scene were 32 pieces fired cartridges; six pieces deformed slugs and two pieces live ammunition for 45 Caliber pistol.
Meantime, Garalza was also shot by two unidentified suspects at about 4:45 pm. last Wednesday (Sept.70 2016, at Brgy. East Awang of the same city.
Initial investigation disclosed that the victim was on his way home riding a motorcycle when the suspects appeared and shot him several times.
Garalza sustained multiple gunshot wounds on his body which resulted to his instantaneous death and was brought to Junjun Funeral Home for post mortem examination.
Recovered from the crime scene were nine pieces fired cartridges for 45 Cal. pistol and a piece of card board with writings “Wag tularan, pusher ako.”
The elements of Calbayog CPS, Samar PPO are conducting hot pursuit operation for the arrest of the suspects. (PR)

BAYBAY CITY- A rehabilitation center will soon to be operational in this city as part of its support to the national government campaign against illegal drugs.
“Our public library building, which is newly constructed and not yet utilized as library, will serve as day rehab for the next six months starting October 1” City Mayor Carmen Cari.
Cari said that the treatment will last for six months where those who surrendered will be given assignments, lessons, seminars, and counseling and be given food for the next six months.
The personnel from the City Health Office and the City Social Welfare and Development Office underwent training in Saving Lives on a Common ground (SALAG), a rehabilitation and treatment center in Dulag, Leyte, for two weeks to replicate their program, the city mayor added.
However, Cari informed that out of the 2,000 drug dependents, pushers and couriers who surrendered to city police, only 10 percent of the total number will be accommodated at the drug rehabilitation center.
“Our local government unit cannot accommodate them all because it entails a large expense thus only a number of surrenderees will be accommodated” she said.
Cari is hopeful that with the Rural Health Unit chief Dr.Norberto Oja and the city DSWD taking charge of the program, they could achieve their goal in making former drug dependents become more productive. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) has declared diarrhea outbreak in the town of Cabucgayan, Biliran after the water-borne disease has downed its 170 residents in the past few days.
The DOH tagged contaminated water as the source of the spread of the disease.
Water samples gathered from various sources, including a water refilling station, were found positive of coliform bacteria, commonly present in human and animal waste.
The local government of Cabucgayan immediately issued a closure order of the water refilling station, said DOH-8 Director Minerva Molon.
At least 21 residents have been admitted in hospitals, with only 11 still in confinement, Molon added.
“The good thing is that the local government has been very active. We really learned a lot from diarrhea outbreak experience in Samar,” she added.
It can be recalled that the recent spate of diarrhea outbreak has killed 81 people and afflicted 9,432 others across the region with most cases were reported in Samar province.
Molon suggested the regular monitoring of water sources by local sanitary inspectors and treat them when found unsafe for drinking.
The health department highly recommended education on the importance of safe and sanitary handling of foods, washing of foods before cooking, washing of hands before preparing foods, cooking foods well, and covering of foods.
Diarrhea is characterized by stomach pain, headache, body weakness and watery stools. The worst is dehydration that can cause death. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)