TACLOBAN CITY-A total of 798 police officers from the region are facing administrative cases since 2016 up until the first semester of this year following the internal cleansing program of the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8).
This was disclosed by Brigadier General Dionardo Carlos, police regional director, who said that the police organization is serious on its campaign to make it more professional and free from scalawags.
“In our quest for genuine cleansing and transformation, we will go through challenges. Thus, we will more strict in implementing internal cleansing among our ranks,” Carlos said.
Carlos said that 494 administrative cases were filed against its personnel, 353 of these were filed before the Office of the Regional Investigation and Detective Management Division while the other 141 cases were filed before the Regional Internal Affairs Service 8.
The police regional director said the “strict implementation” of the program has led to the dismissal from the service of 99 police personnel; 172 suspended; 373 exonerated; 12 demoted; and 4 reprimanded for various offenses.
However, the other cases remain pending for resolution.
The top recorded cases filed against these errant police officers are Absence Without Official Leave (Awol), violations against revised penal code, conduct unbecoming of a police officer, loss of issued firearm, solicitation of political patronage, violations of police operational procedure, failure to prepare and submit report, and willful violation of office regulations, PRO-8 said in a statement.
The internal reforms of the Philippine National Police (PNP) is one of the thrusts under the leadership of Police General Oscar David Albayalde. (RONALD O. REYES)
798 police officers face administrative cases in Eastern Visayas
Balangiga Bells draw over 22,000 tourists since return last December
BALANGIGA, Eastern Samar – As expected, tourists are flocking to this town to see for themselves the historic bells now displayed at the Church’s grounds.
Since the return of the historic Balangiga Bells December 15 of last year, more than 22,000 tourists visited the San Lorenzo de Martyr Church where these artifacts are currently displayed.
Fr. Serafin Tybaco, parish priest, said that with the expected influx of tourists, both local and foreign, the parish made an effort to preserve the sanctity of the bells by not allowing them to touch the artifacts.
He said that they have erected steel fence at the Church grounds where the bells were put in this display.
This way, the tourists could not touch them though they are still allowed to take photos with the bells serving as their background.
It was learned that since the bells were put into display at the Church’s grounds after the Christmas Day celebration last year, 22,000 local and foreign tourists have visited the historic items.
Even before the three Balangiga Bells were returned to the town, the local tourism office as well as its regional office projected that these could become tourist attraction.
Tourism Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said that aside from assisting the town to have funds for tourism infrastructure projects, various trainings were conducted to the stakeholders to help them know the proper way of handling tourists.
“We are here to find out and fill in the gaps because tourists are coming in, small businesses are mushrooming, and we also want the tourists to come not only for the bells but to learn about Balangiga’s significance in our history,” Tiopes said.
After 117 years, the three bells were returned by the American government to the Philippines and were formally installed on December 15 last year.
President Rodrigo Duterte witnessed the turnover rite, expressing his gratitude to the American government and all other sectors responsible that led to the return of the bells.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
DOT, tour operators ready to welcome Russians to Guiuan town
TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Tourism (DOT) and private tour operators here in the region are preparing for the arrival of Russian tourists to Eastern Samar to mark this year’s 70th commemoration of the journey of ‘white’ Russians to Tubabao Island in Guiuan.
“We are developing a tour program and hope to pitch it to the Russian market with the help of the Russian embassy,” said Karen Tiopes, the DOT regional director.
The tour program is also in coordination with the Eastern Samar provincial government and concerned local government units.
“We are still finalizing the needs to develop this tour program,” Tiopes added, citing the collaboration of both public and private sectors for the tour program.
Butz Eguia, secretary of the Eastern Visayas Tourism Association (EVTA), said the “Dobrota Tur – The White Russians Transit Commemoration Tour” is the affinity that Russian Ambassador to the Philippines Igor Khovaev wants to be more reminded to the world.
Dobrota is a Russian word for “kindness.”
“Some EVTA members were on board with the tourism group in conceptualizing, assessing and beta testing the Eastern Samar tourism circuit,” said Eguia.
The Eastern Samar tourism circuit starts from Tacloban City en route Samar towns of Basey and Marabut then Balangiga and Guiuan, both in Eastern Samar.
“Practically, it will involve more up to Borongan City, but it goes from step to step. We go for ripe destinations,” Eguia said.
According to him, the Debrota Tur is now a whole year event, adding that some Russian guests arrived in the region as early as February 24.
“There will be a festival sometime in October to November,” Eguia disclosed.
Meanwhile, the EVTA official lauded DOT officials for its “current practice of involving the private stakeholders of tourism product development in Region 8.”
Eguia said the concerted efforts involving the practitioners of the tourism industry including experts from the academe and religious and parish groups, such as in Balangiga, become an inclusive approach.
With their collaboration, the gaps and lack of access to tourism links are easily patch up to create a wholistic product for the visitors.
Equia gave a conservative estimate of 500 to 1,000 Russians to visit this year.
Franklin Robedizo, Eastern Samar Provincial Tourism Officer, said that aside from the availability of hotels, they also have a homestay program to accommodate the incoming visitors in the province.
“Some homestay trainings are conducted by the ‘Proyekto 25’ program on tourism under Governor Marcelo Ferdinand Picardal administration. The other trainings were funded and facilitated by the DOT through the municipal tourism offices in some identified areas,” Robedizo said.
In the spirit of Filipino hospitality, the late president Elpidio Quirino granted about 6,000 Russians, also known as white Russians for shunning communism in their country, to live at the Tubabao Island from 1949 to 1951 while they waited for other nations to grant them asylum.
The Philippines was the only nation that embraced the white Russians over their appeal for help to the international community after they fled from the communism campaign in their country to China.
The Filipinos gave a place for the white Russian refugees to stay for the next 27 months at the Island-turned US Naval Base Construction Depot despite the difficult situation in the country due to World War II devastation.
During their stay, the white Russians found “a paradise, a beach, and hope” at the Tubabao Island, courtesy of the “warmth of the Filipinos, and strength demonstrated by their people.”
(RONALD O. REYES)
Local registrar’s stage annual gathering in Leyte
PALO, Leyte – The Philippine Association of Civil Registrar (PACR) staged their annual gathering held at the Leyte Academic Center, this town on Friday, March 8.
The gathering, started on Monday (March 4) has a theme “National Personnel and Implementing Partners in Civil Registration.”
The said event was attended by 1,500 delegates and graced by PACR national president, Umich Flores.
The event organizer, Perry Diño, stated that among the issues tackled during the event was the implementation of the national ID system. (CLAUDINE JOY VILLAMOR, MYLA LOYOLA, JULIANE NAVARROSA, AND LOISITA LUMANTA, EVSU STUDENT INTERNS)
“Women’s Walk” marks start of Women’s Month Celebration in Tacloban
TACLOBAN CITY- Some 580 participants coming from different women’s organizations and government agencies in this city joined the Women’s walk on Friday, March 8 organized by the city government through Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez, and the Tacloban City Council of Women.
The event marked the National Women’s Day Celebration and formal kick-off of the month-long Women’s Month activities in Tacloban.
This year, the celebration will center on the full implementation of the Magna Carta of Women, also known as Republic Act 9710 by making known programs and services that strategically address the needs of women.
City Councilors Jose Mari ‘Jom’ Bagulaya and Aimee Grafil, and Miss Tacloban 2018 Cassandra Lee also took part in the annual event that highlighted a brief program with TCCW chairperson Rebecca Rosales Ada.
Mayor Romualdez will also lead city departments and offices in the following activities related to the celebration this March: sports fest for women on March 13 at the CEO Gym, orientation on the trafficking in person (TIP) Law, detection and management (March 20) at the DZR Airport, workshops on the finalization of the city ordinance on anti –trafficking, help desk guidelines and children’s code (March 21, 22, and 23), women’s congress and Got Talent at Robinsons North Mall (March 28), and the wellness for women and zumba for a cause (March 29).
The local government unit of Tacloban actively promotes the welfare of women through various initiatives.
For one, the City Local Council of Women was organized whose task is to help institutionalize city government projects for the welfare of women.
It also has a Women and Children’s Shelter — the first facility in Region 8 managed by a local government which offers psychosocial support and shelter for abused women and their Children.
(HENRY JAMES ROCA with a report from J. APOLINAR/CIO)
Youth commissioner support release narco-list to help ‘guide’ voters in this year’s elections
TACLOBAN CITY- A commissioner of the National Youth Commission (NYC) has expressed his support to release the list of candidate-politicians who are running in this midterm elections engaging in the illegal drug trade.
By releasing the so-called narco list, the young voters, in particular, would know that they should not vote these candidates as they are involved in the illicit activity, Victor del Rosario, NYC commissioner for the Visayas, said in an interview.
According to him, Malacañang, through the Department of Interior and Local Government, will do a great service to the 19 million young voters who will cast their votes in the May 13 elections if they will release its narco list.
“(This) will guide our voters, especially the youth. We cannot allow destroyers of the society to be in the government,” del Rosario, who is from Naval, Biliran, said.
“We cannot allow narco politicians to be in power. We know very well that the youth is the number one victims of this drug menace,” he added.
del Rosario said that with these candidate-politicians losing on their bids, this will result to the decline or stop of their illegal drug operation as they loses their clout or influence.
“In the name of the 30 million Filipino youth, as NYC commissioner, ako’y nagpapasalamat sa ating mahal na Pangulong Duterte in his commitment to release the narco list,” he said, expressing his support on this move.
On Tuesday(March 5), during his visit to this city, opposition senatorial candidate Jose Manuel ‘Chel’ Diokno of the Otso Diretso expressed his alarm on this move of Malacañang.
Diokno, a human rights lawyer and advocate, said that the list could be used as a witch hunt to pin down the ‘perceived enemies’ of the administration.
“Pagnagamit yung list na yan ngayon elections, very likely, lahat ng perceived na kalaban nila isasama sa list,” he added.
Diokno said that instead of coming out of its narco list, the administration should instead strengthen the justice system by filing appropriate charges against those suspected to be involved in the illegal drug trade if they have solid evidence against them.
“Kung talagang may basis sila, sampahan nila ng kaso, prosecute them at ikulong and that should happen whether there is an election or not,”Diokno said. (JOEY A. GABIETA)