TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region 8 office (DENR-8) has called on the public to help in the protection and preservation of the forests within the Leyte geothermal production field (LGPF) reservation area in this province. DENR-8 Regional Director Leonardo Sibbaluca said the protection and preservation of the forest cover in the geothermal reservation is essential as an indispensable part of electricity production in the LGPF. He further explained that the forests are responsible for the steady and ample supply of the needed groundwater recharge or reinjection of water down deep to the hot underground along the volcanic fields in the reservation area. Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, in an interview said that the Leyte geothermal reservation, which has a total area of 107,625 hectares, is a vital source of electric power not only for Eastern Visayas, but nearby regions as well. Both Petilla and Sibbaluca appealed for support from thelocal government units, concerned other concerned government agencies, stakeholders, private organizations and the general public to help in the protection and preservation of the forests in the geothermal reservation area and immediately report any destruction being done to the area. The LGPF is the largest wet steam field in the world with a capacity of 708 megawatts from more than 180 drilled production and injection wells. (RESTITUTO CAYUBIT)
3 “high value targets” nabbed by police due to shabu pushing
TACLOBAN CITY- They may have voluntarily surrendered, but three known drug pushers in the city still continued their illegal drug activity. Thus, they were arrested in separate sting operations by anti-drug force, said city police director S/Supt. Rolando Bade. And one of those arrested was Rolando Ramirez, said to be a brother of a high ranking official. Also arrested were Romeo Balintong and Pablo Baldo. Balintong, 54, Ramirez, 47, and Baldo were separately arrested in buy-bust operations last July 28 which yielded in the confiscation of 11 sachets believed to contain shabu worth more than P8,000, drug paraphernalias, among others. Bade said that the three suspects have earlier voluntarily surrendered under the government’s “Oplan Tokhang” wherein alleged drug users and pushers are asked to give up on their illegal activity. The three were considered among by Tacloban police operatives as high value targets. The city police director said that Balintong and Ramirez were arrested while they were having their illegal drug session. It was learned that Balintong worked as a carpenter and resides in Brgy.74 while Ramirez is a meat vendor and a resident of Brgy. 36, Sabang district. Meantime, Baldo was arrested by members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in a separate buy-bust operation in Brgy.36, Sabang district where he resides and conducts his illegal activity. Cases for violation of sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Drugs Act of 2002, were filed against the suspects who were locked up at the Tacloban locked up. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)
Albuera police chief: I did not threaten the mayor
PALO, Leyte- The town police chief of Albuera, Leyte said he has not done anything to frighten Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. whose son, Kerwin was acknowledged as the region’s number one drug lord. This was Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido’s statement in response to the claim of the controversial mayor that he left the town because of death threats purportedly made by town police chief on July 22 or just five days after he assumed the post at the town police station. “Why threaten him? We are the police and we are the protectors. I should have killed him instead of scaring him because it’s not the attitude of a policeman to frighten someone,” Espenido said during a press conference held at the regional police headquarters, this town on Thursday (August 4). The town police chief recalled that two hours after he was assigned to Albuera, he got a call from Espinosa, expressing his plan to surrender. “I asked him why he would surrender. He said he would do it since he was told that he’s on the drugs watch list,” Espenido recalled. The mayor was then asked to bring his son instead, but the mayor said it was impossible for Kerwin to surrender since he’s in abroad, according to Espenido. After few days, the mayor’s daughter called up the town’s police chief, informing them that the mayor changed his mind about yielding to authorities since he has not committed any crime.
“He reportedly left Albuera July 22 until I saw him on TV after surrendering at Camp Crame,” the official recalled. The beleaguered mayor, who is serving on his first term, surrendered to Police Director General Ricardo “Bato” de la Rosa after President Rodrigo Duterte issued a 24-hour ultimatum for him and son Kerwin to surrender. Espenido hinted that the mayor is scared because he’s done something illegal, citing a Bible passages from Proverbs 28:1 in criticizing the mayor – “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” Asked whether the local police can assure the safety of the mayor upon his return, he said: “He can come back because people voted for him. But no one can assure of his safety 24 hours especially on Saturday because I am at church.” Police provincial director Sr. Supt. Franco Simborio said Espenido is the most qualified official to lead the Albuera police station. “Between the last quarter of 2015 until July 2016, we have assigned four town police chiefs to Albuera until we found the right man for the right job,” Simborio said, referring to Espenido.
Espenido recalled that before he came to Albuera, the local police are Kerwin’s friends. “He always showed up at the police station and brought meals and refreshments for the police.” The new Albuera is a known “drug buster cop.” He was born in 1968 in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur where his family currently stays. The 47-year old police official is married to Shiela Bandal from is from Barangay Tubod of Isabel town here in Leyte where his family currently lives. He is a licensed criminologist with background in electronics. Espenido entered the police service on September 16, 1996 assigned in Regional Mobile Group in Negros Oriental. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)
Gov. Petilla to Mayor Espinosa: “Resign”
TACLOBAN CITY- Controversial Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa should better tender his resignation. This was the opinion of Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla as the town mayor is being accused to be involved in the illegal drug trade together with his son, Rolan who is most known as “Kerwin.” “If I were him, I will resign considering that he was implicated in the illegal drug trade. But it is really up to him whether he will step down or not. The people of Albuera voted him as their mayor,”Petilla said.
Espinosa, ran and won as mayor of Albuera as an independent candidate during the May 9 elections. The embattled town mayor garnered 12,242 votes defeating three other opponents, including then mayor Ramon de la Cerna, Jr. de la Cerna, who was serving on his first term, resigned from the post on May 19 citing his poor health condition as his reason. However, there were reports that his resignation was more on security reason. Artemio Caneja, provincial local operations officer, meantime, said that the vice mayor, Rosa Meneses, could assume the post as mayor if Espinosa could not report within three days.
“That is according to the rule of succession under our Local Government Code,”he said. It was learned that Espinosa has not reported to office since last month after he was implicated in the illegal drug trade. Based on police information, the town mayor and his son are considered as the region’s top drug supplier. President Rodrigo Duterte asked Espinosa to surrender which he did. He surrendered to Police Director General Ronaldo “Bato” de la Rosa on Tuesday (August 2). Senior Supt. Franco Simborio, Leyte police director, said that Espinosa and his son are considered as high value targets. Simborio, in particular, said that the young Espinosa is operating his illegal drug trade not only in Leyte but in other parts of the region to include Cebu. “He belongs to our category as level three meaning he is at the highest level. His operation is not only here in Eastern Visayas but even outside the region like Cebu,” he said.
The police provincial director said that the Espinosa family operate the illegal drug trade as a “family enterprise.” “They are into the illegal drug trade running it as a family enterprise, business with the son (leading the illegal trade),” Simborio said. The family owns a hotel in Albuera, 138 kms away from Tacloban City. The young Espinosa had been arrested nine times, the last time was in 2015, but managed to get off the hook due to technicality like having his name misspelled or due to lack of witnesses. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
Northern Samar to hold anti-drug summit
TACLOBAN CITY- The provincial government of Northern Samar will conduct an anti-illegal drug summit on August 25 which aims to further strengthen the campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs in the province. The one-day anti-drug summit, to be held at the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP), will be attended by various sectors and agencies across the province, Rei Josiah Echano, provincial information officer, said. Echano added that the purpose of the activity is to strengthen their campaign against illegal drugs through unification and workshop on sectoral resolutions. The expected 400 participants of the summit will come from the academe, church, local government units, on-government organizations and various government agencies like the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of Interior and Local Government as well as students. Those who voluntarily surrendered under the government’s “Oplan Tokhang” from the province were also invited to join the anti-drug illegal summit, Echano said. The summit, to be presided by Governor Jose Ong, will discuss on measures on what to do for those who voluntarily surrendered. The conduct of the anti-illegal drug summit in the province was first discussed during the July 22 Provincial Development Council meeting.
(RYAN GABRIEL LLOSA ARCENAS)
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