CAMP KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte- Region 8 has obtained 18% drug-cleared barangays since Barangay Drug Clearing Operations have been implemented in October 2016, says Police Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar, regional director of Police Regional Office 8.
He said that the entire region has 370 barangays in different towns and cities that are already drug-cleared in collaboration with the local government officials since the new administration launched its intensified narco-war.
PC/Supt. Beltejar said that the number was the latest recorded so far as of January 3, 2017.
The region has a total of 2, 474 affected barangays from 4, 390 total number of barangays with a variance of 2,104 total number of barangays to be cleared from drugs.
All these said barangays underwent rigorous evaluation down to the grassroots in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils and PRO8 aims to declare more municipalities/barangays as drug-free this year with the continuous implementation of Project Double Barrel-Alpha, Beltejar adds.
Moreover, the declaration of the drug-free barangays is based on the following factors: non-availability of drug supply; absence of drug transit/transshipment activity; absence of clandestine drug laboratory; absence of clandestine drug warehouse; absence of clandestine chemical warehouse; absence of marijuana cultivation site; absence of drug den, dive or resort; absence of drug pusher; absence of drug user/dependent; absence of protector/coddler and financier; active involvement of barangays officials in anti-drug activities; active involvement of Sangguniang Kabataan to help maintain the drug-liberated status of the barangay; existence of drug awareness, preventive education and information, and other related programs; and existence of voluntary and compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation processing desk.
Beltejar considers the police operations against illegal drugs a “success” with the drug supply in the region cut by as much as 90% since the implementation of Project Double Barrel-Alpha and has challenged more cities and municipalities to protect their communities from being infiltrated by illegal drugs.
Likewise, PRO8 urges the public to support the police in waging the war against illegal drugs by providing relevant and timely information in their respective places to report to your nearest police station or through social media (Twitter – @Pro8Pcrd or Facebook Page – PNP RegionEight) or through the following: Dial 117 or text 2920; RPCRD 09173238683/ 09088146421; RTOC 09173114794 /09478907155 and Isumbong Mo Kay Tsip 09178475757. (PR)
PNP in EV clears 370 barangays of illegal drugs
Tacloban city government-DILG project to bring water to resettlement sites
TACLOBAN CITY – Nearly 700 households in the northern barangays will soon have access to potable water, this after the city government through Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez secured funding from the Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) which will be used to install much-needed water facilities there.
Worth P5 million, the fund will come from the DILG Bottom Up Budgeting (BuB) Potable Water System Sub-Project and will be used by the city government for the installation of the water pipeline distribution systems in both at the Habitat and Kapuso Villages.
City Administrator Atty. Irene Chiu said the project will provide much needed water services in the north which is currently dependent on daily water rations by the City General Services.
Recently, the city government said that it is putting up a satellite office in the north, a good 13.4 kilometers from the city center, to provide much needed government services to the resettled communities.
Families whose houses were totally destroyed by supertyphoon “Yolanda” were resettled at the northern part of the city.
Concerned households which attended the public consultation organized by the city government on Wednesday, January 4, welcomed the project.
This latest development is part of the thrust of Mayor Romualdez to provide basic amenities to resettled families in the north, according to Chiu.
She added that the BuB project will provide households with free pipe and water service installation and is expected to commence as soon as the fund is downloaded to the local government unit.
Each of the beneficiary households will be installed with a level 3 type water system which means that each house will have their own water connection and meter.
Private Water Utility Provider Mactan Rock, will supply water sourced from different potable sources in the city.
The City Engineer’s Office will undertake the pipe installation while the Mactan Rock will take care of the water systems maintenance.
The BuB-Water Supply Project is part of the DILG-BuB program which aims to strengthen local communities’ participation in national budget formulation and project implementation. (HENRY JAMES G. ROCA/CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Single ladies arrested for possession of shabu
TACLOBAN CITY- Elements from the Tacloban City Police Office(TCPO)-SAIDSOTG Police Station 2 led by Chief Inspector Rudy Conejo Jr. with seven non-commissioned officers conducted a buy-bust operation at Purok Santol, Barangay 66, Paseo De Legaspi, this city at about 4 pm of January 8, 2017 that resulted to the arrest of Welmina Albero,23, single, and a resident of same barangay and Grace Tampil,24, single and a resident of Purok 2, Brgy 65, Paseo De Legaspi, this city.
A certain “Tolindoy” Herrera and “Yogyog” Herrera were able to elude arrest.
The poseur- buyer bought from the suspect one piece heat-sealed transparent sachet containing suspected shabu.
Recovered from Albero’s actual possessions were six pieces heat sealed transparent sachet containing suspected shabu, two pieces P100 bills, improvised lighters, two pieces improvised tooters, among others.
While confiscated from Tampil was one piece small heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet containing suspected shabu.
Confiscated pieces of drug evidence were turned-over to the Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO8) for qualitative and quantitative analysis while the other pieces of non-drug evidence were turned over to TCPO evidence custodian.
Suspects are now under the custody of Police Station 2 custodial facility while cases for violation of Sections 5, 6, 7, 11, 12 & 15 of RA 9165 are being prepared for filing before the City Prosecutor’s Office.
The operation was conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-8) under the supervision of S/Supt. Rolando V. Bade, acting city director of TCPO. (PR)
Tokhang final count in EV: 30,161 drug users, pushers surrendered
PALO, Leyte- A total of 30,161 drug users and pushers have surrendered across the region since the start of the massive anti-drug campaign of the government.
Records from the regional Philippine National Police (PNP), disclosed that since July 1 up to December 31, 2016, 27,493 drug users and 2,668 drug pushers voluntarily surrendered before the police authorities which is implementing the “Oplan Tokhang,” an anti-illegal drive campaign of the government under President Rodrigo Duterte.
The records also showed that 21,726 houses across the region were visited by the police authorities who conducted the operation seeking for alleged drug users and pushers to surrender.
Covering the same period, the police conducted 587 operations against illegal drug personalities resulting to the death of 46 drug personalities and the arrest of 690 others.
A total of 16, 906.25 grams of shabu and 306.1 grams of marijuana with an estimate value of P135.2 million were confiscated in the course of the anti-illegal drug operations.
The PRNP-8 also disclosed that of the 186 listed as high value targets, 62 of them have surrendered, 54 were arrested, 12 were killed during the police operations.
Three killings were considered as “death under investigation” or no known suspects while 55 high value targets were under surveillance and subject for police operation.
Among those arrested were a police, soldier and an agent from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency; four former police personnel and four government employees.
“We are very serious on this campaign. When we say we mean business, once they go back to their old habit, they will be subjected to police operation. They were given a chance but if they engage again to illegal drug trade, they will be subjected to police operation because they are closely monitored,” Chief Inspector Bella Rentuaya, police regional information, said, referring to those who surrendered under “Oplan Tokhang” but still chose to continue to use or push illegal drugs. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
DepEd resets EVRAA 2017
NAVAL, Biliran- This year’s regional athletic meet has been reset to February 5 to 10, 2017 from its original schedule of January 29 to February 4, 2017.
The change of schedule of the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) Meet, which is slated to be held this town, was disclosed by Regional Director Ramir Uytico of the Department of Education (DepEd).
Under a memorandum order issued by Uytico, the resetting on the schedule of EVRAA 2017 was to enable the officiating officials of the regional athletic competition attend a national accreditation meeting slated in Davao del Norte.
Still, the venue of the regional sporting event, the Biliran Provincial Sports Complex, located in this town, is ready and underwent major repairs.
Its oval, grandstand, track and fields as well as its basketball and volleyball courts were refurbished.
The Olympic-size swimming pool also underwent total renovations and face lifting including the landscaping around the pool side.
Roads leading to the sports complex also undergone major improvements.
Old structures were also replaced with new pavements to make the road convenient and accessible for visitors and delegates.
Other games will be played at the Naval gymnasium and also at Naval State University (NSU) gymnasium where the welcome night will be held.
A playground demonstration and band exhibition will also be performed by students from NSU and Naval National High School respectively.
Billeting schools, which will serve as quarters for the different delegations all over Eastern Visayas, have also been repaired.
Toilets, bathrooms and other facilities have been repaired and improved, water and drainage system were also installed as well as electrical wirings.
Governor Gerardo “Gerry” Espina Jr. and Rep. Rogelio Espina have thrown their total support on the holding of EVRAA in the province.
(REY FAJARDO)
Over 2,000 mall workers see end of “endo”
On top of other contractual workers
TACLOBAN CITY– More than 2,000 workers from three shopping malls in this city stand to become regulars and would no longer bear the worry of “endo” or end of contract.
However, their fate will largely depend on the final approval of a new department order that will mandate agencies to make their hired workers as regulars and not just contractuals whose working period is just less than six months.
And if this policy would be adopted, the more than 2,000 agencies-hired workers of the Robinsons Place Tacloban, Gaisano Capital, and Gaisano Central are among those who will benefit from it.
“We’re supposed to decide on this since it’s been more than 30 days since we got the findings but we have to wait for the new department order to make sure that the decision of our hearing officers is consistent with the national policy and existing laws,” Virgilio Doroja Jr., information officer of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), said.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III released on Dec. 28, 2016 Department Order (DO) 30, mandating manpower services firms to hire workers as regulars, receiving full benefits such as leave credits, 13th month pay as well as retirement, social security and health insurance plans, among others.
President Rodrigo Duterte reportedly refused to sign the new directive as he insisted that companies and not the contractors should directly hire regular workers.
“This is what we want to resolve now as to who will assume the responsibility of making these workers regular. We have to wait and see,” Doroja added.
DO 30 is set to replace the DO 18-A, or the rules implementing the Articles 106 to 109 of the Labor Code.
Under the new directive, manpower agencies are mandated to hire regular workers and pay them salaries even after the end of service agreement contract with companies.
Contractors are also ordered to deploy workers to another firm within three months after a service agreement.
The DOLE adopted two tracks in eliminating illegitimate contractualization, including labor-only contracting or ‘endo’.
In the first track, the DOLE regional offices conducted series of consultations and meetings to encourage employers to voluntarily regularize workers who are under “endo” and labor-only contracting arrangements.
For the second track, labor laws compliance officers inspected establishments, principals, and contractors which are practicing labor-only contracting arrangements.
Those found to be engaged in labor-only contracting are subjected to mandatory conferences to assist them in their compliance with labor standards
As of end of 2016, there were already 1,200 workers in the private sector hired as regular employees since the DOLE-8 launched the campaign, above the regional target of 1,000 workers, according to Doroja.
By: SARWELL Q. MENIANO