TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Public and Highways (DPWH) will carry out a P23.48 billion worth of infrastructure projects here in the region for this year as the national government accelerates investment to upgrade national highways and build more bypass roads.
This year’s budget is higher by P2 billion compare to last year, said Engr. Virgilio Eduarte, DPWH assistant regional director.
“Our budget has been increasing every year to support the national and regional plans to bring about more economic opportunities in the country through infrastructure development,” Eduarte said.
About half of the budget for the region will be managed by the department’s 13 district engineering offices in six provinces – Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Northern Samar, Samar, and Southern Leyte.
A big chunk of the 2017 outlay will be supervised by the regional office.
The DPWH is tasked to implement 834 projects this year. About 520 of these were already bid out as of end of Jan. 31.
Among the major projects that will be funded this year are the on-going 6.4 kilometer four-lane Tacloban bypass road and the 1.84 km. four- lane Palo West bypass road, which will be completed in the second quarter of 2017.
The department proposed extending these by-pass roads up to the junction of San Juanico Bridge to complement the proposed international seaport to be constructed in nearby Babatngon town in Leyte.
The DPWH regional office also proposed the extension of by-pass roads that would link to this major project.
“This is in compliance to Secretary Mark Villar’s directive to decongest traffic through construction of by-pass roads in populated areas,” Eduarte added.
The official also confirmed that there is on-going feasibility study for the construction of Sogod bypass road in Southern, Leyte.
Also listed as 2017 priority is the Leyte tide embankment project designed to shield communities hit when supertyphoon “Yolanda” pummeled the province with an allocation of P700 million for this year alone.
The said project has a total budget of P7.9 billion.
Other priority projects for the year are road widening, bridge reconstruction, flood control structures, and preventive maintenance.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)
DPWH-8 gets P23.48-B for 2017 infra projects
Bomb scare hit the city
TACLOBAN CITY- Panic ensued in this city on Monday morning after a suspicious box was reported to contain a bomb which turned out to be a hoax.
The item, later discovered to be a mobile phone with a speaker attached to it, was found inside a police tent located along Rizal Street, one of the busiests thoroughfares in the city.
Chief Inspector Rudy Conejo, Jr., police chief of Tacloban City Police Station II, said that one of the assigned policemen at the area called up their station at around 6 am claiming that the suspicious item may contain a bomb.
Right away, they called up their regional headquarters located in Palo town to send a team of explosives and ordnance and disposal (EOD) to check the box containing the suspicious item.
He said the team, which arrived at the scene around 7 am, cordoned the area which is located just within a nearby gasoline station.
“The team used a device to detonate the suspicious item which later discovered to only contain a mobile phone with a speaker,” Conejo said.
The item was set off right at the area by the EOD team using their own improvised explosive device which caused a minor explosion sound.
“This could be the reason why some people thought the box contain a bomb,” Conejo explained.
“There was no bomb found inside the box. That is why, we can assure our people in the city that we are safe and secure,” the police officer added.
Conejo said that they have not monitored any information of a possible bomb threat in the city.
The incident sent panic in the city as many parents did not allowed their children to attend schools.
The incident was also posted by many social media users claiming that a bomb exploded in Tacloban, the regional capital of more than 220,000 people.
Conejo appealed to the public, especially those who are using the social media to be “careful and responsible” on what they post.
“This will only cause confusion and panic among our people. If they found something suspicious, please call our hotline (09176317752) or report it to our office,” Conejo added.
He added that they have yet to determine who could be behind this incident.
“We don‘t know yet if the item was purposely left behind by the owner or it was meant to scare us,” the police officer said.
On December 28, a twin bomb explosion rocked the town of Hilongos in Leyte that injured 32 people.
The Maute Group, a local terrorist group based in Lanao del Sur, was blamed by the police authorities as behind the incident. (with report PETER NOYA, EVSU Intern)
By: Joey A. Gabieta
Part of PNP’s internal cleansing 44 cops dismissed from service
TACLOBAN CITY— About 44 police officers from the region were dismissed from service as of this month.
The dismissed police officers, whose names and ranks were not divulged, committed various violations, said Chief Inspector Ma. Bella Rentuaya, police regional information officer.
The dismissal of these policemen was the result of the investigation conducted by the RIAS (Regional Internal Affairs Service).
Rentuaya said that these policemen were discharged from service for committing offenses ranging from absent without leave(AWOL); accepting or soliciting gifts or favors; dereliction of duty; illegal possession of firearms and direct assault against an agent of the government, among others.
Two of the dismissed policemen were involved in adultery cases, the police regional information officer added.
“The dismissal of these police officers is part of the internal cleansing of the organization,” Rentuaya said.
Earlier, Police National Director Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa vowed to dismiss rogue members of the Philippine National Police (PNP) after it was discovered that some of them are engaging in illegal activities like kidnapping.
Several police officers were accused to be behind in the abduction and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo which prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the controversial “Operation: Tokhang,” his government’s campaign on illegal drugs.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
PNP says drug behind for the killing incident in Abuyog town
TACLOBAN CITY – Police authorities claimed that one of the dead bodies found inside a torched vehicle last month was said to have kept the money of an alleged drug lord who was murdered inside a penal colony in Leyte.
Thus, the incident that took place in sitio Abaca, Barangay Balinsasayao in Abuyog town last January 27 could be considered as drug-related, said Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar, regional police director.
Killed inside the vehicle was Bernardino Remolador, 44 and his live-in partner Jennifer Corsiga,25.
Remolador was said to have kept huge amount of drug money of Edgardo Alvarez alias Egay who was killed inside the Abuyog Penal Colony, Abuyog town, last August 11, 2016.
Alvarez, a known drug pusher, was killed while a search warrant was being served to him for alleged possession of drugs and firearms by the members of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).
The dead bodies of Remolador and Corsiga were discovered at about 6 am on Jan. 26 by PO1 Marco Alexis Mercado who is assigned at Regional Public Security Battalion (RPSB) based in Tacloban City.
Mercado immediately sought the assistance of the Abuyog police with the members of the scene of the crime (Soco) led by Chief Inspector Edwin Zata processed the crime scene.
Also found inside the burned vehicle Toyota Avanza 1.3M/T with plate number YGC957, color silver, was a service firearm.
It was also learned that the vehicle was owned by the younger brother of Remolador, Fernando who resides in Libangon, Cebu City.
Beltejar said that investigation on this grisly killing is ongoing though they have already some leads who could be behind on the incident. (VICKY C. ARNAIZ)
SSS cuts 2017 Opex by P1B
The Social Security System (SSS) has cut down its 2017 budget for operating expenses (Opex) by P1 billion as it seeks measures to improve its financial performance.
Dean Amado Valdez, Chairman of the Social Security Commission (SSC) said that from the original proposal of P13.22 billion, the SSC board has only approved the allocation of P12.21 billion for operating expenses, which is 54 percent of the Charter’s limit or 5.7 percent of total revenue.
“SSS has seen improvement in its profitability as a result of cost-efficiency measures that greatly reduced expenditures from 2010 to 2016. With the P1-billion budget cut, we can maintain SSS expenses at levels that will help shore up the agency’s profits for 2017,” Valdez explained.
Relatedly, SSS President and Chief Executive Officer Emmanuel Dooc assured the public of SSS’ strict attention to its duties, particularly the prudent allocation of SSS funds for expenditure.
“With close supervision by the SSC and Governance Commission for GOCCs, the pension fund is kept afloat amid the low-growth environment of the market through management activities that conscientiously comply with the discharge of our fiduciary responsibilities,” Dooc said.
He explained that SSS costs of operating activities had remained below its allowed Charter limit at an average ratio of 59 percent over the past seven years or at 5.9 percent of total revenue. Despite an annual average increase of eight percent in volume of transactions processed by the agency, it has run the cost of its operations with a moderate increase in opex by six percent every year. Taking out inflation, the rate increase is effectively at three percent.
“This continued prudence was achieved amid branch expansion activities and system-wide upgrades that paved the way for growth in membership and collections across the region,” Dooc noted.
He added that SSS will determine how low operating expenses could be further reduced without compromising its operations.
Latest data from the agency showed that SSS has posted P10 billion in total expenses last year, comprised of payments made for the salaries, wages and bonuses of employees; and for maintenance of branches, rent and other operating costs.
The salaries and bonuses of SSS officials have been the subject of criticisms levelled at the SSS in debates around the pension hike issue. SSS, in its previous statements, clarified that these have been capped not only for SSS but across all GOCCs with the enactment of the GOCC Governance Act and Executive Order 24 in 2011.
SSS has 6,000 employees deployed across its 296 branches nationwide and abroad. It has a membership base of over 34 million at present, of which two million are receiving pensions. (PR)
Northern Samar town declared as “drug free”
BOBON, Northern Samar- Their fight against the proliferation of illegal drugs resulted for the town’s declaration as a “drug-free.”
The declaration was made official during a ceremony held on February 1 at the municipal covered court and attended by police and local officials led by Mayor Reny Celespara and S/Supt. Cezar Zafiro Tannagan, police provincial director.
Earlier, the municipal council passed a resolution declaring the town as drug free, in particular, 13 of its 18 barangays which were considered as the most influenced of illegal drugs.
With the declaration, Bobon became the first local government unit in the region to be declared as drug free.
The national government under President Rodrigo Duterte initiated an all-out war against the proliferation of illegal drugs.
During the activity, 247 former drug users surrendered before the local officials, affirming that they would no longer use the illicit drugs.
One of the former drug users, Chito Lustico, made a testimony saying that the illegal drugs did nothing helpful to him but only cause destruction to him and his loved ones.
“It’s not yet too late to abandon this bad vice. This will only kill us. I’ve been using illegal drugs for nearly 20 years and I gained nothing good from it,” he said.
Lustico lauded the government for coming up with a program that would help former drug users like him to become a good citizen of the community.
Meantime, Mayor Celespara said that former drug dependents are not considered, at least by him, as enemies but victims.
He reminded the public that fighting illegal drugs have been a part of his crusade since he entered public office, starting from being a village chairman.
“I initiated for the dismantling of a drug group especially, drug users through alternative livelihood and learnings for the victims. We must be very thankful to the PNP leadership for this declaration and must not stop in monitoring any illegal drug activities,” the town mayor said. (PETER D. PAREDES)