Due to delayed ‘Yolanda’ housing projects

TACLOBAN CITY- The committee on urban housing and urban development is mulling for a possible filing of criminal charges against National Housing Authority and the contractors it hired relative to the construction of housing units for families who lost their houses due to super typhoon ‘Yolanda.’
The committee, chaired by Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, conducted a public inquiry here in Tacloban City Friday(Sept.1) on the status of housing units constructed in the aftermath of Yolanda’s onslaught.
Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, a member of the committee, said that he does not only see “massive corruption” on the Yolanda fund but sees criminal negligence why four years since the catastrophe hit Eastern Visayas, NHA and its assigned contractors have yet to finish the housing projects.
“Definitely, there is a massive corruption in the implementation of this housing project. The mere fact that the implementation is much delayed; they have deprived the people of their assistance and their needs,” Evardone said.
He also alleged that based on their ocular inspection of a housing project in Hernani, Eastern Samar, last Thursday(August 31), the project was “substandard,” without elaborating.
Hernani is one of the towns in the region that was devastated by Yolanda in 2013.
Up to this time, the construction of the 989 houses intended for typhoon survivors have yet to be finished. The construction of these houses started in 2015.
Rep. Vicente Veloso, another committee and from Leyte, said that the fact that the project has long delayed could constitute of criminal negligence on the part of the NHA and its contractors.
“We will just fix the factual basis that we will file to the Department of Justice and its now up to the DOJ to file the appropriate action,” he said.
Of the more than 205,000 housing units intended for areas hit by Yolanda, only 71,930 have been occupied.
In Tacloban City, considered as the ground zero of the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland, only 9,801 housing units have been occupied out of the 14,433 housing units spread on the 11 resettlement sites in the city.
Rizalde Mediavillo, NHA regional manager, however, said that on his level, he can assure the public that the project was above board.
“I can say that at the regional level, there is no corruption. And those houses that we deemed to have been constructed below the standards, we ask the constructors to fix them,” he said.
He also said that the remaining 4,632 would be completed by 2019.
Asked why the Yolanda housing projects are facing delays, Mediavillo said that lack of land titles of the identified resettlement sites and no takers among contractors to the projects were the factors for the delay.
Rep. Benitez said that to solve this problem, it was agreed that tax declaration should be considered by the Commission on Audit which earlier wanted that land titles be required in procuring lots for resettlement sites and if local government units are willing, for them to undertake the housing project themselves.

BY: JOEY A. GABIETA/ROEL T. AMAZONA

Cruz lauds Beltejar for his accomplishments

PALO, Leyte- Police Chief Superintendent Gilbert Cruz assumed the post as the new director of the Philippine National Police here in the region on Wednesday (August 30)as he vowed to continue the campaign on illegal drugs that saw success under the administration of his predecessor.
Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar stepped down from the post he held for more than a year after he reached the mandatory retirement age of 56.
Cruz, prior to his assignment here in Eastern Visayas, served as the chief of the Police Community Relations Group in Camp Crame.
The new regional police director was said to be behind some successful programs of the Philippine National Police to shore up its image like the ‘Gwapulis, ‘PO1 Bato’ mascot and the public service ‘Itaga mo sa Bato: TEXT BATO 2286.”
In his speech, C/Supt. Cruz praised his predecessor for his accomplishments particularly on the campaign on the illegal drugs.
In particular, Cruz mentioned the achievement of Beltejar in the dismantling of the drug syndicate headed by slain Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa and his son Kerwin.
Cruz also cited the filing of cases against the suspect of the bombing incident in Hilongos, Leyte, Yusuf Macato.
The turnover rite, held at the grounds of the PNP regional headquarters, was attended by several local officials in the region. Among them was Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and Palo town Mayor Remedios ‘Matin’ Petilla.
Cruz also assures that he will continue to work and even strengthen the relationship with other stakeholders as practiced by his successor.
“It is exceptional and noteworthy and I will definitely continue. You have touched the grassroots. You have involved practically all the stakeholders. Different sectors have been tapped truly adhering to the dictum that the community is the police and the police is the community,” he said.
“As I assume command as the chief of PNP-8, I am confident that we can attain the change that we Filipino people truly deserve,” he added.
The new PNP-8 regional director is a member of PNPA Class 1998 and is a two-time Ten Outstanding Policemen of the Philippines awardee, 2007 Country’s Outstanding Policemen in the Service, PNPA Lakan Hall of Fame, and PNP best chief of police and provincial director.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Also a former PDEA employee

TACLOBAN CITY- A son of a former town mayor in Leyte was recently arrested by authorities during a buy-bust operation that resulted in the seizure of methamphetamine worth P2.5 million.
Arrested was Julius Katangkatang, 35, a former employee of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) during the August 29 operation outside a hotel in the city at about 8:45 in the evening.
Katangkatang, who went AWOL (absence without leave) as chief of PDEA-8’ dangerous drugs regulatory office, is the son of former Jaro, Leyte mayor, Floro Katangkatang, Sr.
His elder brother, Floro Jr., works as PDEA agent.
Alex Tablado, chief operation officer of PDEA, said that a member of the Tacloban City Police Office acted as buyer-poseur during the anti-drug operation against Katangkatang at Barangay 33, this city.
“We have to use a city police as the buyer. Otherwise, the transaction would not prosper considering that he (Katangkatang) knew us,” Tablado said.
Seized from the suspect were 300 grams of methamphetamine estimated with a street value of P2.5 million, the biggest haul so far for this year of anti-illegal drug operations in Eastern Visayas.
Also confiscated from Katangkatang was the marked money of P10,000.
The suspect is now detained at the Tacloban City Police and charged with selling and possession of prohibited drugs.
Meantime, Tablado clarified that the father of the suspect and his elder brother are not connected to any illegal drug activity.
“We are also conducting our investigation as to where he sourced the prohibited drug and when he exactly started this illegal activity,” he said.
Katangkatang, who worked with PDEA for seven years, went AWOL last February of this year and was dropped from its roll last August 1.
Since the start of the year, PDEA was able to seize 410 grams of shabu valued at P2 million and arrested 726 people.
(JOEY A.GABIETA/JAZMIN BONIFACIO)