CATARMAN, Northern Samar-The police director of Northern Samar, Senior Supt. Ceasar Tannagan, was relieved from his post amid allegation of sexual molestation complaint filed by his secretary.
Tannagan, who assumed his post last October last year, was replaced effective Thursday (August 24) by Senior Supt. Felix Diloy, who was previously assigned at the logistics of the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police in Palo, Leyte.
Tannagan was temporarily detailed at the Regional Personnel Holding and Accounting Unit of the PNP-8.
Tannagan did not attend the turnover ceremony presided by S/Supt. Nicerio Obaob, regional chief directorial staff of the PNP-8.
The axed provincial director is facing a complaint of attempted rape from his 30-year old secretary who claimed that she was kissed and tried to touch her private parts in separate occasions this month.
Tannagan, however, denied the charges as he pleaded his innocence and right to privacy.
He also said that he was surprised that he was charged by the alleged victim.
The victim has just been with him as one of his secretaries for just two months. She was said to have been reassigned to a still undisclosed PNP office.
The alleged victim filed her complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman and at the regional PNP headquarters.
Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar, police regional director, said that if proven guilty, Tannagan should face the charge filed against him.
He even said that he would make sure that the investigation would be hastened.
(RACHEL ARNAIZ with
report from JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- Students and other cause-oriented groups from this city held their protest rally to dramatize their demand that justice be served to the family of student Kian Loyd de los Santos last Monday(August 21).
The protest rally was initiated by the Kabataan Lihuk Magaaral (KLM) of University of the Philippines and the Partido Lakas Masa (PLM)-Sanlakas.
The protestors said that they are joining the family of Kian and other groups demanding that justice be served to the 17-year old student who died at the hands of Caloocan City police during an operation.
The groups also call that so-called extrajudicial killings be ended in the course of the brutal campaign on anti-illegal drugs being waged by administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“We are doing this to fight for the rights of everyone who is a victim of war on drugs because this campaign killed a lot of innocent people like Kian Loyd de los Santos,” Larry Pascua, head of Partido Lakas Masa, said.
Pascua further said that the rally was organized coinciding on the death anniversary of former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino who they claimed to be a victim of injustice during the Marcos regime.
The rally, according to Pascua, would be the start for human rights activists to fight criminalities and injustices in order to protect their own rights.
“We are here to stand as the voice for those who are afraid to speak out and to push forward the rights of the people, “Pascua said. (JESSICA A. OLEVO, LNU Student Intern)

TACLOBAN CITY- A committee of the House of Representatives will conduct its inquiry over the “slow pace” on the construction of houses intended for families who lost their houses due to super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ here in the city next week.
The committee on housing and urban development, chaired by Rep. Alfred Benitez, will conduct their probe on September 1 with officials of various government agencies involved in the Yolanda housing projects like the National Housing Authority(NHA) will be present.
Earlier, Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone filed a resolution before the Lower House seeking for an investigation over the delayed construction of houses intended for survivors of Yolanda that pummeled the region in 2013.
It was learned that prior to the committee hearing, the committee members will conduct their site inspection in a resettlement site in Hernani, Eastern Samar on August 31.
Hernani was one of the towns in Eastern Samar that sustained severe damages due to Yolanda. During their visit, the congressmen will meet with local officials as well as families who were identified to occupy the housing units.
About P20 billion was earlier earmarked that was supposed to be used for the construction of resettlement sites in Eastern Visayas.
Close to four years after the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland, the construction of these housing units has yet to be finished.
Among of reasons cited by the NHA for the slow pace of the projects were land acquisitions, bad weather, and issuances of needed clearances and documents.
The NHA is to build more than 14,400 housing units in Tacloban with only 8, 806 completed.
Also, about 6,089 of these units have been occupied.
Meantime, in Eastern Samar, housing demand is 7,573. About 454 units have been completed with only 199 occupied.
(JAZMIN BONIFACIO)

PALO, Leyte- The chief of the Philippine National Police supports the proposal for police personnel to wear body camera during their police operations.
Police Director General Ronald “Bato’ de la Rosa said that he does not see anything wrong if policemen would be wearing body cameras as this could dispel any impression that they are not doing right during their operations.
“I don’t have any problem with it, I totally agree with it,” said Dela Rosa in a media interview on Tuesday (August 22) as he served as the guest of honor during the 116th anniversary of the Philippine National Police held here.
He said that if policemen will wear cameras during their operations, this could be used as evidence to any allegations against them who accused them of not following protocol during their operations.
“If somebody accused a policeman, he can present the body camera recording as evidence to his defense,” de la Rosa said.
But the police director general said that huge amount of money needed to procure these body cameras may just stall its implementation.
“This requires a budget. I hope our senators will help us to have a budget so that we can issue body cameras to all police operatives,” de la Rosa said.
The call for policemen to wear body cameras during their operation came after the gruesome killing of 17-year old student Kian Loyd de los Santos.
Police operatives from Caloocan City claimed that the student fought back which resulted for them to shoot him.
But this claim received rebuked from the public.
The family of Kian insisted that he was killed and that he was not into illegal drug activity.
Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who made the proposal, said that body camera will be a “powerful tool and evidence” to hold police scalawags accountable for administrative and criminal liabilities when they abuse their authority while performing their duty. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)