PALO, Leyte- PNP Chief Director General Ronald de la Rosa issued a stern warning to the police provincial director of Samar to dismantle immediately the private armed groups(PAGs) operating in the province.
The warning was made by de la Rosa during a press conference with the presence of police regional officials to include S/Supt. Elmer Pelobello.
de la Rosa, who attended the 115th police service anniversary of the PNP-8 on Tuesday (Sept.13), met some family members of those killed alledegely by members of a private armed group in Calbayog City.
“Dismantle them all, I don’t care whether they belong to the Tans or to the Sarmientos. My order is for you to dismantle them,” the police chief said.
“Gibain at ubusin mo lahat yan.Kung hindi ere-relieve kita. Kailangan natin ma maintain ang mataas na respeto nang tao sa police ngayon.Kailangan mawala na ang PAGs na yan sa Samar,” de la Rosa added.
de la Rosa was referring to the family of Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan and former congressman and Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento.
Gov. Tan and Sarmiento, brother of incumbent Rep.Edgar Sarmiento, had earlier denied that they maintain their own private armed groups.
Both officials had called on the police hierarchy to break the presence of PAGs in the province, particularly in the first district of the province like in Calbayog and Santa Margarita.
The presence of PAGs in the province has been tagged as reason for the spate of killings mostly involving political supporters of warring politicians in the province.
The presence of PAGS in Calbayog came about again after six barangay officials were killed by PAGs.
Calbayog City Mayor Ronald Aquino personally asked the head of the country’s police force for assistance which include deployment of additional police personnel.
But Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar, police regional director, said that there is already enough police presence in the area coupled with the augmentation by soldiers belonging to the 803d Infantry Brigade.
He also assured the family members of those who were killed by PAGs that the police are doing its best to track down those responsible.
Meantime, Col. Mario Lacurom, commanding officer of the 803rd IB, told Leyte Samar Daily Express in an interview that they were mandated by their central command to address the series of killing incidents in Calbayog which he described as “alarming.”
Lacurom said that Army troops have already been deployed to different areas in the 1st district of Samar with the mission to maintain peace and order in the area and to disarm, arrest all lawless elements such as the private armed groups in Samar.
(JAZMIN BONIFACIO)

TACLOBAN CITY-The Philippine Army will help in the call to dismantle the private armed groups (PAGs) operating in Samar province.
Colonel Mario Lacurom, commanding officer of the 803rd Infantry Brigade based in Catarman, Northern Samar, said that they have deployed Army personnel to help man checkpoints and conduct operations against individuals who have standing warrants, particularly in Calbayog City.
“This is also part of the intensified operation of the PNP, AFP with the indefinite (declaration of the) state of national emergency on account of lawless violence that was declared by our President,” Lacurom explained.
“We will help in maintaining peace in the area and partly running after lawless elements in Calbayog,” he added.
But the Army officer appeal for the cooperation of the public for them to neutralize the PAGs.
“The only way to break down the armed groups is when people say that they do not support them and they want them to be out of their place,” Lacurom said.
During his visit to the region on Tuesday (Sept.13), Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa issued an order for the Samar police to dismantle the PAGs particularly in Calbayog City.
Calbayog Mayor Ronald Aquino personally appealed to de la Rosa for the dismantling of PAGs in his city.
The spate of killing incidents that happened in Calbayog was blamed on the PAGs believed to be controlled and maintained by certain local politicians.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

CARIGARA, Leyte- The National Housing Authority (NHA) will build 3,224 housing units intended for families living in areas considered as flood-prone and in coastal villages.
The construction of houses is part of the assistance by the national government in the aftermath of supertyphoon ‘Yolanda’ that hit Leyte in 2013.
The construction of the houses is now underway.
The resettlement sites are located in Barangays Parag-om consisting of 1,524 units and Cabdigahub involving 680 units. The government has allocated P1 billion for this housing project.
But Mayor Eduardo Ong disclosed that the transfer of the intended beneficiaries to the resettlement sites could be hampered due to the condition set by the NHA.
“They have to destroy their houses before the new units will be awarded to them. It would be difficult because it is where their livelihoods are.Maybe they can stay in their old house during mornings and go home in their new house during evenings,”Ong said, referring to the condition set by NHA.
Ong admits that the LGU cannot afford to provide livelihoods to all residents in the relocation sites.
He said he hope the NHA will reconsider their condition. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

ORMOC CITY- A group of American and Filipino soldiers met with Mayor Richard Gomez of this city to discuss the holding of a “Balikatan” exercises slated next year.
Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, who met the group on Thursday (Sept. 14), has expressed his support to their proposal to help enhance the peace and order situation in the city.
Making the city secure in so far as its peace and order is concerned is one of the priorities of Mayor Gomez saying this could lead to investors coming to Ormoc.
The planned Balikatan exercises in Ormoc are slated April next year.
Balikatan exercises are designed to maintain and develop the security relationship between the Philippines and the US armed forces through crisis-action planning, humanitarian assistance, enhanced training to counter terrorism and promoting inter-operability of the forces.
Captain Louis Kalmar, humanitarian and civic assistance planner of the Philippine-US Balikatan program, said that aside from the enhanced military training there will be medical mission, humanitarian assistance like constructing new school buildings and toilets in classrooms, renovations of school buildings, providing books and learning materials and other capabilities intended for students in the communities.
Asked if the move of President Rodrigo Duterte to pull out the US Armed Forces in Mindanao will not affect the planned Balikatan, Gomez said that since the move to pull them out is not yet final, it is best to push through with the initial talks to do Balikatan here.
“What will benefit most the people of Ormoc, will always be my priority,” Gomez said.
Kalmar said they planned to return to Ormoc on December to cement the Balikatan 2017. (VICKY C. ARNAIZ)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) and Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc. (BCFI) formally turned over to the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) the Mother and Child Hospital designed to help bring down the maternal mortality rate in the region.
Health Sec. Paulyn Ubial led in the turnover of the four-level facility located within the complex of the new EVRMC at Barangay Cabalawan on Sept.8
The government constructed the new facility located at the city’s Cabalawan village through a P300 million donation from BCFI, a corporate social responsibility arm of Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels, Inc. chaired by billionaire Enrique Razon, Jr.
This is the first building completed at the new regional hospital site in the northern part of the city. The facility had its soft opening early last month.
“The (operation) of this facility is also design to help bring down the mortality rate (here in the region),” Ubial said, noting that the facility is equipped with state-of- the- art facilities.
Eastern Visayas has one of the highest mortality death rates at more than a 100 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
The Mother and Child building is designed to accommodate at least 150 patients.
At present, one doctor is on a 24- hour duty at the new facility assisted by 24 nurses.
Each room of the facility is equipped with built-in oxygen machine, ceiling fan, sink and bathroom.
Ubial said the project is a product of public-private partnership in the bid to provide better health services to poor Filipinos.
“We need everybody’s cooperation and assistance to make the health system work in this country. This building is a work of everybody – private sector, national government, local government, and hospital staff. They are all part of the growth and development,” Ubial said.
Senator Panfilo Lacson was present during the inauguration. He was one of the officials who looked for donors for the project in his capacity as Presidential Adviser for Rehabilitation and Recovery during the early phase of post-Yolanda recovery.
“This looks like a private hospital. This is a product of private sector initiative,” Lacson said.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)