ALBUERA, Leyte- Alleged hit men of Kerwin Espinosa have surrendered to the local police as they vowed to cooperate in the investigation against the region’s top drug lord.
Ruel Manidlangan,45, and Buan Anthony, who was also known as Tonypet Zaldivar, voluntarily surrendered to Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, town police chief.
The two claimed to be hit men of Espinosa who remain at-large and faces a shoot on sight order issued by no less than Police Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa.
The two vowed to cooperate in the police investigation on the illegal drug trade of Espinosa and his father, Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa by executing affidavits.
Manidlangan and Zaldivar decided to surrender out of fear and tired of being on the run.
“Sometimes you’re just relieved that it’s over. I don’t want now to endanger the lives of my family especially my children,” Manidlangan, father to seven children, said.
According to him, it was Kerwin who facilitated for his release at the Ormoc City Jail and offered him to work as his security guard.
Meantime, Espenido said that they are still waiting for the court to issue a warrant of arrest against the embattled mayor and his son.
Cases for illegal possession of firearms and illegal drugs have been filed against the Espinosas.
Espenido said the court is still reviewing all affidavits and documents submitted by the police.
Warrants are expected to be issued against the two if the court finds the complaints strong enough and with basis.
According to Espenido, filing cases against the Espinosas will be the start in making the town of Albuera free from illegal drugs and make it a peaceful town again.
(JAZMIN BONIFACIO)
2 hit men of Kerwin surrendered to police
Catbalogan mayor pushes sea tides as source of power
Photo Credit Mayor Steph FB Page
CATBALOGAN CITY- Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan disclosed of her plan to convert electricity source from the two major bays located in the city. The mayor made this disclosure during her talks before 40 mayors from different parts of the world at the Seoul Mayors Forum on Climate Change 2016 held in Seoul, South Korea on September 1-2.
The Catbalogan city mayor said that Maqueda and Irong-Irong Bays can be good sources of power using the technology on tidal energy power generation. Tidal energy or tidal power is described as a form of hydropower that converts the energy of tides into electricity. Special buoys, turbines, and other technologies capture the power of waves and tides and convert it into clean, pollution-free electricity. The mayor said that using the new technology, the city government of Catbalogan, in the process, applies the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM). Uy-Tan said that the project could also be used in promoting eco-adventure tourism and aquaculture and help the fishing industry of Catbalogan to become more vibrant and address problem on over-fishing by eco-system approach.
“Why eco-system approach? Because it’s integrated approach allows trade on balancing human and ecological well-being. It allows to a more effective planning and it increase stakeholder’s participation,” Uy-Tan said during her talk, a video transcript of which was obtained by Leyte Samar Daily Express. The Seoul Mayors Forum on Climate Change 2016 highlights the many ways in which cities can scale up their plans through sustainable procurement. Seoul launched the Global Lead City Network on Sustainable Procurement in partnership with ICLEI International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) to create a worldwide network of leading cities using this direct and practical tool to tackle climate change. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
65 families in remote Leyte village avail housing project from DSWD
TACLOBAN CITY – A housing project was turned over by the Department of Social Welfare and Development through its poverty-alleviation project Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi- CIDSS). The P10.5 million project, funded by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) with a counterpart of P1.3 million from the provincial and local government units benefited 65 families of Barangay Balatson, Burauen, Leyte.
Balatson, a small community that is prone to landslide and flooding, is inhabited by 270 people. The construction of the houses was finished within 140 days by community members of Balatson following the Community-Driven Development (CDD) approach with technical assistance from Kalahi-CIDSS and the local government unit of Burauen. “This is a dream come true. All our sacrifices and tears are worth it and we are very thankful”, Chona Maurillo, barangay chairwoman, said. Their Yolanda experience had driven them to take action to look for better and safer place for their village, she said. Kalahi-CIDSS regional program coordinator Babes Sequito reminded the beneficiaries to take care of their houses and start building better community in their new site just like the way they built their houses.
“Above all, this is not just about the construction of your houses or its infrastructure. Kalahi-CIDSS program is also about building better relationships of your community and your family”, Sequito emphasized. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
DPWH allocates P3 million for water collection system
TACLOBAN CITY – A budget of P 3.2 million has been allocated by the 2nd Leyte Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways(2nd LED-DPWH) for the installation of 20 rainwater collection system (RWCS) in the district.
The implementation of the RWCS is in compliance with RA 6716 which mandates for the construction of water wells, rainwater collectors, development of springs and rehabilitation of existing water wells in several barangays.
Rainwater harvesting is the accumulation and deposition of rainwater for reuse on-site, rather than allowing it to run off.
Rainwater can be collected from rivers or roofs, and in many places, the water collected is redirected to a deep pit, a reservoir with percolation, or collected from dew or fog with nets or other tools.
The feasibility of rainwater harvesting in a particular locality is highly dependent upon the amount and intensity of rainfall.
The DPWH has come up with prototypes of rainwater collector system that would harvest, collect, and store rainwater from the roof or from a groundwater catchment or multi-purpose pavement for use during dry season.
Based on the DPWH prototype, the RWCS should have a reinforced ground storage tank, with capacity of 3,200 litters of water capacity.
2nd District Engineer Carlos Veloso said priorities for the project are public schools and markets.
“Schools without access to potable water facilities are the top priorities for this project while public markets are also targeted,” Veloso said.
As RWCS uses existing structures not specially constructed for the purpose, rainwater harvesting has few negative environmental impacts compared to other water supply project technologies.
Rainwater harvesting can satisfy the ever increasing demand for water supply as rainwater harvested can also be used for several agricultural and environmental purposes.
The RWCS project is also part of the government’s efforts to promote water conservation to address the diminishing freshwater supply due to over extraction of groundwater, water pollution, inefficient water infrastructure and climate change. (AHLETTE C. REYES)
Mayor Espinosa files motion seeking dismissal of charges against him
With the hope to turn as state witness
ORMOC CITY- Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. filed his counter affidavit at the City Prosecutor’s Office, this city, on Monday afternoon on the charges filed against him.
Espinosa, tightly guarded by police men and accompanied by his lawyer, hope that his motion would be granted which would result to the dismissal of the charges filed against him.
Espinosa, father of Kerwin, said to be the top drug lord in the region, was charged for trading of illegal drugs, possession of firearms and ammunitions before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office based in Tacloban City. During an August 10 raid conducted at his residence in Barangay Binulho, Albuera, packs of shabu valued at P88 million and more than 30 high power firearms and ammunitions were recovered by the police authorities.
The embattled Albuera mayor is also facing murder charges related to killing incidents that took place in his town during the May 9 elections. A lawyer of Espinosa, who refused to give her name, said that the counter affidavit filed by her client intend to dismiss all the charges filed against him that could result for him to apply under the government’s Witness Protection Program. Earlier, Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar said that it is up to the Department of Justice to determine whether Espinosa could qualify as a possible state witness. Espinosa had earlier executed an affidavit naming several high ranking police officials, government officials and a former Secretary as their protectors as they engage in their illegal drug trade. (JAZMIN BONIFACIO)
No Tacloban-Clark flights
TACLOBAN CITY – Air passengers using the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport could now sigh of relief.
The controversial and much opposed plan to reroute the Tacloban-Manila flights to Clark International Airport in Pampanga has been scrapped.
The decision to cancel the plan was made known by Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) Executive Director Carmelo Arcilla in a letter on August 30 to the Regional Development Council (RDC).
Part of the communication said that “Tacloban was no longer the prime candidate for reduction of capacity to Manila.”
“The Cebu Pacific group mentioned that it would instead start complying with the President’s directive by doubling its Clark-Cebu operations while the Philippine Airlines and Air Asia groups committed to study their network further and make announcement of outstations to be rerouted,” Arcilla said.
Arcilla, whose office approves the air routes of the carriers, admitted that concerns raised by the businessmen in the region prompted them to consider the consequences of this “drastic move.”
The rerouting scheme was met with strong opposition from business sector in the region as its congressmen threatened to call a congressional inquiry on the matter branding it as “anti-poor.”
“While the suggestion of Tacloban is a move forward, the government must not actually dictate where the airlines reduce capacity of transfer the same to Clark. What’s more, there should be other routes in the suggestion box, to prevent singling out of any provincial airport,” the CAB said, citing the earlier statement of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier directed the Department of Transportation to decongest the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and increase flights at Clark International Airport in Pampanga.
Arcilla vowed to consider the RDC’s position would there be any changes to the Tacloban – Manila route.
In its meeting on Aug. 31, the RDC approved a resolution of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Eastern Visayas chapter urging the transportation department to reconsider the rerouting of all Tacloban-Manila flights to Clark.
The group argued that rerouting will hurt the tourism industry, adjustment in airfares, increase land transportation cost, adjustment of airfreight cost, longer travel time, and inconvenience to passengers.
Tourism stakeholders questioned why the transportation department picked Tacloban for the pilot rerouting when disaster-stricken communities are “still picking up the pieces” after the 2013 supertyphoon “Yolanda” left a trail of destruction.
Various groups in the region aired their concerns after Tugade announced in a Senate hearing on Aug. 10 that the three airlines – Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines, and Air Asia – agreed to transfer all Tacloban-Manila flights to Clark.
The Tacloban’s Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport, one of country’s busiest airports, is a gateway to Leyte, Biliran, Southern Leyte, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar provinces.
In the first quarter of 2016, NEDA reported some 311,944 inbound and outbound passengers at the airport. Last year, there were 1.14 million passengers who used the facility. – by: Sarwell Q. Minaiano