ORMOC CITY– Agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) dismantled a suspected drug den and arrested three individuals during a buy-bust operation on March 28 at around 11:25 pm in Barangay 62, Tacloban City.

PDEA Region 8 Director III Bryan Babang identified the arrested individuals as alias “Niko” (maintainer), alias “Taloy” (employee), and alias “Carding” (visitor), all legal-age, married, and residents of the area.

The operation targeted “Niko,” from whom an undercover agent purchased a sachet of suspected shabu worth P500.

A subsequent search, conducted in the presence of mandated witnesses, led to the recovery of five additional sachets of the white crystalline substance, weighing approximately 10.19 grams with an estimated street value of P69,292. Authorities also confiscated assorted drug paraphernalia.

The suspects were informed of their rights under the Miranda Doctrine in a language they understood before being taken into custody.

They now face charges for violating Sections 5 (sale of illegal drugs) and 11 (possession of illegal drugs) of Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. They are currently detained at the PDEA detention facility in Palo, Leyte.

(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY– Calling for public vigilance, the Regional Alternative Child Care Office (RACCO) in Eastern Visayas is intensifying its campaign against online child trafficking, urging citizens to report explicit online and social media content exploiting children.
RACCO recently intercepted two child trafficking incidents, one in Northern Samar and another in Dagami, Leyte.

Authorities rescued an infant and a toddler from illegal baby selling in San Roque, Northern Samar, and two siblings from a trafficking incident in Barangay Guinarona, Dagami, Leyte. The victims are now in shelters awaiting adoption.

Josamae Sedillo, RACCO officer-in-charge, said the agency is providing a robust and accessible legal adoption framework to reduce the appeal of illicit online child adoption channels and combat trafficking facilitated through social media.

RACCO continues to collaborate with law enforcement, educational institutions and local communities to strengthen prevention and response capabilities, Sedillo said.

She emphasized the crucial role of public support in reporting trafficking activities and preventing improper adoption procedures.

“The public is our best source for information, so we are tapping their help,” Sedillo said.
RACCO also promotes its core functions, including streamlined adoption and alternative childcare processes, as mandated by Republic Act 11642.

The agency handles the issuance of Certification Declaring a Child Legally Available for Adoption (CDCLAA), domestic administrative adoption, inter-country adoption, foster care, rectification of simulated birth pursuant to Republic Act 11222, and other forms of alternative care.

RACCO is now responsible for adoption cases withdrawn from court, new administrative adoption petitions, new adoptive parent applications, inter-country adoption clearance, foster care and simulated birth rectification procedures, disrupted pre-adoptive placement procedures, adoption order registration, adoption rescission petitions, and travel clearances for cases under the National Authority for Child Care (NACC) jurisdiction.

(ACR/PIA Leyte)

In Northern Samar

ORMOC CITY – A drug personality listed as a street level individual (SLI) in the local police’s drug watchlist voluntarily surrendered to authorities at 10 am on March 26, 2025, at the San Isidro Municipal Police Station (MPS) in Brgy. Poblacion Sur, San Isidro, Northern Samar.

Police identified the surrenderee as alias “Relan,” 28, a farmer and resident of Purok 8, Brgy. Alegria.

According to San Isidro police, Relan surrendered following a visit from police operatives conducting Oplan Tokhang, a campaign encouraging drug suspects to voluntarily cooperate with authorities.

He underwent documentation, booking, and mugshots before executing an affidavit of undertaking, expressing his willingness to cooperate by providing information on illegal drug activities.

After completing the process, Relan was allowed to return home.

(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has cited the Biliran’s childcare facility Bahay Pag-Asa Center for achieving Level 3 accreditation, the first institution of its kind in the country to receive this recognition.

The Level 3 accreditation is given to a child-caring institution like those for Child in Conflict with the Law (CICL) that has met the highest standard in key areas, including governance, case management, intervention programs, and sustainable management for rehabilitation programs dedicated to CICL.

Republic Act 9344, otherwise known as the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, mandates provinces and highly urbanized cities to have a Bahay Pag-asa Center, accredited number as which is about 114 as of end-2023, acccording to the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Council (JJWC).

Lissa Bermillo, provincial social welfare and development officer, said on Monday that among the strategies they made was the prioritization of staff training and strong linkages with medical professionals for psychological interventions of its residents.

She added that since they have reached Level 3, they will sustain the technical assistance given by the JJWC and the Biliran provincial government.

“Despite these achievements, we still need to regularize the staff in the center. That’s the goal. Our facilities also need to be improved, making the structure better and providing a sufficient covered recreational area,” Bermillo said.

The structural improvement is meant to prevent runaway cases, which the center has encountered albeit minimal, she said.

The local government built the center in Larrazabal village in Naval, Biliran, in 201 for CICLs facing rape, murder, and theft charges.

Currently, the center shelters 10 CICLs who are still undergoing mitigation.

The Bahay Pag-Asa is a 24-hour child-caring institution, providing short-term residential care for children aged above 15 but below 18, and who are awaiting court disposition of their cases or transfer to other agencies or jurisdictions.

(with reports from Christian Dave Noseñas & Cherry Mae Tabuena, OJTs/PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY– In November 2024, Eastern Visayas registered a balance of trade in goods (BoT-G) at USD -200.12 million. This widened the region’s trade deficit from USD -8.16 million in the same month of 2023.

Meanwhile, external trade in goods amounted to USD 570.16 million in November 2024. This indicated a 7.4 percent increase compared with the USD 530.98 million total trade in November 2023.

Of the total external trade in November 2024, 32.5 percent were exported goods, while 67.5 were imported goods.

The total export value in November 2024 was USD 185.02 million, indicating a 29.2 percent annual decline from the USD 261.41 million export in November 2023.

The total volume of goods exported by the region in November 2024 was 78.85 million kilograms, lower by 24.9 percent compared with the 104.93 million kilograms of exports in November 2023. Copper and articles thereof commodity group dominated the export market in November 2024 at USD 125.74 million.

This accounted for more than two-thirds (68.0%) of the total value of exports during the month in review. The People’s Republic of China was the main export market with USD 82.37 million (44.5%) worth of exports in November 2024.

The total import value posted an annual increase of 42.9 percent to USD 385.14 million in November 2024 from the USD 269.57 million import value in November 2023. The total volume of goods imported into the region in November 2024 was 188.42 million kilograms, lower by 18.3 percent than the 230.64 million kilograms in November 2023.

The commodity group of ores, slag and ash valued at USD 355.15 million comprised the bulk (92.2%) of the total value of imports in November 2024.

The major import supplier in November 2024 was Australia with USD 148.59 million or 38.6 percent of the total value of imports. (PR)