ORMOC CITY– A 55-year-old widow was arrested by local police in Barangay Madao, Kawayan, Biliran on Tuesday afternoon, January 14, after a court issued a warrant of arrest against her for grave oral defamation.

The police identified the suspect as alias “Betty,” a jobless resident of Brgy. Madao in this municipality.

The arrest was made by virtue of a warrant issued by Judge Djhoana Gene Clemencio, presiding judge of the 1st Municipal Trial Circuit Court, Kawayan-Almeria, Biliran. The court set bail at P10,000 for her temporary release.

Authorities said the accused was informed of the charges against her and her constitutional rights in a language she understood.

Following her arrest, the suspect was brought to the Kawayan Municipal Police Station for booking and documentation before being turned over to the court for further proceedings.
(ROBERT C. DEJON)

The Philippines’ leading integrated telco network PLDT Inc.’s (PLDT) wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has expanded its network coverage in Southern Leyte by rolling out new LTE sites in the town of Saint Bernard, boosting livelihood opportunities through connectivity and technology in the province.

Among those that would benefit from these upgrades are Saint Bernard’s farmers. Southern Leyte’s economy is mostly agriculture-driven, its main crops being coconut and palay.

“Technology is a game-changer for farmers in agriculture-based provinces like Southern Leyte. With reliable connectivity, farmers can access key information such as real-time weather updates, as well as learn more about modern-day farming techniques. By harnessing technology and digital tools, our farmers can make informed decisions, reduce losses, and increase their productivity, elevating the quality of life for farmers and their families, and boosting economic growth of the province,” said Debbie M. Hu, FVP and Wireless Network Head at Smart.

Danny Balasico, president of Tambis St. Bernard Farmers Irrigators Association, expressed his delight on Smart’s network expansion in their town. “Since communication and connectivity are becoming more essential in today’s increasingly digital world, our association can benefit from this network expansion as we work toward integrating technology in our farming operations and livelihood,” he said.

Enabling them to maximize these network enhancements, PLDT and Smart also continue to deploy FarmTech packages across the country to augment the digitalization efforts of local farmers. Tambis St. Bernard Farmers Irrigators Association is the first farmer-group from Southern Leyte to receive this training kit.

The FarmTech package is a tech-driven training kit designed to assist farming communities in remote areas in implementing digital literacy programs for their farmer-members. The package contains a tablet, 10 smartphones, a SmartBro pocket WiFi with Smart Prepaid load cards, an outdoor projector, a portable sound system, and learning resources.

“We sincerely thank PLDT, Smart, and the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute Region 8 for choosing our association to be one of the beneficiaries of this package. With these tools and the enhanced connectivity in our area, we are more motivated to train our farmer-members on how to utilize mobile devices and applications to improve our farming practices,” said Balasico.

Smart’s continued investments in its network infrastructure and innovative products and services to help boost the livelihood of Filipino farmers and fisherfolk are aligned with the PLDT Group’s commitment to help the country achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), particularly UNSDG No. 1 on No Poverty, UNSDG No. 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, and UNSDG No. 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY — The Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) achieved a major breakthrough in the campaign against illegal drugs with the arrest of two high-value individuals (HVIs) and 10 street-level individuals (SLIs) in separate buy-bust operations across the region on January 13, 2025.

In Carigara, Leyte, the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) of the Carigara Municipal Police Station apprehended a high-value target identified as alias “Rolly,” a 74-year-old unemployed resident of Barangay Sagkahan. Confiscated from the suspect were 18 sachets of suspected shabu and buy-bust money.

Meanwhile, in Ormoc City, joint operatives from Ormoc City Police Station 5 (OCPS5-SDET) conducted a buy-bust operation that led to the arrest of another HVI, alias “Rom,” 54, along with three SLIs identified as “Jon,” 50, “Ake,” 53, and “Rus,” 33. Authorities seized six sachets of suspected shabu and buy-bust money during the operation.

In a separate operation in Brgy. Matapay, Hilongos, Leyte, seven SLIs were arrested by the Station Drug Enforcement Unit (SDEU) of the Hilongos Municipal Police Station.

The suspects were identified as “Jensen,” 39, “Paul,” 36, “Nelson,” 29, “Raul,” 30, “Jeff,” 32, “Jun,” 28, and “Leo,” 40. Confiscated during the operation were ten sachets of suspected shabu, buy-bust money, and various drug paraphernalia.

All confiscated evidence was properly marked and inventoried in the presence of the suspects and witnesses.

The recovered sachets of shabu were submitted to the Regional Forensic Unit 8 for examination to determine their weight and drug value.

Charges for violations of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, have been filed against the suspects.

B/Gen.Jay Cumigad, the police regional director, lauded the operatives for their successful operations, attributing the arrests to efficient intelligence work and strong collaboration among local police units.

“This is a significant step in our relentless efforts to dismantle drug syndicates and ensure the safety of our communities,” Cumigad said. He added, “With the election period underway, we are committed to enforcing the rule of law and preventing illegal activities from disrupting peace and order.”
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)