ORMOC CITY-A fisherman and his habal-habal driver friend are currently in the detention cell of the local police after an altercation led to the shooting death of a laborer around 6:45 am on Tuesday, July 16, in Barangay Kauswagan, Biri, Northern Samar.
The police identified the victim as alias “Ador,” 65, a widower, laborer, and resident of the barangay.
The suspects were identified as alias “San,” 56, a fisherman, and alias “Torin,” 33, a married habal-habal driver, both residents of the same barangay.
An initial investigation by the responding police revealed that a heated argument occurred between the victim and alias “San” over a personal matter.
During the argument, “Torin” suddenly emerged from a house and attacked the victim, striking him on the head with a timber.
The victim then unsheathed his long-bladed weapon, locally known as a “sundang,” and chased after alias “Torin,” who fled towards alias “San.”
At this point, alias “San” drew his firearm and shot the victim, hitting him in the left side of his chest.
The victim was immediately taken to Biri District Hospital for medical treatment but was pronounced dead on arrival by the attending physician. The suspects were arrested by responding officers.
Confiscated from alias “San” was a .38 caliber revolver loaded with five rounds of ammunition and one empty shell of the same caliber.
The suspects and the confiscated evidence were taken to the Biri Municipal Police Station for proper disposition. (ROBERT DEJON)
GOLD WINNER. Jan Wayne Malpas from Tacloban City was one of the multi-gold winners at the recently-concluded Palarong Pambansa held in Cebu City where Eastern Visayas made by far its most sterling performance as it ranked 7th overall with 16 golds.(DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REGION VIII)
Taclobanon Malpas among the multi- gold winners
GOLD WINNER. Jan Wayne Malpas from Tacloban City was one of the multi-gold winners at the recently-concluded Palarong Pambansa held in Cebu City where Eastern Visayas made by far its most sterling performance as it ranked 7th overall with 16 golds.(DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION REGION VIII)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Monday, July 15, the exceptional performance of the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) delegation at the 2024 Palarong Pambansa which concluded on Tuesday, July 16 held in Carcar City, Cebu.
For this year, the contingent from the region garnered 46 medals consisting of 16 gold, 14 silver, and 16 bronze, enough for Eastern Visayas to place 7th out of the 19 competing delegations.
The sports power house National Capital Region emerged as the overall champions.
“The EVRAA has significantly climbed the ranks, surpassing its record in past Palarong Pambansa competitions,” the DepEd 8 statement said.
“This achievement marks the highest standing for EVRAA in the past decade,” the statement added.
In 2023, EVRAA was ranked 14th out of 17 delegations.
The agency highlighted the exceptional performance of Jan Dwayne Malpas, from Tacloban City who achieved a significant milestone by garnering four gold medals in swimming.
“His outstanding performance exemplifies the talent and determination of our athletes and serves as an inspiration to the entire EVRAA delegation,” DepEd 8 said.
It added: “We remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting physical education and sports, developing youth values such as teamwork and sportsmanship, and fostering peace through sports. The success of EVRAA in the 2024 Palarong Pambansa reflects our genuine dedication to these goals.”
Local government units, meantime, are expected to give incentives to medal winners.
In Ormoc City, for example, individual gold medalists stand to receive P50,000,P30,000 for silver medalists, and P20,000 for bronze medalists while in team sports, gold winners are to receive P100,000, silver medalists P50,000 and P40,000 for bronze medalists.
PEACE AND ORDER. The Philippine National Police in the region, headed by B/Gen. Reynaldo Pawid, continues to conduct its public campaign to ensure the region will be peaceful and orderly. The PNP-8 has reported that from July 1 to 8 of this year,109 persons were arrested due to illegal operations while P1.79 million worth of illegal drugs were confiscated with 26 drug personalities arrested. (EIGHTZEROFOURTH RMFB)
PEACE AND ORDER. The Philippine National Police in the region, headed by B/Gen. Reynaldo Pawid, continues to conduct its public campaign to ensure the region will be peaceful and orderly. The PNP-8 has reported that from July 1 to 8 of this year,109 persons were arrested due to illegal operations while P1.79 million worth of illegal drugs were confiscated with 26 drug personalities arrested. (EIGHTZEROFOURTH RMFB)
Current brgy, SK execs have a 3-year term
TACLOBAN CITY – Senator Imee Marcos is proposing to extend the term of barangay officials from the current three years to a six-year term.
Marcos is rallying support from barangay officials across the country for this proposal, as contained under Senate Bill 2629 of which she authored.
As the chairman of the Senate’s committee on electoral reform, Marcos expressed concerns about the current three-year term, especially for first-time barangay officials who may not have enough time to accomplish significant tasks in less than two years.
“First-time officials are at a disadvantage without a track record, which might disappoint our voters,” she said in a press statement on Sunday (July 14).
“Additionally, it is a huge waste of money. Instead of spending billions on frequent elections, we could allocate those funds for projects, particularly in smaller towns,” Marcos added.
At present, barangay officials, including those elected in the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK), serve a three-year term.
Marcos also pointed out the challenges faced by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which will manage three elections next year: the midterm elections, the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARRM) elections, and the manual barangay and SK elections.
Thus, Marcos wants to consult with all barangay officials about the matter and seek their support to amend the Local Government Code to establish a six-year term for barangay officials.
“The truth is, since 1988, we have been extending the barangay term. If you calculate from 1988 to the present and average it out, it really reaches five years. I was the one who initiated the extension from 2019 to 2022, which then became 2023,” said the senator, who is the elder sister of President Marcos.
This proposal has received support from groups like Tingog Kabataan Inc.
“We welcome this proposal from Sen. Marcos as it will give our barangay officials, including our SK officials, more time to prove their worth as leaders,” said Engr. Billy Roseño, president of the group, in a statement.
In addition to her six-year term suggestion, Marcos also proposed holding barangay elections a year after the presidential elections, which she believes is logical as barangay officials would have a fresh mandate from the elected President.
In Senate Bill 2629, Sen. Marcos stated that the myriad duties of barangay officials often prevent them from “formulating, developing, and implementing” their own policies and projects.
The bill also proposes that the next barangay elections be held on the last Monday of October 2029.
Currently, the Comelec has set December 1, 2025, for the next barangay and SK elections.
The country last conducted barangay and SK elections on October 30, 2023.
TACLOBAN CITY– The provincial government of Northern Samar continues to invite big economic players for them to invest in the province.
The latest to be invited by the provincial government was the Robinson’s and Gokongwei Group with Governor Edwin Ongchuan meeting the group last July 5 in Manila.
The meeting focused on exploring collaborative efforts to advance the industrial and agricultural sectors within the province.
During the meeting, Ongchuan, joined by his own economic team, invited the Robinson’s’/Gokongwei group to invest in the province, considered to be among the fastest-growing economy in Eastern Visayas though poverty remains to be a serious concern.
Ongchuan hope that the Manila-based conglomerate will invest in the province by putting its Robinsons Mall, a Go Hotel, and even return of Cebu Pacific flights to the province.
It was learned that the Cebu Pacific flights stopped during the pandemic and since then, has yet to resume.
Its rival, Philippine Airlines, is the only air company that services the Manila and Catarman, the provincial capital, route, five times a week.
Gov. Ongchuan expressed optimism following the meeting, emphasizing the importance of forging strategic partnerships to unlock Northern Samar’s full economic potential.
“With the Robinson’s/Gokongwei Group poised as potential partners, the province looks forward to a future marked by innovation, job creation, and heightened prosperity for the Nortehanon people,” he said in a statement.
In his sales pitch to the Robinsons/Gokongwei Group, Ongchuan said that investors should not worry on the process of needed documents as they are implementing the green lane policy which aims to streamline in securing business permits and licensing.
This initiative aims to remove bureaucratic hurdles for the Robinson’s/Gokongwei Group should they decide to invest in projects within the province, the governor said.
Supporting the governor in this investment pitch were key officials invested in the development of Northern Samar, including Dir. Ernesto Delos Reyes of the Board of Investments, Jhon Allen Berbon from the Provincial Economic Development and Investment Promotions Office (PEDIPO), and Jay Keenson Acebuche from the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO).
Representing the Robinson’s/Gokongwei Group were ng Atty. Jose Luis Aliling, external affairs director of Robinson’s Land Corporation; Atty. Jose Angelo Cunanan, government relations corporate affairs, and sustainability at JG Summit Holdings, Inc.; and Atty. Domingo Hamilton Tutaan III, government relations manager at Universal Robina Corporation. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
TACLOBAN CITY – A week before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (Sona) and the resumption of session, Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez assured on Sunday, July 14 that the House of Representatives is committed to passing the 2025 national budget, remaining Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) priority bills, and possible additional key Sona measures.
“The House (of Representatives) is ready to take swift and decisive action to ensure these legislative priorities are met, paving the way for sustained development and progress under the administration of President Bongbong Marcos,” Speaker Romualdez said in statement.
He mentioned that Congress awaits the executive branch’s proposed P6.352-trillion National Expenditure Program (NEP), which will form the basis for the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), and aims to pass it before the end of September.
The Speaker emphasized that the swift and timely passage of next year’s national budget is a top priority.
“The 2025 national budget is essential for sustaining our nation’s growth and addressing the immediate needs of our citizens, and the House is ready to ensure its swift approval to support our development and progress,” he added.
“We are ready and determined to work hard to pass the 2025 GAB before we go on break at the end of September. We will ensure the timely transmission of the spending bill to the Senate for their consideration as well,” the Leyte solon further said.
The 2025 national budget, which represents a 10 percent increase from this year’s P5.768-trillion allocation, is equivalent to 22 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.
In addition to the 2025 national budget, Speaker Romualdez said the House of Representatives is ready to pass all the President’s priority measures during the remaining session days of the 19th Congress. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
ORMOC CITY – The lifeless body of a man was discovered near a cemetery by two passing youngsters at about 1:30 in the morning on Sunday, July 7, in Perseveranda Memorial Park, Brgy. Mercedes, Catbalogan City.
The victim was identified as Rolando Soliot Jakosalem, 57, with no indicated address.
At about 1:45 in the morning, a 16-year-old student, identified only by the alias “Fredo,” and a resident of Brgy. San Pablo, reported to the Catbalogan City Police Station that he and a friend had seen the man lying motionless on the ground while passing the memorial park on a motorcycle.
The Catbalogan Police immediately proceeded to the area to verify the report and investigate.
Upon arrival, they found Jakosalem’s body, lifeless and with blood on the road, beside a single motorcycle believed to be his. The police coordinated with the Provincial scene of the crime team to process the crime scene.
During the investigation, the team recovered Jakosalem’s personal belongings, including an identification card.
They discovered that the victim had suffered several stab wounds.
The Catbalogan Police are now conducting follow-up investigations to identify and apprehend the suspect.
Jakosalem’s body was taken to a local funeral parlor for autopsy. (ROBERT DEJON)
