ORMOC CITY-Two individuals, including one listed in the regional priority target list, were arrested during a buy-bust operation conducted by the station drug enforcement team of the local police of Naval, Biliran and the provincial drug enforcement unit of Biliran on Monday, July 1, at around 7:22 pm in Barangay Santissimo Rosario, Naval.

The suspects were identified as Jover Denampo, 35, single and jobless, who is listed as Rank 10 on the regional priority target list of the PNP, and Eric Regala, 38, a pedicab driver with a live-in partner, who is listed as a street level individual (SLI). Both are residents of Brgy.Santissimo Rosario.

Recovered from Denampo was one sachet containing a white crystalline substance purchased by an operative for P500.

During the body search conducted in the presence of law-mandated witnesses, the searching officer recovered five more sachets containing a white crystalline substance also suspected to be shabu.

From Regala, the searching officer recovered one piece of folded white paper used as a wrapper for two heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu, one improvised blue lighter with rolled foil, and one improvised glass tooter with traces of suspected illegal drugs.

All confiscated suspected drug evidence has an estimated weight of approximately 3.457 grams and an estimated Dangerous Drug Board value of more than P23,507.

Charges for violation of Article II of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, have been filed against the two suspects, who are temporarily detained at the locked-up cell of the naval municipal police station. (ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY– Mayor Aran Dela Cruz Boller of Matuguinao, Samar announced a P50,000 reward for any information leading to the identification of the suspect(s) behind the killing of his beautician cousin, whose decomposing body was found at about 10:30 pm on June 30.

The victim, identified as alias “Vicky,” 61, single, a beautician, was discovered in an advanced state of decomposition in his house in sitio Aringit, Barangay Mabuligon.
The police reported that the incident was brought to their attention by alias “Niev,” 59, married, an employee of the local government, and a resident of Brgy. Poblacion.
Responding to the report, police arrived at the scene and found the victim with maggots all over the body.

An initial investigation revealed that village watchmen forcibly opened the door of the victim’s house after detecting a foul odor. They were shocked to discover the decomposing body, which they believed had been dead for several days.

Operatives from SOCO (Scene of the Crime Operatives) processed the crime scene and found two holes in the chest area of the victim’s shirt, but they could not determine whether they were caused by a stab wound or a gunshot.

The family has requested an autopsy to ascertain the cause of death.
(ROBERT DEJON)

Manila-From June 18 to 21, the United States Peace Corps, in collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development, conducted a four-day training workshop in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, on enhancing marine protected area (MPA) management.

MPAs are established to conserve and protect diminishing coastal resources. To address this challenge, the workshop gathered 60 participants, including 20 Peace Corps volunteers, 20 local government representatives from Luzon and Visayas, and 20 fisherfolk leaders, to build their capacity in environmental conservation and protection.

During the workshop, national and local frameworks for MPAs were discussed to enhance the participants’ understanding of the legal foundations of MPAs.

Participants explored the ecosystem approach to fisheries management as a holistic method for managing MPAs. They were also introduced to biodiversity assessment tools such as underwater photogrammetry.

The workshop also highlighted “citizen science,” where local communities share valuable, scientific information in biodiversity conservation.

Participants explored various funding strategies for MPA management, including the establishment of livelihoods in and around MPAs, and other financing activities such as local government funding and impact loans.

To cap the program, the Peace Corps volunteers collaborated with their local government partners to draft work plans for effective MPA management.

“The main thing is bringing this out of the training room and into the communities, to the spaces where all our participants could share their stories, share their strengths, and ultimately work on our main goal as Peace Corps which is partnering together and walking alongside communities as they identify, magnify, connect, and mobilize their strengths for positive change,” Peace Corps Philippines Director for Programming and Training Matthew Tully said.

For a more practical approach, participants visited marine and mangrove conservation areas, enhancing their knowledge and appreciation of habitats and communities working within MPAs. The province of Oriental Mindoro and municipality of Puerto Galera also shared best practices from years of experience in establishing and managing MPAs.

“I am amazed at how the environment is preserved in Oriental Mindoro. I also learned that the local government has the capacity to include environmental education in their local school curriculum, and I will pursue this back in my municipality,” (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – Tingog party-list, led by House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez, and Jude Acidre, unveiled the newly modernized Regional Standards and Testing Laboratory (RSTL) last June 27 as part of its commitment to bringing quality government services closer to Filipinos.

The state-of-the-art facility, funded with P42 million from Tingog, is an important milestone in Leyte’s pursuit of quality assurance, aimed at improving progress throughout Eastern Visayas.

“The unveiling of our modernized RSTL marks a pivotal moment in our journey towards excellence. This state-of-the-art facility is not just an achievement for Tingog party-list, but a beacon of progress and innovation for all of Eastern Visayas,” Rep. Acidre said in a statement.

“This project is a testament to Tingog’s commitment to an inclusive social development, underscoring the importance of empowering regional offices to make services more accessible to Filipinos as part of our Bagong Pilipinas,” he added.

Also present during the ceremony were Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Undersecretary for Special Concerns Dr. Teodoro Gatchalian, the regional officer-in-charge John Glenn Ocaña, and his assistant for technical operations Marilyn Radam.

The RSTL has three laboratories catering to different services, each composed of qualified professionals: the microbiology laboratory, metrology and calibration laboratory, and physico-chemical laboratory.

The new microbiology laboratory is for the testing of water, wastewater, and food/food products. It is accredited by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) and is in partnership with Primewater and the Eastern Visayas Medical Center.

The metrology and calibration laboratory remains the major provider of volumetric and mass calibration services in the region. This laboratory provides on-site testing and calibration services upon request from different agencies across Region 8. It offers small volume, big volume, mass pressure, thermometry, and length calibrations.

Lastly, the physico-chemical laboratory offers analytical tests of water, wastewater, and food/food products. It complies with the Chemistry Profession Act and is staffed by registered chemists and chemical technicians.

The Region 8 RSTL was established in 1998 to provide testing and calibration services to industries, researchers, students, and other customers.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)