CAMP VICENTE LUKBAN, Catbalogan City– A total of 21 local government units in Eastern Visayas have been declared with a Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) status, showcasing significant advancements in the region’s anti-insurgency efforts.

The municipalities conferred with SIPS status are Pagsanghan, Tarangnan, San Sebastian, Sta. Margarita, and Sto. Niño in the province of Samar.

In Northern Samar, the municipalities of Allen, San Jose, Rosario, Capul, and Biri; Bontoc in Southern Leyte; Palompon, Isabel, Matag-ob, Merida, and Hilongos in Leyte; and Giporlos, Mercedes, San Julian, and Taft in Eastern Samar, have been recognized with SIPS status.
Said municipalities were granted the SIPS status because of the successful conduct of local peace engagement (LPE) down to the barangay level and the effective multi-sectoral commitment for peace and security.

During the declaration ceremony in Taft, Eastern Samar, on June 19, 2024, Brigadier General Lenart Lelina, commander of the 801st Infantry Brigade, emphasized that a municipality is recognized with SIPS status only when no constituents are members of the communist terrorist group (CTG).

“Municipalities and provinces free from insurgency are declared to have stable internal peace and security. Hopefully, the entire province of Eastern Samar will achieve this status when all its municipalities are declared insurgency-free,” said Brig. Gen. Lelina.

In a separate SIPS declaration in Leyte province, the 802nd Infantry Brigade Commander, Brigadier General Noel Vestuir emphasized that the declaration of Stable Internal Peace and Security Status represents a victory of freedom from the deceptive ideas of the New People’s Army.

“The SIPS declaration is a testament to the collective efforts and commitment to peace, unity, and progress of all stakeholders. It highlights the importance of embracing peace and working together to achieve reconciliation and sustained development,” Brig.Gen. Vestuir said.

In his message, Taft Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) Chair, Mayor Gina Ty, expressed her gratitude to the law enforcement agencies, community leaders, and the people of Taft for their full support and cooperation in achieving a peaceful community.

“We have come together, united by a common goal, have demonstrated that when we work together in harmony, we can overcome any challenge and create a safer and more prosperous future for our community,” Mayor Ty emphasized.

Alongside SIPS declaration was the ceremonial signing of memorandum of understanding (MOU) among Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) and other peace partners.

This MOU aims to strengthen the support of the LGUs in maintaining peace and order, conducting activities to enhance law enforcement operations, and preventing the resurgence of CTGs.

Meanwhile, Major General Camilo Z. Ligayo, Commander of the 8ID, reiterated to the people of Eastern Visayas that maintaining a stable peace and security environment cannot be achieved without the support of the region’s constituents.

“The 8ID aims to completely eradicate the decades-long insurgency problem in the region. Therefore, I urge the remaining CTG members to surrender to the government and take advantage of its programs to start a new life. The government is very willing to help you all,” emphasized Maj. Gen. Ligayo. (PR)

ORMOC CITY– A newly- identified drug peddler yields seven sachets of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Station Drug Enforcement Team of the local police at about 1:11 pm on Wednesday (June 19) inside a cockpit in Barangay Bahay, San Miguel, Leyte.

San Miguel police chief Major Ronald Espina identified the suspect as Boni Antolin, 36, jobless, a resident of Brgy Cayare in the same town.

The suspect is listed as a street-level individual in the station’s drug watch list.
Recovered from the possession of the suspect was one sachet containing white crystalline was one sachet containing white crystalline substances suspected to be shabu procured by an operative in the amount of P1,000.

During the conduct of a body search done in the presence of elected official and a representative from the local media, the searching cops recovered one match box inside the left pocket of the suspect’s pants that contained six more sachets containing white crystalline substances also suspected to be shabu two of which were medium sizes.

Charges of violations of sections 5 (selling illegal drugs) & 11 (possession of illegal drugs) of Article II of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Drugs of 2002, were filed against the suspects who are temporarily detained at the San Miguel municipal police station.
(ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY– Frustrated homicide charges were filed by the police of Pambujan in Northern Samar at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office against a man who shot his neighbor over a personal grudge.

The victim was identified as alias “Lito,” 49, married, while the suspect was identified as Alias “Lando,” 39, self-employed, both residents of Barangay 1 of the said town.

The local police said they responded to a shooting incident that transpired in Barangay 1 at about 6:30 pm on Tuesday (June 18) to verify a report regarding a shooting incident in the area.

Initial investigation conducted by the local police disclosed that the victim was standing at the gate of a compound when the suspect arrived and immediately alighted from his motorcycle.

The police said that without apparent reason, the suspect shot the victim with a short firearm. Fortunately, the victim managed to escape and ran inside the house of alias “Ando,” with the suspect not pursuing him, thus escaping certain death.

The victim sustained a laceration on his knee and was immediately brought to the Pambujan rural health unit for medical attention.

Moreover, the suspect voluntarily surrendered to the Pambujan local but the short firearm used in the shooting was not recovered.

The local police have already filed a frustrated homicide case against the suspect, who is temporarily detained at the Pambujan municipal police station. (ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY – At least 5,840 poor families in Eastern Visayas have participated in the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) program to mitigate the impact of food insecurity and water scarcity this year.

The DSWD regional office here said on Wednesday that Project LAWA (Local Adaptation to Water Access) at BINHI (Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished) covers 20 towns in four provinces of the region.

The DSWD has been holding comprehensive training encompassing disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, rehabilitation of water systems, communal gardening, vermicomposting, and hydroponics.

“Project LAWA at BINHI is an initiative of DSWD to address food insecurity and water insufficiency and to combat the effects of climate change, especially the El Niño that the country is currently experiencing,” the DSWD regional office said in its message sent to the Philippine News Agency on Wednesday.

The covered areas include Almagro, Matuguinao, and Sta. Margarita, Catbalogan City, and San Jose de Buan in Samar province; Catubig, Gamay, Lapinig, Silvino Lubos, and Lope de Vega in Northern Samar; Oras, Dolores, Jipapad, San Policarpo, and Maslog in Eastern Samar; and San Ricardo, Bontoc, Silago, Sogod, and Libagon in Southern Leyte.

As part of the design of Project LAWA at BINHI, the DSWD provides each partner-beneficiary with the daily minimum regional wage rate of PHP405 in exchange for their attendance at the training and participation in the implementation of the projects in their respective communities.

Recipients are paid for their attendance during the five-day training and 15 days of work.
Under Project LAWA, the DSWD focuses on enhancing water access and management in communities prone to drought and water shortages by constructing small farm reservoirs, repairing or rehabilitating water harvesting facilities, and diversifying water supplies, among others.

On the other hand, Project BINHI aims to promote food security and nutrition among communities by facilitating the adoption of climate-resilient and sustainable agricultural practices such as communal and urban gardening, vermicomposting, and the planting of disaster-resilient crops, fruit-bearing trees, and mangroves, among others.

Priority areas are those near river basins as identified by the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change, vulnerable areas based on the climate outlook of the Department of Science and Technology—Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, and those with the highest number of poor families based on the DSWD database.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)

ORMOC CITY– Operatives of the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit of Leyte Provincial Police Office and the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) made a significant recovery of suspected shabu during a buy-bust operation at around 5:50 am on Tuesday (June 18) in Barangay Cabalquinto, Calubian, and Leyte.

Leyte Provincial Police Office Director PCOL Dionisio DC Apas identified the suspects as: Arnel Perpetua, 42, married, self-employed, and the alleged maintainer of the drug den, who managed to elude arrest; Ma. Fe Lirios, 28, single, jobless; Emy Cabalhin, 42, married, self-employed; Gerard Hilboya, 41, self-employed, live-in partner; and Niel Torlao, 51, married, self-employed.

All suspects are residents of Brgy. Cabalquinto. The police recovered approximately six grams of suspected shabu from them.

Perpetua was the primary target of the operation. One sachet of shabu was procured from him by an operative for P500.

Upon realizing he was dealing with a policeman, Perpetua fled, leaving behind his cohorts and visitor buyers, who were subsequently arrested.

During the body search, conducted in the presence of witnesses authorized by law, the police recovered 10 more sachets of shabu, totaling seven grams.

Seven of these sachets were found on Torlao.

Additionally, the police discovered a plastic bag with Chinese characters containing a block of shabu weighing approximately one kilogram, with an estimated street value of P6.8 million.

Also confiscated were a P500 bill used in the operation, a short-caliber revolver without markings or serial numbers, a Vivo cellphone, and several drug paraphernalia.

The suspects were informed of the nature of their arrest and apprised of their constitutional rights through the Miranda Doctrine in a language they understood.

Charges for violations of Sections 5 (selling illegal drugs) and 11 (possession of illegal drugs) of Article II of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and violations of RA 10591, the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Possession of Firearms, Ammunitions, and Explosives, will be filed against the four arrested suspects and Perpetua, who is still at large. (ROBERT DEJON/LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)

ORMOC CITY– Two individuals are currently detained at the local police station in Maasin City after being apprehended for selling shabu during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit of the Southern Leyte Provincial Police Office and the City Drug Enforcement Team.

The operation took place at around 3:20 pm on Wednesday (June 19) in Barangay Tagnipa of said city.

The suspects were identified as “Eric Jun,” 43, and alias “Karl,” 26, a wedding singer. Both suspects are listed as street-level individuals (SLI) and are residents of Brgy. Tagnipa.
Police recovered five sachets containing white crystalline substances suspected to be shabu, which were procured by an operative for P5,000.

During a body search conducted in the presence of an elected official and a representative of the National Prosecutors Service, the police recovered five P1,000 bills from the suspects.

One bill, bearing serial number F6585879, was court-subscribed money intended for the operation, while the other four bills were boodle money used as bait. No other illegal items were found on the suspects.

Charges for violations of sections 5 (selling illegal drugs) and 11 (possession of illegal drugs) of Article II of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, have been filed against the suspects, who are temporarily detained at the Maasin City Police Station.
(ROBERT DEJON)