TACLOBAN CITY – Mayors from the third district here in Leyte have expressed their concerns about potential threats to their safety following a series of shooting incidents in February that claimed the lives of village officials.

Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla revealed that the majority of local leaders in the five towns of the third district, including San Isidro, Tabango, Villaba, Leyte town, and Calubian, voiced apprehensions about their safety and that of their families.

“To address these concerns, we need to bolster our police force. Currently, a significant portion of our Philippine National Police personnel, as well as army forces, are stationed in the third district,” Governor Petilla emphasized.

The mayors had met with Gov. Petilla during the March 7 Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting.

While acknowledging the reduced incidence of shooting incidents in the district, Gov. Petilla expressed reservations about the potential resurgence of violence once law enforcement presence diminishes. He urged authorities to maintain a strong presence in the district until the cases of killings are resolved.

In response to the situation, the Leyte Police Provincial Office (LPPO) deployed additional personnel, comprising 389 policemen, to the third district.

These officers will be engaged in patrol operations, law enforcement, and police-community engagement under the Police sa Barangay (PSB) program, in collaboration with barangay tanods, to uphold peace and order across villages.

During the send-off ceremony held at the San Isidro Civic Center, Police Regional Office 8 Regional Director PBGen Reynaldo Pawid emphasized that the increased police presence aims not only to enhance law enforcement capabilities but also to foster stronger ties between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve.

Regarding the safety concerns raised by mayors, Leyte police director Colonel Erwin Portillo advised them to seek assistance from the Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG).

Upon assessment of potential security threats, mayors will be provided with personal security detail comprising two police officers, according to the Leyte police chief.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY-The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in the region has disclosed its notable achievements for the month of February, showcasing significant strides in combating illegal drug activities across Eastern Visayas.

During the course of the month, PDEA-8 successfully conducted 36 anti-drug operations, resulting in the confiscation of approximately 385.8489 grams of shabu valued at around P2.62 million.

These operations led to the apprehension of 58 drug personalities through 21 PDEA-initiated operations and 15 joint operations with the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcement agencies (LEAs).

These commendable achievements were made possible through the steadfast collaboration of various LEAs, stakeholders, and the community at large.

Moreover, the implementation of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) has significantly contributed to reducing drug-related incidents in the region.

To date, 2, 783 barangays have been declared drug-cleared, with only 153 villages remaining to achieve the same status in Eastern Visayas.

In February 2024 alone, PDEA-8 organized 89 demand reduction activities and declared nine barangays as drug-cleared.

Additionally, 13 barangays were confirmed as drug-cleared, while 34 were deemed drug-free within the region.

Also, a new ‘Balay Silangan Center’ was established in Marabut, Samar, adding to the existing 24 Balay Silangan Reformation Centers across Eastern Visayas.

These initiatives underscore PDEA VIII’s commitment to fostering a drug-free and safer community for all residents.(ROBERT DEJON)

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to “adjust to inflation” of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) cash transfers to some 4.4 million poor households has been welcomed by the 22 members of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives.

“The President’s order is consistent with our recommendation to increase the cash grants to 4Ps household-beneficiaries periodically at a rate that is at least equal to the average annual inflation rate,” House Minority Leader and 4Ps party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan said in a statement on Monday(March 11).

“The buying power of the cash subsidies has been eroded by sustained commodity price increases, and the only way to rectify the devaluation is to raise the amount of money being given to household-beneficiaries,” Libanan pointed out.

“The government must restore the lost purchasing power of the cash assistance if we want the 4Ps to succeed in reducing poverty,” Libanan added.

Libanan and the other 4Ps party-list representative in Congress, Jonathan Clement Abalos II, previously filed House Resolution No. 184, which pressed for higher cash aids to help household-beneficiaries keep up with consumer price increases.

In a recent sectoral meeting, the President instructed Department of Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian to ensure that the 4Ps cash aids are adjusted to inflation.

Gatchalian himself announced the President’s directive.

Last week, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the country’s inflation rate jumped to 3.4 percent in February 2024 from 2.8 percent in January 2024.

Analysts have warned that the El Niño climate pattern’s severe lack of rainfall could put an upward pressure on food prices in the months ahead on account of poor farm harvests.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council earlier reported that damage to agriculture due to prolonged dry spells and drought has already reached over P1 billion.

The 4Ps has an allocation of P106.3 billion in the 2024 General Appropriations Law. (PR)

ORMOC CITY– A top henchman of Eastern Visayas self-admit drug lord Kerwin Espinosa yields the most number of suspected shabu and cash money during the greyhound operation at the Leyte sub-provincial jail in Baybay City on Sunday (March 12) at about 1 pm.

Baybay City chief of police, Lt. Col. Aljohn Teddy Llanes, in an interview, disclosed that they have conducted the unannounced greyhound operation to the facility after receiving numerous reports from arrested suspects during buy-bust operation that the illegal drugs they recovered from suspects came from the sub-provincial jail here.

Col. Llanes continued that the operating operatives recovered an estimated 644 grams of suspected shabu from the 12 persons, eight of them were from Albuera, Leyte who were in possession of several sachets containing white crystalline substances suspected to be the illegal drugs of shabu.

But their biggest surprise was the recovery of a color red ice cream plastic container containing white powder suspected to be shabu with an estimated weight of around 644 grams.

Llanes added that aside from the suspected illegal drugs they also seized two bundles of money one worth P52,500 while the other bundle was P90, 000 or a total amount of P142, 500.

The city police chief revealed that all this huge amount of money and suspected shabu were recovered from a person deprived of liberty who was transferred from the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa who is a known henchman of Kerwin Espinosa, identified as Jose Antipuesto.

Charges of violation of sections 11 (possession of illegal drugs) & 12 (possession of drug paraphernalia) were filed against the 12 inmates. (ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY-A tragic road mishap claimed the life of a widow who was a passenger on a single motorcycle when it crashed into the bridge pavement around 7:30 am on March 7, along the provincial road in Barangay Santol, San Miguel, Leyte.

Police Major Ronald Espina, town police chief, identified the victim as Susan Baldos, of legal age, a widow, and a farm laborer residing in Sitio Malaihao, Barangay Bahay, also in the said town.

The motorcycle driver was identified as Jade Espina, 25, living with his partner and also a farm laborer from the same area. It was noted that victim did not present a driver’s license at the time of the incident.

According to Major Espina, the station received a call around 10:30 am from a concerned citizen reporting a traffic accident along the provincial road in Barangay Santol. Upon arriving at the scene, they discovered that the victim had already been transported to the rural health unit by the rescue team.

Initial investigations revealed that the vehicle involved was a red Rusi single motorcycle without a license plate, traveling along the national road in Brgy. Santol, heading towards the municipality of Babatngon, also in Leyte, from San Miguel town proper.

Upon reaching Cabac-an Bridge, the motorcycle suddenly veered from the right lane to the left, surprising the driver and prompting him to brake suddenly. The wet steel deck of the bridge caused the motorcycle’s rear wheel to slide, resulting in the driver losing control of the vehicle.

As a consequence, the motorcycle crashed onto the pavement, causing fatal injuries to the passenger while the driver remained unharmed.

Personnel from the San Miguel Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) rushed both the driver and the passenger to the Schistosomiasis Hospital in Palo, Leyte for immediate medical attention. Unfortunately, the attending physician, Dr. Arrabelle Verano declared the passenger dead on arrival.

(ROBERT DEJON)