TACLOBAN CITY – The municipal government of Catarman in Northern Samar province is planning to establish a “Balay Silangan Reformation Center” for drug offenders to help them fully recover.

Mayor Francisco Aurelio Rosales III declared this during his meeting with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Director Grace Subong.

To fully help the drug surrenderees under their care, Mayor Rosales seeks help from the DSWD, as well as from the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) for the “aftercare” program.

“Helping drug offenders will not end in enrolling them at the Balay Silangan. They must be capacitated by providing them life skills including livelihood opportunities because reformation is useless if they have nothing to do when they graduated in this program,” Mayor Rosales said.

Based on the provision of Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No 3. Series of 2022, drug offenders who will be enrolled at the Balay Silangan will be under a three-month reformation program, where one is allocated to attend education, health, psychosocial, and physical activities, then two months livelihood and employment education phase.

The TESDA provincial office, represented by Provincial Director Zosimo De Asis, committed to provide livelihood and development training with allowance to the enrollees, while the DTI provincial office committed to help by providing livelihood training.

The municipal government will temporarily use a multipurpose evacuation center located in Barangay Polagi as the Balay Silangan.

The establishment of a Balay Silangan in Catarman will provide opportunities for illegal drug offenders in the province to undergo a drug reformation program within Northern Samar.

Established by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency through Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Regulation Number 2, Series of 2018, Balay Silangan is a community-based reformation program aimed at rehabilitating surrendered drug personalities across the country by providing temporary shelters to drug offenders with the objective of reforming them into self-sufficient and law-abiding members of society.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY-The local Bureau of Fire Protection in Kawayan, Biliran is conducting a thorough investigation over the origin of the fire that gutted four classrooms at Mapuyo Elementary School last Saturday(March 16).

Local police chief, Lt. Rodolfo De Mesa, said that the fire was first discovered by a resident identified as Boy Rabora who noticed smoke coming from one of the rooms of the said building.

The fire, which started at about 3:30 am immediately spread to the three adjacent rooms.
The affected rooms, according to school officials, were being used by Kindergarten, and Grades 1 and 3 students, DE Mesa said.

The fire was declared under control by the local fire at 6:08 am and declared fire out at 6:27 am.

The cause of the fire is still to be determined by the BFP Kawayan as the investigation is still ongoing.

No injuries/casualties were reported from the fire with an estimated damage of P1.72 million.
(ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY– A school teacher was arrested in Naval, Biliran by police for a child abuse charge on March 13.

The 42-year-old male teacher was arrested at about 10 am by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Luz Navarrete, executive judge of the 8th Judicial Region, Branch 16, Naval, Biliran issued on February 29, 2024, for three counts for alleged lascivious conduct.
The court recommended P30,000 bail for the accused.

The arrest of the teacher came after the parents of a minor filed formal charges in court for an act of lasciviousness against him.

The accused is now detained at the local police detention facility.
(ROBERT DEJON)

CAMP JORGE DOWNES, ORMOC CITY– Another active communist NPA Terrorist (CNT) member surrendered to the 14th Infantry (Avenger) Battalion, 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division, Philippine Army under the operational control of 802nd Infantry (Peerless) Brigade in Sogod, Southern Leyte Sunday(March 17) morning.

John Lamadora aka Joven/Yudi, a member of Squad 1, Platoon 1, Island Committee-LEVOX, Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (Sqd 1, P1, IC-LEVOX, EVRPC) gave himself in to troops of the Hibod-hibod CAFGU Active Auxiliary patrol base.

Local Army Commander Lieutenant Colonel Edgar Gabia expressed his joy at Lamadora’s courageous decision to surrender opting to embrace a path of righteousness and peace.
Lamadora revealed that he heard his mother’s plea in different media channels which eventually led him to decide to go down and live peacefully.

Jocelyn, the mother of John, cried in happiness when she finally saw her son for the first time since he became an NPA together with his father in 2019.

She said in the local dialect, “Nagapasalamat ko sa Ginoo kay nakahuna-huna si John nga musurender ug magkuyog na kami, para dili mapareha sa iyang Papa nga namatay sa pakigbisog sa gobyerno. Gapasalamat pud ko sa Army ug sa gobyerno tungod nadunggan ni John ang akong panawagan nga musurender ug sa pagtratar sa seguridad sa akoang anak.” (I am very thankful to God that we are already together and very thankful to the Philippine Army and the government in ensuring the safety and security of my son. Unlike his father who died fighting against the government.)

It can be recalled that on August 19, 2021, Lamadora was wounded while his father, the late Ambrosio Lamadora @Ihid/Rino died during a gun battle with the government forces in Brgy Lawgawan, Bontoc, Southern Leyte.

The 802nd Infantry Brigade and the 14IB in collaboration with LGU-Mahaplag, Leyte facilitated the decent burial of his father in Brgy Maligaya, Mahaplag.

Meanwhile, Mahaplag Mayor Ronaldo Lleve, who chair the MTF-ELCAC, was happy upon hearing of the surrender. He himself also called for the surrender of the remaining NPA operating in his municipality.

“I promised that the Mahaplag LGU will provide assistance to John Lamadora and his family,” Lleve said.

Recently, Mayor Lleve and the LGU-Mahaplag were met by Colonel Rico O Amaro, deputy brigade commander together with Lieutenant Colonel Gabia to officially harmonize the implementation of FReE Families program in his municipality which aims to engage all the families of active NPA who operates in his municipality for the peaceful surrender of their family member NPAs.

“I commend the collective efforts of the 14th Infantry Battalion and the local government of Mahaplag, Leyte, together with the families of John Lamadora for giving positive response to my long-standing call for the remaining NPAs in our area of operations to abandon the armed struggle so that we could achieve our common goal of having a peaceful community conducive for living and socio-economic development,” Brigadier General Noel A Vestuir, 802nd Infantry brigade commander, said.

“The revelation of John Lamadora is true. The NPAs are no longer welcome in the community because the populace is already enlightened of your lies and deceptions. You will suffer hunger, fatigue and sickness if you continue to hide in the mountains. Come out now and live a peaceful life with your family and love ones.” Vestuir ended. (PR)