Leyte scores two big wins in Sinulog fest 2012

By Provincial Media Relations Center
January 16, 2012

TACLOBAN CITY  –  Leyte scored a two-win feat at the recently concluded Sinulog Festival in Cebu as Lingganay Festival of Alangalang, Leyte was hailed as the grand champion of the Free Interpretation category and Karatong Festival of Dulag landing  in third  in the same category.

Despite being a first-timer in the national festival competition such as the Sinulog, Tribu Lingganay wowed the crowd with their colourful costumes and props earning them the top spot and a whopping P1 million in cash prize.

Lingganay Festival would be the first contingent to receive the cash prize of P1 million for a grand champion eversince the Sinulog fest was started.

In a phone-patched radio interview with Alangalang Mayor Loreto Yu said they were just “very happy” to win this year considering this was their first time to join.

“This is indeed a big honor for the people of Alangalang and for the province of Leyte. We were determined to give them our best but it sure is much bigger for us that we went home with the top prize,” Mayor Yu said.

Tribu Lingganay defeated Tribu Himag-ulaw of Placer, Masbate which was the Grand Champion during last year’s Sinulog Festival.  The Lingganay contingent wore costumes designed as cat suits while their colorful props included huge cut-outs of the Sto. Niño, trees, flowers, and bells.

Aside from winning the top spot in the free interpretation category, which earned them P1 million, the contingent from Alang-alang was also named best in costume with a cash prized of P100,000 and best in musicality with another cash prize of P50,000.

Dulag’s Karatong Festival also won the third place in the free interpretation category. Karatong has been joining the Sinulog Festival in previous years where they earned a Top 5 win some two years back.

Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho Petilla expressed his elation over this twin triumph of Lingganay and Karatong. The provincial government extended financial assistance to these festivals as they prepared for the competition some months ago.

The governor said, this just gives the province more reason to continue supporting the development of our local cultural festivals.

Alangalang’s Lingganay Festival was the grand champion in the 2011 Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals and, together with second placer Karatong Festival of Dulag, earned the rights to represent the province in the Sinulog as well as the Aliwan Fiesta in Manila during the summer next year.

Rep. Alcover: Please make good of your threat

By ANAD Partylist
January 16, 2012

QUEZON CITY  –  “This representation never made a statement directly accusing President Benigno Aquino III of bribing the 188 Congressmen to sign the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.”

These were the words of ANAD Rep. Jun Alcover that reverberated on the hallowed plenary halls of the House of Representatives, in his privileged speech today (January 16, 2012), as he dared the House Majority Leader Rep. Neptali Gonzales, Reps. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, Roger Espina of Biliran, Rene Relampagos of Bohol, and Cesar Sarmiento of Catanduanes to make good of their threat to have him investigated, by the Ethics Committee, for maligning the integrity and credibility of the House of Representatives, and face possible expulsion from the body.

Rep. Alcover said that the issue raised by the four (4) Congressmen and the Honorable Majority Floorleader, “Is a result of the overzealousness by the majority block to pin me down. . .without checking the facts, even extending a simple courtesy of calling me up to hear my side,” he explained.

Rep. Alcover pointed out that new story published in the SunStar Cebu, dated Dec. 20, 2011 under the byline of Elias Baquero and Princess Dawn Felicitas carried the same statements he made in an earlier radio interview with Baquero in the program ‘Yagyagan’ over DYDD, Cebu City. “But these were instantly played up by media in Manila . . . with statements of Majority Floorleader Gonzales, and Reps. Evardone, Relampagos, Espina, and Sarmiento saying that I shall be investigated by the Ethics Committee once Congress resumes session on January 16 for making false accusations that has put the Lower House in bad light,” he added.

The ANAD solon explained that the already tenuous situation was further inflamed when an enterprising Ike Durano, station manager of DYRF, called up and interviewed Rep. Neri Colmenares on the matter. “Claiming balanced and fair reportage, Durano called me up and took my side on the issue. Practically, in my interview with Durano, I just repeated the very same things that I’ve said during Elias Baquero’s radio program. Immediately after our interview, Durano ranted with expletives and innuendoes accusing me of things I never committed nor possessed in my lifetime. . . . Durano’s diatribe best exemplifies how media personalities use the airlanes . . not only to do a ‘sip-sip’ but devilishly devour anything they wanted for selfish personal intentions!” he stressed.

Reiterating and declaring innocence of the accusation heaped by the 5 Congressmen against him, Rep. Alcover declared “In all that I’ve said in these interviews, there was no mention, whatsoever, nor even finger pointing and accusing President Aquino III of bribing the 188 Congressmen . . .”

Revealing an alleged Malacañang plot to exterminate pro-democracy legislators, Rep. Alcover said that the abduction case against former Representative and retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr., was swiftly resurrected to include the very unjust and unfair trial by publicity,  “This Representation already knew months before the holiday recess that I am one of those targeted for extermination by Malacañang and ably supported by majority block of this chamber.”

In saying that the ‘guns are trained against him’, Rep. Alcover described this as brutal harassment against a fellow member of Congress. “Why not include those who resigned from the positions in this Congress? Those who bolted from the Liberal Party immediately after either they signed the impeachment complaint or refused to sign it and many others who bravely faced the media and made startling revelations?” he pointed out.

Among others, Rep. Alcover pointed to Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco who admitted that the “lawmakers who impeached the Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, acted in haste. . .I resigned from the Majority and relinquish all positions assigned to me” (SunStar Cebu, Dec. 13, 2011); and Cagayan de Oro Rep. Benjamin ‘Benjo’ Benaldo in saying, “I am a neophyte Congressman. I feared my constituents would be deprived of funds. If I did not represent my people (in my district), I would not have signed the complaint,” (Deputy Speaker submits resignation, by Paolo Romeo, www.philstar.com, December 18, 2011), respectively.

Also, Rep. Alcover said that the House deliberately failed to: a) expel then Rep. Eric Singson, who admitted his crime on illegal drugs before a Hongkong court, but instead allowed him to resign from his position; b) failed to expel Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr. of the province of Dinagat Islands despite the warrant of arrest issued by the Sandiganbayan for graft against him, plus the parricide case Ecleo is facing in a regional trial court in Cebu City.

Warning that creeping authoritarian leadership always leads to despotic governance, Rep. Alcover asked, “Is this the so-called ‘Daang Matuwid' that PNoy blaringly sounded at the Quirino Grandstand, in June 30, 2010?”

In urging those who are eager to investigate and pillory him before the Ethics Committee and have him expelled, the erstwhile NPA political and commanding officer turned pro-democracy advocated called on his colleagues in the majority, “Do not let it die and be buried among the debris of callousness and lies for it will be a disservice to the Filipino people,” Rep. Alcover said.

ESamar police scores anew vs. drug traffickers

By ALICE NICART, PIA Eastern Samar
January 16, 2012

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar  –  It is another laurel that truly deserves due recognition for the police operatives of the PNP Provincial Command and Borongan City Police Station. Yesterday, on broad day light, they have arrested four suspected drug traffickers in a nearby barangay.

Led by PCI Alladin Dingal, the policemen collared suspected drug traffickers: Efren Baquilod, from Maydolong town, Michael Anire and Romil Norombaba from Borongan, all of legal age and a fourth one, whose name was withheld being a minor.

PCI Edwin Barbosa, of the PNP Provincial Command, reported that the suspects riding in tandem but plate-less TMX motorcycles were intercepted along the highway, fronting the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU), barangay Maypangdan this city, at past 12 noon yesterday, January 15.

Barbosa reported further that the policemen, on a tip of a concerned civilian, flagged down the two motorcycles which were heading towards the city proper.

“As they stopped, the policemen requested Baquilod (who was later known to be the leader of the suspects), to open the box and, lo and behold! – the box contained several packs of junk foods”, Barbosa said.

“However, the policemen continued to search for any suspicious pack and indeed they found a differently packed junk food, which was sealed with a masking tape, and opening it, the policemen discovered, not junk foods inside the pack, but two grams of the so-called Shabu”, the Officer revealed.

As expected, Baquilod denied knowledge of the illegal morsel but he was pointed at, as the owner of the most priced item by his two companions.  The two boys revealed that they just picked it up from an Eagle Star bus that ply to the province from Manila, the report added.

As of press time, the four suspects were being detained at the PNP Provincial Office, pending the filing of the case against them.

Leyte’s Lingganay Festival is Sinulog 2012 champion

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
January 16, 2012

TACLOBAN CITY  –  The Lingganay Festival of Alangalang, Leyte emerged as champion of the free-interpretation category of the 2012 Sinulog Festival held in Cebu City on January 15.

Lingganay Festival, the reigning champion of the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival in the province of Leyte, bested 30 other festivals from all over the country to win the coveted prize of P500,000 and trophy.

The other festival contingents from Leyte also did well in the much-awaited Sinulog Festival. Karatong Festival of Dulag, Leyte won as the second-runner up while the Pasaka Festival of Tanauan, Leyte ranked number six.

Mayor Loreto “Entong” Yu of Alangalang informed that the Lingganay Festival was also chosen as the Best in Musicality and Best in Costume.

It was learned that the awarding ceremonies will be held at 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon of January 16.

Earlier, on January 13, the Lingganay Festival star dancer Ms. Conchitina Cleofe Cloma Yu was proclaimed as second runner-up in the Sinulog Queen 2012 where Nerissa L. Modesto, lead dancer of Pasaka Festival of Tanauan, was chosen as the first runner-up.

The other winners include Himig Ulaw Festival of Placer, Masbate as the first runner-up; Lumad Basakanon of Cebu City as the 3rd runner-up and Toledo National Vocational School as the 4th runner-up.

The winners were judged according to the criteria such as theme, concept and ritual, 10%; performance, 25%; choreography, 25%; costume, 20%; props, 10%; and Sinulog musicality, 10%.

Sinulog Festival which is dubbed as the mother of all festivals in the country, is a festival in honour of Señor Santo Niño.

Eventual death of freedom and democracy looms!

By ANAD Partylist
January 16, 2012

QUEZON CITY  –  “Our cherished freedoms and democratic life is definitely fading out and about to be lost, and the situation is getting murky in cadence with the developing political landscape of the country.”

This is the statement issued by ANAD Rep. Jun Alcover to reports from highly placed and credible sources on the eventual return of Jose Ma. Sison to the country upon the invitation of the PNoy administration.

“My reading of this information is that Joma’s return shall be within the year (2012) which is indicative of a looming death for democracy and freedom in the country,” said Rep. Alcover.

The source told Rep. Alcover that Joma Sison was offered a Cabinet level position in the Aquino administration, courtesy of Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs Sec. Ronald Llamas, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Sec. Teresita Quintos-Deles, and former Akbayan Rep. Riza Hontiveros-Baraquel ably acting as Sison’s sponsors.

“My source, whom I will not divulge for security reasons because of his sensitive position in the PNoy administration, told me that Joma’s return and ascendancy to a position in PNoy’s cabinet are nestled on the spirit of National Unification. This is horrible!” said. Rep. Alcover.

The same source disclosed that some top leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have reportedly complained to the government panel, led by Dean Marvic Leonen, that only trickles of funds from government have been given to Muslim non-government organizations (NGOs) while about 60% or more of the same fund were siphoned by Maoist terrorist CPP-NPA-NDF initiated NGOs.

“If this is true then our previous information that there are people in Malacañang who are so engrossed in seeing to it that power of government is shared by and between the constitutionally mandated officials of government and the Jose Ma. Sison led Maoist terrorist CPP-NPA-NDF must be given serious concern by all,” he explained.

In warning all freedom loving Filipinos on the eventual death of peace and democracy in the country, “Power sharing in government is a prelude to the eventual take over of government by the Maoist terrorists! Once this happens, because of our willful refusal to protect and preserve our freedoms and democratic institutions, only God know what will happen to us!” Rep. Alcover stressed.

ESamar police scores anew vs. drug traffickers

By ALICE NICART, PIA Eastern Samar
January 16, 2012

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar  –  It is another laurel that truly deserves due recognition for the police operatives of the PNP Provincial Command and Borongan City Police Station. Yesterday, on broad day light, they have arrested four suspected drug traffickers in a nearby barangay.

Led by PCI Alladin Dingal, the policemen collared suspected drug traffickers: Efren Baquilod, from Maydolong town, Michael Anire and Romil Norombaba from Borongan, all of legal age and a fourth one, whose name was withheld being a minor.

PCI Edwin Barbosa, of the PNP Provincial Command, reported that the suspects riding in tandem but plate-less TMX motorcycles were intercepted along the highway, fronting the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU), barangay Maypangdan this city, at past 12 noon yesterday, January 15.

Barbosa reported further that the policemen, on a tip of a concerned civilian, flagged down the two motorcycles which were heading towards the city proper.

“As they stopped, the policemen requested Baquilod (who was later known to be the leader of the suspects), to open the box and, lo and behold! – the box contained several packs of junk foods”, Barbosa said.

“However, the policemen continued to search for any suspicious pack and indeed they found a differently packed junk food, which was sealed with a masking tape, and opening it, the policemen discovered, not junk foods inside the pack, but two grams of the so-called Shabu”, the Officer revealed.

As expected, Baquilod denied knowledge of the illegal morsel but he was pointed at, as the owner of the most priced item by his two companions.  The two boys revealed that they just picked it up from an Eagle Star bus that ply to the province from Manila, the report added.

As of press time, the four suspects were being detained at the PNP Provincial Office, pending the filing of the case against them.

Samar Boy Scout jamboree highlights disaster preparedness

By NINFA B QUIRANTE, PIA Samar
January 16, 2012

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar  –  The Samar Boy Scouts Jamboree held for three days in Paranas town focused on disaster preparedness to live the very adage that comes with being a Boy Scout – that of always being prepared.

This, in addition to the affirmation that scouting builds communities.

During the opening rites of the jamboree, DepEd Superintendent Editha de Veyra said in her message.

“We are gathered here to promote leadership, build more skills and share ideas with the future leaders of the country through scouting,” De Veyra said.

Some 700 Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP) members participated in the opening program on January 13, in Paranas town which started with a dancing parade.

Scouters wore indigenous costumes and drenched themselves as they paraded around town unbothered by heavy rains.

The boy scouts look forward to scouting activities as the activities are in the open, and they can do adventures with their fellow scouters.

Scouters were taught survival training, rappelling in the hill near the camping area and other socialization activities.

Part of disaster preparedness were lectures on what to do during typhoons, floods, fire and other natural disasters, the scouters also held disaster preparedness drills for their mentors to see how well they have gained from the lectures given.

“Disaster preparedness should be taught to Boy Scouts even as young as those in the elementary grades because disaster can strike anytime,” said Marvin Añonuevo, a teacher-cum Scout trainer.

The three-day scouting activity folded up on January 15 with some guests from LGU Paranas and Boy Scout Executive Montano Asis gracing the closing program.

The BSP movement has attracted young men in the elementary and high school aged 6-18 and has stayed strong for 75 years now. The BSP Current President is Vice-president Jejomar Binay.

LGU-SoLeyte provides cash assistance to 777 distressed persons

By ES GORNE, PIA Southern Leyte
January 16, 2012

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte  –  A  total of 777 distressed persons availed of the Assistance for Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) by the local government of Southern Leyte, a regular social services program designed to provide relief to needy individuals and their families particularly in times of crisis situations.

Together with the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of the Southern Leyte Congressional District thru the initiatives of Congressman Roger Mercado and the PAGCOR, the assistance for individuals in crisis situations totaled to P1.294 M, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) Social Welfare Assistant Amelia Malazarte reported to PIA.

Malazarte said the provincial government appropriated in the amount of P956,800 for AICS while the PDAF reached to P290,500 and P47,300 from PAGCOR were being utilized for its social services last year.

She added that said cash assistance were intended for the purchase of medicines, burial assistance, educational assistance, transportation needs, emergency food, laboratory examinations, CT scan, confirmatory test, vitamins, heart examinations, among other needs.

Cash assistance releases varies from the urgency of an individuals’ needs from P500 up to P2,000 from the AICS, however, P500 up to P5,000 varied assistance also were availed from the PDAF and PAGCOR, she added.

While, another relief augmentation in the amount of P720,000 were being released to at least 1,000 families in the municipalities of Hinundayan, Sogod, St. Bernard and Bontoc during the evacuations in the early months of 2011 due to floodings.

That the assistance came in the form of rice, canned goods and mineral waters to affected families mentioned, she added.

No. 4 most wanted person in Dagami arrested

By RPCRD, Police Regional Office 8
January 16, 2012

CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte  –  PNP PRO 8 under the leadership of Regional Director PCSupt Arnold Rayala Revilla, police manhunt operations will be intensified to account for more criminal offenders wanted by the law. The Accounting of Wanted Persons and Service of Warrants is the 6th item in CPNPs PDG Nicanor Bartolome Ten-Point Agenda.

On January 13, 2012 at about 8:20PM at Barangay Caibaan, Tacloban City, joint elements of RID, PRO8 and Dagami Polce led by SPO3 Ananias Monteroso and PO2 Renerio Dellera under the direct supervision of PSSupt Tomasito Torrano Clet, Acting Chief, RID PRO8 conducted a manhunt operation against wanted persons.

They were able to arrest one Francisco Patan Parilla, 61 years old and a resident of said barangay. He was arrested by virtue of warrant of arrest for the crime of Murder docketed under CC NR BN-10-07-4579 issued by Honorable Yolanda Dagandan, Presiding judge of RTC 8th Judicial Region, Branch 15, Bulwagan ng Katarungan, Burauen, Leyte with no bail recommended.

Parilla is listed as the number 4 most wanted person in the municipality of Dagami, Leyte and was turned-over to Dagami Police Station for proper documentation prior turn-over to the court concerned.