Heightened red alert
is still hoisted over Basey Police Station
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA
Samar)
November 4, 2006
CATBALOGAN, Samar –
Not letting their guard down, the Basey Municipal Police Station has
hoisted a heightened red alert following a foiled NPA attack on
October 30, 2006.
Police Superintendent
Lope Macauba Jr. in an interview with PIA said that the more alert
they have become these days. He added that they do not discount the
possibility that the NPAs could attack anytime.
The police chief also
said that he appreciates the text messages sent by the civilian
populace which resulted to the aborted attack.
To recall, an
unidentified civilian sent an SMS to the PNP about the presence of
armed men in their barangay. Said barangays were believed to be Cogon,
Old San Agustin and Can-uway. The NPAs also commandeered two vehicles
and put roadblocks in the barangay road going to Sohoton.
As a civilian
personally verified and confirmed the reports, Macauba said that the
Municipal Police Office (MPO) also alerted both the PNP Provincial
Headquarters and the PNP Regional Office. The readiness of the PNP may
have discouraged the NPAs from pursuing their targets that they just
aborted their plan.
Macauba thanked the
civilians for the information and said, “Siguro naiisip nila kung ano
ang pamumuhay kung mananaig ang grupo ng NPA, alam natin na may tax
collection, mahirap na nga ang hanapbuhay nila, mababawasan pa.”
(Perhaps they knew how difficult life would be with NPAs – tax
collection and their meager income would be diminished more.)
Chief Macauba also
assured the civilians that the PNP and the PA would always be there to
help them.
MajGen. Rodrigo
Maclang, commanding General of the Army’s 8th Infantry Division, in an
earlier statement also said that the failed attack is now the result
of the joint effort of all concerned to end the atrocities of the NPAs
in the region. He added that the incident was a clear manifestation
that the people are now enlightened on the evil objectives of the NPAs.
Meanwhile, other
municipal police stations have also been alerted. One unidentified
police officer said that sightings could just be a hoax and that the
real target could be another police station or detachment.
Planned CPP-NPA attack
in Basey foiled
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
November 3, 2006
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte –
The planned attack of the CPP-NPA communist terrorists in Basey,
Samar on the second to the last day of October was thwarted
because of the timely and valuable information given by the civilian
populace in the area, the military reported.
Reports had it that a
group of communists under the Sentro de Grabedad Jorge Bolito Command
led by a certain alias Banny, situated at Sito Bagti, Barangay
Manlilinab, Basey, Samar, planned to either conduct a raid or attack
any isolated patrol base or ambush government troops in the area at
any opportune time.
The planned attack was
supposed to be pushed through on October 30, 2006 at around 5:00
o’clock in the afternoon but while the communist terrorists were
proceeding to the area, civilians along the way were alerted and
immediately reported the presence of the Communist Terrorists to the
authorities. This prompted the terrorists to abort the planned attack.
While retreating,
aside from herding the populace of Barangay Cogon, Old San Agustin and
Can-uway (New San Agustin), all of Basey, Samar, the Communist
Terrorists also blocked all vehicles bound for New San Agustin and
confiscated cell phones of the residents so nobody could report of
their presence.
Major Felix Mangyao
said that prior to this, there were already information reaching the
8th ID Headquarters coming from concerned citizens of Basey on the
eminent danger of attack on the Municipal Police Station of Basey by
the CPP-NPA.
The presence of armed
communist terrorists wearing camouflage uniform was monitored in the
town proper for the last two days. Other groups were noted in Barangay
Cogon and the nearby barangays, the same report stated.
The report also
revealed that one municipal councilor was allegedly seen among the
communist terrorists who were in full battle gear.
MajGen. Rodrigo F.
Maclang, commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division of the
Philippine Army expressed gratitude to the civilian populace in the
area for their prompt reporting, otherwise, the planned attack might
have succeeded.
He said the aborted
attack is the result of the joint effort of the civilian and the
military to end the atrocities of the communist terrorists in Eastern
Visayas. It is also a clear manifestation that the populace are
already enlightened on the evil objectives of the communist
terrorists.
General Maclang urged
the people to be vigilant and to continue upholding democracy by not
allowing themselves to be deceived by double-faced enemy.
SAGUPA, PAMALAKAYA
stage demonstration to call for rights to land, food and jobs
Press Release
By SAGUPA-SB
November 3, 2006
TACLOBAN CITY,
Leyte – More
than fifty (50) farmers and fisherfolks from nearby towns of Basey,
Alang-alang and certain barangays in Tacloban City staged a
demonstration last October 30, 2006 in front of Mercury Drug at Rizal
Avenue to dramatize their calls for their rights to land, food and
jobs.
“Up to now, our
farmers do not enjoy their rights to land, food and agricultural jobs.
We staged this demonstration to dramatize the death of our rights,”
said Diana Ragub, Campaign and Advocacy Officer of the farmers group.
“We find it ironic
that while our farmers harvest their produce this month, they still go
home to find no food in their tables. While they break their backs in
the production of food, they are the ones who could not afford it –
thus, relying mainly on rootcrops, corn, salted fish or salt for
nourishment,” said Ragub.
“The daily cost of
living for Eastern Visayas is P496 per day. But our farmers only earn
P23.80 to P25.55 while our fisherfolks earn P50 to P100 per day,” said
Ragub.
According to her, the
big factor for such situation boils down to the continued landlessness
of our farmers which results to unfair production sharing with
landlords, usury, low prices for their produce, lack of capital and
high rent of agricultural equipments, among others.
SAGUPA-SB data reveals
that DAR’s CARP has not done substantial changes to crush the land
monopoly of big haciendas which remains up to this day.
“Based on their
target, only 38.45% of the targeted 322,029 hectares were actually
distributed to farmer-beneficiaries. 93.96% of the distributed lands
were public lands or resettlement areas to begin with,” said Ragub.
Said problems were
aired by four speakers, among them was a farmer who demanded DAR to
act on their land problem in Sitio Bigaa, Brgy.
San Antonio,
Alang-alang, Leyte. He said that despite that they were given CLOAs by
the DAR, they are still harassed by Atty. Ching Veloso who claimed
that the CLOAs were faked and the signatures of the officers of DAR
were void.
Said activity started
at 5:00 and ended after 30 minutes. It went peacefully despite the
presence of police officers.
Borongan water source
drops at an alarming level
By ALICE E. NICART (PIA Borongan)
November 3, 2006
BORONGAN, Eastern
Samar – Either President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo or a typhoon can
restore the depleted water reservoir of the Borongan Water District (BWD).
This was the seemingly
desperate comment of Mrs. Elvira Aboy Orca, a senior staff of BWD in
an interview with PIA. Orca laments that previous moves to stop
illegal logging in the 15-hectare perimeter of the water reservoir
have been fruitless which today has rendered damage to the
water-consuming public.
Complaining public
feel exasperated over the six days “dry spell” in practically the
entire Borongan town and nearby barangays. The reservoir is situated
in the upstream of barangay Can-abong, some 15-minute drive from
poblacion. Orca said that the water level has actually gone to its
lowest that not even the continuous rain could even replenish the
water sufficiently for public use.
Orca added that the
area has to be declared “Water Shed” to stop the illegal logging in
the area and it needs a Presidential declaration to stop the
”kaingineros” who have continued to log. Observations have it that
some business establishments in town have benefited the illegal
activities of the kaingineros at the expense of the entire public.
Others say that business establishments, bakeries have likewise
enjoyed the benefits of the trees ever neglecting some social
responsibilities.
It was during the
Estrada term when efforts to declare the “Water Shed” was on its
momentum; unfortunately, he was suddenly unseated in the process of
deliberation and since then, no efforts have been leveled up nor
heard.
Another serious
condition which adds up to the problem is the present leak affecting
some six meters of the pipe along barangay Taboc and Alang-Alang
boundary. It was revealed that a group of DPWH maintenance crew could
have called their attention prior to their excavation work so they
could have more or less prepare the main pipe along that area. When
the crew repaired the portion, only one lane sustained the daily
traffic in that busy highway which eventually rendered damage to the
BWD pipe. Upon inspection, a replacement of the pipe will have to be
done but again the dresser coupling, which is an essential part of the
pipe and which is made of asbestos is not available in the region but
in Manila. Efforts to order the important gadget have been done so
far, and if Orca’s estimate could be true the consuming public will
have to bear the scarcity for one week more. The lady officer is
likewise hopeful that DENR PENRO and regional office will not waver in
their effort to call the attention of Her Excellency, President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo in declaring the15-hectares within the perimeters of
the BWD as “Water Shed”.
The Borongan Water
District has served the Borongan populace for more than two decades
now and the Boronganons have been used to this most basic service,
thus an urgent restoration or rehabilitation of such would be most
appreciated.
Commotion at Tacloban
City Jail results in death of 1 inmate
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
November 3, 2006
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– A ten-minute disturbance at the Tacloban City Jail on Saturday
night resulted in the killing of one inmate and the hurting of two
others. This was learned from Superintendent Edwin Riel of the
Tacloban City Jail who clarified that what happened was not really a
riot but just a commotion caused by the misunderstanding of two
inmates.
Inspector Riel
identified the dead inmate as Abdulah Noor, 29, a resident of Marawi
City jailed for illegal possession of prohibited drugs, and a member
of the Batang Leyte-Samar and the two wounded inmates as Arturo
Delovejes and Arnel Rivas, both of Batang Leyte-Samar also.
Riel said that the
commotion took place after
8:00 o’clock in the evening while the inmates are having a gathering in
connection with the culminating activities for the National
Correctional Consciousness Month.
The inmates earlier
had friendly basketball and volleyball games. In the closing
ceremonies, a program and a singing contest took place before the
inmates partook of the food that was prepared for them.
Inspector Riel said
that reports gathered indicated that Noor had a misunderstanding with
a certain Wendel Po of the Batang City Jail. In the course of the
altercation, the other inmates tried to appease the two and in the end
three were wounded.
Initial investigations
showed that a certain Randolph Bermog, a robbery suspect who is a
member of the Batang City Jail got hold of an improvised pointed
weapon and fatally stabbed Noor. A case is now being filed at the
Philippine National Police against Bermog, Inspector Riel informed.
In fairness to the 707
inmates, 300 plus of who belong to the Batang Leyte-Samar and 200 plus
to the Batang City Jail, Inspector Riel said that the inmates were
immediately pacified and controlled when the jail guards responded.
He said that he has
temporarily separated the two groups because of the tension which
brewed when the inmates learned that one of them died. He said he
assigned the Batang City Jail at the new building while the Batang
Leyte-Samar is now occupying the old building.
Asked on the
congestion of inmates, Superintendent Riel lamented the fact that the
City Jail, if the United Nations standard which is 3 square meters per
inmate, only 150 inmates will be accommodated. If double bunks are
used, only 300 inmates are accommodated. This means he said that the
congestion is more than 100 percent at the City Jail. He expressed
optimism that the City government will soon take into consideration
the plan that his office has already submitted.
Superintendent Riel
said that he will have a dialog with the two group when the tension
have eased a bit because right now, there is still tension because of
the death of Noor. These men are not difficult to talk to, he said, he
is just waiting for a short time to cool off the tension.
Social welfare officer
bares a group shows interest on female child warrior “Ka Liza”
By ELI C. DALUMPINES (PIA
Samar)
November 2, 2006
