44 Eastern Visayas town under election watchlist

TACLOBAN CITY -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) has tagged 44 towns in Eastern Visayas as election watchlist areas in relation to the May 9 elections.

In the list of areas of concern list are 15 towns in Samar, 12 towns in Leyte, nine in Northern Samar, seven in Eastern Samar, and one in Biliran.

Sr. Supt. Brigido Unay, chief of the police regional intelligence division, said these places of concern have been consistently included in the past elections.

“These have been categorized as areas of concern because of past and recent election-related violence, presence of private armed groups, intense political rivalry and insurgency problem,” Unay said.

Calbayog City and all towns within the first legislative district of Samar are included in the areas of concern. These are Almagro, Gandara, Matuguinao, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Santa Margarita, Santo Niño, Tagapul-an, Tarangnan.

Outside Samar’s first district identified in the watch list are Hinabangan, Paranas, Pinabacdao, San Jose de Buan, and Tarangnan.

The police official declined to disclose the specific areas in Leyte, Biliran, Northern Samar and Eastern included in the watch list for 2016 polls, but he said the list are the same in 2013.

Listed as hotspots in the last elections are Baybay and Ormoc cities and the towns of Bato, Inopacan, Kananga, Matag-ob, Tabango, San Miguel, Albuera, Burauen, Carigara, and Jaro in Leyte.

In Eastern Samar, these areas are Arteche, Taft, Can-avid, Dolores, Hernani, General MacArthur, Jipapad and Quinapondan.

In Northern Samar, these places are Bobon, Catubig, Mapanas, Mondragon, Palapag, San Isidro, Gamay, Las Navas, Lavezares, Lope de Vega, Pambujan, Capul and Victoria. The only town in Biliran province tagged as watchlist in the past elections was Kawayan.

Only the Southern Leyte province was not included in the police areas of concern this year.

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Regional Director Jose Nick Mendros said there will be more deployment of police in these areas to ensure peaceful, orderly, and honest elections.

“More intensified checkpoints will be implemented in these areas to help prevent the occurrence of election-related violence,” Mendros added.

The Comelec, PNP, and the Philippine Army has stepped up security measures for the May 9, 2016 polls with the election period kick off on Sunday. (PNA)

Tacloban bizmen braces for full launch of San Juanico cruise

photo from wikepedia

TACLOBAN CITY -- The business group behind conceptualizing the cruise from downtown to San Juanico Bridge, the country’s longest, is looking for more investors to make the tourism activity up and running by summer.

Oliver Cam, consultant of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Eastern Visayas Business Recovery Center, said the planned regular cruise tour from the city port to the famous San Juanico Bridge is still on hold, given the absence of boats that match the standard for cruise tourism.

“We initially have two 60-footer fiber glass boats donated to fishermen. These are fishing boats. In order for them to be converted to a cruise boat, they have to undergo the conversion process. We are still gathering enough funds,” Cam told PNA.

For each fishing boat, an additional PHP300,000 investment is needed to convert it for tourism, including the acquisition of additional equipments such as life vest, emergency ramp, two-way communication, and night navigation lighting system.

“We want to make those boats up to standards because we have histories in the Philippines that boats are not safely operated. In this case, we want to make an exception. We want to show that we can do this very safe. That’s why we are very strict in adhering standards,” Cam explained.

The business group, in partnership with the Department of Tourism held a soft launch for the San Juanico Cruise early November. Since then, the group have been doing promotional tour every weekend.

“The promotional tour is our way of trying to get enough support and build up the market,” Cam added.

DOT Regional Karina Rosa Tiopes said the initial plan was to build a jetty port in Magsaysay Boulevard for the cruise, but with the absence of funds, the group tapped the existing city port.

“We are marketing San Juanico as the main attraction, because this not just the longest bridge in the country, but this is also an engineering marvel,” Tiopes said.

“We are happy that the government and private sector are on board to add new tourism products not just for the city, but for neighboring areas in Samar. We cannot be a standalone destination because there are less natural resources
in the city.”

The 18-kilometer route of the cruise starts from downtown area in Tacloban City then under the majestic 2.1 kilometer San Juanico Bridge that links Leyte and Samar province. It takes about two hours to complete the trip either for sunrise or sunset.

The promotional rate is PHP550 promo for each of the 15 participants, inclusive of breakfast or dinner.

Stations will also be put in place to showcase the different sceneries in the area. Floating restaurants are also planned to be put up in some parts of Samar.

If there are no tourists, the boat can also be used to transport passengers from downtown to relocation sites in the northern part of the city.

The business group conceptualized the new tourism product to help fisher folks in new relocation sites to have alternative sources of income. (PNA)

Comelec notes drop in number of registered voters for 2016 polls in Samar

Voters Registration (File photo from www.catbalogan.gov.ph)

CALBAYOG CITY -- A total of 490,420 names appeared on the final list of registered voters for the May 9, 2016 elections in Samar province, lower than what the Commission on Elections (Comelec) recorded two years ago.

The drop in the number of voters, according to the Comelec, was the result of the cleansing/deactivation of some voters due to absence of biometric data, unable to vote for the past two elections as well as the transfer of registration of some voters to other places.

Among the 24 towns and two cities in the province, this city remains a vote-rich area with 110,028 registered voters.

Other top five areas with high-voting population are Catbalogan City (60,033), Basey (31,643), Daram (25,607), and Sta. Rita (24,877).

Samar province has 951 villages. It has a total of 3,385 established precincts and 1,165 clustered precincts.

Meanwhile, the local police has already stepped up its plan to secure the peace and order of the province for the coming elections.

In Calbayog City, city police chief Supt. Salvador Tagle said that stricter conduct of checkpoint will be implemented starting Jan. 10 as election period starts. Gun ban will be enforced during this period.

Tagle calls on the support and cooperation of the public for the smooth conduct of checkpoints.

“We would like to appeal to the public to support the authorities and follow what are prohibited during the election period, especially carrying of guns,” he added. (PNA)

Firecracker injuries in E. Visayas climb to 79

THE Department of Health (DOH) reported 79 fireworks-related injuries during the New Year festivities in Eastern Visayas.

This is slightly higher than last year but the agency did not hesitate to call its anti-firecracker drive successful.

Roderick Boyd Cerro, chief of the DOH regional epidemiology and surveillance unit, said all cases are minor blasts and there was no single victim of stray bullet.

Majority or 80 percent of cases were injured due to "piccolo" ignited by children below 11 years old.

“We still consider the 'Iwas Paputok' campaign successful since injuries this year were less serious than in the previous years,” he said.

Of the 79 injuries, 37 were reported in Northern Samar, 24 in Eastern Samar, 12 in Leyte, five in Samar, and one in Southern Leyte.

The typhoon-hit Northern Samar recorded the highest injuries in the region after typhoon Nonan hit the province.

The heatlth department said more Filipinos were spared of firework-related injuries as the country welcomed the New Year.

In a press release, DOH reported a total of 384 fireworks-related injuries as of 6:00 AM, January 1, 2016.

Of the total 384 cases, 380 were from fireworks/firecrackers, 4 from stray bullets, and no case of fireworks/firecrackers ingestion. 219 out of 380 injuries were caused by Piccolo, a prohibited firecracker in the country. Other firecrackers causing injuries were from 5 star with four percent, Kwitis with nine percent, Luces with four percent, and other unknown firecrackers on five percent.

The government has launched its monitoring of Christmas and New Year revelries on December 16, 2014 and will conclude on January 5, 2015. (PNA with SNR)

Mayor supporter shot in Calbayog days after PNP chief talked to city police

DILG Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento and PNP chief Ricardo Marquez during thr consultative meeting in Ciraco Hotel in Calbayog last Dec. 28, 2015 (Photo courtesy of DYOG Radyo ng Bayan Calbayog Facebook Page)

CALBAYOG CITY -- A political supporter in this city was hurt in a shooting incident on Wednesday, two days after Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ricardo Marquez personally ordered local cops here to stop violence.

The police identified the victim as Jojo Taduyo, 28, whose brother, a village official in this city, was slain earlier this year.

The suspects, who were riding a motorcycle, shot the victim on Wednesday afternoon along the main road in Carayman village.

Gunmen, however, failed to fatally hit the victim because an unidentified policeman, who was reportedly present at the crime scene was able to return fire to the suspects.

As of this posting, police report says the victim is still confined in a hospital for treatment.
The shooting incident came two days after Marquez personally ordered the local police here to stop election-related violence and neutralize private armed groups (PAGS).

Marquez and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento were in the city to meet civil society groups to tackle political killings committed by PAGS.

Samar now is one of the six provinces in the country placed by the police under election watch list for 2016 polls.

In the 2010 elections, police managed to neutralize the activities of the “Moloboco” and the “Montealto” private armed groups, however, remnants of such according to the police remain and reportedly now being maintained by some identified politician in Samar.
PNP said they have the list of some members of the group and they are now taking steps to neutralize their activity.
Marquez noted that elections in Samar come with a high price and more often bloody. “Things get violent as desperate politicians cling to power by using private armies during election.”

Marquez said that one company of the elite police group Special Action Force (SAF) will be deployed in the city starting January 2016.

Four months ago in Victory village, this city, five members of Regulacion family, including children, were brutally killed in what would be the most gruesome election-related violence in Samar.
Since January 2015 to present, the city police here recorded 23 killings.

“Failure to address private armies puts political opponents and ordinary civilians at continued risk from powerful local politicians,” Marquez added.

“The police must be beyond the influence of politicians in their respective areas and need to enforce the full force of the law without fear or favor,” he added.

Meanwhile, Calbayog City Mayor Ronald Aquino said Samar is mourning for peace. The latest shooting victim is reportedly the mayor’s supporter.

“We are against any form of terroristic act here and we are obliged to be against it together,” Aquino said. “This is an attack on our unity and peace.”

Aquino urged the people to be vigilant and to be very watchful to those people responsible for the killings. (PNA/with SNR)