Calbayog stores reject mutilated banknotes

CALBAYOG CITY -– Private establishments in this city refused to accept the money with stickers and staple markings as payment to purchases of customers.

Thousands of money with stickers of candidates and stapled on sample ballot, has been circulating in this city day since Saturday.

Kahlen Dalac, selling supervisor of Centro Mall Calbayog said that they have received payments from customers with stickers and staple markings, but they refused to accept it.

“Most of our customers have been using money with stickers of candidates name and other with staple markings, in paying the items they purchased, but we refused to accept the money,” Dalac said.

“We are just following the bank’s advise that no stickers or staple markings on the peso bills and that they will not accept it for deposit,” she added.

Other big establishments in the city have placed visible notice in their respective places regarding said advisory.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has been informing the public of its continuous implementation of the ‘Clean Note Policy’ and to intensify the awareness of the said policy to emphasize the importance of the Philippine currency for it represents our country and the Filipino people.

The BSP reminded the public that commercial banks will rejec
t banknotes with staple wires and stickers.

Under Presidential Decree (PD) No. 247 defacing, mutilating, tearing, or partially burning or destroying Philippine banknotes by any means is prohibited.

Stickers, stamped markings, writings, or staple wires on bank notes are unacceptable. PD No. 247 or the Anti-Mutilation Law penalizes anyone who violates the law with a fine of Php20,000 or by imprisonment of not more than five years. (PNA) PGL/SQM/JENNIFER SUMAGANG-ALLEGADO/EGR

San Jorge mayoralty candidate hurt in shooting incident

CALBAYOG CITY -- A mayoralty candidate and his companion in the town of San Jorge in Samar were shot by threemen early Monday morning.

Councilor Lester Bisnar, 48, who is running under Nacionalista Party, and his companion Noel Javolin, 37 gunshot wounds in the leg were brought to a nearby hospital.

San Jorge police cief Sr. Insp. Genaro Nabual said the incident happened around 4:15 a.m. at the town’s Anquiana village while the victims were on board of a van from Catbalogan City.

Nabual said that based on their initial investigation and accounts of eye witnesses, suspects were identified as Stephen Grey, Norman Bernales and Emmanual Pacampara.

The local police launched a manhunt operation to arrest the suspects. Authorities eye politics as one of the angle on the motive behind the attack. (PNA)

AFP deploys troops to thwart NPA intimidation in Samar

MANILA -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines has deployed troops in two barangays in Samar following reports of two incidents of election-related intimidation carried out by the New People's Army (NPA) in the province.

This was disclosed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla in a briefing Thursday.

"We have received two separate reports of intimidation involving the New People’s Army. (The first which occurred on) May 4, more or less 20 NPAs hauled around 30 residents of Barangay De-it in Matuguinao, Samar, all of which were political leaders of a mayoralty candidate," he added.

"(While the second incident involves) around 15 fully-armed NPAs were also seen in Barangay Candomacol, Motiong, Samar campaigning for the candidacy of a presidential candidate and a senatorial candidate. The group of rebels threatened to execute barangay officials if their endorsed candidates lose in their respective areas. Further reports said that the residents in Barangays Calapi, Bunga, and Malobago in Motiong, Samar requested additional AFP presence due to the NPA members in the area," Padilla revealed.

While no shots were fired on both incidents, he said the AFP has responded to these reports and continues to monitor threat groups who terrorize local communities to ensure the safe and secure conduct of the May 9 elections. (PNA)

Samelco 1 readies contingency plan to ensure brown-out free polls

CALBAYOG CITY -- Samar 1 Electric Cooperative (Samelco 1) laid up its contingency plan to ensure no
power interruption before and during Monday’s elections and until proclamation of winning candidates.

Samelco 1 general manager Sandy Montero said that Task Force Halalan 2016 was created to ensure delivery of reliable, efficient round the clock service during “protected time” to secure substations, distribution lines and power structures, to effectively and productively carry out maintenance tasks and respond accordingly to urgent, emergency call and requests as needed.

Weeks before the elections, the power distribution firm utility has implemented preventive maintenance maintenance in its three substations – Capoocan, Palanas-Cara and San Agustin.

They also conducted clearing overhead and under brushing, repair leaning poles and critical lines, line patrol of the whole coverage area. Said activities were implemented in the whole coverage area of Samelco 1 including the Small Power Utilities Group (SPUG) in the island towns of Sto. Nino, Almagro and Tagapul-an.

“We inspected the schools that will be used as polling centers and made sure that power lines are in place and in good condition to avoid power interruptions that will disrupt the conduct of elections.” Montero said.

Starting Sunday, all SAMELCO 1 personnel, especially their linemen in the three substations and SPUG in the island towns will be on standby.

Montero said that service vehicles will also be on standby for monitoring and to respond to calls in case there is an emergency.

Meanwhile, Montero said that despite all these preparations, still they cannot assure that power interruptions will be avoided during the conduct of elections.

“We ask for the cooperation of our consumers, the general public to please avoid activities like cutting of trees or ‘kaingin’ that may interrupt our power supply,” Engr. Montero said.

Samelco 1 is servicing the areas of Calbayog City, Gandara, Matuguinao, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Sta. Margarita, Tarangnan and the island towns of Sto. Nino, Tagapul-an and Almagro in Samar province. (PNA)