Ecija jail warden murdered; Umali offers P1-M reward for gunman’s capture

CABANATUAN CITY – The jail warden of the Nueva Ecija provincial jail

was gunned down by an unidentified assailant Wednesday night in what police authorities  said could be related to his crackdown against illegal drugs inside the jailhouse.

           Senior Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves, provincial police director, identified the slain jail official as Enrico Campos, 55, of Barangay Mayapyap Sur this city.

          Campos, a retired policeman, died from two gunshot wounds from a caliber 45 revolver and another unknown firearm.

          Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali yesterday offered a P1-million reward for the capture of Campos’ killers and gave the Philippine National Police one month to solve the killing.

          The site where Campos was killed is near the provincial jail in Barangay Caalibangbangan. The jail is being administratively supervised by the provincial government.     

          Nieves said Campos was driving his red Honda motorcycle with license plate 8403-VK along the Maharlika Highway in Mayapyap Sur at around 7:15 pm Monday when shot by an unidentified suspect who escaped.           Campos was rushed to the Premier General Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.

          In his speech marking the 113^th anniversary of the Nueva Ecija police here, Umali denounced the attack and said the police should rise to the occasion and get to the bottom of the killing.

“On many occasions, you have shown that you were worthy to accept the challenge. I now challenge you to solve the murder of Campos,” he said, while announcing the bounty.

          He said he is willing to provide all the necessary support to the PNP in helping solve the crime.

          Nieves told reporters that he has formed Task Force Campos to look into the killing. He said they will do everything to solve the killing within the timeline imposed by the governor.

          “We will do our best. Of course, we cannot promise that we will have it solved in one month,” he said.

          Nieves said they are looking at several angles as possible motives for the murder of Campos, among them his work as jail warden, personal among others. He said they have received reports that the slain official implemented drastic reforms inside the jail, particularly with regards to visitations.

          He added that there have been reports that Campos imposed a crackdown against illegal drugs inside the jailhouse.

          “We have been looking into his cellphones to see if we can extract information,” he said, adding they are also looking into recordings in the closed circuit television (CCTV) which may be used as evidence.

          PO3 Erwin Gonzales, investigator-on-case, said they will also look into Campos’ records as a retired policeman to see if this could be connected to the killing. “As a former policeman, there may be certain things that could be associated with his killing,” Gonzales said.

          He said that it’s still unclear if Campos was attacked by a single assailant or by gunmen who are riding-in-tandem because the area where he was shot was dark. “In fact, people near the place where he was shot thought he just met an accident,” he said. (Manny Galvez)

11 NIA execs removed in top-level reshuffle under Padernal

CABANATUAN CITY, Nueva Ecija–Eleven top officials of the National Irrigation Administration, including an assistant administrator and the chief of the Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation Systems who has just been adjudged outstanding  manager, have been replaced in the first agency revamp under the month-old administration of Florencio F. Padernal.

          In NIA Board Resolution 8084, relieved from their posts were assistant administrator Julius S. Maquiling, UPRIIS operations manager Josephine Salazar, and regional managers Reynaldo Puno, John N. Celeste, Vicente R. Vicmudo, Efren S. Roqueza, William P. Ragodon, Mario H. Sande, Alejandro L. Alberca, department manager Florentino R. David and division manager Guillermo C. Mercado.

          The resolution reassigning them was adopted during the agency’s 896^th regular board meeting last August 9.

          The same resolution saw the retention of eight other NIA officials namely regional managers John L. Socalo of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), Antonio C. Lara (Region 2), Gerardo P. Corsiga (Region 6), Romeo G. Quiza (Region 8), Diosdado A. Rosales (Region 9), Ali S. Satol (Region 12), Encarnacion S. Soriano (Region 13) and Mariano G. Dancel, department manager of the Magat River Integrated Irrigation Systems (MARIIS).

The NIA Board is composed of presidential adviser on food security and agriculture modernization, Sec. Francis N. Pangilinan as chairman, Padernal as vice chairman and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio L. Singson, National Economic and Development Authority director-general Arsenio M. Balisacan, National Power Corp. president Gladys Cruz-Sta. Rita and private sector representative Ismael D. Tabije as members.

          Padernal assumed the post of administrator from Claro V. Maranan early last month.

          Maquiling was designated regional manager of Region 10 while Salazar was named regional manager of Region 3, swapping post with Puno, who she replaced in 2011.

          Celeste was transferred from Region 11 to Region 1, replacing Vicmudo who was reassigned to Region 5. Celeste was replaced by Alberca who was relieved from Region 7 by Sande, formerly with the office of the administrator.   

Vicmudo, barely five months in his post, replaced Ragodon who was named manager of Region 4-A vice Roqueza who went to Region 4-B.

          David, formerly the department manager of the internal audit services (IAS), was named manager of the NIA central office’s operations department. He was replaced by Mercado, one of his men in the IAS. 

          Salazar’s relief came barely six weeks after the NIA’s Personnel Reward And Incentives System Evaluation (PRAISE) committee handed her the best operations manager award for her “exemplary leadership and good governance of UPRIIS which contributed significantly to NIA’s corporate viability and more importantly to the food security program of the government.”

UPRIIS, the operator of the World Bank-funded Pantabangan Dam, posted an irrigation service fee (ISF) collection of P297.9 million in 2013, up from P280.196 million in 2012. 

          A holder of a masteral degree in regional development at the University of Queensland, Australia in 2004, Salazar is on record as the youngest and first-ever female operations manager to head a NIS administratively supervised by the male-dominated NIA in its 51-year history.

UPRIIS is the country’s largest national irrigation system (NIS). It irrigates 102,000 hectares of agricultural lands in Central Luzon,  which also hosts the third largest NIS – the Angat Maasim River Irrigation System that runs and operates the Bustos Dam in Bulacan. (Manny Galvez)

DOTC wants P6.7 B for MRT subsidy Recto says Senate will ask if it can deliver on its promises

MANILA-Government is asking for a P6.6 billion subsidy for the Metro Rail Transit for next year and the Senate will assess when it hears the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) 2015 budget if the MRT can deliver on the “promissory note” it has attached to its request.

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said the requested

Taxpayer support for the 13-station 17-kilometer line is lodged in two items in the proposed P52.9 billion budget of the DOTC for 2015.

First is a proposed P1.92 billion for “operation and maintenance” of the MRT. The second one is a recommended P4.66 billion as “subsidy for MRT 3”.

“In addition, there’s a special provision in the budget of the DOTC which allows the agency to use ‘farebox revenue’ and ‘non-rail collections’ in settling MRT’s operating requirements and prior years’ obligations,” Recto said.

"In exchange for this amount, the DOTC is promising to reduce transfer time from 10 minutes to 5 minutes and decrease its load factor by 8 percent," Recto said, quoting from the proposed 2015 national budget Malacanang has sent to Congress.

For the whole rail sector, the DOTC is targeting an average speed of 48 kilometers per hour, a 90% on-time schedule and 4.48 million passenger kilometers travelled every day for 2015.

“As to service disruptions, it is keeping the number of what it calls ‘passenger unloading incidents’ to under 300 for the whole of 2015,” Recto said.

“We would like to know if by giving the P6.6 billion, the DOTC can redeem on its promises,” Recto said.

“I think the budget hearings to be called by the Senate will be some sort of diagnostics session on what ails the MRT and what its cures will be,” he said.

Beginning 2013, the Aquino administration has attached “countable performance indicators and final outcomes” to every allocation it is asking in the national budget.

For the current year, Congress, through the national budget, has authorized P4.09 billion as subsidy to the MRT.

On top of this is a P1.81 billion allocation for its operation and maintenance.

“I think we should also look if the public is getting value for the money it is giving MRT this year,” he said. 

On the recent Pulse Asia survey

MANILA-The recent survey validates what I have been saying all along – that the investigations conducted by the Department of Justice, National Bureau of Investigation, Office of the Ombudsman and especially the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee lack fairness and objectivity.

 

The DOJ-NBI have repeatedly and recklessly dragged the 3 senators’ names into the controversy, while becoming extra careful when it comes to the involvement of other lawmakers. The Ombudsman has railroaded its investigation, without giving us the chance to rebut the allegations against us nor even read copies of the affidavits (we requested) which were used as basis for finding probable cause.

 

The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, on the other hand, became the venue to demonize the three senators and publicly convicted us before the bar of public opinion. The chairman has clearly prejudged us way before it released its findings on the issue. The other members of the committee meanwhile used the panel as a forum to advance their selfish political agenda.

 

Note that up to now, the Blue Ribbon has not shown interest in investigating the Malampaya fund scam but it acted swiftly on the resolution calling for an inquiry on the alleged overpriced building in Makati City.

 

Out of the hundreds of lawmakers mentioned in the audit report on the release and utilization of PDAF, only three lawmakers are being made accountable. And out of dozens of non-government organizations who are said to have also received PDAF of legislators, they only concentrated on those connected with Janet Napoles. Clearly, this is selective justice.

 

Undoubtedly, the only motivation behind all these is to persecute members of the opposition while protecting allies of the administration. And the people have agreed since the patent bias and obvious prejudice of the “investigators” against the three target senators were so glaring, clear as daylight.

ANGARA FILES RESO TO INVESTIGATE MRT 3 INCIDENT

MANILA-Senator Sonny Angara on Thursday filed a resolution directing the appropriate committee to investigate, in aid of legislation, the recent incident involving the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT 3) and to reexamine the current public and mass transport system in the country.

On Wednesday, dozens were injured after a defective MRT 3 coach, during rush hour, derailed and overshot its tracks at the EDSA-Taft Station in Pasay City.

"Such incident was actually an accident-in-waiting considering MRT 3 currently operates double its original capacity at 500,000 passengers a day when it was originally designed for only 350,000, and warnings from experts on the safety and maintenance of the MRT, particularly on 'metal fatigue' were made earlier this year," said Angara, chair of the committee on ways and means.

In his Senate Resolution No. 839, Angara identified recent malfunctions or incidents involving the MRT 3 since 2012, including a short-circuit that caused fire in one MRT coach at Kamuning Station in November 2012; a shutdown of MRT operations in October 2013; and when the MRT abruptly stopped at the Ayala station causing at least 10 commuters hurt; among others.

"The litany of incidents highlights the need to look into the operation-worthiness of the MRT to ensure the safety and welfare of riding public that bear daily long cues just to ply through the metro.  

"Such re-examination should include all existing and planned inter-city mass transit systems in Metro Manila and the country in the context of establishing a comprehensive, integrated, coordinated, environment-friendly, sustainable and long-term transport network," the senator said.

Angara added that government institutional set up may also be re-examined to address the weak coordination, regulation and oversight for public transportation and mass transit policies and plans.  

The lawmaker further stressed the urgent need to institute policy reforms to address the needs of the country's public and mass transport system in order to sustain the Philippines' exemplary economic performance as manifested in unprecedented GDP growth.

"An efficient mass transit system, particularly in a highly-urbanized megapolis such as the Metro Manila, is a key component and a lever for a sustained economic growth in any growing nation. We must look into this MRT 3 incident, as well as the country’s rail system and transport network policy, with the view of instituting policy reforms to address the country’s infrastructure needs in the next 50 years," Angara said.

JINGGOY ASKS COURT TO ALLOW LABOR COMMITTEE HEARINGS INSIDE CRAME

MANILA-The camp of Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada manifested before the court last Tuesday his intention to conduct committee hearings inside the Camp Crame detention facility.

 

Through his legal counsel Sabino Acut, Jr., Sen. Estrada asked the justices of the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division during the continuation of the hearing regarding his bail petition that he be allowed to perform his legislative function, particularly to preside over committee hearings in performance of his official capacity as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Labor, Employment and Human Resources Development.

 

Sandiganbayan asked the counsels to submit a formal motion on the request within 5 days.

 

It can be recalled that the Senate leadership has deferred the implementation of the suspension order issued by the Sandiganbayan against Estrada pending resolution of his motion for reconsideration.

 

Sen. Estrada believes the hearing could be done inside the common area of the detention facility, as there is enough space to accommodate government officials and other stakeholders which may be called upon to attend as resource persons.

 

Sen. Estrada noted the precedence set by Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV who was able to hold committee meetings while he was detention in Camp Crame due to charges of a coup d’état.

 

Last June before the Senate adjourned sine die, Sen. Estrada took the floor to nominate Sen. Pia Cayetano in leading the passage of Anti-Discrimination in Workplace bill and to designate the labor committee vice chairman Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara to defend other pending measures before the plenary (bills which have already been tackled and passed by the committee and were sponsored by Estrada) in the event that he will not be able to do so.

 

Currently, Sen. Estrada is still able to write and submit legislative measures for consideration of the chamber.

 

Since he turned himself in to his father former President and incumbent Manila City Mayor Joseph Estrada, the lawmaker has continued drafting bills and so far introduced the following bills: Increasing the night shift differential rate for workers; Ensuring occupational health and safety of BPO workers; Institutionalizing a National Employment Facilitation Service Network for Persons with Disability; Penalizing No Permit-No Exam policy of schools, among others.

 

The younger Estrada is also working on a bill which seeks to improve the inhuman condition of penal systems and heavy congestion of our jails. He cited a news report which says that a cell in Quezon City Jail houses dozens of inmates way beyond its intended capacity.

 

“Siyempre nakakaawa naman ang mga ibang akusado, mga ibang nasa loob ng kulungan. Ang balita ko sa Quezon City Jail doon sa isang kuwarto, sa isang kulungan, 138 na katao tapos iisa lang ang banyo. I think that is inhuman,” Jinggoy lamented.

 

On a related note, Sen. Estrada filed last year various measures seeking to improve the imprisonment facilities and its management, such as Senate Bill 2031 or the proposed Professionalization of Prison Management Act, Senate Bill 1552 which provides for an integrated jail facility in Metro Manila and other highly urbanized centers, Senate Bill 1602 which prescribes stricter penalties on the crime of delivering prisons from jail and infidelity in the custody of prisoners, and Senate Bill 1967 which provides reparation to wrongly jailed individuals.

Drilon to DOTC: Improve airport facilities, services

MANILA-Senate President Franklin M. Drilon today urged the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) to speed up the repairs and rehabilitation of the country’s airports which are proposed to receive P13.3 billion under the proposed P2.606-trillion 2015 budget in time for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meetings next year.

The proposed budget, according to Drilon, is P4 billion higher than its current level of P9.1 billion in an effort “to improve the condition of the country’s airport facilities including the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and enhance their services.”

Drilon said that the good maintenance and service of Philippine airports will create a good impression for the country, when world leaders will flock to the Philippines for the 2015 APEC Summit meetings, which will be held in at least eight different locations in the nation.

“It is in the airports that visitors get their first and last impression of a country. It is therefore important that we make sure that the first and last thing people see when they visit the nation is the sight of an efficient and capable airport,” pointed out Drilon.

"Our improved airports will be a good boost to our international image when we host the APEC next year. That is why it is very critical that we make sure that the bidding process for the repair and rehabilitation projects will be efficient, and will avoid costly project delays or bureaucratic snags,” said Drilon.  

“An efficient transport infrastructure is key to the fast flow of people and tourists, resources and money into countries as it provides access to local and international markets and trade. When we allow our airports to remain unsatisfactorily dilapidated, we are also allowing a great deal of revenues to fly away," he added.

Based on the details provided under the National Expenditures Program (NEP), Drilon said various airports in the country will undergo different phases of development and capacity build-up next year. The NAIA will receive P592 million for its capacity expansion and maximization, whereas the Clark Airport will get P1.20 billion, Kalibo Airport will receive P950 million, and Iloilo International Airport will get P791 million.

  

Also included are the Busuanga Airport (P1.02 billion), General Santos Airport (P959 million), Ozamis Airport (P695 million), Calbayog Airport (678 million), and Camarines Sur Airport in Naga (670 million).  

Meanwhile, the government will continue to provide funding for the development of the Puerto Princesa Airport and Bicol International Airport which will receive P1.55 billion each in 2015, as well as the New Bohol (Panglao) International Airport Development Project and the Laguindingan International Airport which are budgeted with P400 million and P75.44 million respectively.

The budget is lodged under the DOTC’s budget of P59.0 billion, an increase of 20 percent from its current level of P48.8 billion.

The Senate leader said the improvements of our airports will be crucial to the attainment of various goals and target outputs listed by DOTC in the Performance Information section of the budget.

“Among the plans of DOTC for 2015 are to increase the number of seats offered to the public by five percent next year or equivalent to 28 million domestic seats and 26 million international seats; and increase the number of operated routes to 85 from 84 this year for domestic routes and 81 from 79 for international routes,” said Drilon.

He added that the agency is targeting 21 million domestic passengers and 18 million international passengers in 2015.

Drilon said the DOTC should explain its timetable for the projects and provide more details as to how it plans to achieve their target outputs.  

“We must then respond to the rising number of passengers flying in and out of the county with better service, improved facilities and more responsible airport management," Drilon said.

“If the problem is the budget, the Senate is willing to extend support as long as the DOTC can assure us that the airport developments will be finished before the APEC meetings in 2015,” he concluded.  

Legarda Pushes for Revival of Gabaldon Schools

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda today renewed her call for the restoration of Gabaldon school buildings in the country not only as part of heritage conservation but also to reuse them for their original purpose as places of learning.

Legarda said that the Gabaldon school houses, like the heritage houses built during the Spanish period, speak much about the nation’s history.

“The success of the restoration of these structures can promote the concept of heritage conservation especially in the provinces where these built heritage remain standing. These buildings can be used to ease classroom shortage or congestion especially in the countryside,” she said.

“As we teach the Filipino youth our nation’s culture and history, we should also inculcate in them the respect for things that form part of our heritage,” she added.

The Gabaldon school buildings were designed by American architect William Parsons and funded through Act No. 1801 authored by Philippine Assemblyman Isauro Gabaldon.

The Gabaldon schools are huge school buildings with high ceiling, spacious corridors and rooms that are divided by wooden collapsible partitions with wide windows made up of capiz shells.

In line with this, Legarda filed Senate Resolution 800, asking the Senate to inquire about the status of the implementation of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) heritage school building restoration program, including the conservation and maintenance of Gabaldon school houses and other heritage structures within its jurisdiction.

She noted that under Memorandum Order No. 164 Series of 2009, the DepEd created the Task Force on Heritage School Buildings to determine the heritage school houses across all regions and be responsible for their restoration.

The Senator stressed that as built heritage structures, the Gabaldon buildings represent historic, architectural and socio-political significance to the country.

“These structures symbolize the first foundation of the Philippine public school system during the American colonial regime, in which each Filipino child, even from the most remote areas of the country, had access to formal education,” said Legarda.

Comelec budget jumps six-fold to P16.8 B, P3.7 B for PCOS machines

MANILA-The proposed budget of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for 2015 will soar to P16.8 billion, or six times its 2014 budget of P2. 8 billion, an increase Sen. Ralph Recto described “as a high price we’re being told to pay to have clean elections in 2016.”

Recto said P3.76 billion of the Comelec budget will be used to buy 41,800 precinct count optical scan or PCOS machines at a cost of P90,000 each.

In all, the Comelec is eyeing to buy P11.43 billion worth of assorted new equipment, according to a briefing paper by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on the highlights of the P2.6 trillion 2015 national budget.

The new PCOS machines, the DBM paper said, will augment the 80,000 units in the poll body’s inventory.  

On top of the P11.43 billion for capital outlays, another 2016 election-related expense frontloaded in the 2015 budget is P1.2 billion for “preparatory activities” including voter’s registration, Recto said.

The Comelec is targeting a 4% increase in the number of registered voters which stood at 54,051,626 in August last year.

Pending the submission of the details of the mulled PCOS purchase, Recto said he was withholding judgment on whether its multi-billion price tag is justified.

“There are good and competent men in the Comelec like Chairman Brillantes. We have to get their side and also the views of other stakeholders who are likewise well-meaning,” he said.

“But what I am interested in knowing is if this will be a recurring expense, if this is what we will have to shell out every time we hold an election, which in this land is once every 500 days,” Recto said.

Aside from national elections, elections are also called for Sangguniang Barangay (SB) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) posts every three years.

On the last two alone, 672,442 officials are elected, a chairman for every SB and SK in 42,028 barangays and seven council members for each SB and SK.

In addition, about 18,050 national and local posts are elected.

“We have  ‘job fair’ every three years to allow people to hire close to 700,000 officials and the manner of hiring them is the one that’s expensive,” Recto said. 

  

“We can only hire less than a thousand doctors, probably a hundred PhD scientists and about 10,000 policemen every three years but we recruit elected officials in bulk, by the hundreds of thousands during the same period,” he said.

Recto said if the P16 billion cost to hold an election becomes a regular request every three years, “then there is no harm in looking for other means on how to bring down the cost of administering elections in this country.”

He said the final 2016 election tab could be higher as the P16.8 billion is just the request of the Comelec for preparations to be done a year before. “That amount does not include the funds required for election year proper.”

“Kung ganun kalaki ang gastos, maraming magtatanong kung bakit tayo bibili ng ganun kadaming PCOS machine na gagamitin lang once every three years gayong mas kailangan natin ng dialysis machines o X-ray machines,” Recto said.

Recto said the proposed P11.4 billion for new Comelec equipment is 19 times bigger than the proposed P592 million for NAIA expansion, 28 times of what we will pay 398 new DoH doctors in 2015, two and half times the total senior citizens pension of some 739,000 elderly.

“It is three and a half times of what our national vaccines and immunization budget is for next year, 11 times bigger than the Community Mortgage Program budget, and 22 times bigger than the Quick Reaction Fund of the Department of Agriculture for calamities,” Recto said.

But Recto said he is not blaming the Comelec.

“Probably what is at fault here is that we have so many government units, which create many positions up for grabs, which invite many candidates, who in turn will be chosen by a large voting base,” he said.

Sotto wants ban on backriders

MANILA-They have become a menace to society, back-riders on two-wheeled motorcycles that gave rise to the criminal lexicon, ‘riding in tandem.’ They execute the crime—from petty robbery to well-planned murder— as easily as they slip out, taunting law enforcement authorities.

And Senator Vicente Sotto III wants to stop this evil Batman and Robin tandem for good.

The senator has filed a bill banning motorcycle back-riders and proposed penalties for violators.

Records from the National Police showed that last year, more than 3,000 crimes related to riding in tandem motorcycle riders have been recorded in Metro Manila alone.

News and social media are rife with reports of robberies, murders and other crimes perpetrated by suspects riding in tandem.

“Motorcycle back-riders, most commonly known as the riding-in-tandem criminals have an ample opportunity to commit heinous crimes with impunity because of the facility of getting away from the crime scene by use of a motorcycle which can avoid and wind through even heavy traffic.

“This bill gives law enforcers to flag down the driver and question them,” Sotto said.

Based on Senate Bill No. 2344, any person who violates the provision of the law, upon conviction, will be penalized by imprisonment of prison correctional (minimum of six months and one day and maximum of six years) and fine of P20,000 for the first offense and an additional P10,000 for every succeeding offense.

However, the measure provide  some exemptions: (1) if the back riders are spouse, child and parent of the driver and (2) Members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police personnel  who are in duty and in uniform are also exempted.

A similar measure is being studied in one municipality in Metro Manila following the spate of riding in tandem criminal activities.

“This may be frowned upon by some members of society, but we have to think of the higher good of protecting the life and limb of our citizens,” Sotto added.

Sotto recommended the bill as an urgent for adoption due to alarming statistics that crimes committed by riding-in-tandem.

In proposing the bill, the senator stressed that the bill can be refined and debated upon in the committee level to make it responsive and effective in deterring crime. “Let’s have an open discussion, argue on the pros and cons and let’s see where this leads us.”

Senior Superintendent Benigno Durana Jr., head of PNP Directorate for Operations Law Enforcement Division, has confirmed the rising incidence of motorcycle-related street crimes.

The alarming rise of crime statistics prompted the PNP leadership to include in its plan, in coordination with the National Capital Region Police Office, to give each policeman in all checkpoints photos of criminals – either fugitives or with a history of pulling off crimes on motorcycles.

The PNP said most crimes were recorded in the barangay (villages), police blotters, and in other law enforcement agencies. 

NFNL joins regional launch of Climate Change Advocacy Campaign

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union-The sailors and marines of the Naval Forces Northern Luzon participated in the planting of over 1,000 mangrove propagules at Brgy Parian Oeste, Bauang, La Union in connection with the regional launch of the national government’s Climate Change Advocacy Campaign last August 6, 2014 at the province of La Union.

The activity was spearheaded by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, aims to help improve public awareness on climate change adaptation and mitigation thru the conduct of focused group discussion and lectures provided by subject matter experts.

The activity commenced thru a live on-air discussion between various government agencies, local government units, local media and civilian volunteers at the Sea and Sky Hotel in San Fernando City, La Union. During the discussion, participants were given an opportunity to raise various issues and concerns which were then attended to by the agencies concerned.

          To have the participants fully understand the current issues of climate change and the national government’s effort for its mitigation, Mr. Ben Molano and Ms. Ma. Venus A. Junio of the DENR provided a short lecture on the current situation on climate change and ways to manage wastes among our households.

          The participation of the Officers and Enlisted Personnel of the Naval Forces Northern Luzon manifests the Philippine Navy’s never ending commitment to support various groups’ cause oriented activities geared towards maintaining a healthy and safe environment suitable for peace and progress for the whole of our nation.

Military, police arrest NPA members in Nueva Ecija

SAN JOSE CITY, Nueva Ecija-Army and Police forces arrested Saturday evening two alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in a joint operation in Carranglan town.

Elements of the 3^rd Infantry Battalion (3IB), Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and Provincial Police Public Safety Company (PPSC) acted on reliable information about the presence of NPA remnants leader Ely Taray or commonly called “Ka Omeng” at Sitio Pinmaco in Barangay TL Padilla.

Taray has standing warrants for attempted murder issued by Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 38 in San Jose City dated July 14, 2006 and for murder at RTC Branch 39 also in San Jose City dated July 11, 2008.

While being served with the warrant, “Ka Omeng” was able to evade the joint Army and Police team but the security forces were able to arrest two persons who were later found out to be members of platoon Nueva Ecija-Nueva Vizcaya-Eastern Pangasinan of the NPA as political guides namely Gerald Hernandez Salonga alias “Matt” and Guiller Martin Cadano alias “Christian.”

Also confiscated in their possession were one 9mm Smith & Wesson with defaced serial number, one magazine, and 23 ammunitions; one 9mm with serial number U390575, one magazine, and 14 ammunitions; two hand grenades; and subversive documents. The subjects were appraised with their Miranda Rights by the arresting PNP officers.

Salonga and Cadano were bought to the PPSC Headquarters in Cabanatuan City and were charged with violation of Presidential Decree 1866 as amended by Republic Act 8294 otherwise known as illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

In a statement, 703^rd Infantry Brigade Commander Colonel Felimon Santos Jr. commended the officers and men of 3IB for the quick action and professionally handling the situation.

“The successful arrest of the two NPA members was the product of the information provided by the residents in the area who no longer believe in their cause and exhausted with their illegal activities,” he said.

Santos also called on the other NPA remnants in the area to surrender and join the mainstream of society and avail the programs of government to be once again productive and peaceful citizens of the country. (703^RD BDE)