Contrary to “Bato’s” statement

TACLOBAN CITY-The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said that there is no shabu laboratory existing in the region. But still, PDEA Regional Director Edgar Jubay said that they will continue their monitoring if there could be a shabu laboratory existence in any part of the region. During his recent visit in the region, Police Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa mentioned of a shabu laboratory at the Abuyog Penal Colony in Abuyog, Leyte. Jubay said that the shabu circulating in the region came from Cebu, Metro Manila and Mindanao passing through from its various ports. The region’s alleged top drug lord, Kerwin Espinosa, who was arrested on Monday in Abu Dhabi, got his supply from Cebu, Jubay said. Jubay added that they continue on their monitoring of individuals link to illegal drug, to include those mentioned by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte. Jubay added that the intensified campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs had resulted to reduction of illegal drug supply in the region. Although one of the top illegal drug operators in the country is from the region, records shows that the situation is still “manageable,” the PDEA regional chief said. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Alleged Espinosa protectors  

By: JAN B. DAMAS

ALBUERA, Leyte- The police chief of this town initiated the filing of criminal charges against nine personalities alleged to be engaging or protectors of illegal drug activity of Mayor Roland Espinosa and his son Kerwin.
Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido filed separate complaints against businessman Eufrocino “Winnie” Codilla, Jr., brother of former Ormoc city mayors Eric and Eduardo; Jonnah Joseph Ungab, lawyer and vice mayor of Ronda, Cebu; businessman Victor Espina, brother of former PNP Deputy Director General Leonardo Espina and Joseph Nuñez, retired officer of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
Media personalities Lalaine Jimenea, Leo Dumon and John Pilapil were also included in the complaint filed Wednesday (Oct.12) by Espenido at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office based in Tacloban City.
All were charged for receiving drug money from the Espinosas as protection money.
Used as evidence by Espenido in filing complaints against the respondents were the returned checks they recovered with their names on them.
The checks were said to be issued by Espinosa as a payoff to the respondents for them to continue their illegal drug activity.
Mayor Espinosa had earlier claimed that various personalities, including top government officials, received huge sum of money as payola to them so they could continue to operate their illegal drug activity.
His son Kerwin was tagged by President Rodrigo Duterte as the region’s top drug lord.
The two were earlier charged for selling illegal drugs and possession of firearms.
The Albuera mayor is now detained at the sub-provincial jail in Baybay City while Kerwin remains at-large.
Earlier, Espenido filed a complaint against former Justice Secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima and Nelson Pepito, Jr., councilor of Barangay Binolho, Albuera for drug trafficking before the Office of the Ombudsman.
Leyte Samar Daily Express could not reach some of the respondents for their reactions.
But Jimenea, who is the publisher of EV Mail, based on media report, declined to comment upon advice of her lawyer. She is on a trip abroad.
Pilapil, correspondent of CNN Philippines and anchor of Power FM based in Ormoc City, dismissed the complaint filed against him.
He said that the money he received from the Espinosa was a payment for a sponsorship for his radio program especially when the elder Espinosa ran for mayor of Albuera last year.

TACLOBAN CITY – At least 56 more classrooms will be added to various public schools in Leyte in a bid to address the need for more classrooms for the increasing number of students yearly and the new enrollees under the K to 12 program which started this year.
The Department of Public Works and Highways’ 2nd Leyte Engineering District (2nd LED) recently awarded contracts for the constructions of school buildings in Jaro, Macarthur, Lapaz, Dagami and Dulag towns.
The school buildings comprise the ninth batch for the school building program funded under the Department of Education’s Basic Educational Facilities Fund (BEFF).
The school buildings due to start construction include the three-storey 12-classroom in Granja Kalinawan National High School in Jaro; three-storey 9-classroom at the Macarthur National High School in Macarthur; two-storey 3-classroom building and a three-storey 12-classroom building at the Atty. Roque A. Marcos Memorial School in Lapaz; two-storey 8-classroom building at the Sta. Mesa National High School in Dagami and the three-storey 9-classroom building at the Dulag National High School in Dulag.
Engineer Carlos Veloso, head of the 2nd LED, said that all school buildings being constructed by the DPWH are typhoon resilient based on a new standards jointly set by DepEd and their department.
With stronger typhoons expected attributed to climate change, both the DPWH and the DepEd made sure that schools can withstand ferocious winds and heavy downpours.
The design of the new school buildings takes into consideration human dimensions, applicable building codes, green building adaptation, effect of climate change, calamity-resilience, withstanding strong typhoons and major earthquakes and compliance with the National Structural Code of the Philippines.
School building construction program proved to be very challenging for the DPWH as some sites failed to pass the subsurface soil exploration survey, leading to cost adjustment, and search for alternative sites.
The construction of additional school buildings and classrooms thru the BEFF have eased classroom shortages and provided additional facilities.
DepEd provided more than P411 million in funds for these school buildings to ensure adequate classrooms as the senior high school program starts.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY – Health officials of Maasin City has issued an alarm over possible outbreak of suspected Chikungunya after 548 individuals were monitored to have been inflicted with the mosquito-borne ailment.
City health officer Francilisa Tan said the reported rise of Chikungunya was only based on house-to-house survey done by nurses of provincial health office in the barangays of Ibarra, Maria Clara, and Pasay.
“We have not officially declared an outbreak since the nurses conducted the interview weeks or a month after the patients manifested the symptoms. All cases are suspected since we have no means to confirm that in our level. There’s possibility that those cases are not Chikungunya,” Tan said in a mobile phone interview.
The youngest victim is a nine-month old infant while the eldest is 85 years old, according to the city health office report.
Local health surveillance officers sent urine samples to Manila of two pregnant women suffering from the viral ailment to find out if they are positive of Zika virus, another mosquito-borne disease.
Citing a separate report, Tan said that 122 suspected Chikungunya patients sought consultation at the City Health Office in the last three months from the three affected villages.
Tan believed that suspected cases have spread in these three areas considering their proximity to Brgy. Ichon village, Macrohon town where cases were noted as early as July.
Chikungunya is characterized by an abrupt onset of fever frequently accompanied by joint pain. Other common signs and symptoms include muscle pain, headache, nausea, fatigue and rash.
The virus is transmitted from human to human by the bites of infected female mosquitoes that transmit dengue and Zika.
Chikungunya, however, is not as deadly as other mosquito-borne diseases.
The city government has launched a massive information drive aimed at reducing the number of natural and artificial water-filled container habitats that support breeding of mosquitoes.
(SARWELL Q.MENIANO)