MONDRAGON, Northern Samar- A former soldier who was tagged among in the list of the high value targets of this town was arrested in a buy- bust operation.
Arrested was Marvin Huavas, 37, said to be a former soldier and a resident of Barangay Chitongco, this town.
The suspect, who was also known as “Hagger,” was arrested October 8 around 10:35 am during a buy-bust operation conducted by the personnel of the Mondragon police station.
Confiscated from Huavas were five pieces of transparent plastic containing of suspected shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride, one P500 bill, mobile phone and motorcycle, among others.
The search and inventory of the seized items were made in the presence of barangay councilor Roman Dipad Jr; court employee Emilio M. Tampon and media representative Eugene Montaño Enano.
Suspect was listed as the Mondragon Municipal Police Station Top 7, Sibat 2 target.
Arrested person was brought to Mondragon municipal police station for proper disposition. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- One of the city’s high value target on drug watch was arrested by police authorities together with his live-in partner during a buy-bust operation.
Arrested was Sherwin Costibolo, 37, during a sting operation Tuesday (Oct.11) at around 3:30 pm in Barangay 91, Abucay district, this city.
Also arrested was Costibolo’s live-in partner, Vida Sorayda Omlang.
Seized from the two suspects were six pieces of medium size heat sealed transparent sachet containing suspected shabu, one unit Cherry Mobile cellular phone and three pieces of P100 bills being used as marked money.
Both suspects were listed as high value targets (HVTs) level 2 being Sub-Leaders of Quintana Group by the Tacloban City Police Station.
Confiscated pieces of drug evidence were turned over to the Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO8) for qualitative and quantitative analysis while the pieces of non-drug evidence were turned over to TCPO evidence custodian.
Suspects are now under the custody of TCPO custodial facility while cases for violation of sections 5 & 11 of RA 9165 are being prepared for filing before the City Prosecutor’s Office.
The operation was conducted in coordination with Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 8 under the supervision of S/Supt.Rolando Bade, acting city director of Tacloban City Police Office. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- The controversial reproductive health (RH) law is seen to be fully enforced under the current administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Thus said the regional director of the Commission on Population (Popcom) Elnora Pulma who said that there are still sectors that continue to refuse to implement the law approved in 2013.
Pres. Duterte had earlier said that he is committed in implementing Republic Act 10354, otherwise known as the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act.
He made this commitment when he delivered his first State of the Nation Address (Sona) last July 25.
“Since its approval on January 17, 2013 and the signing of the internal rules and regulations on March 15, 2013, the road to the implementation of the law was not easy,” Pulma said.
The Catholic Church mainly opposes the passage of the law describing it as promoting abortion and even encouraging premarital sex.
Pulma said that the law, contrary to the perception and position of those who opposes it, will help the right of individuals like the right to health and right to sustainable development, among others.
The Popcom regional chief urged the media to help them to inform the public, particularly those who are against it, on its benefits.
“We need the media (and) the local government units as the primary implementer of the law,” Pulma said.
Pulma lamented that they have received reports that even those in the health sectors are also adamant in implementing RA 10354 on ground of their personal or religious convictions.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo said that so long as there are surveys that reveal findings that the poverty or hunger incidence in the country remains high, the national government and all its agencies should take survey results to heart and push to improve and expand access to their services, especially if these services have directly to do with the immediate welfare of Filipinos.
The Social Weather Station (SWS) recently released its 3rd quarter survey on self-rated poverty. It showed that 42% of Filipino families rated themselves as poor, or an estimated 9.2 million individuals – this is a record-low.
Also, 30% of Filipino families or an estimated 6.7 million individuals consider the food they eat as food poor, again a new record-low. The survey was conducted on Sept 24 to 27.
“As we have said previously, there has to be a genuine agrarian reform program in the Philippines because this will benefit the greatest number of Filipinos. The largest percentage of our population is comprised of farmers – very poor and mostly landless farmers. A genuine agrarian reform program and sufficient agrarian support services will address the root causes of their poverty, and this immediately lowers the poverty incidence levels in the country,” Sec. Taguiwalo said.
As for the DSWD, Sec. Taguiwalo said that the Department will strengthen its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) to complement the cash grants provided by the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (Pantawid Pamilya) to its beneficiaries.
The program is also open to non-members who have been identified as poor by the DSWD’s Listahanan and come from marginalized and vulnerable sectors from 1,605 municipalities all over the country.
“As a community-based capacity building program, the SLP seeks to increase the economic opportunities of Filipinos through the Community-Driven Enterprise Development Approach. We want the SLP to equip poor Filipinos so they can actively contribute to production and labor markets by looking at available resources and accessible markets,” said Sec. Taguiwalo.
Towards this end, the SLP offers two tracks for Filipinos in the program: 1) micro-enterprise development which supports micro enterprises to become organizationally and economically viable; and 2) Employment facilitation which assists Filipinos to access appropriate employment opportunities.
In the meantime, Sec. Taguiwalo said that the DSWD is all set to launch “Kamustahan” which is essentially a verification campaign involving the members of Pantawid Pamilya. She said that the department will check on the true status of families under the program to see if they may have to graduate to the other programs so they will not slide back economically at the slightest shock or emergency. (PR)

MAASIN CITY- The 15 employees of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Southern Leyte District Engineering Office (DPWH-SLDEO) who were found positive of illegal drugs use last year will complete the 11-month rigid recovery program on October 21.
District Engineer Ma. Margarita C. Junia is pleased with the progress of these workers. At least 14 of them received the “fit to work” certificate from the Department of Health Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (DOH-TRC).
“I’ve seen how their performance has improved during the rehabilitation process. After their graduation, they will be monitored regularly by the DOH-TRC to ensure that they will completely abandon illegal drugs,” Junia said.
Key officials of the DPWH-SLDEO and DOH-TRC will witness the graduation rites.
To recall, 23 employees were found positive of illegal drugs use – 17 are job order workers and six permanent personnel – during the August 17, 2015 drug test.
Junia initiated the rehabilitation program of 23 workers giving them “chances to change”, but only 16 of them opted to join the weekly outpatient service program sessions being done by DOH-TRC.
The district office required permanent employees to undergo a mandatory rehabilitation program. Dismissed job order workers were given the option to go through the recovery process.
The SLDEO provided a space at the SLDEO Area Equipment Service compound for the conduct of weekly session for drug users. The weekly sessions started on October 2015.
The battle is not yet over for six regular employees who are facing administrative cases at the DPWH central office for drugs use.
Recently, lawyers from the DPWH main office legal division came to Southern Leyte to conduct hearing of their administrative case as a means to mitigate possible consequences
After the hearing, DPWH Secretary Mark Villar will decide whether to dismiss or impose disciplinary actions to the six regular workers. (PR)