25.2 C
Tacloban City
April 26, 2025 - Saturday | 9:55 PM
Home Blog Page 1479

2016 as Jubilee Year for Mercy Du to media: spread the word that God is merciful

By
Web Master
-
0
YEAR FOR MERCY AND FORGIVENESS. Archbishop John Du of Palo appeals to the members of the media to be the instruments in spreading the words of God, particularly on His being merciful. Pope Francis declared 2016 as the Jubilee Year for Mercy. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)
YEAR FOR MERCY AND FORGIVENESS. Archbishop John Du of Palo appeals to the members of the media to be the instruments in spreading the words of God, particularly on His being merciful. Pope Francis declared 2016 as the Jubilee Year for Mercy. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)
YEAR FOR MERCY AND FORGIVENESS. Archbishop John Du of Palo appeals to the members of the media to be the instruments in spreading the words of God, particularly on His being merciful. Pope Francis declared 2016 as the Jubilee Year for Mercy. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)

TACLOBAN CITY- Archbishop John Du exhorted the members of the media to “spread” the good words that God is merciful. Du, who made this encouragement during a Christmas party for media practitioners based in Tacloban on December 30, said that God’s love to His people is boundless and limitless that forgiving His children is beyond question.

The region’s highest prelate disclosed that 2016 has been declared as the Year of Mercy. “I hope the media will always remind the people that God is merciful… (that) when we are helpless, always ask God’s company,” he said in his message. “You have the mission to spread the good news; that God is merciful,” the prelate added. Last March 13, 2015, Pope Francis declared 2016 as the Jubilee Year for Mercy wherein the period is considered by the Church as the time for mercy and remission of sins. Du said that seeking forgiveness from God whenever one committed a sin or has failed, there is no other recourse but to seek God’s mercy. And this could be demonstrated when one kneels before God, the archbishop said. Du said also said that the practice of mercy and love should start in the family, adding that he personally witnessed this during the time the region was devastated by supertyphoon “Yolanda” on Dec.8, 2013.

According to the archbishop, love of the parents, particularly, the mothers, is truly beyond words. He said that when the Palo cathedral was being pummeled by Yolanda, with its roofs blown away, mothers turned “stubborn” just to save their children who were separated from them due to the commotion as they tried to look for a safer area inside the cathedral. At that time, there were hundreds of people, including Du, who were trapped inside the cathedral when Yolanda made her full fury. “There was full of drama inside but clearly, the mothers were willing to sacrifice their own very lives for the sake of their children,” Du said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

Redemptorist Church welcomes fire victims

By
Web Master
-
0
Cruzita Homerez, 75, welcomes 2016 with a heavy heart after she lost all her belongings and house when fire razed houses in Brgy 56 Pericohon while residents were busy celebrating New Year’s Revelry. (ROEL AMAZONA)
Cruzita Homerez, 75, welcomes 2016 with a heavy heart after she lost all her belongings and house when fire razed houses in Brgy 56 Pericohon while residents were busy celebrating New Year’s Revelry. (ROEL AMAZONA)
Cruzita Homerez, 75, welcomes 2016 with a heavy heart after she lost all her belongings and house when fire razed houses in Brgy 56 Pericohon while residents were busy celebrating New Year’s Revelry. (ROEL AMAZONA)

ACLOBAN CITY- Families who lost their houses due a fire incident in Barangay 56, Pericohon district, could stay at the pastoral center of the Redemptorist Church until they could rebuild their homes. This was the assurance made by Fr. Constantino Puzon, assistant parish priest of the Redemptorist Church, adding that it is their way of showing their mercy and compassion to the fire victims.

On New Year’s Eve, 110 families lost their houses when a big fire hit their village. Arson investigators have yet to come out the real cause of the fire but some residents claimed that it was due to a “kwitis” that hit a power line which was located at the house of one Salvacion Murillo, where the conflagration started. About 20 families are temporary staying at the pastoral center of the Redemptorist Church. Others sought temporary shelter to their respective relatives within the city. “We will allow them to stay here while we wait for them to recover. Maybe after a few days, they can go back to their places so they can rebuild their houses,” Fr. Puzon said.

The pastoral center of Redemptorist Church had become a usual evacuation site for calamity victims living along Magallanes and Pericohon districts. When supertyphoon “Yolanda” devastated Tacloban on December 8, 2013, hundreds of families also sought refuge at the Redemptorist Church. As immediate assistance, the parish provided clothes for the fire victims staying at the pastoral center. Cruzita Homerez, 75, is among the families now living temporarily at the pastoral center saying the New Year started rather sad to them. “I don’t know where we will go after here,” she said. (ROEL AMAZONA)

Shooting incidents in Calbayog rage on

By
Web Master
-
0

CALBAYOG CITY- Despite the stern warning issued by the country’s number one police officer, shooting incidents in this city appears to continue. The latest shooting incident happened two days after Police Director General Ricardo Marquez visited Calbayog on December 28,2015 during which he announced that 88 Special Action Force (SAF) personnel would be deployed in the city to help its peace and order in the run up to this year’s election. The latest shooting incident happened in Barangay Carayman on Dec.30 which wounded one Jojo Taduyo who managed to survive the attempt on his life carried out by two armed men boarded on a motorcycle.

Last year, 23 people were killed due to the shooting incidents in Calbayog, some of them were believed to be politically-motivated. Motive of this latest shooting incidents has yet to be fully known by the city police but the political angle has been ruled out as the cause. Interior Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento, former mayor of Calbayog, earlier expressed his disappointment over the killing incidents in the city as others have prompted to call Calbayog as “killbayog.”
He vowed to end these killing incidents.

Samar has been identified as a concerned area related to this year’s election due to, primarily, presence of armed men said to be maintained by certain local politicians. In 2010, well-known PAGs groups existing in the city were “neutralized” by police authorities but some of their members were said to have been recruited by some politicians.

PNP said they have the list of some members of the group and they are now taking steps to neutralize their illegal activity. “Dismantling private armies is a necessary step to end election violence in Samar,” Marquez had said. “Failure to address private armies puts political opponents and ordinary civilians at continued risk from powerful local politicians. 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,” Marquez said. By JAZMIN BONIFACIO

Mayor treats children post-Christmas party

By
Web Master
-
0

BAYBAY CITY- The mayor of this city, Carmen Cari, will treat more than 2,000 children as her Christmas gift to them, albeit belatedly.
The post-Christmas treat is scheduled today, January 2, at the city plaza wherein the 2,100 children will be treated with spaghetti, burger steak and candies.
They will also receive slippers and specially-wrapped gifts from the city mayor.
Cari said that the Christmas treat to the children, who are enrolled at the various day care centers of Baybay, is rather late.
She said that they were preoccupied with their city fiesta held last December 27 reason why the Christmas party for the children was only scheduled now.
“We just hope that the children will still feel the spirit of Christmas,” Cari said.
She added that she wants the children to know the essence of Christmas which is to give and share one’s blessings.
“Sometimes these children do not know what Christmas is all about. Thus, we spearhead this activity,” Cari said.
It was learned from Cari that although they have conducted similar activity of gift giving in the past, this will be the first time that they would do it with thousands of children as beneficiaries. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

Noel remains confident on Poe’s presidential run

By
Web Master
-
0

TACLOBAN CITY-Former An Waray party-list congressman Florencio “Bem” Noel expressed his elation over the decision of the Supreme Court granting Senator Grace Poe a temporary reprieve as she continues to battle legal problems on her presidential bid. The Supreme Court issued temporary restraining orders (TRO) in favor of Poe on December 28 directing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) not to bar Poe from running for President in this year’s elections. Noel, who acts as a campaign manager of Poe and that of her running-mate, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, said that the decision of the High Court only shows that it adheres to fairness and justice.

The former solon said that if ever their camp would be denied for a temporary retrieve from the High Court, they would not resort to any extra-judicial act. “We will abide the legal processes. We believe in the system and it (still) works,” Noel stressed. Meantime, Noel said that they are happy that despite of the legal battles that they are facing, Poe continues to be the most preferred by the Filipino voters among the presidential candidates running in next year’s elections. “Her ratings fluctuate but we are still comfortable. They know that we are ahead. That’s why, they want her disqualify,” Noel said, referring to the opponents of Poe.
The Comelec, en banc, had earlier cancelled Poe’s certificate of candidacy due to her failure to meet the 10-year residency as she also fights off issue of her being a Filipino citizen.

Noel said that they remain confident that eventually, Poe, who was just elected as senator in the 2013 elections, will hurdle the legal obstacles and will be allowed to run for President. Poe is running as an independent candidate with Escudero. Poe’s father, the late action king, Fernando Poe, Jr., ran for President in the 2010 election marred with accusation of massive cheating.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

More than 78,000 voters purged from list of registered voters in EV

By
Web Master
-
0
NO BIO, NO BOTO. With no biometrics data, more than 78,000 voters of the region were disqualified to cast their votes in this year’s polls. Photo shows voters of Tacloban meeting the deadline for their biometrics taken at the city Commission on Election office. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)
NO BIO, NO BOTO. With no biometrics data, more than 78,000 voters of the region were disqualified to cast their votes in this year’s polls. Photo shows voters of Tacloban meeting the deadline for their biometrics taken at the city Commission on Election office. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)
NO BIO, NO BOTO. With no biometrics data, more than 78,000 voters of the region were disqualified to cast their votes in this year’s polls. Photo shows voters of Tacloban meeting the deadline for their biometrics taken at the city Commission on Election office. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)

TACLOBAN CITY- Over 78,000 voters in the region could no longer cast their votes in the May 9, 2016 elections. This after they failed to have their biometrics taken as mandated by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). Based on the records of the regional Comelec office, there were 78,325 voters who would now be ineligible to cast their votes in the summer balloting. “We have done our part to make sure that they could have their biometrics taken,” lawyer Felicisimo Embalsado, assistant poll director, said. Of the 78,325 deactivated voters, the bulk was from Leyte at 25,005. Embalsado is also the acting Leyte elections supervisor. The remaining were from Samar (23,934); Northern Samar (16,005); Eastern Samar (7,443); Southern Leyte, 4,850 and Biliran, 1,088. With the deactivation of these voters from the list, the region has now 2.69 million registered voters who are qualified to vote for the May 9 elections. Embalsado said that the Comelec could not be blamed why the 78, 325 voters were now disqualified to cast their votes. He said that they have sent registered mails to the voters or in the absence of available postal service, sought assistance to the barangay officials.

The Comelec also placed tarpaulins regarding their “no bio, no boto” campaign in conspicuous places in all areas in the region just to ensure that those who have no biometrics could visit their respective polling offices and have their biometrics taken. Embalsado said that having a biometrics is very important in ensuring the result of the conduct of election would be clean. “It will help clean our registered list of voters,” he said. According to him, a registered voter could no longer vote twice because he will be detected through the automated finger print identification system if he already cast his vote. The Comelec official, however, said that these voters could still cast their votes in the next electoral exercise, which could be the barangay polls on October, 2016, if they would have their biometrics taken. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

1...1,4781,4791,480...1,651Page 1,479 of 1,651

Recent Posts

DALMACIO C. GRAFIL
PUBLISHER

ALMA GRAFIL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ROMEO CEBREROS
OFFICE IN-CHARGE

OFFICE
BRGY. SONGCO, BORONGAN CITY

CONTACT NUMBERS
(055) 261 – 3319 | 0955 251 1533 | 0917 771 0320 | 0915 897 7439 | 0921 511 0010

DALMACIO C. GRAFIL
PUBLISHER

RICKY J. BAUTISTA
EDITOR

ALMA GRAFIL
BUS. MANAGER

OFFICE
RIZAL AVENUE, CATBALOGAN
(INFRONT OF FIRE DEPARTMENT, NEAR CITY HALL)

CONTACT NUMBERS
0917 771 0320 | 0915 897 7439 | 0921 511 0010

EMAIL
lsdaily2@yahoo.com

WEBSITE
www.issuu.com/samarweeklyexpress