CATARMAN, Northern Samar – Two separate encounters transpired in Northern Samar and Samar on January 21, 2019.
Elements of 803rd Infantry Brigade responded to separate distress calls of civilian on the New People’s Army (NPA) extortion activity in Barangay Epaw, Las Navas, Northern Samar and Barangay Calundan, San Jorge, Samar.
About 12:10 pm, personnel of the 81st Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC), 8ID, PA encountered more or less 10 fully armed NPA as troops responded to the report of NPA presence in the area.
Said NPAs were members of Front Committee 1 (FC-1), Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) “Emporium” under certain Norma Ultra AKA Ka Aya, Ka Dodo and Ka Basoy. Firefight lasted for about five minutes before the NPA fled. Government troops are still on pursuit.
An hour later, about 1:32 pm, another encounter transpired between personnel of 83rd Division Reconnaissance Company (DRC), 8ID, PA and 20 fully armed NPA of Central Front Samar, SRC “Browser” under Eldie Dela Cruz AKA Ka Star and Bernabe Linay AKA Ka Payo in Brgy Calundan, San Jorge, Samar.
Firefight lasted for 20 minutes before the NPA hastily fled leaving behind subversive materiel and documents, including personal belongings.
Brgy Calundan is approximately five kilometers away from Brgy Bay-ang, San Jorge where the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC) main camp were overrun by personnel of 803rd Brigade last January 11, 2019.
B/Gen. Ramil M Bitong, commander of 803rd Infantry Brigade, said “The reports of the people that led to location of the NPA manifested the people’s rejection of these armed bandits who have long been pestering isolated communities.
Gen Bitong added that he is expecting more of these encounters until these bandits are banished. “These misled NPA’s still have the chance to avail the government’s Enhanced-Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) before it becomes too late.” (PR)

MAASIN CITY- The medical scholarship program of the provincial government of Southern Leyte is starting to pay-off as some medical scholars now become professional doctors after passing the medical board examination in 2018.
One of them is Dr. Lezgard John Gonzales, 27, who now works as a professional doctor at the Salvacion Oppus Yniquez Memorial Provincial Hospital (SOYMPH). He is now among the roster of physicians at the provincial hospital since December 2018.
According to Dr. Gonzales, as a beneficiary, he is bound to follow the scholarship program agreements with the provincial government to serve two years for every year of financial assistance accorded to him as a medical scholar.
“I have to serve six years at the provincial hospital since I have been a medical doctor scholar for my last three years in the proper medicine when the provincial government started to enlist me among the scholars of the program,” Gonzales said.
Dr. Gonzales is a graduate of Nursing as his pre-medical course.
Gonzales added that once a medical scholar became professional doctor, he/she is immediately employed at the provincial hospital and be one of the regular employees at the SOYMPH and enjoy fringe benefits.
The medical scholarship program is the long-term solution crafted by Rep. Roger Mercado during his stint as governor to solve the scarcity of practicing medical doctors serving at the provincial hospital and other district hospitals run by the provincial government.
(LDL/ESG/PIA-8 SOUTHERN LEYTE)

Relative to the May 13, 2019 midterm elections

This early, Mendros is calling all the candidates to do their part in making the elections peaceful and orderly.

TACLOBAN CITY- About 70 areas here in the region were tagged by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as ‘areas of concern’ relative to the May 13, 2019 midterm elections.
And majority of these areas of concern are in Samar and Northern Samar, said lawyer Jose Nick Mendros, Comelec regional director.
Mendros, however, could not exactly say as to how many of the 70 areas of concern where in Samar and Northern Samar.
These areas were identified as such due mainly to intense political rivalries; presence of either a private armed groups or members of the New People’s Army; and election-related violence that occurred prior the conduct of the election.
The Comelec regional director declared that so far, there are no hot spots in the region relative to the conduct of the May 13 balloting.
An area is labeled as a hot spot if there are existing incidents that are cleared to be election-related. A hot spot area is a candidate for to be placed under the control of the Comelec.
“And we don’t have it here in the region,” Mendros said, referring to an area classified as a hot spot.
But Mendros said that there is possibility that additional forces, either police or soldiers, could be deployed in areas considered as concern areas to ensure that the conduct of the balloting will be peaceful and orderly.
“That’s a possible reaction,” the Comelec regional director said, referring to augmentation of security forces.
Eastern Visayas has about 4,390 barangays.
This early, Mendros is calling all the candidates to do their part in making the elections peaceful and orderly.
“As election administrator, we don’t like our elections to be violent,” he said.
Mendros said that they are supporting the conduct of peace signing covenants among the candidates as a way to ‘conscientize’ them and give their full commitment that the balloting at their respective area would be orderly and peaceful.
To recall, the Comelec in coordination with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces here in the region initiated peace signing covenants on Jan.20 as one of the measures of ensuring a peaceful and orderly conduct of elections.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)