“His license does not authorize him to carry his gun and just fire anytime he wants,” Cardenas said.

CATARMAN Northern Samar- A court sheriff is in hot waters after he indiscriminately fired his gun on New Year’s Day and threatening a neighbor.
Wilbor Fua, 33, sheriff IV at the Regional Trial Court Branch 19, based this town, but residing in Barangay Buenavista, Rosario town, was charged of discharging a calibre 45 at around 4 pm on January 1.
He reportedly threatened to shoot his neighbor, Dick Borac, a fisherman.
Police Senior Inspector Jemaimah May Cardenas, chief of police in Rosario, at around 4pm on January 1 their office received a telephone call from the barangay chairman of Buenavista who reported that a man was indiscriminately firing his gun at their place.
When the responding policemen arrived at the village, it was only then that they learned that the person being complained was Fua, who was drunk at that time.
The suspect reportedly got angry at Borac after the latter reprimanded a group of children who were gambling outside their house.
“Based on our initial investigations when he (Fua) saw Borac shouting at the children he went inside their house, got a short firearm then went to Borac’s house and aimed his gun at the latter,” Cardenas said.
Borac also complained that Fua threatened to kill him and his wife.
The sheriff, however, was nowhere to be found when the authorities sought for him in his home.
He showed up at the Rosario police station the following day (January 2) where he stated that it was his neighbour Borac who has been creating trouble in their village.
He also showed to police his license for a 45 caliber firearm.
“We are preparing to file cases against him for violation of Republic Act 10591 on illegal discharge of firearms and another case for grave threats based on Borac’s complaint. His license does not authorize him to carry his gun and just fire it anytime he wants,” Cardenas said.
She added that Fua could also be charged administratively for his alleged violations. (RACHEL V.ARNAIZ)

TACLOBAN CITY – The pruning of the national calamity budget for this year was questioned by a group of “Yolanda” survivors saying that the reduction could hamper delivery of assistance considering the frequency of natural disasters hitting the country every year.
Given this undeniable trend in natural calamities, disaster mitigation and post-disaster response (both short-term and strategic long-term rehabilitation) should be prioritized and should therefore take up a considerable portion of the national budget, said Danny Carranza, spokesperson of the Community of Yolanda Survivors and Partners(CYSP).
“[These post-disaster reports] should serve as a reminder to our government that the new normal will require allocating bigger not smaller budget for disaster response,” Carranza said.
The group was referring to the move of Malacañang to reduce the national calamity budget for the current fiscal year from its previous allocation.
Under the P3.35 trillion 2017 budget, the calamity fund was given an allocation of P15.7 billion or a reduction of about P23 billion from last year’s P38 billion.
Based on a report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR), the Philippines ranked fourth among countries stricken with the most number of disasters.
In 2016 alone, 26 storms and 12 typhoons wreaked havoc on the country.
State weather office Pagasa reported that the number of destructive tropical cyclones had increased in recent years.
In 2015, the Philippines endured 15 disasters.
In 2014, three major typhoons which caused most damage were Typhoon Glenda, Mario, and Ruby.
In 2013, 14 destructive tropical cyclones entered the country, the most devastating of which was supertyphoon “Yolanda” which displaced 16 million people and killed 6,000 people.
The government needs at least P360 billion to completely rehabilitate Yolanda’s destructions. (MEL CASPE)

ORMOC CITY- Two henchmen of self-confessed drug lord, Kerwin Espinosa, were separately arrested by police authorities in this city Saturday (January 7).
Arrested were Jesus Tolin and Brian Anthony Saldivar who earlier surrendered before former Albuera police chief, Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido.
The two were arrested by virtue of warrant issued by Judge Carlos Arguelles, presiding judge of Regional Trial Court-Branch 14 based in Baybay City, for murder.
The two were accused for the killing of one Gregorio A. Velarde, Sr. sometimes last year.
Supt. Federico Sanchez, deputy director for operations of the Leyte provincial police, said that the first to be arrested was Tolin along a national highway in Barangay Macabug at about 7:10 am while he was on board single motorcycle.
The arresting team confiscated one caliber 45 with a magazine loaded with nine live bullets from the suspect tucked in his waist.
Saldivar, meantime, was arrested an hour later in his house located at Brgy. Luna, 12 kilometers from city center and no prohibited item was seized from him.
The two were named in the warrant of arrest issued by Judge Arguelles along with Espinosa, who is now detained at the National Bureau of Investigation.
The court did not recommend for bail to the suspects who are now detained at the local police station lock up.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)

CATARMAN, Northern Samar – A top military official of this province expressed his support for local peace talks.
Colonel Mario Lacurom, commanding officer of the 803rd Infantry Brigade whose headquarters is based this town, said that he is just waiting among local officials in the province to initiate the localized peace process.
“We want to have a local peace talk here because it is the only serious and viable option to end the war in Northern Samar and the entire region,” Lacurom said.
“We always demand to end the sufferings of the people in Samar,” he added.
The 803rd IB covers the entire Northern Samar and part of Samar provinces, among the areas in the region where presence of the rebel group, the New People’s Army, remain to be relatively strong.
Lacurom stressed that soldiers are also looking for a peaceful solution to end the insurgency problem of the region which remain largely economically underdeveloped with its insurgency problem often cited as among the reasons why investors are shy in coming in here.
The Army official said that based on his initial talks with officials of the two Samar provinces, they appear to be supportive to achieve a lasting peace.
“In our dialogues with local officials in Samar and Northern Samar provinces, they all seem committed to work for the economic and political development of the two provinces. We just hope that the rebels will also support the peace initiatives for it to succeed,” Lacurom said.
Several towns in both Samar and Northern Samar provinces have earlier been declared as “peace and development ready” which means that the rebels are no longer in the position to stage an armed raid that could disrupt the peace and order of the areas placed under such category.
(JAZMIN BONIFACIO)