LAVEZARES, Northern Samar – About five men from this town were detained and facing charges for illegally cutting coconut lumbers.
The suspects, Mario Singler, Ruben Mauno, Albert Permas, Fernando Banjawan and Domingo Gega were arrested by the members of the local police led by provincial director, in an officer-in-charge capacity, S/Supt. Felix Diloy, while transporting the illegally sewn lumbers.
Seized from the suspects were 157 pieces of illegally cut coconut lumbers with an estimated value of P16,200.
It was learned that the suspects failed to produce a document allowing them to cut and transport the seized items.
The hot items were delivered to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) for safe keeping and evidence against the suspects.
The elf truck, used by the suspects as their delivery vehicle, was also confiscated by the local police during the September 3 incident.
The suspects were arrested in Barangay Libis, this town.
They will be charged for violation of Republic Act 10593, otherwise known as the ‘Regulation of the Cutting of Trees.’ (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY-The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Leyte will start monitoring prices of ‘noche buena’ products starting this October in preparation for the upcoming Christmas season.
Prices on noche buena products such as hams, fruit cocktails, and other processed food, will be monitored by the DTI to ensure that there is no overpricing in the market as the Christmas seasons is fast approaching.
Araceli Larraga, DTI-Leyte chief of the consumers’ welfare division, said that the prices of these products should not exceed the suggested retail price (SRP).
Larraga advises the public to report stores with overpriced noche buena products to their office. Stores caught overpricing will be given a show cause order to explain why their prices are higher than the SRP.
No cases of overpricing were reported during the same season last year, Larraga said.
The Department of Agriculture (DA), on the other hand, assured the public that chicken and other poultry products is enough to supply the demand of the region during the season.
This was stated by agriculturist Dioscoro Gasatan who said that the supply of chicken and other livestock products in the region are sufficient to address the need of the consumers.
According to Gasatan, it is more probable that prices of vegetables during the season may increase due to low production in the region. The department also conducts price monitoring two times every week. (MARWAH JAILANI, LNU Student Intern)

TACLOBAN CITY- The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) had completed the restoration of the Ormoc High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Converter Station, and is now fully engaged to allow power sharing between the Luzon and Visayas grids.
This was disclosed by NGCP spokesperson Cynthia Alabanza during a public hearing conducted by the Leyte provincial board last September 8 on the status of electricity in the province after it was hit by a 6.5 magnitude earthquake last July 6.
Energy Undersecretary Petronilo Ilagan also attended the public hearing conducted by the provincial board, sitting as a committee as a whole and presided by Vice Governor Carlo Loreto.
The tremor that hit the province, particularly Kananga and Ormoc City where the power plants of the NGCP and Energy Development Corp. are located, resulted in a massive blackout that lasted for more than a month across the region and parts of Bohol and Cebu.
Alabanza said that their restoration work involved moving several heavy equipment from different NGCP facilities in the country to replace damaged parts such as converter transformers and breakers, among others, according to the company.
“What we did was we repair first(the transformer) and if it is not repairable, we replaced but then again repairing is not that easy because it entailed packing the transformers that as big as this session hall and bringing it to Ormoc,” she said.
Alabanza added that having a spare transformer in Cebu that is compatible with the transformer in Leyte makes it easier for them to energize the converter station in Ormoc, a project they implemented when they took over the transmission company in 2007.
With the energization of the HVDC in Ormoc, the Visayas grid can now import power from Luzon grid to augment the power supply requirements and relieve generation deficiency, she added.
Also during the public hearing, Alabanza expressed her concern over the absence of power generation facilities in Samar provinces that could augment the electricity needs of the region if the power generation companies in Leyte fail to produce energy.
The provincial board will set another date for the continuation of the public hearing with the EDC, being one of the important pillars in the energy sector.
“We need to know their plans and commitments (and) when will they finish the repair of their damaged facilities,” Loreto said.
From more than 700 megawatts (MW), EDC’s electricity production was reduced to 210 MW after the earthquake. The company is supplying the power needs of the whole region as well as to Cebu, Bohol and other parts of the Visayas, including Luzon.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Involving catering service worth P68,875

TACLOBAN CITY- Former vice mayor of this city, Arvin Antoni, is facing graft charges before the Sandiganbayan over an alleged irregular catering services deal.
The Office of the Ombudsman forwarded its recommendation to prosecute Antoni to the Sandiganbayan on August 25 but only made it available to the media last week.
Antoni, who served as vice mayor of the city for three terms ending in 2013, is facing three counts of falsification of public documents under Article 171 of the Revised Penal Code involving a deal on catering services in 2007.
Graft investigation and prosecution officer Ma. Golda Gigi Miñoza said Antoni, in July 2007, falsified three public documents to make it appear that the payment of P68,875 to Rowan’s Catering Services was above board.
But based on their investigation, Antoni falsified an abstract of quotation of canvass to make it appear that Rowan’s Catering Services submitted the lowest price for the supply of heavy meals for the inaugural session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod or city council on July 4, 2007.
The ombudsman said Antoni was aware that it was another business entity, Suisse Catering Services, which submitted the lowest price for the meal supply deal.
Antoni also reportedly falsified an inspection and acceptance report to make it appear that it was Rowan’s Catering that supplied the food items for the event instead Suisse Catering which actually supplied the meals and the same were inspected and accepted by the city council.
The former vice mayor, who is a lawyer by profession, also alledegely falsified a purchase order addressed to Rowan’s Catering to make it appear that the city government ordered food items from the company, “when accused well knew” that a same purchase order was earlier issued to Suisse Catering.
The ombudsman recommended to the Sandiganbayan to set Antoni’s bail at P72,000.

GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO Leyte- The Department of Education (DepEd) here launched on the expansion of the coverage of the Alternative Learning System and Education and Skills Training (ALS-EST).
The extended ALS-EST, formally launched on September 5, aim to integrate skills training component to ALS and not just focus on academic aspect.
“This new initiated program is to acquire skills training to ALS learners because previously, we focused only on education component. This time, we integrate development training skills so at the same time while acquiring skills, they also learn the basic education,” said Robert Mangalinan, ALS DepEd Leyte supervisor.
The initial implementation of the ALS-EST will be in five pilot areas in Leyte with the maximum of 75 students.
The program will be piloted in Kananga National High School (KNHS) in Kananga; Hilongos National Vocational School (HNVS) in Hilongos; Tolosa National High School (TNHS), Tolosa; Calubian National High School (CNHS) in Calubian and San Miguel National High School (SMNHS), San Miguel.
As part of the expansion, DepEd ties up with Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and other local government units in Leyte that caters skills training for the ALS students such as cookery, electrical installation maintenance, motorcycle/small engine servicing, agri-crop product, horticulture and shielded metal arc welding.
Mangalinan said that they hope that the ALS-EST will be implemented successfully to the five pilot areas so it will be replicated to other schools in the region.
This program is open primarily for the out-of-school youths and adults that could help them live a better life.
Meantime, DepEd Regional Director Ramir Uytico issued an appeal to all ALS students not to quit but dream big instead.
He said that poverty should not be a hindrance for one to succeed.
(JESSICA A. OLEVO, LNU Student Intern)

CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte- An inmate facing multiple murder charges escaped from his detention at the Jipapad municipal police station last Sunday (Sept.10).
Reports reaching from the regional police headquarters, based here, disclosed that at about 11:45 am, suspect Icidro Oros, asked PO1 Jeffrey Resus to allow him to visit his wife at their house in Barangay 01 to check on her condition as she was reportedly suffering from diabetes.
PO1 Resus, allowed this request of the escapee without seeking clearance for approval from his superiors.
Upon reaching their house, Oros reportedly escaped using the back door.
As a result of Oros escape, Resus was disarmed and is now under investigation for any possible filing of appropriate charges.
Meantime, elements of the Jipapad municipal police station immediately conducted hot pursuit operation for the possible arrest of the suspect. (PR)