TACLOBAN CITY-About 59 young individuals availed the free circumcision drive “Circum-Mission: Oplan Tuli” organized by the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB) 8 at the Battalion Headquarters in Barangay Pinamopoan, Capoocan, Leyte on Saturday, May 9, 2026.
“We are deeply grateful to our partner medical teams and stakeholders who generously shared their time and expertise today,” said Lieutenant Colonel Dionesio Maestre Jr, acting force commander.
“This noble activity goes beyond a simple medical procedure; it is a clear demonstration of our shared commitment to public service. By working together, we are making a direct, positive impact on the health and welfare of these youth and their families, bringing the police force closer to the community we vow to protect,” he added.
Aside from the safe and sanitary circumcision procedures availed by the local community, the police unit also led an information drive for the parents and guardians gathered in the waiting area.
The discussion featured Republic Act 11313, also known as the Safe Spaces Act or “Bawal Bastos Law,” and Republic Act 9262, the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act.
In a statement to the media, RMFB 8 thanked the “collaborative efforts” given by personnel and medical practitioners from the Tacloban City Health Office, Philippine Academy of Family Physicians Residents’ Organization (Pafro), Battalion Advisory Group for Police Transformation and Development (BAGPTD), local officials, and the Police Regional Office 8, under Brigadier General Jason Capoy.
TACLOBAN CITY– Police in Eastern Visayas arrested 1,107 individuals and seized P34.9 million in drugs, firearms and contraband during 956 anti-criminality operations across the region in April.
Brigadier General Jason Capoy, director of Police Regional Office 8 based at Camp Ruperto Kangleon, Palo, Leyte, commended the successful operations, while assuring “continued intensification of law enforcement operations” across Eastern Visayas.
“Let this accomplishment serve as a warning to all lawless elements that PRO 8 remains relentless and committed in enforcing the law and ensuring the safety and security of our communities,” he added.
The anti-drug campaign yielded the month’s highest-value haul with police operatives confiscating 2,884.78 grams of shabu and 1,009.91 grams of marijuana worth P19.7 million.
The 75 anti-drug operations also led to the arrest of 82 individuals.
“Parallel to this, the region’s anti-insurgency drive gained significant ground as 26 members of communist terrorist groups voluntarily surrendered to authorities,” the police regional command reported.
Four other rebels were arrested, while 31 firearms and five explosives were recovered.
In the campaign against wanted persons, 374 operations were conducted, according to the police regional command.
The operations resulted in the arrest of 42 most wanted persons and 335 other wanted persons, for a total of 377 arrested wanted individuals.
Other operations targeted smuggling of cigarettes, petroleum and other goods, illegal fishing, illegal logging, illegal firearms and explosives, and illegal gambling.
ORMOC CITY — A 87-year-old woman was killed after an unidentified gunman entered her home and shot her multiple times while she was having dinner on Thursday evening, May 7, in Barangay Badiang, Jaro, Leyte.
Police identified the victim as alias “Garry,” a widow and resident of the said village.
Based on initial investigation, the victim was eating dinner with her niece inside their residence at around 7:00 p.m. when the suspect suddenly entered the house and opened fire, hitting the elderly woman several times.
Responding personnel from the Jaro Municipal Police Station (MPS) said they received a report from a concerned citizen and immediately proceeded to the area to verify the incident.
Upon arrival, police found the victim lying lifeless in the dining area of the house with gunshot wounds. Several spent shells from a .45-caliber firearm were also recovered at the scene.
After the attack, the suspect fled on board an unidentified motorcycle in an unknown direction.
Authorities have launched a follow-up investigation and coordinated with nearby police stations for a dragnet operation to identify and arrest the gunman.
The Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) team was also requested to process the crime scene, while local health authorities confirmed the victim’s death.
ORMOC CITY— A provincial most wanted person facing multiple sexual abuse charges was arrested in a joint police operation in Naval, Biliran on the afternoon of May 8, 2026.
Police identified the suspect as Eric Antonio, 37, a farmer and resident of Naval, Biliran, who was listed as Rank No. 2 Most Wanted Person at the provincial level.
The arrest was carried out at around 5:00 p.m. in Sitio Magtaran-an, Barangay Talustusan, Naval, through the coordinated efforts of the Naval Municipal Police Station, Regional Intelligence Unit 8 (RIU-8), Biliran Police Intelligence Unit, Provincial Intelligence and Detective Management Unit, and the Biliran Provincial Mobile Force Company.
Authorities said the operation was based on standing warrants of arrest issued on April 24, 2026, by Acting Presiding Judge Thea Gicela Casas Nueve-Zamora of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 16, Naval, Biliran.
The suspect is facing 10 counts of statutory rape under Article 266-A (1)(d) of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Republic Act No. 11684, with no bail recommended. He is also facing three counts of acts of lasciviousness under Article 336 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to Section 5(b) of Republic Act No. 7610, with bail set at P540,000.
Following his arrest, he was brought to the Naval Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper disposition.
Thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) across Eastern Visayas received from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) their individual land titles generated under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project, and certificates of condonation with release of mortgage (COCROMs) which erased their unpaid loans. (DAR-8 photo)
Thousands of agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) across Eastern Visayas received from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) their individual land titles generated under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project, and certificates of condonation with release of mortgage (COCROMs) which erased their unpaid loans. (DAR-8 photo)
TACLOBAN CITY – Agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) Rodolfo Regis from Palo, Leyte was extremely happy to receive his certificate of condonation with release of mortgage (COCROM) on Wednesday, April 29 this year, which erased his more than half a million peso unpaid balance at the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP), freeing him from financial burden.
“I am very happy! A big thanks to the President for issuing this law that condones all our unpaid balances,” Regis exclaimed. I am sure this will have a great effect to my co-farmers who are also beneficiaries of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) with remaining unpaid loans,” He added.
Regis was referring to Republic Act No. 11953 otherwise known as the New Agrarian Emancipation Act signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on July 7, 2023. The said law condones all unpaid loans of ARBs, related to their awarded lots, including interests.
When asked for his reaction, Regis, 65, said, “I can no longer afford to pay the loan amount of P659,160.49. That is why I am very grateful to our President and Secretary Conrado Estrella III for this opportunity.”
Regis’ story was just among the 11,917 ARBs across Eastern Visayas who were relieved from financial burden following receipt of their COCROMs.
A total of 14,838 COCROMS were distributed on Wednesday condoning P799,524,119 unpaid loans of ARBs for the 42,948 hectares awarded farm lots.
Aside from COCROMs, DAR also distributed on the same occasion 16,023 individual land titles, covering 20,301 hectares of agricultural lands situated in different parts of the region, to 13,767 ARBs.
This individual titles were issued under the World Bank-funded Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project. Lands previously covered by collective Certificates of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) were subdivided and the ARBs were issued with individual titles to strengthen their property rights over their awarded lots.
“I am happy to receive this. I did not expect this anymore because I am already old. I have little time left,” said 89 years old Santos Abud from Caibiran, Biliran.
Three DAR undersecretaries, Kazel Celeste of the Field Operations Office, Josef Angelo Martires of the Support Services Office and Rowena Niña Taduran of the Special
Concerns Office, represented Estrella to lead the distribution of COCROMs and land titles at the Tacloban City Convention Center.
In her message to the ARBs, Celeste said, “Isa lang po ang hihilingin natin sa ating mga ARB. Ito ay sana alagaan po natin ang lupa na ipinagkaloob sa inyo ng gobyerno. Alagaan po natin yan, wag po natin ibebenta yan dahil makakaasa po kayo na nandito lang ang DAR para tumulong sa ating mga magsasaka.”
Meanwhile, Martires promised to flood this region with farm support assistance, “Kasama ng titulong yan, kung binabaha lagi ang Leyte at Samar, ang pangako ni Secretary Conrado Estrella III, babaha ng support services sa Leyte at Samar. Pero dapat malinaw, hindi darating yan sa individual agrarian reform beneficiary. Kailangan ayusin nyo ang inyong hanay. Kailangan maging asosasyon kayo. At eventually maging kooperatiba kayo.”
Further, Taduran left a reminder for the ARBs to ponder, “Tandaan po natin, ang lupa ay hindi lamang para sa kasalukuyan, kundi isang pamana para sa susunod na henerasyon. Kaya ito po ay pangalagaan ninyo at pagyamanin. Kung ito po ay ating pahahalagahan at pauunlarin, hindi lamang tayo ang makikinabang kundi pati ang mga anak at apo natin.”
Moreove, DAR Eastern Visayas Regional Director, Atty. Robert Anthony Yu asked everyone to work together and make this region a “powerhouse of agricultural productivity and a model of rural development.”
TACLOBAN CITY— A security guard was arrested after allegedly defrauding two students of P75,000 in separate GCash transactions in Barangay Lemon, Capoocan, Leyte on May 7.
Police identified the victims as an 18-year-old first-year college student and a 16-year-old Grade 12 student, both residents of the barangay.
The suspect, known as alias “Mau,” 41, a security guard from Sitio Apnican, Barangay Tag-Abaca, Leyte, Leyte, reportedly went to the victims’ store to conduct GCash cash-in transactions amounting to P75,000. However, after the transfers were completed, he allegedly failed to hand over the corresponding cash and fled on a motorcycle.
One of the victims tried to stop the suspect, but he managed to escape toward Barangay San Joaquin in the same town.
Authorities later arrested the suspect, who was brought to the Capoocan Municipal Police Station. Charges are being prepared against him.
The incident comes amid continued warnings from authorities and GCash about the rising number of digital payment scams in the country. GCash has recently intensified efforts against fraudulent transactions and fake payment schemes targeting users nationwide.
Victims of similar scams are advised to immediately report incidents to the Philippine National Police or the National Bureau of Investigation and coordinate with GCash support for account tracing and investigation.
