ORMOC CITY — A Barangay Police Security Officer (BPSO) was shot dead by unidentified suspects early Wednesday morning, September 10, at the New Reclamation Area in Barangay Poblacion,Merida,Leyte.
Police identified the victim as “Alimar” of legal age, married, and a resident of Golden Shower, Barangay Poblacion. He was a barangay tanod on active duty at the time of the attack.
According to Police Major Ronald Espina, Merida police chief, the station received a call from a concerned citizen at about 5:35 a.m. reporting a body lying in front of a gas store at the New Reclamation Area. Responding officers found the victim lying face down beside an e-bike.
The Ormoc City Forensic Unit processed the crime scene and recovered a single slug, which is still undergoing examination. Investigators said the victim sustained four gunshot wounds — two to the head and two to the back.
Initial investigation revealed that two gunmen were involved in the attack. One suspect reportedly shot the victim three times, while the second fired additional rounds. Police are looking into a personal grudge as the possible motive and have already identified persons of interest.
Authorities continue to investigate to identify and arrest the suspect.
TACLOBAN CITY —A former member of the New People’s Army (NPA) has surrendered to authorities in Leyte, turning over a firearm and signaling his decision to return to civilian life.
The surrender took place on September 8 at the 1st Leyte Provincial Mobile Force Company (LPMFC) headquarters in Barangay Ga-as, Baybay City.
The 48-year-old, known only by his alias “Jake,” is a carpenter from Leyte town and a former member of the Buhawi Platoon under the Amandawin Command, which operated in Villaba, Calubian, and San Isidro.
“Jake” surrendered a .38 caliber revolver without a serial number and three live rounds of ammunition. His surrender was facilitated by a joint operation involving the 1st LPMFC, the 31st Special Action Company, the 3rd Special Action Battalion of the PNP Special Action Force, the Regional Intelligence Unit 8, and the Baybay City Police Station.
Police Regional Office 8 director PB/Gen Jason Capoy commended the coordinated efforts that led to the surrender and renewed his call for other insurgents to give up the armed struggle.
“We urge those still engaged in armed conflict to return to the folds of the law and take part in nation-building. The PNP remains committed to ending the local communist insurgency and promoting peace in the region,” Capoy said in a statement.
The returnee is now under the custody of the 1st LPMFC for documentation and possible enrollment in the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which provides assistance for the reintegration of former rebels. The surrendered firearm will be turned over to the Leyte Police Provincial Office for proper disposition.
ORMOC CITY— Residents of Barangay Canbantug,Merida in Leyte were jolted awake by gunfire early Wednesday morning, September 10, 2025, and later discovered a neighbor lying dead in a pool of blood.
Police Major Ronald Espina, Merida police chief, identified the victim as “Russel” of legal age, self-employed, and a resident of Barangay Canbantug of said town.
Espina said that at about 2:15 a.m., the station received a call from a concerned citizen reporting a body lying in front of his house, near a billiard table. He personally led the responding team to the remote village, which is about 15 kilometers from the town proper. Upon arrival at 2:48 a.m., they found the victim’s lifeless body lying face up with a pool of blood near his head.
Crime scene investigators from the Ormoc City Forensic Unit recovered six spent shells from a 9mm pistol and one from a .45 caliber pistol. The victim sustained seven gunshot wounds, mostly to the neck and chest.
The victim’s body was brought to the Rural Health Unit for post-mortem examination. Police have yet to determine the motive and identify the culprits behind the attack.
A groundbreaking for the five housing units under Saad nga Balay was held September `10, 2025 in Purok 6, GK Village, Brgy. 04, Can-avid, Eastern Samar attended by 801st Infantry Brigade, led by Col. Arlino L. Sendaydiego, Philippine Army Finance Center Producers Integrated Cooperative (PAFCPIC) president BGEN Fernando S. Zabat (Ret), Can-avid Mayor Alicia L. Teves, Maslog Mayor Septemio C. Santiago, and Dolores Mayor Zaldy R. Carpeso. (Photo credit to 801st IB)
A groundbreaking for the five housing units under Saad nga Balay was held September `10, 2025 in Purok 6, GK Village, Brgy. 04, Can-avid, Eastern Samar attended by 801st Infantry Brigade, led by Col. Arlino L. Sendaydiego, Philippine Army Finance Center Producers Integrated Cooperative (PAFCPIC) president BGEN Fernando S. Zabat (Ret), Can-avid Mayor Alicia L. Teves, Maslog Mayor Septemio C. Santiago, and Dolores Mayor Zaldy R. Carpeso. (Photo credit to 801st IB)
TACLOBAN CITY — Twelve housing units will soon be built in three towns of Eastern Samar to help former rebels rebuild their lives under the government’s “Saad nga Balay” housing program.
Five units each are set for construction in Can-avid and Dolores, and two in Maslog, funded with P4.2 million from the Philippine Army Finance Center Producers Integrated Cooperative (PAFCPIC). The homes are intended for ex-rebels who are undergoing reintegration into mainstream society.
A groundbreaking and memorandum of agreement signing were held at the G-Park Covered Court in Can-avid, led by the 801st Infantry Brigade under Col. Arlino Sendaydiego, together with local chief executives from the three towns.
Col. Sendaydiego described the project as more than a housing initiative, calling it a “symbol of hope, transformation, and renewed trust” between government and communities. “We are proud to stand alongside our partners in providing former rebels the opportunity to rebuild their lives with dignity and stability,” he said.
PAFCPIC president BGen Fernando Zabat (ret.) said their cooperative funded the project believing that “true peace begins when people are given the chance to rebuild their lives.” He called the housing program “a symbol of hope, second chances, and a brighter future.”
The “Saad nga Balay” initiative, first implemented in San Jose de Buan, Samar, under the 801st Brigade’s leadership, continues to expand across Eastern Visayas. It represents a collaborative effort between the military, local governments, and PAFCPIC to support former rebels and strengthen peace and development in the region.
Twenty-eight personnel from the 8th Infantry Division undergoes two-weeks Disaster Response and Rescue Operations (DRRO) Training held at the 8th Infantry Division Headquarters in Catbalogan City, Samar as part of the government troops commitment to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR). (Photo credit to 8th ID)
Twenty-eight personnel from the 8th Infantry Division undergoes two-weeks Disaster Response and Rescue Operations (DRRO) Training held at the 8th Infantry Division Headquarters in Catbalogan City, Samar as part of the government troops commitment to Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR). (Photo credit to 8th ID)
TACLOBAN CITY —As Eastern Visayas braces for the year’s peak typhoon season, 28 Army personnel completed a two-week Disaster Response and Rescue Operations (DRRO) training at the 8th Infantry Division headquarters in Catbalogan City.
The training aims to strengthen the 8ID’s capacity to respond swiftly and effectively to natural and human-induced disasters, positioning the division as a frontline partner in humanitarian assistance and disaster response in the region.
Colonel Luzelito Betinol, officer-in-charge of the 8ID Office of the Chief of Staff, said the program ensures troops are better prepared to protect communities when calamities strike.
“As you go back to your respective units and offices, extend to your fellowmen all the learning, the wisdom, and especially the skills you have acquired,” Betinol told the participants.
He emphasized the Philippine Army’s role beyond traditional security duties, saying its personnel must embody “selfless service for the people, for God, and for the country — para sa Bagong Pilipinas.”
The DRRO training reflects the Philippine Army’s broader push to institutionalize disaster preparedness across its ranks, reinforcing its reputation as not only a defender of peace and security but also a reliable partner in rescue and relief operations during emergencies.
NBI PROBE. House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan of the 4Ps party-list has sought the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into flood control projects in Eastern Samar following allegations of irregularities and possible corruption involving flood control projects across the country.
(Cong. Nonoy Libanan’s Facebook)
As requested by Rep. Libanan
NBI PROBE. House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan of the 4Ps party-list has sought the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to look into flood control projects in Eastern Samar following allegations of irregularities and possible corruption involving flood control projects across the country. (Cong. Nonoy Libanan’s Facebook)
TACLOBAN CITY – House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino Libanan of the 4Ps party-list has formally sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in probing flood control projects in Eastern Samar, amid mounting reports of corruption and misuse of infrastructure funds in the province.
Libanan, a former representative of Eastern Samar, asked the NBI to look into projects implemented from 2020 to 2025, and even earlier if records allow.
“I have requested the NBI to conduct an investigation of all flood control projects in Eastern Samar from 2020 to 2025 and if possible, from 2019 to 2021,” Libanan told reporters on Saturday, Sept. 6.
His request follows reports that multi-million peso projects in Hernani and Llorente were declared completed on paper but remain to have started following reports of ghost flood control projects in various parts of the country.
The Hernani project, worth P192 million, and the Llorente project, worth P177 million, were both supposed to be finished in January this year.
Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales backed Libanan’s move, pointing to questionable flood control projects in Oras town. At least four projects in remote barangays of Oras, each worth P48.9 million, were supposedly completed but may be spurious.
Gonzales added that Oras appeared to have received a disproportionate share of funding. From 2020 onward, the town allegedly cornered over P1 billion in flood control allocations—more than 90 percent of the province’s total budget—despite nearly all 22 municipalities and Borongan City suffering from perennial flooding, particularly Dolores, Jipapad, and Maslog.
“I want to know what’s so special about Oras that it managed to corner more than 90 percent of flood control projects from 2021 to 2022,” Gonzales said, vowing to personally inspect the sites.
NBI-Eastern Visayas Regional Director Atty. Emeterio Dongallo Jr. confirmed receiving Libanan’s request and assured a fair but firm investigation.
“We will make sure that those responsible for these reported ghost flood control projects will be charged and, if found guilty, will be put behind bars,” Dongallo said. “We are talking here of billions of pesos—money that came from our people.”
He said their findings will be submitted to the Department of Justice for the possible filing of cases.
The controversy comes as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier raised alarm over anomalous flood control projects nationwide, revealing that only 15 contractors have cornered most of the contracts.
Libanan welcomed the President’s remarks and stressed that public vigilance is needed.
“The money wasted due to these ghost projects could have been used to rehabilitate vital infrastructure like the San Juanico Bridge or the Maharlika Highway in Samar,” he said.
Both Libanan and Gonzales vowed to pursue accountability to protect taxpayers’ money and ensure that flood control projects truly benefit the people.
