Day: May 24, 2023

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has arrested 316 most wanted persons (MWPs) in intensified anti-criminality operations from April 24 to May 21. This marks the 28-day period since the assumption of Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. as the 29th PNP chief. In a statement on Tuesday, CIDG chief Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr. said a total of 1,028 manhunt operations against wanted persons and out of these numbers, the CIDG arrested one national-level MWP, 122 regional-level MWPs, 105 provincial-level MWPs, and 88 city and municipal MWPs. In the campaign against loose firearms, a total of 183 operations were conducted that resulted in the arrest of 132 and the death of two persons, the seizure of 155 firearms, 18 explosives, and 2,484 ammunition, and the filing of 107 cases. In the campaign against smuggling, manufacturing, distribution and trading of counterfeit products and items, the group conducted 29 operations that resulted in the arrest of 47 persons, the confiscation or seizure of counterfeit items worth PPHP9.7 million, and the filing of 20 cases in court. On the other hand, the CIDG’s campaign against unlawful destruction of natural resources resulted in a total of 28 operations, with 35 persons arrested, the confiscation or recovery of illegally cut lumber and other items worth PHP1.2 million and the filing of 19 court cases. In the campaign against illegal gambling and game fixing, the CIDG conducted 100 operations that resulted in the arrest of 181 people, the confiscation or seizure of cash bets amounting to PHP163,572 and the filing of 65 court cases. In the campaign against the illegal selling of petroleum products, the CIDG conducted 22 operations resulting in the arrest of 50 individuals, the seizure of PHP4.3 million worth of petroleum products and the filing of 22 complaints in courts. ‘The support of our President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and SILG (Secretary of the Interior and Local Government) Benhur Abalos Jr. resulted in an intensified law enforcement operations and a high satisfaction rating from our compatriots,’ Caramat said. He added that its intensified and enhanced anti-criminality flagship projects which are implemented nationwide aided the CIDG to maintain its vigilance and succeed against criminality and violence. “Through the able leadership of our chief PNP, the CIDG was able to steer great heights these past weeks. The accomplishments of the CIDG in this period attest to his determination to implement programs and bring the organization closer to the people,’ he added. Meanwhile, Caramat also said the detectives of the CIDG Intelligence Division together with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) conducted an entrapment operation against three persons for alleged estafa. Reports said the suspects were recruiting victims or applicants to be included in the final list for recruitment to the PCG in exchange for PHP15,000 each. Caramat said the operation was conducted on Monday night along Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, where arrested suspect Nelson Fortuna Abordo was caught red-handed receiving the entrapment money while his two companions identified as Anne Jubac and John Herald Padillo, were able to elude arrest after sensing that they were being entrapped. Seized from the possession and control of Abordo were one .45-caliber pistol loaded with seven rounds of ammunition, marked money and expired LTOPF ID. The arrested suspect was brought to the CIDG headquarters along with the pieces of evidence for documentation and proper disposition. The suspect will be charged with violation of Article 315 of the Revised Penal Code and Republic Act 10591 (illegal possession of firearms).

Source: Philippines News Agency

The local government here is eyeing to place the town on the world’s map in an attempt to log a world record for the longest-lined native rice cake in the upcoming Kankanen (native rice cake) Festival. In a virtual forum hosted by the Philippine Information Agency Pangasinan on Tuesday, Asingan tourism officer Michael Soliven said the festival aims to promote the glutinous rice products of the residents given that 80 percent of the town is agricultural land. ‘This is to support and promote their products such as the glutinous or sticky rice which is the main ingredient of the kankanen. Mayor Carlos Lopez Jr. also would want the town to be known through the attempt for longest lined native rice cake in the Guinness Book of World Records,’ he said. The Kankanen Festivals will run from June 5 to 10 and will be highlighted by the town’s attempt at the world record on June 9. Soliven said it will be held in front of the town’s municipal plaza where they will line up at a long table a kilometer long of native rice cake. He said some 2,000 kilograms of sticky rice will be used for the rice cake relay. ‘It will be for free to all those who will attend,’ he added. Soliven said kankanen making is a common livelihood of the residents of the town and has also symbolized over generations the unity and harmony among the people in the locality. Kankanen Festival was started in 2011 by the Department of Education. It was adopted by the local government unit as the town’s very own festivity in 2019. The annual celebration was stopped due to the pandemic but resumed last year. Asingan information officer Romel Aguilar, in the same forum, said tourists may also visit their municipal plaza to enjoy dairy farm products from the Bantog Samahang Nayon, a group known for their fresh carabao milk products. There will also be the street dancing competition, medical mission, skateboard competition, raffle, beauty pageants, basketball exhibition game, and the 1st Bornok Mangosong Enduro Race challenge, among others. Asingan is a second-class municipality in Pangasinan where the late former President Fidel V. Ramos hails from.

Source: Philippines News Agency

Over 100 fishermen from Dilavo, Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte have received their ‘lambaklad’ (fish net), an eco-friendly fish trap technology to boost their production. Funded by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) based in Ilocos Region for PHP2.8 million, the lambaklads were handed over to the Dilavo Fishermen Association represented by its president, Joel Queddeng. ‘We are so thankful and blessed to have this project in our town. We will do our best to take good care of it for our future,’ said Queddeng in an interview Tuesday. Coined from the Filipino words ‘lambat’ (net) and ‘baklad’ (corral), lambaklad uses a stationary huge fish trap laid down under the sea. It is a Japanese fishing technology adopted in the Philippines since it is sustainable and eco-friendly. The project was formalized through a memorandum of agreement between the BFAR, the local government unit of Pasuquin, and the Dilavo Fsihermen Association Inc. signed on May 19. As part of the agreement, the 120 active association members will undergo skills training and participate in the construction, operation, management and maintenance of the Lambaklad project. Vanessa Abegail Dagdagan, senior aquaculturist of BFAR-Ilocos Norte, said in an interview Tuesday that the technology could help uplift the living conditions of the small-scale fisherfolk by providing them with livelihood intervention that is sustainable and environment-friendly. To assist the fishermen association, Dagdagan added that they will provide technical support and regular monitoring of the association to ensure the success and viability of the project. Popular catches in the fishing grounds of Pasuquin include tuna, scads species, moonfish and other pelagic species.

Source: Philippines News Agency

A total of 15 persons, mostly firefighters, were wounded in the fire that gutted the iconic Manila Central Post Office on Sunday night, an official of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said on Tuesday. In a radio interview, BFP – National Capital Region (NCR) Director, Fire Chief Supt. Nahum Tarroza, said the section of the gutted Manila Central Post Office building that was made of antique hardwood caused unbearable and extreme heat that engulfed even the adjacent structures inside the compound. ‘Fifteen ang ating injuries – 13 bumbero at two volunteer(s). Ito ay mga napaso, mga nahulugan ng mga debris kasi nahuhulog from 3rd floor yung mga ibang debris, (We have 15 injuries – 13 firefighters and two volunteers. They sustained burns or got hit by debris falling from the 3rd floor),’ Tarroza said. He recalled that the firefighters were unable to immediately enter the burning structure as the fire at the Manila Central Post Office building was in a “confined space.” Comparing a syringe trying to put out a huge fire, Tarroza noted that it was difficult to deal with the blaze due to the extreme heat that made it unbearable for the firefighters to extinguish. He said the blaze even reached the canteen, which was six meters away from the main building of the post office. Five to six service vehicles were also damaged during the fire. Tarroza said the estimated PHP300 million to PHP500 million cost of damage may still soar as the antique materials at the historic post office are considered an “important cultural property.” ‘Yung materyales sa loob ng main building yan ay yari sa lumang kahoy, molave, narra. Kaya kakaiba talaga ang intensity ng heat ng mga kahoy na ganyan (The materials used in the main building were antique wood, molave, narra. That is why the heat from these old wood was so intense),” he said. ‘Ito ay may kalumaan hindi pa naman sila na-require ng ganun, kaya lang kasama ito sa iimbestigahan natin, pati yung mga fire protection equipment nila. Wala kasi nung mga lumang design ng mga building, hindi ganun ka sophisticated ang mga fire protection measures (The investigation will cover the presence of fire protection equipment. The design of old buildings did not incorporate sophisticated fire protection measures).’ Probe into alleged fire protocol lapses Meanwhile, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. on Tuesday ordered an investigation on Quezon City Fire Marshal Aristotle Bañaga due to reported violations of protocols on the May 17 fire in Tandang Sora, QC that claimed the life of retired Police Brig. Gen. George Ancheta Jr. The late general’s niece, Quezon City Councilor and Majority Floor Leader Dr. Dorothy “Doray” Delarmente, has decried “irresponsible” reportage of the fire by a news reporter who allegedly interviewed two survivors, the late general’s spouse and helper, at the scene while they were still in a state of shock and disarray. In a privilege speech at the QC Council on Monday, Delarmente also criticized Fire Marshal Aristotle Bañaga for allegedly allowing the GMA News team access to the fire vicinity and the victims, in violation of protocols. BFP Chief, Fire Director Louie Puracan, confirmed that the BFP has issued a show-cause order against Bañaga. “We care deeply for the mental well-being and privacy of all survivors. Rest assured that we will investigate this matter thoroughly and we will impose the proper sanctions where warranted,’ Abalos said in a statement, extending his condolences to Ancheta’s family.

Source: Philippines News Agency

National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año on Tuesday welcomed the Group of 7’s (G7) support to the 2016 Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling that boosted the Philippines’ claims in the West Philippine Sea. “We welcome the statement of the world’s most powerful democracies or the G7 affirming the binding nature of the 2016 arbitral tribunal which invalidated China’s massive claims to the West Philippine Sea and affirming their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” he said in a message to reporters. The G7 is composed of the world’s most powerful democracies — the United States of America, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy, plus the European Union as a non-enumerated member. “Indeed, we emphasize the universal and unified character of the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and we call on all nations to adhere to UNCLOS’s important role in setting out the legal framework that governs all activities in the oceans and the seas,” Año said. He also added that the Philippines is prepared to cooperate with all G7 nations in maintaining peace and stability in the region. This includes pushing for a peaceful resolution of the current territorial dispute in accordance with international law and practice. In a statement, the G7 leaders reiterated that the award rendered by the arbitral tribunal on July 12, 2016 ‘is a significant milestone, which is legally binding upon the parties to those proceedings and a useful basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.’ ‘There is no legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims in the South China Sea, and we oppose China’s militarization activities in the region,’ the group said. The PCA ruling invalidates China’s nine-dash line territorial claims that cover nearly the entire South China Sea, including the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

Source: Philippines News Agency

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) assured on Tuesday the Philippine Postal Corporation PHLPost of various assistance, including a temporary workplace, after its building in Intramuros, Manila was gutted by fire before midnight on Sunday. GSIS President and General Manager Wick Veloso offered the state pension fund’s warehouse in Pasig City to serve as PHLPost’s temporary office. ‘Philpost needs a transitory workplace to allow it to seamlessly maintain its vital services while its restoration is going on,’ Veloso said noting that the damaged Philpost building and its contents are insured with GSIS for PHP604 million. “To facilitate the insurance claims, we immediately dispatched our adjusters to the fire scene today even though no fire-out has been declared yet. We also deployed drones to completely evaluate the affected structures. We are very much aware of the historical significance of the building and we would like to assist in its rebuilding efforts in every possible way,’ he added. Apart from this, Veloso said GSIS is also offering PHLPost a loan that could help for the reconstruction of its building. “The building has been declared an Important Cultural Property by the National Museum of the Philippines and its loss will have a huge impact on our rich cultural heritage. We need to bring it back to its original splendor,’ the GSIS chief said. GSIS is just awaiting for the Bureau of Fire Protection’s clearance before conducting a full-blown site inspection to determine the extent of damage sustained by the insured PHLPost property.

Source: Philippines News Agency