More checkpoints set up
BY AARON RECUENCO The Joint Task Force COVID Shield will set up more checkpoints in Metro Manila and nearby provinces as President Duterte approved to revert the National Capital Region, Bulacan, Laguna, Rizal and Cavite to Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ). Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Lorenzo Eleazar, commander of the JTF COVID […].....»»
Groups assail police checkpoints, surveillance in Southern Tagalog a day before EDSA uprising protest
“This is a clear violation of human rights, especially since the police clearly stated that their actions were for the upcoming anniversary of the EDSA uprising anniversary. Their posturing value of ‘public safety’ is a direct attack on the right to express calls against moves to amend the Constitution, which is the theme of the EDSA anniversary mobilization,” said BAYAN Southern Tagalog. The post Groups assail police checkpoints, surveillance in Southern Tagalog a day before EDSA uprising protest appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Police in Laguna, Cavite block Southern Tagalog delegation commemorating EDSA people power uprising
While the police did not cite any specific violations in Laguna, they took photos of the delegation's jeep license plates and drivers’ licenses and did not allow the delegation to pass through the checkpoints. The post Police in Laguna, Cavite block Southern Tagalog delegation commemorating EDSA people power uprising appeared first on Bulatlat......»»
Manhunt for Samar cop killers launched
Lawmen have cordoned off roads and put up checkpoints in Sta. Margarita, Samar as a manhunt for members of a criminal gang behind the killing of three policemen in Sta. Margarita, Samar was launched yesterday......»»
DCPO activates Oplan Defense for Davao City security after MSU-Marawi blast
The Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has activated Oplan Defense in response to the powerful explosion that occurred during a Catholic Mass at Mindanao State University-Marawi's gym on December 2, 2023. Under the directive of DCPO Director Police Colonel Alberto Lupaz, all 19 police stations are leading the Oplan Defense, which involves conducting restrictive vehicle checks and border controls. The DCPO has also collaborated with other government and security agencies, particularly the Task Force Davao (TFD), to maintain peace and order in the city. DCPO spokesperson Captain Hazel Tuazon emphasized the coordination with other agencies to ensure peace and order throughout the city, especially during the Christmas Fiesta. The city remains on high alert, with personnel deployed in major Catholic churches and mosques and a one-entrance-and-exit policy implemented in these worship places. Tuazon highlighted the strengthening of the Davao defense system through checkpoints and police visibility in churches. In a press briefing, Mark Anthony Tito, spokesperson of the 10th Infantry “Agila” Division, affirmed continuous security monitoring in their jurisdiction following the bombing at MSU-Marawi. Oplan Defense is DCPO’s campaign against criminality and terrorism, aiming to preemptively secure residents and visitors of the area. The Police Provincial Office of Lanao del Sur (PPO-Lanao del Sur) has formed a Special Investigation Task Group-MSU Marawi (SITG-MSU Marawi) to expedite the investigation process, as two persons of interest linked to the DI-Maute group, a radical Islamic terrorist connected to the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL), have been identified. The blast resulted in four deaths and over 50 injuries, including students, academic professionals, and members of the Catholic ministries. The city urges the public not to believe in fake news about the Marawi bombing suspect. In summary, DCPO has activated Oplan Defense to secure Davao City in response to the MSU-Marawi blast, collaborating with other agencies to maintain peace and order while intensifying security measures and investigation efforts......»»
North Korean defectors meet world in ‘Beyond Utopia’
Earning your subject's trust is never easy for a documentary filmmaker -- but it is even harder when they think you want to kill them. That was the challenge faced by US director Madeleine Gavin, whose movie "Beyond Utopia" follows newly escaped North Korean defectors as they flee. These include the Roh family and their elderly grandmother, who Gavin met just weeks after they bolted from their deeply repressive, reclusive homeland, and lifetimes of being fed propaganda. "I'll never forget the way that she would look at me," Gavin told AFP. In their minds at the time, "Americans practically only exist to make North Koreans miserable and to kill and attack North Koreans. "We aren't even human beings... that's what they've been taught." Soon after the Rohs sneaked across the closely guarded border into China, a local farmer connected them to an "Underground Railroad" for defectors, run by a South Korean pastor whom Gavin happened to be filming. The pastor arranged for the family to travel in secret through Communist-ruled China, Vietnam and Laos, braving police checkpoints and a treacherous jungle border crossing. The movie uses footage shot in China by the pastor's "brokers," before Gavin was able to meet and film them face-to-face herself in south-east Asia. At first, Gavin felt "a deep distrust and suspicion" from the family. But despite the powerful brainwashing they had endured in North Korea, even the 80-year-old grandmother's attitude quickly began to shift as she saw the outside world with her own eyes. "She was having none of it... She'd always been told that relative to the rest of the world, North Koreans are the luckiest people on Earth," said Gavin. "Then to be seeing a world where there are animals, and life, and toilets, even! We were a piece of that puzzle." - 'The worst thing' - When Gavin first set out to make her film -- in US theaters Monday -- it focused on North Koreans already living for many years in South Korea. On arrival in the south, many defectors attend a "resettlement facility" where they are taught about the rest of the world, the lies of Kim Jong Un's brutal regime, and basic modern practices such as how to use an ATM. But after meeting Pastor Kim Sung-eun, a prominent South Korean missionary involved in the underground network that brings escapees to the South, Gavin restructured the film to chronicle two families as they flee the north. The documentary follows Soyeon Lee, a mother who has long since escaped North Korea, but is now trying to smuggle out the son she had to leave behind. Tragedy strikes as he is captured in China, and sent back to North Korea to face punishment. Filming the mother's anguish "was really the most difficult thing," said Gavin. "What she has gone through and continues to go through is the worst thing that anyone can go through." - 'Guilt' - The other part of the film follows the Roh family as they embark on their harrowing, 3,000-mile overland journey toward Thailand, and freedom. One slip-up could see them also repatriated to North Korea, lending the documentary a dramatic tension more associated with Hollywood thrillers. But Gavin also set out to make something "experiential and present tense," which gives a "voice to actual North Koreans," whose country is mainly known to the rest of the world for its nuclear arsenal and terrifying politics. Even as they flee, the Rohs express a complex mixture of emotions, from wonder and excitement, to anger at what they have long been deprived of, to shame. Despite witnessing prosperity unthinkable back home, the grandmother "did not let up on the idea that Kim Jong Un was this incredible person, with the most difficult job before him," said Gavin. "She had enormous guilt for leaving, and that anyone who defects is basically abandoning him, and how heartbreaking it is for him." Perhaps more powerful still is the family's homesickness for the friends, neighbors, traditions and land they left behind. The movie includes -- and ends with -- footage secretly shot inside North Korea and smuggled out by the pastor's network, showing everything from the country's barbaric gulags, to the bleakness of everyday life. "As Grandma says at the end of the film, 'we're so lucky, but it keeps me up at night thinking about the people who are still there,'" said Gavin. "And so I wanted to leave the film remembering those people. Because those people are there, and they need us to help bring their voices forward." (Andrew MARSZAL) amz/hg/md © Agence France-Presse The post North Korean defectors meet world in ‘Beyond Utopia’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Jerusalem’s holy sites deserted on second Friday of war
Fatima lives a few kilometers from Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque but had to cross four checkpoints to get there for Friday prayers with the esplanade largely deserted since war erupted between Israel and Hamas. Normally packed for Friday prayers, there were only a few thousand worshippers present at the compound in the Old City of Jerusalem, which is the third holiest site in Islam but is also the most sacred place for Jews. The compound has been largely deserted since October 7 when Hamas militants from Gaza stormed across the border beginning an attack that has killed at least 1,400 people in Israel, mostly civilians who were shot, mutilated or burnt to death on the first day, Israeli officials say. Israel has struck back at Gaza with a relentless bombing campaign which has killed more than 4,100 Palestinians, mainly civilians, according to the enclave's Hamas-run health ministry. "Since it started, I haven't been back to the Old City nor to Al-Aqsa," says Fatima, a 37-year-old Palestinian who, like many others, did not want to give her family name for fear of reprisals as war rages between Israel and Hamas. Large numbers of Israeli security forces could be seen checking ID papers and turning away men under 50 from the Old City esplanade which is located in east Jerusalem, a majority Palestinian area seized by Israel during the 1967 Six Day War and later annexed in a move never recognized by the international community. Unable to reach the compound, hundreds could be seen praying on the pavements, while elsewhere, Israeli police fired skunk water and tear gas to disperse others who were trying to enter the Old City, AFP correspondents said. Elsewhere in the Old City, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre was deserted, with a lone Greek Orthodox priest praying alone at the normally crowded site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected. And at the Western Wall, the holiest place where Jews can pray, the vast esplanade which is normally packed in the hours before the Jewish sabbath begins at sundown, is also empty. It was early on a sabbath morning two weeks ago that Palestinian militants began their bloody attack, the most deadly ever to hit the Jewish state since it was founded in 1948. In the Muslim Quarter, most shops were shuttered, with Hassan Omar, 72, one of the only shopkeepers to open up, laying out prayer rugs and embroidered children's dresses alongside colorful scarves. "Since the war started, things have been very difficult. I come every day and pray, I go to Al-Aqsa then see if there any customers and if there aren't, I leave," he told AFP, expressing sorrow for the deaths of all civilians on both sides. "It's like during Covid, there's no-one." For Old City traders who depend on tourism, the war has spelt financial ruin, says fellow shopkeeper Mohammed Natsheh. "The whole economy has collapsed." The post Jerusalem’s holy sites deserted on second Friday of war appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Passengers at Philippine airports no longer have to remove shoes for now
Those on US-bound flights may still need to take off their footwear at redundancy screening checkpoints, according to the Office for Transportation Security.....»»
DENR moved too slow to suspend land deal with Socorro ‘cult’ — senators
Senators leading a probe into an alleged “cult” in Socorro town, Surigao Del Norte lamented the delay in which the Department of Environment and Natural Resources revoked its land agreement with the group despite discovering the area had checkpoints and military training as early as 2019......»»
Murder suspect nabbed at QC checkpoint
A security guard wanted for murder in Caloocan City was nabbed by operatives of the Quezon City Police District, Novaliches Police Station (PS 4) at a checkpoint Sunday night. QCPD PS-4 commander, P/Lt.Col. Jerry Castillo, identified the suspect as Romnick Abayon Perote, 34 years old, a Security Guard at Parkview Executive Village, and a resident of Brgy. Bagumbong, Caloocan City. Castillo said they have received information regarding a shooting incident that transpired at 8:20 p.m. on 1 October 2023 at Parkview Heights Exclusive Village in Brgy. Bagumbong, Caloocan City. He immediately ordered the conduct of a checkpoint, Oplan Kandado, along Susano Road corner Austria St., in Brgy. Nova Proper, Novaliches, for the possible escape route of the fleeing suspect and intercept him. Fortunately, they were able to intercept the suspect onboard a passenger jeepney, which resulted in his arrest. Confiscated from Perote's possession was one caliber .38 Armscor 202 loaded with five live ammunition. The suspect was properly turned over to Caloocan Police Station (PS9) for further investigation and proper disposition to face the murder case and violation of Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act. "I commend the dedication of PS 4 personnel for their swift conduct of checkpoints, which led to the arrest of the suspect. This proves that checkpoint operations are really crucial for deterring criminal activity and maintaining the well-being of our citizens,” Maranan commended Castillo and his men. The post Murder suspect nabbed at QC checkpoint appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DENR suspends Socorro Bayanihan’s protected area agreement
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Friday said it ordered the suspension of the Protected Area Community-Based Resource Management Agreement of the controversial organization Socorro Bayanihan Services Incorporated. DENR Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga issued a Letter of Suspension to SBSI pending further investigation into its alleged gross violations of the terms and conditions of the PACBRMA. Based on DENR records, the SBSI originated from the “Tinabangay” group of Socorro, Surigao del Norte who were organized as early as 1974 by the late Don Albino Taruc. The group was incorporated and registered as a People’s Organization with the Securities and Exchange Commission on 20 December 1980. SBSI applied and was subsequently awarded a PACBRMA by virtue of the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992, implemented by DENR Administrative Order 2004-32, issued on 31 August 2004. The agreement, signed on 15 June 2004, covers 353 hectares of land located in the northeast part of Barangay Sering, overlooking the northeast portion of Bucas Grande Island. A PACBRMA is a legal instrument between the DENR and tenured migrant groups to develop and conserve a portion of a Protected Area for a 25-year period. Under the provisions of the PACBRMA, SBSI was granted certain rights and privileges over the awarded area within its established Multiple-Use Zone. Together with the DENR, SBSI developed its Community-Based Resource Management Plan, which was affirmed in 2013. In 2019, the DENR began its investigation of alleged SBSI activities that violated the PACBRMA, including restriction of entry into the area; establishment of checkpoints and military-like training; the resignation of teachers, uniformed personnel and barangay officials; and establishment of structures within the PACBRMA area. Inter-governmental efforts were also made to address the concerns raised against SBSI and to get them to comply with the terms of the PACBRMA. In 2019, SBSI submitted its updated CBRMP but was disapproved by the DENR due to non-compliance with certain provisions under the agreement. SBSI has not been able to resubmit its CBRMP. In 2021 and 2022, the DENR called the attention of SBSI on recurring violations. In both instances, there was no response from SBSI, triggered the issuance of a Letter of Suspension on Friday, 29 September 2023. Loyzaga said the DENR will work with the Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, the Provincial Government of Surigao del Norte and other authorities to ensure the smooth and peaceful enforcement of the suspension notice and the possible resettlement of the occupants. The post DENR suspends Socorro Bayanihan’s protected area agreement appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Go to authorities, not to social media’ — Valenzuela mayor on latest road rage incident
Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian on Monday called on the public not to resort to social media when getting involved in road rage incidents. He also advised motorists who are also gun owners to be "responsible enough" as having a license to carry a gun is just a "privilege" to have protection and not to use it like a "street toughie." "Huwag kayong matakot lumapit sa authorities (police or LGU), paalala sa mga gun owner, license is a privilege for protection. Huwag niyong abusuhin," Gatchalian said at a press briefing he called to present the victim on another road rage incident that happened in his jurisdiction. "I don't see the reason why (the motorist who is a gun owner) would be in a rage. Madaling araw nangyari, maluwag ang daan," Gatchalian said, referring to Marlon Malabute a businessman from Tondo, Manila who cut and hit at the cab driven by Henry Ong Jr., a resident of Valenzuela. "Wala pang sinasabi (victim) binunutan na ng baril," the Mayor added. Gatchalian was referring to the latest road rage incident that happened on 19 August, a couple of weeks after the controversial road rage incident in Quezon City involving a dismissed policeman and bicycle rider. Gatchalian said the incident only reached them on 6 September, but their police were able to track the suspect through the vehicle he used which probers found to have been registered thrice because of different transfers of ownership. P/Col. Salvador Destura Jr., Valenzuela police chief on the other end said they have already filed charges of "alarm and scandal" as well as "grave threats" charges against the road rager. He added that they also moved to have Malabute's gun license revoked. "He will answer that at the Prosecutors' Office. If he doesn't show up, he will have a warrant. That's the time we will hunt him if he still would not present himself," Destura explained. He added that they also reached out to the suspect's uncle and brother who promised them their cooperation. Ong for his part, said he came into the open because of his fear and fear for his family's safety. The incident, he added was a traumatic experience to him, affecting his health and work as a taxi driver. He urged the suspect to surrender. Gatchalian, meanwhile, noted the incident will be treated as a "lesson learned" that will make his local government push for the planned installation of 1,500 LED streetlights with close circuit cameras and would serve as a deterrent to similar incidents. He also ordered Destura to conduct checkpoints. The post ‘Go to authorities, not to social media’ — Valenzuela mayor on latest road rage incident appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Handwritten letters a lifeline in war-devastated Darfur
With no cell service or phone calls, people in Sudan's war-ravaged western region of Darfur are resorting to a bygone means of communication: handwritten letters, carried by taxi drivers. Ahmed Issa, 25, sits on a plastic chair in a roadside cafe, penning a message to relatives he left behind in Nyala, the capital of South Darfur state. In the safety of El Daein, 150 kilometers (93 miles) southeast, he told AFP the letters are often the only way to get news in and out of his hometown, the second-biggest city in Sudan and the site of brutal battles between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. "Even at the start of the fighting, it was hard to get in touch with people in other neighborhoods inside Nyala," he said, nearly five months after the war began. The situation has only grown worse since, with horrific violence reported across Darfur, a region the size of France that is home to around a quarter of Sudan's 48 million people. They remember all too painfully the years-long war and atrocities that began in 2003. Hundreds of thousands were killed and more than two million displaced after the government of Omar al-Bashir unleashed the Janjaweed militia in response to a rebel uprising. Hunched forward in a black patterned shirt and a neat crew cut, Issa carefully folds his letter over and over. "You wait a week for the letter to arrive, and you don't know for sure if they'll get it," he told AFP. "And if they do, there's no guarantee they can send one back" through the treacherous roads in and out of Nyala. Three months ago, the West Darfur state capital of El Geneina seemed to be the nucleus of the fighting, becoming a symbol of the return of ethnic violence in Darfur. Western countries and the UN linked the violence to the RSF and its allies. It triggered the International Criminal Court to open a new investigation into alleged war crimes. Now Nyala is the centre of clashes between the army and the RSF. On one day last week 39 civilians, most of them women and children, were killed when shelling hit their homes in Nyala, medics and witnesses said. Over 10 days in August, more than 50,000 people fled Nyala's violence, according to the United Nations. Water and electricity networks quickly failed, compounding threats in a city where one in four people already needed humanitarian aid before the war, the UN said. The messenger Residents on Sunday looked up to see a new escalation of the violence: Air Force fighter jets -- whose strikes have been largely limited to the capital Khartoum -- were flying overhead. Their bombs struck both RSF bases and the residential neighborhoods they inhabit, witnesses told AFP. People will do anything to make sure their loved ones are alright, according to human rights defender Ahmed Gouja, who left Nyala but is trying to inform the world of the gruesome violence unfolding. Last week, he reported on Twitter, which is being rebranded as X, that five entire families were "killed in one day". He himself spent 16 days "with no info" about his family in Nyala, before finally reaching "one of my brothers who arrived at El Daein, searching for an internet signal". "We die every moment that passes while we are deprived" of news of loved ones, he wrote. For weeks, Suleiman Mofaddal has seen families like Gouja's walk through his El Daein office, a small room with yellow walls, anxious for news of those who cannot or refuse to leave their homes in Nyala. On his desk sits a pile of small, neatly folded paper rectangles, each with a name scrawled in blue ink. Some have a phone number, just in case the recipient gets cell service for even a moment. All wait to be handed to drivers on Mofaddal's team, who will carry the letters on their way to Nyala. "Most often, the recipient immediately writes a response and hands it back to the driver before he leaves," Mofaddal told AFP. Then the driver heads back out, hoping the road ahead won't be closed -- by either the bombs, militia checkpoints, or the downpours of Sudan's rainy season. The post Handwritten letters a lifeline in war-devastated Darfur appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Gun ban violators netted
The weeklong checkpoints related to the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections logged at least 216 gun ban violators so far, according to the Philippine National Police on Sunday. PNP spokesperson and acting Public Information Office chief Col. Jean Fajardo revealed that the 216 violators were apprehended from 28 August until 2 September 2023, adding that of the total violators arrested, most were civilians while two were security guards and two were military personnel. A total of 130 firearms have been confiscated during the implementation of the gun ban. The establishment of checkpoints was carried out under Commission on Elections Resolution 10924 to effectively implement the ban on firearms and other deadly weapons during the 90-day election period from 28 August to 29 November. The resolution prohibits the bearing, carrying, or transporting of firearms or other deadly weapons in public places, including any building, street, park, private vehicle, or public conveyance, or even if licensed to possess or carry the same, unless authorized by the Comelec. Exempted from the ban are law enforcers but they should have authorization from the Comelec and wear an agency-prescribed uniform while on official duty during the election period. The post Gun ban violators netted appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
600 checkpoints net over 15 Comelec gun ban violators: PNP
Around 15 persons have been apprehended since the start of the Commission on Elections' gun ban on Monday during the first day of filing of the certificate of candidacy for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said on Tuesday. Acorda said since implementing the gun ban, 15 firearms have been confiscated from more than 600 checkpoints nationwide. The establishment of checkpoints was carried out under Comelec Resolution No. 10924 to effectively implement the ban on firearms and other deadly weapons during the 90-day election period from 28 August to 29 November. The resolution prohibits the bearing, carrying or transporting of firearms or other deadly weapons in public places, including any building, street, park, private vehicle or public conveyance, or even if licensed to possess or carry the same, unless authorized by the Comelec. Acorda also said he has ordered a probe and has a person of interest in the incident that happened in Libon town in Albay where the victim Alex Repato, reelectionist captain of Barangay San Jose, was shot dead by still unidentified assailants in his residence at around 5 p.m. Monday, just hours after he filed his candidacy. “It is unfortunate in Albay we have one case of shooting but we already have a person of interest there and tinututukan ng ating kapulisan. What happened in Albay is election-related but I want to get first 'yung talagang official result of the investigation,” Acorda said on the sidelines of the National Capital Region Police Office's commemoration of its 122nd Police Service anniversary at Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan Taguig City. Addressing the event, Acorda lauded the NCRPO's dedication to the PNP's agenda, which includes the relentless pursuit of justice, commitment to excellence and fostering deep connections with the communities under their care. He extended his congratulations and recognition to the men and women of the NCRPO for their invaluable contributions to upholding the rule of law and ensuring the safety and security of the nation's capital. The ceremony was also marked by the presentation of awards to outstanding officers and units within the NCRPO. The awards recognized excellence across various categories, including community engagement, crime prevention and exceptional acts of valor. The NCRPO's Northern Police District, Eastern Police District, Manila Police District, Southern Police District and Quezon City Police District were feted for their outstanding contributions. The post 600 checkpoints net over 15 Comelec gun ban violators: PNP appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Palawan CoC filing ‘peaceful’
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The Commission on Elections here on Monday said that the first day of filing of certificates of candidacies for the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections was generally peaceful. City and provincial election supervisors — Atty. Julius Cuevas and Atty. Percival Mendoza — confirmed that checkpoints were deployed across Puerto Princesa and the 23 municipalities of Palawan, starting as early as 11 p.m. on Sunday night. Cuevas said that the start of reactivating checkpoints for the BSKE 2023 in Puerto Princesa went well, with no unfavorable incidents. “The launching of the checkpoints was very successful for the simultaneous holding of the BSKE filing of certificates of candidacy,” Cuevas said, expressing gratitude to the Puerto Princesa City Police Office and its various units. He also mentioned an estimated 2,100 individuals from the 66 barangays of Puerto Princesa are expected to submit their certificates of candidacy until the filing period ends on 2 September. The filing is happening at SM City Puerto Princesa, the sole designated location, Cuevas said. The designated time for the activity is between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., but the last admission will be at 4:45 p.m. Over at Central Visayas, the Comelec-7 disclosed that 48,048 positions are to be contested for the 2023 BSKE. In an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE, Comelec-7 regional director Atty. Marco Lionel Castillano said there are eight Barangay and SK posts up for grabs, with each barangay to have one chairman and seven councilors each for the Barangay and SK positions. “In the region, we have 3003 barangays as every barangay have 16 posts, thus this will be 48,048,” Castillano said. Cebu Province has the highest number of barangays with 1,203, followed by Bohol with 1,109, next is Negros Oriental with 557 and Siquijor with 134. The BSKE in the region will be managed by 133 city and municipal election offices. The post Palawan CoC filing ‘peaceful’ appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
African swine fever checkpoints set in Puerto town
PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan — Dr. Darius Mangcucang, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Veterinary Office, has revealed that African swine fever has killed roughly 300 pigs in Cocoro Island, a barangay in the town of Magsaysay. Mangcucang said that five of the six blood samples taken from domesticated pigs in Cocoro proved positive for ASF in tests conducted by the Bureau of Animal Industry. The PVO said all domestic pigs on the island had already died from the disease, but that it was still working closely with Magsaysay town officials to keep ASF isolated and stop the spread throughout Palawan. “The pigs may have all died, so there is no need for culling. Instead, we’ll disinfect the area,” Mangcucang said. “In order to contain the virus, we will place lime on the sites where the pigs were buried by farmers and residents.” Checkpoints at all Magsaysay access points had been put in place by the PVO, municipal authorities, and the Philippine National Police as part of the virus-containment procedures. The PVO said it would continue surveillance, blood sample collection, and quarantine assessments. The office urged residents not to buy pork products online and not to feed swine with potentially contaminated raw food. Likewise, the office asked the public to immediately report any unusual pig deaths or symptoms to the PVO or the local agriculture office. “This incident is being closely monitored, and appropriate measures are being taken in collaboration with other government agencies, while simultaneously urging the public to adhere to the government’s implemented policies to prevent further spread of ASF to other parts of the province,” Governor Victorino Dennis Socrates said. The post African swine fever checkpoints set in Puerto town appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MPD warns of vote buying in BSKE polls
Manila Police District chief P/Brig. Gen. Andrei Dizon has assured city residents of a clean, orderly and peaceful Barangay and Sanggunihang Kabataan Election on October even as he warned against vote-buying by the candidates. In a press conference at the MPD headquarters during a send-off event on MPD BSKE security preparation Saturday morning, Dizon told the DAILY TRIBUNE that among preparations that will be expected by the people are thorough checkpoints that will be implemented by 14 MPD stations. “We will be strict in enforcing Comelec laws like gun ban, several tactics in concealing many kinds of vote buying act and we warn those who are intending to create trouble or even sow terror during this election period, those followers and leaders of candidates not to dare your police” Dizon said. Around 4,000 policemen will be tapped to assist the Commission on Elections just to ensure everything is in place as far as security and peaceful conduct during campaigning and election. Dizon particularly pointed out the gapangan practice of several leaders of candidates. “This will not be allowed and each station commander knows in their covered AoR (areas of responsibility) those who are engaged in that practice and let this be a strong reminder that we will be watching you” Dizon warned. The post MPD warns of vote buying in BSKE polls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
MPD vows to eradicate vote buying during barangay elections in Manila
A stern warning was issued by Manila Police District (MPD) chief P/BGen Andrei Dizon, assuring Manila residents of a clean, orderly, and peaceful Barangay and Sanggunihang Kabataan Election (BSKE) in October. In a press conference held at MPD headquarters during the "Send-off Event on MPD BSKE Security Preparation" on Saturday morning, Dizon stated that one of the expected preparations would be the implementation of thorough checkpoints by 14 MPD stations. “We will be strict in enforcing COMELEC laws like gun ban, several tactics in concealing many kinds of vote buying act, and we warned those who are intending to create trouble or even sow terror during this election period, those followers and leaders of candidates not to dare your police,” Dizon said. Around 4,000 MPD police will assist the Commission on Elections to ensure security and peaceful conduct during campaigning and elections. Dizon pointed out the "gapangan" practice by candidates' leaders. They do wholesale vote buying the night before the election, offering large sums of money to heads of families with many voters for their sweeping votes. “This will not be allowed and each station commander knows in their covered AOR (areas of responsibility) those who are engaged in that practice and let this be a stern reminder that we will be watching you,” Dizon warned. According to Atty. Juvil S. Surmieda of COMELEC-NCR, the upcoming BSKE will implement new measures to combat vote buying. These measures will include identifying and punishing online money transfers such as GCash, Smart Padala, and Palawan Express with criminal charges and disqualification. “Talagang mahigpit na ipapatupad ang patas na eleksyon itong BSKE dahil alam natin marubdob ang mga tao sa eleksyon pambarangayan” Surmieda reminded. The post MPD vows to eradicate vote buying during barangay elections in Manila appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ASF invades Cocoro Island
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The Provincial Veterinary Office here disclosed on Friday that the African swine fever has reached the region and caused an outbreak on Cocoro Island, a barangay in the fifth-class municipality of Magsaysay in the easternmost side of the province. Palawan PVO officer-in-charge Dr. Darius Mangcucang, in an interview, revealed that Cocoro has recorded approximately 300 swine mortalities as a result of African swine fever and confirmed that out of the six blood samples collected from the domesticated pigs that survived on Cocoro Island, five of them were positively identified as having ASF. The results were according to laboratory evaluations conducted by the Bureau of Animal Industry. He also stressed that measures have been put in place to isolate the area and prevent the disease from spreading as the PVO is already enacting measures to control the situation. Meantime, community leaders are taking steps to restrict the movement of pigs and pork products from the island, while surveillance is also focused on monitoring the transportation of pork into the town. “We can manage the situation on the island as long as there is cooperation from the community. The barangay officials are monitoring closely as they have received directives from their leaders,” Mangcucang said. As an alternative to culling, given that all domestic pigs on the island have already succumbed to ASF, Mangcucang said they already initiated a disinfection procedure and used lime on the burial sites. The method aims to confine the virus and is anticipated to last for approximately three months, according to his estimation. “The pigs might all be gone, there’s no need for culling anymore. What we’ll do instead is disinfection. We’ll place lime on the sites where the pigs were buried by the farmers and residents, in order to contain the virus,” Mangcucang said. The PVO, in collaboration with the Philippine National Police and local municipal authorities, has also established checkpoints in all entry areas to Magsaysay. He said their endeavors include continuous monitoring, gathering of blood samples, and conducting quarantine assessments. Governor Victorino Dennis Socrates, in a statement issued by the Provincial Information Office, assured the public of swift governmental response as collaborative endeavors with various government agencies are in motion to tackle the crisis while citizens are urged to adhere to guidelines to halt ASF’s progression to other parts of the province. “This incident is being closely monitored, and appropriate measures are being taken in collaboration with other government agencies, while simultaneously urging the public to adhere to the government’s implemented policies to prevent further spread of ASF to other parts of the province,” Socrates said. The PVO also appealed to residents to cooperate by refraining from purchasing meat products online and to avoid feeding pigs with potentially contaminated swill or uncooked food. In case of any suspicious pig deaths or symptoms, residents are urged to promptly inform the veterinary office or the Municipal Agriculture Office. The post ASF invades Cocoro Island appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
1,000 cops tapped for BSKE polls
Manila Police District Chief P/BGen. Andrei Dizon bared Friday that they are deploying some 1,000 police for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan election on 30 October to ensure an orderly and peaceful conduct of the polls. According to Dizon, the send-off event will start today, 26 August at 9 a.m. where the total number of Manila Police will be presented. This will be followed by a news briefing and a press conference. Dizon said that they will activate the Commission on Elections checkpoints in many parts of the city. A ceremonial checkpoint will be shown to media that will be held along España corner Blumentritt on Sunday, 27 August starting at 11 p.m. Police will also be implementing a gun ban during the period. The post 1,000 cops tapped for BSKE polls appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»