PNP ordered to strictlyenforce 60-day gun banDrug ‘peddler’ nabbed; another eludes arrestWB, DOH execs identify areas of concern for healthPNP ordered to strictly enforce 60-day gun banLina said the prohibition on the carrying of firearms and other deadly weapons, including the wearing of uniforms and insignias is contained in Comelec Resolution No. 4780 promulgated by the poll body last April 24. It starts May 31, or 45 days before the July 15 SK and barangay elections, and ends July 31, or 15 days after the polls. “As the primary law enforcement body deputized by the Comelec, you are expected to strictly enforce the gun-ban to avert violence and maintain peace and order for the entire duration of the election period,” Lina told the PNP. Lina also called on the citizenry to strictly observe the Comelec-imposed 60-day gun ban, saying violators will “face the consequence of their acts before the courts.” The DILG Chief underscored the importance of the SK and barangay polls on July 15 as the “best chance for the Filipino people and the youth to provide fresh mandate to their grassroots and youth leaders.” “And the best way to ensure that the true voice and sentiments of the electorate are heard and known is for the PNP to pave the way for the conduct of a peaceful and orderly July 15 elections,” he said. Apart from the gun-ban, other prohibited acts during the election period are the organization and maintenance of reaction/strike forces; transfer and detail of officers and employees in the civil service, including public school teachers; use of private security personnel or bodyguards or those of the PNP, Armed Forces of the Philippines or other law enforcement agency; and suspension of any elective provincial, city, municipal and barangay officer. “The coming political exercise is likewise vital in the democratization of the country. Hence, let us all contribute to ensure its success,” Lina said. Drug ‘peddler’ nabbed; another eludes arrestArmed with a search warrant signed by Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Salvador S. Gubaton, the team searched the house of Generoso Cabalo y Rose, alias “Bogring,” 41, of Brgy. IX here. Founded inside the house of Cabalo were 5 plastic tea bags of suspected shabu; a plastic bag containing empty plastic sachets used for repacking; a unit of Nokia 3310 cell phone; 3 disposable lighters; 3 pieces of $1 dollar bills; and P2,510 cash. Cabalo denied that he was into drugs. The prohibited drugs found inside his house were planted, he added. But Cabalo was released June 5 as there was no complaint filed against him, Supt. Ren Darroca said. Meanwhile, one Marvin Pines alias “Marvin Fines,” 30, of Phil. Railway St., Brgy. Punta Tabuc here, was also served a search warrant by the same team. Pines, however, managed to escape during the raid. Recovered from the house of Pines were 3 small plastic tea bags of methamphethamine hydrochloride also known as shabu; a unit of Nokia 5110 cell phone; a scissor; a bundle of empty sachets used for repacking and P70 cash. The seized items were brought to the PNP Crime Laboratory in Iloilo City. WB, DOH execs identify areas of concern for healthCherrylyn Daus, chief of the DOH’s Health Program Department, said local government units must do their own share. She said the DOH is trying to equip its employees with the necessary skills to be able to respond to the needs of LGUs for technical assistance. “There are certain health sector reform components that we would like to do at our level and these are the development of clinical practice guidelines and therapheutic guidelines to make sure that when we do public health programs we have common terms of reference and we have a common way of implementing these projects,” she added. According to Daus, the leadership training program is one of their activities to develop leadership skills at its level of implementation so that we would know the direction of the project and at the same time having a responsive health workers who will implement the project. She said strengthening the capacity of the BFAD is also their main thrust since they want to provide affordable and accessible drugs. They also want to assure the public that what they are getting are quality drugs. Thus, credibility of the BFAD is very important in terms of regulating drugs sold in the market. Monitoring, evaluation, research and dissemination are also included in their task since the experiences of the provinces that availed themselves of the project will serve as models for others provinces. Theresa Ho, tasked by the WB to oversee the HSRP at the LGU level, said the identification mission is the very first step in putting up a project through which we can identify what will be the components of the project as well as what would be the main activities under those components. This means proper dialogues with the partners and actual visitation in the identification mission for the project are recommended. “This is the second phase for the identification mission, the first one was in April and we were able to identify two major components of the project — the financing or the health insurance system and the delivery system in the provinces of Pangasinan and Agusan del Sur. The structural delivery system is one of the most complicated parts of the project because it is on this part where we can upgrade the quality of system to make it more efficient, Ho added. Capiz Gov. Vicente Bermejo said this new opportunity for partnership offered by the DOH and the World Bank under the health sector reform project is not only welcome but a big boost to the Capiz health sector. He also expressed the belief that nothing is so hard if people and institutions share the burden and this makes the task lighter and problems easier to manage. The governor also assured the World Bank and the DOH that the assistance they will be extending to Capiz will be maximize and put to good use.
|