SurSur gets new PNP chief
By Greg Tataro Jr.
TANDAG CITY, Surigao del Sur, Nov. 17 (PIA) – The
province of Surigao del Sur has a new chief of the Philippine National Police
(PNP).
P/SSupt. Romualdo Bayting formally assumed post
effective November 16, 2015 replacing former P/SSupt. Narciso Verdadero who
served here for about a year and seven months.
Bayting has already paid courtesy call on Governor
Johnny Pimentel at the latter’s office.
Prior to that, however, Pimentel had already told
capitol employees about the relief of Verdadero during the Monday flag ceremony
program. Be that as it may, he seemed to
be in disbelief that the Cortes town ambush incident was the main reason for
sacking Verdadero. During that ambuscade carried out by New People’s Army (NPA)
on September 18, SP04 Jesus Labastilla was killed and PO2 Joy Turaja got
injured.
Meanwhile, the governor said with this turn of
events, Bayting would naturally replace Verdadero as head of joint Task Force
Bangkaw with the army. The joint task
force was purposely created to hunt down Loloy Tejero, Bobby Tejero, and Garito
Layno—all primary suspects for the September 1 brutal killings of lumad leaders
Emerito Samarca, Dionel Campos and Bello Sinzo.
Until now, the three assailants had remained at
large despite the respective arrest warrants issued by Lianga Regional Trial
Court (RTC) a couple of weeks after the tragic event.
Moreover, the new provincial PNP chief was also advised
by Governor Pimentel to see Col. Isidro Purisima, commander of 402nd Infantry
Brigade of the Philippine Army (PA), to get the latest information and updates
on the continuing manhunt operation.
PSSupt. Bayting have yet to meet his army
counterpart.
Also, on Monday morning, the governor had a closed
door meeting with Maj. Gen. Oscar Lactao, army 4th Infantry Division (4ID)
commander.
Asked what transpired during the meeting, Governor
Pimentel said it had been the same, referring to the primary suspects in spite
of the P200,000 bounty on each head. (NGBT/Radyo ng Bayan-Tandag/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
DA Caraga achieves 100% conversion of lands into
organic farming area
By Noel B. Najarro
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 17 (PIA) - The Department of
Agriculture (DA) Caraga presented over a hundred percent accomplishment on the
conversion of agricultural areas here into organic farming against the target
in 2014.
Citing figures from the Bureau of Agricultural
Statistics (BAS) as its source, DA Caraga data released recently said that it
has targeted for the year 2013 a total of 1,206 hectares, as part of the five
percent organic agriculture area conversion for the whole region: Agusan del
Norte (349); Agusan del Sur (345); Surigao del Norte (343); Surigao del Sur
(87) and Dinagat Island Province (52).
For 2014, DA Caraga targeted 2,168 hectares of
agricultural areas into organic farming: Agusan del Norte (320); Agusan del Sur
(219); Surigao del Norte (673); Surigao del Sur (989.50) and Dinagat Island
Province (147). The agriculture department here however said that as the year
ended, the physical area devoted to organic agriculture or the agricultural
area conversion reached 2,348.50 hectares or a 108 percent accomplishment for
the area of conversion versus the target.
For 2015, the regional agriculture department here
had targeted 2,961 hectares for organic farming conversion; 4,930 for the year
2016 and 14,905 for 2017 or a total of 26, 170.35.
Caraga Region based on the DA’s roadmap organic
agriculture area for conversion and citing the figures of the area farms by
geolocation, year and landuse (2002) has an agricultural area of 523, 407
hectares, five percent of which is targeted by DA Caraga or a total of 26,170
hectares for organic agriculture by the year 2017.
The DA regional field office here also reported an
increase on the number of farmers who accordingly are actively engaged into
organic agriculture. Citing figures from the year 2012 which recorded 998
farmers, the department had recorded 2,908 farmers as of the year 2014 or 1,995
farmers more into organic agriculture farming or an increase of 191 percent. (PNA/PIA-Caraga)
PRO 13 strengthens force, intensifies training of
personnel
By Noel B. Najarro
BUTUAN CITY, Nov. 17 (PIA) - The Police Regional
Office here strengthens its force and intensifies training of its personnel.
Regional Police chief spokesperson PSupt. Martin
M. Gamba said that among the offshoots of the recent visit of the chief PNP
here resulted to the addition of strength to the regional police force and more
trainings to its personnel.
Aside from the 947 recruits allotted for the
region this year, additional 1,000 recruitment for new police personnel is in
the offing for the next year, Gamba said.
He also said that part of the strengthening of the
regional police force is to upgrade the police public safety companies. A
regional, provincial or city police public safety company at present has two
platoons. A plan is also now on the offing to make the public safety companies
be composed of four platoons.
Regarding the trainings of the personnel, the
police community affairs development (PCAD) is on-going since last week, a
post-blast investigation course assisted by the personnel of the US Embassy
(who are experts of the subject matter taught) which ended last week,
information operation course (also ended last week) and the patrol officers
basic course, which emphasizes that police work is more on doing patrol on
their respective beats, according to Gamba.
All trainings, the police spokesperson said, aim
for the effectiveness and efficiency of the personnel in the delivery of their
services to the community.
Furthermore, on the aspect of upgrading the police
firearms, the PNP is in the process of acquiring 30,000 assault rifles and
Caraga region is priority for its future distribution, Gamba said. (PNA/PIA-Caraga)
