Insurgency and criminality drop in NegOr due to JPSCC
By Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY Mar 3 (PIA) The number of Communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebel force has dwindling and notably crime incidence decreases in Negros Oriental.
In a Kapihan sa PIA forum, both 302nd Infantry Brigade Commander of the Philippine Army(PA) Col. Manuel Ochotorena and Philippine National Police (PNP) Provincial Director, Sr. Supt Rey Lyndon Lawas claimed as they attributed this with the creation of “Joint Peace and Security Coordination Center,” an integration of security operations of PNP and PA.
According to Col. Ochotorena the arrest of a suspected high ranking leader of the Communist New People’s Army, Danilo Badayos, dismantling of one platoon camp in Sta. Catalina, the surrender of seven NPA members with other high personality, and join operations among law enforcers, the government has gained headway in the campaign of sustainable peace and development.
For his part, Col Lawas said the downtrend of crime index may be credited to the strong coordinative efforts between the policemen and army soldiers in their operations.
Col.Lawas said their coordination calls for an active support role in addressing the problem as PNP takes the forefront in solving criminality while the army backs up in maintaining peace and order.
Along with the army holds the primary role in addressing insurgency problem as PNP assists in cleaning up the insurgents, the police officer said.
However, Col. Lawas noted that the physical injury crimes contributed the big volume of crime incidence which an alcohol-related offense happened along with personal grudge as record showed in the blotter.
Thus, he challenged barangay officials to request sari-sari store owners not to sell more liquor to those who may be drank already.
Ordinance regulating alcohol sale in barangays pushed
by: Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, March 3 (PIA) -- A top ranking police official here is pushing for an ordinance that will regulate the sale of alcohol in the barangays in an effort to reduce alcohol-related crime incidents in the villages.
Provicial Police Director Col. Rey Lyndon Lawas cited the need for storeowners selling alcohol to be mindful of how their business impacts the peace and order in the barangays.
Lawas said that an ordinance either at the municipal or city level and at the barangay level is a surefire way of quickly addressing alcohol-related crime incidents in the communities.
Records from the Provincial Police Office show that alcohol-related physical injuries are the most common crime incident in the barangays.
Lawas, in a recent meeting of the League of Municipal Mayors here, urged the mayors and members of the legislative bodies in the local government units (LGUs) to enact an ordinance even at the barangay level directing stores in their areas to regulate their sale of alcohol.
“If they see an already-drunk customer trying to buy alochol from their store, they should no longer sell alcohol to that person because he or she can go looking for trouble,” he stressed.
The provincial police chief has likewise ordered the police chiefs in the LGUs to quickly address the situation should they spot a drunk person or groups of people drinking alcohol when they patrol their respective areas.
“A policeman should approach them and either make sure they go home or bring them to thepolice station to sleep it off,” he said during a forum held by the Philippine Information Agency here.
Lawas has already raised the issue with Arnie Teve, president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in the province, who pledged to discuss the possible enactment of said ordinance with the respective ABC presidents in the LGUs. (RMN/PIA-7 Negros Oriental)
DOLE intercepted over 300 sugar workers allegedly recruited for Tarlac in 2010
By Jennifer Catan-Tilos
DUMAGUETE CITY, Mar 3 (PIA) -- Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) authorities intercepted over 300 sugar migratory workers from Negros Oriental alleged to have been illegally recruited by a contractor bound for Tarlac late last year.
Of the total recruits seized at the Dumaguete seaport, half of them were sent back home due to lack of proper documents that included the more than 40 suspected minors.
This was reported by DOLE officer Sandra Duran in a Provincial Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking in Persons (PIACAT) meeting yesterday.
Duran said the recruits were coming from the municipalities of Bindoy, Tayasan, Mabinay, Ayungon, and Bais City in Negros Oriental.
While the rest of 168 recruits were able to get away as the boat right then started to move out while the DOLE authorities were still checking some group tickets and documents, Duran said.
However, the Visayan Forum (VF) intercepted the group at the Manila port and brought them to its halfway houses for temporary shelter and counseling.
According to VF representative here Mayen Pepino, she is requesting her counterpart in Manila to send the list of recruits with corresponding age and addresses so that mayors of the respective concerned municipalities and city be informed and act on it.
With this situation, PIACAT called on the members to strengthen the network and intensify efforts to disseminate awareness against illegal recruitment and human trafficking in the barangay level.
DOLE official warned that a group of women and children may be trafficked victims if buying of tickets is in bulk; the individual embarking and disembarking of the members of the group who always regroup once inside the vehicle; and the possession by the usually lone adult in the group, the recruiter, of all the travel and personal documents of everyone in the group.
It is noted during the PIACAT meeting the difficulties to document the trafficked victims because of the illegal and covert nature of the activity, aside from the fact that persons who are trafficked usually change their age and names.(PIA-NegOr/JCT)
New joint efforts between Army, police banish professional jealousy
by: Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, March 3 (PIA) -- The new joint undertaking to integrate peacekeeping efforts between the Philippine National Police (PNP)and the Philippine Army (PA) has minimized, if not totally banished, professional jealousy between the security forces.
Provincial Police Director Col. Rey Lawas, in a forum yesterday said the creation of the Joint Peace and Security Coordination Center (JPSCC) has paved the way to minimize, if not totally eliminate, professional jealousy among the ranks, if there are any.
“We, the police and the Army, now complement each other's worforce and equipment, such as coming up with joint trainings and activities because of JPSCC,” he said.
This was echoed by Col. Manuel Ochotorena, commanding officer of the 302nd Infantry Brigade: “Because of JPSCC, our relationship with the police is now very good.”
The Army has added in their intelligence operations the gathering of information related to criminality which they share with PNP. “The police, too, shares with us any insurgency-related information they gather,” he said.
Ochotorena, who was assigned in Mindanao for a long period of time, have likewise observed the positive effect of the joint operations in easing the tension between the Army and the police in the area.
Lawas said that in other provinces which he did not name, professional jealousy has caused tension between the Army and the PNP affecting their peacekeeping operations, although he stressed that this is not true in the province.
The two security forces recently inked an agreement to come up with a Joint Peace and Security Coordination Center (JPSCC), a system that integrates the security operations of the Army and the police in terms of coordination, convergence and orchestration of efforts.
JPSCC was created under Executive Order No. 546 in 2006 mandating fusion of efforts between the PNP and AFP in combat operations against insurgents, crimes and other serious threats. (RMN/PIA-7 Negros Oriental)
Ordinance regulating alcohol sale in barangays pushed
by: Rachelle M. Nessia
DUMAGUETE CITY, March 3 (PIA) -- A top ranking police official here is pushing for an ordinance that will regulate the sale of alcohol in the barangays in an effort to reduce alcohol-related crime incidents in the villages.
Provicial Police Director Col. Rey Lyndon Lawas cited the need for storeowners selling alcohol to be mindful of how their business impacts the peace and order in the barangays.
Lawas said that an ordinance either at the municipal or city level and at the barangay level is a surefire way of quickly addressing alcohol-related crime incidents in the communities.
Records from the Provincial Police Office show that alcohol-related physical injuries are the most common crime incident in the barangays.
Lawas, in a recent meeting of the League of Municipal Mayors here, urged the mayors and members of the legislative bodies in the local government units (LGUs) to enact an ordinance even at the barangay level directing stores in their areas to regulate their sale of alcohol.
“If they see an already-drunk customer trying to buy alochol from their store, they should no longer sell alcohol to that person because he or she can go looking for trouble,” he stressed.
The provincial police chief has likewise ordered the police chiefs in the LGUs to quickly address the situation should they spot a drunk person or groups of people drinking alcohol when they patrol their respective areas.
“A policeman should approach them and either make sure they go home or bring them to the police station to sleep it off,” he said during a forum held by the Philippine Information Agency here.
Lawas has already raised the issue with Arnie Teve, president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) in the province, who pledged to discuss the possible enactment of said ordinance with the respective ABC presidents in the LGUs. (RMN/PIA-7 Negros Oriental)