SWAT scans hospital for murder suspect

April 18, 2013 First published on The News Today Libre
 

Iloilo City – Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) personnel surveyed the Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital after the getaway vehicle of murder suspect and mayoralty candidate Engr. Leodegario Labao surfaced at the area.

Labao is the suspected mastermind of last year’s murder of Mambusao vice mayor Abel Martinez. He is currently running against Martinez’ daughter.

A warrant of arrest was released April 10, the same day Labao was admitted into St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH).

However, it was only on April 14 that the police obtained verified information that Labao is confined in SPH.

The police attempted arrest but Labao escaped through a back door where he boarded a red Hyundai Eon with plate number FHH 746 assisted by two men and a woman. The arrest was delayed after personnel of SPH required police to wait outside the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the said hospital.

Security cameras of the hospital captured the escape.

ESCAPE VEHICLE RESURFACES
The Hyundai Eon was traced back to a “Marilou Villasis.” The relationship between Labao and Villasis is held in confidence by the police.

Villasis is yet to surface. Cruz said, “If the owner claims the vehicle, her identity will be confirmed and she will be questioned.”

Police is unsure when the car arrived at the location but it was first seen first last Tuesday morning.

NOT IN ILOILO DOCTOR'S

The SWAT team arrived to search the hospital. “All of the rooms [of Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital], even the janitor rooms were scanned by the operatives. We looked around the establishment but didn’t find the subject.”, Cruz said.

“One thing is for sure, it is clear that [Labao] left St. Paul’s Hospital.”, Cruz said referring to the still unreleased footage showing a guard opening the back gate of the hospital.

All personnel of both the hospitals who might have information regarding Labao’s April 14 escape or the vehicle’s reappearance will be questioned.

The escape vehicle will be forwarded to the Scene of the Crime Operatives (S.O.C.O.) as physical evidence.

CONTINUING MANHUNT

The police regional chief said investigation and manhunt will continue until Labao is caught.

Currently, the police do not say if they have leads as to where the fugitive is.

Cruz assures that their evidence against other parties during the April 14 events are complete and that they are in the process of verification before proper complaints are filed.

STALLED BY HOSPITAL?

Labao’s confinement reached police four days after arrest warrant was released.

According to Atty. Jose Mari Benjamin Tirol of SPH, the hospital removed Labao from the hospital’s patient list after a lawful “deny admission request”.

Allegations of stalling the police were denied by SPH. Tirol tells police to “focus first on apprehending instead of blaming [SPH] on the failed arrest.”

Cruz says of SPH: “They are stonewalled for now, they might give information that can be used against them.”

SLOW POLICE

The slow response of the police in the arrest of Labao was defended by Cruz.

Police in civilian confirmed the presence of the suspect inside the hospital premises. However, they could not arrest the suspect. “Only uniformed police are allowed to arrest a person so they still had to contact policemen in uniform to arrest Labao.” Cruz said.

At present, the police is getting more and more tips through SMS about Labao’s whereabouts.

Cruz, however, did not answer if current information dictates Labao is still in the city.

Ordinance for solo parents approved

April 25, 2013 First published on The News Today Libre

Iloilo - Single parents of the province can now look forward to more benefits as the Sangguniang Panlalawigan(SP) moved towards implementing the Solo Parents Ordinance of 2013

The Provincial Ordinance No. 2013-099 or Solo Parents Ordinance of 2013 will provide  benefits to single parents, especially government employees, in the province of Iloilo.

The ordinance was approved Wednesday after its third reading and props R.A. No. 8972 or the “The Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000”.

It is authored by vice governor Oscar Garin, Jr. and co-authored by June S. Mondejar of the 2nd District and PCL President Suzette Tenefrancia-Alquisada with the research and implementation of the Provincial Social Welfare Development (PSWD).

BENEFITS

Accredited single parents will receive 20% discount from state-operated hospitals and 50% if they are below poverty line.

All single parents will be enrolled to PhilHealth as provincial beneficiaries which means they won't be needing to pay premiums for the insurance.

Quarterly trainings from LGUs such as TESDA and DOLE will also be made accessible to them.

For single parents working in the provincial capitol, component municipalities or city, 7 days additional paid leave per year and flexible schedules will be provided.

GREAT HELP

Jo, mother of 3, was a single parent for 8 years before remarrying.

She is happy about the ordinance saying, “It is hard being a single parent and this will be of great help.”

But she adds, “The work benefits that are exclusive to the government employees could have been extended to private employees. After all,  single parents share the same hardships."

SINGLE PARENT ID

Single parents can seek proper accreditation from the PSWD 6 office at the provincial capitol or in their local counterparts.


There is an application form for an ID and the holder will have to renew the ID each year of his or her status remains the same.

SURVEY ON-GOING

Latest data from the PSWD 6 reveals there are around 6,000 single parents in the 12 out of 42 municipalities actively participating in the survey.

Concepcion and New Lucena pioneered the tallying of single parents. Oton, Guimbal, Janiuay, Concepcion, Bingawan, San Enrique, Pavia, Zarraga, Igbaras, Mina and Passi followed suit.

PSWD 6 admits that there is no complete data on the occurrence of single parents in the province.

Regional census reports do not create a tabulation for families with single parents.

PSWD 6 continues to conduct their own survey with the help of LGUs.


FEDERATING

PSWD 6 plans to create federations of solo parents in locales after the May 13 elections.

The federations will allow easier surveying, distribution of IDs and implementation of the benefits of the provincial ordinance.

The 12 active municipalities are leading the push towards proper canvassing of single parents.

GIVING FOCUS

Benefits for solo parents have been first grasped with the passing of RA 8972 or “The Solo Parents’ Welfare Act of 2000”.

However, a PSWD 6 employee has said that it wasn’t given much attention and the ordinance attempts to address that.

1 dead in car crash, 14 hurt

April 27, 2013  First published on The News Today Libre

A birthday celebration turned into tragedy after a car collision in Brgy. Balabago Bito-on.

Fourteen people were hurt including four children when a PUJ hit the backside of a parked ten wheeler truck on a slight curve, propelling passengers out of the vehicle.

Melanie Gregorios, whose birthday was last Wednesday, was declared dead on arrival at Western Visayas State University Medical Center about 7 p.m. while 14 others, remain critical in the surgical ward and ICU of the said hospital.

DRUNK DRIVER

Investigators of Jaro Police Station now know that the driver of the jeepney, identified as Arman Villanueva, 51, was intoxicated when the incident happened.

Robert, 44, witnessed the event. He recalls, “The jeepney was moving very fast, probably because the driver was drunk. He tried to avoid the truck but it was too late. The jeepney was still running after the collision, the driver put it on neutral and walked away."

SIX CHILDREN HURT

Six minors were involved: Jake Juaquin Gregorios, 3; Mary Grace Reluban, 4; Stefany Reluban, 9; John Lester Gregorios, 10; Orlenio Jagorin, 15 and Rakim Mangondato, 16.

The other passengers injured are Gina Reluban, 27; Niño Reluban, 23; Jackelyn Reluban, 23; Lovely Jagurin, 23; Greg Gregorios, 40; Christina Salomon, 20 and driver Arman Villanueva, 51 years old.

Initial police investigation reveals the family came from an excursion in Indayan Beach in Oton, Iloilo to celebrate Melanie’s 36th birthday and were heading home when their vehicle collided with a truck parked along Brgy. Bitoon in Jaro.

Due to the impact of the collision, the truck moved forward and hit a parked pick-up truck.

STRONG IMPACT

Robert said the children sitting at the back were scattered on the road due to the strong impact on the jeepney.

The people of Brgy. Bito-on helped load the injured to available vehicles for transport to hospital, including a Multicab used for campaigning by a councilor candidate.

The front seat of the jeepney hit the back of the truck, ripping apart the roof, Robert said.

The witness also saw that Melanie, her husband and a child sat in the front seat with the driver.

The driver is now in the custody of the Jaro Police and may be charged of reckless imprudence resulting to multiple homicide and physical injuries. /LLutero

OPINION: Possessed by Ignorance

April 29, 2013 First published in The News Today Libre

Nine young people were reported of being possessed by evil spirits in Oton, Iloilo. As a modern society, the first thing the crowd did was call on quack doctors and drag the teenagers to church as if it was The Omen without even turning towards medicine for an explanation of the “possessions”.

I hope this modern society also recognizes sarcasm.

Before you brand me as a heretic, or an atheist (which this modern society also views as the work of the devil) may we please take our seats and act like civilized men. I was baptized Roman Catholic and I try to be a progressive Christian, although the term is highly debatable, so we have at least something in common.

In Ancient Greece, there was a Delphic Oracle that mumbled prophecies and unintelligible words. If Ancient Greece was in Oton, the Delphic Oracle could have been dragged to church. However, it is not and I thank God for that.

Years later, it was discovered that the Oracle’s cave exhumed gas that triggered a kind of seizure causing the mumbling.

Yes, the Delphic Oracle was just high. And the children from Oton, because they come from the same dance group, could have eaten something or was exposed to a substance that caused the “possessions”.

Possessions don’t just happen everyday and it takes a priest a generous amount of time before an exorcism will be declared necessary. I have heard that it is only the Vatican which can decide on cases of possession. The quack doctors definitely do not have an organized denomination to decide how to do an exorcism or what animals to offer for a spirit to leave.

So if you tell me that what the crowd did was what a good Roman Catholic would do, you are wrong. And you are accused of trampling all over the First Commandment. Congratulations.

The recent reports say that actual members of the clergy were not present during the “cleansing” processes.

The worst part is, we are submitting the lives of nine teenagers into whatever violent pre-Catholic beliefs we have. I am familiar with people falling into faint spells or even violently convulse. There is a specific way of handling them, making sure they don’t break their bones or choke on their own saliva.

What was described to me by shaking radio reporters were teenagers constrained by ten or so people. If a person is moving with strong force, pinning them down can lead to serious injuries.

Seizures are when electrical signals in the brain don’t just add up and then turn into a mumbo-jumbo of triggers. This is the reason why seizures could mean flailing around of arms, whining sounds, and the rolling of eyes.

With regards to the speculation of supernatural strength, it is scientifically proven that  a hormone by the name adrenaline allows the human body to exceed its natural capacity in times of need (or because of a disruption of signals in the brain as in a seizure).

When they start pacing around as if they exist in some other dimension, it can only be a sign of seizure. I am not a medical doctor but I have read from reputable sources that these “sleepwalk-esque” events may happen after an attack.

What appears to me is that the whole Oton crowd had a total misreading of The Exorcism of Emily Rose and showered the poor children with religious fanaticism. It is ok to be faithful but we must protect other people from our own assumed truths.

This is an open letter to the people of Oton and the Iloilo province in general who often report on the matter without any inclination to seek scientific explanation. Priests have reminded me always that science and religion are never the enemies and to seek medical opinion does not mean you are turning away from the power of God.

Also, priests are there to guide us. Quack doctors work on our faith but their reliability on treating or managing convulsion of demonic or otherwise origins do not have effective foundations.

This is why it is important to understand what religion truly is and not be pacified by what we hear or what we come from. Those nine teenagers do not need to be subjects of sensationalism and the human need for some horror. Let us not turn the Oton events into another bad movie.

And if we want some progress, we must start with what goes on inside our heads./LLutero

Staying Ilonggo Under Pressure

Cadet from Iloilo shares life in the barracks  

April 19, 2013 (Published in The News Today Libre)

Iloilo City- Crisp white and black mandarin collars form two perfect lines under the 9 am sun. Berets and rifles rested perfectly on strong statures that activate at the command to march. Legs fold and unfold in a constant angle amidst civilians unaccustomed to the display of military discipline.

It is hard to believe that the group is only in their second year at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA). Their conduct breaks the often undomesticated image of a college student (beer barrels and perpetual hangovers). "Gabay Laya", the alias of Batch 2015, show their eagerness to impress with unflinching poker faces.

A stern looking young man in an immaculate crew cut stands among the crowd before they were called to the ranks. The first word he said broke his tough exterior. One couldn’t miss the tune of Hiligaynon.

“Of course it is hard. Sometimes, after a hard day’s work, you just remove to your bunk and cry. Especially, because you’re Ilonggo, you miss the sweetness of the people.” 

Cadet Emmanuel Moñtano Tactay is an Ilonggo and a native of Brgy. Zamora. He is part of the Black platoon that showcased cadet drill skills at CPU’s oval field last Thursday. He entered the PMA after his third year of college under the Electronic and Communications Engineering program of the Central Philippine University­ – a little late considering the exclusive academy accepts fresh graduates from high school.

Cadet Emmanuel Montano Tactay

The Philippine Military Academy’s entrance procedure is composed of a written test and then passers move on medical examination. Cadet Emmanuel tells me, “It is really my dream to be an official of the AFP”. He shares that the military school presented a great opportunity for him who comes from a struggling family.

Emmanuel underwent two takes of the entrance exams. The first time, he passed the written exams, but he recalls “the fare and the other fees were a little too much for us that time.” The second time around, PMA promised to reimburse the fees and provide lodging until the end of the week-long medical examinations.

Cadet Emmanuel Montaño Tactay is now a 3rd Class Cadet or in civilian terms, a sophomore of the academy. “[I remember] all the previous efforts, the resources spent on fares, and processing of documents. Now I'm a 3rd class cadet, I try to take care of where I am now.”, the cadet tells me humbly.

“Earlier, my parents were opposed to the idea of me entering PMA. Of course, I understand where they are coming from.”, Emmanuel shares trying not to laugh. He then enumerates without any trail of regret the hardships he will face in the military. “I will never stay in a place, my assignments will vary and I will relocate often. And everyone knows about the dangers of being a soldier.”

“But I told my family that being able to serve the country is a great honor. And of course the prestige. No one in my family has a military background and the prestige of having a soldier, I would like them to have that. To help the country is the highest honor one could attain.” 

Now, Cadet Emmanuel’s parents serve as his greatest inspiration. “If I have time, I write letters to my parents and sometimes, I get to read their letters. They underwent a complete 360 because now they tell me to do well in my training. They serve as my greatest inspiration.”

He volunteers that being Ilonggo is very important for him, it helped him survive the transition period wherein a lot of cadets fell out of the training. “Being an Ilonggo helped me remain positive. What is special about us is that we can smile, we can laugh about things even though they cause unbelievable stress.”

Cadet Emmanuel invites Ilonggos to join the PMA, assuring that “PMA does not only teach you military conduct. It also has top-notch academics. You are not only molded in the mind, but your character and spiritual growth is also prioritized. Aside from that, you enter the PMA as a full government scholar. It is a great opportunity for people like me,who comes from the lower stratum of society.”

The young man before me remained in perfect poise all through out: confident but humble, brave but calm, critical, and most importantly, truthful. His demeanor showed the holistic education the PMA instills.

If I was a stringent advocate of social order, I would have enrolled myself in PMA immediately. However, I prefer more chaos myself.

He described the training for those who would like to go into the PMA by quoting The Origin of Species: “It is really the survival of the fittest. It feels like the Spartan training at times. (smiles) But I always remember, it is the greatest pride for an Ilonggo like me to serve my home country.” /LLutero