Samar Provincial Peace and Order Council tackles peace and development concerns

By Ninfa Iluminda B. Quirante

Thursday 15th of March 2012

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, March 15 (PIA) -- The Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting discussed the priority project identified on the training workshop of Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) for peace and development projects a week ago.

The 29 programs were prioritized according to the perceived need of the different localities that the army recommended as conflict areas.

The Department of Interior Local Government (DILG) presented the list of road networks identified and funded by PAMANA.

The road concreting of some 29 kilometers from Lokilokon-Calapi to San Jose de Buan is funded by PAMANA of P15 million with a counterpart from the provincial government amounting P30 million, totaling P45 million.

This is a priority of PAMANA and as well as the concern of Governor Sharee Ann Tan.

PPOC drafted a resolution recommending the peace and development projects to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) due to hold the session today.

“We need to inform the SP about the relevance of these road projects to the people of Samar and how it will help the most number of Samarnon,” said DILG Director Marilyn Saboy.

In the same PPOC meeting, council member from Philippine National Police (PNP) Provincial Office and the 801st Brigade, Philippine Army also presented peace and order data and the accomplishments regarding the security of the province.

The PNP said that the PNP forces got absorbed in implementing special laws on illegal gambling, drugs, fishing, and logging from January 2012 to the present where they had a 64 percent crime solution efficiency.

PNP also said that they have an ongoing SWAT training in February 2012 funded by the provincial government.

Presently, the PNP has 9.10 percent personnel in the office and 91.90 percent in the field.

Meanwhile, the 801st IB presented that it operated 10 government initiated encounters and has taken over 16 enemy encampments. They also neutralized seven wounded enemies.

Their biggest accomplishment so far was on the first week of March, when they seized a factory of explosive device in the hills of Barangay Pagsanghan, Paranas, Samar.

And as part of the community, the 801st IB also conducted a tree planting with 4,000 seedlings in Barangay Bagacay and Consolabao, Hinabangan on Feb. 14. (EOPT/NIBQ-PIA 8-Samar with A Ebalde)