Philippines on Tsunami Alert Level 2
February 28, 2010“PHIVOLCS Tsunami Alert Level is now 2. The concerned public is advised to be on alert for unusual waves,” Phivolcs said on its website.
“Posibleng may darating na tsunami sa mga dalampasigan ng ating bansa pero hindi masayadong mataas kung magkaroon ng unusual na pagtaas ng alon,” Solidum said in an interview with radio dzMM.
He said the tsunami’s expected arrival is from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Sunday although the incidence of an unusual wave could last even longer.
He continued, “Posible po na one meter or less ang darating kaya ang tao mismong nandoon mismo sa dalampasigan ang bahay, malapit na maplapit ay dapat umalis muna at pumunta in land, sa mas lupa.”
He said that people living along the shorelines of the following provinces should seek higher ground: Batanes Group of Islands, Cagayan, northernmost provinces of Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Quezon, Aurora, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental and Davao del Sur.
Solidum also warned people against going to the beach and advised boat owners to secure their boats.
The Phivolcs director also clarified that a Tsunami Alert Level 2 calls for a limited evacuation as opposed to a massive evacuation called for by a Level 3 alert.
Phivolcs’ announcement of the Tsunami Alert Level 2 was made despite the tsunami warning cancellation done by the Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.
According to Agence France-Presse, the tsunami warning put in place around the Pacific Ocean has been canceled everywhere except for Japan and Russia,
The tsunami, which was triggered by the 8.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday, has already passed by other areas such as Australia, New Zealand and Hawaii. (abs-cbnnews) (more…)
PGMA visits agribusiness project in Lingig
February 20, 2010President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo visits the provinces of Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur on Tuesday (16 January) as part of her Mindanao Agribusiness Legacy Tour.
President Arroyo landed at Sitio Kasunogan Poblacion, this municipality from Mainit, Surigao del Norte where she presented the Mindanao Agribusiness projects to students of Surigao del Norte College of Agriculture and Technology (SNCAT) in Brgy. Magpayang, and in Socorro, Bucas Grande Island, Surigao del Nore where she inaugurated the P42.211-million Socorro Feeder Port.
Upon arrival, Pres. Arroyo with her party composed of Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Sec. Jesus Dureza, Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Sec. Leandro Mendoza, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Sec. Victor Domingo, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Sec. Horacio Ramos, Press Sec. Crispulo Icban, Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Commissioner Hadja Luningning Omar, and Agusan del Norte 1st District Representative Jose “Joboy” Aquino II were welcomed by Surigao del Sur Gov. Vicente Pimentel, 2nd District Rep. Florencio Garay and Mayor Luna.
The President, accompanied by the media group on board the “King Long Bachelor” bus motored to Barangay Union for the briefing of the Surigao-Davao Coastal Road Project by Department of Public Works and Highways Caraga Regional Director Dr. Evelyn T. Barroso and (DPWH) Sec. Victor Domingo. The construction of Bislig-Lingig Road Section with two bridges was already completed last Jan. 25. It was also learned that DPWH is still on the process of doing ground works on the Lingig-Boston boundary section.
After the briefing, the President proceeded to Lingig municipal hall and was welcomed by a crowd estimated at 5,000 composed of students from various schools, teachers, local officials and member-beneficiaries of the national government’s “Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” or 4 Ps.
It was noted, that the completion of the road project, which is bordering the provinces of Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental, will complete the close to P2-billion Surigao-Davao Coastal Road under President Arroyo’s SONA (State-of-the-Nation Address) projects.
“These big infrastructure projects are a big boost to the economic activity of Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Davao Oriental and other neighboring areas in Northeastern and Southern Mindanao regions,” Director Barroso said. (PIA-Caraga) (more…)
PNP to resume search for abducted Surigao banker
February 14, 2010SURIGAO CITY- What his predecessors had failed to do, new Surigao del Norte Provincial Police Director Senior Supt. Gilbert Dela Cruz Cruz has promised to achieve: finally locating kidnapped Fil-Chinese trader Johnson Custodio Cuiting, dead or alive.
“With more than a year since he disappeared, there is the possibility that Mr. Cuiting is already dead but we will try our best to locate him alive if possible and with God’s help”, said Police Colonel Cruz, who is the former Special Operations head of the now-defunct Presidential Anti-Crime Commission (PACC).
Cruz, together with then-PACC Chief and now Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senior Supt. Michael Ray Aquino, were among the first PNP officials to head the commission.
Massive search ordered
Cruz belied reports that Cuiting is alive and well in Hong Kong after his family supposedly paid ransom money in exchange for his freedom.
Cruz has already ordered his police intelligence office to conduct a massive search for Cuiting, particularly in the hinterland areas of Surigao del Norte and mountainous areas of San Francisco town (formerly Anao-awon).
P10 million ransom
On January 7, 2009, at around 9:45pm, Cuiting was abducted from his home Ceniza Heights Subdivision in this city by four fully-armed suspects who witnesses described as wearing black jackets, ski masks, and gloves. The suspects supposedly talked in Tagalog with what seemed to be a Visayan accent.
Cuiting was forced at gunpoint to board his own white Toyota Hi-Lux van, which was then used as an escape vehicle. The van was abandoned and recovered at a nearby barangay a day after the businessman was kidnapped.
The kidnappers contacted Cuiting’s sister in the United States, Lydia Cuiting-Carvajal, and demanded ten million pesos in exchange for the businessman’s safe release.
Communication suddenly stopped
Lydia and her sister, Nenita, arrived in the Philippines a week after the kidnapping but did not receive any further word from either their brother nor his abductors.
“We were ready to give the money but when (we) came to the Philippines, the kidnapers had stopped calling us. The kidnappers didn’t inform us where we will meet and make the deal. We didn’t reach that point because the communication stopped,” Lydia disclosed.
At the time of his abduction, Cuiting was the President of the Rural Bank of Placer, Inc. On September 15, 2009, -more than eight months after the crime- Cuiting’s sisters held a press conference to express disappointment over the “stalled” investigation, and denounced the mismanaged turn-over of their brother’s case to the Surigao City Police Office. - TJD, GMANews.TV (more…)
Police pursue armed men in Surigao del Sur arson
February 7, 2010Police are in hot pursuit of about 40 armed men who attacked the outpost of a farmers’ cooperative in Surigao del Sur province in southern Philippines last week, police said on Sunday.
Caraga police director Chief Superintendent Lino Calingasan ordered the arrest of the men, who also burned the entrance of the Bisig, Barobo, Hinatuan, Lingin, and Tagbina (Bibahilita) Farmers’ Association last Wednesday.
The outpost of the tree farmers’ cooperative was in the villageof Bigaan in Hinatuan town, Surigao del Sur.
The armed men, clad in fatigue uniforms, also took the firearms of the outpost’s security guards.
No one was reported hurt or killed in the incident.
The motives of the perpetrators were still unknown, although initial investigation showed that some members of the Bibahilita farmers had collected toll fees from motorists passing the outpost.
The incident occurred on the visit of the Zeñarosa Commission — the body tasked to dismantle private armies nationwide — to Surigao del Norte to look into the spate of political killings in the province.
The commission, chaired by Court of Appeals Associate Justice Monina Arevalo Zeñarosa, was formed last January as the government’s response to calls to disband private armed groups in the country.
The calls were triggered by the massacre of 57 people in Ampatuan town, Maguindanao province last November 23 allegedly by members of the private army of the powerful Ampatuan clan.
The Philippine National Police earlier said at least 68 private armed groups exist in the country, and could reach 170. The Armed Forces, however, declined to name the groups until it validates their existence. — Ben Serrano/SMD/NPA, GMANews.TV (more…)
Surigao mayor wants town placed under Comelec control
February 4, 2010TAGANA-AN, Surigao del Norte – Alarmed by the killing of local officials in his town, Tagana-An Mayor Cezar Diaz has asked that his Surigao del Norte municipality be placed under the control of the Commission on Elections.
In an interview with GMANews.TV, Diaz said he had requested the Comelec, the Philippine National Police, and the military’s Joint Security Coordinating Council (JSCC) to place Tagana-an under Comelec control.
But before Diaz’s request, Vice Mayor Sally Bulac (from Nacionalista Party) had already proposed the same measure after the killing of a party-mate last December.
“I was not furnished a copy of the proposed municipal resolution, but I have written JSCC requesting them to place Tagana-an under Comelec control area,” said Diaz, who belongs to the administration party Lakas-Kampi (Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino)-CMD.
Diaz said the recent three killings in his town might have been politically-motivated.
Last July 1, 2009, Rene Espinosa, Tagana-an municipal project coordinator of Rep. Guillermo Romarate Jr., was shot dead in Barangay (village) Lower Libas.
On Dec. 29, 2009, the Nacionalista Party’s vice mayoralty bet Wilbert Suanco Origenes was also gunned down by two armed men.
Retired Army Sgt. Oscar Animo was the third to fall victim to purported political-related killings. Animo, a leader of the Padajon-Surigao party that supports Lakas-Kampi-CMD, was killed last Monday.
Tagana-an police head Senior Superintendent Ruben Daraman said they have already arrested three suspect in Animo’s killing.
Daraman identified the suspects as Elezaldi Remelitiza, Ruben Beltran, and Ricky Maraat. Recovered from them were a .45-caliber hand gun a .357-caliber pistol. - with Sophia Dedace/LBG, GMANews.TV
(more…)
