by magnolia_eic | Aug 14, 2010 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
SNIFFING dogs, yes. But drug sniffing askals, why not?
Noting that an askal (asong kalye) at Camp Dagohoy has become his daily companion in his early morning conditioning runs, Bohol’s top cop said, perhaps training a native dog to sniff out drugs and contraband goods may work out.
If, without asking the dog to get after me, he regularly follows during my morning runs, then it shows that by training, the native stray dog can easily cope up with the routines.
Himself feeling the concern on the proliferation of illegal drugs that could only pass through the ports from Cebu, PSSupt Rodolfo Llorca said Bohol may be in dire need of drug sniffing dogs to weed out these contraband items being shipped to Bohol.
But knowing the staggering costs of acquiring imported dogs, keeping their food allocations and paying for their training and trainors, Llorca said he would like to know if training askals would be just as effective.
Llorca told the media during the Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis last Wednesday at the Camp Dagohoy that as a metro drug buster, he recalled the indispensability of sniffing dogs to hunt for drugs that may be easy to stash.
Once, he said his men were not able to apprehend the suspect who inserted sachets of drugs in her underwear absent a search warrant.
But with the succeeding raid, and with a sniffing dog in tow, police were able to confiscate the drugs as the courier knew the dog would just be as relentless as stripping her underwear off.
Llorca stressed that the presence of sniffing dogs at the ports of entry would be a big crime deterrence and would easily cut the technicality of search warrants that could not be had just as fast.
Dogs have an unusually keen sense of smell that as soon as they distinguish the scent of the item to be searched, from bombs to drugs, they could be relentless until they can find the item sough after.
Over this, a more thorough study on the feasibility of using native dogs as sniffers over German shepherds, Labradors and St. Bernands may prove a better bargain for Bohol.
Rather than seeing the problem of stray dogs as causes of too many road accidents and the spread of rabies, using them as sniffing dogs may increase their use and would allow them to be truly worth the monicker as man’s best friend. (rac/PIABohol)
by magnolia_eic | Aug 14, 2010 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
DOUBLE or multiple registrants have surfaced at random and it is all because of the AFIS.
Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) the program being used by the government’s poll agency in registering voters automatically matches the print traces of a single individual and raises red flags when similar fingerprint match surfaces, explains Atty Ariel Selma of the city Commission on Elections office.
Because of the AFIS, more than 400 voters from Tagbilaran alone have popped red flags when their prints were cross-matched while re-registering elsewhere.
Atty. Selma however was quick to add that the red flags were noted when former Tagbilaran City voters resettled and registered anew in their new precincts of choice.
Most of these red flags were not deliberate as instead of just requesting for transfer of records, they re-registered so the computer program picks them out.
A case he cited was for a Tagbilaranon who was demanded Comelec records in support of his employment abroad.
Having been a registered voter in Tagbilaran and being in Manila at that time, the concerned instead filed for a new registration, not knowing that the computer can pick him out due to his available and valid registration in Tagbilaran, Selma narrated.
Also, some of the 400 cases in Tagbilaran were traced to women who failed to request for change of status after marriage and registered instead as new voters with a different family name.
Names and status, even faces easily change, but the fingerprints stick to truly identify the person, Selma said further elaborating on the peculiarity of the fingerprint as a true identifying mark of a person.
There are signs that people who may be involved in these red-flags are innocent, but in some cases, as this is criminal offense, it may not be too far-fetched when COMELEC would file appropriate suits, Selma added. (rac/PIABohol)
by magnolia_eic | Aug 13, 2010 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
THE Army has confirmed the shift of the communist warfare after losing precious grounds in Bohol.
According to LtCol Romeo Brawner, and goal of the Communist Party of the Philippines in Bohol is to regain its lost mass base by organizing District White Area Committees (DWAC).
During the recent PPOC meeting held in Carlos P Garcia town, LtCol Brawner said the organizers are semi-legal teams who are out mascarading as “community organizers” but with the intention of raising funds to support the ongoing conflict and regain their lost mass base.
The White Area Committee, Brawner said was a term coined by members of the communist movement who spilled out the information during tactical interrogations.
He added that the WAC is fully capable of reorganizing the lost mass base, so that the army now is into areas where the WAC operates.
We have to tell the people and communities about what these people are after so that we can stop them from destabilizing the peace and order of Bohol, Barwner said. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Aug 13, 2010 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
FOR two weeks old cough, health authorities insist that the best action is to go to the nearest rural health center or health facility.
During the motorcade, which acted as the launching activity for the Lung Month in August August 11, members of the Provincial Council Against Tuberculosis (PROCAT) displayed banners and streamers declaring such to guide people to the proper administration of potential TB disease.
TB, according to experts can now be treated, so all that is necessary is for the patient to be given the right treatment at the proper time.
PROCAT is an alliance of non-government, government and health volunteers out to mobilize communities against tuberculosis. The council has also advocated with World Vision for the adoption of simple practices to keep TB off prisons.
With the business sector, PROCAT is also into making sure that TB is nowhere in the workplace and Bohol businesses are just as enthusiastic in supporting the treatment program now anchored at the Department of Health facilities. (PIABohol)
by magnolia_eic | Aug 13, 2010 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
THREE months into the investigation of the failed ambush committed against Clarin Vice Mayoralty candidate last May 10, police operatives have filed appropriate charges against five accused criminals.
Implicated in the ambush against former Clarin Mayor Hermogenes Diezon and his driver were Felimon Allison, Gildo Infiesto all of Poblacion Clarin, Dario Aparicio of Behind the Clouds Batuan, Junior Reducto of Alegria Carmen and Christopher Ugong of Bayug, Clarin.
Police said as they earlier theorized that the crime was election related, they got it correct.
It may be recalled that Diezon was riding a government vehicle about 3:45 AM last May 10 on his way to Barangay Bungtod.
While the driver was navigating at Sito Labangon, Poblacion Sur, some three gunmen started shooting at the vehicle, which is a maroon Mazda with plate number SGH 134.
Diezon, his driver and another unnamed person escaped unhurt, but the vehicle sustained 7 gunshot holes, according to the police blotter.
The case against the five accused was filed at the provincial fiscals office last August 10, 2010, said PIDMB Chief PWayne Pillado Magbanua. (PIABohol)
by magnolia_eic | Aug 13, 2010 | Headlines, Local News / Bohol Balita
ONLY 19 towns in Bohol could have complied with the Governor’s directive to hold their respective municipal peace and order councils within the month of July, reports interior and local government provincial director Rustica Mascarinas.
At the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) Meeting held in the island town of President Carlos Garcia (Pitogo), Mascarinas added that of the 47 towns and one city, some nine towns did not even care to meet, while some 20 towns did say they met, but no reports were submitted to the DILG.
It may be recalled that Gov. Edgar Chatto told the PPOC during its previous meeting that town mayors would be directed to reconvene their respective MPOCs as soon as possible.
The governor also instructed the DILG to monitor compliance of his directive, but Mascarinas said Bohol has about 22 newly minted mayors, which may cause problems as they may be unfamiliar with the conduct of MPOCs. (PIABohol)
