WAR ON DRUGS
BUTUAN CITY: The regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) on Saturday rallied behind all government workers to participate the “Bata: Iligtas sa Droga” activity being implemented in the five provinces and six cities in northeastern Mindanao (Caraga region). The DSWD Caraga Region 13 also urged other concerned line agencies of the government and all local government units (LGUs) and government workers to join the activity, in support to the 2017 Children’s month celebration. “On November 27, 2017 is the culmination activity of our children’s month-long celebration to be held at Watergate Hotel in this city and hope everybody must get involved,” DSWD 13 Regional Director Mita Chuchi G. Lim said in a statement. In line with this year’s Children’s Month celebration, Director Lim has called on all government workers to support and cooperate in the activities set for the yearly celebration. (Mike U. Crismundo)
GENERAL SANTOS CITY: Police arrested Saturday a drug surrenderee and his companion who were responsible for raping and killing an eight year-old girl in Barangay Fatima, this city. Senior Insp. Fernando Manuel, Police Station 7 chief, identified the suspects Mark Engkong and Reymond Arquilino, 27 who were accused of raping and killing alias ‘Meme,’ a grade 2 pupil who was found dead in a secluded area in Barangay Fatima. Police said the victim was reported missing on the night of November 10 in which during a follow-up operation several witnesses pinpointed to Engkong as the last person who was seen in the company of the victim. Following his arrest, Engkong admitted that he and Arquilino and another unidentified companion took turns on raping the victim who they killed by hitting her with stones. Investigation showed that Engkong, a former drug surrenderee, picked up the victim while selling ‘balut’ near the place of the suspect and brought her to an abandoned house in Purok Labista, Barangay Tambler. Police launched manhunt operations against the remaining suspect while rape and homicide charges were filed against Engkong and Arquilino who are presently detained at the lock up cell of Police Station 7 in Barangay Fatima here. (Joseph Jubelag)
ILOILO CITY: There is a need to reactivate councils to protect the rights of children among barangays (villages) in Western Visayas. The Regional Sub-Committee for the Welfare of Children (RSCWC-6), a body under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-6), found most barangays in Western Visayas have non-functional Local Councils for Protection of Children (LCPCs). RSCWC-6 Secretariat Raji Alvarado said only 86 barangays in Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Guimaras, Iloilo, and Negros Occidentals have functional LCPCs. RSCWC-6 is pushing for reactivation in support of the staunch campaign of the Duterte administration against illegal drugs.