The Ilocos Times

By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Laoag City —As the closed-circuit television (CCTV) system has proven effective on both deterring and solving crimes, the Sangguniang Panlungsod here amended City Ordinance No. 2020-054. The amendment expands the coverage of its application, requiring a minimum specification, number and location of CCTV installation, and regulating the examination, duplication and recording of CCTV footage along with penalties of violations. Laoag councilor Jason Bader Perera, who authored the ordinance said the ordinance shall now include business establishments with a capital lower than PHP500,000, and on their own discretion may install a CCTV security system in accordance to their needs. Bader added that this include all restaurants and carinderias, irrespective of the amount of their capitalization, that are serving alcoholic beverages to the public. The amended ordinance also includes all privately owned educational institutions and dashboard ca...

U.S. Air Force personnel unload weapons and equipment off a KC-10 Extender at Clark Air Base. Manila —Joint United States Military Assistance Group-Philippines (JUSMAG-P) officials delivered PHP183 million (US$3.8 million) worth of weapons and equipment to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) at Clark Air Base on June 21, 2021. The delivery, funded by both Philippine national funds and US grant assistance, included nine M3P .50 caliber heavy machine guns, 10 mortar tubes and other equipment.   The delivery is intended to enhance the AFP’s counterterrorism and maritime security capabilities. U.S. Army Lt. Col. Brian Bosse, ground programs chief with the Joint U.S. Military Assistance Group – Philippines, shows Philippine Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Anthony Madumma, contract management for international logistics officer with OJ4, GHQ, AFP, a newly delivered tactical helmet at Clark Air Base. “The United States will continue to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ capaci...

By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY–Army Brig. Gen. Audrey L. Pasia, the commander of the army’s 702 nd Infantry Brigade in the Ilocos Region urged all sectors of the community including government workers to be more discerning with the so-called “long-time virus” which is deadlier which is deadlier than the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In time for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) 52 nd anniversary on March 29, 2021, Pasia said the insurgency issue has continuously infected various sectors and the government sector is no excuse. "All sectors—including government employees, media, church, professionals, and laborers among others have already been targets. So please, let us all be discerning. We may not know it, but they may already be in government that is bent on destroying us,” he said in a virtual presser on March 29, 2021. Out of the 12 identified municipalities in Ilocos Sur that were earlier reported to b...

Members of the U.S. Civilian Military Support Element – Philippines conduct Tactical Combat Casualty Care Training for 21 Philippine Coast Guard District-Palawan personnel and crew of PCG vessels across Palawan from Jan. 28 to 31. 2021. Manila —From Jan. 28 to 31, 2021, members of the U.S. Civilian Military Support Element-Philippines (CMSE PHL) conducted tactical combat casualty care (TCCC) Training for Philippine Coast Guard District Palawan (CGDPAL) personnel and the crews of PCG vessels across Palawan as part of the Coast Guard’s Surface Support Force (CGSSF) Boarding Officer Course. Through training scenarios designed to simulate emergencies during maritime law enforcement, maritime security, and maritime search and rescue operations, 21 students were trained on skills to address and manage an injury on the spot.   Progressing through the three phases of TCCC and integrated into CGSSF’s Boarding Officer’s Course, this training strengthened the medical capabilities of the p...

By Leilanie G. Adriano  (Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY-- Philippine Army has called on the support of local government units (LGUs) here to help them in eradicating a “long-time virus that is deadlier than the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)”.   BGen. Audrey L. Pasia, Brigade Commander of the 702 nd Infantry Brigade 7th Infantry Division has asked the local chief executives present during the joint Peace and Order Council and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council meeting on December 21, 2020 to get rid of the so called ‘white areas’ in Ilocos Norte where communist terrorists are likely to infect various sectors such as farmers and students among others. In his presentation during the meeting, Mr. Pasia identified several personalities in the province who are allegedly supporters of the CPP-NPA. “We are not red-tagging anybody here but there are some local threats in Ilocos Norte and some of them have surrendered already with the help of our LGUs,” said Mr. Pasia citing ...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —Mayor Michael M. Keon threw his full support to the government’s anti-terrorism initiatives to end local communists and armed conflict, which is spelled out through President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70. Mr. Keon stated his full support to the initiative in a Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) press conference regarding the “Capacitating Urban Communities for Peace and Development “ DILG provincial director Randy Dela Rosa, Laoag chief of police P/Lt. Col. Rafael Lero and Philippine Army 2 nd Lt. Nolhajie Jawadin attended the said press conference. In his speech, Mr. Keon said he believes the government “really needs to take care of its people and provide necessary programs and services especially to the common tao because they are the most vulnerable sector of society to be lured in joining the misguided ideologies of these terrorist groups”. Relative to this, the Laoag governme...

  By Dominic B. dela Cruz  (Staff Reporter) Laoag City —To ensure the safety, security and well-being of every citizen, Laoag councilor Jason Bader Perera authored a measure amending city ordinance No. 019 series of 2009 on the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) system for business establishments in this city. Mr. Perera presented his proposed ordinance for second reading expanding the coverage in the application, requirements for a minimum specifications, number and location to be installed and regulating the examination, duplication and recording of CCTV footages. He added that the purpose of the ordinance will not only to deter crimes but to aid in the investigation of any “contestable act”, however several establishments refuse to let their CCTV be examined to give a duplicate copy which defeats the very purpose of the CCTV ordinance. With the help of CCTV systems, numerous criminal activities and accidental occurrences were captured and this could ...

  By Leilanie G. Adriano ( Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—As the province of Ilocos Norte relaxes its borders to tourists and returning residents, the provincial government of Ilocos Norte is urging all its residents and visitors to adopt the use of the “SafePass” app to manage COVID-19 cases. Instead of scanning piles of logbook and reviewing CCTV footages for contract-tracing purposes, “SafePass” is a digital incident mitigation and management system developed to address COVID-19 safety protocols, and now has free versions that can be used by anyone from anywhere. In a three-page Executive Order, which Ilocos Norte Governor Matthew Joseph M. Manotoc issued on Oct. 21, 2020, the governor said there is a need to adopt SafePass to minimize the adverse effects of COVID-19. According to Wilfredo Lorenzo Jr, the provincial government’s information technology department officer-in-charge, he said that starting October 21, 2020 all Capitol employees will use the “SafePass” app when...

Pagudpud , Ilocos Norte—Officials of the Chinese Consulate in Ilocos Norte, headed by consul Zhou Youbin, visited the northern provincial border in this town and gave border personnel meals and face masks on October 1, 2020. In time for the Mooncake Festival, the time of the year the moon is at its fullest that symbolizes reunion, the consulate also offered mooncakes. Likewise, October 1 marked the 71 st anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. "We are proud to support brave Ilokano frontline workers. I would like to extend our deepest respect to all police, soldiers, medical workers, firemen, and local officials. Thank you for your selfless service to protect the whole community,” Mr. Zhou said. "We value the longstanding friendship between Filipinos and Chinese. Together, we will finally win the battle against the virus. Wish everyone a Happy Mooncake Festival," he added. Since the onset of the pandemic, Ilocos Norte's Chinese consula...

By Leilanie G. Adriano ( Staff Reporter) LAOAG CITY—The province government of Ilocos Norte is set to install high definition closed-circuit television cameras at the Badoc gateway to monitor the entry and exit of individuals passing through the boundary of Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur. Reynaldo “Ryan” R. Remigio, external affairs consultant of the provincial government, confirmed this in a press conference as the province continue to implement quarantine protocols and ensure all those who are entering the borders adhere to the minimum public health and safety standards. “We plan to set up a CCTV camera along our borders so we can closely check and verify those who are entering our province,” said Mr. Remigio citing the installation process is already on-going. He added that there are around 60-80 locally stranded individuals that pass through the major provincial border in Badoc, Ilocos Norte aside from a growing number of returning overseas workers that undergo screening befor...

LAOAG  Mayor Michael Marcos-Keon welcomes Col. Audrey L Pasia, INF PA, commander of the 702nd Brigade (Region 1 and Abra), Lt. Col Jearie Boy P. Faminial, battalion commander of the 24 th  Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and Cpt. Rogelio Dumbrigue, company commander of the 7 th  CMO (Civil Military Operations) Company during their visit to the city. The Philippine Army is a partner of the Laoag City government in the development of security programs, and in the implementation of the Community Support Program of the Philippine Army, particularly in maintaining a safe and peaceful Laoag City. (Doms dela Cruz)

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—A former overseas worker immediately reported to the police on January 1, 2020 that a stray bullet hit his home, while he and his family were all busy welcoming the new year. In a spot report of the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office, P/Major Relly Layug, provincial public information officer of the Ilocos Norte police confirmed the damage to property caused by a stray bullet at the residence of Alvin Guerrero, 44 at Barangay 2, P. Gomez Street, this city. “While I entered the living room at 11:30 pm Tuesday [December 31, 2019], I noticed a hole at the eastern part of our sliding glass door and another hole at the west wall. So, I immediately informed the police,” said Mr. Guerrero in an interview adding, it was fortunate no one was at the living area that time. After the Laoag police responded in Guerrero’s home, P/Lt. Col. Amador Quiocho, Laoag City police chief reported the stray shot allegedly came from the eas...

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has announced a gun ban in Metro Manila, Central Luzon (Region 3), Calabarzon (Region 4A) and La Union from November 20, 2019 to December 14, 2019 to ensure peace and security during the conduct of the 30th Southeast Asian Games in the country. It also announced the guidelines for granting special permits to transport firearms, explosives and explosive ingredients during the gun ban period. According to a memorandum dated November 18, 2019 issued by the director of PNP's Civil Security Group (CSG): "In view of the scheduled 30 th SEA Games 2019, all Permits to Carry Firearms Outside of Residence (PTCFOR) in Region 3, Region 4A, National Capital Region and the whole province of La Union are hereby suspended effective November 20, 2019 to December 14, 2019." Only members of the PNP, Armed Forces, and other law enforcement agencies who are performing official duties and are in agency-prescribed uniforms, and participants t...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The Department of Trade and Industry here has cautioned once again buyers of Christmas lights to properly observe products safety. “We strongly advice the public to look for the Philippine Standard [PS] mark when purchasing Christmas lights to be assured of the product safety when used according to instructions,” said DTI acting provincial director Rosario Quodala. In time for the celebration of the National Standards Week, the DTI monitoring and enforcement team is currently monitoring retailers of Christmas lights in this city and neighboring San Nicolas town to ensure they are compliant with the law. “The retailers were also taught how to verify authenticity of ICC stickers using the latest application which can be downloaded from the Playstore of android phones,” she explained. As of this posting, the DTI were able to confiscate more than a hundred Christmas lights which are substandard. When buying Christ...

Newly installed Batac chief of police P/Lt. Col Michael Rae Arcustano (left) pays a courtesy call at the Sangguniang Panlungsod during their regular session while discussing some of his plans and programs for the city. Batac councilor Bismark Quidang (right) asks some questions while other Batac councilors and Batac Vice Mayor Windell Chua listen to the discussion. Mr. Arcustano started his term in July 1 2019. He was previously assigned at the Highway Patrol Group Assistant Regional Chief in Region IV prior to his new assignment here. (Doms dela Cruz )

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte—The police here filed on murder charges against a janitor of Save More Market in this town, who is the prime suspect in the killing of 26-year-old Juvilyn Bardiaga from Santiago, Isabela, assistant store manager of the said establishment on July 15, 2019. Police Major Paul Benedict Parado, San Nicolas police chief confirmed this on following the filing of charges against the suspect identified as John Mariel Dador aka “Tisoy” at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. Based on the testimony of 16 witnesses including a CCTV footage taken at the victim’s apartment at Barangay 2, this town, the suspect was allegedly seen forcing his way through the apartment’s restroom window. The victim was found dead with a rice cooker cord in her neck in the morning of July 16, 2019. Fellow workers of the victim also narrated that after the victim scolded Mr. Dador, he uttered threatening words against her. As of pres...

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Several employees of the Provincial Capitol building were alerted on the morning of August 5, 2019, following a bomb scare at the east wing of the Capitol compound. At about 8:20 a.m., a maintenance staff noticed an unattended bag left near the Capitol 3-G generation park, which prompted guards on duty to call the police. Capitol employees and other visitors however kept going about their work while a bomb squad with a sniffing dog cleared the area. “We are thankful it’s negative,” said Michael Pe Benito, of the Provincial Resiliency Office under the provincial government of Ilocos Norte who saw the incident. The police traced the bayong to be owned by travelers bound to Pangasinan as they left their belongings in the area while waiting for a ride. It’s the latest false alarm in Laoag as residents were told to remain calm and refrain from sharing unverified information in social media platforms that may cause...

  On July 16, 2016, officials and residents welcomed the installation of new Laoag police chief, Police lt. Col. Amador Briones Quiocho, a resident of Barangay 1, this city. With him in photo (seated) is Police Lt. Col. Mar Louise Bundoc, outgoing Officer-in-Charge of the Laoag police station. (Lei Adriano) By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—Police Lt. Col Amador Briones Quiocho, a long-time company commander of the then Ilocos Norte Provincial Public Safety now called the 1st Provincial Mobile Force Company (PMFC) has assumed as the new acting chief of police of the Laoag police station effective July 16, 2019. Born and raised in Caoayan, Ilocos Sur, the 52-year-old Mr. Quiocho, now a resident of Barangay 1, in this city first served as the chief of police of the Badoc Municipal Station in 2010 before he rose from the ranks as duty officer of the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office then as officer-in-charge of the Dingras police station in ...

Laoag City —Updating peace and order status in the province, the Ilocos Norte Provincial Police Office (INPPO) reported that Ilocos Norte was “generally peaceful” during the second quarter joint meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) held at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Session Hall on June 21, 2019. Provincial Police Director, P/Sr. Supt. Cesar Pasiwen, further rated the conduct of the previous midterm polls as “generally peaceful.” According to Mr. Pasiwen, on May 13, 3019, 900 police officials were stationed in voting centers to ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of the elections.   However, minor election violation cases were recorded, particularly, the violation of liquor ban in Laoag City, and in the municipalities of Nueva Era, Piddig, and San Nicolas. Under the special events security management, INPPO proudly shared that the “zero crime against tourists” status is consisten...

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Laoag City —Smooth flow of traffic marked the opening of schoolyear 2019-20 in this city, Laoag police chief Lt. Col. Mar Louise Bundoc made the announcement, saying that this happened with the help of an augmentation force from the police provincial office, force multipliers and the city traffic division, as well. He added that all 10 Police Assistance Centers (PACs) in the city had their own augmentation force helping them man their respective areas 24 hours. Newly detailed Maj. Adriano Licudan also announced that he closely monitored all the members of the traffic division. His monitoring included the strict implementation of the city’s traffic rules and regulations, specifically mentioning Rizal Street which they strictly restricted parking on both sides of the street. They also prohibited traffic aides from smoking while on duty. Anti-illegal drugs operation Before the last schoolyear ended, the city police ...