Oct. 8 - 14, 2012 Issue

The Use of Force

SAF in Capiz to augment gov’t forces

By Jemin Guillermo 

ROXAS CITY—The Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police (PNP SAF) deployed in Capiz
will augment the government forces in ensuring public safety and peace and order situation.

Police Regional Director Agrimero Cruz Jr., who visited Capiz Oct. 11, said the deployment was sought to make the community safe, orderly and secured especially against insurgency.

Cruz requested SAF deployment because of the recent reports on the rebel movements and activities here including the harassments in the community.

He said that the SAF’s operation will not only be in Capiz but also in the boundaries of Iloilo, Aklan and Antique.

According to Cruz, the SAF’s stay in Capiz will be assessed based on the peace and order situation here and if everything can already be handled by the local police, the troop will be deployed in areas where peace and order have to be addressed.

Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco, who also welcomed the SAF troop, pledged all-out support of local officials in the entire province from the provincial, municipal and barangay levels to ensure secured, safe and orderly communities.

Tanco stressed that their presence will improve the peace and order situation in Capiz. The governor also said that Capiz is given the rare opportunity to host the SAF, considered an elite group of the PNP.

Adequate rice supply in Capiz –NFA

by Jemin B. Guillermo

ROXAS CITY—Capiceños need not worry about rice, their staple food.

Information Officer Rose Andalecio of the National Food Authority in Capiz said that as of October 4, the rice stock in the province reached 760,690 which could last in the next 139 days.

Andalecio said that of the total rice buffer, the household stocks accounted the highest with 562,800 bags which could last for 103 days while the commercial stock reached 134,270 bags that could feed Capiceños in the next 24.59 days.

The government stock deposited in different warehouses in Capiz totaled 63,620 bags, he added.

Of the NFA’s target of 89,400 bags from January to September this year, they were able to distribute 45,901 bags of rice in the 24 Institutionalized Bigasan sa Palengke and 124 Bigasan sa Barangay rice outlets.

NFA is also intensifying their procurement activities especially this harvest season.

In particular they are reaching out to individual farmers and other farmer groups through Ugnayan, which they conduct particularly in the rice-producing areas to provide the public with awareness on the recent requirements in the selling of palay with the NFA.

To lessen the burden in their selling transaction with the NFA, the government support price is pegged at P17 per kilo of clean and dry palay with lesser requirements especially from the individual farmers.

To date, NFA has bought some 23,846 bags of palay from individual farmers and farmer groups, a figure lower than its target of 114,000 bags for the first three quarters of 2012.

Husband, wife in prov’l board race

ROXAS City—A former Sangguniang Panlalawigan member and his wife are seeking Provincial Board posts in the 2nd District in next year’s elections. Gilbert Ardivilla filed his certificate of candidacy (COC) Oct. 5 while his wife, incumbent Board Member Ma. Emilie Ardivilla, filed hers a day before.

Mrs. Ardivilla was the first mid-term elections candidate in Capiz to file her COC at the Commission on Elections on October 1.But due to lack of several required documents, Wil Arceno, provincial election supervisor, rejected her COC. She completed her requirements on Thursday. She is seeking reelection as an independent candidate. Her husband, on the other hand, is running under the National Unity Party, allegedly affiliated with Liberal Party. Mr. and Mrs. Ardivilla are reportedly living separately.

Gilbert Ardivilla has been a Provincial Board member for nine years. His fellow candidates for Board member in the 2nd District who filed their COCs along with him include Camelo Robles, Abner Falcis and Bito delos Santos.

He refused to comment on the candidacy of his wife. “I respect her right in [seeking] reelection,” he said. Ma. Emilie Ardivilla ran and won in the 2010 elections under Ugyon Kita Capiz after her husband completed his three terms as Board member.

Arrival of elite cops delayed

The arrival of 79 members of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) in Capiz was delayed due to “unavoidable circumstances,” top-ranking police officials said.

Senior Supt. Domingo Cabillan, Capiz police director, said the arrival was tentatively set Friday last week.

The SAF battalion, which came from Mindanao, will have a special operation in the province, Cabillan said.

They will augment the Regional Mobile Group battalion in Capiz, which the Police Regional Office 6 tasked to conduct checkpoints, he added.

Headed by Supt. Mario Baquilar, Jr., the SAF will be based in Manhoy, Dao, Capiz, the former headquarters of 311th PNP Mobile Group.

The PNP’s elite force, SAF is trained in several special military combat-related courses and is engaged in anti-guerrilla and anti-terrorist operations. It also provides support to other police units and executes related peacekeeping functions.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas earlier asked Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol, Jr., head of SAF, to deploy a battalion to Capiz. Roxas also asked Mayor Angel Alan Celino to provide brand-new patrol cars to the city police to bolster their peace and order campaign. Roxas also ordered the city police to intensify the campaign against loose firearms.