CEBU CITY (PNA) – The Cebu City Council has passed a resolution asking Congress to pass the bill granting an increase in the salary of barangay health workers (BHW) as well as compulsory health insurance coverage. The council expressed its “strong” support for the passage of Senate Bills 1384 and 1340, both drafted by Sen. Loren Legarda.

Senate Bill 1384 seeks to increase the BHW’s salary and benefits by placing them under salary grade 10, which corresponds to P14,000 a month and a mandatory Christmas bonus. Senate Bill 1340, on the other hand, seeks to provide compulsory coverage for BHWs under the National Health Insurance Program.

This will entitle the workers to personal health services, including emergency and transfer services, hospital care and other supplementary health benefits.  In his resolution, Councilor Edgardo Labella said there is a need to increase the BHWs’ salary as they currently receive only P1,000.

No Poll-Related Violence in W. Visayas

ILOILO CITY (PNA) – Western Visayas has posted zero election-related violent incident since the start of the election period for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections slated this October 25.

Nonetheless, Police Regional Office 6 (PRO 6) director C/Supt Samuel Pagdilao during the recent Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) meeting held here recently said there is no let up in their operations to ensure honest, orderly and peaceful barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

During the meeting, Pagdilao disclosed that 31 persons have already been arrested for violating the gun ban, resulting in the confiscation of 28 firearms, four grenades and other explosives and one firearm replica during the period September 25 to October 7.

Ten of the 31 persons arrested were nabbed in checkpoints; Negros Occidental with five; two in Antique and one each in Aklan, Bacolod City and Bacolod City.Some 2,811 checkpoints were put up by the PRO 6 through its 168 units during the said period.

Checkpoints Intensified in Negros Oriental

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PNA) – The Philippine National Police has arrested ten persons and recovered different firearms in separate checkpoints across Central Visayas since the start of the Commission on Elections gun ban, Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office records show.

The arrested were identified as Brando de la Vina, Ereneo Tejedor, Romdy Ursula, Randy Chong Binag, a certain “Canete”, Henry Acedemia, Gordon Alexander Cameron, Agustine Tabanao, Cresenciano Manso, Jr. and Antonio Alson.

Six cases have been filed while others are still under investigation. The recovered firearms include four homemade caliber .38 revolvers, one gun replica, one .357 caliber revolver, one improvised shotgun, one .22 caliber revolver, one M30 Carbine rifle, and a shotgun.

Meanwhile, the PNP Region 7 office has deployed personnel to conduct inspection in Central Visayas provinces to determine if police personnel are following proper procedures in the conduct of checkpoints.

Sr. Supt. Josephus Angan, Chief of Staff of PRO-7, was in Negros Oriental last Monday to inspect police stations starting with that in Canlaon City in the north, said Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt. Rey Lyndon Lawas.