Police closely monitoring groups for possible formation of politicians’ goons in Reg7
By Amorganda A. Saluda
CEBU CITY, Oct 5 (PIA) -- The Police Regional Office (PRO-7) is now strictly monitoring suspected groups of individuals that could possibly be hired as private goons or private army by politicos amid the May 2013 national and local polls.
In the recent "Talakayan sa Isyung Pulis (TSIP)" Forum, PRO-7 Chief Directorial Staff S/Supt. Orlando Ualat said, “We are closely monitoring groups that are potentials of being hired as private armies for politicians.”
Ualat said that, they are also monitoring politicians with past records of using hired goons in previous elections and have dismantled private armed goons.
“We will also conduct validation of reported armed goons being used by some politicians,” Ualat said.
Ualat added that they are closely monitoring the possibility of armed goons in the northern part of Cebu based on reports.
“This time we will be strictly monitoring the northern part of Cebu for possible formation of private armed groups,” the official declared.
In the last 2010 national and local elections, a standoff incident occurred in Barangay Pulambato in Bogo City involving two contending politicians. Both politicos had their respective armed goons with them when the incident happened which affected media and innocent people who were on coverage or just passing by but could not get through due to the standoff which occurred right in a major road access.
Ualat however, clarified that at present, the police force in the region received no reports of armed group formation here since the start of the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy for the upcoming 2013 elections.
The police official further said that they are likewise monitoring the political conditions in the other provinces in the region.
“The provinces of Bohol and Siquijor had no record of past intense political rivalry while we are monitoring the province of Negros Oriental," Ualat said (FCR/AYS-PIA7, Cebu)
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DSWD 7 expands coverage of 4Ps to cover families in need of special protection
By Amorganda A. Saludar
CEBU CITY, Oct 5 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare (DSWD-7) expanded the coverage of its poverty alleviation program, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) to include families in need of special protection such as street children, displaced families due to disasters, trafficked women and children, and child laborers.
Aileen Lariba, DSWD-7 4Ps public information officer in a recent PIA Kapihan, said the expanded target beneficiaries is aimed at helping those families in need otherwise not included in the regular identified poorest of the poor household-recipients.
"The financial assistance received by these additional beneficiaries from government are the same as the regular 4Ps recipients. The only difference is that these families are closely monitored for six months in order for them to be mainstreamed in society after. Unlike the regular beneficiaries who are required to attend family development sessions or FDS at least once a month, these additional families are mandated to attend FDS every week," said Lariba.
Under the 4Ps, identified poorest of the poor families are given monthly financial aid of P500 for their health needs and P300 each per child under 14 years of age for a maximum of three school children. This conditional cash transfer is good for five years.
"At the maximum, a family could get P1,400 per month which could help them in their health and educational needs of their children below 14 years old," declared Lariba.
Lariba said the expanded coverage also aims to provide safety and protection as well as to promote the development of children in difficult circumstances such as child laborers and trafficked children.
Under the expanded coverage, other target beneficiaries include the indigenous people, families with children born with disabilities, displaced families due to man-made or natural disasters and other environmental factors and other families in need of special protection.
Lariba said the inclusion of these additional targeted families is to help them go back to the normal way of living in which children are in school and the families are augmented financially to support the basic needs of the family.
“We have also come up with an alternative schooling for these children and we have coordinated with the Department of Education for this,” she added.
The program also focused on giving health and nutrition services through regular visits to the health center and to enhance parenting roles through attendance to FDS as well as mainstream families with children in need of special protection for normal psycho-social functioning. (FCR/AYS-PIA7 Cebu)