Cagayan Valley updates

A 74-year-old former soldier was caught molesting a teen girl in Barangay Gucab, Echague town in Isabela on Sunday.

Echague town police took custody of the former soldier after they were alerted by the village chief in the area that a village watchman had witnessed the abuse in a corn field in the village. 

The victim has been turned over to the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

The local government of Tuguegarao City is extending its MECQ status until May 14 only.

This, against the Cagayan provincial IATF’s recommendation that the status goes all the way until the end of the month.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier placed the entire Cagayan province under general community quarantine until May 14.

Tuguegarao City mayor Jefferson Soriano earlier via Executive Order no. 64 placed the Cagayan Valley capital under extended MECQ from May 1 until May 7, 2021. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

A 40-year-old police master sergeant assigned to the Lasam town police station in Cagayan province has been missing for five days since her sister alerted colleagues of her disappearance.

The Lasam town police indicated in its “flash alarm” that Police M/Sgt Jovelyn Pagaduan Camangeg, a resident of Centro 2 in the same town, left home around 5 a.m. on February 18 for Tuguegarao City. 

She was headed to the city to get a loan and for business.

Jemma Camangeg, who lives with the missing officer, told police that her sister never came home after saying she was leaving Tuguegarao City on February 20.

Police Brig. Gen. Crizaldo Nieves, Cagayan Valley police director , haa ordered a thorough investigation into the disappearance of the police officer. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

Two Sangguniang Bayan members and two of their employees were killed Monday noon in Lasam, Cagayan.

Police Brig. Gen, Crizaldo Nieves, Cagayan Valley police director, has ordered investigators to get to the bottom of the midday killing where still unidentified gunmen peppered the van where the two town officials were in at Barangay Ignacio B. Jurado at 11:30 a.m.

SB members Marjorie "Jaling" Apil Salazar, 63 and Eduardo Asuten, 67; driver John Rey Apil, 24 and Salazar's personal secretary Aiza Salvador Manuel, 31, did not reach the Lasam District Hospital alive from their gunshot wounds. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

Communist rebels numbers in the Cagayan Valley and Cordillera regions have considerably thinned, the military has claimed, after successfully dismantling at least four guerrilla fronts in these region the past several months.

The Southern Front Committee (SFC) and Central Front Committee (CFC) including the Komiteng Larangang Gerilya-Quirino/Nueva Vizcaya (KLG-QNV) of the Cagayan Valley Regional Committee of the CPP-NPA crumbled via focused military operations including the Komiteng Larangang Gerilya-Ifugao of the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) operating in neaby Ifugao province, the Philippine Army's 5th Infantry Division says.

The fall of the four guerilla fronts, it adds, completely erased the influence of the rebels in at least 100 barangays in both regions. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

Rehabilitation of the Cagayan River will start soon with the Memorandum of Agreement between the environment department and two dredgers sealed on December 10 by DENR Cagayan Valley Regional Executive Director Gwendolyn Bambalan with the Great River North Consortium represented by its managing head, Antonio Talaue, and Riverfront Construction Incorporated led by its president, Feng Li.

Bambalan, vice chair of the Inter-agency committee (IAC) on the Restoration of the Cagayan River assured that the dredging activities will be at no cost to the government as “the proponents will be shouldering all the expenses related to the dredging activities.”

President Rodrigo Duterte in 2017 ordered the dredging of heavily silted rivers in the country including the Cagayan River, the country's longest and biggest river. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

An alleged communist rebel wanted in Cagayan was caught in Barangay Mabilao, San Fabian town in Pangasinan last Monday, police said.

Allan Rey Balanay, 48, and listed as “No. 8 in the Periodic Status Report on Threat Groups of Region 2” is wanted for murder, frustrated murder, and violations of RA 9516 (Illegal Possession of Explosives) and RA 10591 (Illegal Possession of Firearms and Ammunition).

Police Brig. Gen. Crizaldo Nieves, Cagayan Valley police director, said Balanay was caught at around 10:15 p.m. on December 14 by a composite team composed of the following: 

• Cagayan Valley and Ilocos Regional Intelligence divisions
• Gattaran town police
• Cagayan provincial police
• San Fabian town police
• Counter-intelligence cops from both Cagayan Valley and Ilocos Region police
• Intelligence operatives from both Cagayan Valley and Ilocos Region police
• Naval Intelligence Services Group 

"The arrest of Balanay is a result of the intensified campaign against CPP-NPA members who have standing warrants for criminal charges," Nieves said. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

Novo Vizcayanos are appealing to President Rodrigo Duterte to disallow mining in the Cagayan Valley region, especially large-scale mines by OceanaGold Philippines and FCF Minerals.

Nueva Vizcaya Gov. Carlos Padilla in a joint letter of appeal with Bishop Jose Elmer I. Mangalinao of the Diocese of Bayombong (Nueva Vizcaya) and UCCP North Luzon Jurisdiction Bishop Joseph Agpaoa on December 9 “on behalf of the people downstream, namely, Quirino, Isabela, and Cagayan that as headwatershed of the Cagayan River System” asked the president that “mining should not be allowed in Nueva Vizcaya”.

They cited that the flood that devastated Northern Isabela and Cagayan due to heavy rains during Typhoon Ulysses, "could, in part be attributed to our province since the headwatersheds of the Cagayan River System is in Nueva Vizcaya."  — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

Isabela’s top most wanted criminals fell  this week.

Construction worker Marco Dela Cruz, 19,  from San Placido, Roxas, Isabela was hunted by police operatives by virtue of warrant of arrest by Roxas RTC branch 23 Judge Randy Bulwayan for rape and second most wanted Joshua Fugaban, from Brgy. Bungad, San Pablo, Isabela caught in Purok 2, Brgy San Leon, Umingan, Pangasinan by virtue of warrant of arrest Cabagan, Isabela RTC branch 22 Judge also for rape.

Cagayan Valley police director Brig. General Crizaldo Nieves in congratulating the ground troops encouraged all chiefs of police to strengthen their intelligence capability in tracking down hunted persons and and be on their toes in combatting all forms of criminality in Cagayan Valley. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

President Rodrigo Duterte says he has formed a task force to address the effects of Typhoon Ulysses and to "streamline" the rehabilitation efforts.

The provincial government of Cagayan announces that the province has been placed under state of calamity,  which is one of the worst hit by Typhoon Ulysses.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque says President Rodrigi Duterte is monitoring the situation from the Malago Compound in Malacañang. 

Duterte is on top of the situation and he is at all time in communication with Department of National Defense, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Public Works and Highway officials, he adds.

The authorities announce that massive rescue operations in Isabela, Tuguegarao and Cagayan are being carried out after the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses.

Below is the breakdown of residents rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard:

• 15 individuals in Modelro, Sitio Pantalan, and Pantabangan in Tumauini, Isabela
• 50 individuals in Barangay 12, Tuguegarao City
• 47 individuals in Pengue Ruyu, Tuguegarao City
• 13 individuals in Caritan Norte, Diversion Road, and Anufuan West, Tuguegarao City
• 70 individuals in Linao East, Tuguegarao City

Immediately following the devastation brought by Super Typhoon Rolly, Cagayan Valley police have sent help to victims in the Bicol Region.

Dubbed as “Hatid Tulong para sa mga Nasalanta ng Bagyo,” 160 sacks of rice from the Cagayan Valley police "Food Bank" was transported to the PNP Food Bank in Camp Crame in Quezon City for distribution. 

Brig. Gen. Crizaldo Nieves, Cagayan Valley police director, says the initiative is aligned with the program thrust of the PNP rekindling the spirit of “Bayanihan” especially during this time of crisis.

“With our little act of kindness, families in the hardest-hit areas of Bicol Region will be able to have their staple food of rice to carry them through the disaster. We will also continue to collect donations from other stakeholders who will be giving food packs and other basic necessities for our brothers and sisters who are directly affected by the said catastrophe,” Nieves adds.

The provincial police's standby support force is also ready to pitch in with relief operations if needed. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

Typhoon Quinta and Tropical Storm Pepito caused at least P59 million in damage to crops in Cagayan province, News5 reports.

Nasa 59 Million Pesos na ang initial na halaga ng mga nasirang palay at mais sa probinsya ng Cagayan dulot ng #PepitoPH at #QuintaPH; ngayon palang sumisigaw na nga ayuda ang mga magsasaka sa probinsya lalo nat wala naman silang ibang kabuhayan ngayong pandemic @News5PH pic.twitter.com/8ZYCfVPQuP

— Romel M Lopez (@romeltv5) October 27, 2020

It also reports that farmers are calling for assistance from the government.
 

An Artificial Intelligence-aided hunt for criminals, perhaps the Philippine National Police's first, began this week in Cagayan Valley.

"The technology utilizes a real-time facial recognition system through artificial intelligence to identify persons with Warrant of Arrest, High Value Targets and members of communist terror groups evading law enforcers by the use of facial recognition technology-enabled handy smart phones,"  Cagayan Valley police director Brig. General Crizaldo Nieves explained.
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Project “A.R.R.E.S.T” (Artificial Intelligence Facial Recognition thru Responsive Electronic System) aims to develop a fast, reliable, and convenient system that can make work easier for the (Cagayan Valley) police in its campaign against wanted persons.

"It will increase police effectiveness in curbing criminality and increasing crime solution efficiency by effecting the arrest of wanted persons,"  the Cagayan Valley police director added. —  The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

Dozens of hunted individuals, some drug personalities were rounded up in simultaneous 24-hour big-time operations by Cagayan Valley policemen Monday.

Brig. General Cruzaldo Nieves, Cagayan Valley police director, said at least 15 persons, all in their drug list, were taken to face formal charges before various courts in the region, while also hauling 46 individuals facing Special Laws to various jails in the northeastern region that included 20 “topmost wanted” persons in various provincial and town levels.

At least 57 wanted persons facing various offenses throughout Cagayan Valley were also hauled by policemen. 

“We are increasing the ante of cleaning the streets of thugs and criminals, especially those in the drug trade,” beamed Nieves, while employing also the “carrot” on drug-affected barangays through “visitations”. — The STAR/Artemio Dumlao

Follow this thread for updates from Region 2 — Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, and Quirino — also known as the Cagayan Valley region.

Photo: The Tuguegarao Airport, which serves the capital city of Cagayan province