Dec . 19 - 24 , 2016
Drug suspect shot in son ’ s Xmas party
By Najib Montera Cubio
Hilongos , Leyte – Children , parents and teachers scrambled around the grounds of Hilongos South Central School in Hilongos town after a loud bang from an unknown caliber rang out inside the school campus during a Christmas party last week .
The victim was identified as Neil Roy Faustino 34 yrs . old a native of Brgy . Pontod , Hilongos , Leyte . Faustino suffered a lone gunshot wound in his back hitting his spinal column which immediately brought him down . Faustino had just married the day before .
According to the police , Faustino was with his wife attending the Christmas party of his son in Hilongos South Central School . While watching the program , an unidentified lone gunman approached Faustino from behind and shot him at point blank range , hitting his back .
Witnesses said the lone gunman tried to finish him off with another shot . However his wife blocked the way of the assailant , thus forcing him to withdraw and rode away in his getaway motorcycle parked just outside of the school .
ORMOC CITY - Commander of Ormoc Police Station 1 , Police Chief Insp . Omar Ruel B . Cartalla , told last Tuesday The Weekly Vanguard that his cops will be confiscating illegal firecrackers displayed on sidewalks and in stores here .
So far , only two stores owned by Muslim traders here have the license to sell , the rest being illegal . He said it is not only police station 1 that is doing this but all the three stations under the command of City Dir . SSupt . Ramil Ramirez .
He said like other places in the country , they are only implemented the RA 7183 , known as an “ act regulating the sale , manufacture , distribution and use of firecrackers and other pyrotechnic devices .
“ Definitely , atomic big triangulo and super lolo and their equivalent are prohibited and are considered illegal under the law ,” he said .
The explosive content of these firecrackers “ endanger life and limb ” of Ormocanons . He said they are one with the public call of the Department of Health to make zero injury in celebrating the Christmas and New Year .
PO3 Catindoy of the Hilongos police said that they are now reviewing the shots of the two CCTV cameras mounted nearby the school , hoping to identify the suspect . Catindoy also said they are looking into the angle of drug trade because Faustino is a newly identified drug pusher in Hilongos town .
However , the police are not closing out other possible reasons for Faustino ’ s murder attempt . But the victim ’ s relatives and friends are ruling out the possibility of drugs . Although they admit that Faustino was into drugs , he was not involved in peddling the same . They said that Faustino can never be a drug peddler as he is always out of money and is even asking from his friends to buy a stick of cigarette . His relatives and friends strongly believe that love triangle is the motive in the murder attempt of Faustino for he is known in the town as a womanizer .
Faustino is recuperating from his gunshot wound in a private hospital in Ormoc City , but is reported to be paralyzed from his waist down because of the bullet lodged in his spinal column .
Police to confiscate illegal firecrackers
Ormoc Police Station 1 , Police Chief Insp . Omar Ruel B . Cartalla : “ No to sale of illegal pyrotechnics ”
Persons who violate the law will be punished by a fine of not less than P20,000 or more than P30,000 , or imprisonment of not less than 6 months nor more than 1 year , or both such fines and imprisonment at the discretion of the court . ( By Jun Tarroza )
Vanguard
3
A letter from the Philippines
Bormgon , Samar , P . 1 ., Christmas Eve , 1900 .
Dear Friend Hendricks : Received your letter and the Bulletin for October . I was delighted to hear that Prof . Murphy has affiliated himself with Northwestern . We arrived at this place on the 24th of November and found the town one mass of flames . The insurgents had set fire to all the best houses and a church that was erected 200 years ago .
Our gun-boat , the “ Bemington ,” shelled the entire beach and town . We landed 500 men and then tried to extinguish the flames , but the heat was too intense to accomplish this end . We encountered obstacles in our entry into the town , but the worst were the “ pit-falls ” and “ spring guns .” I will describe briefly these implements of war .
There were seven pit-falls in the main roads . Each pitfall is arranged as a checker-board . Each pit measured about four feet square and five feet deep . Standing erect in each pit were fifteen to twenty sharp-pointed bamboo sticks . Covering the pit was first and lowermost an interlacement of light bamboo sticks , then dried palm leaves , then dirt and finally vegetation and trailing vine .
The recent rains had made depressions corresponding to each pit , and this was observed by us in due time , so that no one was hurt . A spring gun , like Gaul , is divided into three parts . First , a board , about six feet square , is placed about three feet { rom the ground , and in a secluded spot along the road . Secondly on this board is placed six or seven poisoned arrows . A trigger is also in connection with the board and leading from the trigger is a vine which is placed across the road and when the victim ’ s foot comes in contact • with said vine the arrows dart forth .
We had a narrow escape from these guns , but fortunately no one was injured . The insurgents have fled , the pits are all filled , and the guns have gone up in fire . The white-winged dove of peace hovers over us once more . The native can ’ t understand that we are only “ taking up the white man ’ s burden ” and offering benevolent . assimilation . The report that “ the war is all over in the Philippines ” is correct , i . e ., there are uprisings almost every day in some part of the islands .
We are very thankful that the Filipino is not a Boer . The insurgent is not brave and has to resort to unfair methods of warfare . He will come in the dead of night and cast his spears through some window or with his bolo , • a long knife , he will attack some sentry on out-post duty . He will attack a party in broad day-light if his forces greatly exceed ours , but he has yet to face a charge . He will remain in the trench and fire all day , but when we make a charge then Mr . Filipino takes to the tall timbers .
The health of the 1st has been very good , indeed . We have lost but one man and that was a case of pernicious anemia . At present we are having an epidemic of dengue fever , but nothing of a serious nature . The “ Dhobie ( spelling ?) Itch ” is wide-spread and very obstinate . It resembles ringworm in appearance . Gastro-intestinal diseases and of these especially “ diarrhea ” is a common affair . Dysentery exists but fortunately all our cases turned out well . Malaria is not as prevalent as you would expect .
I am very well and the tropics seem to agree with me , but I am very anxious to see a snow-drift . I hope your health is the best , but if it is not I would prescribe a winter ’ s sojourn in Samar . We have the Pacific within a stone ’ s throw and hardly a day passes without a dip in the briny deep . The beach is the finest in the world . Please extend my kindest regards to all my classmates and friends . Wishing you a most happy and prosperous new year , I am ,
Sincerely yours , GUSTAVUS I . HOGUE , 1st Infantry , U . S . Army .