At the front page of the Tribune issue today is an article about the plan of the Philippine Army and the Los Baños municipal government to honor Catanduanes’ first hero, MSgt. Francisco Molina Camacho, and his fellow Medal of Valor awardee Cpl. Weene Martillana, with a new monument at a vacant lot along the UP Open University perimeter fence in barangay Maahas.
The choice of the location, which is not far from the original site where the two soldiers then working undercover exchanged gunfire with Hukbalahap members in 1955, has been given the green light by UPLB officials and now awaits the approval of the UP Board of Regents.
It would help the cause of the sponsoring groups, along with the heirs of the late hero, if the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, through the concerned committee, could pass a resolution expressing support for the new historical marker and urging the UP Board of Regents to approve the proposal.
Aside from the police headquarters in Virac that now hosts his bust and bears his name, Camacho’s exploits would be fittingly remembered particularly by the new generation through the marker.
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A memorandum circular has been issued by three national agencies regarding the handling of violations of health and safety ordinances, quarantine-related violations and related violations during the current public health emergency.
Under Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2021-001, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police and the Department of Justice intended to harmonize the regulations and policy guidelines involving such violations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It enjoins all local government units to strictly enforce all health and safety ordinances relative to the implementation of the minimum public health standards and safety protocols and curfew hours, including illegal mass gatherings, and pursue appropriate criminal actions against persons caught in blatant violation of existing laws and ordinances.
The DILG is tasked, among others, to mandate LGUs to identity and designate appropriate places that shall serve as holding areas for the persons cited for such violations. These areas shall accommodate as many persons as possible, without crowding and/or violation of social distancing protocols, and shall be used for initial investigation and booking purposes, the circular states.
The department is likewise urged to strengthen preventive measures and ensure the strict enforcement of the ban against mass gatherings, including the provision of testing where applicable and subject to availability of suitable facilities and funding.
It is also tasked to hold all local government officials accountable for failure to implement and enforce all applicable guidelines issued by the national government, particularly the Inter-Agency Task Force.
The Philippine National Police, which is tasked to assist the LGUs in the enforcement, is mandated to ensure that any arrest cited for violations of minimum public health standards is anchored on a local ordinance or other laws, with the violators subjected to initial investigation and booking.
“In any event where the law or ordinance prescribed the penalty of fine and allows the person apprehended to pay voluntarily the fine imposed prior to the filing of a formal complaint with the appropriate prosecution office, he/she shall be allowed to pay said fine with the concerned City Treasurer and/or in the Barangay where he/she was apprehended to avoid being criminally prosecuted,” it added.
On the other hand, the DOJ is directed to ensure that inquest prosecutors determine the validity of the warrantless arrests on the same day the case is endorsed by the police, file the information in court if there is a finding of probable cause, or release the detained person if the warrantless arrest is invalid.
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THE DREAM. A woman work up one morning and said to her husband: “I had the most vivid dream last night. I dreamed you bought me a really expensive diamond ring for my birthday. I’ve never had a dream like that before. What do you think it means?”
“You’ll know tonight, darling,” he said.
Hardly able to contain her excitement all day, she eagerly awaited her husband’s arrival from work. Sure enough, he was carrying a small, beautifully wrapped package, which he then handed to her.
Thrilled, she opened it… and found a book entitled The Meaning of Dreams.