CAMP LIRA, General Santos City (December 7, 2011) – Sarangani Governor Migs Dominguez answers a question from a reporter in a press conference Wednesday, December 7, about the arrest of Baserin Tongan alias “Palos”, a suspected bomber of the convoy of the governor in April 2010. With the arrest, police and military authorities discovered the existence of Bansamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF), a breakaway of a Moro Islamic Liberation Front cell involved in extortion and bomb-making activities. Authorities said it was the first time evidence is recovered pointing to the BIFF being a terrorist organization. Also confiscated in a raid in two safehouses on December 3 were a firearms cache, improvised explosive device (IED) components and bomb-making paraphernalia. (Cocoy Sexcion/ SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

By JENEFER HENERAL GLAN, Sarangani (September 6, 2011) – For bagging the Best Police Station of the Year award for 2010, the Glan Police Station is the current toast of the town. On Monday (September 5), the Barangay Council of Glan Poblacion, headed by Barangay Chairman Nazarius Wata, presented a resolution commending the Glan Police Station for being a national awardee as the Best Municipal Police Station for 2010. “It is befitting to recognize the accomplishment of people who made outstanding performance that brought honor to this municipality… Said feat, as can only be attained with dedication and commitment… is worth emulating and befitting of commendation,” Resolution No. 0027, sponsored by Barangay Kagawad Jose Cania, Jr., read in part. In a report, Chief Inspector Jaime Tabucon, Glan police chief, told Mayor Victor James “Tata” Yap, Sr. that he received the plaque of merit for the award from President Noynoy Aquino himself at Camp Crame in Quezon City last August 8 at the 110th Police Service Anniversary celebration. Tabucon said the Glan Police was adjudged as Best Municipal Police Station in the entire country for its outstanding performance in the field of police operations and administration in line with the PNP’s Integrated Transformation Program, thereby contributing immeasurably to the attainment of the overall mission and objectives of the Philippine National Police. “We are dedicating this award to Mayor Yap, who has been very supportive of all our peace and order programs and activities, particularly on community relations,” said Tabucon. For his part, Yap said the authorities had been successful in crime prevention and law enforcement mainly because of the cooperation of the community, particularly the schools and non-government organizations, resulting in “a citizenry that is vigilant and aware of the goings-on in their community.” “I am particularly proud of this award because it came under my watch, in the first year of my administration at that,” said Yap as he praised Tabucon and the entire Glan police force for their “dedication to duty and service.” But Yap said that because of the award, the Glan Police Station “has now an added responsibility to perform better and validate public perception that, indeed, Glan is one of the safest, if not the safest town, to live in in this part of the archipelago.”(Jenefer Heneral/GLAN INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (February 25, 2011) – Two of the five new Regional Trial Court salas in Sarangani are ready for the ground breaking rites on March 2, according to provincial legal officer Atty. Arnel Zapatos, with Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona to grace the activity. Republic Act 10123 that passed the legislature June last year provided the institution of five additional regional trial courts in Sarangani. Construction of the two of these courts is going on at the Capitol complex. Initial research of the provincial legal office recommends distribution of the other three courts in Glan, Malungon and Kiamba towns. “(With) accessibility and speedy determination of cases before the court, justice is served. That is its impact. All these efforts are support towards the strengthening and sustaining peace and order in the province,” Zapatos said. “It will be a progressive implementation just like what we want to happen in the province to achieve the JEEP (Justice Enhancement and Empowerment Program) objectives by 2012,” Zapatos said. Senator Francisco “Kiko” Pangilinan had put up a P3-million support fund for the P8-million project. JEEP was initiated in 2007 “in order to help support the provincial initiatives in promoting social justice by focusing its interventions to the provincial jail and to the lone regional trial of the province,” the briefer stipulates. Chief Justice Corona will also lead the conduct of small claims workshop among barangay captains and women sectors with orientation and dialogue on the following day. “According to a study by the Supreme Court, small claim cases (lower than P100,000) clog the dockets in regional and municipal trial courts. To unclog the dockets, new rules and procedures in small claims direct municipal trial courts to mediate those cases,” Zapatos said. A dialogue and validation workshop with court administrator Jose Midas Marquez will also be held at the Kasfala Hall for court infrastructures on Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) judicial region. The Provincial Legal Office’s milestones for the JEEP are the institutionalization of the Provincial Mediation Center in 2007, implementation of the Justice On Wheels (JOWs) mobile court in 2008, the creation and establishment of additional trial courts in the province through RA 10123, and the additional Hall of Justice. Since its operation in 2008, JOWs has decreased the number of inmates at the provincial jail by 64 percent from 600 to 216 inmates in December 2010. (Russtum G. Pelima/SARANGANI INFORMATION OFFICE)

ALABEL, Sarangani (October 15, 2010) – Participants from Kawas Seaweeds Producers Association, Bantay Dagat and Urban Poor Small Fishermen Inc. show what they learned in their situational demonstration for the First Aid Basic Life Support Training in partnership with the Reach International Healthcare Program, Inc. and the office of Vice Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon at Kawas beach Thursday, October 14. (SARANGANI INORMATION OFFICE/Bon-Bon Quiño)

ALABEL, Sarangani (October 15, 2010) – Participants from Bantay Dagat and Urban Poor Small Fishermen Inc. show how to rescue as part of their actual demonstration during the First Aid Basic Life Support Training held in Kawas beach in partnership with Reach International Healthcare Program, Inc. and the office of Vice Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon. (SARANGANI INORMATION OFFICE/Bon-Bon Quiño)