PNP: No link among recent attacks vs. local officials

The recent attacks against some local officials, which left several people dead, are likely not related, the Philippine National Police said Monday.

“As of now, we have not established or seen any link with respect to the three cases,” PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said.

“Nonetheless, we are beefing (up) our security, particularly the personnel security detail of not only our elected officials but also appointed officials, because of these recent attacks.”

PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. has ordered regional police commanders to conduct threat assessment of their local chief executives, Fajardo said.

Last week, Mayor Ohto Montawal of Montawal, Maguindanao del Sur province was wounded in an ambush along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay City.

On Feb. 19, Vice Mayor Rommel Alameda of Apar-

The Ministry of Health in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (MOH-BARMM) will construct 100 barangay health stations (BHS) across the region this year to boost health services.

“Yes, we are building a total of 100 barangay health stations this year,” said Dr. Rizaldy Piang, BARMM health minister, on Monday, a day after the MOH turned over two BHS in Lanao del Sur province.

On Sunday, Piang led the turnover of the two health stations for the villages of Barorao and Salamen in Balabagan and Kapatagan towns, respectively.

Piang said the BHS will be funded under the MOH-BARMM’s Tiyakap Bangsamoro Kalusugan Program (TBKP).

Each of the BHS costs PHP2.5 million with an additional PHP500,000 fund for equipment.

Dr. Alinader Minalang, Lanao del Sur health chief, said health providers are committed to strengthening the health services in the province and ensur- ing that no one will be left behind in terms of healthcare.

“This is a huge help for our health programs (in the province) because it will provide every village a new avenue to access health services,” Minalang said.

Integrated health programs

This developed as the MOH-BARMM also initiated a weekend training for Bangsamoro planning and development officers of the region’s Population Commission and Muslim religious leaders (MRLs) on Islamic ruling about family planning and responsible parenthood (FPRP).

The training held from Saturday to Sunday here focused on “fatwah” – formal ruling or interpretation on the point of Islamic law given by a qualified legal scholar known as a mufti.

“These MRLs will serve as our means of communicating to the communities the true meaning of family planning from an Islamic perspective,” Omaira Ali, MOH-BARMM family planning logistic officer, said. (PNA)