Troops secure San Juanico Bridge, Guian airport in Eastern Samar

SOLDIERS from the AFP Central Command (Centcom) are now deployed to secure the iconic San Juanico Bridge in Tacloban City.

“I can assure you it’s okay already,” said Lt. Gen. Roy Deveraturda, commanding general of AFP Centcom.

He urged the public to report any incident of criminality to soldiers deployed in the area.

Deveraturda also said they have secured the airport in Guian, Eastern Samar but he could not say yet if the airport is safe for aircraft operation.

They want the airport there to be operational so that the C-130 planes of the military can land for their relief operations in Eastern Samar.

“It is being secured, we landed a helicopter this morning at Guian, but for fixed-wing operation, hindi pa natin ma-ensure pa until we receive the assessment of our technical team, iyong mga piloto ng mga C-130 planes. I’m waiting for their feedback”, he added.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has also announced that they would focus their relief work in Samar.

“There’s an urgent need to speed up the humanitarian response,” said Graziella Leite Piccolo, deputy head of the ICRC delegation in Manila said in a press statement. The organization is therefore sending additional staff by air from Manila and Davao to support personnel already on the scene. The priority, she said, was to survey the needs, and this would be done together with the Philippine Red Cross.

Ro/ro buses

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LFTRB) will issue special permits to provincial Roll-on/Roll-off buses to be deployed as soon as roads will become passable.

LTFRB Regional Director Ahmed Cuizon said the special permits will be issued by LTFRB chairman Winston Mayo Ginez.

“This is also a directive from the DOTC Secretary Joseph Abaya to provide transportation to all affected residents to temporarily leave ground zero until situation normalizes,” he added.

The LTFRB has not yet released the exact number of buses which will be issued special permits

“We are also monitoring possible overcharging or other illegal practices that will take advantage of the calamity,” Cuizon added.

The additional buses will be given permits to enable families and friends of victims from unaffected provinces to visit their relatives who are in distress.

In Cebu, the Police Regional Office in Central Visayas has recorded 10 impassable areas in Cebu province.

He added that usually the cause of an area becoming impassable are fallen trees and floods.

PRO-7 public information officer Supt. Renato Dugan said that they still have to obtain the list of these areas. /Jhunnex Napallacan and Michelle Joy L. Padayhag, Correspondents