Rasuman’s wife arrested in QC

THE Pasay City police has arrested the wife of a pyramiding scam suspect Jachob “Coco” Rasuman Wednesday night in Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

Princess Aliah Rasuman was arrested and detained in her house after some victims of the scam informed authorities of her presence. Her husband, Jachob, was arrested in November 2012 in their residence in Marawi City.

Communist rebel killed in Surigao clash

A MEMBER of the New People’s Army (NPA) was killed after they clashed against elements of the 36 Infantry Battalion (36IB) headquarters in Barangay Dayo-an, Tago, Surigao del Sur, early Thursday morning.

Lieutenant Colonel Eugenio Julio C. Osias IV, spokesperson of the 4th Infantry Division, in a statement said the 36IB soldiers were conducting a security patrol in the vicinity of their camp when they chance upon the NPA rebels. A 20-minute gunfight ensued.

Xavier-KRC respondents represent voters

RESPONDENTS of Xavier University’s (XU) Kinaadman Research Center survey conducted in February represented the voters in the city.

When the survey came out, some questioned its representation.

Bukidnon media sign manifesto for responsible poll coverage

MALAYBALAY CITY - Reporters and other media workers signed a declaration on Monday, vowing to cover the 2013 local and national elections “fairly, comprehensively and accurately.”

The declaration, signed after a seminar-workshop on election reporting organized by the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines (NUJP), sought to remind both journalists and media stakeholders of their role in covering the elections.

Broadcast journalist slay attempt suspect falls

“I HOPE to see justice served and the case on the attempt in my life closed,” said broadcast journalist James “Dacoycoy” Licuanan, a radio commentator of Bombo Radyo.

Licuanan felt a great relief after he positively identified his alleged shooter who was arrested by the police in a drug raid in Vamenta Blvd. in Baranngay Carmen on Wednesday.

PCOS technicians attend trainings

TECHNICIANS of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines are attending trainings conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Northern Mindanao on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Lawyer Palmer Palamine, city election officer, said the PCOS technicians will serve only as troubleshooters in case the PCOS machines will experience technical problems during the May 13 elections.

Evening flights off temporarily

FLIGHTS have been cancelled since Monday evening after a lightning on April 1 damaged the Runway Threshold Identification Light or RTIL of the Lumbia Airport.

The runway identification lights guide the aircrafts during nighttime operations.

Owwa to families: Contingencies up

FAMILIES of the 361 Filipino workers in South Korea have been assured by the regional office of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (Owwa) in Northern Mindanao that contingency measures are already in place as escalating tension between North and South Korea continues.

Owwa Regional Director Petrona Bergado, in a phone interview Wednesday, said she has been informed by the consular officer in Seoul, South Korea that the situation is still under control, though it was already placed in a heightened alert status.

PaDayon Pilipino starts campaign

FIREWORKS greeted supporters and spectators of PaDayon Pilipino’s opening salvo as it officially kicked off its campaign sortie in Naawan, Misamis Oriental, while the Liberal Party simply presented its platforms to its crowd in Manticao town also in Misamis Oriental on Monday evening, April 1.

Both parties did not hurl personal attacks against each other; instead, they laid their platforms and the issues at hand.

MILF urges teamwork among TransCom members

ILIGAN CITY -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has called on members of the Transition Commission (TransCom) to display “teamwork, focus, goodwill and selfless service to the people” as they buckle down to work on a draft Basic Law that will serve as charter of the future Bangsamoro self-governance entity.

Local campaign sorties kick off today

WHILE candidates for local political posts kicked off their campaigns on Black Saturday, both the Liberal Party-Cagayan de Oro (LP-CDO) and PaDayon Pilipino (PaDayon) decided to officially start their campaign sorties today, April 1.

Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno, who is running for city mayor and whose group is known as “Team Oca,” heads the city’s Liberal Party.

Team Oca: ‘Undecided’ votes show Emano’s waning popularity

WHILE incumbent Mayor Vicente Emano led the latest survey conducted by Kinaadman Research Center of Xavier University, the result also showed the diminishing popularity of the mayor, his political opponent said in a statement.

Running against Emano -- founder and leader of PaDayon Pilipino -- is Misamis Oriental Governor Oscar Moreno, head of Team Oca, who runs under the Liberal Party in Cagayan de Oro.

Rape, shooting mar Maundy Thursday

TWO of the three suspects arrested on Good Friday for sexually abusing a child will be charged with rape, an official of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) said Sunday.

Senior Inspector Lemuel Gonda, chief of Cocpo’s operations and plans, said the police will press charges today, Monday, against suspects Marjun Centorias, 20, single; and Clifford Hernan alias “Ipoy,” 23, both residents in a barangay here in the city.

Mindanao peace transition kicks off April 3

OZAMIZ CITY -- Initial motions for a peace transition in Mindanao kicks off April 3 when the 15-member Transition Commission (TransCom) convenes for the first time after it has been organized.

This happens even as the Malaysian-facilitated peace negotiations between government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is yet to conclude.

Consumers to brace for increase of power cost

IF THE government were to tap diesel-powered generation plants as solution to the Mindanao power shortage, residents have to brace for a higher electricity costs.

In a published report, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Jericho Petilla presented a temporary solution to President Benigno Aquino III by purchasing modular diesel-fed power generators.

Monsanto: Restore faith in the Lord

THE Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro reiterated its call to devotees to avoid crucifixion or other physical inflictions when doing penance this Holy Week.

Nazareno parish priest and vicar-general of the archdiocese Msgr. Rey Monsanto said there is no need to go through the physical and literal pain on the body because Christ did that for us more than two thousand years ago.

Malls close on Thursday and Friday

AS THE country braces for the Holy Week celebration, malls in Cagayan de Oro City will stop operations on certain days to observe Lenten activities this week.

Some Kagay-anons went shopping ahead to stock groceries needed for the week.

Banks closed on Maundy Thursday

BANKS won’t serve their clients starting Maundy Thursday until Easter Sunday to observe Holy Week.

The banks in Cagayan de Oro City, however, assured that their automated teller machines (ATMs) are ready to provide the cash needs of their clients in this long weekend.

Military: NPA rebels collect permit to campaign

AN ARMY official admitted Wednesday that the military received reports that the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels are demanding permit to campaign (PTC) fees from local candidates campaigning in areas believed to be controlled by the communist rebels.

Lieutenant Colonel Eugenio Julio Osias IV, the Philippine Army’s 4t Infantry Division (4ID) spokesman, said that soon after the filing of the certificate of candidacy in 2012, the NPA has been demanding PTC fees from some local political bets especially in Misamis Oriental.

Power lines secured for polls

THE National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has ensured the public that tight security measures are employed to avoid power outage especially in the upcoming May 2013 elections.

Previous elections experienced toppling down of some transmission lines that caused power outages in some parts of Mindanao.

CDO forms team to combat poverty

THE City Government of Cagayan de Oro has created a team that will facilitate and organize formulation of programs to address poverty problems in the city to complement with the National Government’s poverty reduction program.

AIDS cases up in NorMin

THE Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) cases recorded in Northern Mindanao have already reached to more than a hundred, an official from the Center for Health Department in Northern Mindanao (CHD-NMR) said.

Dr. David Mendoza, head of the Regional Epidemiology, Surveillance and Disaster Response Unit (RESDRU) of the Department of Health in Northern Mindanao, said his office recorded five new cases of persons having AIDS in January this year.

Watershed accord inked

ADVOCACY and environment groups signed an accord to protect Kitanglad and Kalatungan mountain ranges during the Earth hour on Saturday.

Raoul Geollegue, executive director of Enterprise Works Worldwide Philippines, together with the other environment and advocacy groups, observed the Earth Hour by highlighting the signing of a policy paper on the protection of Mounts Kitanglad and Kalatungan in Bukidnon province dubbed as the “KitKat” Accord.

Government, MILF meet for final leg of 16-year talks

ILIGAN CITY -- Negotiators of the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) meet on Monday in Kuala Lumpur for the 37th exploratory talks, which could be their last in the 16-year peace negotiations facilitated by Malaysia.

The scheduled three-day meeting mainly tackles the remaining three annexes to the preliminary Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) that the parties inked October 15 last year.

Online petition seeks reversal of SC order on RH law Ryan Rosauro

OZAMIZ CITY -- As power went out here on Friday, Ronnel Cabilan, youth leader of party-list group Sanlakas in Misamis Occidental, turned to his mobile phone to urge colleagues and friends to sign an online petition to “defend the reproductive health law.”

“For those who still enjoy power supply, please sign the online petition now at change.org in defense of the RH law. For those who still experience brownout, please sign the petition as soon as power is restored in your area. Light us move swiftly to enlighten our justices,” read a text message Cabilan sent.

Kagay-anons, green group to switch off lights

A LOCAL environmentalist group joins today, March 23, the Kagay-anon community, malls and the rest of the world in switching off the lights to observed Earth Hour 2013.

Initiated by World Wildlife Fund-Australia in 2007, the activity has so far encouraged people, businesses, and cities to switch off their lights for one hour to highlight the need of finding solutions to the growing climate crisis.

Provincial peace council assures safety of Misamis Oriental

THE recent clashes between the military and New People’s Army rebels in Claveria town in Misamis Oriental prompted the peace and order council of the province to convene on Thursday.

Vice Governor Norris Babiera, chair of the provincial peace and order council, said that despite the encounter, which resulted to the death of a member of Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu), the police and military are in control of the situation.

3 killed, 2 injured in Kapatagan fire

KAPATAGAN, Lanao del Norte - Three unidentified persons were killed and two others were injured in a two-hour fire that razed a pension house Wednesday at 10:45 p.m. in Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte.

The initial investigation showed that an unattended lighted lamp inside a room might have caused the fire.

Police urge community to make own safety measures

THE Cagayan de Oro City Police Office has urged the public and local businesses to take all the necessary measures needed to protect themselves from becoming a victim or target of the rising criminal activities in the city.

Senior Inspector Lemuel Gonda, Cocpo’s chief for operations, advised business establishments including residential houses to put up security alarm systems such as alarm bells and blinkers aside from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera to deter the crime.

Privatization of gov’t hospitals opposed

A CITIZEN’S group flocked to the Northern Mindanao Medical Center (NMMC) Wednesday afternoon to protest the government’s plan to privatize public hospitals across the country. The protest here is part of the nationwide simultaneous action.

The Network Opposed to Privatization (NOP) in Northern Mindanao region said they protest the plan to the wholesale privatization scheme by turning state social institutions, such as public hospitals and state universities and colleges, into private businesses accessible only to a few.