Lending firm robbery suspects identified

TWO of the three suspects in the Dagomo lending robbery in Patag Tuesday evening have been identified through the police’s rogues’ gallery.

The police identified the suspects as Ric Isidro and Cocoy Gumanay, who are allegedly members of the Ozamiz robbery hold-up gang.

NPA owns up rubber plantation raid in Agusan Sur

THE New People’s Army (NPA) rebels belonging to the Agusan Norte and Agusan Sur Western Command took responsibility for the raid at Shannalyne Tree plantation, a rubber tree plantation in Km 8, Barangay Hawilian, Esperanza town in Agusan del Sur on Tuesday.

The rebels identified the five security guards killed during the raid as Felipe “Ihag” Hadraki, Remy Polintan, “Mankurenti,” “Boklet” and “Junior.”

Cepalco heist suspects known

CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Police have identified two of the suspects in Tuesday’s robbery at the Cagayan de Oro Electric Power and Light Company (Cepalco) that authorities considered as highly planned and well executed.

A composite sketch, a computer generated sketch, and a “sighting” of a police character outside the Cepalco premises gave the police an initial lead on the case.

Police: Security lapses weakest link in Cepalco heist

SECURITY lapses have been the weakest link in the swift heist at the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. (Cepalco) Tuesday that left the power firm losing at least P35,000 from its two tellers and an undetermined amount of money from customers waiting for their turn to pay their electricity bill, police said.

Security lapses ‘weakest link’ in Cepalco heist

CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Security lapses have been the weakest link in the swift heist at the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Co. (Cepalco) Tuesday that left the power firm losing at least P35,000 from its two tellers and an undetermined amount of money from customers waiting for their turn to pay their electricity bill, police said.

It was still around 8:40 a.m. Tuesday and the number counter stopped at 30 when the heist occurred. Authorities saw the attack as highly planned and well executed.

Bukidnon’s debt servicing: P405.4M in 9 years

MALAYBALAY CITY – The Bukidnon Provincial Government has paid a total of P405.383 million for loans mostly for its major hospitals since 2004, according to the latest Statement of Debt Service of the province, dated March 31 this year.

This is equivalent to an average of P45 million a year or slightly higher than the province’s projected tax revenues for 2013 at P44.554 million. It also expects to earn P26.885 million in “nontax revenues” from regulatory and license fees.

Emano biggest spender among Oro bets

DEFEATED City Mayor Vicente Emano has emerged as the biggest spender in the May 13 midterm elections based on the statements of election contributions and expenditures (Soces) received by the city’s Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Based on his Soce filed last June 13, Emano, who ran under his own PaDayon Pilipino Party, spent P800,000 in his campaign.

Caap’s challenge: Laguindingan airport woes

LOOSE security, “colorum” or illegal transport services, and cleanliness are some of the issues raised by the commuters in the recent opening of the Laguindingan Airport in Barangay San Isidro, Laguindingan, Misamis Oriental on Saturday.

Fe Judith, a Commission on Audit (COA) officer of El Salvador City in Misamis Oriental, said the airport seemed to lack security measures as travelers and individuals could easily enter the airport building without proper security check.

Oro Chamber backs Moreno’s 8-point agenda

DESPITE its political division during the May 13 polls, the business sector in Cagayan de Oro City has pledged its support to mayor-elect Oscar Moreno as he assumes his seat come June 30

During the general membership meeting of Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation Inc. (Oro Chamber) on June 14, it has explicitly expressed its support to Moreno’s eight-point agenda.

‘Do your duties until further notice’: Moreno

WHILE watchful on the supposed "midnight appointment" at the local government offices, incoming Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno called on all employees as well as doctors of the hospitals both in the province and city to stay and continue working even beyond June 30.

“Don’t leave your posts and do your duties until further notice. What will happen to the patients if you resign,” Moreno said on Saturday during his weekly radio program.

Creative solutions needed in peace talks: negotiator

ILIGAN CITY -- Creativity by the parties in the current negotiations to end the Moro rebellion in Mindanao will be a key driver in concluding soonest a comprehensive peace pact, said government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer.

Already, peace activists are worried that the lengthening delay in the restart of the negotiations could impair the quality of outcome of the upcoming Bangsamoro transition.

Airport porters: ‘We have been betrayed’

LUMBIA Airport porter David Anas almost fell to his knees after learning that their services were no longer required in the new Laguindingan Airport after Lumbia closed on Friday.

Their cooperative, the Cagayan de Oro SkyCap Multipurpose Cooperative (SkyCap Coop), has not been part of the team that relocated to the new Laguindingan Airport on Saturday.

Mining firm’s tailings dam that cracked ‘stabilized’

TUBOD, Surigao del Norte -- An official of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Caraga region said the tailings dam of a mining firm operating in Barangay Siana in this town has been stabilized following a crack to mitigate possible environmental risks.

Rene Gonzales, mining environment division chief of MGB-Caraga, said that he personally checked the dam two days after Greenstone employees discovered a crack on April 24, 2013.

Farewell, Lumbia

AS THE last plane took off Friday night, the Kagay-anons bid farewell to Lumbia Airport which served Cagayan de Oro for more than fifty years and stood as the symbol of Cagayan de Oro City’s progress.

It may now become a part of the city’s history as it closed its commercial operations while Laguindingan Airport starts today in Barangay Moog, Laguindinga town in Misamis Oriental.

Group accuses Aquino admin scripts oil price hike

A LOCAL transport group accused the Aquino administration of scripting the sudden increases of the oil price five times in the last two weeks.

Ringo Lago, spokesperson of the Solidarity of Transport Alliance in Region (Starex) noted that right after the elections, the oil price suddenly increased five times within weeks.

Emano washes hands over water row

OUTGOING city councilor Edgardo Cabanlas lashed out at outgoing Mayor Vicente Emano for washing his hands over the water row between the Cagayan de Oro Water District (Cowd) implicating its Board of Trustees and also Rio Verde by pursuing a class suit against both water service providers.

Majority of the members of the City Council consented Emano to pursue the filing of the class suit against the Cowd board of trustees and Rio Verde.

PDEA agents to fight vs drug spread at schools

AS THE proliferation of drugs in the region has become widespread and even blatant inside the schools, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Northern Mindanao region is fielding some of its agents in schools targeted by these illegal drug pushers.

PDEA chief Emerson L. Margate said the regional anti-drug department is monitoring some schools in the region particularly in Cagayan de Oro where they believe huge stocks of illegal drugs are delivered from neighboring cities for distribution in various campuses here.

NDFP accuses Deles of bungling peace nego

THE National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) accused Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) secretary Teresita Deles for bungling the peace negotiations between the government and the NDFP.

Earlier this week, Deles claimed that the NDFP has designed the peace talks to be unending.

Transport group to file fare hike

A .50-CENTAVO jeepney fare hike has been proposed as giant oil companies have been increasing the price of gasoline for three times last week.

This prompted transport groups to assert a fare hike due to the surge in diesel price reaching up to P40 per liter.

Comelec gives final call on filing election spending

A FINAL call to all candidates to file their election expenses has been made by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Northern Mindanao after the deadline of filing expired on June 13.

Only 28 out of 64 candidates filed reports on their election spending and contributions.

Gov’t reviews case of nabbed MILF members

OZAMIZ CITY — The Philippine Government has assured the family of the four Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members arrested by security forces that it “will observe due process and all the attendant rights of the detained.”

Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, government chief negotiator in talks with the MILF, made this assurance in a press statement Thursday.

Labor department to disseminate Kasambahay Law

QUESTIONS on the newly created Kasambahay Law will now be addressed in the provincial level as the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Northern Mindanao deployed desk officers in five provinces in the region.

Dole regional director Johnson Cañete said the desk officers facilitate assistance to the house helpers or their employers during their registration.

Argument results in 2 deaths

A HEATED argument has resulted in the shooting of a security guard and his girlfriend inside an abandoned bus turned into a makeshift sleeping quarters.

Police Officer 2 (PO2) Noel E. Perpetua, investigator of Cugman police station, identified the victims as Noel Japon, 36, married, a native of Lumbo, Alubijid, Misamis Oriental and Anafe Lara, 23, single, a native of Zone 6, Bagong Silang, Iligan City.

Transport to Laguindingan airport ready

PASSENGERS who have flights to catch on the first commercial operations of the Laguindingan Airport on Saturday don’t have to worry as the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board-10 (LTFRB-10) said more than half a dozen of utility vehicles (UVs) are available to ferry passengers to and from the new airport.

HIV/AIDS advocates urge MSM to get counseling, testing

LOCAL advocates working on providing correct information and slowing down the spread of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus / Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) in Cagayan de Oro City have been persuading individuals engaged in men having sex with men (MSM) to avail of a free voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) at the City Health Office.

Emano’s order to reinstate City Hall workers, ‘a lie’

OUTGOING Mayor Vicente Emano reportedly issued an order allowing the return of the four city hall employees to their original post in compliance with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) order.

This he said during his radio program on Sunday. However, he didn’t elaborate on the issue.

Drug agency nabs alleged drug dealers

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Northern Mindanao region scored anew against dealers of illegal drugs on two separate occasions in Cagayan de Oro and Claveria town in Misamis Oriental.

Ben Calibre of the PDEA-10 said 14 sachets or five grams of suspected shabu were confiscated from a certain Roderick Fulminar alias “Tayak,” 32, of Agora, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro, in a buy-bust operation conducted Tuesday afternoon outside a university in Lapasan.

Judge orders gag on Rasuman case

A JUDGE in a regional trial court (RTC) handling the syndicated estafa case against the Rasuman group, has ordered prosecution and defense to refrain from holding interviews and publication with the media while the case is still ongoing.

Dengue cases, deaths surge in N. Mindanao

CAGAYAN DE ORO -- Complacency could worsen the statistics of dengue cases that have been surging since the first quarter this year, while it is also expected to shoot up between May to October, the wet season.

Dengue is no longer a seasonal disease but an all year round viral illness.

Aquino lands at Laguindingan airport

PRESIDENT Benigno Simeon Aquino III landed at the Laguindingan Airport on board Gulfstreamer IV, Kalayaan 1, the president's official aircraft, at 10:45 a.m. Tuesday to inspect the facilities at the airport that will begin its commercial operations on Saturday, June 15.

The airport will be operating on a visual flight rule (VFR) without the instrument landing system (ILS) and the air navigation and support services facilities (ANSSF).