Cagayan de Oro welcomes Chinese New Year

MEMBERS of the Misamis Oriental Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Incorporated (MOFCCCII) welcomes the year of the metal rabbit with thanksgiving through their centuries old traditions on Thursday at a downtown mall here. The celebration started with a grand motorcade at 9 a.m. until participants reached the mall where dragon dance and throwing of candies and coins to shoppers became the central attraction.

PUJs can now collect additional P1.00 fare

PUBLIC utility jeep operators who applied for a P7.50 fare hike two years ago can now collect the new fare hike, the Land Transportation and Franchising Board (LTFRB) regional office here said on Thursday.

LTFRB assistant regional director Allan D. Guro said LTFRB approved the P7.50 fare hike two years ago but the fare was roll back after fuel prices then went down.

Urban poor slams power rates hike

THE city’s committee on urban poor criticized organizers of Friday’s public hearing on power rate increase for choosing a restrictive venue.

City Councilor President Elipe, chair of the city council’s ad hoc committee, said Thursday that the public hearing will be at Searsolin along Masterson Avenue in Upper Carmen at 2 p.m. Friday.

P2.50 LPG price rollback implemented

A ROLLBACK in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pegged at P2.50 per kilogram was implemented Thursday.

Councilor Juan Sia, one of the oldest suppliers of LPG in the city, said a 14-kg tank of LPG now sells at P748, down from its previous price of P807 per tank.

Hearing on P0.50 power rates hike set

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) in Cagayan de Oro will conduct a hearing on the application of the Cagayan Electric Power and Light Company (Cepalco) to increase its power rates here by P0.50 per kilowatt hour.

The hearing, called by members of the City Council, is open to the public. It will take place tomorrow at the South-East Asia Rural Social Leadership (Searsolin), Father Mastersons Road in Upper Carmen, Cagayan de Oro City.

2 wanted murder suspects collared

CITY police operatives arrested two suspects in separate occasions in Bukidnon and in Lopez Jaena, Misamis Occidental, for two separate killings.

City Police Director Benedicto Lopez identified the suspects as Ferdinand Sorre, 46, of Sitio Kolambugan, Barangay Danatag, Baungon, Bukidnon, and Rowe Sorre, Ferdinand's nephew.

Suspects, victims tight-lipped on 'resto' shooting

POLICE looking into the shooting incident at a restaurant on corner Velez and Fernandez Streets on Tuesday morning are still facing a blank wall after the families of both the suspects and the victims refused to cooperate in the on-going investigation.

City police director Benedicto Lopez said the victims and their family members rejected police investigations and say nothing about the identities of the suspects.

Fire officials conduct inspection on hotels

THE city fire department is now conducting priority inspection on some 2,500 hotels, inns, resorts, pension houses and motels in Cagayan de Oro City to make sure these establishments are safe.

Top official pushes for review of law on exploitation of minors

LAWYER Jose A. Fabia, director general of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) is calling on lawmakers to re-visit the Comprehensive Juvenile Justice and Welfare System (Republic Act 9344).

Councilor member denies letting Council buy meds

A MEMBER of the majority bloc in the Provincial Council of Misamis Oriental denies allegations that the purchase of drugs and medicines in the province could be done only on recommendation of Provincial Board member Jeremy Pelaez.

Drug agency deploys K9's to detect couriers

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is acquiring additional especially trained K9 dogs, for deployment in the ports of Visayas and Mindanao to sniff for illegal drugs and explosives, a top official said.

PDEA Undersecretary Jose S. Gutierrez, Jr. said that the deployment of K9 were aimed at strengthening the anti-drug courier program launched here on Monday.

City dumps 77-ton garbage annually

AN ESTIMATED 177,620 cubic meters (77,619 tons) of garbage were disposed in the city's controlled dump site last year.

The city's garbage has the biggest volume at 99,951.50 cubic meters; followed by private collection with 38,272.70 cubic meters; barangay collection with 34,662.50 cubic meters, and the privately owned Basura at Iba Pa, Inc. (BAI) with 4,733 cubic meters. This was shared by Engr. Isidro G. Borja, officer-in-charge of the City Public Services Office (CPSO), in a report submitted to Mayor Vicente Y. Emano.

Fines against traffic violators net P2.6M

A TOTAL of 27,024 traffic offenders in Cagayan de Oro City were apprehended last year by the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) as it collected P2,592,332 million in administrative fines and basic fees.

RTA executive overseer P/Supt. Antonio C. Montalba, in his annual report sent to City Mayor Vicente Y. Emano, said that of the total number of apprehensions, 8,904 traffic violators have paid their fines; 18,242 are for case filing; 220 are facing cases in court and 382 were "trisikad" (pedicab) violations.

Cadastral survey of Misamis Oriental municipality

LOCAL government officials of the municipality of Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental, together with regional officials from the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) and project contractor, Engr. Joseph Suello, conducted the inauguration of the municipality's Cadastral Survey Project.

Resto bar shooting kills 1, hurts 3

CAGAYAN DE ORO -- A man was killed while three others were wounded after a brawl inside a resto bar along Velez-Fernandez Sts. in this city turned into a shooting spree Tuesday morning.

'Anti-drug drive' kicks off in Oro

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) launched Monday an "anti-drug courier program" in Cagayan de Oro City to warn those seeking work abroad of the clandestine drug courier trade in the country.

As of January 2011, the drug agency has recorded around 690 drug courier cases, 63 percent or 431 of these were females, while 37 percent or 258 were males, PDEA Undersecretary Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. said during a press briefing.

Jeepney driver in road mishap faces raps

POLICE are now gathering affidavits among survivors of the head-on collision between a 10-wheeler truck and a passenger jeep along Sayre Highway that killed five commuters and injured 15 others last week.

PO2 Noel Perpetua, Cugman police station, said the driver of the passenger jeep identified as Jessie Balaba will likely face criminal charges.

Fire 'gobbles' Nazareth eatery

A FIRE of unknown origin razed an unattended eatery along Tomas Saco 16th street in Barangay Nazareth in Cagayan de Oro City on Monday.

Alert neighbors were able to put off the fire. Police placed the damage to property at P30,000. No one was injured in the blaze.

Armed men rob internet shop

FIVE armed and masked robbers held-up an Internet café along Pabayo-Dolores in Cagayan de Oro City Sunday evening.

Police said the unidentified armed men barged inside the internet café past 10 p.m. Sunday and announced a hold up.

Infra projects for Carmen readied

REPRESENTATIVE Benjie Benaldo (first district, Cagayan de Oro City) said Monday that his priority infrastructure projects will be implemented in Barangay Carmen.

P250m needed to repair Hall of Justice, school

TWO separate bills for the renovation of the Hall of Justice building and the expansion of a public national high school in Cagayan de Oro City were recently filed in Congress.

Mayor: Police under military 'not a solution'

RETURNING the Philippine National Police (PNP) to the jurisdiction of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is not a solution to the deteriorating capability of the police in addressing criminality, Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Emano said.

Emano emphasized that it would be difficult to put back the police under the jurisdiction of the military because the two agencies have different calls of service.

Suspect in killing of police officer nabbed

ONE of the principal suspects in the killing of a police officer in Quezon, Bukidnon, five years ago, was arrested during a raid at his hideout in the province last week.

Inspector Reynante Reyes, head of the regional police special operations group based in Camp Alagar, Cagayan de Oro City, arrested Rogelio M. Lauron at his hideout in Purok 6, San Jose, Quezon, Bukidnon. He did not resist arrest.

Budget department decides on legality of province's 2011 budget

THE province of Misamis Oriental is leaving it to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to decide on the legality of its partially vetoed 2011 Appropriation Ordinance.

Provincial Governor Oscar Moreno said the DBM's decision is credible since there is "no politics" in that department.

4th ID conducts drive against insurgency

THE Army's 4th Infantry "Diamond" Division conducted an educational awareness campaign that aims to intensify its counter-insurgency efforts in Barangay Poblacion in Malitbog, Bukidnon.

P55M infra, flood-control projects begun

CONSTRUCTION of at least P55 million worth of various infrastructure and flood-control structures in different barangays in Cagayan de Oro started last Saturday.

Operators snub taxi 'metering'

SOME 400 taxi operators in Cagayan de Oro City protested the installation of new taxi meters that would have entitled them to demand a P40 flag-down rate.

Instead, the operators petitioned the Land Transportation and Franchising Board (LTFRB) to be allowed to maintain the old P30 flag-down rate on condition that they will ask for an additional P10 fare on top of the P30.

Father faces rape charges

POLICE on Friday filed two counts of rape against a 36-year-old father suspected of raping his two daughters.

SPO1 Levina Carreon, chief of the Women and Children's Desk at the Macabalan Police Station, said that Ramil Bustamante, currently detained at the Maharlika Detention cell, will be committed to the Lumbia Rehabilitation Center today.

Council approves 282 laws, 433 resolutions

THE City Council of Cagayan de Oro, headed by Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas, enacted a total of 282 ordinances and passed 433 resolutions last year.

This was the highlight of the Annual Accomplishment Report 2010 submitted by City Council Secretary Arturo de San Miguel to City Mayor Vicente Emano. He reported that the City Council held 43 regular sessions and one special session in the year 2010.

Operation vs erring PUJs nets 200

OPERATIVES of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Northern Mindanao on Thursday put up a surprise checkpoint in Cugman town here and apprehended 200 public utility jeeps plying the city's east coast.