Young businessman found dead with stab wounds

POLICE are investigating the death of a 23-year-old businessman whose body was found dumped Sunday in Sun City Subdivision, Barangay Communal, Buhangin, Davao City.

Duterte: No more help for abducted cops

DAVAO CITY -- Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of this city vowed not to offer any help whenever there are calls for him to intervene in a kidnapping of government troops by the New People's Army (NPA).

Fil-Chinese trader's kidnappers demand P50M

DAVAO CITY (Updated 1:15 p.m.) -- Gunmen who kidnapped a Filipino-Chinese businessman in Cotabato City demanded for a P50 million ransom in exchange for the hostage's release, reports said.

The kidnappers, identified to be members of Kalbo 2 kidnap gang, reportedly called the family of the victim, Adin Yu, twice since the abduction.

1 dead, 2 hurt in rebel attack

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- A guerrilla was killed and two others were wounded when another group of fully armed Moro rebels attacked the victims' camp in a remote village in Kabacan, North Cotabato, Sunday, police said.

The dead rebel was identified as Edsrafel Ali while those wounded were Kawag Simbuangan, 45, and Akmad Buhisan, 34, all members of the 15th council of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) under Commander Datu Dima Ambil.

Rebel's arrest untimely: Mayor

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte expressed her disappointment over the arrest of a New Peoples' Army (NPA) member during the holidays.

Duterte described the arrest as "so untimely and disappointing because with the ceasefire you move two steps forward, and with the serving of the warrant of arrest during ceasefire you move three steps backward."

Taxis yet to charge new fare

MOST taxi operators and drivers in Davao City decided to delay the implementation of the new fare pending compliance with the required receipt-issuing meter to be installed in taxicabs.

Members of the Metro Davao Taxi Operators and Drivers Association (Medatoa) have agreed to comply with the requirement within six months so they can uniformly charge the new fares.

Trader shot dead in Sultan Kudarat

KIDAPAWAN CITY -- A businesswoman was gunned down while on her way to a public market in Isulan town in Sultan Kudarat at around 6:20 a.m. Monday, police said.

A few minutes later, responding policemen shot to death one of the suspects.

Cabbie accused of molesting teen passenger

A TAXI driver stands accused of molesting his 16-year-old passenger before the Regional Trial Court here.

Prosecutor Mariam April Veloso Mastura on Monday recommended that charges of acts of lasciviousness be filed against Abner Escarten, 33, of Bucana, Davao City.

Disciplining drivers is traffic management group's 2011 mission

THE Traffic Management Center (TMC) vows to exert more effort this year to educate drivers and pedestrians to ease up traffic congestion.

Planting trees to be school requirement

STUDENTS from elementary to college will have to plant trees as requirement for promotion and graduation as the environment department gears for an intensified greening program this year.

Kidnapping of Chinese trader caught on security camera

KIDAPAWAN CITY - A hotel security camera videotaped the kidnapping of another Chinese trader in Cotabato City, the third victim in less than six months, police said.

Chop-slay suspect acting insane: cops

THE suspect in the chopping up of a woman in her house at Solariega Subdivision in Davao City last Christmas was acting insane inside his cell, claiming he could see his dead girlfriend.

But Talomo Police officers said they are not buying 22-year-old Arvin Casanova's antics, dismissing the suspect's claim as just an attempt to avoid the charges by pleading insanity. Police will still pursue a case against him.

Duterte blows top over rebel's arrest

DAVAO City Vice Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte on Sunday flared up over the arrest of a New People's Army (NPA) member in the metropolis on New Year's Day and directed his tirades against a top official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in the region.

In his television program Sunday morning, Duterte said the arrest of Edwin Briganio in Baliok, Toril, last Jan. 1 could hamper the peace process between the Philippine government and the rebel group.

Transportation board: Taxi operators, drivers can delay new fare

TAXI operators and drivers in Davao City have the option to delay the implementation of the fare increase granted by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), an official said Sunday.

Benjamin Go, LTFRB-Davao Region director, told Sun.Star Davao Sunday that since charging of the new fare has no deadline for the operators and drivers to comply with, they have the prerogative to either immediately implement it or not.

Village chief killed, wife abducted by rebels

A VILLAGE chief was killed while five others were wounded in an encounter with New People's Army (NPA) rebels on Saturday in Malita, Davao del Sur.

Pedicab driver accused of rape

CRIMINAL charges have been filed against a man accused of raping a 19-year-old girl on two separate occasions inside the Agdao Public Market in Davao City at the start of the year.

Soldier killed in Compostela Valley clash

DAVAO CITY – A soldier on security patrol was killed in a clash with communist rebels in a village in Compostela Valley province on Saturday morning, the military reported.

The clash erupted when government security forces crossed paths with New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Sitio Cambaratic, Barangay Libudon in Mabini town.

More skirmishes reported in Davao

SEVERAL armed encounters between state troopers and communist rebels were observed in Southern Mindanao barely a week after the Christmas and New Year truce ended.

The latest encounter was Saturday morning when a platoon of soldiers from the Army's 71st Infantry Battalion were conducting security patrol in the vicinity of Sitio Cambaratic, Barangay Libudon in Mabini, Compostela Valley when they encountered a group of New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.

1 of 2 suspects of habal driver shooting falls

POLICE arrested one of the two suspects who shot a habal-habal driver in Barangay Magtuod, Maa, Davao City Friday.

Police Officer 2 Roman Agur, investigator of the Talomo police, identified the suspect as Cyril Villaflor, 29 who was arrested while he was watching television in his house at Teacher's Village, in Calinan town.

Oplan Kalasangan nets 15T hot logs

THE environment department said almost 15,000 of illegally sourced timber have been confiscated since the launch of their program Oplan Kalasangan (OK).

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) noted that since the creation of OK in July 2010, 14,760 pieces of illegally sourced timber with a volume of 2,924,694.98 board feet were confiscated from timber-rich regions of Cagayan Valley and Eastern Mindanao.

2 charged for repacking shabu

TWO men are now facing illegal drug charges for allegedly repacking more than three grams of shabu inside a house in Boulevard, Davao City on January 3.

Eastmincom holds New Year's Call

THE Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines spearheaded its traditional New Year's Call on January 7 at its headquarters’ lobby.

All commanders of the infantry divisions, brigades, battalions and other operational control units of the Eastmincom, enlisted personnel, and civilian employees attended the event.

Board to tackle petitions to review open-pit mining ban

KORONADAL CITY -- The Provincial Board of South Cotabato is set to discuss on Wednesday petitions to review the provincial environment code that bans open-pit mining.

Board member Ernesto Catedral, chair of the committee on environment protection, said those who are against the passage of the environment code have been invited to the joint committee hearing, the first ever since the code took effect mid-October.

5 provinces under calamity state

FIVE provinces are now under state of calamity as flooding and landslides continue to displace thousands of residents Friday.

The latest addition to the list of provinces declared under state of calamity is Northern Samar, where 13,000 families have reportedly been displaced by flooding brought about by heavy rains, which started since December 7.

Mayor dissolves drainage unit

DAVAO City Mayor Sara Duterte ordered the Drainage Maintenance Unit (DMU) under her office to be dissolved.

Duterte said Friday it would be best that the function of DMU be streamlined under the City Engineer's Office (CEO), which also has an Urban Drainage Engineering Unit (UDEU).

44 coastal, riverside areas vulnerable to sea swell

THE Davao City Disaster Coordinating Council (DCDCC) listed 68 areas vulnerable to sea swell or monsoon waves.

Pepito Capili, operations officer of DCDCC, said on Thursday that these coastal and riverside areas are to be adversely affected in the event the sea level rises.

Stiffer penalty vs firecracker ban violators sought

THE Davao City Council is pushing for stiffer penalty against violators of the firecracker ban after authorities in the city apprehended 89 violators, most of whom were minors, in December last year.

Petition for P.50 reduction in taxi fare junked

DAVAO-based taxi operators' petition for only P.50 increase was denied Friday by the Land Transportation and Franchising Board (LTFRB) central office.

Benjamin Go, chief of LTFRB office in Davao, said on Friday that their petition forwarded early this week to Manila was rejected.

State of calamity for Davao Norte sought

THE Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC) passed a resolution asking the Provincial Board (PB) of Davao del Norte to place the province under a state of calamity due to flash floods caused by intermittent rains.

More flood victims; higher cost of damage

THE number of fatalities in the flooding and landslides caused by the weeklong heavy downpour in eight regions all over the country has risen from 18 to 26 as of Thursday.

The number of affected people and the cost of damage were also rising, though hopes for a better weather rose with some areas already experiencing sunny weather as of Thursday morning.