Smiles for 3,000 indigents

LUBAO -- More than 3,000 indigent kabalens from the towns of Guagua, Sta. Rita, Sasmuan, Porac, Floridablanca and this municipality were given free dentures, courtesy of Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Governor Lilia Pineda.

Duterte to set public hearing on coal plant

DAVAO CITY Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte vowed to conduct a public hearing on Aboitiz's proposal to build a coal-fired power plant in the city.

"This is to ensure that the voice of the people would prevail," the vice mayor said.

No help for drug mules

DAVAO City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte expressed unwillingness to help three drug mules from Davao Region who are behind bars in foreign countries.

Duterte said "the law is the law and we must respect it."

Councilor admits confrontation with driver, denies mauling

COUNCILOR Paolo Duterte admitted having confronted an abusive bus driver a few days ago but denied he mauled the driver who is now accusing him of physical injury.

Reports showed that early morning of April 2, Duterte confronted a Weena bus driver identified as Arnold Cobol for beating the red light along Quimpo Boulevard. Duterte reportedly saw the traffic violation and chased the bus driver.

New brand logo of Davao presented

THE company in charge of a promotion campaign for Davao City has presented its proposed brand logo for Davao, which Mayor Sara Duterte also preferred.

Eastgate Publishing Corporation (EPC) presented a monochromatic themed logo that shows Mt. Apo's ascent with a graphic of the Philippine Eagle soaring, and printed in the center is "Davao" in tribal font. The base of the logo has Mt. Apo's reflection that showcases the Gulf of Davao.

Lightning hits man

A MAN who was just seated on a terrace landed in the hospital after he was struck by lightning Tuesday night.

Coco leaf beetles attack South Cotabato town

A STATE of calamity was declared in the municipality of Tupi, South Cotabato because of coconut leaf beetles.

Food from Japan safe from radiation

MANILA -- Philippine experts on Wednesday assured a Senate committee that foodstuffs coming from Japan are safe for human consumption.

Dr. Suzette Henares-Lazo, director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), told the Senate committee on health that the agency has checked samples of imported food from Japan and found them "very safe" to eat.

Massive flooding hit Davao

DAVAO CITY -- A heavy downpour that lasted for hours caused massive flooding in many areas here Tuesday, stranding hundreds of motorists and commuters and raising fears among residents trapped inside their homes.

On Wednesday morning, however, the flooded streets simply looked newly washed with barely a sign of the deluge the night before.

Aquino visits Pangasinan to inaugurate 2 new projects

DAGUPAN CITY -- President Benigno Aquino III will visit Pangasinan on province Friday to inaugurate two new projects. It will be his second visit to the province after his election last year.

Aquino will inaugurate the first engineered sanitary landfill in Pangasinan and the second such facility in the entire Ilocos Region.

Gunmen kill 3, burn passenger bus

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Three people, including an Army officer, were killed while a bus marshal was critically wounded when four gunmen robbed a passenger bus along the Zamboanga-Pagadian highway Tuesday night.

The incident happened around 8:30 p.m. in Upper Tungawan village, Tungawan town, Zamboanga Sibugay while the bus, owned by the Rural Transit Management Incorporated (RTMI), was negotiating the highway coming from Pagadian City.

Lawmakers warn Aquino of a 'perfect political storm'

MEMBERS of the progressive party-list bloc in Congress warned of an escalation of workers' protests in the run-up to May 1, Labor Day, after Malacañang refused to certify as urgent a measure legislating a P125 increase in wages.

“The Aquino administration will be facing a 'perfect political storm' this summer. It will brace an escalation of workers protest after its rejection and denial of the workers’ just demand for a substantial wage increase,” Anakpawis party-list Representative Rafael Mariano said Wednesday.

Economic team told: Come up with new measures vs high oil

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday directed his economic team to come up with more measures to cushion the impact of continuing oil price increases.

In an ambush interview, Aquino said economic managers were instructed "to study all and every means on how to mitigate the spiraling oil prices especially given the fact that we do not see quick resolution to this."

DILG to take charge of case vs minors in Agusan kidnap

MALACANANG will let the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to determine the appropriate charges to be filed against the perpetrators of the six-day hostage drama in Agusan del Sur.

Although several hostage-takers were reportedly minors, the government will hold them accountable for the consequences of their actions, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

Lacson arrival papers to be submitted to DOJ this week

THE arrival report of Senator Panfilo Lacson, who went into hiding after an arrest warrant was issued against him for a double-murder case, will be submitted this week to Justice Department Secretary Leila de Lima.

Meat processing company sticks with 'Willing Willie'

IT'S business as usual for meat processing company CDO Foodsphere Inc. as it shrugged off calls from different groups to join the advertising boycott against Willie Revillame's eponymous game show "Willing Willie."

Pichay, LWUA execs face charges for buying a bank

CRIMINAL charges were filed on Tuesday against board members of the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) for its alleged anomalous acquisition of a thrift bank that resulted in losses for the government.

Ligots get more time to explain side in tax case

FORMER military comptroller Jacinto Ligot and his wife Erlinda on Wednesday appeared during the preliminary investigation of the P428-million tax evasion complaint filed against them by the Bureau of Internal Revenue, but the spouses asked for more time to answer the charges.

Senate hearing on Armm polls scheduled as deadline looms

THE Philippine Senate on Thursday will deliberate on the proposed postponement of elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao even as time to pass the measure is running out.

Taguig poll protest moved to another Comelec division

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) transferred the election case filed against the wife of Senator Alan Peter Cayetano to another division after the senator accused Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes of bribery.

New grads face bleak job prospects, lawmaker says

KABATAAN party-list Representative Raymond Palatino warned of a bleak future for majority of the estimated 400,000 fresh graduates unless President Benigno Aquino III improves their job prospects.

Aquino leaves judges’ special allowance to Congress

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III approved the higher salaries for judges but he remained mum about giving them special allowances and raising their pay to comply with a salary standardization law, saying these matters are up to Congress.

Senate to government-led coco oil firms: explain P1.5 B losses

SEQUESTERED conglomerate Coconut Industry Investment Fund – Oil Mills Group (CIIF-OMG) has to submit a position paper regarding the P1.5 billion it lost from 2005-2007.

Group asks UN to look into violations of children's rights

AS THE Philippines vows to eliminate worst forms of child labor in five years, a militant group challenged the United Nations to investigate cases of children’s rights violations under the Aquino administration.

Government approves road projects worth P6.2B

AN INTER-AGENCY committee has recently approved a P6.2-billion national road improvement program to enhance the movement of people and goods in the country.

DOH sets treatment camp at diarrhea-hit Palawan town

ASIDE from sending disease experts, the Department of Health (DOH) will set-up treatment camps in the areas affected by the diarrhea outbreak in Palawan.

Aquino lauded for Mendoza’s appointment at audit body

LAWMAKERS at the House of Representatives who listened to the testimony of Heidi Mendoza on the alleged corruption in the military lauded President Benigno Aquino III for appointing her as a commissioner at the Commission on Audit (COA).

3 village officials receive death threats

THREE officials of an east coast village in Zamboanga City have asked the police and military to provide them security protection after they received death threats.

Families of slain, wounded soldiers get financial aid

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has awarded P2,750,000 "special financial assistance" to families of soldiers who were killed and wounded in line of duty in different parts of Mindanao.

The cash assistance was handed over Wednesday to the beneficiaries by Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief Lieutenant General Raymundo Ferrer at Camp Navarro in Zamboanga City.

Drug agency seizes P500,000 worth of shabu

ZAMBOANGA SIBUGAY -- Drug agency personnel seized Tuesday P500,000 worth of shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) in Ipil town, this province.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) provincial chief Agent Norman Sulla said seized the illegal drugs from four suspects, identified as Tong Afdal Abdulkarim, 43, and his wife Fatima Adam Abdulkarim, 45; Usdag Afdal Lamalahi, 44; and Ismael Akang Ali, 41.