Senator: Lacson could have used a fake passport

TRACING Senator Panfilo Lacson's movements while in hiding for more than a year will be very difficult because he may have used a fake passport, a senator who once headed the immigration bureau said.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said Wednesday that Lacson may have used a forged passport, adding when she was commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration, she found that the Philippines was "the fake passport capital of the world."

New prosecutors designated for Maguindanao massacre case

A NEW set of prosecutors will join the panel in charge of handling the trial of members of the influential Ampatuan clan, who were criminally charged for the murder of 57 individuals in Maguindanao.

Rights body to probe incident involving child who danced on TV

THE Commission on Human Rights will investigate an incident involving a six-year-old boy who was crying while mimicking a macho dancer on a television game show that later caused an uproar over the weekend.

TV5 has since apologized on behalf of its hit show “Willing Willie,” wherein host Willie Revillame asked Jan-Jan Suan last March 12 to gyrate to the music of a Snoop Dog rap song in exchange for P10,000.

Singapore to help Manila enhance private-public sector partnership

THE Philippine government entered a partnership with Singapore to further enhance its capability in allowing greater private sector participation in public sector projects.

Under the agreement, Temasek Foundation, Singapore (TF) will provide a grant amount of SGD$1,422,742 (P49.89 million) that will help the Philippines enable a public-private partnership (PPP) for its infrastructure projects, one of the core economic programs of the Aquino administration.

PAL eyes mass termination before CBA talks

FLAG carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) maintained it will resume negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement only after 2,600 workers in its non-core units are retrenched.

The airline made this announcement after President Benigno Aquino III gave the go-signal last week to proceed with the spinoff program, a move that will outsource thousands of jobs to make the Lucio Tan-controlled company more profitable.

Lawmaker takes offense at Marcos, Reyes comparison

HOUSE Minority Leader and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman took offense at the statement of a senator expressing support for the plan of House members to transfer the remains of former President Ferdinand Marcos to the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

“Justifying the proposed burial in the Libingan ng mga Bayani of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos by invoking the recent hero’s burial of General Angelo Reyes constitutes a grave historical amnesia and a contemporary aberration,” Lagman said in a press statement.

Health agency prepares for rise in dengue cases

WITH expectations of a longer rainy season, the Department of Health (DOH) is already preparing for increased dengue cases this year.

Speaking at the Dengue Summit for local government officials in Metro Manila, DOH Assistant Secretary Gerry Bayuga said there is a real possibility that the country could see a further increase in the number of dengue cases.

Aquino hit over Philippines' corruption score hike

AN OPPOSITION legislator criticized the Aquino administration for failing to improve the country’s image after the Philippines' corruption score, as measured by a Hong Kong-based agency, increased.

“It shows that this admin has been lax in trying to implement anti-corrupt measures and have even been tolerant to issues and have played a blind eye pertaining to this,” Zambales Representative Mitos Magsaysay told reporters.

Law creating Dinagat Islands constitutional -- Supreme Court

VOTING 9-6, the Supreme Court on Wednesday declared Republic Act 9355, the law creating the province of Dinagat islands, as constitutional.

In a decision penned penned by Associate Justice Antonio Eduardo Nachura, the Court en banc reversed its February 2010 decision which voided the election of its provincial officials during the 2007 polls and nullified said law for failure to meet the minimum requirements for population and land area under the Local Government Code.

Angara: Philippines could best China, Japan in wind energy

THE Philippines should look to Japan and China to see the potential that wind energy holds, a senator said Wednesday.

Japan, the world's third-largest economy, was able to rely on 1,746 wind turbines to get its power grid back on line after suffering an earthquake, a tsunami, and a nuclear emergency, Senator Edgardo Angara said.

Government vows better employment for Pinoys

MANILA -- The Philippine government on Wednesday vowed to create more jobs for its citizens after the execution of three Filipino drug mules who entered China to escape widespread poverty and unemployment at home.

"Our ultimate goal is to create a situation where people are not pressured to resort to these things, where they can find enough gainful employment in the Philippines," President Benigno Aquino III said hours after the three Filipinos were executed in China through lethal injection.

Property developer declares Romblon doctor persona non-grata

THE Rockwell Land Corporation formally declared Wednesday a live-in guest of a Joya Towers and Lofts resident as persona non-grata in all Rockwell Land Premises.

Dr. Jose M. Cabrera, reportedly a guest staying at his daughter's apartment within the Rockwell Center, was banned after a string of complaints filed against him had mounted regarding his threatening, abusive and thoroughly uncivilized behavior causing undue alarm and concern among Rockwell residents, guests and even Power Plant Mall patrons.

Contingency plans up for today's strike

CONTINGENCY measures are set for Thursday's nationwide transport strike, said Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Duterte, in a television interview, said the City Government will be fielding 62 buses and 20 dump trucks to bring commuters from their homes to their work places when drivers stop plying their routes totally.

Pinoys grieve execution of 3 overseas workers in China

FILIPINOS across the country expressed grief Wednesday over the execution of three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) convicted of drug trafficking in China.

Vice President Jejomar Binay confirmed the execution by lethal injection of Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, Ramon Credo and Elizabeth Batain before noon Wednesday.

City police tighten security

THE Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has set security measures to ensure an orderly conduct of Thursday's nationwide transport strike in protest to the spiraling prices of oil products.

DCPO, together with Task Force Davao (TFD), Public Safety Command Center (PSCC) and other law enforcement agencies, vowed to keep the public safe and prevent any untoward incident from happening.

Man shot in Calinan

A 40-YEAR-OLD man is now in critical condition after he was shot by an unidentified suspect at Abayon Subdivision, Calinan, Davao City, Tuesday evening.

PO3 Rimel S. Serado, investigator of Calinan police station, identified the victim as Joy C. Daman, head of Agri-Extension of Josefa Segovia's Foundation, resident of Purok-1, Balite, Calinan, Davao City.

Councilors welcome probe on 'send-off gift'

SOME Davao City councilors welcome the ongoing investigation of the Office of the Ombudsman for Mindanao on alleged "pabaon" (send-off gift) given by the Aboitiz Power Corporation to some councilors.

Councilor Melchor Quitain, chair of the City Council committee on ethics, earlier said the Ombudsman is the authorized agency to conduct the probe.

Residents slam traffic congestion

SOME residents near the vicinity of a school in Matina complained of traffic congestion caused by private vehicles that are loading and unloading students on Acacia Street during school days.

The Camachile Residents Association (Caresa) led by its officers, during Wednesday's public hearing of the City Council committee on energy, transportation, and communication, opposed the proposal of the Ateneo de Davao University-Grade School Department to close Acacia Street during non-peak hours.

Poll body orders manual recount of ballots in protest

DAVAO CITY -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) ordered the manual recount of the results of the May 10, 2010 mayoral race between this city's Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio and former House Speaker Prospero Nograles.

Police director vows to make Pampanga crime-free

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- The Pampanga police director vowed to make the province crime-free in Tuesday's hearing at Capitol, where proposed ordinance on barangay information system and safety plan was tackled.

"Never again shall Pampanga be a dumping ground of victims and a haven for carnappers and criminals," said Provincial Police Director Edgardo Tinio.

Tricycle drivers join strike

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- At least 20,000 tricycle drivers have expressed their support to the nationwide transport strike initiated by the Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Opereytor Nationwide (Piston) on Thursday.

Pedring Punzalan, president of the Federation of Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association, said they will join the tigil-pasada movement from 6 a.m. to 12 noon Thursday.

San Fernando's transport groups not joining strike

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Transport federations and groups in the City of San Fernando are not joining Thursday's nationwide strike.

City Administrator Ferdinand Caylao bared this Wednesday, as he met with the federation of transport operators and drivers here regarding the strike rooted on the continuous rise of oil prices.

Village officials urged to focus on transients

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Village officials were urged Tuesday to focus on the mandatory registration of transients in their respective barangays as mandated under the proposed Barangay Registry System and Safety Plan.

Village leaders support AUF road barriers

ANGELES CITY -- Leaders of Barangay Lourdes Sur East in this city supported the retention of steel barriers along the MacArthur Highway that were placed by the Angeles University Foundation (AUF) in 2006 to regulate traffic in the area.

Resolution Number 014 Series of 2011, or a resolution supporting the retention of steel barriers along the MacArthur Highway, Angeles City, was unanimously approved and adopted by members of the barangay council on March 25.

Capitol workers undergo fire safety seminar

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Capitol employees on Tuesday participated in a fire safety orientation seminar conducted by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) in line with the observance of Fire Prevention Month.

Provincial Administrator lawyer Andres Pangilinan Jr. said the activity was very timely and appropriate in the wake of recent disasters that struck New Zealand and Japan.

Police gear up vs rebel threats

CAMP OLIVAS -- Police in Central Luzon have raised the alarm against possible attacks from communist rebels, as the New People's Army (NPA) observes its founding anniversary.

In a statement, Chief Superintendent Alan Purisima reminded police units within the region to be alert and take extra precautions for possible atrocities the rebel group may carry out, following their founding 42nd anniversary last March 29.

Villages to create women, children's complaint desk

ANGELES CITY -- To address domestic violence, the City Government recently sponsored a seminar aimed at establishing complaint desks for women and children in the city's 33 barangays.

This is in connection with the rules and regulations implementing the Anti-violence against women and children under Republic Act (RA) 9710, otherwise known as the Magna Carta of Women.

Official assures solution to corn fungus

CANDABA -- A town official has assured corn growers here that appropriate actions will be undertaken to address the looming problem on fungus and rust on their crops.

Leny Manalo, Mayor Jerry Pelayo's chief of staff, said they are looking at the matter seriously, as this problem can cause tremendous damage in agriculture and could probably result in critical losses for the corn growers.

District hospital eyed for United Nations project

GUAGUA -- The Diosdado P. Macapagal Memorial Hospital (DPMMH) is being eyed as a project model for the implementation of a United Nations Program-Global Environment Facility (UNDP-GEF) that aims to promote and best practices for healthcare waste management.

Vice Governor Joseller Guiao, in his March 29 letter to the Provincial Board (PB), has requested for the passage of a resolution authorizing Governor Lilia Pineda to enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Health-Central Luzon for the implementation of the project.

3 Abu Sayyaf bandits killed in clash

ZAMBOANGA CITY – Three suspected members of the Abu Sayyaf group were believed killed in a clash with government security forces in southern Sulu province, a military spokesman said.