Demolition in Makati hit

A HOUSING rights advocacy group has denounced last week's violent demolition of squatter's shanties at the fire-razed Laperal compound in Makati's Guadalupe Viejo district, saying what happened constitute an "unlawful and irregular act."

Education chief mum on hero's burial for Marcos

EDUCATION Secretary Armin Luistro on Tuesday refused to comment on the controversial issue of allowing the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Government appeals Supreme Court ruling on coco levy

THE government on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to reverse its April 12 decision declaring that the 20-percent stake of businessman Danding Cojuangco in San Miguel Corporation is not part of the coconut levy funds.

Dengue cases up

DENGUE cases in the country for the first four months of 2011 has gone up by almost 1,000, based on the latest Dengue Surveillance Report of the Department of Health (DOH).

Consumers warned vs crooked LPG dealers

A PARTY-LIST group on Tuesday vowed to cooperate with the government against a likely increase in cylinder under-filling.

Soldiers to get extra pay

UNIFORMED personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) will receive P150 daily combat incentive pay.

Tesda may file cases over unfunded scholarship vouchers

THE Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) is completing the audit of about P1 billion unfunded scholarship vouchers issued by the previous leadership.

Hunt on for al-Qaeda man hiding in Mindanao

ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Authorities are hunting down Zulkifli Abdhir, a senior member of several criminal groups in southern Philippines with links to al-Qaeda terrorist group, believed to be hiding in Mindanao, the military said.

Regional military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Randolph Cabangbang said Abdhir, who is a Malaysian citizen, has been hiding in the southern Philippines since August of 2003.

Car dealer gunned down

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- A car dealer on Tuesday was shot to death by unidentified suspects at his auto sales shop along Jose Abad Santos Avenue here.

Superintendent Luisito Magnaye, city police chief, identified the victim as Raul Mallari alias Matoy, owner and manager of K2M Auto Sales, a dealer of pre-owned cars most of which are luxury vehicles.

Guv eyes probe on fish kill in Pampanga River

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Governor Lilia Pineda on Monday has asked fourth district Provincial Board member Nestor Tolentino investigate the tons of dead fish floating along the Masantol portion of Pampanga River.

The governor personally saw dead fish floating along the Pampanga River while en route to two coastal villages in Masantol town for medical missions last Saturday.

New regional police chief installed

CAMP OLIVAS -- Chief Superintendent Edgardo Ladao formally assumed Tuesday the top post of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in Central Luzon, replacing Chief Superintendent Alan Purisima.

PNP Deputy Chief for Operations Raul Castañeda witnessed the change of command between the incoming and outgoing regional police director in behalf of PNP Director General Raul Bacalzo.

Hope springs for poor man with 12 kids

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Alejandro Fajardo, 42, could barely make ends meet with his meager income from occasional work as a construction worker.

From day-to-day, he would have to budget a few hundred pesos for food on the table to support his 12 children, majority of them still in school, as well as provide for his two grandchildren from his oldest daughter.

Pineda leads medical mission in 2 coastal villages

MASANTOL -- Not minding a 20-minute banca ride and the six-kilometer rough road travel under the sweltering heat of the midday sun, Governor Lilia Pineda over the weekend led Provincial Board members in delivering essential services of her medical consultants and medicines to two far-flung coastal villages in Masantol.

Morales cites value of IT in country’s progress

MABALACAT – Mayor Marino ‘Boking’ Morales has cited the importance of information technology (IT) to a developing country like the Philippines.

CEB slashes Hong Kong, Macau, Bangkok fares

THE Philippines’ largest national flag carrier, Cebu Pacific holds a seat sale to three popular international destinations from May 3 to 4 or until seats last.

Tarlac to host organic farming conference

TARLAC CITY — The province of Tarlac is set to host late this year the annual gathering of organic farming practitioners, advocates and enthusiasts in the country.

Outstanding local government unit in Central Luzon named

OLONGAPO CITY -- Olongapo City Mayor James “Bong” Gordon Jr. received three awards this city won at the 5th Recognition of Outstanding Central Luzon Local Government Units (LGUs) held at the Holiday Inn, Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga recently.

Tax bureau intensifies mapping campaigns

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) here on Tuesday started an intensified tax mapping campaign to raise local tax revenue and apprehend tax evaders.

Card shufflers nabbed

CAMP OLIVAS — Police recently arrested two card shufflers of an illegal gambling game in Tarlac City.

Police kill fugitive in shootout, arrest another

A FUGITIVE was killed in a shootout with policemen while his companion managed to escape in Labangan town in Zamboanga del Sur province, the police reported Tuesday.

Another fugitive was arrested at 4:30 a.m. Monday in nearby Misamis Occidental province.

Father and son killed

A 57-YEAR-OLD farmer and his teenage son were brutally killed in a remote village of Bayog municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, the police reported Tuesday.

The Zamboanga del Sur Police Office (ZDSPO) identified the victims as Tancio Luao and his son, Arnel, 14, who were killed Saturday.

P40 million allotted for boulevard expansion project

THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has allocated a funding of P40 million in its 2011 budget for the expansion of the R.T. Lim Boulevard site development project in Zamboanga City.

Mayor Celso Lobregat said the expansion of the site development at R.T. Boulevard will cover the remaining 400 linear meters baywalk leading to the area in front of the City Council building.

'Sinadya sa Suba' fair to be institutionalized

ILOILO City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog plans to institutionalize the "Sinadya sa Suba" fair and make it a major annual city activity during the second quarter of the year.

Mabilog said the fair is expected to raise the level of public awareness on the preservation of the Iloilo River as a vital component of the city’s economic and social activities.

Mayor: New City Hall to become heritage legacy

ILOILO City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said the new City Hall is for history and the legacy to the future generations.

“History will judge me for doing what is right for the city and what I am doing now for the new City Hall is for history and the legacy it will bring to the future generations,” Mabilog said in defense of the construction of some P700-million new City Hall building.

City ordinance needed for workers’ training

ILOILO City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog has pointed out the need for a city ordinance intended for the training of pool of workers in the city to become a highly competitive labor force.

Mabilog’s reaction came after a proposed ordinance of City Councilor Plaridel Nava came out last week requiring all shopping malls, hotels, restaurants and supermarkets operating in Iloilo City to hire employees and maintain at least 50 percent of its labor force bona fide residents and or registered voters in Iloilo City.

Probe on mayor’s death intensified

THE family of slain Mayor Reynaldo Uy of Calbayog City expressed their gratitude to President Benigno Aquino III for directing police authorities to speed up the investigation on the incident.

Lawmaker to look into complaint vs oil, gas exploration

LEYTE first district Board Member Roque Tiu said he will look into the reported contamination of drinking water supply in a farming village in San Isidro town allegedly due to the activities related to natural oil and gas exploration.

This came after regional peasant alliance Samahan ha Gudti nga mga Parag-uma ha Sinirangan Bisayas (Sagupa-SB) reported that the water supply of the farmers had been seriously affected due to the drilling operation of NorAsian Energy Ltd., the company contracted by the Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct natural oil and gas exploration in the area.

Red alert status raised in Samar

THE Philippine National Police (PNP) in Eastern Visayas declared a red alert status in the entire province of Samar following the killing of a city mayor on Saturday.

Chief of police and community relations office of PNP-Eastern Visayas Police Inspector Elizar Egloso said the imposition of a heightened alert status was effective May 1 “due to a divisive political and criminal atmosphere.”

Cebu mayor swears in as development council head

MANILA (Updated 3:25 p.m.) -- Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama took oath Tuesday as the new Regional Development Council (RDC) chairman for Central Visayas before President Benigno Aquino III in Malacañang.

Rama was joined by his son Mikel and daughter Michelin, and his cousin TV personality Annabelle Rama.

'Bingo sa Barangay' back in Baguio

THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) confirmed that the controversial "Bingo sa Barangay" has resumed in at least seven villages in Baguio City.

DILG City Director Evelyn Trinidad, co-chairperson of Task Force Jupiter, said they are closely coordinating with police in case these fund-raisers will be used as cover for "bingoteng", an illegal numbers game.