Police hot on trail for colleague

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO--Police are now hot on the trail of a former colleague who shot dead two civilians after a heated argument in a videoke bar in a usually quiet neighborhood in the town of Mexico.

Council junks 'tooth-for-a-tooth' policy

ISABELA, Basilan -- The Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) has rejected the proposal to adopt the "tooth-for-a-tooth" policy to put a stop to the kidnapping incidents in the province.

Tipo-Tipo Mayor Ingatun Istarul proposed during the PPOC meeting Tuesday the adoption of the policy that will "once and for all" put to stop incidence of kidnapping in this province.

3 fall in drug buy-bust

OPERATIVES of the Zamboanga City Public Safety Company (ZCPSC) have arrested three people in an anti-illegal drug operation in one of the east coast village in the city, the police reported.

The ZCPSC report said the suspects were arrested around 12:30 p.m. Monday in the slum village of Sta. Catalina, east of the city.

Bank constructs own office

BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Zamboanga-branch head Melodino Patiño announced they are building a P302 million edifice to house its office in Zamboanga City.

Patiño said based on the designs and plans, there will be three separate structures of two storeys each with landscaping.

Council building up for repair

THE City Engineer's Office has submitted to Mayor Celso Lobregat the plans and estimates for the repair of the City Council building.

Telemarketing firm's services closed

THE Trade department finally ordered the closure and suspension of all retail sales and promotional activities of a telemarketing firm that has been facing more than 20 complaints.

Arysta Marketing failed to show up at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) office after the agency called its attention to answer the complaints lodged against it for alleged unfair retail and marketing activities.

Market to install security cameras

GROUPS are planning to install security cameras and a public address system at the Baguio City market to monitor pickpockets who are expected to increase in number during the Panagbenga Festival.

Baguio vegetable section spokesperson Vic Calimlim said flushing operations were done along the vegetable proper section and weighing scales have likewise been inspected.

Councilor wants 6 o'clock habit back in Baguio

THE 6 o' clock habit that was religiously observed in Baguio decades earlier should be revived, a councilor said.

Councilor Phyllian Weygan-Allan, coordinator of the Baguio Character Council, said reviving the 6 o'clock habit would be an "outward" show of unity among residents of Baguio, thus they must stop and say a minute of prayer when the city's siren sounds at 6 p.m.

Taxing small-scale miners 'possible'

EXCISE taxes may be generated from small-scale miners, said a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) official after meeting with members of the agency's Special Investigation Division and Excise Tax Area Team.

Town folk get rice in exchange for work

KIANGAN, Ifugao -- Five hundred cavans of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) Central Office were delivered here as part of the relief goods for victims of Typhoon Ondoy, which hit the province in 2009.

Local leaders back Aquino on log ban

LAGAWE, Ifugao -- Considering the effect to the environment, elected officials here support the proposed total log ban of the present administration.

300 kilos of smoked meat readied for Sagada fest

SACRED meat will soon overflow in Sagada for the first-ever Etag Festival.

24/7 police checkpoints ordered

MAYOR Jed Patrick Mabilog has ordered local police to be on full alert and implement a 24/7 checkpoints starting January 26 in several entry points to Iloilo City.

Mabilog told City Police Chief Marietto Valerio that there is a need to safeguard and protect the city from criminal elements by setting up police checkpoints particularly in entry areas from the municipalities and provinces in Panay Island.

City to sell housing project in Pavia

MAYOR Jed Patrick Mabilog wants to sell the abandoned housing project in Pavia and use the proceeds to develop either For San Pedro, or rehabilitate the slaughterhouse in Jaro, Iloilo.

A new design of the city slaughterhouse complete with cattleline, hogline and waste water treatment is already complete and is expected to upgrade the slaughterhouse into full Double A abattoir. It will cost some P40 million, the mayor said.

Binmaley fiesta celebration starts

BINMALEY -- The town fiesta and 421st founding anniversary of this town opened Wednesday with a fluvial parade from Manat River to Gumapos Bridge in Poblacion.

Groups urged to unite over festival issue

THE Catholic Church in Tacloban City has called for unity among groups that have been at odds over issues on the city's official festival, in connection with the feast of Señior Sto. Niño on June.

Fr. Amadeo Alvero, Sto. Niño Parish spokesperson, said the festival parade is a civic activity of which the Church has no control.

Outstanding LGUs in Eastern Visayas to be honored

LOCAL Government Secretary Jesse Robredo is set to arrive on Friday to lead the recognition ceremony for outstanding local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas.

Billy Roseño, executive director of the Philippine Councilors' League (PCL)-Eastern Visayas Chapter, said Robredo is coming as the official representative of President Benigno Aquino III.

13 farmers victimized by illegal recruiter

AN OFFICIAL from the Leyte province said illegal recruiters victimized 13 farmers, nine from the town of Tanauan and four from Palo.

An Waray allots P6M for patients

THE An Waray party-list initially allotted P6 million for the first quarter of 2011 to cover its regular medical assistance to indigent patients at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC).

Agencies lauded over food security

THE National Nutrition Council (NNC) lauded some government agencies and local government units for their efforts to secure food in Eastern Visayas, particularly in the nutritionally depressed province of Samar.

NNC regional program coordinator Carina Santiago said these recent development in Samar, where the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) have recently launched several projects, is a big boost to the fight against hunger and malnutrition.

Extortion eyed in Makati bus blast

MANILA (Updated 11:22 a.m.) -- A top police official said Wednesday that an extortion group could be behind the Makati City bus explosion that left five people dead and 13 others injured.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Nicanor Bartolome said the explosive device left at the bus used an 81-millimeter (mm) mortar and a Nokia 5310 model cellphone as a detonator.

5 charged over radioman's death

DAVAO CITY (Updated 9:35 a.m.) -- Five people allegedly involved in the killing of a radio commentator Gerardo Ortega in Puerto Princesa, Palawan are now facing murder charges.

Reports said Wednesday that during the inquest proceedings, the Palawan police charged Marlon de Camata also known as Marvin Alcaraz, the gunman; Dennis Aranas; Armando Noel Loria; Jun-Jun Bomar; and lawyer Romeo Seratubias.

Entry of premix sugar alarms planters 

SUGAR leaders in the province expressed alarm over the surge in the importation of premix sugar by industrial users that reportedly caused slow trading of sugar quedan in the past weeks.    The situation prompted the Confederation of Sugar Producers (Confed) Negros-Panay Chapter to seek the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) to address the situation they believe can affect domestic sugar prices.

City prepares grand welcome for Azkals  

THE Silay City Government prepared a grand welcome for the members of the Philippine men's national football team, more popularly called “Azklas”, for its arrival Wednesday at the Silay-Bacolod Airport.    Silay City Tourism Officer Ver Pacete said the Azkals will be welcomed by Mayor Jose Montelibano, Vice Mayor Mark Andrew Arthur Golez, and the personnel of the city tourism office led by Silay Councilor Popeye Locsin.

Lawmaker eyes PRC office in Negros

NEGROS Occidental third district Representative Albee Benitez is eyeing to put up of a satellite office in the province.

Irene Reyes, a member of the staff of Benitez said they are closely coordinating with the office of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) in Western Visayas for the plan of putting up a satellite office, which will surely serve not only the professionals in the third district but the professionals in the whole province as well.

Group opposes Bacolod redistricting

THE Bacolod Citizens for Good Governance (BCAGG) strongly opposed the reapportioning of the lone legislative district and the City Council seats of Bacolod into two separate districts.

Aquino defended on ‘Porsche’ issue

NEGRENSE for Noynoy Movement (N4NM) member Nana Yulo on Tuesday defended President Benigno Aquino III in his recent purchase of his Porsche luxury vehicle.

She said that, in buying the said car, the President used his own money and not money from the coffers of the National Government.

Makati bus blast death toll rises to 5

MANILA (Updated 7:15 a.m.) – The death toll from the explosion of a passengers bus along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) in Makati City on Tuesday rose to five.

The latest fatality was identified as Irish Teñola who died while undergoing treatment at the Makati Medical Center at 2 a.m. Wednesday.

PUJs want P.50 fare increase

AFTER the taxi fare hike, public utility jeepney (PUJ) drivers and operators are now pushing for a provisional P.50 fare increase citing the unending increase of oil prices.

"Dili man siya maundang ug taas, short ang arkila pirmi sa mga driver unya luoy pud mi mga operator (Oil prices never cease to increase and drivers can’t afford to pay the rent)," said Manuel Duran, president of Southern Mindanao Diversified Drivers and Operators Cooperative (SEMDDOC).

Maguindanao guv adopts new scheme in spending IRA

MAGUINDANAO Governor Esmael Mangudadatu said the Provincial Government has recently adopted a scheme in the utilization of its Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) to ensure transparency on where and how public money is spent.

Speaking during Tuesday's roundtable discussion dubbed "Maguindanao After 11.23: Building Public Accountability and Transparency", Mangudadatu said with the new scheme the Provincial Government is now the primary implementer, not only of provincial projects but also of those in the municipalities and barangays of Maguindanao.