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SC orders re-opening of 23-year old raps vs Silverio

Priam F. Nepomuceno MANILA, Sept. 5 – The Supreme Court (SC), in a 17-page decision, has ordered the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to re-open a 23-year-old ill-gotten wealth case against Marcos crony and former Bulacan congressman Ricardo Silverio. The SC Third Division ruling, penned by Associate Justice Martin Villarama, also allowed the PCGG to [...]

AFP crafting new campaign plan for IPS with various stakeholders

MANILA, Sept. 5 – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is formulating a new campaign plan of substantive scope for counter-insurgency that is seen to sustain the gains achieved and to fix the aspects needed to be enhanced. At present, the AFP Civil Relations Service said that the AFP, in coordination with various government [...]

Solons propose reorientation for local execs on crisis management

MANILA, Sept. 5 — Lawmakers called for a reorientation of local government officials on the role and scope of the local crisis management committee (CMC) in light of the Quirino Grandstand hostage-taking incident last month that resulted in the death of eight Chinese nationals. House Deputy Speaker and Zamboanga City Rep. Ma. Isabelle Climaco said [...]

Graft charges filed vs nine people linked to release of P1.2-M loan to ghost employees

MANILA, Sept. 5 –Nine people linked to the release of some P1.24-million Quedan and Rural Credit Guarantee Corp. (Quedancor) loan to at least 28 ghost employees of a school in Las Pinas four years ago were charged with graft and Estafa through falsification of public documents. Charged were Quedancor's operations officer Ray Joven; district accountant Analyn [...]

Verzosa takes responsibility on hostage-taking

MANILA, September 5 –- Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa on Sunday took full responsibility of the much-criticized police assault during the hostage crisis at the Quirino Grandstand last August 23 that ended in the killing of eight Hong Kong tourists and the hostage-taker. ”More than ever, it is imperative to take [...]

President Aquino preparing for U.S. visit — Palace

MANILA, Sept. 5 – President Benigno S. Aquino III has started preparing for his working visit to the United States this month, a Malacanang official said on Sunday. Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said the President is studying some government policies and proposals that maybe be included in his discussion with other world [...]

Tamayo pushes for building up of weigh bridges in ports nationwide

MANILA, Sept. 5 –Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant, is calling for the installation of weight bridges in major seaports to ensure that cargoes being loaded to vessels are evenly distributed to avoid tilting of vessels during voyage. At present, Tamayo said only the Batangas port which was equipped with heavy-duty scales. Tamayo said [...]

Coloma: Versoza's early retirement nothing to do with hostage crisis

MANILA, Sept 5 —- A senior Malacanang official said on Sunday that the early retirement of Philippine National Police (PNP) director-general Jesus Versoza to seek early retirement this month has nothing to do with the August 23 hostage crisis at Qurino Grandstand. Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma said over government-run radio station [...]

Deputy Ombudsman denies asking Mendoza P150,000 for case review

MANILA, Sept. 6 -– Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzales on Monday denied reports that he had asked hostage taker, Senior Insp. Rolando Mendoza, the sum of P150,000 in exchange for the expeditious review of his case. Gonzales denied this allegation, adding that no such thing took place. He also added that it is highly irregular for government [...]

Verzosa orders close monitoring of security situation in Mindanao following killing of 3 ASG bandits

MANILA, Sept. 6 –- Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa has directed all police commanders in Mindanao to closely monitor security situation in the region to thwart any retaliatory attacks from the Abu Sayyaf group after the killing of three terrorists in Sulu. Immediately after the successful police operation against a band [...]

Murder raps filed vs 5 Mindanao CPP-NPA leadersfor slay of Lianga town police chief

CAMP RAFAEL C. RODRIGUEZ, Butuan City, Sept. 5 – The Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) has filed murder charges against five alleged top leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in Mindanao in connection with the August 21 ambush-slay of Inspector Christopher P. Mazo, police chief of Lianga town, [...]

1 suspect killed, 4 others arrested in Davao City bus holdup

DAVAO CITY, Sept. 5 –- A robbery suspect was shot dead and four others were arrested by the elements of the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) in follow-up operations Saturday against six persons who held up a Davao City-bound passenger bus last Sept. 1 along the highway in Barangay Tamugan, Marilog District, this city. During [...]

Exhibit of more than 50 images of the Virgin Mary held in Bataan town

ORANI, Bataan, Sept. 5 — A unique exhibit is being held at the municipal hall here where more than 50 images of the Virgin Mary coming from various places are on display. The religious exhibit started Sept. 1 and will be lasted this Sunday (Sept. 5). A few meters fronting the municipal building is [...]

23 Mindanao electric co-ops recommend building of 300MW power plant to support island’s grid

SURIGAO CITY, Sept. 5 –- The 23 electric cooperatives in Mindanao have recommended the construction of a 300-megawatt power plant in the region as a means of averting more power crisis in the future. The Association of Mindanao Electric Cooperatives (Amreco) made the recommendation to the Department of Energy (DOE) to support the current Mindanao [...]

Police arrest Bataan couple: Man for drug pushing, wife for bribery

HERMOSA, Bataan, Sept. 5 — A television-like drama unfolded at the police station of this town Saturday night wherein a man in handcuffs defended his sobbing live-in partner for having no participation in any crime. He repeatedly embraced and kissed his partner as he was led to a police car. The man is Ramon Jamir, 45, [...]

Novo Ecijanos honor singing champ

PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija, Sept. 5 — Singing champ Marielle Mamaclay was recently given due recognition by Novo Ecijanos for winning as senior Grand Champion in the international Olympic-style singing competition called World Championship of Performing Arts (WCOPA). "It is an honor to receive this recognition from fellow Novo Ecijanos," said Mamaclay, a daughter of [...]

23 couples exchange ‘I do’ in mass wedding in Bataan

BALANGA City, Bataan, Sept. 5 — Some 23 couples on Saturday finally exchanged “I do’s” in a simple mass wedding at the elegant St. Joseph Cathedral here. Bishop Ruperto Cruz of the Diocese of Balanga and Fr. Perry Medina, parish priest of the St. Joseph Cathedral, officiated the mass wedding which was sponsored by the [...]

Bulacan exec denies total removal of portraits of two governors from gallery

MALOLOS CITY, Bulacan, Sept. 5 –The oil-paint portraits of two previous governors of Bulacan were not “unceremoniously” removed from the gallery of Bulacan governors at the General Isidoro Torres Hall of the provincial capitol here. “Hindi naman totally inalis yung portraits nila (Their portraits were not totally removed),” provincial administrator Jim Valerio told [...]

P9.6M worth of marijuana plants uprooted in La Union

CAMP DIEGO SILANG, San Fernando City, La Union, Sept. 5 — Operatives from different law enforcement units in the Ilocos region destroyed last Friday some P9.6 million worth of marijuana plants in the hinterlands of Sitio Wak-wak, Barangay Apayao, San Gabriel, La Union. Director Roberto Opeña of the Region 1 Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) [...]

Blasts rock Cotabato City, nearby town

COTABATO CITY, Sept. 6 –- Police authorities here and in nearby Maguindanao province remained puzzled over a series of explosions that rocked this city and adjacent town over the weekend. Nobody was hurt in the three incidents that police said could be related and the handiwork of the same group. At 3 a.m. Monday, a loud blast [...]