3 DROWN IN BATAAN, 6 OTHERS RESCUED

MORONG, Bataan: Three village mates in Samal town, who were on an outing at an undeveloped beach facing the South China Sea ( West Philippines Sea) in this town, went swimming and drowned last Sunday. Relatives identified the victims as Alberto Guevarra 3rd, 37, former overseas Filipino worker; Edgardo Guinto Jr., 26, also a former OFW; and student Joshua Magpoc, 19, all of Barangay Calaguiman in Samal, Bataan. Police Insp. Winston Norte, Morong police chief, said they were with seven other village mates who went on a picnic at the open beach in Purok 7 in Barangay Sabang here. Pedelito Ibabao, a fisherman from Sabang, said the first body to be recovered was that of Guevarra while those of Guinto and Magpoc were found at 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. of the same day, respectively. Edwin Bacer said there were 10 of them from Samal who went to the beach, with nine going out to the sea.

GRUDGE EYED BEHIND BUS OPERATOR'S KILLING

COTABATO CITY: North Cotabato police have zeroed in on personal grudge as possible motive behind the killing of Mindanao Star transport executive and his companion while onboard a bus on Sunday in Midsayap town. Senior Insp. Reylan Mamon, deputy police chief of Midsayap, said unidentified gunmen shot dead Ademar Mangansakan Pangato, 33, and his companion Wahid Pangato, 16, inside a Mindanao Star bus bound for Cotabato City from Davao City. “We believed it was workrelated,” Mamon said, adding investigators are also looking at “rido” or family feud as the possible motive. The victims were residents of Barangay Nuling, Sultan Kudarat town in Maguindanao. Mamon said the suspects had two accomplices who drove them away on motorcycles as they fled from the bus (MWC 316) and as passengers scampered for safety. It was learned that Pangato had just been promoted as supervisor of bus inspectors of Mindanao Star.