SAYYAF BOMBER ARRESTED IN BASILAN
ZAMBOANGA CITY: Security forces have arrested an alleged Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) bandit, tagged as bomber by the military, following a tip off from a civilian in Basilan. Officials said Rahim Abdul, alias Aman Kabalu, was nabbed in Barangay Kampurnah in Isabela City on Tuesday afternoon. A fragmentation grenade was recovered from Abdul, according to Army Captain Jo-ann Petinglay, spokesman for the Western Mindanao Command. Brigadier General Juvymax Uy, Joint Task Force Basilan commander, said Abdul has P1.3-million reward for his capture. Officials did not say whether Abdul was involved in bombings in Basilan or in other parts of Mindanao.
5.0 MAGNITUDE QUAKE JOLTS CARAGA
A 5.0- MAGNITUDE earthquake hit Caraga in Davao Oriental on Thursday morning, the state-run Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said. The quake that struck at 9:16 a.m. was located 46 kilometers south east of Caraga with 23 kilometers in depth and tectonic in origin. Intensity 3 was reported in Bialig City, Surigao del Sur. No damage was recorded but aftershocks were expected within the day, Phivolcs added.
OMBUDSMAN SUSPENDS 3 BACOLOD COUNCILORS
BACOLOD CITY: The Office of the Ombudsman suspended three incumbent city councilors after they found guilty of simple neglect of duty. Ordered suspended for one month and one day were councilors Em Ang, Wilson Gamboa and Sonya Verdeflor based on a complaint filed by Juan Ramon Guanzon against them and four other former councilors – Jocelle Sigue, Roberto Rojas, Archie Baribar, and Alex Paglumotan. Guanzon, a former city councilor, said the officials violated a city ordinance which regulates the fees and issuance of licenses for the construction, operation and maintenance of cockpits and cockfighting when they approved a cockfighting request for Barangay Tangub in April 2016. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales signed the order on September 22, 2017 and served to the three officials on Wednesday by Carmelo Orbista, officer in charge of the Department of Interior and Local Government–Bacolod. Meanwhile, because of their separation from service, Sigue, Rojas, Baribar and Paglumotan were meted a penalty equivalent to their salary for one month and one day.
MAUTE WIDOW TO BE ARRAIGNED IN ILIGAN
ILIGAN CITY: Deputy City Prosecutor Celso Sarsava said the widow of Omarkhayam Maute – Minhati Madrais – will be arraigned before the regional trial court after her lawyer filed a manifestation waiving her right to present evidence on the alleged explosive devices found in her house. The Indonesian government has hired a private lawyer for Madrais. She was assisted by Public Attorney’s Office, lawyer Viviene Mostrales, during her arrest last month at her rented house in Barangay Tubod where the police allegedly found four blasting caps, two detonating cords and a one-time fuse. Mostrales said she was informed by Indonesian authorities that relatives of Minhati Madrais will be coming over to the Philippines to observe the legal proceedings here. Meanwhile, the Iligan City Police Office confirmed that Madrais and her children are detained at the holding center inside the Philippine National Police–Iligan compound in Barangay Tipanoy.