11 HURT IN STARTOLLWAY BUS ACCIDENT
Batangas: Eleven passengers were injured when the bus they were riding from Batangas City heading to Manila rolled on its side along the Startollway in Ibaan town here on Thursday afternoon. Police Officer 1 Elbert Tañamor, investigator of Ibaan police, said JAM Bus Liner (AAI 8102) was cruising the tollway when its steering wheel jammed, causing the vehicle to swerve and flip on its side along KM 92 in Barangay Malainin in Ibaan at about 1: 45 p. m. Tañamor said the injured passengers were brought to Mary Mediatrix Hospital in Lipa City, including the bus driver identified as Danilo Andres Jr.
2 POLICEMEN, 2 CIVILIANS ARRESTED FOR EXTORTION
THE chief of the Iligan City Highway Patrol Team ( HPT), a policeman and two of their civilian aides were arrested in an entrapment on Wednesday night after receiving P3,000 marked money from a driver they held for traffic violation. Arrested by the Philippine National Police ( PNP) Counter- Intelligence Task Force (CITF) were Senior Insp. Rolando Rigat, HPT head; Senior Police Officer 2 Crisanto Bernardo; and Highway Patrol Group civilian auxiliary members Mac Harvey Abad and Sidney Cañete. Senior Supt. Jose Chiquito Malayo, CITF commander, said they arrested the four after receiving complaints through text messages from several motorists in the area who were victimized by the group in the guise of conducting a checkpoint. The CITF has arrested 60 police personnel for various violations like extortion and protection in illegal gambling. Meanwhile, 65 police personnel were charged with various administrative cases after the PNP launched the CITF February
TROOPS ENCOUNTER 50 BIFF IN MAGUINDANAO
SOME 50 members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters ( BIFF) engaged military forces in Datu Saudi- Ampatuan, Maguindanao, in a firefight on Thursday but with no casualties were reported on both sides. Captain Arvin Encinas, spokesman for the Philippine Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the gunbattle between troops from the 2nd Mechanized Battalion conducting zoning operation in the area and the BIFF under alias “Peni Sog” of the group’s Karialan faction happened at about 6 a. m. He added that air support was provided by the military. The firefight lasted for two hours. Pursuit operationa are ongoing, Encinas said.
PNP NABS 3 VILLAGE CHIEFS FOR COCKFIGHTING IN LA UNION
CAMP DIEGO SILANG, La Union: Authorities have intensified a campaign against illegal activities, netting three (village) chairmen and two others for illegal cockfighting in Aringay, La Union, on Tuesday night. Police said Wilson Apurado, 56, chairman of Barangay Macabato; Andres Mercado, 45, chairman of Barangay Santa Cecilia; and Ricky Santiago, 44, chairman of Barangay Gallano were caught with Joe Allan Ruiz, 43, and Eduardo Frigillana, 49. They yielded three fighting cocks, P10,700 bet money and signboard for betting. Those arrested were brought to the camp and charged for violation of Presidential Decree 1602 on illegal gambling, as well as administrative charges against the village chairmen for violation of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.