■ RETIRED US SERVICEMAN FACES TRAFFICKING CASE FOR BRINGING 2 MINOR GIRLS TO A RESORT; GIRLS SAY NO ABUSE TOOK PLACE

A retired US Navy officer is facing criminal complaints in Bogo City after allegedly bringing two minor girls to a beach resort in Sta. Fe town, Bantayan Island last week. The Bogo City Prosecutor’s Office will try to figure out if there’s enough basis to bring Jason Anderson Stone, 41, to court for alleged violations of the laws against human trafficking and child abuse. Stone, in a previous report, said he had no bad intention in bringing the girls to the resort and that he was unaware of what the local laws prohibited. He arrived in the country last May 12. Senior Police Officer 2 Sheila Ilustrisimo of the Sta. Fe Women and Children Protection Desk said that the girls, ages 16 and 14, assured they had not been abused. The girls, who are sisters, reportedly met Stone on Facebook. A call to the Sta. Fe police alerted the authorities to the retired officer’s arrival with the two girls.

The City of Talisay Traffic Operation Development Authority (CTTODA) has raised concern on a gap in the Tabunok flyover’s expansion joint.

The gap was seen after the implementation of the Department of Public Works and Highways’(DPWH) asphalting project.

CTTODA head Almond Dela Peña wants the DPWH to immediately address the flyover’s crack to avoid accidents, especially at night.

Dela Peña said he got a lot of complaints from motorists about the bumps they go over every time they pass by the flyover.

DPWH Area Engineer II Jorge Laroa explained that the gap was due to the absence of the flyover’s expansion plate, which was stolen several years ago.

“It is the reason why we placed ashpalt on the flyover. But every time we cover the crack, the asphalt sinks so it creates another gap,” he said.

According to Laroa, they are supposed to replace the expansion plate, which is included in the second phase of their asphalting project, but the delivery of meterials was delayed. It is expected to arrive next week yet. “Once the materials arrive, we will immediately patch up the crack and there will be road closure every night,” he said.

DPWH has scheduled the flyover’s retrofitting works in the last week of May or in the first week of June. It is expected to be finished by June 17. /