NATION ROUNDUP
1 MANILA / POLICE TO FIELD 500 MEN FOR EID'L FITR
The Manila Police District (MPD) will field over 500 policemen for Eid’l Fitr, the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, at the Quirino Grandstand and Golden Mosque in Quiapo on Monday. MPD spokesperson Superintendent Edwin Margarejo said the policemen will be deployed as early as 4 a.m. as the Muslim community is expected to start prayers by 5 a.m. to be followed by festivities. Margarejo said that they will already deploy today several policemen in civilian clothes as well as support special reaction units intended for intelligence gathering. He said the police will also set up a command post and ensure smooth traffic flow. Traffic advisories will be issued Sunday. More than 2,000 Muslims are expected to attend the celebration. Margarejo said they have not monitored any threat to the event, but assured that they will still intensify police visibility, target hardening and intelligence gathering. / SUNSTAR PHILIPPINES
2 BACOLOD / 2 DEAD IN REBEL AMBUSH
A A sugarcane planter and his driver were killed in an ambush in Calatrava, Negros Occidental around 6:45 a.m. on Thursday. The victims were identified as Norberto Lumayno, 67, and driver Danilo Braga, 45. They were on board a pick-up truck on their way to the farm when about 15 armed men believed to be members of the New People’s Army fired at them. Both succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds. Chief Inspector John Joel Batusbatusan, town police chief, said the assailants hid at the sugarcane plantation for two days to monitor the activities of the victims, based on the statements of witnessess. / SUNSTAR BACOLOD
3 SURIGAO/ MAYOR SENTENCED TO JAIL
The Sandiganbayan convicted Mayor Lucio Gonzales of Pilar, Surigao del Norte, of graft and sentenced him to jail of six to 10 years. Gonzales was also perpetually disqualified from holding public office, the Ombudsman said in a statement. Prosecutors ruled that Gonzales committed graft when he removed Victor Literato as municipal agriculturist in May 2007 and reassigned him as fisheries coordinator, deemed a demotion. The Sandiganbayan said the removal of Literato and appointment of Anecita Penera were committed with manifest partiality, evident bad faith and gross negligence. / SUNSTAR PHILIPPINES