METRO ROUNDUP

1 OSMEñA GIVES ADDITIONAL TASKS TO BRGY. TANODS

Aside from furnishing a weekly report on their village’s peace and order situation, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña wants barangay tanods to help clear the city’s sidewalks of street vendors. Otherwise, City Hall will cancel their P4,000 monthly allowance, he said. Osmeña said he has been receiving several complaints from concerned citizens on vendors blocking the sidewalks, especially on B. Rodriguez St. He also received complaints on sidewalk vending in Barangays Sambag II, Luz, Sto. Niño, Kalubihan, Sta. Cruz and Punta Princesa. /

2 CNU HEAD WELCOMES FREE TUITION IN STATE COLLEGES

An official of a university in Cebu City welcomed the passage of the law granting free tuition for students in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local universities and colleges, and state-run technical-vocational schools. “It’s a welcome development, especially if we talk about access to education,” said Cebu Normal University (CNU) President Filomena Dayagbil. The passage of the new law, Dayagbil said, gives them more reason to strengthen their admission policy so that they will get the best and qualified students. CNU has around 5,000 students. /

3 DOJ FORMS PANEL TO PROBE BONIEL'S CASE

The Department of Justice (DOJ) created a panel of prosecutors who will investigate the parricide case against Bohol Provincial Board Member Niño Rey Boniel as well as the murder case against Reolito “Etad” Boniel and other cohorts. Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre appointed Assistant Regional Prosecutor Llena Ipong-Avila and Manila-based Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera as members of the panel. DOJ also took into their custody two witnesses, Reolito and Randel Lupas, while the case is ongoing. /

4 PRO 7 DIRECTOR CONTINUES CLEANSING OF RANKS

The internal cleansing in the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 will continue after the Counter-Intelligence Task Force revealed that there are more than 1,000 cops who have unexplained wealth and other illegal activities. PRO 7 Director Jose Espino said that the numbers may go up in Central Visayas. “We really have to get rid of these police scalawags,” he said. President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration called for an internal cleansing in the Philippine National Police after the involvement of several police officers in the kidnap-slay of a Korean businessman.

5 POLICE NAB 2 DRUG SURRENDERERS IN MINGLANILLA

Two suspected drug pushers were arrested during a drug bust in Minglanilla last Thursday night. Eugene Gutierrez and Gerald Adlawan were caught selling shabu in Sitio Seaside, Barangay Tungkil at 11:30 p.m. Recovered from them were 20 small packs of suspected shabu worth P11,800. Superintendent Dexter Calacar, Minglanilla police chief, said the two were small-time drug sellers. Adlawan, he added, was in their list of drug surrenderers. Suspects will face complaints for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. /