Across The Country

SC upholds shabu conviction

The Supreme Court (SC) has affirmed the decision of the Pampanga regional trial court meting reclusion perpetua or 40 years in jail without parole on a Chinese national and a Filipina for possession of 527 kilos of liquid shabu and 1,615 kilos of ephedrine hydrochloride used in manufacturing the illegal drug.

In a decision penned by Associate Justice Conchita Carpio Morales, the SC also affirmed the fines of P2 million and P1 million imposed on Maribel Lagman and Zeng Wa Shui, respectively.

Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation arrested the two during a raid on a piggery in Porac, Pampanga that was being used as a front for the clandestine manufacture of shabu. – Mike Frialde

Landslides displace Diwalwal folk

Landslides have displaced nearly 1,000 residents in a mining area on Mt. Diwalwal in Monkayo, Compostela Valley, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said.

National Disaster Coordination Council executive officer Glenn Rabonza said the inclement weather in the past days triggered the landslides that struck Puroks 1-B, 3 and 12 in Barangay Mount Diwata, destroying six houses and four classrooms.

Rabonza said they prevented a disaster as the villagers heeded their warning and promptly evacuated. – Jaime Laude

Indian trader’s killing probed

Police probers were still establishing the motive behind the murder of an Indian businessman who was shot dead by a lone gunman in Lipa City, Batangas Monday night.

Police said the victim, Dharminder Kumar, 38, was closing his RTW stall at the public market when he was shot from behind. – Cecille Suerte Felipe, Ed Amoroso and Arnell Ozaeta

Slain drunken man not a mediaman

A drunken man killed during a scuffle for the possession of an Armalite rifle with a policeman was not a member of the media, the Rizal police clarified.

Senior Superintendent Ireneo Dordas, Rizal police director, said the wife and brother-in-law of the victim, Celedonio Abines Jr., got in touch with his office and said he was actually a liaison officer of the DJ Security Training Agency with an office near Camp Crame.

Earlier, Abines’ relatives claimed that the victim was a sports editor of a weekly tabloid based in Rizal.

Despite this development, Dordas, however, said the Rizal police shelled out P10,000 in financial assistance to Abines’ family. – Non Alquitran

PNRC-Cagayan office burglarized

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – Thieves apparently have no holiday in Cagayan. The other day, they took advantage of the long holiday break by breaking into the office of the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) in Tuguegarao City, carting away an estimated P70,000 in cash and goods.

In a report, Cagayan PNRC administrator Aileen Torres said the thieves stole a laptop computer worth about P30,000, two digital cameras worth P32,000, P4,000 in cash and supplies.

It was reportedly the second burglary in the PNRC provincial office. – Charlie Lagasca

Sorsogon townsfolk evacuated

LEGAZPI CITY – Eighty-one families in Bulan, Sorsogon have been evacuated due to flash floods caused by continuous heavy rains in the past days.

The Office of Civil Defense has warned low-lying communities against floods amid the tail-end of the cold front prevailing over Southern Luzon and the Visayas. – Celso Amo

Abolition of DENR-Aurora office hit

BALER, Aurora – The plan to abolish the community office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here could worsen illegal logging and make the province lose its reputation as having one with the largest forest covers in the country. 

Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo said he would oppose the DENR’s rationalization plan that would abolish the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office here as part of efforts to streamline government agencies through mergers, abolitions and downsizing of personnel. – Manny Galvez