Cagayan lawmaker’s office clarifies report

MANILA, Philippines - The office of Cagayan third district Rep. Randolph Ting clarified yesterday that the congressman was not present in a meeting in Rizal town to discuss inter-agency tree-planting activities.

In a STAR report Wednesday, the meeting was reportedly where Rizal Mayor Joel Ruma had come from before he was ambushed by still unidentified men last Monday.

But Cristopher Samonte, Ting’s chief political officer, said the lawmaker was not part of the meeting as Rizal town is not in the third district which he represents, but in the second district.

Ting, according to Samonte, “knows nothing about this meeting and was never invited as guest of honor for such activity.”