MARIVELES, Bataan - Police arrested the Wednesday night three persons who were caught in the act of transporting explosives in Barangay Cabcaben, this town. Senior Supt. Manuel Gaerlan, Bataan police director, joint personnel of Mariveles police and the 304th Provincial Mobile Group were conducting routine check on vehicles passing along their area of responsibility along the highway when they intercepted a Kawasaki Barako tricycle with plate number QK 4806 bound for Cabcaben, Mariveles. As the police checked on the vehicle, they found 45 pieces of blasting caps wrapped in newspaper, prompted them to question Rolando Macapagal, 34, a resident of Barangay Townsite, Mariveles, Bataan, together with his passengers identified as Susan Macapagal, 39, married, a resident of Barangay Lamao, Limay, Bataan, and Rolando Macapagal.

Police suspect that the confiscated explosives will be used in dynamite fishing by unscrupulous fishermen in catching fish along the Manila Bay. The intensified illegal fishing campaign launched by the police came after Gov. Enrique “Tet” Garcia, irked by the unabated and alarming destruction of the fishing ground along Manila Bay and the massive illegal logging activities in the province’s forested mountains, purchased a helicopter which is now being used in the campaign not only against illegal fishing but also against those denuding Bataan’s mountains. The provincial government and other local government units have also formed the “Bantay Dagat” aimed at protecting the province’s fishing industry. Garcia has declared a total war against illegal logging and fishing and at the same he has been initiating the reforestation of the denuded mountains here by conducting aerial seeding along the forested areas of Bataan.

B.I.R. SHUTS DOWN TWO FIRMS

CALAPAN CITY — “ The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) swooped down Thursday on erring business establishments in this city closing two of them for “committing gross underdeclaration of sales” since the first quarter of this year. Revenue Commissioner Sixto S. Esquivias ordered the closure of Calapan Circle Steel Distributor and Legend Steel Depot Co., owned by Jennifer O. Tan and Wildy D. Tan, respectively, based on the recommendation of the regional review board, headed by Regional Director Nestor S. Valeroso. Revenue District Officer Erlinda S.D. Pantanilla, of Revenue District (RD) 63, accompanied by BIR personnel and Calapan City policemen, served the closure orders on the owners of the two dealers of construction materials after the latter were informed of their rights and the duty of the state to collect taxes under the National Revenue Code (NRC) of 1997.

The Calapan City-based revenue district office recommended to the regional board the issuance of the closure orders for their failure to pay the assessment pursuant to the five-day VAT compliance notice. (Roebert A. Evora)

2 ROB SUSPECTS DIE IN ENCOUNTER

CABANATUAN CITY — Two suspected members of a four-man “Akyat Bahay” gang were killed the Wednesday in a dawn encounter with policemen. Cabantuan police chief Supt. Efren Ramos identified the dead men as Jerry Guarino y Aquino, 25, alias “Pungay,” single, and Rafael Pio y Marquez, 21, alias “Paeng,” single, both residents of Purok 3, Barangay Bonifacio, this city.

The two other members of the gang were identified as Randy Santos and a certain “Estong,” both of Bliss housing project, Sta. Arcadia, this city. They were at large. Santos reportedly acted as tipster and spotter of the gang. All the gang members were reportedly involved in robbery and theft cases. Police said the two dead suspects were members of the Guarino Group headed by Jojo Guarino, who is now detained for robbery cases that took place in Lorenville and Lakewood City, both plush subdivisions here.

The police reported that the gang had pulled a series of robberies in the two subdivisions in the past couple of months. The two other suspects who remain at large are being hunted by policemen. (Magtanggol C. Vilar)