BAGUIO CITY – The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 69 here sentenced a 50-year-old father to suffer at least 160 years imprisonment after finding him guilty of four counts of statutory rape against his own daughter, who was a minor at the time of the crime.

In a 24-page decision, Judge Iluminada Cabato ordered the suspect Santos G. Samson, 50, a resident of Quezon Hill, Baguio City, to indemnify the victim in the amount of P300,000 for civil damages, P200,000 for moral damages and P100,000 for exemplary damages.

The rape of his own daughter happened inside their residence between March 2004 and September 2005. She was only aged 11 when the first sexual abuse happened.

The convicted rapist has been transferred to the National Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City after sentencing. (Dexter A. See)

Pilar farm gets boost
PILAR, Bataan – Noting the success of the jatropha plantation project in this town, a top official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) has expressed support for the community-based project.

In his letter to Mayor Charlie Pizarro, Erwin Krishna Santos, president of the DENR’s Philippine Forest Corp., said that an area of additional 100 hectares has been reserved out of the 282.567 hectares transferred to Philforest by DENR Region 3 sometime last year.

“The project of 100 hectares will be backed up by an oil seed expeller to extract oil from Jatropha seeds. We hope that such project will benefit the said barangays of Liyang, Pilar and Parang-parang in Bagac town and other neighboring towns,” said Santos in his letter to the mayor. (Mar T. Supnad)

Cavite police receive grant
IMUS, Cavite – The Cavite Police Provincial Office (PPO) continued to receive cash grants from local officials as support for their anti-crime operations in the area.

Just over the weekend, Imus Mayor Homer T. Saquilayan and the Municipal Council handed over P100,000 cash to Senior Supt. Danilo L. Maligalig, PPO director, for their operational needs in the town.

Supt. Edgar B. Roquero, PPO deputy director for operations, and Supt. Joseph Arguelles, Imus police chief, said that the grant was given during a meeting with Saquilayan, Vice Mayor Armando Ilano and the town councilors at Camp General Pantaleon Garcia in Barangay Poblacion, here.

It was the third time that the Cavite police got a cash grant from local officials.

Earlier, Gov. Juanito Victor C. Remulla Jr. granted the PPO P2.5 million for the procurement of the much-needed equipment for its Special Weapons and Tactics team. (Anthony Giron)

4 Orion folk yield marijuana
ORION, Bataan – Four more suspected drug pushers and users were arrested in a series of operations by the police here, late this week.

“I instructed the newly-designated chief of police here, Senior Inspector Marvin Pedere, to further intensify their campaign against all forms of illegal drugs until Orion will be totally rid of illicit drugs,” said Mayor Jose “Pepe” Santos.

Pedere identified the arrested as Renato Buenaventura of barangay  Bilolo; Randelou Magpoc of Landing, Pilar; Elsie Recio, a native of Albay; and Gerardo Bilawan of Puting Buhangin, also of this town.

They were all found in possession of marijuana. (Mar T. Supnad)