CAMP FLORENDO, La Union — The Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1) based here reported Monday the general success of its security operations for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in La Union as it neutralized a number of armed groups (PAGs) ahead of Monday’s electoral exercise. The PRO1 said the most recent accomplishment related the neutralization of PAGs was the arrest last Saturday of an armed suspect in Naguilian, this province. Senior Superintendent Ramon O. Purugganan, La Union Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, identified the suspect as Fernando Tagudin Asprec, 43, married and a resident of Barangay Ortiz, Naguilian. Purugganan said Asprec was arrested inside a videoke bar while in possession of an M-16 rifle (Elisco) with one magazine loaded with 23 bullets. He said Asprec is listed as a member of a PAG linked to a certain defeated political candidate in this province. Asprec was also found to be the holder of a .45-caliber pistol duly registered under his name but with an expired license, said Purugganan. “The two registered firearms of Asprec were reported to the Firearms and Explosives Division (FED) in Camp Crame. A request for the revocation of his license was submitted to FED last April 15,” he said, adding that charges are being prepared for filing against him. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)

FAKE MONEY SEIZED IN RIZAL

TAYTAY, Rizal — Fake money has been circulating in this town and nearby municipalities as police here arrested three men allegedly involved in spreading them. Police arrested Andres Coberos, 22, of Block 5 Anakpawis Floodway, San Juan; Vergel John Sanchez, 21, of Samagta; and Robert Singson, 23, also of Samagta, all in San Juan, here, for alleged possession of fake money. Police said the suspects yielded 10 pieces of fake P200 bills with the same serial number JB108004. Their arrest came following a complain from a businessman who allegedly accepted the money from them. The three are currently being investigated to establish where the fake bills came from. (Nel B. Andrade)

5 DIE, 15 HURT IN BUS-JEEP COLLISION

Five people died while at least 15 others were injured in a head-on collision between a passenger bus and a passenger jeepney in Ibaan town in Batangas province Monday morning, a local police commander said. Senior Inspector Edgardo Dimaano, chief of the Ibaan town police, said most of the casualties sustained injuries when the Jam passenger bus (DVX-511) fell into a deep ravine after the collision with a passenger jeepney (DRA-522) at around 5:30 a.m. in Barangay Quilo in Ibaan town portion of the Southern Luzon Arterial Road (STAR). “Five people were confirmed dead, two of them were pinned inside the bus. At least 15 others were injured, including the outpatients,” said Dimaano. Quoting field reports, Dimaano said the passenger bus was heading towards Batangas City when it collided with the jeepney which was traveling on the opposite direction. After the collision, the driver of the passenger bus identified as Rotillos Sotto lost control of the steering wheel, causing the bus to hit the fence of a bridge before plunging into a ravine. “Based on the report, they are now using a crane to take the bus out of the ravine,” he added. Superintendent Arcadio Ronquillo, spokesman of the Batangas Police, said both the driver of the bus and jeepney were injured in the accident and were taken to the Batangas Regional Hospital. (Aaron Recuenco)