KALIBO CITY, Aklan (PNA) — The Aklan Police Provincial Office (APPO) is bracing for the annual regular inspection to be conducted by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) regional office here on May 9 to 20.

Such annual inspection aims to evaluate existing records of the police provincial office down to station level with emphasis on the administrative and operational aspects to evaluate the performance of uniformed and non-uniformed police personnel.

Capsized motor boat unregistered – P.C.G.

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PNA) — The motor banca “Albert,” that capsized while en route to Apo Island in Dauin, Negros Oriental, last month, was without registration papers, according to Lt. Commander Agapito Bibat, head of the Coast Guard Station in Dumaguete.

Bibat disclosed Wednesday results of a probe of the incident where over 30 passengers and crew of said vessel were rescued from sea after it capsized on its way to the annual fiesta in Apo Island last April 5. Because the boat is unregistered, the Coast Guard could not determine its gross tonnage and verify if it was indeed overloaded as claimed by passengers who lost their belongings at sea and are seeking remuneration from the boat’s owner.

House Bill 3732 has Arnaiz's support

DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PNA) — Rep. George Arnaiz (2nd District, Negros Oriental) reiterated his full support for House Bill No. 3732, the Freedom of Information Bill, and said he will lobby for its passage when sessions in Congress resume next week.

Arnaiz told reporters he strongly believes the bill will get a majority of the House. “If there is nothing to hide, why curtail freedom of the press to access government information,” asked Arnaiz.

Public documents are of public interest, unless these become a threat to national security or similar concerns, he said, while stressing however that subjects of news article, whether it be a person or agency, must be given the chance to reply in the same media outfit where the news story came out in.

P3.4-M aid for trycyle drivers

CEBU CITY, Cebu (PNA) — A senior official of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-7 said P3.4 million has been set aside for aid to tricycle drivers in Central Visayas.

DILG 7 Director Pedro Noval Jr. said the agency has asked city and municipal mayors to submit a certified list of tricycle franchisees in their localities, so they can benefit from the government’s fuel assistance program.

Under Executive Order No. 32, President Benigno Aquino III gave concerned government agencies only this month to implement the Pantawid Transport Assistance Program (PTAP).

20 Ilonggos in Syria – O.W.W.A.

ILOILO CITY, Iloilo (PNA) — The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) here has documented 20 Ilonggos working in Syria although the agency said none of their immediate relatives has approached the office for help.

OWWA said almost 17,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) are currently working in Syria and only five percent are documented. The 20 Ilonggos are all OWWA members. The Philippine Embassy was able to locate the undocumented workers through various Filipino community coordinators.