BALANGA CITY, Bataan — Impressed by the fast economic progress of this component city and the rest of Bataan, the leadership of the Regional Development Council (RDC) lauded the Governor Enrique “Tet” Garcia and his two sons – Balanga Mayor Joet S. Garcia and Bataan 2nd District Rep. Abet S. Garcia. “The booming economic progress of Balanga City and the province of Bataan are the mute but concrete witnesses to the economic improvement of the province and we attribute these to the able leadership of my former colleague and his two sons,” said RDC Chairman and City of San Fernando Mayor Oscar Rodriguez during RDC’s 6th meeting held here. (Mar T. Supnad)

P.M.A. EXAMS

CAMP NAKAR, Lucena City — The Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) announced here yesterday that the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), the premiere military school in the country, will be conducting a simultaneous entrance examination (PMAEE) for cadetship on August 26 and designating four testing center for the South Luzon area. Colonel Generoso Bolina, SOLCOM spokesman, identified these four testing areas as Quezon National High School in Lucena City, Quezon; University of Nueva Caceres in Naga City, Camarines Norte; San Fernando Air Base in Lipa City, Batangas and Naval Forces Southern Luzon in Legazpi City, Albay. (Danny Estacio)

SAN ROQUE DAM GATES CLOSED

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Although big areas in the low-lying towns of Sta. Barbara, Calasiao, Binmaley, Binalonan, Malasiqui, and cities of Dagupan and Urdaneta remain flooded as of yesterday, authorities were optimistic of improving conditions as weather is forecast to be good today and the gates of the San Roque Dam had been closed since Friday. Tom Valdez, San Roque Power Corp. vice president for corporate social responsibility, said they terminated the spilling and warning operation after the state weather bureau forecasted no weather disturbance for the next three days. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)

FUND ACCOUNTING

TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite — The Provincial Social Welfare and Development Department and the other concerned agencies have been asked to submit an accounting of the calamity fund that was allocated for relief operations and rehabilitation purposes after monsoon rains and high tide inundated some cities and towns of the province recently. Gov. Jonvic Remulla placed Cavite under a state of calamity on July 30 and allotted a total R25 million for relief and rehabilitation uses. Cavite 7th District Board Member Virgilio T. Ambion filed a motion for all concerned agencies to report their respective calamity fund spending. (Anthony Giron)

HUMAN RIGHTS

CAMP FLORENDO, La Union — Chief Superintendent Franklin Jesus B. Bucayu, Police Regional Office 1 (PRO1) director, has assured the detainees of their human rights as he visited the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in Agoo town and the Pugo Police Station last Thursday. He also promised inmates that equal and fair investigation of their cases will be pursued with respect to their right to due process of law. As former head of the Human Rights Affairs Office in Camp Crame, Bucayu called on those under his command to be community-friendly. “It is our job to uphold the rights of every men and women, guilty or not guilty,” he said. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)