SAN PEDRO, Laguna — Local officials of this town headed by Mayor Calixto Cataquiz witnessed the destruction of P15 million worth of illegal medicines at yesterday morning’s flag ceremony, here. Supt. Chito Bersaluna, San Pedro chief of police, together with Laguna Police Provincial Office (PPO) director Senior Supt. Pascual Muñoz led the destruction of 840,000 pieces of expired and tampered “Diamicron” tablets placed inside fourteen boxes. The tablets are a maintenance drug for diabetes patients, with a total value of P15,120,000. These were seized in a police operation in Barangay Langgam, here, last year. (Ferdinand F. Castro)

POWER OUTAGE IN 2 PROVINCES

VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur — The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) announced a nine-hour brownout today, January 29, in the entire province of Abra and 15 towns in the second district of Ilocos Sur. NGCP North Luzon Public Affairs Officer Lilibeth P. Gaydowen said yesterday that the brownout will start at 8 a.m. and last until 5 p.m. “The cause of the brownout had something to do with the annual preventive maintenance and testing (APMT) of power transformer #3 and its associated equipment,” she said. (Freddie G. Lazaro)

LAST DANCE

BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan — A former barangay chairman was peppered with bullets while on his way home from his high school alumni homecoming at the municipal plaza, here, where he danced his last, the other day. Supt. Gerry Roxas, chief of police here, said Romulo Roque, 51, a farmer and resident of Barangay San Gabriel 1 was killed by a motorcycle-riding gunman at 3:30 a.m. on Sunday. Homicide investigators were still digging deeper into the incident for a motive and a possible suspect. Roxas said several bullet casings for a .45-caliber pistol were lifted from the crime scene. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)

CAVITE ACTS VS CAMPAIGN POSTERS

TRECE MARTIRES CITY, Cavite — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) rules on poster-installation will be put to a test in this province once the campaign period for local candidates gets going, starting March 30 (Black Saturday). Lawyer Juanito V. Ravanzo Jr., provincial Comelec supervisor, started removing tarpaulin-posters of election bets in Rosario town this early in consonance with Resolution 9615 rules and regulations that were issued by Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes and the commissioners in mid-January. (Anthony Giron)

BATAAN MAY SEE JOBS BOOM

BALANGA CITY, Bataan — This province has various potentials that will trigger a boom in employment, former National Youth Commission (NYC) Chairman Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV said in his recent visit here. Speaking at the Bataan Polytechnic State College, Aquino called on students to answer to the call of many potential investments in this province, particularly in the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry. “While investors are coming in, the workforce must be ready. Investors want a level playing field, a government with no corruption. Second, they want skilled workers who are hard-working and kind,” he said. (Mar T. Supnad)