MARIVELES, Bataan — The supply of illegal drugs particularly “shabu” is expected to be reduced with the recent busting of a well-entrenched syndicate following the arrest of three suspected drug pushers in this town, a top police official said yesterday. Supt. Melecio Buslig, Jr., chief of police here, said a family of suspected drug peddlers – spouses Virgilio and Regina Clarin and their son Michael – was collared right after the suspects handed “shabu” to covert agents who posed as buyers. Senior Superintendent Ricardo Zapata, Bataan police director, described Regina Clarin as the alleged “Drug Queen” in Sitio Balimbing, Poblacion, Mariveles. (Mar T. Supnad)

R1AA CHAMPS

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan — Schools Division of Pangasinan 2 collected a total of 571 points to regain the Region 1 Athletic Association Meet (R1AA) over-all championship crown with a 61.16-point margin over closest rival Ilocos Norte with 509.84 points. Pangasinan 2, headed by Superintendent Viraluz Raguidin, ended the nine-year reign of Ilocos Norte in 2011 when it hosted the R1AA at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center (NRSCC), here. The sports event hosted by Schools Division of Pangasinan 1 from February 24 to March 2 was participated in by some 6,000 athletes, technical officials and coaches from the 14 schools divisions in Region 1. (Liezle Basa Iñigo)

SOLCOM CHANGE OF GUARD TODAY

CAMP NAKAR, Lucena City — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) area command in Southern Luzon will install today its new commanding officer at the chain of command rites to be held here. Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) spokesman Colonel Generoso Bolina said that Acting SOLCOM chief Maj. Gen. Alfredo Peralta will be replaced by Maj. Gen. Caesar Ronnie F. Ordoyo as the new SOLCOM chief. The SOLCOM covers the CALABARZON (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon), some provinces of MIMAROPA (Mindoro [Oriental and Occidental-Marinduque-Romblon-Palawan) and Bicol regions. Gen. Emmanuel Bautista, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, will lead the ceremonies. (Danny J. Estacio)

4,000 SCHOLARS

PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The provincial government of Palawan headed by Governor Baham Mitra handed checks worth a total of P20 million to state universities as payment for the tuition of the province’s scholars. Mitra and Daisy Anne Atrero, head of the Provincial Education Enhancement Program (PEER), gave the checks to representatives of Western Philippines University; Palawan State University; and other Extramural Campuses at the conference room of the Capitol last March 1. These checks covered tuition of some 4,000 scholars for the first and last semester of school year 2012-2013. (Ferdinand F. Castro)

LABOR STANDARD

FREEPORT AREA OF BATAAN — In compliance with existing labor laws, various companies inside the Freeport Area of Bataan (FAB) underwent an orientation on labor standards from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to make the sprawling industrial complex the country’s first labor standard-compliant freeport zone. Newsmen learned that about 50 different companies, together with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, PhilHealth, Social Security System, and local government units, joined in the orientation which aims to promote voluntary compliance on labor standards and welfare laws among enterprises. (Mar T. Supnad)