CABANATUAN CITY — The government’s campaign against illegal logging has scored high with the recent landing of a "big fish" in possession of a sizeable haul of allegedly illegally freshly cut lumber. Civilians informed the police about the presence of the contraband articles in the premises of the house of the village chief. In his report to the Regional Police Office in Camp Olivas, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija police director Senior Supt. Alex Paul I. Monteagudo identified the suspect, a barangay chairman in Peñaranda, Nueva Ecija. Confiscated from him at 10 a.m. last April 4 were 162 pieces of ordinary lumber flitches measuring 2,928.8 board feet and costing some R73,220. Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer for south Nueva Ecija Meliton I. Vicente Jr. immediately issued a seizure order for the lumber hoard, while criminal charges for violation of Section 68 of PD 705, as amended by Executive Order No. 277, series of 1987 were filed against the suspect. At about the same time, the same team confiscated at a grassy place at sitio Saudi, barangay Pias, General Tinio 22 pieces of abandoned ordinary lumber flitches measuring 1,137.16 board feet and valued at R28,429. (Magtanggol Vilar)
Visayas
CV 6th in number of fires
CEBU CITY — The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) reported that Central Visayas (CV) or Region 7 ranked sixth among regions nationwide in the most number of fire incidents during the observance of the Fire Prevention Month last March. Acting BFP National Director Rogelio Asignado, who submitted a report to the Department of Interior and Local Government recently, stated that the National Capital Region (Metro Manila) registered the highest number of fire incidents with 338, followed by Region 4-A with 274, and Region 6, 253. In fourth place was Region I with 34 fire incidents, Region XII with 28, and Region VII, 24. Next to Central Visayas, down the list, were Region VIII with 18, Regions III and X with 17 each, Region IX with 14, Region V with 12 and Caraga, 4. Asignado said there were 14 BFP regional offices that have so far submitted their reports to his office, and the rankings might change as the reports of the remaining regional BFPs arrive. From the partial reports, Asignado noted a six percent drop in the number of fire incidents in the country when compared to the same month last year. The number of persons killed and injured in the fire also decreased. The estimated damage to property likewise fell by 52 percent. (Mars Mosqueda Jr.)
Mindanao
Bombing suspect nabbed
KORONADAL CITY — One of the suspected bombers of Gaisano Department Stores in Koronadal City, South Cotabato and General Santos City was apprehended by elements of the Army’s 604th Infantry Brigade intelligence service and members of Task Force Talacundong led by Col. Jerry Jalandoni, Army’s 604th Infantry Brigade commander. A report sent to Army headquarters at Fort Bonifacio stated the suspect, Abusama Abas, was arrested at his residence in barangay Poblacion, Datu Piglas, Maguindanao at 5:35 in the morning last Friday. The report stated that the troops raided the suspect’s residence by virtue of the warrant of arrest issued by Regional Trial Court in South Cotabato under Criminal Case No. 5589. The troops seized from Abas one caliber 7.62 M14 rifle with four magazines loaded with live ammunition.
