DIPOLOG CITY – A public high school class beach picnic on Saturday turned into tragedy when two female picknickers drowned at the Samson Beach in Leon Postigo town, Zamboanga del Norte. A police report received at Camp Ramac here by provincial police Director Sr. Supt. Restituto Adriatico identified the fatalities as Mary Jane Rebuelo, 15, and Rowena Ferrer, 16. Both are senior students at the adjacent Siayan National High School. The report said 35 members of the fourth year class of the government secondary school, together with their class adviser, a certain Sagrada Gadayan, went for a weekend picnic at the Samson Beach. While most of the students were frolicking in the water, big waves suddenly engulfed them with five of them, including Rebuela and Ferrer, carried away. Rebuela and Ferrer, who did not know how to swim, sank into the water while the three others managed to swim to the shore. Their bodies were later recovered by fishermen. (Tony Pe. Rimando)

Formalin-laced fish kills farmer, son

ISABELA CITY — A farmer and his grade school son died after eating, as their viand, a fish allegedly injected with formalin by a market vendor last week in Lamitan town, Basilan. A sketchy report received here from the office of Lamitan Mayor Roderick Furigay did not identify the fatalities. The farmer’s wife, who brought the fish late aftrnoon at the local public market, and a daughter were reportedly in serious condition at Lamitan private hospital. The tragedy has reportedly prompted Mayor Furigay’s office to order market inspectors to closely conduct appropriate inspection of marine products sold in the local market to avoid similar future incidents. Unconfirmed reports said some unscrupulous vendors inject formalin into their fish to make the latter look fresh even as some local fishermen alleged use ammonium cyanide to ensure enough catch. (Tony Pe. Rimando)

NABUNTURAN, Compostela Valley — An estimated R40-million worth of properties went up in smoke after a fire broke in a slum in gold-rich Mt. Diwalwal, Monkayo, this province, on Friday. Sr. Supt. Nestor Quinsay, police provincial director, said a 9-year old girl died in the blaze which took authorities two hours to contain. Initial investigation showed the fire started at 9:30 p.m. at a house of a leader in purok 1 and quickly spread to neighboring homes, with flames fanned by high winds and houses made mostly of light and combustible materials. Barangay captain Francisco Tito said relatives found the charred body of Michelle Asis after the fire was put out at around 11:30 p.m. Police said 56 houses were destroyed and rendered 200 families homeless. The 610 victims were temporarily sheltered in the covered court near the barangay hall as town Mayor Manuel Brillantes Jr. dispatched food and clothing to the victims. (Fred E. Gerilla)