Rains leave 12 dead

Twelve people were killed, mostly due to drowning in floods, while more than 2,500 others fled their homes as rains continued to hit different parts of the country, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

In the Visayas, seven people, most of whom were children, drowned in floods caused by rains that are among effects of the tail-end of a cold front.

The NDRRMC identified the seven as Diomer Albay, 14, Kathlene Padilla, 3, Jolly Dioso, 14, Karen Denubo, 10, Rey Reyes, 9, all of Capiz; Jean Academia, 50, of Negros Oriental; and Angelo Sergio, 8, of Northern Samar.

Capiz experienced widespread flooding, with 143 barangays in Roxas City and 12 towns inundated.

Also flooded were several barangays in Calapan City, Baco, Naujan, Mansalay, and Pola in Mindoro; Dumaguete City and Valencia in Negros Oriental; Palo and Tacloban City in Leyte; Catubig, Northern Samar; and Panabo City and Carmen in Davao del Norte.

At least 2,220 residents of the flooded areas remain in evacuation centers while 251 others are taking shelter at the home of relatives of firends, according to the NDRRMC.

The rains were also felt in Metro Manila and northern Luzon, leaving a bridge in Penablanca, Cagayan, impassable on Friday afternoon. Two rivers in Aurora overflowed while a landslide was also reported, according to the NDRRMC.

In the Bicol region, five people drowned while three others are still missing due to floods and sea mishaps, amid rains caused by a low-pressure area.

The NDRRMC identified the fatalities were as Edwin de la Concepcion, 25, of Catanduanes; Antonette Plumaje, 30, and her son Errol John, 6, of Camarines Sur; and couple Vicente, 55, and Delia Renzales, 54, of Masbate.

The rains affected 15,869 people in Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte, but only 167 remain in evacuation centers, according to the agency. (John Roson)

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5 hurt as cruise ship catches fire between Philippines, Malaysia

Five crew members were injured when fire hit a foreign cruise ship carrying more than 700 people in waters between the Philippines and Malaysia on Saturday morning, the Philippine Navy said.

Commodore Rustom Pena, commander of the Naval Forces West based in Palawan, said they recieved a report that five crew members of the Azamara Quest were hurt, but did not need to be evacuated.

The five inhaled smoke during the fire, Azamara Club Cruises, the troubled ship’s company, said on its website.

“The crew members are being treated in our medical facility. However, one crew member is more seriously injured and requires additional and urgent medical attention that can only be provided in a hospital,” it said, adding that the crew member will be transported to a hospital once the ship arrives in Sandakan, Malaysia.

Lieutenant Col. Omar Tonsay, Navy spokesman, said they recieved a report on the fire while the Azamara Quest was 45 miles northeast of Sandakan.

Azamara Quest, which came from Manila and was bound to Indonesia that time, was reportedly carrying 600 American and European passengers and 121 Filipino crew members, he said.

The Navy deployed three vessels – the BRP Emilio Liwanag, BRP Leogivildo Gantioque, and BRP Juan Magluyan – and a multi-purpose assault craft from Zamboanga and Palawan to assist the troubled cruise ship.

Azamara Club Cruises said one of the ship’s engine rooms caught fire past 8 p.m., ship time.

As of 6 p.m. EST (7 a.m. in Manila), “Azamara Quest is still located 200 miles off the coast of Balikpapan (Borneo), Indonesia, in calm seas,” the company said.

“The fire was contained to that engine room and was quickly extinguished. There were no injuries of guests reported and the atmosphere aboard is calm,” it said.

Azamara Quest is currently on a 17-night sailing that departed Hong Kong, China, on March 26, and includes port calls to Manila; Borneo, Sulawesi, Benoa Bali, Semarang, and Komodo, Indonesia; and concludes in Singapore on April 12.

“The damage caused by the fire will require us to cancel the rest of Azamara Quest’s voyage once the ship arrives in Sandakan,” the company said. (John Roson)

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5 killed in clashes on NPA anniversary

Three suspected New People’s Army (NPA) members and two soldiers were killed in clashes in North Cotabato and Davao City as the rebel group celebrated its 43rd anniversary, military officials said.

Brigadier Gen. Manuel Ochotorena, assistant commander of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said Pfc. Jaylord Albania died in the hospital after being injured in a clash with rebels in Magpet, North Cotabato, on Thursday.

Albania and his fellow members of the 57th Infantry Battalion clashed with about 60 rebels led by alyas Totoy Dako, of the NPA’s Front Committee 53 around 11:45 a.m. in Sitio Bantaan, Brgy. Bagumbayan.

Colonel Leopoldo Galon, Armed Forces Eastern Mindanao Command spokesman, said three rebels also died in the clash but their bodies have yet to be recovered.

The military is still coordinating with local officials of Magpet for the retrieval and transport of the three slain rebels, Galon said.

In Davao City, Pfc. Eriel Garalde died as three rebels sniped a patrol base of the 72nd Infantry Battalion in Sitio Guinobatan, Brgy. Paradise Embac, around 6:05 a.m.

Six hours later, two Army personnel and a policeman were injured when their team encountered 15 rebels in Sitio Sinai, Brgy. Tambis, in Barobo, Surigao del Sur.

Colonel Arnulfo Burgos, Armed Forces spokesman, said the number incidents initiated by the NPA during their anniversary rose to three from the two recorded in 2011.

Despite the rise in the number of incidents, he said the military is “more concerned” on the “long-term statistics.”

“This is price of fighting for peace. We like to appeal to our misguided brothers, it’s high time we abandon armed violence,” Burgos said. (John Roson)

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Soldiers to be deployed to Mindanao churches

Platoons of soldiers will deployed to different churches in Mindanao to thwart possible terrorist attacks during the Holy Week, a military official said Thursday.

In Basilan, one platoon will be deployed to the Isabela cathedral, another to the church in Maluso, and another to the Lamitan church, said Brig. Gen. Roberto Almadin, military chairman of the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council.

Military personnel will also be deployed to churches in Sulu, Cotabato City, Zamboanga City, and the Davao region, Almadin said during a National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council meeting for preparations for the Holy Week.

“Gatherings of people in churches, cathedrals, places of religious interest, and tourist spots may be taken advantage of by terrorists to conduct attacks to sow chaos, disorder, and gain media mileage,” he said.

Other possible targets include airports, seaports, public transportation terminals, and vital installations, according to the official.

In Metro Manila, the military’s National Capital Region Command deployed 117 soldiers to help police secure terminals and other places of interest, Almadin said.

Soldiers will also act as sea marshalls, along with Coast Guard personnel, to ensure the security of commercial vessels going in and out of Metro Manila, he said. (John Roson)

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North Korea rocket won’t carry nuke – DND

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said North Korea’s planned rocket launch will not bring any nuclear weapon, but expressed hope that it will not push through so other countries will not get “involved.”

“We hope that there will be none, no violation, so there will be no involvement of the parties,” Gazmin told reporters Thursday, after presiding over a forum on preparations for the Holy Week.

The defense chief made the remark when asked whether the US will shoot the rocket down for the Philippines, whose lack of capability has already made it seek the former’s assistance in tracking the projectile.

Japan had already announced that it was readying its forces to stop the rocket, should it pass over Japanese territory.

Meanwhile, Gazmin said local experts determined that the rocket launch will not involve any nuclear weapon so the Philippines’ main concern is the debris that may fall in its territory.

“There will be no nuclear warhead involved in this particular launch, so it’s more on the diplomatic ambit. The concern is that the long-range rocket may carry nuclear weapons in the future,” Department of Science and Technology spokesman Mon Liboro said in the forum, citing information from the Philippine Nuclear Research Institute.

“Ang kalaban natin dito ‘yung debris, pagka ito ay nag-explode sa taas, ‘yung mga bakal-bakal na ‘yan na babagsak, tinitingnan natin kung san dadaan at kung sino ang tatamaan para ma-warningan natin,” Gazmin said.

“Ang projection is that the debris will land somewhere, 180 kilometers northeast of Luzon, if the launching is successful. Pero kung hindi successful baka sumobra, baka pumasok sa ating territory,” he said.

Gazmin said he will also contact South Korea later Thursday to get more information on the North’s planned launch.

The rocket launch, which North Korea said is only aimed at sending a satellite to space, is expected to happen between April 12 to 16. (John Roson)

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Man kills pregnant lover, self in Laguna resort

A 52-year-old man stabbed to death his 21-year-old lover at a resort in Majayjay, Laguna, after discovering that she was pregnant, then killed himself, police said.

Roman Ramos and Renalou Gripo were lying lifeless and bloodied when found by Danny Tonpo, manager of the Scenic resort in Brgy. Ilayang Banga, inside their cottage around 8 p.m. Tuesday, said Senior Insp. Richard Corpuz, Majayjay Police chief.

“What we see here is crime of passion and suicide, they had an illicit affair. The woman married another man but went on with their relationship. The suspect was angry because he didn’t want her to get pregnant, it’s possible that she was carrying her legal husband’s child,” Corpuz said by phone.

Gripo, who was found lying on the floor, suffered 37 stab wounds on the body. Ramos, still single, was lying on the bed with a slashed left wrist.

“We found the word ‘Sorry’ on the wall near his body, he wrote it with his own blood,” Corpuz said.

Also found in the cottage were a broken brandy bottle, kitchen knife, and a pregnancy test kit that had two lines, indicating that the woman was indeed with child.

The woman was two months pregnant, according to Corpuz.

Caretakers of the resort told police that Ramos and Gripo checked in around 11 a.m. It is believed that the two got into a fight between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m.

“There has been no indication, so far, that she was to end their relationship. If she planned to, why do it in a resort? We suspect that the relationship was still on,” Corpuz said. (John Roson)

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Sacked cop turns to robbery, gets busted by victims in Nueva Vizcaya

A former police official, dismissed from the force just two years ago, was arrested with his cohort after the foreigners they tried to holdup beat them up in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya, on Monday.

Senior Superintendent Valfrie Tabian, Nueva Vizcaya provincial police director, identified the suspects as former Chief Inspector Freddie Cacliong and Ivan Dumageng.

The two were arrested after they tried to pull a heist on foreigners involved in the mining business, at a junction along the National Highway in Brgy. Tuao North around 6:30 a.m.

According to Tabian, Chinese nationals Pan Ling Ming, Shu Teng, Filipino-Japanese Enrique Yamamoto, and Filipino-Chinese driver Robert Go were waiting for a tour guide who will bring them to Ifugao, when the motorcycle-riding hold up men arrived.

“They (foreigners) were outside their car so they were able to fight when the heist was declared, they ganged up on the suspects,” Tabian said in a phone interview.

“One of the muggers was wearing a helmet and cannot see his backside well, so he got struck in the head. Maybe he didn’t want to remove the helmet because he’s a former policeman,” Tabian said.

As the scuffle continued, Cacliong drew a gun and shot the leg of one of the Chinese nationals, whose companions quickly came to the rescue and snatched the firearm.

Members of the Bagabag Police eventually arrived and collared Cacliong and Dumageng. The Chinese national who got shot was brought to a hospital, but was allowed to leave after first aid as his leg was only grazed.

It was learned that Cacliong, a native of Ifugao, once served as the chief of police in a town in Isabela, and was dismissed in 2010 because of various cases.

“He (Cacliong) had many cases. When I was still the summary hearing officer of Region 2, he had several administrative and sexual harassment cases, where one of the victims was a fellow police personnel. When he was kicked out of the service, a murder charge also sprang up, he’s a real scalawag,” Tabian said.

Cacliong and Dumageng have already been charged with attempted robbery and frustrated homicide. Police are still verifying if the duo had also been involved in other incidents of robbery. (John Roson)

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Philippines, Vietnam to share info, interact in Spratlys

The Philippine and Vietnamese navies have agreed to strengthen cooperation among troops deployed in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, a Philippine Navy official said today.

The agreement covers “information sharing” and “interaction” among troops guarding the Northeast Cay and Southwest Cay, Navy spokesman Lt. Col. Omar Tonsay said.

“We are neighbors there so we need to cooperate. Information sharing will cover maritime doctrines, research and development, and intelligence gathering or monitoring,” Tonsay said in a phone interview.

Northeast Cay is occupied and called Parola by the Philippines. It lies 45 kilometers northwest of Pag-Asa Island, the largest Spratly island handled by Manila, and is only 3 kilometers north of Vietnamese-occupied Southwest Cay.

The accord was reached when Philippine Navy chief Vice Adm. Alexander Pama and Vietnam People’s Navy chief Adm. Nguyen Van Hien signed a memorandum of understanding during the former’s visit to Vietnam from March 11 to 14, Tonsay said.

During his visit, Pama also proposed to Vietnamese military officials joint patrols in “common maritime domains” and that Philippine Navy personnel be allowed to train at Vietnam’s high-tech Naval Shipyard X46, which can build various types of warships and high-speed vessels, Tonsay said.

Pama also suggested that a hotline be established between the Philippine and Vietnamese navies for operations, especially search and rescue. (John Roson)

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Cop shoots dead man who stabbed wife at school graduation in Leyte

The chief of police in Javier, Leyte, shot dead a man who stabbed his own wife during the graduation ceremony of a local school over the weekend.

Senior Insp. Jimmy Boy Balasanos said he opted to shoot Alejandro Ladan, 45, as the latter was already putting his wife Nilfa’s life in danger.

The incident occurred around 11:35 a.m. Sunday during the graduation rites for high school students of the East Visayan Adventist Academy in Brgy. San Sotero.

Nilfa, an overseas Filipino worker who just returned home, was accompanying her graduating daughter when her husband suddenly went inside the school and dragged her out, Balasanos said in a phone interview.

As they reached the entrance, Alejandro arm-choked his wife and started stabbing her side with a four-inch knife, according to the police official.

Balasanos, who happened to be outside the building, saw what was happening and intervened.

“Nagkataon na nandoon ako, so sinubukan ko siyang (Ladan) i-disarm, pero inundayan niya rin ako, buti nakaiwas ako at maliit lang ang tama ko sa braso,” he said.

Another man eventually helped Balasanos in trying to wrest the knife from Alejandro, but the latter continued stab his wife, forcing the officer to shoot.

“Iba ‘yung saksak niya (Ladan), parang ikinakalikot pa sa loob, so wala na akong ibang recourse kundi i-immobilize siya,” Balasanos said, adding that Nilfa suffered broken ribs.

But despite being shot in the body, Alejandro still allegedly continued to stab his wife so Balasanos fired again, this time bringing the attacker down.

“Na-disrupt ‘yung graduation pero naituloy pa rin, kasi nung mangyari ang insidente ay ilang minuto na lang yung ceremony,” Balasanos said.

Investigators have yet to determine what made Alejandro try to kill his wife, who is still recuperating in the hospital as of this writing.

It was learned that the couple have long been living separately before the incident, with Nilfa and her daughter staying at her parents’ home in MacArthur town, and Alejandro in Tacloban City. (John Roson)

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Frenchman found dead in Batangas home

A 61-year-old French national was found dead inside his home in the beach resort town of Lian, Batangas, on Sunday afternoon, police said.

SPO2 Pablo Roxas, investigator at the Lian Police, identified the fatality as Michael Jean Rouinvy Bayle, an immigrant who has been in the country for three years.

Bayle’s body was found by neighbor Elmer Quiñones inside the former’s home in Sitio Altura, Brgy. Matabungkay, around 1 p.m.

Quiñones, who claimed to be a friend and “errand man” of Bayle, was bringing cigarettes, soda, and vodka which the Frenchman ordered the day before, but the latter did not answer to calls from outside the house, Roxas said.

Quiñones told police that eventually went inside the house and tried to wake Bayle, but was taken aback when he felt that the latter’s body was cold and bloated.

He suspected that Bayle was dead and sought police assistance after seeing blood on the bed sheet near the latter’s mouth.

Quiñones described Bayle as kind, a bit of a loner, and wanted to spend the rest of his life in the Philippines.

No signs of forcible entry, which indicates “foul play,” was found at the house. It was also learned that Bayle had long been suffering from acute diabetes and rheumatism, and was a heavy drinker and chain smoker, Roxas said in his report. (John Roson)

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