3 drown on Good Friday, Black Saturday

ILAGAN, ISABELA—Three persons drowned in separate incidents in Isabela on Good Friday and Black Saturday, police said.

Richard Narag, 17, of Barangay Alinguigan 3rd in Ilagan town drowned while swimming in the Malalam River on Saturday noon.

In San Agustin town, Tricia Liberato, 9, drowned while she and a cousin were swimming in the Cagayan River also on Saturday, police said.

The third drowning victim, Richard Guinsangue, 33, was crossing the Magat River in Luna town on Friday when a strong current swept him, police said. Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon

Pampanga town has new mayor

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—The Department of the Interior and Local Government installed businessman Romulo Pecson as new mayor of Magalang town in Pampanga, on Wednesday.

After four hours of tension-filled negotiation with Lyndon Cunanan, Pecson’s rival, Josefina Castilla-Go, DILG Central Luzon director, came out of the municipal hall at 4 p.m. to announce to some 1,000 residents that Pecson was assuming office.

In the meeting with supporters of the feuding camps, Castilla-Go said that since no injunction order came from the Commission on Elections on Wednesday, the DILG installed Pecson to comply with the writ of execution issued by Judge Irin Zenaida Buan on March 11. Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon

Suspected bomber arrested in raid

JOLO, SULU—A suspected bomber with links to the Jemaah Islamiyah was arrested by government security forces in Jolo, Sulu, municipal police chief Senior Insp. Usman Ali Pingay announced.

Rening Kamlon Sabdani, alias Rening Asmaruddin, was the main suspect in the March 1 explosion near the military headquarters, he said. At least six people, including two soldiers, were injured in the explosion.

Pingay said Sabdani, 39, was arrested during a raid by a joint police and military personnel on a safehouse in Barangay Bus-bus on March 8. Ed General, Inquirer Mindanao