Jeepneys offered free smoke emission tests
BAGUIO CITY -- A group of jeepney operators is offering free smoke emission testing to public utility vehicles here to monitor compliance with the anti-smoke belching law as well as to minimize pollution in the city.
Perfecto Itliong Jr., president of the Federation of Jeepney Operators and Drivers Associations of the Philippines (Fedjodap), said the project is one way of promoting environmental awareness among jeepney and taxicab drivers in Baguio.
Itliong said in a smoke emission test that Fedjodap conducted this month, 39 of 40 taxicabs that underwent the test failed. However, of the 40 jeepneys tested, only one failed, he said. Desiree Caluza, Inquirer Northern Luzon
Army claims it captured 3 NPA leaders in Quezon
LUCENA CITY -- Three alleged New People’s Army leaders in Quezon province were captured by government forces in a remote village of Atimonan town Tuesday, the military’s Southern Luzon Command said Wednesday.
Brig. Gen. Roland Detabali, head of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, identified the rebels as Gemma Carag, alleged secretary of the NPA’s Guerilla Front 42; Cecilia Mondia, alleged local organizer of Guerilla Front 42; and a certain Noel Santos, alleged secretary of the rebel’s Quezon provincial committee. Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon
Gunmen again bomb Transco tower in North Cotabato
KIDAPAWAN CITY -- Unidentified armed men bombed a tower of the National Transmission Corp. (Transco) in Mlang, North Cotabato on Wednesday, Mlang Mayor Joselito Piñol said Thursday.
“The tower tilted as three of its posts were damaged due to the strong impact of the blast but there was no power interruption,” Piñol said.
Three hours after the attack, gunmen also fired rocket-propelled grenades at a power substation of the Cotabato Electric Cooperative (Cotelco) in nearby Matalam town.
Felix Caña, Cotelco institutional and development manager, said a transformer was damaged but none of their staffers was harmed.
On June 24, armed men also attacked the power generation facilities of the National Power Corp. in Kalamansig, Sultan Kudarat and plunged the entire town in darkness. Jeoffrey Maitem, Inquirer Mindanao
Wild dogs go on rampage in Negros Occidental town
BACOLOD CITY -- Wild dogs broke the necks and ripped out the hearts of over 100 ducks during two separate attacks in Barangay Camalobalo, Hinigaran town, Negros Occidental.
Dr. Adel Mondia, head of the team sent to investigate, said the owner of the ducks, Julius Pajaro, told him that three wild dogs attacked the ducks twice, between midnight and 2 a.m. on June 19 and on June 22.
The wild dogs killed 86 ducks during the first attack and another 40 in the second attack, Mondia said. Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas
Execs tell Tacloban folk: Don’t harm whale sharks
TACLOBAN CITY -- The city’s fishery law enforcement team has appealed to people in the city not to harm whale sharks that visit San Pedro Bay.
Noel Ligtas, chief of the city’s Fishery Law Enforcement Team, said whale sharks are gentle creatures that visit the bay to feed.
Ligtas, who said he himself had seen the giant fish in the area, disclosed that residents and visitors in a beach resort panicked when they saw a whale shark in San Jose last Sunday. Vicente Labro, Inquirer Visayas
Erap to lead guests in Feast of the Forest
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY -- Pardoned plunderer Joseph Estrada will lead political and diplomatic personalities who will participate in this weekend’s 18th year edition of the city’s award-winning tree planting program dubbed as Feast of the Forest.
“I’ll certainly come this time,” Estrada said in a local radio station interview, alluding to an aborted plan in April to deliver the closing remarks for the 2008 Palarong Pambansa.
Estrada, a personal friend of Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn and who has openly criticized the Arroyo administration since his presidential pardon, said he did not expect Malacañang to intervene this time in his planned visit. Redempto Anda, Inquirer Southern Luzon
