Jeepney runs over kids in parade; 1 dead

NORTHERN SAMAR -- A parade held on Monday morning on the eve of the fiesta in Rosario town ended in tragedy when a Grade 2 pupil died and several others, including a 5-year-old boy, suffered injuries after they were hit by a wayward jeepney.

Enrico Miranda Jr. was killed after he was ran over by the jeepney, which lost its brakes. The injured, who were brought to the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital included John Fritz Gallanosa, 5; Cesar Sinukbit, 13; Rizel Pelonia, 18; Liezel Endaya, 16; Michael Galvan, 9; and a Grade 4 pupil, and Danilo Escala, 40, all of Rosario.

The victims were among the participants of the parade of elementary and high school students, teachers, local government officials and policemen.

Romualdo Pelonia, father of one of the victims, said the parade was moving along the national highway in Barangay Tres, Rosario when the speeding vehicle suddenly appeared and rammed into the people.

The police jailed jeepney driver Sonny Suano of San Jose town. Rachel V. Arnaiz, Inquirer Visayas

Stray dog ordinance

TACLOBAN CITY -- The Department of Agriculture in Eastern Visayas urged all local governments in the region to hammer out ordinances on stray dogs to help decrease cases of dog bites.

Andrew Orais, DA regional livestock coordinator, lamented that “very few” LGUs had ordinances on stray dogs, which only indicates that they don’t give the issue priority.

The lack of ordinances was cited as the reason a large number of dogs remain unvaccinated and cases of rabies remain a problem, Orais said. Only 35,194 of about 350,000 dogs in the region are vaccinated, he said. Joey A. Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas

Lumber seized

TUGUEGARAO CITY -- Personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Monday seized at least 10,000 board feet of illegally cut lumber in Pamplona, Cagayan.

Vicente Bayucan, Sanchez Mira community environment and natural resources officer, said residents of Barangay Curva tipped off forest rangers and policemen about the transport of the logs. Bayucan said the shipment, which was believed to have come from Apayao, had no transport permit. Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon