Tawi-Tawi fire razes 300 houses

ZAMBOANGA CITY—More than 300 houses, mostly on stilts and made of light materials, were razed by a fire that hit Sitio Kasanyangan in the village of Tubig Tanah in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, on Wednesday.

Mary Ann Abdulmunap, municipal administrator, said no one died in the fire contrary to earlier reports, but three people suffered serious burns.

Abdulmunap said almost 3,000 people had been rendered homeless and were seeking shelter at the mosque and at the Mahardika Institute and Technology Extension Campus. Julie S. Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao

Davao del Sur cops get new patrol cars

DIGOS CITY--Davao del Sur’s police now have seven new mobile cars, which arrived on Saturday from Manila.

Senior Supt. Cesario Darantinao, provincial police chief, said the shipment fee of P17,000 for every car was shouldered by Rep. Marc Douglas.

Darantinao said the vehicles would be handed over to the police offices of Malalag, Padada, Matanao, Sulop and Sta. Cruz towns, Digos City, and the provincial police office.

Cagas said he would also work for the release of new patrol cars for the towns of Malita, Jose Abad Santos, Kiblawan and Magsaysay. Orlando B. Dinoy, Inquirer Mindanao

Rebel suspects burn mining equipment

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—About 30 suspected communist rebels burned a bulldozer, two backhoes and a truck owned by a mining company in Candelaria, Zambales, on Friday, police said.

At least P3 million worth of heavy equipment of Sinophil were damaged, said Senior Supt. Oscar Albayalde, chief of the Central Luzon police’s planning and operations division.

Senior Supt. Rolando Felix, Zambales police director, said the attackers arrived at about 3 a.m. in Barangay Pinagrealan in Candelaria, poured gasoline on the heavy equipment and burned them. They fled toward the nearby town of Sta. Cruz, reports said. Tonette Orejas and Cesar Villa, Inquirer Central Luzon

Half-paralyzed man killed in Bulacan fire

CITY OF MALOLOS—A 20-minute fire razed a house in Barangay San Jose in Hagonoy town on Thursday, killing a half-paralyzed man, police said.

Epolonio Salamat, 59, was alone in his house when the fire struck at 7 p.m. in a neighbor’s house and spread to his house.

A relative tried to save Salamat but failed, police said. Carmela Reyes, Inquirer Central Luzon

Total city income to breach P400M

NAGA CITY—Propped by efficient tax collection, Naga’s total income is expected to exceed P430 million this year, combining the P230 million in internal revenue allotment it received from the national government and local revenues still being accounted for.

Total business tax collection reached P156 million while real property tax collection rose to P90 million.

The city topped other local government units in Bicol. Jonas Cabiles Soltes, Inquirer Southern Luzon

More Compostela trial courts urged

TAGUM CITY—Officials of Compostela Valley have asked the national government to put up more trial courts to deal with thousands of cases congesting the province’s lone regional trial court.

At least 2,700 cases have been clogging RTC Branch 3 in the capital town of Nabunturan, burdening thousands of litigants, according to provincial board member Arvin Dexter Lopoz. Frinston Lim, Inquirer Mindanao