LAGUNA
Jobless report hit
A LABOR party-list group called a ?myth? a National Statistics Office (NSO) report which stated that the number of unemployed Filipinos had gone down to 2.8 million in January from 2.9 million during the same month last year due to election-related jobs.
?Unemployment has been kept magically low by removing from the labor force those who have already been discouraged from looking for work and even those who keep on looking for work but have not found any for more than six months,? Ramil Cangayao, Partido ng Manggagawa coordinator in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) said in a statement.
Cangayao said that since 2005, about one million Filipinos had been removed from the unemployment rolls to validate the government?s claim that the jobless rate had dropped from 10 percent to the current 7.3 percent. Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL
Danding kid in mishap
THE VEHICLE used by the daughter of business tycoon Eduardo ?Danding? Cojuangco was hit by a Ceres bus just outside Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on Monday afternoon.
Lisa Cojuangco Cruz was riding a white Toyota Land Cruiser when the bus smashed into its right side shortly before 4 p.m., one of her companions said.
No one was seriously hurt although Cruz complained of pain in her shoulder.
Cruz, who was accompanying her cousin Kris Aquino during a campaign sortie in Negros Occidental, transferred to another vehicle and rejoined Kris in La Carlota City. Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas
BATANGAS
Cop slain in Tanauan
A POLICEMAN was killed after coming to the rescue of villagers who sent distressed calls that armed men on a drinking spree in Tanauan City were creating trouble Monday night, police said Tuesday.
Senior Supt. Alberto Supapo, Batangas police director, identified the slain policeman as PO1 Bren Sumadsad, 28.
Supapo said a concerned citizen had sent a text message asking police help for the chaos in Barangay Boot at around 8:30 p.m.
When members of the Special Weapons and Tactics team tried to accost the gunmen inside a house in the village, gunshots were heard from a dark area nearby.
Sumadsad was shot in the back during the initial gunfire while the other team members took cover and returned fire. Sumadsad was rushed to the CP Reyes Hospital in the city but was declared dead on arrival.
Police identified the suspects as Pedro de Chavez, 45; Erwin de Chavez, 23; Ericson de Chavez, 19; Erish Glenn de Chavez, 15; Ronald Barrion, 28; and Fernando Israel, 25.
The suspects were detained at the Tanauan City Jail. Marrah Erika Lesaba, Inquirer Southern Luzon
1 dead in poll rally
ONE person was killed while four others were wounded when two unidentified men fired at a political meeting of the incumbent mayor of Calatagan town, police said.
Valentino Taguibao, 34, was attending the caucus of Mayor Sophia Palacio in Barangay Balibago at around 9 p.m. when he was shot, Senior Supt. Alberto Supapo, provincial police director, said. Marrah Erika Lesaba, Inquirer Southern Luzon
