Former Marine sergeant nabbed

LAGUNA

A marine sergeant, who had been on absence without leave from the service for over 10 years, was arrested after police found unlicensed guns at his house in Siniloan, Laguna, police said.

Mario Coronacion, 58, was taken at around 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Barangay Mendiola, Insp. Rolando Vasquez, Siniloan police chief, said by phone. Police found an unlicensed .38 cal. revolver, two improvised shotguns and several bullets.

Vasquez said the arrest warrant was issued by Judge Gregorio Vega Jr. of the Sta. Cruz Regional Trial Court, after complaints were filed against Coronacion. The complainants, who were also his relatives, said the suspect would poke his guns at them whenever he was drunk, Vasquez said. Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon

Bicol tax collection goal met, says exec

LEGAZPI CITY

THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has collected P2.4 billion in tax revenues during the first six months in Bicol, achieving half of its target goal of P4.4 billion for the year.

Diosdado Mendoza, BIR regional director, said P901 million or 37 percent of the take came from Albay, followed by Camarines Sur with P787 million; Camarines Norte, P257 million; Masbate, P197 million; Sorsogon, P180 million; and Catanduanes, P103 million.

He said the tax revenues were derived mostly from withholding taxes from fixed-income earners, business, professions and value-added tax.

The BIR is currently pursuing P320-million worth of tax evasion cases involving persons and companies with businesses in the cities of Legazpi, Tabaco and Masbate, and in Camarines Sur, he said. Mar S. Arguelles, Inquirer Southern Luzon

Motorcycle, car collide; 2 killed

PAMPANGA

TWO men were killed while another was hurt on Friday when their motorcycle collided with a car along the MacArthur Highway in Barangay Mabiga, Mabacalat town.

Arte Balatbat and Celso Jaminal died instantly when their motorcycle was hit by an oncoming Honda Civic sedan that swerved to their lane, police said. Their companion, Jhunas Romeda, was hurt.

Police said the victims were thrown from the motorcycle, which was dragged by the car some 25 meters from collision point.

The car?s driver, Vidal Henson, was arrested and detained at the town police station. Jun Malig, Inquirer Central Luzon

MILF names chief of ceasefire panel

COTABATO CITY

THE Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has named a new ceasefire panel chief to sustain an existing agreement on the cessation of hostilities with the government.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the MILF said that by designating Said Sheik as new head of its Coordinating Committee on the Cessation of Hostilities, the body?s work would not be installed.

The panel works with its counterpart in the government to ensure that past agreements on cessation of hostilities are observed. It also works with the Malaysian-led International Monitoring Team in addressing violence caused by feuds between MILF members and other armed groups in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Edwin Fernandez, Inquirer Mindanao