DAGUPAN CITY
Mom, 5 kids hurt in blast
A mother and her five children were hurt on Thursday when a grenade hurled by a man exploded at the family’s garden in Barangay (village) Calmay in Laoac town, police said.
A policeman, who was inspecting the blast area on Friday, was also hurt when another grenade exploded. Sarah Padaoan, 38, and her five children, among them her 3-year-old son, had just finished dinner at 7 p.m. when a grenade exploded at the yard of their house. The family’s two dogs were killed on the spot by the blast.
The injured were treated at the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City.—Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon
CABANATUAN CITY
Car thieves slain
Two suspected car thieves were killed on Thursday when they shot it out with pursuing policemen here.
A policeman was hurt when the suspects, who allegedly snatched a motorcycle from its owner at gunpoint, opened fire that prompted the lawmen to fire back. The suspects reportedly stole the motorcycle from Laylor Garcia, 28, a resident of Villaluz subdivision here.
Superintendent Eli Depra, city police chief, said the policemen caught up with the suspects on Vergara Highway in Barangay (village) Sumacab here where they were fired upon.—Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon
SAMAR
Landslide kills boy
An 8-year old boy was killed on Tuesday after he was buried in mud and rocks in a mountain barangay (village) of Catbalogan City.
Aldin Abancia was running toward his father, Eduardo, 37 and elder brother Eduardo Jr., 10, when he was hit by a landslide about noon Tuesday, according to the Office of Civil Defense in Eastern Visayas (OCD-8). The Abancia family live at the foot of the hill in Barangay Bunuanon. Cherlyn Lubang of the OCD-8 said the boy was still alive when he was rescued by villagers, policemen and Army soldiers about 3 p.m. He was taken to the Samar Provincial Hospital in Catbalogan City where he died.—Joey Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas
LUCENA CITY
Indian foils abduction
Quezon police arrested four suspected kidnappers who attempted to abduct an Indian national in Tiaong, Quezon, on Sunday morning.
Chief Inspector Allen Rae Co, commander of the Quezon Provincial Public Safety Company, identified the Indian as Gurnek Singh, a businessman engaged in money lending and resident of Tiaong.
Co said five suspects—Nilo Tadua, Philip Miranda, Jayson Tina, Jake Calayag and a still unidentified accomplice—tried to abduct Singh in Barangay (village) Lagalag, Tiaong, at around 8:30 a.m. but the victim resisted, managed to escape and sought the help of policemen.—Delfin Mallari Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon