News Briefs
Go dares Joma: Return, have checkup with Duterte
President Duterte’s most trusted aide, Christopher “Bong” Go, challenged communist leader Jose Maria Sison to come home and, as Sison had dared, take a medical checkup with President Duterte. “Let us see who is healthy,” Go said, addressing himself to Sison, 79, on the sidelines of a program during North Cotabato’s founding anniversary on Saturday in Kidapawan City. “I assure you, the President is in tip-top condition,” Go said. “He is capable of completing his term,” he added. Mr. Duterte’s closest aide said the issue about the President’s health was recycled and should be ignored. “That’s been going on since last year,” he said.—EDWIN O. FERNANDEZ
Electric post falls on pedicab; 6 hurt
It was a case of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. Six people suffered burns and other injuries when an electric post fell on the pedicab they were riding in Kabacan, North Cotabato, according to police. Chief Insp. Ronnie Cordero, Kabacan police chief, said the pedicab was on its way to the town center of Datu Montawal, Maguindanao province, when the electric post fell on it at 3 p.m. on Monday. Cordero said the post fell on the pedicab “and it sparked.” He said the victims were taken to the Kabacan Polymedic Hospital.—EDWIN O. FERNANDEZ
23 rescued as they were bound for Malaysia
Twenty-three people believed to be victims of illegal recruitment were rescued in Bakkungan Island off Tawi-Tawi on Aug. 20 while they were on board a vessel taking them to Turtle Island. Lt. Commander Noriel Ramos, chief of the Philippine Coast Guard Zamboanga City station, said coast guards intercepted the vessel and, “upon inspection,” found 10 men and 13 women “who were not able to present any travel document.” Ramos said the victims were being taken to Malaysia. Many of the victims were from different provinces in Western Mindanao, Ramos said. They were brought back to Zamboanga City on Sunday.—JULIE ALIPALA
Cotabato mayor demands probe of Comelec fire
Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi has called for an extensive investigation of the fire that gutted the office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the city on Friday. She said she had written to the Comelec central office to inquire about records being kept in the Comelec office after “all computers and the biometric system were destroyed in the fire.” “The people of Cotabato City were left with so many questions,” she said. She said she was worried about the records of voters ahead of next year’s midterm elections and the plebiscite for the Bangsamoro Organic Law. She had been opposing the inclusion of the city in the new autonomous region for Muslims that would replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.—EDWIN O. FERNANDEZ
Sara’s HNP, Jalosjos clan form alliance
More than 600 policemen were deployed to Dapitan City to secure the launch of a partnership between Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte’s regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) and the Aggrupation Parties for Prosperity (APP) of the Jalosjos clan. Mayor Duterte’s HNP and APP, represented by Rep. Seth Frederick Jalosjos, merged and formed an alliance. Guests included Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos.—JULIE ALIPALA
