Metro Briefs
Flights canceled in mid-Nov due to new radar system
A number of domestic and international flights scheduled next week at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport will be canceled as it transitions its old radar system to the new Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) system. In an advisory by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) on Friday, the move will affect flights from Nov. 15 to 20. CNS/ATM is a computer- and satellite-based air traffic control and management system. Members of the International Civil Aviation Organization, including the Philippines, were given until 2016 to transition to the new system. The new system will help airlines meet their arrival and departure schedules, and choose their preferred flight profiles.—Dexter Cabalza
Swindlers preying on seniors nabbed in Makati
Ten members of a “budol-budol” gang that preys on senior citizens in Metro Manila were arrested in a posh mall in Makati City on Thursday. They were identified as Angelita Ditos, 52; Mabelle Lopez, 42; Elenita Alba, 58; Analyn Perez, 43; Marie Cablo, 37; Linda Marquez, 44; Adelmo Ranas, 58; Ramon Bertuldo, 51; Jerry Apao, 59; and Edgar Yabut, 60. Now detained in Makati police station, the 10 face multiple counts of estafa. Security guards of Rockwell commercial district in Barangay Poblacion alerted Makati police of “suspicious persons” walking with an elderly woman along Plaza Drive. Chief Insp. Gideon Ines, assistant chief of police for operations, said the 70-year-old victim was alone at the Rockwell Power Plant Mall when she was approached by one of the suspects to help her withdraw cash. The victim was led to one of the suspects’ cars parked in the mall where she was shown designer bags and jewelry that she could get if she withdrew money from the bank. The elderly woman claimed she lost P240,000 from her bank account.—Dexter Cabalza
LTFRB issues new fare matrix
As the new fare hikes for both jeepneys and buses roll out this week, drivers and commuters were surprised by another change: The new fare matrices now use kilometers instead of route segments to determine how much commuters should pay. But the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) stood by its decision to adopt the new “scientific, precise” matrix, which would protect the commuters from being overcharged. The new matrices reflect the latest approved P2 and P1 minimum fare hikes for both jeepneys and buses, respectively. The previous matrices used either route segments or landmarks.—Krixia Subingsubing
