News Briefs

Antisubmarine chopper for Navy undergoes tests

Flight tests are ongoing in the United Kingdom for antisubmarine helicopters that the Philippine Navy had bought. Arsenio Andolong, Department of National Defense spokesperson, said the first of two Augusta Westland AW159 Wildcat helicopters had undergone the tests. The P5.4-billion deal for the helicopters included munition, equipment and integrated logistics support. Andolong said the helicopters would have to undergo a series of test flights before these were turned over to the Philippine government. In July, Navy Chief Robert Empedrad announced the delivery of the helicopters by March 2019. Empedrad had said the helicopters would complement two missile-armed frigates acquired through the Navy’s P18-billion frigate acquisition project. AW159 Wildcat helicopters are fitted with CRV7 rockets and machine guns, Sea Skua missiles, Sting Ray torpedoes and depth charges. —JEANETTE I. ANDRADE

P2-B hydro plant a go after 30 years

A private-public partnership (PPP) project is pushing through to build an 11-megawatt hydroelectric plant in the town of Bacolod, Lanao del Norte. Local officials said the project was expected to bring down electricity costs in the province. The P2-billion plant is a PPP project between the Lanao del Norte provincial government and the municipal government of Bacolod and Liangan Power Corp., a China-owned firm. Construction would start in January 2019 by Guangxi Hydroelectric Construction Bureau of China. “The long wait is over,” said Lanao del Norte Gov. Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo during groundbreaking rites for the project. She said it took almost 30 years for the project to become reality. —RICHEL V. UMEL

Ople Center warns vs fake jobs in China

A nongovernment organization helping distressed overseas Filipino workers warned the public against illegal recruitment and human trafficking syndicates that promise nonexistent jobs for domestic work in China. Susan Ople, head of Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, said her group had been receiving requests for help from overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who had been illegally deployed to China as domestic workers. “We find this situation very alarming,” she said. Families of victims, who sought help from the Ople Center, said the victims were made to pay P30,000 to P45,000 in recruitment fees with the promise of monthly salaries of P50,000 to P60,000. For OFWs seeking help, the Ople Center’s hotline is 833-9562 and its e-mail address is [email protected].

Du30 repeats threat vs TV network

President Duterte renewed his threat to block the renewal of ABS-CBN’s franchise, which is set to expire in March 2020. Speaking in Boracay, the President repeated his accusation that the TV network refused to air his campaign ads, which he paid for, during the 2016 elections. “The gall. You fooled us. There are many of us, not just me. That’s why I won’t let you have your way,” Mr. Duterte said of the TV network. He added: “Your franchise is about to expire, but let me ask you questions first. Because I will really object.” The President has repeatedly criticized ABS-CBN, accusing it of biased reporting against him. —JULIE M. AURELIO

PH gov’t condoles with family of mass shooting victim

The Philippine government on Friday offered its condolences to the family of an 18-year-old Filipino-American who was among those killed in a mass shooting in a crowded bar in Thousand Oaks, California. Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo expressed the Palace’s condolences to the family of Alaina Punzalan Housley, a freshman at Pepperdine University, who was killed in the attack. Panelo said the government was checking if there were other Filipino casualties among at least 25,879 Filipinos living in the area. The Department of Foreign Affairs, in a statement, said Housley’s death was confirmed by Adel Angelito Cruz, Philippine consul general in Los Angeles. —JULIE M. AURELIO AND JEROME ANING

Navy probes fire at ordnance depot

An investigation is already ongoing on the cause of the fire that struck the ordnance depot of the naval base in Sangley Point, Cavite, early on Friday. The fire, which broke out around 5:30 a.m. in one of the igloos of the depot, prompted the Philippine Navy to order an evacuation of offices and buildings being used for housing by Navy personnel. The igloo kept ammunition for light weapons and included M-203 projectiles, according to Commander Jonathan Zata, Navy spokesperson. The fire was put out some two hours after it started. —JAYMEE T. GAMIL