News Briefs: Nov. 11, 2018
Boat with 36 passengers sinks
An island-hopping trip to Sombrero Island turned grim on Saturday after the motor boat that was carrying 36 passengers sank off the coast of San Francisco town, Quezon province, and killed a child passenger.
Armand Balilo, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson, said the vessel Princess Donna sank off the coast of Pugawan village on Saturday.
The lone fatality was an unidentified child.
The 35 survivors were brought to a hospital. —Jovic Yee
2 bets claim PDP-Laban mantle
Two mayoral candidates in Baguio City have been quarreling over recognition as official nominee of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
Labio Calingayan, a watchman of Loacan-Apugan village in Baguio, said he was the rightful PDP-Laban candidate and not Vice Mayor Edison Bilog, who is also running under the administration party.
Calingayan, who completed an education degree, got a certificate of nomination and acceptance signed by Abbin Dalhani, national executive vice president of a PDP-Laban faction led by Rogelio Bicbic Garcia.
Garcia claimed he replaced Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III as party president during an assembly in June. Pimentel signed Bilog’s Cona. —Karlston Lapniten
Army settles clan war
Mamadsali Pandapatan, 50, and Jorge Ayup, 55, placed their hands before the Quran during a “kanduli” (thanksgiving) in Tacurong City hosted by the Philippine Army.
After years of bloodshed over a 10-hectare land at General SK Pendatun town in Maguindanao province, the two clans, who were related by blood, decided to end their enmity, according to Lt. Colonel Harold Cabunoc, 33rd Infantry Battalion commander.
Cabunoc said the feud between Pandapatan and Ayup was just one of five clan wars, which his unit had settled since 2017.
Mediating clan wars, he said, had become “a new trend” in the Army. —Edwin O. Fernandez
Rights group slams tax case vs Rappler
An international human rights group slammed the Department of Justice’s indictment of online news company Rappler for tax evasion as a “clear assault on press freedom.”
Brad Adams, Human Rights Watch Asia director, said the clampdown was part of the Duterte administration’s attempt “to evade scrutiny and accountability” for alleged corruption and abuses committed by the state. —Krixia Subingsubing
