Newsbriefs

BAGUIO CITY

Silver shop robbed

Thieves took off with P1.5 million worth of jewelry and goods from a silver shop near the Lourdes Grotto here on Monday, police said. Five men, who wore ski masks, surprised the security guard of Ibay’s Silver Shop and Convenience Store in Barangay Lourdes Proper at 1:30 a.m.

The guard told police the suspects tied his hands before they destroyed the lock of the shop’s roll-up metal door and fled with the items, said Insp. Karissma Sta. Juana, spokesperson of the Baguio City police. The thieves also took the guard’s shotgun. Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon

NUEVA ECIJA

Motorcycle thieves held

POLICE arrested four suspected motorcycle thieves and recovered 10 motorcycles from them in Barangay Poblacion in San Isidro town on Monday. Senior Supt. Roberto Aliggayu, Nueva Ecija police director, said Mark Gil Victorio, Roden Cruz, Nomar Juan and a 16-year-old boy were arrested at a police checkpoint past 4 p.m.

Aliggayu said the checkpoint was set up on the Gapan-Olongapo Road after police received information that the group had stolen a motorcycle in the town. Police recovered an Isuzu motorcycle from the suspects. Aliggayu said information given by the suspects led to the recovery of 10 other stolen motorcycles in the villages of San Fernando Sur and San Fernando Norte in Cabiao town. Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon

4 nabbed for guns

POLICE arrested two men for carrying unlicensed firearms in Barangay Antonio in Jaen town on Tuesday. Chief Insp. Restituto Reyes, town police chief, said the police questioned Ferdinand Puno and Ramil de Guzman, both from Candaba, Pampanga, after residents saw them roaming near a gasoline station, a burger stand and an agricultural supply store here at around 8:30 a.m.

Reyes said policemen frisked Puno and De Guzman and recovered two unlicensed .45 cal. pistols and mobile phones. Reyes said investigators are looking into the suspects’ possible involvement in gun-for-hire and other criminal activities. Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon

BALER, AURORA

Japan donates P57M

THE JAPANESE government donated P57 million worth of equipment to the newly built Aurora Memorial Hospital (AMH) here on Tuesday. Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo and provincial health officers Luisito Teh and Raul Tomboc received the donation from representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) at a ceremony at the AMH in Barangay Reserva here.

Next week, Toyo Construction, the contractor that built the AMH, would turn over the hospital buildings to the provincial government. The hospital was built through a P509-million grant from Jica and P85 million in counterpart funds from the provincial government.  Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon

CEBU CITY

Ship collides with barge

A SHIP with 221 passengers and 44 crewmen collided with a barge carrying three crew members early yesterday off Lapu-Lapu City. No one was hurt.

Rolando Punzalan, Cebu Coast Guard station commander, said the ship MV Lite Ferry 8 was bound for the Cebu port from Ormoc when it hit the barge Iron Man 1 that was anchored about 1.5 nautical miles off the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.

The accident delayed the arrival of MV Lite Ferry 8, which was scheduled to dock at the Cebu port by 4 a.m. but arrived 4:45 a.m. Jhunnex Napallacan, Inquirer Visayas