News Briefs

Hundreds flee flooding in Southern Mindanao

Hundreds of residents fled their homes as several villages in Southern Mindanao were flooded due to moderate to heavy rains dumped by a low pressure area since Friday, disaster officials said on Saturday.

The Office of Civil Defense in Davao region said at least 10 families were moved to safer grounds at Abejod and Mainit villages in Cateel town, Davao Oriental, late on Friday due to the threat of flooding.

Soldiers and rescuers saved several individuals in Alegria village past 10 p.m. on Friday when the water level at Aragon Dam rose to 19.6 meters, breaching the limit and threatening to flood surrounding communities.

Several landslides were  also reported, including one at Ngan village in Compostela town, Compostela Valley, cutting the Cateel-Compostela Road off to traffic. —Frinston Lim

Drug suspect killed, another captured

A drug suspect was killed while another was arrested in an antidrug operation by police in Toledo City.

Killed was Remegio Atelio, 53, who was wanted for drug peddling. Another suspect, Teodolo Inseso, 36, was arrested.

Police raided the suspects’ hideout in Toledo about 5:30 a.m. to serve a warrant on Atelio.

Police claimed Atelio resisted arrest and put up a fight, leading to a gunfight with the police.

Recovered from the hideout was a loaded Armalite rifle, two .45-caliber pistols, a submachine gun and packs of “shabu,” or crystal meth. —Nestle Semilla

Lorenzana to rebels: Don’t underestimate Duterte

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Friday warned communist rebel leaders they should not underestimate President Rodrigo Duterte’s resolve to end the rebellion even if the schedule to do so had been moved.

Lorenzana made the statement in reaction to communist leader Jose Maria Sison’s comment that the deadline set by the President to defeat communist rebels would not be met.

Sison said the change in the target date for finishing off rebels was just a sign of a faltering campaign and was a form of victory for rebels.

In a statement on Friday, Lorenzana said it was “too soon” for Sison to claim victory. “He is underestimating this President,” the defense chief said.

“We may not be able to finish them off completely to the last man, but we will reduce them into a purely police problem,” Lorenzana said. —Jayme T. Gamil