News Briefs: March 6, 2019

Commendations pushed for BOC men

The lone representative of Iligan City proposed commendations to several officials of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) who discovered the shipment of garbage from South Korea, which had been declared wrongly as plastic wastes for recycling.

The shipment arrived at Mindanao International Container Terminal port in Tagoloan town, Misamis Oriental. —Divina M. Suson

Duterte: Priest slain because of 9 women

President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his belief that a priest slain recently while celebrating Mass was marked for assassination because of his illicit affairs with at least nine women.

In speeches in Basilan and Zamboanga City, the President said results of initial police investigation showed that Fr. Mark Ventura had been having affairs with at least nine women.

The President said while the Left pointed to the military, nothing in the investigation led to that conclusion. —Julie Alipala

Angara says Sara Duterte crowd magnet

A pro-Duterte candidate for reelection at the Senate attributed huge crowds at rallies of administration candidates to the presidential daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

Sen. Sonny Angara said the mayor’s party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP), drew 20,000 people in Nueva Ecija province and 10,000 in Quezon City.

“I think Mayor Sara is one, if not, the main reasons we draw big crowds,” Angara said. He said Mayor Duterte was a constant presence in HNP rallies. —Joey A. Gabieta