News Briefs: June 17, 2019

Troops find headless body of militiaman

MANILA, Philippines — Army troopers have found the headless body of a militiaman who was held in captivity by communist rebels more than two weeks ago in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur province.

A report from the Army’s 36th Infantry Battalion on Sunday said the decomposing and decapitated body of Ryard Badiang, 24, of Sitio Ibuan, Barangay Mampi, Lanuza, Surigao del Sur, was identified by his relatives through his clothes.

Badiang, a former rebel, was among seven civilians who were seized by the rebels while hauling timber in Barangay Anas, Sitio Banahao, Maitom, Tandag City, on May 30.

The other captives were released several days after they were captured. —Jeannette I. Andrade

New House members to take lawmaking course

MANILA, Philippines — More than 100 first-time members of the House of Representatives will undergo a crash course in lawmaking beginning on Monday ahead of the opening of the 18th Congress next month.

The first batch will attend the three-day course to be conducted by the University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance from June 17 to19.

A second batch shall take the course on June 24-26, and the last batch, July 1-3. They will learn the basics of the legislative process, from writing a bill to enacting it into law, the parliamentary procedure, rules of the House, among other topics. —DJ Yap

Comelec seeks help in poll expense reports

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has urged the public to help the agency in scrutinizing the campaign expense reports of candidates in May’s midterm elections.

Efraim Bag-id, the Comelec’s campaign finance office director, said anybody could go to the office to obtain copies of the candidates’ statement of contributions and expenditures (Soce).

“That is the purpose of Soce, it’s a public document. It’s really for public consumption. So if you see any violation from candidates, inform us right away,” he said in an interview with reporters.

Under the law, all candidates and electoral parties, both winning and losing, are required to submit their Soce within 30 days after the

elections. —Tina G. Santos