NEWS BRIEFS

TREASURE HUNTERS COLLARED

TWO treasure hunters were apprehended by police in barangay Basak, Lapu-Lapu City, yesterday afternoon.
Lapu-Lapu Himungala, 61, a resident in the barangay, and Leopoldo Bonghanoy, 40, of barangay Suba-Basbas, were arrested while resting in a shanty near the digging site.

Police were brought to the police station for questioning while their digging equipment were confiscated.

SPO1 Jomar Ybañez, head of the Task Force Kalikasan of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office, said the two men were ordered to stop the unauthorized digging operation.

Ybañez said people who engage in treasure hunting should secure permits from the National Museum, Excavation and clearance from the barangay.

Himungala said they have been into treasure hunting for the past eight months. He said it was their third digging site.
Himungala said it was a certain Carlo who financed their treasure hunting. He said they started digging up holes in May last year.

Carlo supplied the two men with digging equipment such as a compressor, which they  use while digging underwater. The equipment also included three suction pumps.

Himungala said they were paid P4,000  a week.

Himungala and Bonghanoy failed to present any papers authorizing them of excavate./CORRESPONDENT NORMAN V. MENDOZA

WIDOW KILLED IN ROAD MISHAP

A 63-YEAR-OLD widow was killed after she was hit by a motorcycle while crossing a road in barangay Dawis Norte, Carmen town, northern Cebu.

Jean Cascabel was declared dead when she was brought to the Danao City District Hospital. She suffered injuries in different parts of the body.

The driver of the motorcycle  Restituto Lao, 25, surrendered to the police after the accident, which happened around 7 p.m. last Monday.

Lao was with his wife and their 1-year-old daughter as backriders. They were injured after the they were thrown off the motorcycle.

Lao told police that Cascabel hesitated to cross the road. He said the woman was already in the middle of the road but attempted to return to the side of the road, causing him to hit her.

Lao was detained at the Carmen police station pending the filing of charges against him. /CORRESPONDENT RHEA RUTH V. ROSELL