Quake jolts summer capital

A 4-magnitude earthquake shook Baguio City and San Manuel, Pangasinan, Monday afternoon, but disaster response officials said there was no report of earthquake-related damage or casualty in these areas.

A bulletin issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the epicenter of the quake, which struck at 4:40 p.m., was located at 21 kilometers northeast of San Manuel.

It was felt at Intensity 4 in San Manuel and Intensity 3 in Baguio.

Desiree Caluza and Gabriel Cardinoza, Inquirer Northern Luzon

ROMBLON

2 suspected drug couriers nabbed

A security guard and a fish vendor were arrested after port authorities found two packets of suspected “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) inside a box of smoked fish at the Romblon port.

Fish vendor Reynante Magada, 32, and Rocel Par, 31, a security guard from Occidental Mindoro, who was detailed at Montenegro Shipping Lines based in Romblon, were arrested after port authorities conducted an inspection on Sunday, according to a report of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Oct. 30.

The suspects were held at the Romblon municipal station for transportation of dangerous drugs. Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon

CAMARINES NORTE

Businessman loses bank money

Three gunmen held up a businessman of the P500,000 he had just withdrawn from a bank in Labo town on Oct. 30, police said.

Ronnie Bantoy, 27, was about to refuel his car in a gasoline station in Barangay Kalamunding at around 3 p.m. when the robbers struck, said Superintendent Efren Tublan, acting Labo chief of police.

He said the robbers were armed with .45 cal. pistols and fled on board a motorcycle. Jonas Cabiles Soltes, Inquirer Southern Luzon

QUEZON

2 killed in road crash

Two persons were killed and five others were injured when their wayward car slammed into a parked ten-wheel truck along Quirino Highway in Tagkawayan town on Nov. 1, police said.

Police Officer 2 Oliver Sarmiento, Tagkawayan police investigator, said shortly before noon, car driver Danilo Arevalo was negotiating a descending portion of the highway in Barangay (village) Sta. Cecilia going to Naga City when he lost control of the vehicle. Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL

Top NPA leader nabbed

A joint police-military team arrested on Oct. 30 an alleged official of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros Occidental, the military said on Oct. 31.

The policemen, assisted by military personnel, arrested Sarah Alvarez, alias Ka Olsen, at around 6 p.m. Tuesday in Cadiz City, said

Col. Oscar Lactao, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander.

Alvarez, who was detained at the Cadiz police station, told a radio interview that the military was targeting ordinary civilians due to their failure to cripple the insurgency in Negros Occidental. Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas