NEWSBRIEFS

LAPU-LAPU CITY

Korean tourist held for cocaine

A KOREAN tourist was arrested on Saturday after he was caught with a pack of suspected cocaine in a motel in Lapu-Lapu City.

Jungmin Park, 28, was detained at the city police station pending the filing of criminal complaint for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Park, 28, arrived from Seoul on Aug. 4 with a tourist visa.  Jhunnex Napallacan, Inquirer Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY

A(H1N1) flu downs 12 kids

TWELVE children were afflicted with influenza A(H1N1) from Jan. 1 to July 22 this year, according to the Department of Health (DOH) in Eastern Visayas.

However, regional sentinel nurse Boyd Cerro said this was no cause for alarm since the AH1N1 virus had been considered endemic in the country. “It is now regarded as a common flu. The virus has established its endemicity in the country that is why we have cases of AH1N1,” Cerro said.

The DOH continues to monitor the disease because it might develop into a new strain, which could be more risky, if not deadly, than the existing one.  Joey Gabieta, Inquirer Visayas

SOUTHERN LEYTE

4 in banca mishap rescued

FOUR persons were rescued on Friday afternoon after the outrigger of their motorized banca was damaged by big waves off Barangay Inchon in Macrohon town.

Chief Petty Officer Ruben Marasigan, Maasin Coast Guard station commander, identified them as Andrew Sampayan, 55, and his wife, Priscila, 56; Larry Bulalaque, 41, and Robert Doroy, 40, all of Barangay Mantahan in Maasin City.

Marasigan said the boat, owned by Sampayan, was battered by waves as it reached Barangay Amparo, three miles from Inchon. The waves then broke the support of the boat’s outrigger.  Jani Arnaiz, Inquirer Visayas

DUMAGUETE CITY

Lawyer’s killing hit

LAWYERS in Negros Oriental have condemned the killing of their colleague who was shot by a lone assailant inside his office on Friday morning.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines chapter in Negros Oriental urged authorities to solve the murder of Archer Baldwin Martinez, 48,  saying it might be related to the cases he handled.

“He was a good man who had no problems in his dealings with others,” chapter president Arturo Dupio said.

Gov. Roel Degamo and Dumaguete Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria denounced the killing and ordered investigators to conduct a thorough investigation.  Alex V. Pal, Inquirer Visayas

SIPALAY CITY

3 wounded in ambush

AN ARMY junior military officer, a corporal and a civilian were wounded in an ambush staged by communist rebels while visiting a retired soldier in Sipalay City on late Friday.

Second Lt. Rigor Borja and Cpl. Juanito Fernando, both members of the 47th Infantry Battalion Peace and Development Teams, were shot by two members of the New People’s Army  in Barangay Camindangan at 5:35 p.m.

Borja was hit in the back, while Fernando had a bullet wound in the leg but managed to return fire and hit the female rebel, said 1Lt. Rey Balibagoso, the battalion’s civil-military operations officer.

Roderick Samolde, a civilian, was hit in the buttocks during the crossfire, Balibagoso said.  Carla P. Gomez, Inquirer Visayas