COMPOSTELA VALLEY
Blast hurts 3
Three persons were hurt when a grenade lobbed by an unidentified person exploded in a village benefit dance in Laak town on Saturday night.
Supt. Jose Carumba, Southern Mindanao police spokesperson, said the attack happened during a disco in Purok 2 at past 11:30 p.m. Police recovered grenade fragments at the site.
Felimon Saiden, 46, of Tagum City; Eli Piyal, 19, and Jovert Visagas, 16, both of Barangay (village) Kapatagan, Laak, suffered minor shrapnel wounds and are undergoing treatment at the hospital. Frinston L. Lim, Inquirer Mindanao
OZAMIZ CITY
LTO official attacked
Another official of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) was shot by a still unidentified assailant in Ozamiz City, barely two months after a similar attack killed the agency’s chief.
According to a police report, Edwin Bucal, chief of operation at the LTO office in the city, was near the Osmeña-Roxas Park when he was shot several times.
He suffered multiple bullet wounds and remains in critical condition at the hospital, police said.
Earlier, his boss, Gerry Banggan, was shot dead while playing tennis inside the city engineering compound. Tito Fiel, Inquirer Mindanao
SOUTH COTABATO
T’boli in int’l shoot tilt
A 15-year-old T’boli will join the Philippine delegation to the world shooting competition in Athens, Greece, in October.
Keo Dayle Tuan, son of Councilor Dibu Tuan of T’boli town, is undergoing further training under coach TJ Joson of True Weight Gunshop in Manila.
Keo recently bagged third place in the “Junior Open” category of the shooting competition during Davao City’s Kadayawan Festival. Last year, he was fifth in that division during the world shooting contest in Malaysia. Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao
GENERAL SANTOS CITY
Soldier shot dead
An army soldier died from a single bullet wound in the back in a private hospital on Friday night, just a few minutes after he was shot by a motorcycle-riding assailant.
Staff Sergeant Narciso Giganto, a member of the Army’s Field Artillery Battalion based at Barangay Buayan, was walking on a street on his way to his house when he was attacked at
7:20 p.m., Chief Insp. Aldrin Gonzales, Lagao police station chief, told reporters on Saturday.
Giganto was pronounced dead at the hospital a few minutes after he was brought there, he said. Police are still investigating the motive and the identity of the killer. Aquiles Z. Zonio, Inquirer Mindanao
DAVAO DEL SUR
Militiaman killed in clash
A militiaman was killed when government troops clashed with communist rebels in Kiblawan town on Saturday.
Senior Inspector Ferdinand Casiano, Kiblawan police chief, said militiamen under the Army’s 72nd Infantry Battalion encountered rebels belonging to the New People’s Army (NPA) Southern Alep regional guerilla unit in Sitio Aliong in Barangay Kimlawis at around 5:25 a.m.
Casiano said 15 rebels stormed the detachment of the Civilian Auxiliary Force in Kimlawis, sparking a 10-minute firefight that left Ricky Alvarado dead.
Casiano said Alvarado suffered a bullet wound in the armpit. Orlando B. Dinoy, Inquirer Mindanao
CAPIZ
Soldier dead in ambush
A soldier was killed while five others were wounded Sunday in an ambush staged by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Tapaz town.
Capiz police chief Senior Superintendent Domingo Cabillan said the soldiers belonging to the 61st Infantry Battalion were on their way back to their camp in Barangay (village) Lagdungan from Roxas City. When they reached Barangay Switch, the rebels lobbed a grenade at the military truck, he said.
Killed was Private First Class Marlon Gahum, the truck driver.
The wounded were brought to Western Visayas Medical Center in Iloilo. They were identified First Lt. Joselito Dalida, battalion spokesperson; 2nd Lieutenant Libon Brawner, Privates First Class Rolly Fland and Arman Gemoranion, and Corporal Renante Desente. Felipe V. Celino, Inquirer Visayas
CAVITE
Cocaine seized
Police seized a kilo of suspected cocaine, valued at P5 million, in a subsequent antidrug operation in Tanza and Dasmariñas City in Cavite.
Cavite police director Senior Superintendent John Bulalacao said one of the arrested suspects told police that the illegal drug came from his hometown in Leorente, Samar.
A suspected drug dealer, Alex Mingoy, 34, was arrested at around 4 p.m. along Soriano Highway in Tanza. Police seized 250 grams of cocaine from Mingoy, who confessed to hoarding 750 grams more at a friend’s house in Dasmariñas.
Police also arrested Arnold Toledo, 33, in Barangay Bautista in a subsequent raid in his home and seized the remaining grams of cocaine. Also arrested was their companion, Bobby Yape, 43, a native of Samar.
Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon