NEWSBRIEFS

BENGUET

2 dead in road accident

Two people died while five others were hurt when a pick-up truck carrying visiting overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) fell into a 100-meter ravine in Itogon town in Benguet province on Saturday, police said.

Reports said Thita Saguid, 38, an employee of Igorota Foundation, and Reynaldo Paz, 63, an OFW based in Australia, died when their pick-up truck veered off a section of the Baguio-Nueva Vizcaya Road along Sitio Camisong in Barangay Loacan, Itogon, at 4:30 p.m.

The group was on its way to Kabayan town, also in Benguet. The driver, Cyrilo Blas, an OFW based in Canada, survived and

is being treated at  Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.

Four others also survived the fall: Eunice Dangpas Blas, 47, who works in Canada; Aris Blas, 26, an employee of the Bokod town government in Benguet; Carmela Paz, 44, who works in Australia, and Mika Rufino, 17, a student. Kimberlie Quitasol, Inquirer Northern Luzon

BAGUIO CITY

Cop hurt in NPA ambush

A policeman was wounded when New People’s Army (NPA) rebels ambushed a group of law enforcers in the capital town of Bontoc in Mountain Province on Wednesday.

A police report said PO1 Emmanuel Dagsan was wounded when his group was attacked by NPA members in Sitio Bantonil in Barangay Dalican. The ambush site is near Barangay Aguid in Sagada town, where a March 29 clash between the police and the rebels killed

PO1 Jefferson Sari and PO1 Marcelo Kilasen.

Senior Supt. Oliver Enmodias, Mountain Province police director, said Dagsan’s group was sent to the area to look into reports that NPA guerrillas were there  to collect revolutionary taxes.  Kimberlie Quitasol, Inquirer Northern Luzon

ISABELA

Robbers kill 3

A couple and their helper were stabbed and killed by suspected robbers who broke into their house on Albano Street in the City of Cauayan on Wednesday, police said.

Barbecue stall operators John-John and Lovely Pasno and their worker, Edwin Bautista, 26, were stabbed as they tried to fight off the robbers, said Supt. Mariano Rodriguez, Cauayan City police chief.

The suspects fled with Lovely’s shoulder bag, which contained P60,000. Isabelita Pasno, John-John’s aunt, said the couple’s three children, including a 5-year-old, saw the attack but were unharmed. Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon

BATANGAS

Oil spill contained

The oil spill discovered in Barangay Salong in Calaca town on Thursday morning had been contained on the same day, according to Chief Insp. Jose Naparato Jr., Calaca police chief.

Lt. Jeoffrey Espaldon, duty operations for Southern Tagalog District Coast Guard, said a Coast Guard team from Lemery town was sent to investigate and help clear the oil spill covering 100 square meters of sea waters off the village near a petroleum terminal.

Espaldon said they were still conducting oil finger printing to identify where the spill came from. He said the result would be released by their main office this week. “We also placed an oil spill boom to prevent the oil from spreading,” said Espaldon. At 7 p.m. on Thursday, he said they declared the place clear from oil spill after they got two drums of oil with water from the area. Marrah Erika Lesaba, Inquirer Southern Luzon