Metrobriefs

DFA: No passport services during papal visit

There will be no passport services in the National Capital Region during the visit of Pope Francis next week, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday. In a statement, the DFA Office of Consular Affairs said its Aseana office on Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard as well as all of the mall-based DFA satellite offices would be closed from Jan. 15 to 19. “There shall be no passport processing, releasing and other related consular services during those dates,” the DFA said. Those who have questions on passport-related matters can send an e-mail to passport [email protected]. Christine O. Avendaño

Thieves break into cop’s house in Manila

Spending the holiday break in his province proved to be costly for a policeman after he came home and found out that his house in Pandacan, Manila, had been burglarized during his absence. PO3 Mayolo Pastrana Jr., who is assigned to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Camp Crame, told authorities that when he and his family came home on Sunday, they discovered the loss of nearly P250,000 worth of appliances, jewelry and other valuables. Among the items taken were a TV set (P25,000), laptop (P35,000), global positioning system (P9,000), watches (P25,900) and other pieces of jewelry (P152,000). Also taken from their condominium unit on Jesus Street were P2,500 worth of groceries and M16 bullets. No signs of forced entry were found in Pastrana’s residence, according to Senior Insp. Alexander Rodrigo of the Manila Police District’s theft and robbery section, prompting them to check whether the family’s house helper just failed to lock up properly or deliberately left the unit open to robbers. Rodrigo said that according to Pastrana, the house helper was tasked to lock up their house before they left on Dec. 27 to go to Pangasinan. Annelle Tayao-Juego

Man falls to death at Tutuban Mall

A man died at the Tutuban Center Mall in Manila after he fell from the fourth floor on Monday afternoon. The police found the body of 58-year-old Conrado Gutierrez, a Tondo resident, sprawled on the ground floor around 4 p.m. Case investigator PO2 Michael Maraggun of the Manila Police District’s homicide section said that security guard Jericho Cahapay reported seeing Gutierrez hang his backpack on the railings, remove his sandals and then climb over the railings. Cahapay said he tried to call the man’s attention but the latter suddenly jumped. Mall security officers immediately rushed Gutierrez to Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center where he was pronounced dead on arrival by doctors. Maraggun said they were still investigating if Gutierrez had any reason to commit suicide. Annelle Tayao-Juego

Gang war leaves 9-year-old girl wounded

A nine-year-old girl was accidentally shot in the foot by a still unidentified suspect when a fight broke out between two groups of teenagers believed to be members of rival gangs in Tondo, Manila. Joymie Tagulao was playing outside her home at the corner of C. P. Garcia and Sta. Fe Streets in Tondo at 11:30 p.m. on Monday when a bullet struck her in the right foot. Supt. Redentor Ulsano, chief of the Manila Police District’s Raxabago-Tondo Station, said that the victim’s mother, Mary Joy, saw one of the teenagers fire a still unknown type of gun in the middle of the fight. Immediately after, she heard her daughter cry out in pain and saw that her foot was bleeding. The girl was taken to Gat Andres Bonifacio Memorial Medical Center while the warring teens, believed by the police to be from rival gangs M-Thugs and Exodus, escaped, Ulsano said. The victim was reported to be in stable condition after she underwent an operation. The police said they were still investigating the identity of the suspects as well as the type of gun used. Annelle Tayao-Juego