News Briefs: Ex-model accused in Davao businessman slay nabbed
Ex-model accused in Davao businessman slay nabbed
The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) arrested on Thursday a former model who has been hiding for a year after he was accused of killing a Davao City businessman.
Operatives of the PNP-CIDG Special Operations Unit collared Nolan Macansantos, 25, in a condominium in Barangay Sto. Cristo, Quezon City, based on an arrest warrant issued by Nabunturan, Compostela Valley, Regional Trial Court Branch 3 Judge Cresenciana Cruz.
Macansantos was accused of killing Florence Quijada, 40, a rice trader and casino financier, whose body was found on Nov. 10 last year floating on Agusan River in Barangay San Jose, Monkayo, Compostela Valley.
Quijada was last seen in Davao City on Nov. 9 in his sport utility vehicle (SUV) intending to visit Macansantos, his live-in partner of three years.
The SUV was later found abandoned outside the house of Macansantos’ ex-girlfriend in a subdivision in Davao City. —JEANETTE I. ANDRADE
8,000 Davao del Norte pols join PDP-Laban
TAGUM CITY—At least 8,000 former and incumbent Davao del Norte officials in Davao del Norte joined President Duterte’s party on Thursday.
The new members of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) included former and incumbent officials, who used to be allies of Davao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Antonio Floirendo Jr., former regional party head, was eased out of the party following his feud with Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.
Compostela Valley 2nd district Rep. Ruwel Peter Gonzaga is the party’s new chair for Southern Mindanao.
Incumbent officials, who became new party members, included Mayor Rhodora Alcoran of New Corella town; and Tagum City Councilors Robert So and Joedel Caasi, all from the opposition Liberal Party.
Also sworn in were former Mayors Nestor Alcoran of New Corella, Benigno Andamon of Sto. Tomas and Gregorio Facula of Braulio E. Dujali. —FRINSTON LIM
4 scouts get chickenpox at Asean jamboree
TAGUM CITY—At least four participants in the sixth Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) jamboree here tested positive for chickenpox virus when they were taken to a hospital after falling ill, a health official said.
Dr. Arnel Florendo, the Tagum City health officer, said the four delegates were among six suspected cases of chickenpox discovered during the event that started on Monday.
Florendo said the delegates were now undergoing treatment.
He said the four delegates were among 540 participants to the jamboree, who fell sick after the opening of the scouting event, touted to be the largest scouting event ever held in Mindanao with nearly 30,000 people in attendance.
Aside from delegates from Asean, the jamboree also drew in delegates from Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh, India, Hong Kong, Macau, Kuwait and South Korea. —FRINSTON LIM
DILG wants LGUs to set up one-stop shops for permits
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has directed all local government units (LGUs) to set up one-stop shops to facilitate the process of getting permits.
According to Catalino Cuy, DILG officer in charge, setting up one-stop shops in the office of the building official in the different cities and towns would help the public obtain building permits and certificates of occupancy easier and faster.
In a statement on Friday, Cuy said that one-stop shops would considerably reduce processing time for securing construction permits, giving better service to the public.
Cuy’s directive is part of a joint memorandum circular issued by the DILG, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Information and Communications Technology. —JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE
