Regions Briefs: Pangasinan seeks largest ‘puto’ mosaic record

This mosaic is made of Calasiao town’s famous bite-size rice cake.

Pangasinan seeks largest ‘puto’ mosaic record

CALASIAO, PANGASINAN— In a bid to land in the Guinness world records, this town has assembled 320,000 pieces of bite-size “puto” (rice cake) to create the world’s largest rice cake mosaic. The mosaic of a grandfather feeding his grandson with puto, which spanned 208 square meters, was unveiled during the opening of this town’s annual Puto Festival on Friday. “[Our] puto has been synonymous with the town. I believe that by trying to beat the [Guinness’ largest rice cake mosaic] record, our puto industry will have more exposure, which is a push that it needs,” said Mayor Joseph Arman Bauzon. The record holder for largest rice cake mosaic (64 square meters) was created in Fukushima, Japan, on Aug. 4, 2012, according to the Guinness world records website. The mosaic, composed of white, black, red, blue and yellow puto, was completed on Thursday night. —GABRIEL CARDINOZA

Man posing as Marcos’ son nabbed for fraud, guns

CLARK FREEPORT—A man claiming to be a son of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos was arrested by the police’s Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Friday at a villa inside the former Fontana Leisure Park here. Edilberto del Carmen, who transacts business using the name Angel Ferdinand Marcos, was nabbed during a search covered by a warrant issued by Judge Ana Marie Joson-Viterbo of the Regional Trial Court Branch 24, said Chief Insp. Rommel Labalan, chief of CIDG in Pampanga province. Police seized from Del Carmen three rifles, five hand grenades, a submachine gun, a pistol and bullets. Labalan said Del Carmen was the suspected leader of a group allegedly involved in fraud. Del Carmen was subject of complaints by owners of hotels and restaurants in Clark and nearby Angeles City for outstanding bills. Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. had disowned Del Carmen, calling him a “bogus.” —TONETTE OREJAS

Special courts for drug, terror cases sought in ARMM

COTABATO CITY—Members of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are asking the Supreme Court to set up special courts to try terrorism and illegal drugs-related cases in the region. ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, RPOC chair, said the regional government was awaiting reply from the high court regarding its request to designate these special courts. “There is a need for the speedy prosecution of Islamic State-inspired militants implicated in crimes and drug lords arrested for large-scale trafficking,” said Lt. Gen. Carlito Galvez Jr., the military’s Western Mindanao Command chief and an RPOC member. The council said cases involving violent “rido” (family feud) in the region also needed speedy trial.—EDWIN O. FERNANDEZ