Metro Briefs

4 hurt after gondola falls from condo’s 68th floor

The Makati City government has ordered the contractor of Shang Salcedo Place condominium to stop its building works after four persons were hurt when a gondola fell on a passenger jeepney on Friday. Police identified the injured passengers as Florito Torevillas, 47, and Rochelle Balayas, 31; gondola operator Antonio Arcilla, 47; and Aljun Gorgonio, 25. They were all treated at Makati Medical Center. Two sports utility vehicles and a taxi cab were also damaged. Makati police chief Senior Supt. Gerardo Umayao said the gondola fell off the building and crashed on a jeepney at the corner of Gil Puyat Avenue and Tordesillas Street in Barangay Bel-Air at 9:20 a.m. Investigator SPO2 Nilo Sadsad said Arcilla was testing the gondola—a suspended platform used to lift persons in construction—when its two engines suddenly stopped, causing it to fall from the 68th floor of the building.—Dexter Cabalza

Malabon cops wounded by 2 Uber drivers

A member of the Malabon Special Reaction Unit (SRU) sustained bullet wounds while three police officers were wounded after two Uber drivers shot and threw rocks at them while they were escorting electric inspectors before dawn on Friday. Jojo Cleofas and Robert Manansala, both Uber drivers, face charges of frustrated homicide after shooting SRU officer PO1 Nel Christopher Timberza in the wrist. They also face charges of direct assault after hurling rocks and beer bottles at PO1 Gail Nepomuceno, PO1 Melvin Lomibao and PO1 Nonesto Mombla of the Police Community Precinct 1. Malabon police chief Senior Supt. John Chua said the three police officers were escorting linemen Elced Marjay and Rimjay Jarque at 12:10 a.m. to check for electric jumpers in Jacobe Compound at MH del Pilar, Barangay Maysilo. Cleofas and Manansala, who live in the compound, assaulted the five and fired shots at them, prompting the police to call for backup. Timberza arrived but he was shot also.—Krixia Subingsubing

P60M worth of illegal drugs seized in Makati, Muntinlupa

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in coordination with the Philippine National Police seized around P60 million worth of illegal drugs in two succeeding buy-bust operations in the cities of Muntinlupa and Makati on Friday. PDEA chief Aaron Aquino said 10 kilos of “shabu” worth at least P50 million were confiscated from three suspects at the parking lot 5 in Alabang Town Center in Muntinlupa around 12 noon. Aquino identified the arrested suspects as Norodian Gumadel ,28, of New Lower Bicutan , Taguig City; Lady Jane Flores, 24, of Bacoor Cavite; and Regina Inocencia San Miguel, 40, of San Pedro, Laguna. The suspects pointed to a certain Mr. Lim as their source. Lim was arrested in Makati City around 3 p.m. with two kilos of shabu worth P10 million.—Jodee A. Agoncillo

Uber extends TNVS Assist Center for 3 months

In support of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s (LTFRB) processing of applications for transport network vehicle services (TNVS), Uber said it would extend its TNVS Assist Center for another three months. The temporary processing facility, located at the Matrix Events Place in Quezon City, serves as a one-stop shop to make the application process smooth and efficient. The center briefs and assists Uber partners to ensure all their documents are ready for processing at the LTFRB. Upon entry, Uber partners present their IDs for verification and batching. They are then oriented with the process that will take place in the LTFRB. If all their requirements are complete, they are shuttled to the LTFRB for submission and processing of their TNVS applications.