Provincial
legal office withdraws as counsel for Palawan gov
THE Palawan provincial legal office has withdrawn as counsel
for Gov. Joel T. Reyes and Provincial Mining Regulatory Board technical
secretariat Andronico J. Baguyo who were charged with graft before the First
Division of the Sandiganbayan.
Lawyers Elena Vergara-Rodriguez, Enrile Magbanua, Liezel
Zabanal and Noel Aquino withdrew last March 4 after a court official said
government executives charged criminally should engage private lawyers to
represent them.
Reyes and Baguyo will now be represented by the law firm of
Ammuyutan, Purisima Ortega and Desierto.
Andrew F. Ammuyutan, a former prosecutor of the Office of the
Ombudsman, is a member of that firm.
The two officials were accused of illegally issuing a
two-year small-scale mining permit to Platinum Group Metals Corp. despite
alleged violations on its previous mining license through over-extraction and
use of heavy equipment. - Peter J. G. Tabingo
Witness in broadcaster's
killing recants story
BACOLOD CITY - The family of slain Negros broadcaster Herson
Hinolan yesterday said a witness against the lone suspect, retired Army soldier
Alfredo Arcenio, might have been paid to recant his sworn statement.
Hinolan's sister, Carlyn, said witness Peter Melgar's
recantation may affect Arcenio's prosecution.
Arcenio surrendered Wednesday to Judge Luna Paman and filed
for bail after witnesses tagged him as the lone gunman who shot Hinolan several
times outside a carnival in Kalibo, Aklan on Nov. 13, 2004. Hinolan, a former
defense and police reporter of DyWB in Negros before he became manager of DyIN
Bombo Radyo in Kalibo, died two days after.
Arcenio eluded arrest until last week despite a P100,000
bounty on his head.
The Department of Justice has ordered an investigation on why
Melgar left the Witness Protection Program and recanted his statement against
Arcenio. - Gilbert Bayoran
DLSZ senior dies in hotel
fall
DELA Salle-Zobel senior Ambrosio Robles, 17, died early on
Sunday after he allegedly fell from the 7th floor of the Sofitel Philippine
Plaza where his school's Junior-Senior prom was being held.
SPO1 Reynaldo Aguba of the Pasay police criminal
investigation division said Flores, a resident of Ayala Alabang Village, arrived
at Sofitel at around 7 p.m. Saturday. Several hours into the celebration, his
classmates heard a loud thud and upon investigating, found his bloodied body on
the hotel's first floor.
Robles was rushed to the San Juan de Dios Hospital by hotel
staff and a friend but expired at around 5:45 a.m. Sunday. His body was later
brought to the PNP crime laboratory for autopsy.
Senior Supt. Marietto Valerio, Pasay police chief, said they
are investigating if foul play was involved. - Ashzel Hachero
MMDA to expand First
Responders project
THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said it
will recruit 50 additional personnel and buy 20 to 30 new motorcycles for its
recently launched First Responders rescue team to cut its response time further
from the original target of 15 minutes.
The MMDA said it wants the First Responders to make it to the
accident scene ahead of ambulances or firetrucks who have to navigate through
Metro Manila's congested streets.
MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando said the additional
acquisitions will bring the team's personnel strength to 80 and its wheels to
around 30 to 40 units.
The First Responders are trained to respond to
traffic-related accidents, fires, oil spills, landslides and other emergency
situations. Each of the riders' tool box contains a first aid kit, medical
oxygen tank, fire extinguisher and rescue tools such as cutters, spreaders,
wrenches and other heavy duty equipment, including early warning devices and
other signages to cordon off the accident site.
Each responder is connected by a hand-held radio to Metrobase, the 24-hour
MMDA command and control center in Makati City. Fernando said their present
emergency stations in Nagtahan, Ortigas and Libis will be augmented with 10
other emergency stations in Manila and Quezon City. - Ashzel Hachero
