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PNR welcomes Southrail probe

THE Philippine National Railways Co. yesterday said it has nothing to hide on the allegedly overpriced $932 million Southrail project that will link Laguna to Bicol as it welcomed a Senate investigation on the matter.

"We very much welcome any probe on that matter to cast light on any doubts," said Engr. Edgardo Remonte, PNR assistant general manager for operations and maintenance, adding that there was no overpricing on the railway project. "Wala kaming nakikitang overprice sa Southrail project."

With the Senate blue ribbon committee still not done with its ongoing probe on the cancelled National Broadband Network contract, Senators Manuel Roxas, Rodolfo Biazon, Panfilo Lacson and Jamby Madrigal have been pushing committee chair Alan Peter Cayetano to investigate the Southrail project following the allegation of whistleblower Rafael Lozada that Southrail had been overpriced by about 22 percent of its original cost. – Randy Nobleza

PAL advises passengers to check in early

PHILIPPINE Airlines advised passengers departing Manila on its domestic and international flights beginning this Holy Week to check in much earlier than usual to avoid the inconvenience of long queues during the peak summer travel period.

PAL said its check-in counters at NAIA Centennial Terminal 2 will open as early as 1 a.m. for domestic flights and 3 a.m. for international services daily until further notice.

Passengers are normally required to check in at least two hours ahead of their flight, but the extraordinary volume of passengers this summer season, coupled with the strict security checks, has resulted in long queues at the airport. Accordingly, PAL now requires passengers on domestic and international flights departing Manila to check in at least three hours ahead of published departure time.

PAL said it will operate its full schedule of international and domestic services on most days of the Holy Week. Normal schedules on all sectors will be followed on Holy Thursday (March 20) and Easter Sunday (March 23). The exceptions are Good Friday (March 21) and Black Saturday (March 22), where a slightly reduced schedule of domestic flights will operate, alongside a full timetable of international flights.

For more information, including the exact time of departure and arrival of all PAL flights, visit www.philippineairlines.com

6 DLSZ studes being probed for Sofitel incident

AT least six high school students of De La Salle-Santiago Zobel are being investigated by police in connection with the fatal fall from Hotel Sofitel’s 6th floor balcony of fellow student Ambrosio Gregorio Robles last March 9 following a graduation ball.

Robles, a DLSZ senior from a well-off family, had checked in with schoolmates in Rooms 653, 654 and 651 after the celebration.    They were monitored on the hotel’s closed-circuit television cameras running in and out of the rooms at past midnight. His fall from the balcony, however, was not captured by the hotel’s CCTV.

"We believe these students did not tell us entirely what happened or what they saw or worse, they could be hiding something," a police investigator who asked not to be named said.

The students initially told police they were asleep when Robles fell.

Pasay police chief Senior Supt. Marietto Valerio confirmed that the students are being investigated but stopped short of saying that they are looking at their possible criminal liability in Robles’ death. He said the possibility of foul play is "negative as of now" with the investigation still unfinished.

Investigators have ruled out suicide since there were no indications of family or school problems for Robles who had even passed a college entrance test in the US. – Ashzel Hachero

Fake CIDG agent arrested in Crame

POLICE agents on Sunday arrested a liaison officer of a security agency after he identified himself as an undercover agent of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group while at the PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame.

CIDG director Chief Supt. Raul Castañeda identified the suspect as Jurgeon Tadili who was reportedly wearing a CIDG shirt and had handcuffs and a .9 mm magazine in a shoulder holster when he tried to visit a certain Nellie Rocio detained at the custodial center. Sensing that he was a fake, PO1s Joven Mabburang and Darwin Ngaseo demanded his papers for the police equipment he was carrying and he was unable to present any. The two cops informed the CIDG which arrested Tadili and seized from his van more bullets and an armored vest.