SMUGGLED CIGARETTES. Police and Bureau of Customs personnel arrest three suspects and seize more than P1.3 million worth of smuggled cigarettes near Manalipa Island, Zamboanga City, on Tuesday evening (Feb. 28, 2023). The smuggled cigarettes came from Jolo, Sulu, and were bound for Cotabato City when seized by the authorities. (Photo courtesy of 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company) ZAMBOANGA CITY - Authorities have arrested three suspects and seized more than PHP1.3 million worth of smuggled cigarettes near an island village in this city, a top police official said Wednesday. Col. Alexander Lorenzo, city police director, said police arrested Bas Sikan Mohammad, 42, the motorboat skipper, and his two assistants and confiscated the illicit goods Tuesday evening near the Manalipa island. He said the 2nd Zamboanga City Mobile Force Company and Bureau of Customs personnel launched a seaborne patrol after receiving a tip from an informant and chanced upon the motorboat named "Maira." Upon inspection, the motorboat was found loaded with 38 master cases of cigarettes that came from Jolo town, Sulu province, and bound for Cotabato City. Mohammad and his two companions failed to present documents of the smuggled merchandise. On Feb. 25, three persons were also arrested while some 600 reams of smuggled cigarettes worth PHP420,000 were seized inside a sports utility vehicle in Barangay Culo of Molave town, Zamboanga del Sur. Apprehended were Rijan Adillin Dammang, Sahid Juhan Raffy Jailani, and Anibal Sahifa Saladain, according to Col. Richard Verceles, operations chief of the Area Police Command - Western Mindanao. He said the smuggled cigarettes came from this city. (PNA) }
RELIEF. The Philippine Red Cross food truck distributes hot meals to evacuees at Gingoog City Comprehensive National High School in Misamis Oriental province in this undated photo. Various parts opf Visayas and Mindanao have been affected by continuous rainfall and flooding caused by the shear line and low-pressure area. (Courtesy of PRC Facebook) MANILA - Amid the continuous weather disturbances caused by the shear line and low-pressure area, the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is ramping up its relief and rescue operations. As of Jan. 17, the PRC has provided hot meals to 16,722 individuals in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Davao de Oro, Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga City, Palawan, Northern and Eastern Samar, Misamis Occidental, Oriental Mindoro, Sulu and Gingoog City in Misamis Oriental. Families displaced by flooding also received drinking water, food and health kits in affected communities. "Nagpadala tayo ng hot meals at malinis na supply ng tubig dahil ang mga ito ang pangunahing pangangailangan sa mga evacuation center. Naka-alalay rin ang atingvolunteers, first aiders at Emergency Response Unit (ERU) para saklolohan ang mga nangangailangan ng agarang tulong (We have sent hot meals and clean water as these are the main needs in the evacuation centers. Our volunteers, first aiders and Emergency Response Unit are also on the field)," said PRC chair Richard Gordon in a news release on Tuesday. The PRC Welfare Unit's Child-Friendly Spaces held creative activities that involved 1,087 children in Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, and Palawan, while 1,914 adults in Zamboanga City, Lanao Del Norte, Agusan del Norte, Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, and Palawan underwent Psychological First Aid sessions. The PRC Health Services distributed 490 doxycycline, a prophylactic agent used for the treatment of the early onset of leptospirosis, to frontliners and flooded villages in Misamis Oriental and Zamboanga City. Meanwhile, 300, 000 liters of clean water were distributed to Misamis Occidental and Zamboanga City through the PRC Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Unit. The WASH unit likewise conducted hygiene promotion to 2,990 individuals in Agusan del Norte, Palawan, Misamis Oriental, and Misamis Occidental to guarantee the practice of proper hygiene among evacuees. Meanwhile, volunteers mobilized rescue equipment to affected communities. (PNA) }
On Saturday, NDRRMC said that at least 20 people had died amid the floods caused by heavy rainfall. Another eight people were reported injured and one person was missing. On Sunday, NDRRMC said that the death toll from the floods stood at 27. Eleven people were injured.
The death toll due to floods following heavy rain caused by the shear line during the Christmas weekend rose to 44 yesterday, with 28 persons still missing.
(Photo courtesy of ORMECO Facebook) MANILA - The Senate will look into the power supply problems in rural areas as more provinces, mostly managed by the local electric cooperatives, are experiencing service interruptions. Senator Raffy Tulfo, chair of the energy committee, said in a statement on Saturday that he would file a resolution to start an investigation into power failures, vowing to hold officials accountable. During Friday's episode of Tulfo's popular "Wanted sa Radyo" public service program, he castigated officials of the Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative (Ormeco) after consumers complained of unresolved decades-long power outages and unjustified high electricity costs. Ormeco is the lone power distributor in the province. One complainant, Bern Josep Persia, said consumers have been experiencing power interruptions that last more than 12 hours. "The Ormeco problem has been going on for two decades. Electric appliances and students who have a hard time studying are affected, to name a few. Worse, electricity rates are high despite the frequent service interruption," Tulfo said in Filipino. Humphrey Dolor, Ormeco general manager, told Tulfo that the issue on independent power supply is among the reasons for the persistent brownouts. Tulfo said it is an unacceptable excuse and consumers must get their money's worth. He told Dolor that according to Director Mario Marasigan of the Electric Power Industry Management Bureau, Ormeco has not been following the recommendations of the Department of Energy on how to solve the power outages. "Why does it have to reach a final recommendation? Consumers would not have to suffer if only the concerned agencies do their jobs," Tulfo said. Based on complaints received by Tulfo, other areas and provinces affected by constant brownouts are Nueva Ecija, Northern Samar, Pampanga, San Isidro and San Jose in Nueva Ecija, Calaca in Batangas, Quezon province, Tabuk City in Kalinga, South Cotabato, Maguindanao, Ozamiz, Lumban in Laguna, Zamboanga City, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Echague in Isabela, Zamboanga Sibugay, Masbate, Davao Oriental, Southern Leyte, Casiguran in Aurora, and Bicol. According to the provincial government, Ormeco and Topteam Power Generation, Inc. signed an agreement for an 18.3-megawatt Emergency Power Supply Agreement at the power cooperative's main office in Calapan City on Thursday to at least reduce the number of hours of service interruption. (PNA) }
At least 24 Filipino would be-victims of human trafficking who were bound for Malaysia were rescued in Basilan, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said Sunday.