April 6, 2009 Major News Stories

Cop shoots cop dead in Camotes

A policeman was shot dead at dawn yesterday inside the San Francisco, Camotes Island Police Station by a fellow man in uniform.  PO2 Edward Keith Barrameda met his death allegedly in the hands of PO3 Ananias Mortejo, who was roused from his sleep inside the police station's radio room.

It was reported that Mortejo, 55, a widower, and residing at barangay Capitol Site, Cebu City, was awoken from his sleep.

This was because Barrameda, 32, married of Minglanilla town, entered the radio room. It was at this point that Mortejo confronted Barrameda about missing items from their station, which he believes the younger policeman took.

Mortejo, who is supply Police Non-Commissioned Officer of the station, accused Barrameda of taking four short pants, two .38 caliber revolvers, one super .38 pistol, and one Beretta pistol.

Barrameda denied the accusation and an argument ensued.

In the course of the argument, Mortejo grabbed his M-16 Armalite rifle and fired twice at Barrameda hitting him on the upper right side of the chest.

Fellow policemen, who were on duty, immediately rushed to the radio room and found Barrameda already wounded on the floor.

They disarmed Mortejo, who did not resist, and rushed the wounded policeman to the Ricardo Maningo Memorial Hospital, but Barrameda was declared dead on arrival.

As an off-shoot of the incident, Sr. Insp. Ciriaco Larrobis was immediately relieved as chief of the San Francisco police station and has been assigned to the Provincial Security Service Group (PSSG).

Supt. Edward Saavedra, who is currently the island supervisor for Camotes, will assume as office in charge.

The relief of Larrobis was however already pending as he was subject of an investigation for abandonment of post last year. In that case, Barrameda was also involved.

Filipina among dead in NY massacre

Their pursuit of the American dream collided with the nightmare of a mass killing.  The American Civic Association was the place they turned to for help navigating their journey. But their bridge to a better life is now a monument of immigrant sorrow, the site of Friday's shooting rampage that killed 14 people—among them Dolores Carbonilas Yigal, from Cebu province, who had been living in the United States for two years.

The dead included the gunman himself, Vietnamese immigrant Jiverly Wong, 41, who killed himself on hearing the approach of police sirens, officials said.

The center is a stepping stone for recent arrivals, many of them with poor or nonexistent English-speaking skills.

Yigal was learning English there as she dreamed of getting a job working with children, her American husband Omri Yigal said.

Pasahe ibabalik sa P7.50

Pag-aaralan ng Land Transportation Franchi sing and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) ang mung kahing ibalik sa P7.50 ang minimum na pasahe sa lahat ng pam publikong jeepney kasu nod ng muling pag sirit sa presyo ng diesel.

DOLE reminds employers of holiday pay 

 The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has reiterated to the country's employers the implementation of holiday pay rules as the Philippine's work force goes on three holidays starting Monday. 

Glo declares Nov 27, 28 as holidays

 President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo declared Nov. 27 (Friday) and Nov. 28 (Saturday) as non-working holidays to mark the celebration of the Eid'l Adha (Feast of Sacrifice), the culmination of the Islamic world’s Harirya Hajj or the pilgrimage to Makkah (Mecca), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. 

OFWs holding on to cash, says labor group

Fearful of losing their jobs, a growing number of migrant Filipino workers are saving their money and have stopped sending remittances, a labor group said.

Bakery unions: Stop harassment

The Anita's Home Bakeshop Inc. Employees Union and the Anita's Home Bakeshop Workers Union-Alliance of Nationalist and Genuine Labor Organization-Kilusang Mayo Uno called on one another to put an end to alleged harassment in relation to their ongoing labor conflict.

14,000 workers get jobs back 

Around 14,000 employees displaced by the global crisis got their jobs back as companies hit by the economic slump started to rehire their workers, Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said.

Police ready for Lenten sacrifice

WITH the entire Cebu under full alert, a task force for Holy Week has been activated by the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO).  The provincial police chief, Senior Supt. Carmelo Valmoria, said they will begin deploying within the week members of Task Force (TF) Igmat, the bulk of which will be sent to Bantayan Island.

Vacationers usually flock to the island for the Holy Week and for the many activities held there.

In Cebu City, the Passion at the Good Shepherd Garden in Banawa, the presentation of the Buhing Kalbaryo in the Cebu City Sports Center on Good Friday and the Sugat in Barangays Guadalupe and Pardo on Easter Sunday are the major activities the police force intends to secure.

Help desks set up for Holy Week Travelers

The Cebu Ports Authority in coordination with the Philippine Coastguard have started putting up assistance centers in the port areas to assist passengers expected to flock these places during the observance of Holy Week.

Pagasa sees rainy Holy Week

Rains are likely to occur in parts of the country from Good Friday until Easter Sunday, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration yesterday.

Larger crowd for Youth Day pleases Vidal

IN the midst of 3,500 young Christians, Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal felt revitalized.  "Being here, with all of them, I feel so young again," he said, looking radiant after celebrating mass during the 24th Local World Youth Day in the City of Naga.

He added he was happy to see a big crowd, noting that the crowd keeps growing every year.

"In 1983, I remember that there were only 150 who joined the Local World Youth Day. Now, every year we have to look for a bigger venue just to accommodate the growing crowd," said the archbishop.

He said that was a sign that the youth's faith has grown and strengthened over the years.

'Check their motives'

CEBU City Councilor Edgardo Labella said Congress should also look into the motives of those calling for a House inquiry into the Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) deal.

Kids below 7 banned from bikes

THE Cebu City Council last week asked the City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) to strictly implement City Ordinance 2033, which prohibits children below seven years old from riding motorcycles, scooters and other two-wheeled vehicles.

The council observed that despite the existence of the ordinance, many children are seen riding motorcycles and other similar forms of conveyance.

WB due here for talks about BRT System

A team from the World Bank is due in Cebu late this month to discuss with authorities the proposed Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) System.

Container van topples into house

A CONTAINER van fell on a house on 3rd Ave. at the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City Friday night, resulting to at least half a million pesos in property damage.

UP Open University sets admission test

The University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) Learning Center has announced the schedule of Doctoral Admission Test in Education (DATE) which will be on April 18 at its office at UP Cebu College in Lahug, Cebu City.

Govt rejects demand of Abu for pullout

Authorities rejected fresh demands by the Abu Sayyaf to pull out security forces in the southern island of Sulu where the terrorist group is still holding captive two more Red Cross workers.

Teodoro, Gordon trade barbs over Sulu 

 National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Philippine Red Cross chairman Sen. Richard Gordon traded barbs Sunday over the negotiations for the release of two foreign Red Cross members still being held by the Abu Sayyaf bandit group in Sulu province.  Teodoro said Gordon's announcements insisting on a military pullout from at least five areas in the province for the safe release of Italian Eugenio Vagni and Swiss Andreas Notter are "destructive attempts at interfering with the [Sulu] Crisis Management Committee's work."

Gordon, for his part, said it was "careless and unfortunate" that Teodoro finds his efforts to save the remaining Abu Sayyaf hostages as destructive.

The senator earlier said the fate of the two remaining Red Cross hostages lies in the hands of President Arroyo.

Farmers, fishers hit by state of emergency

The declaration of a state of emergency in Sulu, which entered its sixth day on Sunday, has started to affect the livelihood of poor farmers and fishermen in the southern island province.

Koronadal bus blast prompts police alert

Police units in Central Mindanao have been ordered to closely watch all private and public terminals, including vital government installations, to prevent a repeat of the bomb explosion that ripped through a passenger bus here Saturday, injuring five people.

Missing plane not located yet

Relatives of the seven people on board a missing twin-engine plane have been airlifted to Tuguegarao, Cagayan, as efforts to locate the aircraft continued.

Cebu Customs falls short of March target 

The Cebu port of the Bureau of Customs District Collection 7 fell short of its target collection for the month by at least P12 million.

BIR chief backs common revenue collection 

The creation of the Philippine Revenue Authority (PRA) that will consolidate the functions of Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Bureau of Customs (BoC) will strengthen the government's revenue generation, BIR Commissioner Sixto S. Esquivias IV said.

Blacklist bars RP access to cheap loans

The Philippines risks losing access to cheap foreign loans for its future projects after being blacklisted for its inability to comply with transparent global tax standards.

Gov't claim on $35-M Marcos money 

The government has been trying to "short-circuit" the legal process so that it could get its hands on the $35-million Marcos account deposited with the troubled investment bank Merrill Lynch in New York, the leader of a group of human rights abuse victims during the Marcos dictatorship said.

Arroyo to fly to Thailand on Good Friday 

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will spend the tail-end of the Holy Week working as she is set to leave for Thailand on Good Friday for a meeting with state leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).

Obama outlines goal of nuclear-free world

Declaring the future of mankind at stake, President Barack Obama yesterday said all nations must strive to rid the world of nuclear arms and that the US had a "moral responsibility" to lead because no other country has used one.

NoKor rocket fizzles, prompts outcry

The rocket launched by nuclear-armed North Korea yesterday appears to have fizzled in the Pacific Ocean, but positioned a defiant Kim Jong Il to make demands from an international community worried that it indicates the capacity to fire a long-range missile.

Obama leads world condemnation of N.K.

US President Barack Obama led global condemnation of North Korea's rocket launch Sunday, calling it "a provocative act" for which Pyongyang must be punished.

Suicide bomber kills 22 in Pakistan 

A suicide bomber attacked a crowded Shiite mosque south of the Pakistani capital on Sunday, killing 22 people and wounding dozens more in the latest carnage to hit the US-allied nation.

Obama, Sarkozy clash over Turkey's bid

United States President Barack Obama threw his backing Sunday behind Turkey's bid to join the European Union (EU) before being slapped down by French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy for intervening in the bloc's affairs.

50 million people hit by contaminated water 

A total of 60 million people in the world are exposed to high levels of arsenic in water while more than 80 percent of them live in Asia, said the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).

Roach open to Pacquiao vs. Marquez III

A TRILOGY with Juan Manuel Marquez.

P400,000 to watch Pacman with the stars

For an eye-popping $8,330, you can watch the Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight seated alongside Hollywood stars like Russel Crowe, Sylvester Stallone, Eva Longoria, Mark Wahlberg or Jennifer Lopez.

Nietes, Suarez rip rivals in King's Cup

Light flyweight Gerson Nietes and featherweight Charly Suarez made good impression on their debut with the national team, fashioning out victories over their respective rivals to breeze through the second round of the 31st King's Cup boxing tournament at the Gwangwongwan Mall in Bangkok, Thailand Saturday.

Viloria arrives, trains for April 19 fight

Former World Boxing Council (WBC) light-flyweight champion Brian Viloria is scheduled to arrive in the country Monday, two weeks before he vies for Ulises Solis" International Boxing Federation (IBF) light-flyweight belt.

Valero stops Pitalua for WBC title

Venezuelan knockout artist Edwin Valero remained unbeaten Saturday as he stopped Colombian Antonio Pitalua to claim the vacant World Boxing Council lighweight title. 

Oscar to announce decision on April 14

Oscar De La Hoya is contemplating whether to continue fighting or finally retire and remain a superstar.

'Osang' set to direct a film

 Rosanna Roces is set to co-direct an upcoming film Baklas, which will tackle the brazen selling of kidneys in the country. 

Valerie, Roxanne leaving 'Banana Split'

 Valerie Concepcion and Roxanne Guinoo confirmed that they are leaving all-female comedy show Banana Split.  The show announced that a new set of cast will be introduced for the second season of Banana Split but reports said the contracts of Concepcion and Guinoo were not renewed.

Time's Manila correspondent writes 30

Helping the Philippine Daily Inquirer put together an obituary for veteran journalist Nelly Sindayen, one of her best friends was stumped when it came to her age.  "Come to think of it, nobody ever knew her age or her birthday... Nelly would just say it's none of our business and she'd give us that toothy grin of hers," Joan Orendain, a public relations specialist, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) by phone on Sunday.

But Sindayen, a long time correspondent of Time Magazine's Asia edition, made it her business to ask the right questions, write her story well, and keep her readers well-informed in a career that spanned nearly four decades.

Sindayen was a flamboyant woman who wore malong (wrap), huge earrings, necklaces, and bracelets to interviews and coverage.

"Outside the flashy exterior, she was a very serious journalist," Orendain said.

Friends admired her for her extensive network of contacts and her ability to get details that none of her colleagues could.

Outside of work, Sindayen was a generous friend who loved to laugh, joke, and sing. Among her favorites was Frank Sinatra, added veteran journalist Gabby Tabunar, another long time friend.

"She memorized lyrics of the songs and she would say that they don't write lyrics as they used to anymore," Tabunar told the Inquirer by phone.

On Saturday night, at 10:45 p.m., Sindayen -- the vivacious woman and tenacious journalist -- passed away after a lingering illness.

She left behind two daughters, Tarhata Sari, 24, and Junne, 18, whom Orendain said she showered with so much love.

The remains of Sindayen, a Tausug, were buried at 4 p.m. on Sunday, in accordance with the Muslim tradition.

Sindayen was born in Siasi, Sulu, to a Christian father and a Muslim mother.

Orendain had to call up Junne to ask for Sindayen's birth date. "We celebrated every occasion, except her birthday," Orendain said.

Sindayen, it was gathered, was born on April 7. Orendain said she would estimate that her friend would have been between 60 and 62 years old by Tuesday.

Sindayen's father was murdered when she was young, Orendain said. She was raised in Mindanao/

Sindayen finished a journalism degree from the University of Sto. Tomas (UST).

She worked for the Manila Bulletin and other news agencies before being hired by TIME Magazine as a stringer in the mid-'70s.

"She was tenacious in powering a story," Tabunar said.

Orendain said her friend "lived a fast life and went from story to story". Sindayen was among the founders of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP).

Through the years, Sindayen became an institution in the Philippine media, well-respected and well-loved.

Ten years ago, Sindayen suffered from an unexplained illness that had her in a coma and was ill for three months.

But Sindayen recovered and soon returned to her old bubby self, working on stories that included the controversial TIME article in 2006 that had her cross swords with Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez.

In her story, Sindayen named personalities who allegedly met on February 23, 2006, to plot the ouster of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo through a civil military uprising.

Gonzalez placed her on the immigration watch list after she refused to cooperate in a government investigation into the allegation.

"That brought out the Tausug woman in her," recalled Orendain, adding she always called her friend the "Tausug Toughie."

A year later, Sindayen again fell ill and was not able to return to work anymore.

Her hospital bills had put a strain on her savings. Close friends like Orendain, Inquirer editor-in-chief Letty Jimenez-Magsanoc, Maan Hontiveros, and DeeDee Siytangco organized a monthly get together to raise funds for Sindayen.

The last of the get-together-cum-fundraising event was held last March 16 in Orendain's place.

In late February, Sindayen was rushed to the San Juan de Dios Hospital after her condition turned for the worse.

A few days ago, her family brought her home where she died in her sleep.

Chip Tsao aalisin sa BI blacklist

Pinag-aaralan na ng gob yerno na alisin na sa blacklist ng Bureau of Immigration si Hong Kong co lumnist Chip Tsao matapos itong humingi ng apology sa mga Filipino kaugnay ng kanyang nasulat na ang Pilipinas ay "nation of servants".

Filipinos rally over HK columnist

More than 1,000 Filipinos marched through Hong Kong yesterday to protest against a local magazine columnist who described the Philippines as a "nation of servants" in a satirical article.

Pop star dressed as pineapple robbed 

Police say a Japanese pop star dressed up as a pineapple has been robbed while shooting a music video in southern Sweden.  Police spokesman Bo Paulsson says three young men beat up 41-year-old Hideki Kaji and robbed him of camera equipment worth around 20,000 kronor ($2,500).

Madonna leaves after failed adoption

American pop icon Madonna left Malawi Sunday after a court rejected her application to adopt a second child from the southern African country, an airport official said.

Fast & Furious tops weekend box office 

Universal's action movie "Fast & Furious" conquered the box office race this weekend in North America with 72.5 million dollars, making it Hollywood's best opening weekend of the year so far, figures released yesterday.

Rita Rudner  - "In Hollywood a marriage is a success if it outlasts milk."