Saturday, August 21, 2010

Puerto Princessa massacre suspected nabbed

By Alexis Romero

Philippine Star, Friday, August 13, 2010

Police arrested a former helper, believed to behind the
massacre of retired Navy Lt. Commander Ernesto Paiton,
his wife, daughter and two other relatives in Puerto
Princessa, Palawan on Aug. 9.

Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr., spokesman of
the Philippine National Police (PNP), said local police
apprehended Florencio Magada, 37, after his description
matched the information given by witnesses.

"Elements of Special Investigation Task Group picked up
Magada for questioning on Paiton killings," said Cruz.

In a police lineup, the suspect positively identified by
the witness as the one fleeing the crime scene wearing a
blue jacket and bloodied pants. Police recovered the blue
jacket in the possession of the suspect.

Police also recovered a khaki belt bag, bull cap, infant
shirt with blood stain, a blood stained white t-shirt and
two bolos measuring 23.4 inches and 21.7 inches.

Investigators will ask the Scene of the Crime Operatives
to get a swab from the bolo to check the presence of the
blood of the victims.

Cruz said other corroborative evidences are being gathered
for filling of the case in court for five counts of murder
for the killing of paiton, 59; his wife, Chief Petty Officer
Carmelita, 55; their daughter Erlita, 21; niece Sharon Cabatuan,
19; and nephew Renato Cabatuan, 17.

In a phone interview, Senior Superintendent Caesar Daniel
Miranda, Puerto Princessa City police chief, said magada was
arrested in his house in Barangay Bacungan, also in Puerto
Princessa at around 2 a. m. yesterday morning.

Aside from the massacre, Miranda said Magada has two standing
warrants of arrest for rape in relation with Republic Act 7610
or the anti-child abuse law, which also took place in the city.
The warrant was issued by judge Jose bayani Usman issued on Oct.
14 2009.

Miranda noted that they are still verifying if Magada committed
the crime alone or with an accomplice, including the driver of
the tricycle he used when he escaped.

Cruz said the suspect used to work as a caretaker of the farm of
Paiton, in Barangay Bacungan, for six years but was terminated
last year for still unknown reason.

"Since then he got angry with the victims. There was also
information that the suspect was seen sharpening his bolo," he
added.

For its part, the Philippine Navy welcomed the arrest of the
suspect behind last Monday's massacre in Puerto Prncessa.

"The Philippine Navy led by its Flag Officer-in-Command Rear
Admiral Danilo Cortez is comforted by the report that the suspect
was already apprehended by the police," Navy spokesman Lt, Col.
Edgard Arevalo said in a text message.

He said the murder of the Paiton couple and three others was
"gruesome" and calls for the giving of justice.

"We congratulate the members of the team led by the PNP for
the immediate resolution of the crime by bringing the purported
killer to the bar of justice," Arevalo said.

Military real estate na 'di na kailangan hiniling na ibenta

Ni Beth A.

Remate, Huwebes, 12 Agosto 2010

Mismong ang dating militar at senador at ngayo'y congressman
na si Rep. Rodolfo Biazon ang nagpanukalang ibenta na ang mga
hindi na kinakailangang ariarian, kampo at lupain ng militar
sa buong bansa upang magamit sa modernisasyon ng Armed Forces
of the Philippines.

Dahil dito, hiniling ng dating senador sa kanyang panukala sa
Kamara na aprubahan ang kanyang panukala na nagbibigay ng
awtorisasyon kay Pangulong Benigno C. Aquino III na tukuyin
ang mga military real estate na maaaring ibenta.

Nanniwala ang kinatawan ng Muntinlupa na ang kanyang isinulong
na House Bill 1162 ay makatutulong sa pagtukoy ng mga pwedeng
ibentang military camps at reservations sa buong bansa para sa
mabilisang pagpapatupad ng planong modernisasyon sa AFP.

Matatandaang inihayag ni Pangulong Arroyo sa kanyang State of
the Nation Address na isa sa priority program ng kanyang
administrasyon ang AFP modernization kaya ikinokonsidera ang
alok na $100 milyon ng grupo ng ilang dayuhang mamumuhunan para
sa upa ng Philippine Navy Headquarters sa Roxas Blvd. at Naval
Station sa Fort Bonifacio.

Inalok din ng mga imbestor na kanila ring gagastusan ang paglilipat
ng PN headquarters sa Camp Aguinaldo at i-remit sa Philippine
government ang kikitain ng negosyong kanilang itatayo.

Ayon sa solon hindi lubos na naipapatupad ang Republic Act 7898,
na mas kilala na AFP Modernization Act, na naging batas noon pang
February 23, 1995 na may alokasyong P50 billion sa loob ng 5 taon
para sa modernization program.

Hinihiling ng nasabing panukala ang pagtatag ng Military Real
Estate Development Authority na siyang mangangasiwa sa pagbebenta
at pamamahala sa development ng military real estate.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

1 dead, 12 missing in ship sinking

By Delfin T. Mallari

PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER, TUESDAY, AUGUST 10, 2010

THE CAPTAIN of a cargo vessel that sank off Romblon in
the wee hours of Saturday and two of his crew were
rescued by local fishermen yesterday, said the Coast Guard.

Lt. Commander Armand Balilo said Capt. Joselito Cortejos,
skipper of SF Freighter and crane operator Jerry Cortez
were found along the shoreline of General Luna, Quezon,
while the vessel's assistant engineer Joseph Jabonete was
rescued along the shoreline of Catanauan town.

"They were rescued by local fishermen in the area on Monday
morning," Balilo told the Inquirer by phone yesterday. He
said the three men were brought to General Luna General
Hospital in Quezon for medical treatment.

Rescuers have also found the body of another crew member
but Balilo said they could not yet release the name of
the first confirmed fatality as the family has yet to be
notified.

Rescue
Search and rescue operations continued for the 12 missing
crew of the vessel, which sank after it encountered engine
trouble and was engulfed by big waves off Don Hermanas
Island in Romblon.

The Philippine Navy has deployed its biggest ship and three
search planes to help in the search and rescue of the crew
of SF Freighter.

At 1:20 p.m. yesterday, BRP Raja Humabon manned by a crew of
nine officers and 41 enlisted personnel sailed to Dos
Hermanas Island in Romblon to assists in search and rescue
operations for SF Freigther, said Navy spokesman, Marine
Col. Edgard Arevalo.

He said the BRP Raja Humabon, under the command of Capt.
Adelius Bordado, is the biggest Navy vessel thus far at 306
feet and 36 feet in length and breadth, respectively.

"The focus of the search will be the vicinity of Dos Hermanas
Island in Romblon. The expanded search area is now 900 square
nautical miles, taking into account the drift, the prevailing
weather condition and other data available," he said.

The Navy also palced on standby a diesel fast vessel with a
compliment of eight enlisted personnel and a six-man team of
navy Special Operations Unit (Navy Seal) "for immediate
dispatch as soon as sea conditions improve," Arevalo added.

Also on Monday at 1:30 p.m., a two-engine search plane was
deployed to the area after two smaller search planes that
took off at 10:30 a.m. aborted their flights due to strong
winds.

Safety
"While time is literally ticking, the two Cessna planes had
to abort their flight for search mission due to strong winds
critical to the safety of such aircraft. They were put on
standby until the weather improves," Arevalo said.

He said in lieu of the single-engine Cessna planes, a
Philippine Navy Islander (PNI 312) aircraft was deployed to
the search area.

"While we are yearning to search and rescue the crew of the
missing vessels, we would like also to ensure the safety of
rescuers so they will be able to accomplish their mission,"
Arevalo explained.

In Lucena City, PCG Lucena station commander Lt. Joel Ogorida
said rescuers found the three survivors and the body of
another crew member still wearing life jackets.

Petty Officer 1 Leopoldo Robledo, PCG detachment commander in
Barangay Dalahican here, said the rescued crew members were
taken care of by doctors in General Luna and Catanauan.

Robledo said Cortejos told him that the vessel had 16 crewmen
when it sanks in the waters off Goto Point near Bonton Island
in Romblon.

"When the ship was battered by strong waves and before it was
about to sink, the ship captain ordered his crew to abandon
ship. He (ship captain) said all the 16 crewmen were able to
snatch life jackets before diving into the sea," Robledo said.

He said the vessel was loaded with steel products and was
sailing towards Cebu.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Navy joins search for missing ship

By Victor Reyes

MALAYA, TUESDAY AUGUST 10, 2010

THE Navy has joined search and rescue operations for
SF Freighter, a 498-ton cargo vessel with 16 crew
members which lost radio contact during inclement
weather last Saturday.

The Navy dispatched a twin-engine Islander plane and
two single engine Cessna planes to join the search
mission, said spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo.

The Coast Guard yesterday recovered a body of one of
the crew members.

It said Joselito Cortejos, the ship captain; Jerry
Cortez, a crane operator; and Joseph Jabonete, an
assistant engineer, were rescued at the shoreline of
Quezon province.

The Coast Guard said that according to Cortejos, the
cargo vessel developed engine trouble and was
subsequently battered by big waves and strong winds
around 1:30 a.m. It sank around 2:20 a.m.

Arevalo said search and rescue operations for the
remaining crew members are focused in the vicinity
of Dos Hermanas island.

"The expanded search area is now 900 square nautical
miles taking into account drift, then-prevailing
weather condition, and other data available," said
Arevalo.

He said the Islander plane is now in the search area.
Arevalo said the Cessna planes had to abort "due to
strong winds and will be on standby until the weather
improves.

The BRP Rajah Humabon, the biggest Navy vessel at
present, has been sent to help in the search and rescue
operation.

Also on standby is a Diesel Fast vessel with a six-man
team of Philippine Navy Special Operations Unit (SEAL)
for immediate dispatch once sea conditions improve.