Local News

KORONADAL CITY --– A 44-year-old pedicab driver here is offering a day-long free
ride to anybody within the city as he celebrated his natal day today.

This is my
way of saying thanks for all the blessings and for the gift of life, Dante
Letimas, a resident of Barangay Poblacion here, told w and//www.ndbcnews.com.ph www.ndbcnews.com.ph .

Letimas, a
father of two, has been a pedicab driver the past 15 years, is a pastor of Born
Again Christian sect.

CAMP SIONGCO, Maguindanao – Joint Elements of 19th Infantry Battalion,and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-ARMM) arrested Friday morning a drug suspect during drug by bust operation in Barangay Lower Caption, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao.Arrested during joint drug buy bust operation at 11 in the morning wasDatu Daffi, believed to be peddler of prohibited drugs not only in Datu Odin Sinsuat town but also in other areas of Maguindanao. The law enforcers also recovered twoCal. 45 pistols, a 9 mm pistol, aCal.

MAGUINDANAO --- Two Moro men were killed while another was injured in a mysterious explosion in Datu Piang town at past 3and00 p.m.

KORONADAL CITY – Two children on their way ome from school were drowned Wednesday afternoon
in a river in the upland town of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato, disaster officials
said.

Roberto
Bagong, the municipal disaster risk reduction and management council action
officer, said the two male children, aged 8 and 9 years old, were crossing the
LamLahak River in Barangay Lamlahak, near the town Poblacion when they were
swept away by rampaging waters.

MAGUINDANAO --- Authorities have foiled an attempt by a foreigner with a Spanish passport to smuggle into Maluso town in Basilan materials for improvised explosive devices.In a statement Thursday, the Police Regional Office-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao said Abdulhakim Adib was arrested on Monday, but was not immediately announced due to extensive identity validation processes.Adib was intercepted at past 11:00 p.m.

COTABATO CITY -- Applicants for the college scholarship
program of the provincial government of North Cotabato has doubled from the original target of 316senior high school students set to graduate this school year.

Norito Mazo, scholarship
program coordinator for the provincial government, said only 316 scholarship slots will
be available for the incoming school year as the same number of college
scholars are set to graduate this year.

TACURONG CITY,
Jan 24 -- An escapee from South Cotabato provincial jail was killed in a
shootout with government forces and another escapee was rearrested following
police operations here Wednesday morning.

Senior Supt. Raul
Supiter, Sultan Kudarat police provincial director, said Andy Evangelista who
escaped from the provincial jail was killed while his companion, another
escapee, identified as a certain Mando, was nabbed in police follow-up pursuit
operations.

COTABATO CITY
– A student from Parang National High School in Parang, Maguindanao bested
other participants in the Commission on Population and Department of Education
in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Regional Festival of Talents (RFOT)
debate on Monday.

Joe Harvey
Mato of Parang National High School of Maguindanao II Division, ruled the
debate category, according to Elban Iglupas of POPCOM-12 information office.

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Two of the three suspected New Peoples’ Army (NPA) rebels that died after they clashed with government troops in Makilala, North Cotabato on Monday were already identified by their relatives, a police official said.Chief Inspector Johnny Rick Medel, chief of the Makilala Police, identified the slain suspected rebels as Raymart Rusiana, 25, of Makilala and Armand Mendoza, 39, of Barangay Nuling, Lebak in Sultan Kudarat.Rusiana and Mendoza were identified by a certain Renato Rusiana, also a resident of Makilala town.Raymart is Renato’s step son, according to reports from Ma

COTABATO CITY – The
Department of Education–ARMM held its Regional Festival of Talents, in
collaboration with its partner institutions,the Commission on Population-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (POPCOM-ARMM)
and POPCOM XII on January
17.It was held at POPCOM 12 office in Cotabato City with the theme Post Millennial Filipinosand Renewed Hope vs. Risks. The festival included Pop Quiz, Jingle Writing and Singing Competition,
Poster Making and Essay Writing Contest. Participants from the 9 divisions of