News Roundup 10 April 2023
Apr 10, 2023 • 4 min Read
DILG chief unveils ‘massive attempt to cover up’ dismissed cop Mayo’s arrest | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. on Monday bared a “massive attempt to cover up” the arrest of dismissed Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo due to drug-related charges in 2022.
It can be recalled that Mayo was arrested on Oct. 8, 2022, during an anti-drug operation in Tondo, Manila, where anti-narcotic operatives seized 990 kilograms of shabu estimated to be worth P6.7 billion.
According to Abalos, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in February met with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to discuss the drug case, where the PNP failed to provide conclusive information.
This prompted Abalos to authorize a fact-finding inquiry into the involvement of Mayo and other police officials in the seized 990 kilograms of shabu.
“The Fact-Finding Board has taken testimonies of several personalities and based on this and other pieces of evidence, including tapes, under the possession of the Board, it shows that there is indeed a massive attempt to cover up the arrest of Sgt. Mayo,” said Abalos in a press conference.
“Sa ngayon pa lang nakikita natin na may malawakang pag ko-coverup sa nangyaring ito, hindi tayo papayag na mabawi ito. Dapat managot ang mga taong ito at seryoso ang pamahalaan dito,” he added.
(Right now we see that there was a massive coverup of what happened, we will not allow this to happen. These people should be held accountable and the government should take this seriously.)
Full Story at: DILG chief unveils ‘massive attempt to cover up’ dismissed cop Mayo’s arrest | Inquirer News
23 hurt as passenger bus flips on side in Nueva Vizcaya | INQUIRER.NET – SANTIAGO CITY — At least 23 people were injured when a passenger bus from Manila flipped on its side along the national road in Diadi town, Nueva Vizcaya province, early Monday, April 10.
Police said the EMC air-conditioned passenger bus, driven by Jun Asio, 49, was tailing a trailer truck when the latter immediately stopped while negotiating an uphill road.
As a result, the bus driver stepped on the brakes, but the bus flipped on its side.
Most of the victims declined to seek medication, except for one who was seriously injured.
Asio was placed in police custody while charges of multiple physical injuries and damage to property were being readied against him.
In a separate accident, a 22-wheeler truck loaded with sacks of corn also fell on its side in Bliss Village, City of Ilagan, Isabela on Monday.
The injured driver and helper were brought to the hospital for treatment.
Another truck loaded with sacks of palay encountered a mechanical failure as it rammed the railing along the provincial road in San Mariano town, Isabela on Sunday.
The seven occupants suffered minor bruises and contusions.
Oriental Mindoro residents still bearing brunt of oil spill a month later | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Residents in some of the most affected areas of the oil spill in Oriental Mindoro are still reeling from its devastating effects over a month later, as they reported that aid they received and their income are insufficient.
While marine scientist Jerwin Baure of Agham said the worst impacts of the oil spill have passed, a rapid impact assessment conducted by environmental and scientific groups earlier this month revealed that 93% of residents in four barangays in Calapan City and 86.5% of residents in two barangays in Pola town said their income was insufficient.
Of the Pola residents who said their income was not enough, 38.5% said they were not earning at all. Center for Environmental Concerns – Philippines estimated that on average, families in this town have lost P7,500 a month due to the oil spill.
“The figures could be worse if there were no cash-for-work programs and farming,” Jordan Fronda, CEC’s research, education and advocacy coordinator, said in Filipino during a virtual press briefing where they presented their findings.
Calapan residents who participated in the assessment said 86% of them have received either financial aid or relief goods, but 98% of them said this was not enough.
Full Story at: Oriental Mindoro residents still bearing brunt of oil spill a month later | Philstar.com
3 Chinese nabbed for illegal detention | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Three Chinese were arrested in Parañaque on Friday for allegedly illegally detaining a fellow Chinese over a gambling debt, police said yesterday.
The victim, Zhou Qing, was detained by the three suspects after he lost P500,000 at a hotel casino, the Southern Police District (SPD) said yesterday.
Zhou managed to contact his girlfriend, Anne Rose Burca, who asked for assistance from the hotel’s security guards. This resulted in his rescue and the arrest of one of the suspects, Wang Dingding.
Two others, Ying Jian and Yong Jin Ong, tried to settle the case against Wang, but Zhou identified them as the ones who prevented him from leaving the hotel room.
The suspects allegedly threatened that they would sell Zhou to a Philippine offshore gaming operator if he failed to pay back his debt. The SPD said the suspects would face charges of illegal detention.
