News Roundup 23 September 2023
Sep 23, 2023 • 4 min Read
EDSA floods captured as rains paralyzed major roads | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Various roads around Metro Manila were left unpassable due to a heavy downpour of rain on Saturday afternoon, leaving swarms of vehicles immobile on one side in front of a pool of water.
A photo which gained significant attention was that of EDSA Camp Aguinaldo Northbound, with floods reaching knee-deep high, making it unpassable to light vehicles at around 1:54 p.m.
A taxi cab could also be seen plying dedicated EDSA Carousel lane, effectively blocking buses. The original photo of the area at around 12:20 p.m. garned over 6,500 reactions and over 5,000 shares.
The floods eventually subsided in one of the National Capital Region’s busiest roads at around 2:17 p.m.
However, flooding persists in the following areas and shows no signs of subsiding:
- East Ave (National Kidney Inst.) as of 1:25 p.m. – 13″ (half tire)
- Edsa Centris NB as of 1:20 p.m. – 10″(half knee)
- Espana dela Fuente as of 1:20 p.m. – 12″ (half tire)
- Espana Vicente Cruz as of 1:07 p.m. – 8″(gutter)
- España – Antipolo as of 12:33 p.m. – 6″ (half gutter)
- España – Dela Fuente as of 12:33 p.m. – 8″ (gutter)
Full Story at: EDSA floods captured as rains paralyzed major roads | Philstar.com
Wanted person dead, nine SAF men hurt in Sulu gunfight | PHILSTAR.COM – COTABATO CITY, Philippines — An alleged drug dealer who is wanted for illegal possession of firearms and murder was killed while nine members of the police’s elite Special Action Force were hurt in a clash before dawn Friday in Panamao town in Sulu.
In a report on Saturday to Bangsamoro regional police director Brig. Gen. Allan Nobleza, Sulu’s provincial police director, Col. Narciso Paragas, identified the slain wanted person as Muksidal Jumadil, who died on the spot from multiple bullet wounds.
He was killed in a brief encounter with policemen dispatched to serve him a warrant of arrest right in his hideout in Barangay Seit Higad in Panamao, his alleged main transshipment point for shabu that he distributed in the municipality.
Paragas said six SAF members were hurt in the encounter. A separate report from the 7th SAB stated, however, that nine were wounded in the gunfight, three of them officers.
The report identified the wounded 7th SAB members as Capt. Nolie Agmaliw, Lt. Rico Apal, Lt. Earl Abdurajan III, Cpl. Reymir Subion, Cpl. Lindo Macua, Cpl. Oliver Alviar, Cpl. Andres Dalang, Patrolman Edison Ray Paris and Patrolman Lionel Suaverdes.
The warrant for Jumadil’s arrest came from a court in Parang town in Sulu where there are pending criminal cases against him.
Full Story at: Wanted person dead, nine SAF men hurt in Sulu gunfight | Philstar.com
Bautista-Smartmatic rap ‘an eye-opener’–Comelec | INQUIRER.NET – Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair George Garcia on Friday said it was “premature” to bar poll technology company Smartmatic from the bidding to provide the automated elections system (AES) in the 2025 polls amid allegations that the company bribed one of his predecessors.
Garcia was referring to reports that former Comelec Chair Andres Bautista had been charged with money laundering and conspiracy by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in connection with the bribe he allegedly received from a poll automation company, which was not identified, in the 2016 national elections.
Garcia said the reports were “an eye-opener.”
“We would closely monitor this development, most especially the nature and weight of evidence to be presented in court,” he added. “But at this point, the presumption of innocence stands.”
Full Story at: Bautista-Smartmatic rap ‘an eye-opener’–Comelec | Inquirer News
Weak explosion reported at NAIA T3 parking area; MIAA, PNP launches probes | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — A faint explosion was reported in the open parking of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 on Saturday morning.
According to the initial information, people who were near the parking area facing Terminal 3 at that time heard a noise that was like a weak explosion.
Reports also indicated a glass bottle containing a flammable liquid and wrapped with a cloth that shattered and hit three vehicles. Small flames were seen from the bottom of the vehicles that were hit.
Full Story at: Weak explosion reported at NAIA T3 parking area; MIAA, PNP launches probes | Inquirer News
