Maniolas

The Philippine National Police on Monday revealed that there were at least 62 stray bullet incidents during the just-concluded holiday season, resulting in 44 reported injuries and one death. PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor disclosed to GMA News via text that the incidents were recorded from December 16, 2014 to January 5, 2015. The lone fatality in the bullet stray cases is 11-year-old Jercy Decym Buenafe of Tabaday, Abra.  She was hit by a stray bullet while she and her family were watching the festivities outside their house. The National Capital Region had the most stray bullet incidents at 18, followed by Western Visayas with 13. With the number of victims being hit by stray bullets during New Year revelries on the rise, the PNP admitted that its efforts to stop the practice of indiscriminate firing have not been enough. The police vowed to intensify its campaign against loose firearms, which it said are commonly used by suspects in indiscriminate firing. Meanwhile, the police arrested a total of 17 individuals for illegal discharge of firearms during the holidays: seven policemen, six civilians and four security guards. The police recorded a total of 25 illegal discharge of firearms as of Monday morning. The PNP has also confiscated 129,795 firecrackers and arrested 57 individuals for selling prohibited firecrackers. The police tallied 115 injuries due to firecrackers and eight cases of fire incidents. The number of casualties from fire totaled to seven, with four persons injured and three others dead. — BM, Read More …

At least 10 people, including cops and security guards, were arrested for indiscriminate firing of guns in the run up to the New Year’s Eve revelries, the Philippine National Police revealed on Thursday. In a phone interview, PNP spokesman Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor disclosed that 10 arrests have been made from December 16 to December 30. Those arrested include four policemen, three security guards, and three civilians.  Four of the arrests happened in the National Capital Region, two in Calabarzon, two in Central Luzon, and two in Region 1. The police is now consolidating its data on indiscriminate firing of guns during the holidays, Mayor said. In a separate interview, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla said no indiscriminate firing of guns was recorded among soldiers in the countdown to 2015.  So far, the PNP recorded 14 stray bullet injuries in the run up to the New Year’s eve celebrations. Some two years ago, Stephanie Nicole Ella, 7, died from a celebratory bullet. Mayor said that the case of Ella Nicole has not been forgotten. “We don’t forget cases. One case is one too many for us,” he said. Ballistics system technology remains the top tool for identifying the firearm used by perpetrators of celebratory gunshots, the PNP official added. – VS, GMA News

Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada will be able to spend more time with their families this coming New Year’s Eve at their detention facility inside Camp Crame after the Philippine National Police approved their request. According to deputy PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Robert Po, the request of the two senators were partially approved. “I think it was granted partially but they were given a little leeway,” he said at a briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon Ciy. PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor last week said the two senators have asked to be allowed to entertain visitors until 2 a.m., or a nine-hour extension in their regular visiting hours.  The regular visiting hours are from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. This year, the New Year’s Eve will fall on a Wednesday. “I am not sure how long the extension was granted but not the whole request was granted,” Po further noted. Visitors of the two lawmakers may bring food like lechon or roasted pig. However, dancing on loud music is prohibited. Any form of gadgets will not be allowed inside the PNP Custodial Center, where the two senators are detained. Po said visiting rules will be strictly implemented. Revilla and Estrada are facing plunder and graft cases before the Sandiganbayan for their alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam. They were earlier allowed by the PNP to hold a Christmas party for their families at their detention facility. Read More …

Navy and Air Force units conducting maritime patrols in Philippine waters have been ordered “to be extra observant” for potential leads that will help in the search for AirAsia flight QZ8501, which went missing Sunday morning. According to a press release from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, two C-130s, two Fokker planes, an Islander aircraft, and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz have been told to “report any unusual sightings”. Air traffic control lost contact with the AirAsia airplane, which was flying to Singapore from Surabaya in Indonesia, on Sunday morning after the pilot asked for a course change because of bad weather. Indonesian authorities believe the plane may have gone into the Java Sea. — JDS, GMA News

Senate President Franklin Drilon has vowed to file next month a resolution seeking for a probe into tollway operators’ practice of having different ticketing systems for the various superhighways in the country. This was after Drilon’s recent out-of-town trip was spoiled by monstrous traffic jams near the tollway booths he passed through. In an interview over dzBB radio Sunday, Drilon blamed the inefficient system of collecting toll fees for prolonging his travel time to 11 and a half hours from San Juan City to Baguio City last week. He estimated having to spend more than an hour at the traffic bottlenecks that occurred near the tollbooth stops. “Because of the inefficiencies of the toll system, ang haba ng pila ng sasakyan sa NLEX (North Luzon Expressway), SCTEX (Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway). Iba-iba ang nangongolekta ng toll fee at ang kitid ng mga toll gate. Bakit hindi na lang i-integrate ‘yung pangongolekta ng toll fees? Something must be done about this,” he said. Traffic jams snarled the routes going to Baguio and other areas in North Luzon last week as Filipinos head for the provinces to spend Christmas and the long holiday weekend. Earleir, the NLEX toll operator had advised motorists to bring exact change for their toll so they can save time on the road. Drilon said he will file a resolution calling for a probe on the varying ticketing systems when Congress resumes on January 19, so lawmakers can propose solutions. “Hihingi ako ng pagdinig tungkol dito [sa issue ng pangongolekta Read More …