PNA

PILI, Camarines Sur, Aug. 16 -- AFP Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo David Jr. over the weekend said respect for human rights, internal security operation, capability building and soldiers' welfare are among the policy thrusts the Armed Forces of the Philippines would be doing under his watch.

David said these policies that the AFP is expected to carry out is in line with President Benigno Aquino's directive to maintain peace in the country, justice for all and good governance.

LEGAZPI CITY, July 27 -- Unidentified gunmen shot dead the other day two people inside a videoke bar in Lupi town in Camarines Sur, belated reports reaching Camp Simeon Ola on Tuesday said.

The report identified the victims as Ruben Idanan and Vicente Dulison, natives of Lupi town.

SPO2 Alexie Virata said at least three identified assailants stormed at around 10 a.m over the weekend Merly's bar a videoke joint in Brgy. Mamalao in Lupi town and shot to death the two victims.

MANILA, July 28  -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has dismissed the petition against Ako Bicol Party-list (AKB) questioning the legitimacy of the organization.

In a 14-page resolution, the Comelec Second Division approved the presence of the AKB in the party-list race as it cited the group being regional political party and not a representative of a particular sector.

LEGAZPI CITY, July 19 -- The death toll in Bikol due to typhoon Basyang has risen to 17 while 32 are still missing, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in the region said Monday.

At least 83 people have been rescued even as search and recovery operations continue for over a week now after "Basyang" battered Bikol.

OCD report said elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are continuously conducting search and recovery operations using air, sea and land assets in Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte and Catanduanes.

LEGAZPI CITY, July 15  - The death toll rose to four while 23 of the 43 people reported missing were recovered as typhoon Basyang hovered and hit on Wednesday the provinces of Catanduanes and Camarines Norte, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bikol said Thursday.

OCD report said Basyang left four persons dead in Camarines Norte and Camarines Sur and the causes of death were either drowning or hypothermia.

The report said search and rescue operations are still going on for the 20 people reported missing in the coastal villages of Camarines Norte and Catanduanes.

DAET, Camarines Norte, July 9 - Water shortage in some parts of the province, particularly those covered by Camarines Norte Water District (CNWD), is expected to get worse in the coming months starting July until November this year when surface water source reaches a critical low level caused by the long dry spell during the summer months, bared an official of the water utility office here.

CALAMBA CITY, Laguna, June 15  -- The Philippine National Railways (PNR) is set to resume regular trips to the Bikol Region by Friday next week, PNR officials told President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Tuesday.

The PNR halted its daily train trips to the Bikol province after the San Cristobal bridge here was destroyed when typhoons "Milenyo" and "Reming" battered Southern Luzon one after the other in 2006.

MANILA, June 1 (PNA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) have signed a agreement wherein all three government agencies will work together in identifying sites in the Bikol region that are geologically hazardous.

DSWD Acting Secretary Celia Capadocia-Yangco and DENR Secretary Horacio C. Ramos formally inked the agreement last Monday at the DENR office in Visayas Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.

LEGAZPI CITY --- Foundations, religious and charitable organizations operating hospitals, and educational institutions are at risk losing their tax exemption privileges once they are found to have violated or abused the rights and privileges given them by the state.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Bikol, in its recent tax audit study found out that some religious and charitable institutions are using their tax exemption privilege in defrauding the government of hundreds of millions of pesos in tax revenues.