MAGUINDANAO: Gunmen on Sunday burned down a public school building in Buldon town, which was supposed to be turned into a voting centre for the barangay elections yesterday.
Senior Superintendent Rodelio Jocson, director of the Maguindanao provincial police, said the suspects used gasoline and dried coconut palms in burning the four-classroom building of the Denganen Elementary School in southwest of Buldon.
Jocson said that according to local officials, the building was razed to the ground and could no longer be used for the barangay elections.
Col Dickson Hermoso, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said municipal poll personnel decided to hold the elections in makeshift polling sites in Barangay Denganen.
Italians get PAF helicopter deal
MANILA: An Anglo-Italian company has won the bidding to supply eight attack helicopters worth P3.44bn for the Philippine Air Force (PAF).
A notice of award was issued to aircraft manufacturer AgustaWestland late last month.
Defence Undersecretary Fernando Manalo confirmed the report, saying the helicopters may be delivered next year if the budget is released soon.
“If the DBM (Department of Budget and Management) releases the cash allocation, the letter of credit could be opened immediately and the helicopters could be delivered before the end of December next year,” Manalo said.
Mudslides loom over 2 villages
BAYOMBONG: The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has ordered the immediate evacuation of at least 56 families in Bontoc, Mt Province as landslides threaten their villages from being wiped out.
MGB Cordillera director Fay Apil said the cracks in the mountain just above the two sitios in Barangay Caneo could lead to massive landslides.
Apil, along with personnel of the provincial risk reduction and management office and Office of the Civil Defence, recently conducted an ocular inspection in the two villages.
This came following reports that a portion of the mountain was about to collapse due to continued erosion.
Agencies
