FAMILY OF SAUDI TANK BLAST SUSPECT WORRIED
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) revealed that the family of the Filipino truck driver, who was suspect in the fuel tank blast in Riyadh, was very emotional.

Robin Kebeng is now under probe of the Saudi government after being implicated in the recent blast that killed and injured scores of people, including Filipinos. The OWWA Administrator Carmelita Dimzon disclosed that the family was worried and forlorn after their meeting on Wednesday.
“They were emotional and asking for help as they have yet to talk to Robin since the incident and they are extremely worried,” Dimzon recalled. The OWWA chief said that a family member even asked if they can personally visit Kebeng in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. “They were also requesting if it is possible for one or even two of them to be able to go to Saudi to see Robin,” Dimzon said.
Johanna M. Sampan

LAWMAN TAGGED IN SAMPALOC SLAY SURRENDERS
A POLICE officer tagged as the primary suspect in the death of his live-in partner in Manila surrendered to the authorities on Wednesday evening, a police official said on Thursday.
The police officer, PO2 Ronald Fontejon, is presently detained for investigation at the Philippine National Police (PNP) Custodial Center in Camp Crame, where his colleagues brought him on Wednesday evening. Supt. Cesar Magsino, PNP Custodial Center director, said that Fontejon is detailed with the PNP Police Security and Protection-Diplomatic Security and Protection Unit and assigned at the Kuwait Embassy in Manila. Fontejon is the primary suspect the death of his live-partner, Kyle Anne Baroca, of Tanza, Cavite whose body was found in the bathroom of Room 4 of Beehive Travelers Inn in Sampaloc, Manila.
Anthony Vargas

NAIA NAVIGATION AID SYSTEM BOGS DOWN
The Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range (VOR), an air navigation aid system used by both commercial and general aviation at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has bogged down anew, the Manila International Airport Authority said on Thursday. As of 4 p.m., no diverted flights have been reported at the NAIA when the glitch started. A notice-to-airmen issued by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) states that the VOR went off the air at about 10:40 a.m. on Thursday and will resume at 8 a.m. the following day on Friday of November 9, 2012. According to CAAP, the VOR and the International Landing System, that working in tandem, allow airplanes to navigate until the runway’s end, where the runway becomes visible at a certain distance and altitude. It was learned that the absence of the navigational aids would make flying difficult, especially in bad weather and poor visibility.
Benjie L. Vergara

PRINTING OF BALLOTS UNDERWAY
Amid the controversy of lax bidding procedures, the papers and printing of official ballots for the upcoming May 2013 elections underwent strict testing and implementation, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) assured on Thursday. Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. vouched for National’s Printing Office’s (NPO) decision in awarding the P780 million contract to Holy Family Inc. and guaranteed that everything will run smoothly on election day. “Are you nervous? I am not. We were given the report on the 1,000 ballot testing. I don’t know why many are worried. It is our problem, not theirs . . . for our part, it underwent stringent testing and we cannot be negligent over this matter. We will be the ones taking the blame and not the NPO,” Brillantes said. The comment stemmed out from recent reports that the decision of NPO to award the contract to Holy Family is daunting considering that the company, along with its partner firm Canon Marketing Philippines, had failed during the sample ballots testing process. The losing bidders such as the joint venture of Advance Computer Forms Inc., ASA Colors, and ePDS Inc. and Smartmatic-Total Information Management argued that the winning bidder did not follow the 1,000 sample ballot requirement instead it only brought eight samples. Out of eight ballots, six did not function well with the Precinct Count Optical Scan or PCOS machines.
Johanna M. Sampan

NAVY, AIR FORCE IN JOINT EXERCISE
THE Philippine Navy and the Philippine Air Force will join forces for a five-day joint unilateral military exercise to enhance the two force’s competencies and capabilities. on Thursday, Col. Omar Tonsay, Navy spokesman, said that the annual training would involve five ships and islander aircraft from the Navy, six aircraft from the Air Force, and special operations and support units from the said two major services.It would also involve, he added, some 200 personnel from the Navy, 124 from the Air Force, and 20 observers from the AP Joint Staff for Training, the PAF Joint and Combined Training Center and staff from the Western Mindanao Command. Dubbed as “DAGIT 2012”, the military exercise is now on its sixth straight year. It will run from November 12 to 17 in Western Mindanao area of responsibility, particularly in Zamboanga City.
William B. Depasupil