REBEL DIES, ANOTHER SAVED IN BATTLE
ZAMBOANGA CITY: Government troops clashed with communist rebels, killing one gunman and wounding another near the town of Tulunan in North Cotabato province in the southern Philippines, officials said on Wednesday.

Col. Prudencio Asto, a spokesman for the 6th Infantry Division, said that the wounded rebel was airlifted by army soldiers to a military hospital in Maguindanao province to save his life. He said that the fighting broke out on Tuesday following a military operation in the town where New People’s Army rebels were harassing civilians and extorting money from villagers. “The encounter came after the 602nd Infantry Brigade launched an operation in the area as a result of information provided by residents to the military. The civilians are fed up with the threats and intimidation, and extortion of the NPA in the town,” Asto said. He said that no soldiers were killed or wounded in the fighting. There were also no reports of civilian casualties. The NPA has been fighting to overthrow the democratic government and install a Maoist state in the country. AL JACINTO

5.8 QUAKE ROCKS NEGROS
A 5.8-magnitude quake rocked the central Philippines on Wednesday, with seismologists warning that it could cause damage. The quake struck at sea 71 kilometers (44 miles) off Negros Island’s coast at 1:21pm with fairly strong ground shaking across the island’s west coast, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said. The ground disturbance was fairly shallow, and the institute expects damage and aftershocks, it said in a bulletin. However, the civil defense office in the region had no immediate reports of damage or casualties, said Eligio Calaor, the regional office’s operations chief. AFP

2 IN PDEA DRIVE-BY SHOOTING ARRESTED
The two gunmen, who opened fire at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Misamis Oriental Provincial Special Enforcement Team (PSET) office, were arrested on November 13, 2012, in Cagayan de Oro City. Undersecretary Arturo Cacdac Jr. , PDEA director general, identified the suspects as Achmad Sangcaan, a resident of No. 047 Barrio Green, Marawi City; and Mark Bryan Basco, of No. 16B San Jorge Street, Barangay Perfecto, San Juan City. Cacdac said that Sangcaan and Basco, while shouting expletives, opened fire at the PDEA PSET office located at the GA Pelaez Sports Complex, Cagayan de Oro City on November 13, 2012, at about 1:15 a.m. and sped off in a white and black Mitsubishi Montero sport utility vehicle. Not satisfied, they returned to the vicinity and fired again at the PDEA operatives, prompting the latter to return fire. “They were heard hurling invectives and cursing our agents, even threatening to kill them, while opening fire,” Cacdac said. Based on investigation, the suspects are said to be frequent visitors of detained suspect, identified as Walid Ansao, a 33-year-old drug den owner who was arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by elements of PDEA RO10 under Director Roberto Opeña on September 3, 2012. JING VILLAMENTE

POLICE SEIZES MOTORCYCLE IN MISHAP
 POLICE on Tuesday took into its custody a motorcycle that killed a 56-year-old woman and injured its driver in an accident at a village in Surigao del Sur province late Monday, police reports said. Reports by the Caraga police office said that incident involving the motorcycle (OV-8971) took place at about 1 p.m. on Monday along the national highway in Purok-1, Brgy. Amaga, Barobo town of said province. The reports said that the motorcycle, being driven by Lenimar Buenafe, was heading towards San Francisco town when it bumped Rosalia Mauro, 56, a housewife from Barobo town, while she was crossing the road. Mauro and Buenafe were immediately rushed to the D.O. Plaza Memorial Hospital in Prosperidad town, but Mauro was declared dead on arrival at the said hospital, reports said. ANTHONY VARGAS

TASK FORCE HUNT ILLEGAL INTERNET CAFES
ILOILO CITY: The city’s task force on Internet gaming and anti-pornography is shifting attention on the proliferation of mobile internet cafes mostly based in barangay houses and operating without a business permit. Task Force chairman Ben Palma Jr. said that these barangay-based mobile shops are those having special computer units being operated by dropping P1 played for 5 minutes. These are illegal units like video carrera machines which entice children and minors to play even during the evenings and school hours. Palma said that playing the computer is addictive to children and may destroy their future by not going to school anymore. Furthermore, the barangay and the city government do not earn revenues from these units since the operator is not paying taxes and has no business permit. Aside from children spending their school hours in the computer, most mobile café operators tap power directly from the Panay Electric Company lines to the detriment of paying power customers. Palma, however, said that the task force has no police powers and authority to confiscate these computer units but only the police and other law enforcement agencies. The TF is operating in collaboration with the police, National Bureau of Investigation, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the barangay. LYDIA C. PENDON