6,000 TREES PLANTED IN BATAAN RIVERBANKS
BALANGA City, Bataan: The city government over the weekend planted more than 6,000 seedlings of various forest trees along the riverbanks here to lessen soil erosion and flooding.

Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia 3rd of Balanga City led in the “Alay Tanim” program in barangays Cupang Proper and Central and Hacienda Lourdes. The program has for the theme “Ika-apat na Yugto ng Sama-samang Pagtatanim ng mga Handog ng Buhay.” Aside from employees and officials of the city government, barangay officials and employees of the Philippine Red Cross (Bataan chapter), Jollibee and Galeria Victoria and members of the Philippine Army joined in the tree planting. ERNIE B. ESCONDE

GANGMEN BLUDGEONS 19-YEAR-OLD TO DEATH
10 members of a gang bludgeoned to death a 19-year-old man inside the public cemetery. Policemen arrested two of the culprits in a follow up operation conducted by Bacoor City Police in Maliksi 1, Bacoor City, Cavite. P/Chief Supt. Romano Cardino of Bacoor City said that his men arrested the two culprits, Eddie Romero, 21, and George Paes, 22. The fatality was identified as Jerry Asis. Cardino said that the 10 gangsters whose ages were below 22 were having a drinking spree inside the cemetery when a group of five teenagers passed by. One of the culprits started the fight by shouting invectives at the passers-by, then, chased them, armed with 2” x 2” lengths of coco lumber. The fatality was cornered, mauled and bludgeoned to death. ROGELIO LIMPIN

BARANGAY HEAD SLAIN IN MASBATE
 MASBATE CITY: Another barangay executive has been executed in Masbate province along with his companion midnight yesterday a few days after a barangay councilor in Albay province was beheaded on Monday last week. A police report said that Barangay Captain Roman Tonacao of Mahayahay, Cawayan town together with a companion Edison Tarucan, 36, were shot dead by a lone gunman at the neighboring Brgy. Divisoria in Cawayan town. Tarucan died on the spot while Tonacao was pronounced dead on arrival at the Cawayan District Hospital. Earlier, Barangay Councilor Ely Oguis of the remote Cabaloaon village in Guinobatan in Albay was found beheaded with six bullet wounds in the body. Philippine Army soldiers assigned in the area accused the New People’s Army as responsible in Oguis killing for the victim’s alleged failure to remit revolutionary tax collection. According to the Masbate provincial police community relation office, a certain Dario Pepito of Cebu City shot the two with a .45 pistol. MANNY T. UGALDE

POLICEMAN DIES IN MOTORBIKE MISHAP
 A POLICE officer was killed after ramming his motorbike at a tree on Sunday along the national highway in Pototan, Iloilo City, police reports said on Monday. P/Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr., Western Visayas director, in a report sent to Camp Crame, identified the police officer as PO1 Erwin Bachica, 28, of Negros Occidental province. Cruz, quoting reports said that Bachica, who is assigned at Kalibo Airport, died at about 10:50 a.m. along the national highway in Brgy. Cahaguikikan, Pototan, Iloilo. The police said that Bachica was driving his Suzuki Raider 150, when he lost control and slammed into a mahogany tree along the highway. Bachica was then rushed by witnesses to the Iloilo Medical center in the same town but was declared dead on arrival, the police official said in the report. ANTHONY VARGAS

PROPOSED SMOKING BAN GAINS SUPPORT
Zamboanga City is studying a proposal to ban smoking in public places just as other key cities in the country, which penalized cigarette smokers who violate local ordinances. Councilman Myra Paz Abubakar, who authored an ordinance to ban smoking in public areas, is optimistic that the bill would be approved following an overwhelming support from many residents and health advocates. In Davao City, smoking in public places has long been banned and the penalty for violators could reach as high as P10,000 and dozens of cities and municipalities have also the same anti-smoking ordinances because of the dangers posed by exposure to second-hand smoke. According to the World Health Organization, over 600, 000 people die each year from exposure to second-hand smoke and the annual death toll could rise to more than eight million by 2030. AL JACINTO