COURT CLEARS ALLEGED CAR THEFT BRAINS
A Quezon City court acquitted yesterday a businessman of qualified car theft or carjacking with homicide in an incident that killed the driver of a van on a Holy Thursday three years ago in front of a church in Quezon City.

For doubting the testimony of the two witnesses to positively identify the accused, Judge Eleuterio Bathan of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 92 freed Jovel Entote who was pinpointed by the witnesses as the one who shot driver Rodolfo Oetalino on April 9, 2002 at about 11 p.m. in front of the Santa Maria Della Strada Church in Quezon City. Bathan in his 34-page decision found the statement of Daniel Quinanola during the September 20, 2012 cross examination as unbelievable when he testified that the armed person who forcibly took the Toyota Super Grandia van (ZPZ-463) was wearing a yellow polo while Joseph Balbin during the October 18, 2012 cross examination told the court that the gunman was tall, has a round face and clad in a black jacket. JING VILLAMENTE

MANILA REMEMBERS THE GREAT PLEBEIAN
Mayor Alfredo Lim of Manila spearheads today’s observance of Gat Andres Bonifacio’s 149th birth anniversary at the Bonifacio Shrine beside the Manila City Hall. A wreath-laying ceremony and program is slated at 8 a.m. and city officials, employees, councilors, students, guests and ordinary citizens are expected to be present in the activity to honor Bonifacio’s efforts to free the Philippines from more than three decades of Spanish oppression. Ric de Guzman, Chief of Staff and Media Bureau director, and lawyer Chudney Ngo, Manila Tourism chief, said that today’s activities will be highlighted by a performance of the Sandiwang Kayumangi from Carlos P. Garcia High School and under Lou Veloso’s direction. FATIMA CIELO B. CANCEL

THREE MULCTING ENFORCERS UNDER FIRE
THREE traffic enforcers of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) have been immediately relieved for allegedly involved in corrupt practices. MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino on Thursday ordered the relief of traffic constables Bryan Berganio, Andy Abdul and Paul Michael Romero from the agency’s Traffic Discipline Office. The three are facing summary dismissal from the service after they were caught by a Metrobase roving staff committing extortion at the Magallanes U-turn slot in Makati at 3 a.m. yesterday. After verification, it was found out that they were not on official duty and Magallanes was not their area of responsibility. Berganio’s shift is from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. and assigned at EDSA segment 4, while Abdul and Romero are both from the anti-jaywalking unit belonging to the 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. shift. RITCHIE A. HORARIO

CUSTOMS COLLARS VIETNAMESE DRUG MULE
The Bureau of Customs on Thursday said that a Vietnamese, believed to be a drug courier, was arrested at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1. Legal and Investigation Custom police Byron Carbonell, head of the BOC-Task Force React, in his report to Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon identified the suspect as Pham Thi Anh Tuyet, of legal age. The bureau said that Tuyet was arrested for illegally possessing over 2.838 kilos of suspected shabu worth millions of pesos at the airport in Pasay City, late Wednesday. According to the BOC the Vietnamese arrived in the country from Bahrain on board the Gulf Air Flight 154 when authorities arrested her at 12:30 p.m. Records showed that the foreigner went to Ghana, Africa on November 21. She was later traced to have left from Ghana to Bahrain on November 27. From Bahrain, the alleged drug courier flew to the Philippines. JOVEE MARIE N. DELA CRUZ

LAGGARD POLICE COMMANDERS FACE SACKING
LAX police station and block commanders in Metro Manila will be replaced by new breed of police officers that are more dedicated in the performance of their duties, a ranking police official said Thursday. Metro Manila police chief, Director Leonardo Espina decided to order a revamp of lax police commanders following a review of their performance and spate of sensational cases in the metropolis. The police official said that he had already made rounds of district offices, police stations and block outposts in Metro Manila in reviewing the performances of each police commander in the metropolis. ANTHONY VARGAS

EX-CIDG CHIEF SLAPPED WITH PERJURY RAPS
THE former chief of the Crime and Investigation Detection Group of the Philippine National Police is facing a slew of criminal and administrative charges before the Sandiganbayan for failing to declare his assets and not filing his wealth report for eight years. The Office of the Ombudsman charged Police Chief Supt. Eduardo Matillano of three counts of perjury and eight counts of violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Employees in 11 charge sheets over his “untruthful statement” in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. For not disclosing pieces of properties in his three SALNs, police officer is facing perjury punishable under the Revised Penal Code. The criminal cases stemmed from Matillano’s failure to disclose in his 2001 to 2003 SALNs four lots in Kingsville Antipolo and a parcel of land in Roxas, Palawan City. JOHN CONSTANTINE G. CORDON