NPA, troopers face probe for girls injured in clash

CHR sees human rights violations
By ROGER M. BALANZA

The Commission on Human Rights said there was human rights violations in the wounding of two children in last week’s encounter between the New People’s Army and government troops in Compostela Valley province.
Regional director Alberto Sipaco said both the communist rebels and troopers should answer [...]

Davao City Hall to scrap fuel aid to police

Duterte tells cops to use feet in anti-crime campaign
By ROGER M. BALANZA
With price of gasoline zooming up, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said he may have to stop financial subsidy to the Davao City Police.
City Hall regularly grants fuel subsidies to the local police mobile force on top of providing city-paid civilian drivers for [...]

80 Davao City barangays drug-infiltrated

Drugs are peddled in 80 of Davao City’s 182 barangays, but the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in region eleven said the drug situation is under full control.
PDEA also noted drug users are switching to locally grown marijuana, as the synthetic drug methamphetamine hydrochloride, popularly known as shabu, becomes scarce, based on records of arrests [...]

MILF: Who is Dureza?

By ROGER M. BALANZA
Does the Arroyo administration know what delay means?
If it does not, then Jesus Dureza should go back to his Webster, according to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), in a statement posted in luwaran.com.
At the core of the MILF beef is the latest Malacanang statement released to the press by [...]

ZTE-NBN SCANDAL SEEN IN DAVAO CITY LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT CHINA PROJECT

Dim hopes for Davao City LRT
By ROGER M. BALANZA

Dabawenyos should forget about their city becoming the first city outside MetroManila to have a Light Rail Transit System.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said the national government’s flip-flopping policy on foreign investments—and graft and corruption—could drive away a consortium of Chinese investors proposing to construct an [...]

BAD NEWS FOR DAVAO CITY HIGH-END HOUSING PROJECTS

Rody backs Sara against land conversion for housing
By ROGER M. BALANZA

Vice Mayor Sara Duterte’s public statement against land conversion for housing projects atop the city aquifer in Talomo district has gained support from father Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
But while Vice Mayor Duterte wants to protect the city’s source of drinking water from [...]

Duterte lectures nat’l govt on idle lands

Rody tells govt to give Marilog to farmers

With thousands of idle unproductive government lands in Marilog and other farflung areas in the city, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday urged the national government to distribute them to farmers to spur agricultural productivity.
If they cannot be given to the farmers, Duterte also suggested they [...]

GOOD NEWS FOR DAVAO CITY’S HOMELESS URBAN POOR

City to resume funding urban poor housing
BY ROGER M. BALANZA

The Davao City Council has lifted a suspension on grant of housing assistance to the urban poor sector, reviving hopes of thousands of members of urban poor homeless associations.
The assistance under the City Land Reform Program was stopped two years ago on [...]

Rivalry behind bus bombings in Cotabato

Weena eyes rivals in bus bombings

Weena Transport Company said the extortionist group Al Khobar may not be behind the bombing of three of its buses in Midsayap, North Cotabato on Saturday.
Weena operations manager Abelardo Gamilla said rivals, particularly operators of L300 passenger vans, could be behind the latest attack, the ninth suffered by the [...]

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Davao City Council floor leader Danilo Dayanghirang

MAYOR RODRIGO DUTERTE stresses a point as he discuss with councilor Danilo Dayanghirang his position on the controversial Local Development Plan for Children before the plan opposed by the Catholic Church was approved last week by the Davao City Council.