ORMOC CITY-Five houses were burned down while four others sustained damages after a fire hit in the village of Little Venice, Laoang in Northern Samar Saturday (Nov.4) at about 7:20 am.

Laoang Fire Marshall Senior Fire Officer II Carlos Dulay identified the owners of the totally gutted houses as Nelda Adora, 65; Colita Adora, 74; Rosalinda Alastoy, 62; Conception Adora 56; and Evangeline Adora, 41.

The houses owned by Sherry Mae Peligreno, 29; Thelma Galit, 57; Jennifer Corocoto, 41; and Maria Corocoto, 73.

FO3 Lizel Esquillo, duty fire investigator, in an interview said that their station received a call about 7:27 am.

She said that the road going to the fire area was too narrow, prompting them to spread out their hoses and use fire pumps to control the fire. She added that local residents in the area also conducted a bayanihan in putting off the fire.

The fire was under control at about 7:40 am was totally out at about 7:57 am.

Initial investigation by the local fire bureau disclosed that the fire originated from a newly delivered sack of charcoal in the house of Nelda Adora with the fire rapidly spread to the nearby houses which were mostly made of light materials.

No one was reported injured from the fire with an estimated damage of P423, 000.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY–A 57-year-old broadcaster was shot and killed while he was airing his program, with his grisly murder being seen live on social media early Sunday morning, November 5, 2023 in Calamba, Misamis Occidental.

Juan Jumalon, known as “DJ Johnny Walker”, of 94.7 Calamba Gold FM was attacked by gunmen who pretended to be guests with an urgent announcement to make on the radio.
They entered the station without provocation.

“The attack is even more condemnable since it happened at Jumalon’s own home, which also served as the radio station,” said the National Union of Journalists in the Philippines.
A video clip of the shooting has gone viral, showing Jumalon being shot twice by a suspect who also grabbed his gold necklace before fleeing the announcer’s booth.

Jumalon’s killing is the 199th since 1986 and the fourth under the watch of President Fernand Marcos Jr.

The killing also comes in the same week as the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.

The President immediately issued a statement, strongly condemning the killing of Jumalon.
“Such an uncivilized attack on our journalist has no place in a democratic country,” Marcos Jr. said.

He ordered the Philippine National Police to conduct “a thorough investigation to catch and hold accountable whoever is behind this heinous crime.”

“You can count on our close attention to bring justice to his murder,” Mr. Marcos said.
As this developed, the Misamis Occidental Police said they had already identified two suspects involved in Jumalon’s murder.

Police are looking into three to four possible motives for the shooting.

“I am shocked and I am in grief… Having known this man as a fearless broadcaster, I share the grief of his family and the people of my province for we lost a truth crusader,” said Misamis Occidental Governor Henry Oaminal.

Paul Gutierrez, the undersecretary of the Presidential Task Force on Media Security, called the police for the immediate activation of a special investigation task group to probe the radio anchor’s murder.

“We also call on our colleagues in the media and the public not to resort to any speculation or make baseless accusations that can only distract our investigators on the true motive for the attack on Jumalon,” Gutierrez said.
(RONALD O. REYES)

BAYBAY CITY-The local police are conducting a thorough investigation over the identity of the suspects and the motive in the killing of a Junior High School teacher inside the school campus of the Baybay National High School on Sunday (Nov. 5) at about 5: 30 pm.

Baybay police chief, Lt. Col. Aljohn Teddy Llanes, identified the victim as Peejay Montero, MAPEH teacher, and a resident of Barangay San Isidro of said city.

Col. Llanes, in an interview, disclosed that they responded to an information about an alleged victim of a stabbing inside the school campus and upon arrival found the victim beside the water reservoir post near the stockroom inside the school premises.

He said that the victim seemed to be lifeless in a prone position with evident blood. He added that the victim was found clutching a kitchen knife in his right hand.

Llanes continued that they now have a person of interest in the said killing but did not elaborate.

He said that they are also looking at the CCTVs near the area to add further details to their person of interest. According to residents in the area, two unidentified persons were seen jumping off the school fence and running away from the area. (ROBERT DEJON)