MANILA, Philippines - Suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels raided and burned a Globe Telecom cell site in Barangay Calabgan in Casiguran, Aurora, a police official said Wednesday.

Radio dzBB quoted Senior Superintendent Romeo Teope, Aurora police provincial director, as saying that at least 30 members of the NPA who were clad in military uniform barged into the compound around 9 p.m. last Saturday.

The raid was led by a certain Anthony Romero, Teope added.

The motive for the attack, he said, was the company’s failure to pay revolutionary taxes.

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MANILA, Philippines - A fire volunteer was injured in an hour-long fire that hit a commercial establishment in Manila's Tondo district Wednesday night.
Radio dzBB's Louie Garcia reported that the fire started on the third floor of the building owned by one Johnny Chan, and spread to the fourth and fifth floors.

One fire volunteer, who was not immediately named, was injured after stepping on a nail while fighting the blaze.

Initial investigation showed the fire started at the establishment at 722 Moriones Street in Tondo at 8:50 p.m. and reached the third alarm before it was put out at 9:40 p.m.

Arson investigators said the fire may have stemmed from an emergency light that was left plugged in for too long. They estimated the damage to property at P300,000.

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ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The Zamboanga City government and the Army's 1st Infantry "Tabak" Division have agreed to reactivate a company of militia force to beef up security in the area.
The memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed Tuesday by Mayor Celso Lobregat and Major General Nehemias Pajarito, chief of the Army's 1st Infantry "Tabak" Division.

Pajarito said the MOA calls for the deployment of 120 militia force, known as the 8th Special Civilian Active Auxillary (SCAA), in the eastern coastal villages of Curuan, Vitali, Manguso and Licomo.

Under the MOA, the Task Force Zamboanga (TFZ), headed by Col. Santiago Baluyut, will have operational control over the 8th SCAA, Pajarito said.

The local government will shoulder the expenses for the training and the uniforms based on the agreement.

Pajarito said the coverage of the SCAA is territorial in nature and is meant to be a village defense force of a specific territory.

Pajarito said the reactivation of the SCAA is to prevent lawless elements from carrying out their plans to disturbed the peace and order in the east coast of this city.

It will be recalled that the 8th SCAA, along with two other militia companies, were organized one after the other in 2000 and 2001 but were under the sponsorship of the Vitali Fishpond Operators.


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Former front man of popular band Eraserheads Ely Buendia said that he is now in good condition.

In an interview, Buendia who is the current lead vocalist of band Pupil said that he thanks the Lord for extending his life after he underwent an angioplasty last September 1 following the shortened Eraserheads' reunion concert last August 30.

Buendia experienced chest pains and reportedly collapsed backstage after the first set of the long-awaited reunion concert held at the Fort Bonifacio Open Field in Taguig City on August 30. He was transferred to the Philippine Heart Center (PHC) the next day after being treated at the Makati Medical Center's emergency room.

“Awa ng Diyos buhay pa ako…ang angioplasty ay successful naman,” he said.

Buendia who failed to complete the concert reunion said that he still does not know if a repeat of the concert would be possible.

“Hindi ko alam, wala pang ping-uusapan,” her answered.

The singer said that he spends his time resting but added that is ready anytime to do some gigs with his band Pupil.

“The band is still there and I will be joining them next, next week for a few gigs,” he said.

Buendia shared that his doctor already gave him a go signal that he could go back to performing.


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ABS-CBN Stars cap-off successful event in Osaka Japan

Hilarious comedy and champion singing met under one roof last June 15, 2008 at the Mido Kaikan Hall in Osaka, Japan as singer Jed Madela and comedians Pokwang and Pooh capped-off the Philippine Family & Friends’ Day, a day-long event in celebration of the 110th Anniversary of the Declaration of Philippine Independence and in honor of Filipino community organizations in Western Japan.

The event - presented by TFCko, the Philippine Consulate General Osaka-Kobe and the Philippine Community Coordinating Council – packed in an impressive crowd, numbering over 900. Their anticipation was met with memorable performances from popular Kapamilya stars that were flown in by ABS-CBN Japan from Manila. The schedule was definitely tight, as the following itineraries will illustrate. Jed Madela arrived in Tokyo the night before and performed there the very morning of the Osaka show. So immediately after the Tokyo performance he took a bullet train to Osaka to make it on time. Pokwang and Pooh, on the other hand, went straight to the Osaka venue, after having just landed in Kansai Airport only two hours before show time. No rest for the weary, as the pair had just performed the evening before at their successful Music Museum comedy show and had to be at NAIA very early to catch a 6:30am flight. Dedication indeed from three showbiz professionals, to bring their talent to our kababayans in Japan, no matter how taxing the schedule.

Pooh opened the TFC set with “Crazy Little Thing Called Love”, an upbeat tune that had the crowd rocking’ and clapping along. Of course, Pooh had the audience roaring as he delivered a few minutes of stand-up comedy, before showing his vocal abilities again with “How Did You Know”.

Jed Madela wowed everyone with his unique range as he sang three pieces that showcased his vocal skills. “Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing”, “Babalik Ka Rin” and “Ligaya” left goose bumps after Jed effortlessly reached every high note. The ASAP mainstay showed no signs of running out of gas during the afternoon show, even after a morning appearance singing just hours earlier in the day.

Pokwang performed in her Japanese-inspired outfit, as she sang and danced to “Hips Don’t Lie”. Like Pooh, she effectively delivered her trademark style of stand-up, judging by the pangs of laughter from the audience. Pokwang’s rendition of “One Moment In Time” was certainly a hit, complete with water guzzling and machinegun sound effects. But perhaps the most memorable moment of the entire afternoon was when Pokwang (fluent in Japanese) brought an adorable little girl on-stage and, after exchanging pleasantries, asked her, “Do you know who I am?” To which the girl replied shyly, “Yes… POKWANG!” A collective “ooh” and “ahh” could be heard from the entire hall, signaling that every one’s heart was touched.

Of course, having Pokwang and Pooh at the same event lent itself a perfect opportunity to do a Pooh-Kwang performance as the pair sang the Aegis hit “Sinta”, as a duet sprinkled with classic comedic inserts.

Jed Madela still had more to offer afterwards, coming out for a second time and singing “The Impossible Dream” and a Classic OPM Medley.

The three artists were on stage together, as they introduced the Managing Director of ABS-CBN Japan, Mr. Jeffrey Remigio, who thanked the Philippine Consulate General Osaka-Kobe (headed by Consul General Lopez) and the various community organizations for working together to make the event a huge success. Likewise, he thanked the three Kapamilya stars for contributing their time and talent and acknowledged the hard work put in by his staff from ABS-CBN Japan and colleagues from Manila. But, the true stars of the day were the fans themselves, many of them loyal subscribers of TFCko, without whom the event would not be a success.


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