American arrested in Davao to face child abuse raps
Law enforcement operatives arrested a 34-year-old American whom they caught in the company of three Filipina minors at a hotel in Davao City.
Lawyer Arcelito Albao, of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) – Region 11, said the operatives found Charles Franklin Armstrong, who hails from North Carolina, at the hotel’s pool with the three minors aged 16 to 17. A fourth woman, of legal age, was found by the operatives at the hotel room of Armstrong.
Albao said they had the suspect under surveillance for a week after tourist policemen informed the NBI that the girls were of minor age.
He said the NBI would be filing criminal cases against the suspect for allegedly violating Republic Act No. 7610, also known as the “Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.”
Surigao Sur gets new weather instruments
The local government of Surigao del Sur got a donation of new weather instruments from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines and its research partner, A2D Project Research Group for Alternatives to Development, Inc.
Surigao del Sur Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) chief Alex Arana said the donation consists of 15 sets of rain gauges with accessories and two units of Davis instruments that can measure rain, wind, temperature and barometric pressure.
Arana said the donation is in time for the onset of La Niña phenomenon and will help the province prepare for calamities and disaster.
Misamis Oriental allots P5-M to hire more envi workers
The provincial government of Misamis Oriental has allotted P5 million for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to hire additional employees to safeguard the province’s remaining forest lands.
Gov. Peter Unabia signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with DENR Region 10 director Arleigh Adorable assigning them to hire the additional staff.
Under the MOA, the DENR will hire 25 forest protection officers, 15 land examiners, four forest watchers, and two “Bantay Dagat” volunteers.
Unabia said the additional staff would work from July to December, guarding the river tributaries from nearby Bukidnon province.
