The Ilocos Times

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff Reporter LAOAG CITY—The National Bureau of Investigation based in this city has warned the public not to fall to an investment scam in the guise of selling loads and enticing the public to invest cash money with a monthly payout interest of 10 percent in the form of post-dated checks. NBI agent Gerard L. Butale in an interview said at least 17 complainants mostly composed of teachers, police personnel, other professionals and local businessmen appeared in their office as they filed a criminal complaint against SPVTOP International Inc. based in Baguio City. The separate complaints of the victims were filed before the office of the provincial prosecutor Jerry D. Nebab at the Hall of Justice in Sanchez Mira, Cagayan. Based on preliminary investigation of the NBI, the company’s founder identified as Brick Y. Agcopra and its officers offered 10% monthly interest payments to investors reaching PHP1 million or more. With this, about a thou

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff Reporter Batac City —After ordering former Dingras Mayor Marynette Gamboa’s arrest, Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 17 Presiding Judge Felix C. Salvador has also handed down another order for the immediate release of Mrs. Gamboa on July 23, 2019. The release order stemmed from a pending appeal at the Office of the President. The former Dingras mayor appealed the Ilocos Norte provincial prosecutor’s finding of probable cause against her as a co-conspirator in the killing of the late Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative board president Lorenzo Ruiz on September 4, 2009. Judge Salvador immediately ordered the former mayor’s release on July 23, 2019 pending the appeal. The order further states that proceedings against the accused in this case should be suspended until her appeal in the said office is finally resolved with finality. With the new court order, the warrant of arrest issued against the former mayor was effectively set asi

By Bernardo B. Ver II Contributor LAOAG CITY—Two scrap buyers from this city were hurt from a shooting incident on June 16, 2019 near the city’s dumpsite. The victims were identified as Wilmer Tabillas Domingo, 39 years old and Robin Acidera Morgado, 36 years old. Both are residents of Barangay 29 in this city. Police reports said that around 10:30 am, the victims were going out of the dumpsite after dumping their garbage. Several minutes when they were already outside the dumpsite riding on an improvised tricycle, they spotted two unidentified suspects and one of them fired a gun at them. The victims tried to flee but the perpetrators followed them and fired once more which caused them to stop suddenly. The suspects escaped towards the road going to Vintar, Ilocos Norte. The Laoag police station received the information and immediately responded to the crime scene and launched an entrapment operation against the suspects. Messrs. Domingo and Morgado w

By Bernard Ver Contributor LAOAG CITY—The Child Rights Network (CRN) held a policy caravan on child protection issues at the Northwestern University in this city on February 13, 2019. The caravan engaged universities around the country to raise awareness on child abuse, especially child rape with the help of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development. In lieu of Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda Josefa  “Imee” R. Marcos, Atty. Saul Lazo, in her speech, said that "The provincial government of Ilocos Norte is continuously supporting the advocacies of the national government’s child protection program." According to data from the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), there are at least one in five children suffering traumatic experience during their childhood. Meanwhile, businessman and child rights advocate Reynaldo “Ryan” R. Remigio shared his thoughts on the impact caused of child abuse, especially rape case

By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—Ilocanos here has joined child rights advocates in pushing for legislations that protects the rights and welfare of children above anything else. In a public forum held at the Student Center of Northwestern University here, school President Ferdinand Nicolas welcomed over a hundred participants mostly composed of students from different colleges and universities in the province to support the campaign to end child rape. “The campaign aims to raise the age to determine statutory rape in the Philippines from 12 to at least 16 years old. It also aims to introduce the progressive amendments in the anti-rape law, such as the equalization of legal protection for both boy and girl child victims and the removal of forgiveness clause in cases of marital rape,” CRN convenor Romeo Dongeto said in an interview. In Ilocos Norte, record from the Philippine National Police shows an increasing trend of rape cases while some remai

Ilocos Norte Governor Ma. Imelda Josefa “Imee” R. Marcos urged authorities to crack down on dating sites being used as platforms for “love scams” victimizing gullible Filipinos especially on Facebook. "Paraphrasing our great poet Francisco Balagtas  na nagsabing ang pag-ibig pag dumapo sa puso ninuman, hahamakin ang lahat masunod ka lamang...ayun, na- love scam,  napahamak nga ," Ms. Marcos said.  “In October last year, an overseas Filipino worker lost PHP600,000 after falling in love with a woman using a fake FB account. That poor OFW is just one of thousands of Filipinos who fall victim to online predators who manipulate their feelings to extort money,” she continued.  “ Nakakabulag kasi talaga ang pag-ibig . If someone appears too good to be true,  sigurado hindi mapagkakatiwalaan yun lalo na kung ayaw makipagkita in person  at video chat  lang ang gusto . People should be very careful with their hard-earned money and life savings  dahil lamang sa mga m

By Dominic B. dela Cruz Staff reporter Laoag City —Police Chief Supt. Dominic Guerrero warned the public against believing several attempted kidnapping reports posted on social media recently. He dubbed such social media posts as “fake news”. He said all the alleged kidnapping reports are unverified and no alleged victim has reported such to the police. In view of this, Mr. Guerrero appealed to the public to be more vigilant on the veracity of information and not to disinform and misinform anyone so as not to create panic and anxiety among citizens. He vowed that the Laoag police will always be on top of these issues and matters specially for the safety and security of everyone in the city of Laoag. Relative to this, the Laoag police issued anti kidnapping tips in order to avoid this kind of reports and these are: avoid same routines; screen and choose your personal staff; make friends with neighbors; secure your home; keep emergency numbers accessible; chec

(NBI Laoag photo By Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporter LAOAG CITY—Law enforcers from different units uprooted and later burned PHP4.3 million worth of marijuana during an anti-illegal drugs operation at Brgy. Tulgao in Tinglayan, Kalinga on October 6, 2018. Led by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation along with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and Philippine National Police from Regions 1, 2, and the Cordillera Administrative Region, the fully-grown marijuana plants were estimated to be worth PHP 4,350,000. Agent Gerald Butele of NBI Laoag and team leader of Operation Green Viking said they found five plantation sites with an aggregate estimated land area of 2,350 square meters at Sitio Balay, Barangay Tulgao East and West in Tinglayan town.   “The successful operation is still in line of the government’s intensified drive to eradicate prohibited drugs including that of marijuana,” said Mr. Butele citing their troop stayed in the mountains for

By Bernard Ver Contributor LAOAG CITY—Attorney Jason Bader Ll. Perera, a Laoag City lawyer, survived an ambush attempt on September 29, 2018. Two unidentified motorcycle-riding malefactors shot the lawyer near his law office along J.P. Rizal St. at Brgy. 6 in this city at about 6:40 PM. According to a source, Mr. Perera was walking towards their house from a hotel when suddenly an unidentified gunman riding on a motorcycle fired twice hitting the lawyer on the back. The suspects fled after the shooting. Mr. Perera immediately ran inside their house located beside his law office. His secretary saw him and called an ambulance, which was passing by at the time. He was rushed to the Governor Roque B. Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital. The police are still investigating the incident. Mr. Perera has regained consciousness on October 1. He is conscious and coherent but couldn't say if he agrees or disagrees with what's going on said Dr. dela Cruz, one of his

  Detained Marcos Mayor Jessie Ermitanio's lawyer Jason Perrera.  By Bernard Ver Contributor Laoag City —Bernie Lazo, also known as Alex Vergara, star witness in the murder case of the late Marcos Mayor Arsenio Agustin has recanted his statement, Atty. Jason Bader Ll. Perera said. Mr. Lazo’s statement implicated detained Marcos Mayor Jessie Ermitanio. Mr. Perera is Mr. Ermitanio’s lawyer. Perera said the arresting officers allegedly intimidated the witness to make a statement against Mr. Ermitanio. He added that the witness is ready to present an affidavit recanting his previous statement in court. The lawyer also said that they were able to establish that Mr. Ermitanio does not own the nipa hut where a raid on resulted in the seizure of unlicensed firearms and explosives. “The hut is owned by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and not mayor Jessie… We are confident that the name of Mayor Jessie will be cleared. We are hoping ag