3 hijackers slain in Bulacan firefight

CAMP ALEJO SANTOS, Bulacan — Three suspected hijackers were killed in a shootout with traffic policemen in Guiguinto town this province past midnight yesterday.

Only Florentino Venerao was immediately identified among the fatalities because of the Bantay Bayan identification card found on him. Venerao was a barangay tanod in Malabon, Metro Manila.

Chief Superintendent Vidal Querol, Central Luzon police director, said the suspects were killed in a firefight along the North Luzon Expressway in Barangay Tabang.

Police said the suspects were on board a 10-wheeler trailer truck carrying some 30 tons of steel that was hijacked at the Pier North Harbor in Manila.

Lawmen tried to flag down the truck, but the suspects ignored them, leading to a brief chase and the gunbattle. — James Mananghaya, Christina Mendez

San Fernando Mayor Gets Award

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO — The League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) recently conferred a lifetime achievement award on City Mayor Rey Aquino for having received his constituents’ mandate for nine consecutive years.

Aquino, the last town mayor and first city mayor of this capital city of Pampanga, received his award from Interior and Local Government Secretary Joey Lina and Immigration Commissioner Al Fernandez in simple rites held at the Century Park Sheraton Hotel in Pasay City.

Under Aquino’s watch, this former capital town became a city and bagged a number of awards as an outstanding community and local government unit.

In 2000, the city got a Galing Pook Award from the Asian Institute of Management and Ford Foundation for outstanding innovation in local governance on financial management.

The city was also adjudged as the most competitive small-sized city in the country in a joint study conducted by AIM and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Last year, Aquino was also chosen as one of six most outstanding mayors of the Philippines. Recently, San Fernando was promoted as a mid-sized city and adjudged once again as the second most competitive in the category.