Top News Stories of 2014

Who and what made the headlines last year? These were the following top stories.

JANUARY

3 - Guard kills 3 in Daanbantayan robbery

A security guard shot a fellow security guard, his girlfriend and a bank clerk after taking P80,000 from the establishment. Berly Tudtud, 28, was later arrested and admitted to the crime but said that it was never his plan to kill the three people and his only intention was to get money to get back at the bank for terminating his services.

8 - Cash aid to seniors cut

Mayor Michael Rama announced that because of the City Council’s decision not to approve the proposed P10 billion annual budget, he had to cut down the cash assistance for senior citizens, breaking his promise to give them a P1,000 monthly monetary aid.

10 - Aloguinsan oil

After the confirmation that the Department of Energy has acknowledged the oil exploration, Cebuanos, officials and residents of Aloguinsan town were pleased by the news that there is a possible source of oil in Cebu.

17 - Three ships run aground

Strong winds and waves caused a cargo ship and two passenger vessels to run aground in the seas of Bohol and Leyte. At around 8 p.m., the MV Our Lady of All Nations, from Bato, Leyte, ran aground when it reached a shallow part of the Danajon Bank in northern Bohol. Minutes later, Roble Shipping’s MV Joyful Stars from Maasin, Leyte ran aground at Bantolinao Point off Lapu-Lapu City while heading to Cebu. Hours later, Gothong Shipping’s cargo vessel MV Subic Bay 1 also got stuck a few meters away from where MV Joyful Stars ran aground.

All passengers and crew members of the three ships were brought to safety and the three vessels were able to make it safe to port later on.

24 - Mike and the drug test

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama underwent a drug test after initially stressing that no one, particularly the city council, can dictate him to take one. A member of the Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council said Rama, who initially declined to undergo a drug test, later submitted himself to drug screening. A week earlier, the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention conducted a drug test among the Cebu City Council officials.

30 - Cold weather affects animals and crops

Damaged crops plus the loss of animals caused by the extreme cold weather was estimated to cost P28 million in the whole Cebu province and the declaration of 17 upland barangays in Cebu City under the state of calamity. Upland barangays in Cebu City, which recorded the most damage, lost P22 million worth of crops and farm animals.

FEBRUARY

3 - Guadalupe cyberporn operation busted

Police arrested the owner and manager of a company that was allegedly fronting as a call center when in fact its operations were of a pornographic nature.

The Anti-Cybercrime Group-7 of the PNP said that it conducted surveillance after they received reports of cyberpornography wherein the company would reportedly hire models to pose and their pictures would be posted in an online site catering to foreigners.

8 - Fake Sto. Niño miracle

Hundreds of devotees flocked to a sitio in Barangay Mactan, Lapu-Lapu City, after children claimed they came upon a talking image of the Sto. Niño. An investigation by the Church revealed there was no miracle and the children lied. The Church urged the public not to believe immediately in stories not validated by proper authorities.

15 - P13 COLA

Labor groups were disheartened after their application for a region-wide wage increase of P132 across-the-board was denied by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board. Instead the RTWPB approved a P13 Cost of Living Allowance which the labor groups fought against.

16 - Damage to Lapu-Lapu corals

Lapu-Lapu City Task Force Kalikasan reports finding writings and graffiti on the corals found in the Kon-Tiki Wall in Lapu-Lapu City. The corals found with writings are said to be in an area off-limits to divers.

19- Lawyer Noel Archival ambushed

Prominent Cebuano lawyer Noel Archival as well as his driver and an aide were killed after they were ambushed while heading to Cebu City from Dumaguete City. Archival came from a robbery case hearing in Dumaguete City and was traveling in his Ford Escape when men riding separate pick-up trucks peppered his vehicle with bullets along the national highway of Barangay Coro, Dalaguete town, Cebu. Archival and his aide Edu Minoza died on the spot while his driver Alejandro Jaime was declared dead on arrival at a Cebu City hospital. Another aide of Archival, Paolo Cortes, survived the ambush.

28 - Danao mining accident kills one

Jose Melvin Landero, a miner, is trapped in a collapsed mining pit of the SKI Energy Resources Inc. Mining, in Barangay Dunga, Danao City. His body was retrieved on March 2. Landero was the only fatality in the accident. Landero’s fellow miners said the logs serving as brace support in the mine failed. There were 14 miners inside the pit but only Landero failed to get out. According to Landero’s co-workers, he saved all of them by alerting them before the cave-in.

MARCH

4 - Apas demolition

The demolition of houses in Sitio San Miguel, Barangay Apas, started last March 4 but has been on and off since then due to unresolved issues.

The Cebu City Attorney’s Office on March 24 filed a motion before the Municipal Trial Court in Cities to stop the ongoing demolition as it violates the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.

Lawyer Jerone Castillo, head of the CAO, said the demolition is a violation of Section 28 of RA 7279 stating that the families were not given enough time to relocate. Around 157 houses are subject for demolition in Apas alone.

10 - Cebu City chosen as most livable

Online real estate listing site Lamudi hails Cebu as the most livable place in Asia due to its being “exciting, different and affordable.” Lamudi said they chose Cebu as it is the country’s oldest city and the cultural center and having several Filipino-Spanish heritage buildings, malls, parks, museums, attractions.

11- LBC robberies

The first of three LBC branches are robbed by armed men in Barangay San Nicolas, Cebu City. Chief Inspector Romeo Santander, chief of the City Intelligence Branch, is certain that “local boys” are behind the robbery.

Two more branches would be robbed in Mandaue City and Bogo City. CCTV cameras are installed in LBC branches, but not all the branches have security personnel, making it an easy target for robbers.

12 - Cebu City is ninth “selfiest” city

Cebu City is ranked ninth in the world’s cities with the most “selfies” posted online by TIME magazine. With a database of more than 400,000 photos, it is estimated that there are 99 selfie-takers per 100,000 people, as mentioned in the article “The Selfiest Cities in the World: TIME’s Definitive Ranking.”

18 - Baby ‘sold’ for P5T

Two live-in partners were arrested after they were found “selling” their five-month-old baby for P5,000. Arthur Marzan, 40, and Carla Natilip, 38, of Barangay Gun-ob, Lapu-Lapu City, were arrested by police when a neighbor confirmed that the couple sold their baby to her.

19 - Lorega fire leaves 7,000 homeless

An estimated 500 houses in eight sitios in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel, were destroyed by a fire, leaving around 7,000 people homeless. It took almost three hours before the Bureau of Fire Protection declared the fire under control. A major development is being planned for the three-hectare lot, the plan will include a market, park, and medium-rise building, among others.

27 - Cult raided in Balamban

The rescue of an “illegally detained” woman and the discovery of a boy’s body in a tunnel led to the arrest of Casiano “Tatay Loloy” Apduhan, reportedly a cult leader in Balamban town.  Apduhan is now charged with murder, illegal detention and human trafficking.

APRIL

5 - GMR-Megawide wins MCIA contract

The GMR-Megawide Consortium emerges as the highest bidder for the Mactan-Cebu International Airport project after submitting a bid of P14.4 billion for the project. It has long been competing with the Filinvest-Changi Consortium for the project.

6 - P200T taken in La Nueva robbery

Two men enter the La Nueva store in Barangay Inayawan, rob the cashier and get away with P200,000. Lax security was blamed behind the incident because the robbers were allowed to enter the store even though they were wearing caps and sunglasses. They have yet to be found.

8 - Trees go missing from S. Osmeña Boulevard

The Cebu City Council calls for an investigation after 88 indigenous trees disappear from the center island of Sergio Osmeña Boulevard during road repairs. WT Construction Inc. has been charged for illegally removing the trees.

8 - The iPads for city executives

Public outcry follows after Mayor Michael Rama announced he bought iPads for city officials at the cost of P1.4 million. Rama would later apologize for this controversy, but the official still got their gadgets. Rama said he wanted the officials to stay connected all the time.

9 - Tornado hits Mambaling

A freak tornado damages 30 houses in Barangay Alaska Mambaling after forming offshore around 2 p.m. the day before. No serious injuries were reported.

The tornado later went to barangays Punta Princesa before dissipating over Barangay Tisa.

11 - 7 dead, 24 hurt in Carcar truck crash

Seven people were killed while 24 others were injured after the Fuso truck they were riding hit a concrete perimeter fence then crashed into a house along the national road in Sitio Mabugnaw, Barangay Guadalupe, Carcar City.

14 - Minglanilla parish wants traditional ‘Sugat’

Reverend Fr. Arnie Visitacion asks Minglanilla parishioners to support holding the annual “Sugat” at the church grounds, reasoning that the celebration has become irrelevant and adulterated since being held in the sports complex. In the end, the Sugat was still held in the sports complex, but next year it may be returned to the church grounds.

20 - Hospital’s ATM tampered

Employees of a hospital tried to withdraw their salaries only to find out the ATM machines inside their workplace has been tampered with. Police suspect the perpetrators installed a scanner in the machine and got the ATM card information. Arrests have yet to be made.

21 - Briton shot dead by his own guard

Dive shop owner Anthony Gilchrist is shot dead by his own security guard Melchor Alciso Jr. Alciso would later admit he shot the victim after an argument. He also said he was fed up with the victims always scolding him for showing up for work drunk. The suspect has been charged for the killing.

25 - Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia suspended

The Cebu Provincial Board preventively suspended Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia for 60 days over the appointment of the municipal council secretary.

The case stemmed from the administrative complaint filed by Dumanjug Vice Mayor Efren Gica against Garcia for abuse of authority and misconduct in office for allegedly encroaching on the powers of the former. Garcia has appealed the suspension

27 - Azkals meet Tigers

The Queen City of the South, through the Cebu Football Association, hosted another international football friendly match featuring the Philippines Azkals against the Malaysia Tigers. The two sides fought to a scoreless draw for the fourth time in a row.

MAY

3 - City warned to brace vs heat

After the intense cold in January 2014, Cebu City warns residents to prepare for worsening warm weather. They were, however, also assured the water supply is still stable.

4 - Baby’s mouth sealed with tape

The photo of a baby whose mouth was sealed with plaster by a nurse at the Cebu Puericulture and Maternity House Inc. causes uproar after it is posted in social media. The parents and guardians of four more babies whose mouths were also sealed with tape would later come forward. The case took a bizarre turn a month later when the hospital claimed the parents had signed an agreement and accepted money, something that the latter denied. The couple has since stopped attacking the hospital and commenting on the issue.

13 - City vehicle used illegally

City workers were caught using a government vehicle to go to a bar downtown. Those held responsible have been charged but one of them has not showed up for work since the incident.

14 - German shot dead in Alcoy

Hans Jurgen Hesse is shot dead by the security guard of the subdivision he lived in after being mistaken for a thief. Security guard Jerome Niere would later say he thought he saw someone trying to burn down the office of the subdivision and rushed to the area. He shot Hesse after suddenly running into him around a corner. He has been charged for the killing.

23 - 3 Koreans found dead in restaurant

Three Koreans, two of them women, are found dead inside a restaurant in Lapu-Lapu City. The bodies of Ho An, his wife Kim Soonok and daughter Young Mi An were found with stab wounds. Another Korean with self-inflicted wounds was found barely alive at the scene, Young Mi An’s husband Kim Se Wong. He is now considered the primary suspect of the crime.

JUNE

10 - Shabu shipped in sandals

Two women were arrested after they received a parcel containing sandals with shabu worth P8 million inside them. The PDEA had been aware from the beginning there would be drugs in the package and asked the private shipper to let the consignee receive the item so they could be arrested. The shipment allegedly came from Muntinlupa City.

13 - Shark meat seized

Almost 500 kilos of thresher shark meat was intercepted Capitol’s Anti-illegal Fishing Task Force in Naga City on board an Isuzu truck reportedly owned by a company that makes tempura and fish balls.

Most of the meat was contained in 170 packs but there was also part of the shark torso in plain view. Charges have been filed against the driver of the truck.

13 - The King is dead

Hotelier Richard King is shot dead in his office in Davao City. The reward for information leading to the conviction of the killers climbed up to P1.3 million in a matter of days as police shifted between business, grudge and third-party angles to the crime. Four men have been charged in connection with the killing, one of them is a police official. The alleged assailant said he was told he was going to kill a “drug lord” and did not know until the day after that he had killed King.

20 - PUJ strike leaves thousands stranded

A drivers group protesting against a joint DOTC-LTO-LTFRB resolution raising fines for various offenses stage a strike, leaving thousands of commuters without a ride to work or home. The strike was later lifted the same day after Mayor Michael Rama promised to plead with the concerned government agencies on their behalf.

23 - 39 hurt in bus accident

Thirty-nine people are hurt after a Ceres bus fell on its side in after one if its wheels exploded in Dawis Norte, Carmen town. The wrecked bus caused traffic along the road for hours before it was pushed aside and later towed away by the bus company.

27 - Measles outbreak in jail

A measles outbreak hits the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center. Infected inmates are not extended visitation rights to control the outbreak. The number would rise in the next few days but would later taper down and lessen. Experts said the disease had been contained and controlled.

28 - American shot dead in Dalaguete town

Stephen Ray Gornto, a former member of a branch of the US special forces, is shot dead outside his house in Barangay Balud, Dalaguete. Police are eyeing a grudge angle into his killing. Police now have a cartographic sketch of the alleged assailant but no arrests have been made.

JULY

7 - Priest insults young mom during baptism

A priest assigned to a church in Jagobiao, Mandaue City faced criticisms, including from fellow priests, after a video of him castigating a young mother who went to the church to have her child baptized circulated in social media. Fr. Romeo Obach, was seen in the video maligning the young lady in front of her family and friends for having a child out of wedlock. Obach later apologized to the young mother and to her family and admitted that he should not have scolded her in public.

11 - Jihadist arrested

Robert Edward Cerantonio, a native of Melbourne, Australia, was arrested in Lapu-Lapu City and was later on deported, as per request by the Australian government. Cerantonio was reportedly a Jihadist preacher and a Muslim extremist who used social media sites to urge Muslims to go to Syria and Iraq to fight together with the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

25 - Patient shoots doctor

Due to his alleged frustration over still not being able to walk despite four operations, Wilfredo Sabonsolin, 72, shot his physician, Dr. Cris Cecil Chan Abbu, inside the Sacred Heart Hospital before taking his own life. Sabonsolin was suffering from a spinal column injury and had been seeing Abbu since 2010. Police said Sabonsolin was depressed after he was told it was possible he might never walk again.

26 - A tree falls on house in Carcar

Two houses and a junk shop in Carcar City were damaged while traffic was congested for hours after a century-old acacia tree fell across the national road in Barangay Perrelos, Carcar City. No one was hurt in the incident.

AUGUST

5 - Dumpit sentenced for homicide

A decade after shooting dead robbery suspect Ronron Go, the Regional Trial Court found SPO1 Adonis Dumpit guilty. But the court ruled that the prosecution was unable to prove that Dumpit shot Go under the circumstances of treachery and abuse of strength so instead of murder, Dumpit was only found guilty of homicide and sentenced to six to nine years in prison. Dumpit plans to appeal.

6 - Naga trees cut

Right after the issuance of a special permit by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources allowing the cutting of seven century-old acacia trees in Naga City, a team immediately carried out the order and initially cut two trees on August 6 while another two was cut down the following day.

8 - Tree cutting stops

In response to the tree-cutting in Naga City, a number of individuals and groups converged and successfully halted the said operation after two men climbed and tied themselves to a tree about to be cut. The groups contested that the trees should not be cut as they were not "sick" as claimed by the government agencies involved.

10 - Juvenile pusher arrested

A buy-bust operation carried out by the City Intelligence Branch led to the arrest of a 14-year-old girl who had with her P6 million worth of drugs in a rented room in Barangay Labangon, Cebu City. Police said they did not expect to seize millions worth of drugs from a minor.

The minor admitted to selling drugs and said she gets the supply from Barangay Pasil.

25 - Alcoy cop shot dead

Inspector Crisanto Abella, 44, the police chief of Alcoy, Cebu, was shot dead outside a boxing event held as part of the town's festivities for its fiesta, allegedly by former policeman Ciriaco de los Santos Jr., 56, a barangay councilman.

31 - BMI rules on Aquinas sea tragedy

After more than a year since the tragic sea collision between MV St. Thomas Aquinas and MV Sulpicio Express Siete, the Board of Marine Inquiry released its findings and recommendations which showed that both captains of the two ships were at fault in the tragedy that caused the death of over a hundred passengers. According to the decision, the captain of the Aquinas should have given way while the captain of the other ship should have stayed on its own course in the first place.

SEPTEMBER

8 - Burglars hit Toledo City treasurer's office

Burglars made off with an estimated P1 million from the Toledo City treasurer's office during the weekend, although the treasurer later clarified only P635,000 was taken. Police suspect an inside job finding no signs of forcible entry into the treasurer's office. Toledo City Mayor John Henry Osmeña requested the National Bureau of Investigation to conduct a separate investigation into the robbery. Prior to this, the treasurer's office of the towns of Compostela, Carmen, Sogod and Pinamungajan were also broken into by unidentified burglars the previous month.

12 - Madrigal told to resign over photos with secretary

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III asked Capitol Chief of Security Loy Anthony Madrigal to resign after he was photographed in a "sweet moment" with his married secretary. The photos of Madrigal with the secretary whose head rested on his shoulder, was uploaded by Medellin Mayor Ricardo Ramirez, a staunch critic of Madrigal. Madrigal and the secretary later resigned. Madrigal's administrative liability was also put into question when his government-issued vehicle hit a couple in Barangay Don Pedro, Bogo City on September 14. He later returned the black Mitsubishi Strada to the Capitol.

12 - LBC branch robbed again

The branch of courier company LBC in Barangay Punta Princesa, Cebu City was robbed for the second time in 11 months. The three suspects reportedly entered the branch at F. Llamas Street at noon and took away P5,000 cash. The police said the robbery was so swift that workers in nearby establishments did not notice anything. One of the three suspects served as a lookout while another waited at a getaway vehicle.

13 - Baby dropped?

A man complained before the Department of Health-7 regarding Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center's about the alleged accidental dropping of his baby shortly after it was born in the delivery room. The hospital investigated the matter and later denied that the baby fell or was accidentally dropped by staff. VSMMC officials added the newborn did not sustain any injuries.

16 - Baby dies "suspiciously"

A man lodged another complaint against the VSMMC after his newborn son died under "suspicious" circumstances. Renjie Torreon, 24, of Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City said the head of his son was barely attached to the body when it was turned over to him by the hospital. The hospital investigated and said the personnel did not cause the baby's death but there were communication lapses. Dr. Ramon Najarro said the hospital simply failed to communicate with the baby's father and the grandmother about what happened.

23 - Trader ambushed

A businessman and his daughter were wounded after they were shot inside their car by two unidentified men in Happy Valley Road, Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City. Jonathan Emmanuel Go, 38, and Joan Emmanuelle, 7, suffered gunshot wounds as a result of the attack that happened as they were heading to school.

25 - Osmeña: I got DAP money

Former Cebu City south district congressman Tomas Osmeña admitted he received over P120 million from Malacañang's Disbursement Acceleration Program. Osmeña did not deny the report and was even "proud" where the money was sourced from, saying DAP is a "good" program of the government. Osmeña is the lone Cebuano representative among the top 10 recipient of DAP funds. "I did not pocket the money," he said, saying he used to it fund some of his projects.

26 - Centenarian killed in fire

Juanita Arcaya, a 101-year-old woman was killed after a fire engulfed her house in St. Michael Village, Barangay Kasambagan, Cebu City, after she reportedly fell asleep while smoking a cigarette. The city government has decided not to give the P100,000 cash aid for centenarians like Arcaya under City Ordinance 2235 as the family reportedly failed to comply the necessary requirements.

OCTOBER

6 - Man kills kids, mother-in-law

A man stabbed dead his three children and his mother-in-law before taking his own life by slashing his throat in Barangay Panalipan, Catmon town. Eric Figues, 27, allegedly killed Stephanne Molat Figues, 6, who was celebrating her birthday, John Eric Molat Figues, 4; Erica Lynn Molat Figues, one year old; and his mother-in-law Emilda Enad Molat, 47. Jealousy and illegal drugs were seen as the cause of the killing.

8 - BOPK still rules

After three members left the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan and formed a so-called "independent bloc," BO-PK survived an attempt by rival Team Rama to wrestle the majority of the Cebu City Council. In a close vote of 9-8, with City Council Roberto Cabarrubias swaying the number in favor of BOPK, City Council committee chairmanships was still dominated by BOPK, which "punished" the three councilors who left the group by not even giving them committee memberships.

11 - Bella Ruby trial

Bella Ruby Santos was freed by the court after the prosecution failed to convince the court she and her British boyfriend killed six-year-old Ellah Joy Pique who was found dead in February 8, 2011. Prosecution witnesses could not pinpoint with absolute certainty Ruby committed the crime.

18 - Cebu gets Zumba world record

Cebu successfully broke the previous record of a Zumba class involving 6,671 participants achieved in Hyderabad, India, on September 2012, after a total of 8,232 joined the attempt to dance non-stop basic Zumba steps for at least 30 minutes.

27 - Students "possessed"

Six students of a school in Argao town were reported to have been possessed by "evil spirits." It was reported that the week before the incidents, some of the students, including two of those who were reportedly possessed, played a hypnotism game taught to them by a student from another school.

28 - Fire hits Cebu Doctors University Hospital

Fire hit the basement of the Cebu Doctors' University Hospital along Osmeña Boulevard displacing at least 200 patients who were eventually transferred to nearby hospitals. The fire, which first started at the linen department located at the basement, led to the Bureau of Fire Protection discovering permit "violations," which the management denied.  Hospital operations have since returned to normal.

NOVEMBER

2 - GMR assumes management of MCIA terminal

As of October 31, GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. took over the management of the Mactan Cebu International Airport to pave the way for the P17.50-billion rehabilitation of the terminal. The improvement will involve a three-pronged approach --reducing congestion, improvement of the facility's ambiance and enhancement of guest services-- with construction of Terminal 2 to begin by first quarter of 2015.

6 - 6th most wanted yields P11.8M shabu

Authorities score big in the fight against drugs when they arrested Dominador Hera, alias "Jun Daot", the sixth most wanted man in Central Visayas, in Buenavista, Bohol. Elements of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group-7 and Bohol Provincial Police also confiscated shabu estimated at P11,830,000. A Garand rifle, an assault rifle, a .357 revolver, a 9mm pistol and ammunition were also recovered from Hera's house.

7 - Female cop shoots self in front of pal

Using her fellow policewoman's service firearm, PO1 Heide Garcia shot herself in the chest at her friend's house in Cebu. The friend, PO1 Cyrelle Bayate, the daughter of another policeman, says Garcia simply took her gun from the bed, cocked it and shot herself. Authorities aren't discounting a possible murder, accidental firing, or suicide but Bayate's father had said the two female cops have been close friends since college.

7 - Briton and Swiss charged for trafficking

British national Christopher John Bragolli, 57, and German national Dietmar Karl Moenig, 65 were charged for human trafficking. Bragolli was arrested in Cebu City for checking in a hotel with a 15-year-old girl and a 19-year-old girl while Moenig was arrested in Cordova town after he was found with a 14-year-old girl.

8 - Bomb joke cancels flight

Arnold Go, a businessman from Surigao City, was arrested at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport, after jokingly announcing he was carrying a bomb inside his bag inside a departing Cebu Pacific plane. Airport police were forced to cancel Flight 5J223, which was supposed to leave for Butuan City.

10 - Skyway bill filed

Cebu City North District Rep. Raul del Mar filed House Bill 5142, which pushes for the construction of skyways in Cebu City, citing the need for infrastructure that would alleviate the worsening traffic condition spurred by rapid economic growth. Mayor Michael Rama, however, believes that skyways "will block the beauty of the sky" and choose instead to support a subway project.

11 - Cebuano remains missing

A Cebuano ship captain was declared missing after his vessel sank off Antique Province on November 11. Celso Rafols, 54, along with crane operator Esmael Cabonce, 48, were travelling from Carmen, Cebu, to Cuyo, Palawan, when their ship, the MV Vital 355 of Miravil Shipping Lines, was battered by rough seas. They have yet to be found.

11 - Robberies blamed on the wrong man

Dismissed cop Eugene Salingay is confirmed still in jail in Oroquieta City after he was blamed for a spate of robberies Cebu victimizing convenience stores and money remittance outlets. Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama put pressure on local police as well as establishment owners and required all money remittance outlets to hire security guards or else their business permit will be revoked.

14 - 2 Cops killed in action

Two policemen serving as perimeter security during an anti-drug operation in Moalboal town were shot dead by a still unidentified assailant. PO3 Fabio Fernandez and PO1 Alrasid Jimlani were part of the team that served a search warrant against suspected drug pusher Michael Aquino.

18 - Teenage mom kills own son

A teenage mother was arrested and charged with parricide for killing her one-year-old baby boy in Carcar City. The 18-year-old mother slammed her baby against a door causing severe head injury. The mother was said to have been suffering from bipolar disorder. (To be continued)