IN BRIEF

Laguna hazing suspects

arraigned in Biñan court

AUTHORITIES here said three other suspects in the John Matthew Salilig hazing case who surrendered in July to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) were arraigned at a Biñan court on Wednesday.

The suspects, identified as Ryan Ray Camangyan alias “Snoop”, Aron James Cruz alias “Bones”, and Ralph Benjamin Tan alias “Scottie” entered a ”not guilty plea,” authorities said.

Reports said John Matthew was the chemical engineering student who died after attending the welcoming rites of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity Adamson Chapter in February. Police said the 24-year-old was buried by frat members in a vacant lot in Imus, Cavite.

Reports said John Matthew’s father, Joeffrey, attended the hearing and appealed to other suspects-atlarge to turn themselves in and answer the allegations in court.

Joeffrey added that after the delay in the return of the warrant by the National Bureau of Investigation, the family has no grudge against the bureau and still believes in the country’s justice system.

Survey stresses language competence of Pinoys

A SURVEY by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed that 96 percent of Filipinos can read in Filipino, 93 percent can understand spoken Filipino, 93 percent can write in Filipino, 87 percent speak Filipino, 75 percent think in Filipino, and one percent do not use these skills.

The SWS likewise revealed that 80 percent of Filipino adults can read the English language and can understand the English spoken language. At least 69 percent write in English, 55 percent speak the language, 47 percent think in the language, and nine percent do not apply these skills.

The survey was conducted from March 23 to March 29, 2023. The survey also reported the highest usage of both languages since September 2000, with 53 percent for Filipino and 9 percent for English.

A total of 1,200 adults were asked about their competence and usage of both languages in its survey conducted in March, with a margin of error of more or less 2.8%.

Vito Barcelo

PAF holds airdrop drills with foreign counterparts

THE Philippine Air Force (PAF) together with foreign counterparts exchanged best practices on Low-Cost, Low-Altitude (LCLA) airdrop exercises in Sta Rosa, Nueva Ecija.

The PAF held the exercises with the United States Air Force (USAF), Royal Malaysian Air Force (Malaysia), Tentara Nasional Indonesia Angkatan Udara (TNI-AU), and Japan Air SelfDefense Force (JASDF) Airlifters.

“This activity is one of the flying training exercises of the Pacific Airlift Rally 2023 (PAR-23), which aims to expand the participants’ capability in delivering bundle cargoes for humanitarian aid and disaster relief operations, increase participating air forces’ interoperability, and improve logistics capabilities,” Philippine Air Force (PAF) spokesperson Col. Ma. Consuelo Castillo said in a statement Wednesday. Vince Lopez