AUTHORITIES NAB

Passenger For Sms Bomb Joke

By Joel E. Zurbano

POLICE and airport officials in Manila on Saturday urged air travelers to refrain from making bomb jokes or spreading rumors about bomb threats to prevent panic or inconvenience.

The authorities came up with the warning following the recent arrest of two travelers at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals 1 and 3 for violating Presidential Decree 1727, or the Anti-Bomb Joke Law.

Operatives of the Police - Aviation Security Group and Airport Police Department arrested a 21-yearold passenger from Calamba, Laguna, after sending a bomb threat via text message to the NAIA hotline.

Another passenger, identified as a resident of 258F, Teresa St., Sta. Mesa, Manila, was also questioned about the presence of bombs in his luggage during the check-in process in NAIA Terminal 1.

The passenger admitted to uttering the phrase “Chicharon yan kaso pinadala sa akin, chicharon bomba, joke lang.”

The suspects were passengers of Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific Air flights going to Singapore.

Barmm Pouring More Funds Into Community Projects

THE Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) is pouring in more community projects to Basilan towns, following the turnover last week of a P 25-million two-storey public market building to the municipal local government of Lantawan town

Officials have laid cornerstones for the installation of a P15-million saltwater desalination facility and the construction of a P 25-million, two-storey municipal hall building in Haji Mohtamad town.

“Local development programs are designed for BARMM to better build a strong governance founded on the firm transition from a state of conflict to environment of peace-- and towards development,” BARMM Interior and Local Government Minister said, during a press conference hosted Friday by the region’s Bangsamoro Information Office (BIO).

A seawater desalination system now being installed each in Haji Muhtamad and Tabuan Lasa towns in Basilan, will provide residents with some 5,000 cubic meters of potable, safe drinking water on a daily basis in each of the two towns, Sinarimbo said

On the other hand, Sinarimbo said, public market buildings are envisioned to boost the inherent corporate powers of LGUs to improve their levels of revenue collection on local taxes and rents, and even sell the towns’ leading products to locals and as an economic component of the local tourism development. This, Sinarimbo said, will support foresights of opening a new environment of domestic trading with improved economic support facilities. Similar seawater desalination facilities were transported to boost inland tapping for domestic water sources in Pangutaran, Pata, Hadji Panglima Tahil and Pandami. Coastal residents of these towns needed to cross three hours on boat to Tapul Island or Siasi to fetch potable water across the turbulent Sulu Sea.

The 10K Seawater Desalination system is a reduced size of the usual water treatment plant, and siphons source of water directly from the sea Architect Glory Rose Metilla said public market and barangay hall buildings in BARMM are designed with architectural motifs inspired by the rich culture and tradition of the Bangsamoro heritage and history.

The two-level market building is equipped with facilities like water pipe lines, hybrid power supply, cold storage and tiled stalls of modern design. Nash B. Maulana