Let me now move on to my promise to increase the effectiveness of checkpoints. We would need a computer with a random generator. Any old PC would do. Why are terrorists effective? One key variable is: because they strike unpredictably! How do we increase the effectiveness of checkpoints? The same way; well almost. Place them unpredictably! Simple, yes? Those who have studied statistics, and every college graduate should have, knows that random sampling can give almost the same results as checking everybody. In many cases, better results. OK, so we detail inspect a random sample of the throughput in a checkpoint. When we do, we do a detailed check. it works

Isabela City has again become a killing field with the death of two innocent civilians which up to now have remained unsolved.

The first victim was killed sometime last month at 6:00 o’clock in the evening at Doña Ramona Barangay, Isabela City after he was shot to death by unidentified gunman. The victim was identified as a certain Mr Pioquinto, brother of Doctor Frank Pioquinto.

The police are hot on the trail of two snatchers riding on a motorcycle to snatch prospective victims.

The motorcycle-riding snatchers victimized a businesswoman along Veterans avenue last Thursday.

The Office on Muslim Affairs here has declared Friday, February 2004 a Muslim legal holiday in celebration of New Year or Al-Amun Jadeed (Atty. Yaser Apion, Acting Regional Director of OMA, said that the event will commemorate the Hijra migration of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) from Mecca to Medina, Arabia in 622 A.C.

The Code of Muslim Personal Laws under Presidential Decree No. 1083 provides the basis for the declaration of the said holiday, Apion said.

The Zetan Foundation will sponsor candidates forum on March 27 at Aplaya Bonita in Patalon. The forum will start at 8 a.m. and ends at lunchtime.

In the afternoon, the Foundation will start voting for the candidates whom they will support in the May 10 national and local synchronized election. Candidates from the different political parties will be invited to present their platform of government to the big Zetan group. More than 120 Zetan chapters from all over the city are being mobilized for this general assembly.

Two persons were stabbed and wounded in separate incidents in Tetuan at dawn yesterday and in Tumaga last Saturday night.

Wounded were Victor Manlangit, 28, married, of Tetuan and Joselito Rivanil, a pedicab driver of Tumaga.

A teenager from Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte was held up and robbed by unidentified knife-wielding men in Talon-Talon at dawn yesterday.

The victim was identified as Raynaldo Bucoy y Castillo, 17, single who is presently residing in Talon Talon.