Mayor Celso Lobregat spearheads the ribbon cutting ceremony Saturday prior to the groundbreaking of the Dugan Ecology Village Homeowners Association, Inc. in Lunzuran, a housing project for city government employees. Assisting the mayor are lot owner Pat Dugan, Lunzuran chairman Efren Perez, City Housing czar Rodrigo Pagotaisidro and city gov’t employees. — Rolly Carpio

Mayoralty candidate Vice-Mayor Mannix Dalipe with team mates in District-2 Kim Elago, Jimmy Villaflores, Jerico Bustamante, Atty. Rommel Agan, Al-Jihan Edding and John Dalipe with Vitali Barangay Kagawad Lito Alavar during the group’s barangay visit last week. — James Jamulor

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Benjamin Mixon, commanding general of the U.S. Army Pacific, is presented with a Filipino traditional Muslim gong by AFP’s Wesmincom chief  Lt. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino. Mixon was in the Philippines for 3 days, visiting with AFP officials, U.S. Embassy representatives and about 20 members of Joint Special Operations Task Force-Philippines. — U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Jose Castellon

Basilan Gov. Jum Akbar has appealed to Basileños to rally behind the police and military authorities in their campaign against kidnappers in the island province.

Akbar’s call came after the Crisis Management Committee (CMC) decided to launch operations to rescue two Chinese nationals who are still in the hands of kidnappers.

The CMC’s decision came after efforts to peacefully secure the release of the hostages proved futile.

Malacañang yesterday said the Philippine Air Force (PAF) is now working at ways to prevent a repeat of another plane crash because “our priority is to ensure the safety of our airmen.”

Two people were killed while a bystander was wounded in a gun duel in V-Sagun Municipality, Zamboanga del Sur last Wednesday night.

Despite its failure to forge a new peace agreement with secessionists during talks in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week, Philippine government negotiators remain hopeful they can get the job done in February.

Revenue District Officer Roberto Bucoy foresees no hitches in the implementation of the Creditable Withholding Tax (CWT) on political candidates’ campaign expenditures in this city.

Police Regional Office-9 Director Chief Supt. Angelo Sunglao, the concurrent chairman of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council 9, will preside the 1st RDCC 9 Meeting on February 5 at a local hotel.

A Philippine Air Force (PAF) official has assured the airworthiness of the Nomad planes being used in their operations despite the crash of a military plane last Thursday in a residential area in Cotabato City which killed all eight passengers and a civilian on the ground.

Policemen of the Curuan Police Station under Sr. Insp. Junpikar Sittin intercepted a cargo truck loaded with suspected illegally cut trees last Thursday night.

The Zamboanga City Puericulture Center holds today its annual general membership meeting and election of board of directors.

At least 26,848 new employment and livelihood opportunities will be available in the land, mining and forestry services for the first half of the year which could be availed by upland families, including unemployed persons in the rural areas who lost jobs due to the global financial crisis.

The Australian government has provided a $ 5-million grant for education projects and programs in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ) and Youth Solidarity for Peace (YSP) conducted a Culture of Peace Trainers Training to student leaders, both elementary and secondary, of Pilar College last January 25-26, 2010.