VIRAC, Catanduanes—Torrential rains triggered landslides on this island during the past four weeks, crippling transportation in the province.

The first landslides started during the last week of October, isolating the towns of Viga, Panganiban and Bagamanoc southeast of the province and the towns of Pandan and Caramoran in the northeast.

Public Works district engineer Ignacio Odiaman said that in barangay Balongbong in the town of Bato, giant rocks fell on a 200-meter portion of the highway, making clearing operations difficult.

Odiaman said workers had to use explosives to clear the road of the rocks.

He said the lack of heavy equipment hampers the speedy clearing of the affected portions of the circumferential road that is yet to be completed.

Catanduanes Gov. Joseph Cua said that landslides still affect the provincial road in Balongbong as well as San Andres and Caramoran towns.

Cua fears that the continuous heavy rains may trigger more landslides.

He assured, however, that there will be enough food in the province.

Cua asked local officials to encourage residents in areas that are in danger of landslides to vacate to avoid the repetition of an incident in a village in Baras town where five persons were killed after a house was buried by a landslide late last month.

Mayor Agnes Popa of Caramoran town blamed the Public Works department’s “substandard” construction of the million-peso worth projects poured in her town for the transport paralysis.

Popa said the portion of the circumferential road in her town is being constructed at a budget of P227 million involving 13 contracts. Three of them are for dredging while the rest are for restoration, widening and regravelling of the highway amounting to P167 million.

Despite the heavy funding, she said the road remains unrehabilitated.

CHIEF Justice Reynato Puno said on Monday that the writ of habeas data, the third legal remedy that is expected to counter enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, is likely to be implemented before the end of the year.

THE National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on Monday filed four counts of murder and 12 counts of frustrated murder charges against three suspected Abu Sayyaf bandits in connection with the November 13 bombing of the South Wing of the Batasan Complex which killed four people, including a congressman, and injured several others.

AN alleged “enemy spy” has been executed by members of the Arnulfo Ortiz Command of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Western Samar.

TAXPAYERS will cough up some P2.066 billion in interest and principal payments this year for loans used to implement 17 telecommunications projects including rural telephones without dial tones.

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) disqualified on Monday a party-list organization after gathering evidence that the group is being used as a front by a religious organization.

VIRAC, Catanduanes—Torrential rains triggered landslides on this island during the past four weeks, crippling transportation in the province.

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) will let industry stakeholders propose the fee the regulator should charge handset manufacturers and suppliers for every mobile phone that will be registered with the commission.