E-jeepney makes it debut

The ubiquitous jeepney, the gaudy and generally ramshackle small bus that has been a mainstay of Philippine public transport for decades, has just become healthier. An electric powered version of the minibus, which has its origin in surplus American Army wartime jeeps, made its debut this month in as part of an effort to cut pollution.

While the standard jeepneys use about 300 pesos worth of diesel fuel each day, the electric jeepney can drive 140 kilometers on an eight-hour battery charge at an estimated cost of 120 pesos. Each of the e-jeepneys in Makati costs 500,000 pesos.

The e-jeepney, first tested in Bacolod City, has a fiberglass body and is equipped with a five-horsepower engine that runs solely on electricity. It can carry up to 17 passengers and cover 120 kilometers each day with a maximum speed of 40 kilometers per hour.Jeepneys in the Philippines run along fixed routes, providing the cheapest mode of transportation for millions of Filipinos.

Sex fugitive caught

An alleged sex crimes fugitive is back in United States custody three years after he fled the country to avoid trial on sexual misconduct charges. Philippine national Jose Borja voluntarily agreed to return to the United States. The St Louis County prosecutor’s office says he is charged with eight counts of sodomy and two counts of sexual misconduct against a child under the age of 12. Borja fled from the suburb of St Ann in 2004, and went to Seoul, South Korea, before moving on to the Philippines.

Spa project stopped

The Philippines has canceled a permit for a South Korean company to build a spa on the crater of a restive volcano because of environmental violations at the site and concern that the mountain could rumble to life. The spa’s construction is on the crater of tiny Taal volcano, which lies in the middle of a scenic lake south of Manila, seemed like a good idea a few months ago, with locals hoping it would bring jobs and tourists. But scientists warned that the volcano, which has occasionally become active, is not safe.

Korean crackdown

Immigration authorities have launched a crackdown on South Korean nationals who are illegally opening businesses in the Philippines. Some 50 Koreans have been arrested in recent weeks in a series of raids conducted in the Las Piñas, Parañaque, Pasay and Manila cities of Metro Manila. 

The Koreans are engaged in business but have not secured any permit from the Philippine government, local officials said.Raids are also planned against Korean retail establishments in Angeles City and Cagayan de Oro City.

Terror taps

A new anti-terrorism law that goes into effect this month in the Philippines enables authorities to wiretap anyone suspected of terrorist activity, including journalists. The Human Security Act of 2007 (HSA) allows listening in on communications between journalists and their sources.

National security threats include piracy, rebellion, hijacking, and dealing in firearms, ammunition or explosives. The HSA has been called dangerous to freedom in the country by the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) and Roman Catholic Bishop Deogracias Yñiguez.