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LEGAZPI CITY, Oct. 23 ---Mayon Volcano continues to disgorge fluctuating levels of sulfur dioxide gas - a sign that may lead to an eruption.

This prompted the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) to be on heightened alert. It is now closely checking the restive behavior of the volcano signified by high level of sulfur dioxide emission and high and low frequency volcanic quakes.

PILI, CAMARINES SUR (21 October) -Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund "LRay" Villafuerte Jr., national chairman of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, bolted the Lakas-CMD which he served as deputy spokesman, and took oath as the latest biggest recruit of the Nacionalista Party (NP) headed by Sen. Manny Villar, bringing along with him Vice-Gov. Salvio Fortuno and over a thousand incumbent leaders of the province.

LEGAZPI CITY (22 October) - CASH REPORTEDLY AT HALF MILLION PESOS was reported stolen at the office of Engineer IV Arnold Matamorosa, head of the Task Force Office for the Albay Second Congressional District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

However, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Bicol district office Legazpi City head, Atty. Manuel Antonio M. Eduarte, bared that the reported theft puzzles NBI investigators; evidence of forcible entry was only found on the door entrance of Matamorosa's office and none on the major entrances of the office building.

PILI, CAMARINES SUR (18 October) - A LOCAL GANG LEADER known as "Capt. Decon," who heads a crime gang called " Mission X Death Squad" or " Mission XDS Bitag," died in a shoot-out with composite units of the police and army intelligence battalion in the abandoned Subadan Resort at Zone 1, Barangay Binanuanan in this capital town.

Naga City (22 October) - The PANGATAMAN-BIKOL (Bicol Center for Environmental Protection) threw its support to the people of Lupi who are opposing the P700-M dam which will submerge a large portion of the town.

According to Beverly Ala, executive director of PANGATAMAN-BIKOL, "aside from the fact that the dam will destroy the old town that was founded in 1726, it would also displace thousands of townsfolk and rob them of their heritage and identity."

VIRAC, Catanduanes, Oct. 23- This provincial capital is raising over P83 million to finance the establishment of a controlled solid waste dumpsite within a vast sanitary landfill site at the town's outskirt.

Twenty-one journalism students from the University of Northeastern Philippines (UNEP) were declared winners in the recently concluded Division Secondary Press Conference conducted on October 11 and 12 at the Rinconada Technical Vocational School at Sto. Domingo, Iriga City .

Almost a month after this year's celebration of the Fiesta of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, more evidences lending credence to the charge of commercialization against the Naga City government led by its multi-awarded mayor, Jesse Robredo, are surfacing.

Following the EDSA Revolution of 1986, one of the innovations the writers of the 1987 Constitution introduced was the "free and open party system" or multi-party system. Simply put, this is a multiple choice selection for voters based on allowing as many political parties people would want to organize.

I learned about a new mechanism that ensures substantial and sustained involvement of civil society in addressing human rights issues in our country. In a Training Conference on Human Rights of Women in Southeast Asia sponsored by the Swedish International Development Agency, a representative from the United Nations Human Rights Council introduced this mechanism called the Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

MANILA - He has been hinting it ever since he made himself visible again by embarking on provincial sorties. Thus, when former president Joseph "Erap" Estrada announced, at the end of a 30-minute speech, that he would run for president again, nobody was surprised. Every one was expecting it even if the majority opinion is that his running for reelection violates the 1987 Constitution.

That mall has always been there, unvisited, not experienced, seen from afar as I pass by the area upon constant arrival and departure in and from this city. Last Friday, I finally went to the site of new commerce, apprehended the crowd and realized the deaths of so many things in this expanding community.

It is true, swine flu has spread across the world rapidly and the WHO has long warned of that global pandemic. Worldwide there were an estimated 28000 infections and more than 1000 kills in August '09 already, so the WHO. This had its effect on the entire world. They all got prepared for the pandemic, like the States and Australia, which immediately ordered pure vaccines.

THE PROPONENTS of the Libmanan -Cabusao Dam Project (now Cabusao-Sipocot-Lupi-Libmanan or Casilli Dam Project) must have learned out of the tragedies plaguing the northern parts of the country today. Pangasinan is still deep in flood waters. Residents of Botolan, Zambales had seen their cemetery demolished by raging waters that disinterred coffins and corpses.