NEWS BRIEFS 25 July 2025

CDO councilor: Let’s say“Maayad na Adlaw” instead of “Maayong Adlaw”

If she has her way, Councilor Joyleen Mercedes “Girlie” Balaba would like to change Cagayan de Oro’s traditional greeting of “Maayong Adlaw” to the Higaonon greeting of “Maayad na Adlaw” or Good Day.

Balaba, councilor of the 2nd district, chair of the Committee of Tourism, have filed an ordinance before the City Council last Tuesday adopting the Higaonon local traditions and customs in the government bureaucracy.

Balaba said the Higaonon word of “Maayad” means a greeting of good, peaceful and beautiful conveying well-being and positive intent.

Kadayangan mayor’s brother ambushed, killed 

Police said gunmen on motorcycles ambushed and killed a brother of a mayor in one of the eight towns belonging to the Special Geographic Area in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Thursday morning.

Midsayap town police chief Lt. Colonel Benhur Catcatan said Dhen Mascud, 55 years old, younger brother of Kadayangan town Mayor Duma Mascud was killed and his wife was wounded when the gunmen overtook their minivan and ambushed them in Barangay Agriculture in Midsayap.

Catcatan said they have yet to establish the identifies of the suspects and the motive of the attack.

2 nabbed for P8.7M worth of smuggled cigarettes

Police arrested two persons in Sulu and seized P8.7 million worth of contraband cigarettes believed to be smuggled from neighboring Indonesia last Tuesday.

Brig. Gen. Jausen de Guzman, director of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said the cigarettes were found in a building in Barangay Tandu Bagua in Patikul town.

De Guzman said the successful operation which also involved the PNP Maritime police was made through information passed on by residents. (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)