BRISHER

Kidnapped N. Ecija men found dead in Pampanga

Three men who were allegedly kidnapped in a Nueva Ecija town were found dead in Pampanga province on Tuesday, a day after authorities found bodies dumped on a road in Ifugao.

"The bodies were dumped near the town boundary," said Arayat town police chief Superintendent Bruno Viola Jr., adding the authorities discovered the bodies in a grassy portion of Barangay San Antonio.

Viola identified the victims as Rolando Magno, Alex Magno and Danilo Cucio. He said that the three were from San Isidro, Nueva Ecija.

"Witnesses said the three were snatched by armed men on board a white van," Viola said.

The police official also said that the witnesses failed to record the van's registration plate number.

Relatives have claimed the bodies of the victims.

Meanwhile, the police offices of Arayat and San Isidro have launched their respective investigations into the abduction-slays.

The incident came after three bodies of what authorities said may be victims of summary execution were discovered in Lamut town in Ifugao province on Monday.

Two of the victims were found on a highway in Barangay Payawan. The third body was found two kilometers away.

Lamut police investigators said the three victims could have been killed in the same spot they were found because bullet slugs were recovered near the bodies.

Investigators also found skid marks of the vehicle possibly used by the killers.

The bodies bore bullet holes and were found hogtied with faces wrapped in masking tape.

Investigators said they are having difficulty in identifying the bodies because the victims are not Lamut residents. With reports from Mylene Valencia, ABS-CBN Pampanga, and Brigitte Mayor, ABS-CBN Isabela

More on inheritance law - Katrina Legarda

KAT'S EYE By KATRINA LEGARDA I got so many responses to the Inheritance law 101 column that I guess I have a lot still to explain about succession. I do not answer email personally. I just do not have the time, but I will try to address some of your concerns. .
Here is a letter from "Steven":
"I found your short article to be very informative and enlightening as I had always been under the impression that I could dispose of my entire estate in any manner I wished so long as I make a proper will.
It was only after reading the article that I realised that there are compulsory heirs under the law. Obviously, my question now is, how much of my estate can I validly and legally give away.
I am married with one son but my wife has another son from a previous relationship. He has grown up as my son although I had never formally or legally adopted him. So to this day, he bears the family name of my wife and not mine. She did not use his fathers as they were not married."
Well, Steven, first you have to determine what the conjugal or absolute community part of the estate is. This is generally one-half of the estate of a spouse. The half that is left is what is inherited by your spouse and child in equal shares if you do not leave a will; and, if you leave a will, one half goes to your legitimate child, one-fourth goes to your wife, and the remaining one-fourth is what you call the "free portion" and you can give it to the dog home, or to your wifes child, if you wish. The estate has to be accounted, debts paid, etc. before your heirs know for sure what goes to them. Your wifes child is not your legal or compulsory heir. He is only an heir of his mother, and, interestingly, of his half-brother under certain circumstances. By the way, if the situation is reversed, and you had an illegitimate child, whom you recognized , that child gets one-half of the share of your legitimate child.
Here is another question:
"Our parents died in the Philippines without leaving a will. We, their 3 living children are US citizens. We had one sister and a brother who died before our parents. We agreed to divide the land that they left behind accordingly. Now, the children of our deceased sister and brother wanted to get their share on behalf of their parents. Can they do this within Philippine law? "
The answer is yes, they have the right to get the shares of their parents. They are grandchildren and, in intestate succession, they always inherit by representation, whether they concur with their aunts and uncles or not. I suggest you consult a lawyer if you have any other questions.
And another letter:
"My aunt died last month. Prior to her death, my family was in dispute with my cousin over legal guardianship of my aunt and her property. He had a special Power of Attorney which he abused...e.g. selling properties, using the rental proceeds from real estate properties for his personal benefits. Both sides hired lawyers. Our lawyer happened to be the executor of my aunt's will. He filed a 'petition for probate'. How long does a 'probate' last? How much is the legal fee for a lawyer? Thank you for your time, and I'll be waiting for your reply. "
A probate can last for years, as in years. So be patient. What did you agree on with respect to the fees of your lawyer? The contract with him is what will be enforced.
There are others who wrote, you know who you are. Please go and consult a lawyer. Your questions cannot be answered just through a column. And to end, a funny email that I much appreciated:
"Hi there Atty. Katrina,

Good day to you. Although your explanation about inheritance is brief but very informative.

It makes me smile to think about this person as you mentioned who likes to have a share of inheritance... very funny indeed at nakakaawa sya.

Thinking about my life and my family, good thing we don't have these riches to squabble.

I also imagine how simple our life would be.

Take care.

Die-hard knitters prepare for sock battle

TORONTO - There may be nothing scary about socks, but a cut-throat competition involving hundreds of furiously fast knitters with pointy needles is enough to send even accomplished enthusiasts' pulse racing.
Sock Wars III, billed by its organizers as the "bloodiest death-by-knitting tournament," enlists players from around the world to take part in a game that shows knitting is no longer just a grandmothers' hobby.
It was started by Julie Gardner, a 31-year-old freelance TV and film production manager in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a couple years ago after she heard about StreetWars, a game that uses mock weapons and is popular on college campuses.
Gardner was excited about pitting knitters against each other with a sudden-death spin.
"I love the fact that we have had competitors ranging from teenagers knitting their first socks through to silver surfer great grannies in their 70s," she said.
Around 1,000 women -- and some men -- have already signed up for this year's tournament, which starts May 9. The deadline for applications on www.sock-wars.com is May 3.
Each contestant must knit a pair of socks from the same original pattern for another player in a specific size and mail it to another contestant, or target.
When the targets receive the finished socks from their assassins they are "killed", or out of the game, and must mail their assassins their unfinished socks. The assassins must then finish that pair of socks and mail them to their new targets. The last sock-knitter left wins.
Knitters from the United States, Canada, Britain, the Netherland and Australia took part in last year's contest.
"I think it's brilliant," said Amy Singer, the author of knitting books and editor of Knitty.com, an online knitting magazine based in Toronto.
Knitting's feisty new image has been boosted over the last decade by books such as "Stitch and Bitch", "Chicks with Sticks" and "The Friday Night Knitting Club" -- a bestselling novel that has been turned into a new film starring real-life knitter Julia Roberts -- as well as the Internet, knitting clubs and cafes.
Fans insist it's not just a fad.
"Knitting is not the new yoga, knitting is the new knitting," said Singer.
The prize for the past two tournaments has been a pair of socks. This year, every competitor is promised a pair of socks, while the grand prize winner will also receive a $500 supply of yarn.

Warriors tame Tamaraws, 73-61

The University of the East Warriors stopped the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, 73-61, in Thursdays game in the UAAP Season 71 mens basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum.

Pari Llagas led the rumbling Warriors with 17 points and seven rebounds to go with one assist and two blocks. Paul Zamar also pitched in nine points as they managed to pace the raging Tams throughout the game.

The Warriors immediately clamped down the Tamaraws, holding down the Morayta-based dribblers to just eight points in the first quarter.

UEs run-and-gun game was momentarily stalled when its bigman Elmer Espiritu took a bad fall with nine minutes still remaining in the final canto.

The Warriors, however, regained its momentum to score its ninth victory against five losses.

FEU, meanwhile, suffered its fourth loss in 14 outings.

AdU 68, NU 57

Earlier, the Adamson Falcons finished its UAAP campaign with a 68-67 win over the National University Bulldogs.

Marc Agustin led the Falcons with 18 points for their third win against 11 losses.

Cars: When vintage has the advantage

Ramon Orlina's modified '73 Beetle.
By ROY MEDINA

To each his own, as they say.

This was apparent when car enthusiasts and the motoring media flocked to a 35-year-old Volkswagen Beetle limousine during a car show. It certainly makes one wonder how or why a decades-old "pagong" can be as enticing as, say, an Infiniti G37S.

This 1973 Beetle is one of the vintage cars on showcase at the 2008 Trans Sport Show. Now on its 17th year, organizers decided to revive the theme "A Tradition of Auto Restoration Excellence" to highlight how Filipino craftsmen and car enthusiasts are able to make automobiles works of art by restoring them to their former glory -- or even beyond.

Related Story/Video • The Pinoy love affair with VW
The Beetle was artistically restored and strengthened by way of a collar on the chassis by owner Ramon Orlina . He added his artistic touch by decorating the interior with one of his glass masterpieces.

'62 Morris Traveller .
Beside Orlina's Beetle is a 1962 Morris Traveller, which is decorated with solid wood on the back panels and door. Yes, who would have thought that wood would look good on a car? But then again, this is a vintage car.

'57 Chevy pick-up truck.
Then comes a 1957 Chevy pick-up truck bigger than your imagination, painted red, with an equally monster vehicle at the back -- a Harley-Davidson. This sort of makes you feel you have travelled back in time to 1950s America, but with a touch of the road-tripping 70s era.

In the middle of the floor, several automobiles from the Route 66 group showed how American muscle cars and at least two European cousins go side by side.

A '68 Chevy Camaro RS.
And they are a '68 Chevrolet Camaro RS . Yes, it's blue and by the way, it has these monster-type tires that will certainly make their mark on the pavement.

A '65 Ford Mustang convertible was also there.

Triumphant Triumph TR2.
The Europeans, meanwhile, were represented by a '68 Mercedes Benz convertible and a '54 Triumph TR2.

How about a 1955 Chevy Bel Air? Yes they have it. And a '53 Buick? Of course they do.

And to cap it all, American master designer Carroll Shelby came -- at least in spirit-- in his '67 Super Snake masterpiece.