Bacolod teacher-victims
await Texas court verdict
BY CARLA GOMEZ

A verdict by the El Paso, Texas, federal court on the alleged white-collar smuggling scheme to import Filipino teachers to Texas school districts, including four from Negros Occidental, is expected by the end of this month.

A teacher from Bacolod, who asked not to be identified, yesterday said that more than 200 teachers from the Philippines were recruited for jobs in Texas nearly four years ago but when they arrived, many did not have jobs waiting for them as promised.

The 38-year-old teacher said she, two other Bacoleña public school teachers, one from southern Negros Occidental and others from around the Philippines arrived in the Texas on Aug. 1, 2003.

2 get life terms
for selling shabu
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Bacolod Regional Trial Court Judge Edgar Garvilles yesterday sentenced an electrician and his son-in-law to life imprisonment for the sale of illegal drugs.

Sentenced were Alfredo Prado of Caloocan and his son-in-law Antonio Palina of Sagay City.

The two were nabbed for selling four sachets containing 14.09 grams of shabu to PO3 Charlie Sebastian of the Bacolod City Anti Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group at the entrance of the Ayala North subdivision on May 18, 2005, Talisay Prosecutor Benjamin Maido said.

Two killed,
17 injured in mishap
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Two hitchhikers died and 13 were injured, when the cargo truck they were riding on fell off an overflow bridge in Brgy. Jonob-Jonob, Escalante City, Negros Occidental, Monday night.

Police Officer 1 Benjie Prietos, Escalante PNP Desk Officer, yesterday said the cargo truck driven by Angelito Makig-angay was loaded with 2,350 board feet of lumber, and jampacked with passengers, bound for Brgy. Vito, Sagay City.

Prietos said the accident occurred when the engine of the cargo truck malfunctioned.