Church battle not over;
NGO hails ok of RH bill
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The fight is not over yet.

Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra yesterday condemned the approval by Congress of the Reproductive Health Bill that he called an insult to God, and urged the faithful to continue the struggle against it through prayers and penance.

The Senate voted 13-8 and the House of Representatives 133-79 with seven abstentions Monday night for the passage of the RH Bill on third and final reading.

In Manila, officials of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines yesterday said they will support a move of anti-RH bill lawyers to question the measure before the SC.

‘Drug users in PH
drop to 1.7 million’
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

The Dangerous Drugs Board reported yesterday a marked reduction in the number of drug users in the country, that significantly dropped from a high of 6.7 million in 2004 to 1.7 million in 2008.

This was based on its national household survey, in collaboration with the Department of Interior and Local Government and National Barangay Office, DDB Deputy Executive Director Amador Pabustan, who attended the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Caravan and launching of the Barkada Kontra Druga of the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Kabataan Federation at the Provincial Capitol Lagoon, said.

The bulk of drug users are youth, with ages ranging from 20 to 29, Pabustan also said.

A reshuffling of Commission on Elections officials in Western Visayas from the regional director, provincial supervisors, down to the election officers of the towns and cities could take place before the May 13 polls next year.

COMELEC chairman Sixto Brillantes had earlier asked all regional directors to submit their recommendations for possible reassignment of provincial election supervisors and town and city election officers for the purpose of advancing professional competency and integrity in the service.

“It bears emphasizing that proposals relating to the retention of the PEs and EOs in their own stations, or maintenance of the status quo, will not be accepted as it is incongruent to the COMELEC to fully reinforce its present workforce,” Brillantes said.