June 2 polls all set
despite bid for TRO
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The Commission on Elections commissioners have reached a consensus en banc to proceed with the June 2 special election for a new congressman of the fifth district of Negros Occidental despite a petition pending before the Supreme Court to stop it, COMELEC Commissioner Armando Velasco said yesterday.

Velasco said the consensus was reached Tuesday, noting that the COMELEC has already spent P3 million of the P21.6 million allotted for the special election.

We have already started preparations for the June 2 election, it would be a waste to call it off at this time, he said.

Not a single barangay in the 5th district of Negros Occidental has been categorized as an “election watchlist area” by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the National Police.

However, the Army's 303rd Infantry Brigade, Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and the 6th Regional Public Safety Battalion are not taking chances, and are deploying about 1,000 policemen and military personnel to ensure that the June 2 special election in the 5th district of the province, will be peaceful and orderly.

Maj. Alex Elnar, 303rd IB Operations Officer, in his briefing during a Comelec-PNP-AFP Provincial Coordinating Conference, yesterday classified six hinterland barangays in La Castellana, Himamaylan, Binalbagan and Isabela as rebel-influenced areas.

A group of investors is conducting a preliminary study on the construction of a multi-million amusement park either in Talisay or Bacolod cities, Negrense businessman Reynaldo Bantug said yesterday.

People from the Enchanted Kingdom in Laguna are helping us with the preliminary study, Bantug, president of Leisure and Resorts World Corp., said.

“The amusement park is actually one of Cong. Albee's (Rep. Alfredo Benitez) ideas to promote tourism and livelihood in Negros and the third district. Hopefully, the study finds it feasible,” Bantug said.