Guv raises funds for NOHS,
2,600 join thanksgiving rites
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday morning assured that replacement classrooms will be built at the Negros Occidental High School in Bacolod City despite the denial by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of his request to avail of a P10 million bank loan for the purpose, bringing tears to the eyes of some NOHS teachers present.

About 2,600 NOHS faculty, students, parents and alumni, who were set to stage a rally to appeal to the provincial government officials to act on their classroom needs, last night, instead, lit candles and said prayers of thanksgiving in front of the provincial Capitol in Bacolod City, school principal Mario Amaca said.

The NOHS community is very thankful to the governor for finding the means to build the six classrooms, he said.

Paglaum plebiscite appeal set
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

Petitioners seeking the conversion of Paglaum into another Bacolod barangay are filing a motion for reconsideration to the Commission on Elections en banc resolution to hold its plebiscite and ratification after the May 13, 2013 elections yet, claiming they have complied with all the requirements.

The COMELEC en banc adopted the recommendation of Bartolome Simocruz Jr. of the Office of the Deputy Executive Director for Operations to schedule the plebiscite to ratify the creation of Barangay Paglaum after the May 13, 2013 elections.

Gemeno Ymballa, lawyer of the petitioners, yesterday said they have not yet received the official copy of the minute resolution of the COMELEC en banc, only a photo copy of the resolution from Bacolod COMELEC Registrar Mavil Majarucon-Sia.

Rep. Jeffrey Ferrer (Neg. Occ., 4th District) yesterday released a certification from House of Representatives secretary general Marilyn Barua-Yap, showing that he does not have the third most number of absences in the House of Representatives.

Ferrer was reacting to a report posted on social network sites showing him as the congressman with the third most number of absences with an attendance rating of 28.57 percent as of Nov. 18, 2012.

The first on the disputed report posted on many Facebook accounts during the weekend was Rep. Julio Ledesma (Neg. Occ., 1st District) with an alleged 14.3 percent attendance rating, and in 10th place was Rep. Emmanuel Pacquiao (Sarangani), who had a 21.33 percent rating.