IN ILOILO
Guv to defy dismissal order
BY NESTOR P. BURGOS JR.

ILOILO CITY?

A showdown looms at the Iloilo provincial capitol after Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. vowed to defy a dismissal order related to graft charges that is expected to be served today by the Department of Interior and Local Government.

"I cannot follow an illegal order and I will not step down. Never," Tupas said in a telephone interview.

Tupas said he does not know what offense he has committed or the case that was used as the basis of the dismissal order.

GMA expected for
geothermal commissioning
BY CARLA GOMEZ

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is expected to attend the commissioning of the Northern Negros Geothermal Plant in Mailum Bago City on Feb. 2, Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon said yesterday.

Marañon said he has also written to the President to ask if she could join the inauguration of the Teresita L. Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City on the same day.

The new provincial hospital has a 200-bed capacity and is worth P162 million.

PNP reshuffling beats
start of election period
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

A day before the start of the election period, five more police officers occupying key positions were affected by reshuffling within the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office.

This brought to 12 the number of police officers given new assignments before the election period, which started Jan. 14.

Affected by the revamp effective Jan. 13 were Senior Inspectors Santiago Rapiz and Rone Grajo, Police Inspectors Nestor Tuadles, Libertad Teruel and Louie Figueroa.