As expected by city officials, a civil case seeking the declaration of nullity of the contract between the Bacolod City government and Hilmarc's Construction Corp. for the construction of the Bacolod City Government Center was filed Friday before the Regional Trial Court.

The case was filed individually by Ben Solilapsi, spokesperson of Alab Katipunan, Jesus Lazaro, Mike Carriedo, Abraham Tingson and Allan Calilan (who are all identified with the group called Nagakabalaka nga mga Pumuluyo sg Bacolod), their counsel Rolando Villamor said yesterday.

Villamor said the case was filed against Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, the members of the Bids and Awards Committee, and the ten city councilors who granted the Mayor authority to sign the contract with the winning bidder.

ON CAPITOL ASSAULT
Resignations sought in Iloilo;
but Marañon wants probe firstz
BY NESTOR P. BURGOS JR.

ILOILO -- Governors and a city mayor in Western Visayas allied with President Macapagal-Arroyo have demanded the resignation of policemen and officials involved in last Wednesday's armed assault of the Iloilo provincial capitol, Antique Gov. Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez said yesterday.

"We call on those behind the barbaric assault to resign," Perez said in a telephone interview.

Perez, chairperson of the Regional Development Council, said she shares this stand with Governors Joseph Maranon (Negros Occidental), JC Rahman Nava (Guimaras), Carlito Marquez (Aklan), Vicente Bermejo (Capiz) and Roxas City Mayor Antonio del Rosario.

'I'll restore NBI
image in Negros'
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Mamerto Cortez, left, receives the NBI flag from Mario Sison as Philip Pecache, right, looks*

Mamerto Cortez, the new National Bureau of Investigation chief in Negros, Saturday said he will restore the image and the moral of NBI agents in the province.

The new NBI chief of the province said he will continue what Philip Pecache, his predecessor, started for the good of Negros and will restore the glory days of the NBI Bacolod.

Investigation of cases will be based on the rules of evidence in an impartial and neutral manner, Cortez also stressed.