Bacolod cop kills neighbor
BY ADRIAN NEMES III

A policeman assigned at the City Mobile Group and detailed as a bodyguard of Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia shot his neighbor to death from the back at about 7 last night in Purok Lampirong, Sitio Magsungay, Brgy. Singcang-Airport, Bacolod .

Killed was Vivian Banay Niepes, 58, who succumbed to at least nine gunshot wounds and died on the spot.

City police officer-in-charge, Senior Supt. Celestino Guara, said that Police Officer 1 Kenji Beloya got mad for a still unknown reason and went to the Niepes residence.

Another supporter of Vice Mayor Santiago Barcelona died Tuesday night, after he was shot by an unidentified gunman in Brgy. Cervantes, Escalante City , Negros Occidental.

Barcelona , who filed his certificate of candidacy for mayor of Escalante on Tuesday, said the victim, Jose Malunes, was his 11 th supporter murdered since the May 2007 elections.

Chief Insp. Santiago Rapiz, Escalante police chief, however, said the death of Malunes may have been due to personal grudges, as there was no indication that it was politically-motivated.

Four mayors and six vice mayors are running unopposed in Negros Occidental, Provincial Elections Supervisor Jessie Suares said yesterday.

Running unopposed for mayor are Laurence Marxlen dela Cruz (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, United Negros Alliance) – Don Salvador Benedicto, Gerardro Valmayor Jr. (Nationalist People's Coalition) – San Carlos City , Leo Rafael Cueva (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, UNA) – Sagay City , and Alejandro Mirasol (NPC-UNA) – Binalbagan.

Unopposed vice mayoralty candidates are Cynthia dela Cruz (NP) – Don Salvador Benedicto, Edgardo Quisumbing (NPC) – San Carlos City, Reynaldo Depasucat Jr. (NPC, UNA) – EB Magalona, Nilo Jesus Antonio Lizares III (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) – Talisay City, Emmanuel Aranda (Lakas-Kampi-CMD, UNA) – Binalbagan, and Delia Anacan (Lakas-Kampi-CMD) – Kabankalan City.