Flu hits 168 students,
UNO-R halts classes
UNTIL JULY 9 TO PREVENT SPREAD
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos yesterday afternoon sent its students at all levels home after 168 had flu-like symptoms, as a precautionary measure against its further spread, Carlos Legaspi, UNO-R director of student affairs, said.

The most number of cases were in the high school level, although elementary pupils and college students were also hit, he said.

The alarming number of flu-like cases and the rapid increase prompted school authorities to send students home and to suspend classes until July 9, he said.

The number of Influenza A(H1N1) cases in Western Visayas rose to 14 yesterday, a Department of Health report said.

The Research Institute for Tropical Medicine informed the DOH in Western Visayas that four of the Cases Under Observation (CUO) in the region were positive for influenza A(H1N1).

All of the four cases are close contacts of the case from Capiz who is a student of a private school in Iloilo City. Two of the cases were traced in the school in Iloilo City where swabs were taken. The other two were traced in Capiz where they consulted a private physician and swabs were taken, the DOH said.

Two separate libel cases were filed by seven Bacolod City councilors yesterday against the editor-in-chief of a local tabloid for publishing an item about local officials of Bacolod City being involved in “live sex” at a hotel in the city.

The libel cases were filed against Erwin Ambo Delilan of Agila before the City Prosecutor’s Office by Councilors Greg Gasataya, Homer Bais, Dindo Ramos, Wilson Gamboa Jr., Al Victor Espino, Alex Paglumotan and Roberto Rojas.

In their affidavit-complaint, the councilors said they read about the alleged “live sex” article in the June 26 issue of Agila (Kuting-Kuting just asking) and in its editorial on June 29 entitled “Live sex sang mga konsehal.”