Moist bullet saves life
of Bombo man
BY CARLA GOMEZ

If not for a defective bullet, a Bombo Radyo anchorman could have been killed by a tricycle driver when he shot him with a 12-guage improvised shotgun at about 11:30 p.m. Wednesday in Bacolod , City Police officer-in-charge Senior Supt. Celestino Guara said yesterday.

Guara said Bombo Radyo Philippines anchor and reporter Alfonso “Fons” Espino, 26, of St. Ann 's Subdivision, Brgy. Mandalagan, only sustained minor wounds caused by the bullet's pellets on his chest because the bullet could have been moist and had become defective.

Investigation conducted by Police Officer 2 Donnie Garcia showed that Espino was with Bombo driver Edward Mendoza and station manager Eddie Coo inside the Efron Videoke Bar in front of their radio station at Lacson Street , when the suspect suddenly arrived and shot Espino and fled towards Purok Kasanag, Brgy. Mandalagan.

Two Bacolod media practitioners filed plunder charges against Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia and two others before the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas for alleged payments of professional services amounting to P245 million.

Franklin Villanueva and Sarah Teresa Esguerra asked the Ombudsman to file the charges against the mayor, City Accountant Eduardo Ravena and City Treasurer Annabelle Badajos before the Sandiganbayan after conducting a preliminary investigation on the case.

Secretary to the Mayor Vicente Petierre III yesterday said “This is expected since it is part of their political strategy. I will be wondering if they won't file a case.”

About 75 percent of the United Negros Alliance members support the presidential bid of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, but if his Lakas-Kampi-CMD party fields a gubernatorial bet in Negros Occidental he may lose the bulk of that support, UNA president Alfredo Marañon said yesterday.

UNA, an alliance of officials in Negros Occidental who are members of various national parties, is fielding Marañon as its gubernatorial bet in 2010.

It has been rumored that the Lakas-Kampi-CMD may field its own gubernatorial candidate in Negros Occidental against Marañon to ensure the victory of Teodoro, but so far no decision has been made.