CALATRAVA POLICE REPORTS
Ma drowns four children
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

A 34-year-old mother believed to be suffering from depression, told her husband she killed her four children, one a 9-month-old baby, by drowning them in a river yesterday in Sitio Manganese, Brgy. Cambayobo, Calatrava, Negros Occidental, the police said.

Insp. Danilo Zuniega, Calatrava police chief, said the suspect, whose identity they have withheld, reportedly threw her baby first into the river, before jumping into the water, with her three other children.

Zuniega said the suspect immediately went home, and told her husband what she did to their children.

A Bacolod businessman and media practitioner said he is mulling the filing of plunder or malversation raps against Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella before the Ombudsman for allegedly depositing to his personal account a crossed check payable to the Bacolod Southeast Asian Games Organizing Committee.

Romy Niere yesterday said that, as a concerned Filipino citizen and a taxpayer of Bacolod City, it is his responsibility to protect the people’s money.

He said he is taking action against Puentevella after learning that the solon is being required by the Philippine Sports Commission to liquidate the P50.5 million fund given to BASOC for the 23rd Southeast Asian Games.

The number of Negrenses affected by flooding in four towns and one city in southern Negros Occidental rose to 37,255 yesterday, while a tornado destroyed four houses in Hinigaran, Provincial Social Welfare Officer Liane Garcia said.

Garcia said a tornado hit barangays Miranda and Gargato in Hinigaran destroying four houses, while three others were damaged. One house was also damaged in Pontevedra.

Garcia said heavy rains brought on by Tropical Depression Labuyo triggered floods that were knee to waist-high affecting 7,451 families of 37,255 individuals, and causing 125  families to evacuate in  San Enrique, Pontevedra, Valladolid and Hinigaran towns, and La Carlota City.