Four students died and 19 others were injured when the passenger bus they were riding in turned turtle at 12:45 p.m. yesterday in Sitio Birao, Brgy. Dian-ay, Escalante City, Negros Occidental.

Supt. Santiago Rapiz, Escalante police chief, said the Cebro mini-bus driven by Walter Yap, with about 34 passengers was on its way to Sagay City from Brgy. Minapasok, Calatrava, when the accident took place.

The four fatalities were Seikar Manlanat, Joven Gaudia, Analyn Catubig, all 16 years old, and Noe Canete, 15, of Brgy, Bug-ang, Toboso, and students of Dian-ay High School in Escalante City, Rapiz said.

Board Member Miller Serondo, in his proposed ordinance to institutionalize, promote and develop organic agriculture in Negros Occidental,  is seeking  an initial allocation of P20 million  for its implementation, and an annual allocation thereafter of no less than P20 million.

 Serondo,  chairman of the Sanguniang Panlalawigan Committee of Agriculture, yesterday morning  held a public hearing on the ordinance  at the provincial Capitol in Bacolod City.

The hearing  was held to get inputs from interested stakeholders, which his committee will study for inclusion in the ordinance, he said.

Truth advocate Sister Mary John Mananzan yesterday called on the public to pray for the safety of George Rabusa and Heidi Mendoza, the whistle-blowers in the alleged plunder of military funds, as they have been receiving death threats.

Mananzan issued the appeal after a lecture on “Spirituality of Power from Control to Compassion” at the St. Scholastica’s Academy in Bacolod City.

She also said that she was justified in signing the impeachment protest against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez after the Supreme Court on Tuesday denied Gutierrez’s petition to declare impeachment actions against her in the House of Representatives unconstitutional.