Maricalum Mining Corp. owes Sipalay City and Cauayan town P107,912,775 in back taxes that it needs to pay in order to resume mining operations in southern Negros Occidental, provincial administrator Enrique Pinongan said yesterday.

MMC officials, who recently met with Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr., have expressed interest in resuming operations but are contesting the P107 million the firm is being charged, and have presented their own figures, Pinongan said.

Further discussions and negotiations on the matter are still underway, Marañon said.

To focus on their training and execute the coaches’ instructions, possibly, with less distraction, were the things team manager Dan Palami hopes to see before the Philippine men’s football team, the Azkals, face the Mongolia squad for their AFC Challenge Cup qualifying series at the Panaad Park and Stadium on February 9.

In a press conference at Luxor Hotel in Bacolod City yesterday, Palami said that the team’s first practice in Talisay City went smoothly and they are looking into other options as far as the venue of their trainings is concerned.

The schedule of the practice is no secret, but we have to consider other options to preserve the condition of the pitches where we play, the Azkals’ team manager said.

A city government employee died after a motorcycle hit her in Brgy. Villamonte, and a mechanic was killed when he was accidentally sideswiped by a bus inside the Ceres Liner terminal at the Shopping area  in Bacolod Wednesday, the police said yesterday.

Killed were Rosalia Alzaga, 53, of Doña Juliana Subdivision, Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City, and Anthony Salado, 23, of Brgy. Zone 3, Catabla in Talisay City, Negros Occidental.

Traffic investigator, Police Officer 2 Eliseo Adraneda, said Alzaga was at crossing Burgos Extension in front of Villa Angela Subdivision in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City, at about 5:45 p.m. when she was hit by the motorcycle of Larry Perez, 32, of Sta. Fe, Brgy. Granada, Bacolod.