The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology is closely monitoring the Negros trench following five earthquakes, the strongest one at 5.2-magnitude, that hit Negros Occidental yesterday, Ishmael Narag, PHIVOLCS Seismology Division officer-in-charge, said.

The 24-hour watch began when the last tremor hit at 10:10 a.m. yesterday, Narag told the DAILY STAR.

The epicenter of the earthquakes were offshore and they are believed to have been caused by sudden movements along the earthquake generating Negros trench, he said.

A 75-year-old Bacoleño was sentenced yesterday to 15 years imprisonment for the rape of his then 6-year-old neighbor who had gone to his house to watch television on Jan. 1, 2005.

Bacolod Regional Trial Court, Branch 41 Judge Ray Alan Drilon sentenced Edwardo Fernandez, to seven years minimum to 15 years as maximum imprisonment, and to pay his victim P30,000 as civil indemnity and P30,000 as moral damages.

“The court is thoroughly convinced of the credible, straightforward and direct testimony of the child victim who testified in no uncertain terms, that she was sexually abused by the accused by inserting his finger in her vagina,” the judge said.

The  manager of the Sincere chain of drug stores yesterday said his company is pursuing charges against the Unilab Group, their distributor- Negros Grand Ventures Industries Inc. and  National Bureau of Investigation Manila agents.

Businessman Ricky Enriquez said the charges are in relation to  the raid they conducted on their drug stores that had tarnished their reputation.

NBI-Manila agents andrepresentatives of the Unliba group seized several boxes of alleged counterfeit medicines from seven branches of Sincere Drug Store and  its  storage facility at the reclamation port in Bacolod City during  a raid on June 16.