Suspected New People’s Army rebels struck again Saturday night by raiding the fish farm owned by the nephew of Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr.  in Sagay City, Negros Occidental.

The group carted away five high-powered firearms and ammunition, as well as personal belongings of watchmen and workers.

Police investigations showed that about 25 armed rebels swooped down on the fish farm of Joseph Edgar Sarrosa in Brgy. Bulanon, Sagay City, at about 10 p.m. Saturday, disarmed the watchmen of their firearms that included two M-14 assault rifles, an M-16 armalite rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and a homemade .22  caliber revolver, and wallets and cellular phones of fishpond workers, and took an ICOM base radio.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. yesterday said the award to AyalaLand Inc. of the right to purchase and lease 77,068 square meters of prime property owned by the Negros Occidental provincial government in Bacolod City is invalid.

SMPHI lawyer Vince Bayhon described as illicit the negotiated sale resorted to by the provincial government to dispose of the property in view of the pendency of the injunction petition filed by SMPHI against the governor and the members of the Committee on Awards and Disposal of properties, which is pending before the Bacolod Regional Trial Court.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. said the committee  awarded the sale and lease of the property to AyalaLand, after SMPHI failed to join the announced negotiated bidding Friday.

The Election Registration Boards in the towns and cities of Negros Occidental are holding hearings today on the deactivation of 110,958 from the list of voters, which includes those who failed to vote in the last two elections, Commission on Elections provincial supervisor Jessie Suarez said yesterday.

However, those deactivated for failing to vote in the last two elections will have until Oct. 31, 2012 to seek reinstatement in the list of voters, he said.

The Comelec registration of voters is ongoing until Oct. 31, 2012 in preparation for the 2013 national and local elections.