DAILY STAR: Negros Oriental

A junior military officer of the Army’s elite Scout Ranger unit was killed and 11 others were injured in a vehicular accident at the boundary of Jimalalud and Tayasan towns in Negros Oriental yesterday.

Lt. Col. Ariel Felicidario, commanding officer of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion, yesterday said that a convoy of military vehicles with army soldiers on board, who came from combat operations, were on their way to their headquarters in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, when the accident took place at about 1:15 a.m. yesterday.

Capt. Neil Harold Yee, commanding officer of the 2nd Scout Ranger Company, died on the spot, while four of the 11 injured soldiers, are still in critical condition, and being treated at the Silliman University Medical Center in Dumaguete City, a military report showed.

League of Cities devastated
over SC decision on cityhood
BY JUANCHO GALLARDE

Mayor Karen Villanueva of Bais City, Negros Oriental, said the League of Cities is devastated by the second entry of judgment of the Supreme Court that went in favor of the 16 municipalities that were converted into cities.

Villanueva said the league is strategizing on how it is going to move forward from this dilemma, not only for the cities, but for the people because this involves the decision of the highest court of the land.

Villanueva recalled that a final decision was already handed down in 2008, and amazingly it was revived, flip-flopped several times, until another final decision was reached..

Security given to missions
BY JUANCHO GALLARDE

For the first time in the history of Negros Oriental, the Philippine Army has provided for security to a medical mission organized by Karapatan and other organizations held during the weekend.

Operatives of the 11th Infantry battalion headed by Lt. Col. Ramil Bitong sent troopers to Sitio Kalabak-labakan in Barangay Trinidad, Guihulngan, to secure some 300 residents who availed of the medical and relief mission.

Bitong said the mountain clinic was spearheaded by Kaugmaon-KMP headed by Josephine Saguran and Erwin Sabejon, as well as Karapatan with counterparts from the Occidental side of the island and supported by the Guihulngan Health Workers Organization, Alliance of Concerned Teachers, Franciscan Mountain Clinic Staff and Negros Island Health Integrated Program based on documents found in the area.

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