Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said he is very optimistic that the sale and lease of the 7.7-hectare provincial government property in Bacolod City to AyalaLand will push through despite a Temporary Restraining Order obtained by SM Prime Holdings Inc.

The TRO is only for 60 days, he noted.

The governor said he is meeting with his lawyers today to discuss their next course of action.

“The community’s support for the Capitol’s development project with Ayala is snowballing, I do not want it to reach a point where the people will boycott SM because of its actions”, the governor said.

A lending collector, who was reportedly not wearing his crash helmet, died when the motorcycle he was driving slammed into a delivery van at the junction of Rizal and Mabini streets in Bacolod City at about 2:20 p.m. Thursday.

Killed was Samuel Linogon Jr. of Brgy. Vista Alegre, Bacolod City, and employed by the RTB lending firm, Traffic investigator Police Officer 3 June Garong said.

Linogon was rushed to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.

A barangay councilor of Zone 6, Pulupandan, Negros Occidental, yesterday called on President Benigno Aquino III to investigate the alleged harassment initiated by Mayor Magdaleno Peña.

Morena Baylon, at a press conference yesterday at the Negros Press Club in Bacolod City, said she was imprisoned for more than 20 hours on July 3 and July 17 for trespassing, for walking on an alleged private road on her way to attend a barangay council session.

Baylon claimed that it was Peña’s civil security group led by Marciano Miravalles who brought her to the police station during both incidents, on orders of Peña.