Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra yesterday said he hopes President Benigno Aquino III makes good on his promise to stop corruption and to alleviate the plight of the poor.

The president should show his sincerity by getting rid of bad elements in his Cabinet who are perpetuating corrupt practices, the bishop said.

The bishop, reacting to Aquino’s State of the Nation Address, said he would rank the president’s first year performance as “fair.”

MANILA -- Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo Jr. (Neg. Occ., 5th District) claimed Monday that there is now a clamor in Congress to impeach President Benigno Aquino III, whose administration is on the offensive against the family and allies of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for alleged anomalous transactions in the past.

Arroyo also slammed the administration of Aquino for withholding the release of their Priority Development Assistance Funds, including that of former President Arroyo, her sons Camarines Sur. Rep Dato Arroyo and Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Mikey Arroyo, and other members of the minority bloc.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo yesterday lauded local government officials, many of whom were from Negros Occidental, for joining the campaign for blood donations to save lives at the 13th National Sandugo Awards at the Diamond Hotel in Manila yesterday afternoon.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. was the lone governor awardee, while Don Salvador Benedicto headed by Mayor Marxlen de la Cruz was elevated to the Hall of Fame for winning in the municipal category for three consecutive years.

Dela Cruz said, aside from him, the barangay captains of Kumaliskis, Bagong Silang and Bago in DSB also received hall of fame awards.