A lone gunman shot a 40-year-old Ilog councilor four times in the back at close range outside a Bacolod hotel yesterday morning causing his untimely death.

Killed was Antonio “Karem” Gequillana Jr. of Brgy. Dangcalan, Ilog in Negros Occidental and also a resident of Capitolville in Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod, Station 4 commander, Chief Insp. Adonis Rosales said.

Initial Investigation showed that Gequillana was about to open the door of his grey Hilux vehicle with plate number NIG-558 parked in front of the East View Hotel along the Circumferential Road at about 10:20 a.m. yesterday when the lone gunman shot him with a .45 caliber pistol and left on board a blue Bajaj motorcycle with no plate number.

Government officials expect faster economic growth in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental, with the turnover yesterday of the Banago Port facilities from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to the Philippine Ports Authority, which will pave the way for its further development.

PPA and DENR had earlier contested the ownership and operational jurisdiction of the Banago port after the expiration of the foreshore lease contract agreement entered into by the shipping firm, Negros Navigation Co., with the government, in August 2009.

A memorandum of agreement was signed between the two government agencies on July 4 in Metro Manila, which led to the settlement of issues, allowing PPA to take control of the Banago Port facilities, for rehabilitation and development..

A 59-year-old former barangay kagawad was sentenced to 82 years imprisonment yesterday for the theft of molasses from First Farmers Holding Corp. in Talisay City.

Bacolod Regional Trial Court Judge George Patriarca found Henry Vela Discutido guilty beyond reasonable doubt for five counts of qualified theft, each carrying a sentence of 10 years and one day as minimum or about 50 years, to a maximum of 16 years, 5 months and 11 days or about 82 years.

Discutido, who was then a Kagawad of Barangay Dos Hermanas, Talisay, was found guilty of the theft of 102.254 metric tons of molasses valued at P254,275.43 from Nov. 29 to Dec. 22, 2004 , the judge said in his consolidated judgment of the five cases.