A man who worked as a helper at his family’s furniture shop at Lopez Jaena Street, Bacolod City, was sentenced yesterday to reclusion perpepetua and ordered to pay P6.9 million for the murder of Eddilito Castro   six years ago.

Regional Trial Court Judge Gorgonio Ybañez  sentenced Marvin Catolico, 33, of Barangay 27, Bacolod, to reclusion perpetua or 40 years imprisonment for stabbing of Castro in different parts of his body at the corner of Lopez Jaena and Rizal streets causing his death on Feb. 5, 2005.

The judge also ordered Catolico to pay the heirs of Castro P6,720,000 in unrealized income, P144,447.50   in actual expense  incurred by the widow  of the deceased on his death, and P50,000 in death indemnity.

The Land Transportation Office in Bacolod City reported that only 36 operators claimed their Pantawid Pasada or Public Transportation cards during their first day of releasing yesterday.

LTO-6 officer Emmie Marie delos Santos called on public utility jeepney operators to come to the Bacolod LTO to check and claim their cards to avoid delay. They aim to finish the releasing Friday but if operators cannot find time to visit the office, it may cause further delay, she added.

The 2,978 cards only cover Bacolod City,they still have to go to other cities and provinces in the region to release the cards, she said.

About 20 suspected New People’s Army rebels swooped down on another hacienda in Hacienda Teresa, Brgy. Alicante, EB Magalona, Negros Occidental, Tuesday night, burned a farm tractor and caused injury to a farm worker, the military said yesterday.

Col. Francisco Patrimonio, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday said the raid at the hacienda owned by Arturo Ledesma was due to his refusal to pay revolutionary taxes.

Two weeks ago, suspected rebels also burned two farm tractors owned by Jovie Gallo at Hacienda Riverside in Brgy. San Isidro, E.B. Magalona, also for not complying with the extortion demands of the NPA, Patrimonio said.