City mayors of Negros Occidental are opposing the recent granting by the Supreme Court of cityhood to 16 allegedly unqualified municipalities and are joining their colleagues in a “flip-flop outrage” to be staged in front of the Supreme Court on March 9.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, executive vice president of the League of Cities of the Philippines, yesterday said it is their moral and legal obligation to support the protest because the SC ruling is a blow to the country’s judicial system.

The SC on February 15 reversed its decision against the cityhood of the 16 municipalities that was supposed to be final, and this is not healthy for the image of the High Court, Leonardia said.

The Police Regional Office-6 has formed a special task force for the visit of President Benigno Aquino III to Bacolod City and Negros Occidental Friday, PRO-6 deputy director for Operations Senior Supt. Antonio Viernes said yesterday.

Viernes, who is leading the task force, was in Bacolod City yesterday to check on the preparations of the Bacolod City Police Office and the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office for the presidential visit

He said they also formed two sub-task groups to be headed by BCPO officer-in-charge, Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, and NOPPO director Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan.

A possible amicable settlement between the 15-year-old tricycle driver and the families of the slain teacher and five injured passengers, who figured in a vehicular accident Monday in Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, is being explored, traffic police investigator PO3 Ricardo Pasquin said yesterday.

“If it fails, we have to file charges against the minor,” Pasquin, traffic chief of the Hinigaran police station, said.

The minor, whose identity is being withheld, Summer Ma-alat, 15; Kenneth John Vidaja,10, Emily Vidaja, 44, Adrian Semenia,10; and Vivian Liboon, 45, were injured in a head-on collision between a passenger tricycle and a cargo truck driven by Jose Alvior on Monday in Brgy. Nanunga, Hinigaran, police records show.