A P220 billion Regional Development Investment Program for 2011 to 2016 was presented to congressmen, governors and mayors of highly urbanized cities of Western Visayas  at a Regional Development Council meeting at the Batasang Pambansa  building in Quezon City yesterday, Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. said last night.

Covered by the P220 billion RDIP  are roads, bridges, flood control, ports and irrigation projects for the Western Visayas, including P4.8 billion  for the Panay-Guimaras-Negros  island bridges, Marañon said.

Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia said P4.8 billion will cover the Panay-Guimaras stretch, which they consider a first step toward the  interconnection of Panay to Negros Occidental.

Six legislative proposals, which include the call for the imposition of tariff on imported bio-ethanol, were presented to the congressmen of Western Visayas for support at a Regional Development Council meeting at the Batasang Pambansa building in Quezon City yesterday, Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. said.

The proposals presented by the RDC 6 to the solons, aside from the imposition on tariff for imported bio-ethanol were for the establishment of Energy Regulatory Commission offices at the sub-national level for Luzon Visayas and Mindanao, the creation of a Regional Water Resources Management Board;

Bacolod City police director, Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, yesterday said he may be relieved from his post if another police chief from the city is removed for illegal operations of jai alai.

The Philippine National Police has a policy that if three chiefs of police are relieved because of illegal gambling in a year, the provincial or city police director will also be relieved.

Station 2 commander Chief Insp. Noel Polines was relieved effective yesterday after the Police Regional Office-6 Special Operations Task Group conducted an anti-jai alai operations raid in a room at the Bacolod Pavillon Resort and Hotel Sunday morning.