No immediate ruling seen on pay hike bid
18% of businesses failed
to implement P12 ECOLA
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The  Negros-Panay Alliance of Labor  filed a manifestation at the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board  consultation in Bacolod City yesterday for a P30 to P40 wage increase in Western Visayas, while petitions for P97 and P95 increases    in the region are  awaiting board action.

Crispin Dannug,  of the Department of Labor and Employment OIC-Regional Director, chairman of the Region 6 RTWPB, said the wage board will also  hold  consultations in Panay and deliberate on the matter before coming up with a decision,  perhaps by early next year.

As the RTWPB held its consultation  at the Business Inn in Bacolod,   about 15 Kilusang Mayo Uno members staged a picket outside calling for the abolition of the wage board and the passage of a P125  legislated wage hike instead.

A farmer was sentenced to suffer 40 years in prison yesterday for allegedly raping his cousin-in-law, who is a mental retardate, in their house in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, six years ago.

San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, Regional Trial Court Branch 58 Judge Danilo Amisola, who penned the decision on September 22, this year, found Alfredo Villarin Clan, “alias Putoy” guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

The judge also ordered him to pay the victim P100,000 civil indemnity and moral damages and that he be committed to the Bureau of Corrections in Muntinlupa.

MANILA -  President Benigno Aquino III named has named Major General Emmanuel Bautista,commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, as the new Philippine Army chief.

With the designation of Bautista as the incoming Army chief, Colonel Jonas Sumagaysay, assistant division commander of 3ID, is temporarily occupying the position he vacated starting today, regional Army spokesman Capt. Reylan Java said.

Bautista will replace Lt. Gen. Arturo Ortiz, who is bowing out of the military service five days ahead of his retirement date on Nov. 13, and who authored the new Internal Peace and Security Plan of the Armed Forces of the Philippines dubbed as Oplan Bayanihan, which is  "winning the peace".