Cop positive for shabu
linked to three holdups
PNP SAYS
BY ADRIAN NEMES III

A policeman was disarmed yesterday after he was positively identified by three taxi drivers as the one who held them up at gun point in Bacolod City two months ago, and is now under restriction at the headquarters of the Public Safety Management Battalion.

Bacolod City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz yesterday said Police Officer 1 Reagan Paul Javier of Manapla town, Negros Occidental, and assigned at the RPSMB station in Brgy. Bagtic in Silay City, Negros Occidental, also tested positive for shabu use.

The test result was issued by Chief Insp. Jerome Fuentispina, forensic chemical officer, of the PNP Crime laboratory at the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office on Thursday.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon  Jr. yesterday announced that he is leaving for Australia next week to purchase P78 million worth of cattle and sheep for Negros Occidental.

He also announced that the provincial government will grant its employees salary increases worth about P92 million next year.

The governor who is leaving for Broome, Western Australia, has designated Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez acting governor from October 24 to 28.

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. yesterday said it is the task of the Department of Energy to inspect gasoline station pumps to ensure that they are dispensing the right amount of gasoline consumers pay for, and they should not  pass the work on to local government units that do not have the expertise for such task.

Local government units do not have the expertise to calibrate the pumps, he said.

The DOE, in recent inspections, found that of the 1,140 gasoline station pumps in Negros Occidental, 33 in Bacolod City and 55 in the towns and cities of Negros Occidental had violations.