Favorable COA ruling
seen on Capitol land
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The denial by the Court of Appeals of the bid of SM Prime Holdings Inc. for a preliminary injunction on the sale and lease by the Negros Occidental provincial government of its 7.7-hectare property in Bacolod City to Ayala Land, could also lead to a favorable decision from the Commission on Audit, COAprovincial chief ErnieVilla said yesterday.

The COA head office has sent the contract that the provincial government submitted for its approval and the SMPHI opposition to its regional office in Iloilo for comment, Villa said.

It is now with the legal department of the COA regional office. After it makes its comments on the matter, the COA head office will decide on the matter, Villa said, but added that he did not know how long the process will take.

Leptospirosis cases in Negros Occidental have increased by 600 percent  with 12 deaths and 74 cases reported from January to  yesterday compared to  last year, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer, said.

There were only two deaths and 11 cases of leptospirosis in the same period last year, he said.

This year there were three leptospirosis deaths in Himamaylan, two each in Talisay and Kabankalan cities, and one each in Bago, Victorias, La Catellana, Pulupandan and Sipalay.

A trisikad driver sustained second degree burns in a fire that destroyed six houses and damaged five others in Brgy. 7, Bacolod City, at about 3:55 a.m. yesterday.

The victim was identified as Elmar Asuela, 29, by Bacolod deputy fire marshal Insp. Publio Ploteña.

He suffered burns on the upper portion of his body and was rushed to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.

A neighbor said Asuela went back to his house because he thought his sister had not come out.