Graft-free policies of gov’t
stimulating growth – Binay
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Vice President Jejomar Binay Saturday assured Visayas’ businessmen of graft-free government efforts to stimulate economic growth, and called Bacolod City one of the most promising centers for investments in the country.

“When President Noynoy Aquino assumed office, one of the first things that he did was to channel the renewed trust businessmen had in the government towards the rejuvenation of investments in the country,”  Binay told the participants of the  20th Visayas Area Business Conference and Expo at L Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City.

The choice of the theme “Private-Public-Partnership Visayas’ Vehicle to a Vibrant Economy” by the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry  for the conference reaffirms the business sector's support for the Aquino administration’s efforts in recognizing the role of the private sector as the main engine for national growth and development, he said.

The Regional Trial Court Branch 49 has denied the temporary restraining order sought by four southbound public utility vehicle operators to prevent the city from requiring them to use the Sambok south terminal and from closing the waiting station in Libertad, Bacolod City.

In his order dated Sept. 16, 2011, Judge Manuel Cardinal Jr., noted that the petitioners failed to show an urgent and permanent necessity for the writ to prevent serious damage.

The petition for declaratory relief with prayer for issuance of temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction was filed on September 8, 2011 before the RTC by Nenita Peters, Rizalina Alon, Noel Moncay and Jovito Gahataon against Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Police Chief Inspector Luisito Acebuche of the Bacolod Traffic Authority, City Legal Officer Joselito Bayatan, Bacolod City Police Director Senior Supt. Ricardo de la Paz, and four department heads.

The body of an unidentified woman was found in a sack floating off the shoreline of the Bacolod City reclamation area, while a call center employee was found dead in a pension house in the city also yesterday.

Fishermen Ajias Trinidad and Giovanie Gerpo told the police they were fishing about 30 meters off the shoreline of the reclamation area at about 7:30 a.m. when they found the sack floating.

When they checked its content, they were surprised to see the woman’s body with her face wrapped with a plastic bag, the police said.