Guv files P7M libel suit
vs. Pulupandan mayor
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. has filed a libel complaint against Pulupandan Mayor Magdaleno Peña before the Office of the City Prosecutor of Escalante City, and is asking that he pay P7 million in damages and other fees.

Marañon is demanding that Peña pay P2 million in moral damages, P2 million in exemplary damage, P1 million in compensatory damages, P1 million for litigation and necessary expenses, and attorney's fees of not less than P1 million.

In the affidavit-complaint filed April 3, a copy of which was furnished the DAILY STAR yesterday, Marañon said Peña, a relative and chief campaigner of Vice Governor Genaro Alvarez Jr. who is running against him for governor, has continually, relentlessly and publicly used the print and broadcast media to maliciously impute a crime, a vice or defect to discredit him.

Widows ready murder
raps versus Yap
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Barely a month before the May 13 elections, re-electionist Mayor Melecio Yap of Escalante City is facing another tough challenge, with his alleged implication in a series of extrajudicial killings that happened in the city.

Luke Espiritu, counsel of the widows of the victims, yesterday said they are filing a murder charge against Yap and company today, in connection with the killings in Escalante since 2007.

With the filing of murder charges, Espiritu said, “We may put an immediate stop to the killings”.

Metrowaste: We've
covered 90% of city
BY CHYRSEE SAMILLANO

The overall operations manager of Metrowaste Solidwaste Management Corp. said yesterday that their garbage collection has covered almost 90 percent of the areas in Bacolod City.

Manuel Baal said they have also increased the number of dump trucks to 29 from 23 units since they started operations on March 16. They are now able to make an average of 43 trips a day.

He said the city used to collect about 360 cubic meters of garbage a day, but Metrowaste has been to collect about 560 cubic meters a day