SP approves  P2.2B
budget for Neg. Occ.
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Without any questions from its members, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental unanimously approved yesterday the P2.29 billion budget of the provincial government for 2014.

Last year, the approval of the 2013 budget, that was supposed to be approved before the year ended, dragged on until after the May 2013 elections.

Included in the SP approval is the P874,889,712 budget for the provincial government’s Economic Enterprise Development Department.

Capitol employees’
P38,000 bonus ok’d
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The 2,420 employees of the Negros Occidental provincial government were granted P38,000 each in bonuses yesterday but the amount will be subject to tax.

The P92.3 million for the bonuses will be taken from Supplemental Budget No. 5 of P127.8 million that was approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan yesterday, Board Member Salvador Escalante said.

Escalante said the amount of the tax to be imposed on the employees by the Bureau of Internal Revenue will depend on the salary grade they belong to.

WV police reg’l head relieved
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Chief Supt. Agrimero Cruz has been relieved as regional police director of Western Visayas effective yesterday.

Cruz, who served as Region 6 police director for 14 months, is reportedly being assigned at the Office of the Philippine National Police chief, pending announcement of his new assignment.

Chief Supt. Josephus Angan, a member of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1984, will replace Cruz (PMA Class 1982) as officer-in-charge of the Western Visayas police.