Comelec junks
protest vs. Bing
UPHOLDS WIN OVER MONICO IN 2010
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The Commission on Elections First Division dismissed Friday the election protest filed by Monico Puentevella, contesting the proclamation of Evelio “Bing” Leonardia as the winning mayor of Bacolod City in the May 2010 polls.

Leonardia, who won with 93,519 votes, was proclaimed winner by the City Board of Canvassers on May 12, 2010, over Puentevella, who garnered only 86,258 votes.

Leonardia had a total winning margin of 7,261 votes, the COMELEC First Division noted.

Aid won’t bring
dead back, NPA told
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

The burial of five of the nine ambush victims, the responsibility for whose deaths has been claimed by the Leonardo Panaligan Command of the New People’s Army, was held Saturday at a public cemetery in Brgy. Cabacungan, La Castellana.

The rites turned out to be a rally, with about 1,200 mourners, some of them carrying placards, denouncing the rebel atrocities and the families rejecting an offer of assistance from the NPA.

Maria Cecilia Dingcong, wife of Enrique Dingcong, who was driving a local government vehicle to deliver the three policemen, barangay tanods and members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team and civilians, to Brgy. Cabacungan, La Castellana, from the fiesta, said no amount of money could bring back the life of her husband.

Eleven houses were destroyed and another was damaged when fire believed caused by a desk fan left unplugged broke out at a residential area in Purok Banawe, Brgy. Villamonte, Bacolod City, yesterday.

Bacolod deputy fire marshal Insp. Publio Ploteña, said that while there were no reports of injuries in the incident, it turned to ashes about half a million pesos worth of properties.

Investigation conducted by Fire Officer 3 Cornelio Silva, Fire Officers 1 Jerson Ganava and Anthony Banay showed that the blaze started at about 2:50 p.m. at the eastern portion of the house of Margie Mahinay and immediately spread to the residences of her neighbors.