Bishop calls for prayers
on choice of new pope
SAYS TAGLE’S CHANCES UP TO WILL OF GOD
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra yesterday called on the faithful to pray for Pope Benedict XVI, and for the cardinals of the Catholic Church who will meet in a secret conclave to select his successor, to be guided by God’s will.

The Vatican has said it expects a new pope to be in place in time for Easter, which falls on March 31 this year.

Some Filipino church leaders have expressed the desire that the Archbishop of Manila, Luis Antonio Tagle, who was made a cardinal last year, will succeed Benedict.

PNoy to lead LP
team in sorties
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

President Benigno Aquino III will lead the Team PNoy senatorial candidates during the opening salvo of their campaign sorties also in key cities nationwide, including Bacolod City, Political Affairs Assistant Secretary Rolando Cusio said.

Cusio said President Aquino has promised to actively campaign for the whole slate of LP senatorial candidates.

Cusio, who led the inauguration of the Liberal Party provincial headquarters in Bacolod City, said they are confident to achieve a 12-0 Senate victory for the LP, as they are banking on the integrity of President Aquino and on the intellect of the voters.

The police is conducting round-the-clock surveillance of eight inactive partisan armed groups in Negros Occidental, that may be utilized by candidates in the May 13 elections, provincial police caretaker Senior Supt. Celestino Guara said yesterday.

While he refused to identify the armed groups and their locations in the province, Guara said some of them were reportedly used by some politicians in previous elections.

The Police Regional Office 6 earlier reported only five inactive partisan armed groups, of which four are in Negros Occidental, and the other one in Panay.