Admin raps poised vs.
reg’l prosecutor
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Relatives of alleged victims of extra judicial killings in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, are staging a protest before the office of Regional Prosecutor Domingo Laurea Jr. in Iloilo City today, and filing administrative charges for “gross ignorance of the law” against him before the Ombudsman.

Their lawyer, Luke Espiritu, said at a press conference yesterday that they are protesting Laurea’s denial of their motion for reconsideration to his decision ordering the transfer of the cases filed against Escalante Mayor Melecio Yap Jr. and other respondents for alleged murder and frustrated murder to the Office of the Ombudsman in Cebu.

Espiritu said the move to bypass the provincial prosecutor on the matter is highly irregular and legally untenable, as murder and frustrated murder are not crimes committed in relation to one’s public office.

Budget for casuals questioned
There’s money, congressman says
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

Acting Bacolod City Administrator Rolando Villamor directed yesterday the acting City Budget Officer to provide them financial records on Monday so they will know if there is any budget left for the hiring of casual workers.

This was after Secretary to the Mayor Ramonito Lastima questioned the budget for personnel services that include job order and plantilla casuals for this year, which, he claimed, appeared to have been drained, during a meeting with department and office heads yesterday at the Bacolod City Government Center.

Lastima said documents submitted to them by the Budget Office during the transition period showed that, out of the total P70,170,512 annual appropriations for General Services, about P66,589,685.67 had already been obligated or used, and only P3,580,826.33 is left.

‘God will provide’
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Wheelchair-bound Moses, who suffers from cerebral palsy, was one of 180 children at the Calvary Chapel Home in Barangay Handumanan, Bacolod City, who joined the games at a picnic to celebrate Philippine- American Friendship Day yesterday.

Despite current financial worries brought about by the need to build additional structures for their children with special needs to comply with requirements set by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Joe and Billie Rosmarino did not want their children to miss out on this annual celebration at the Home.

So Moses and fellow wheelchair-bound residents at the Home, with big smiles on their faces amid much laughter and shouting, joined the egg-relay and other games. They sped across the playground on their wheelchairs pushed by their teammates, and enjoyed a hearty meal capped by homemade cupcakes in the colors of the American and Philippine flags.