More solons to fight for
Negros in House
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The proclamation by the Commission on Elections of Bayan Muna and Magdalo among the 14 initial winning partylist groups yesterday gives Negros Occidental two more congressmen in the Lower House.

The two are Rep. Neri Colmenares of Bacolod for Bayan Muna and Gary Alejano of Sipalay City for Magdalo, who yesterday told the DAILY STAR they will champion the cause of Negrenses in the House and provide projects for their home province.

Also on Colmenares’ agenda is the revival of Bayan Muna’s push for the enactment into law in the next Congress of a bill that will provide for a P125 across-the-board increase in the salaries of employees in the private sector.

COMELEC final ruling
cancels Abang Lingkod
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The Commission on Elections yesterday issued a final and executory order cancelling the registration of the Abang Lingkod partylist group, which means its votes will no longer be considered.

The Abang Lingkod first nominee is Negrense Stephen Paduano, alias Carapali Lualhati, former national commander of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade.

The four other groups, whose registrations were also cancelled yesterday, are Senior Citizens, Cocofed, Binhi and Anad.

WV faces lack of 
teachers, classrooms
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The Department of Education will be faced with a shortage of 2,058 teachers and 3,000 classrooms in public schools in Western Visayas when classes start in June, DepEd Regional Director Mildred Garay said yesterday.

The shortage is caused by previous backlogs and an expected increase in enrollment, she said.

Garay said that, in areas where there is a lack of teachers, School Boards of local government units usually provide the funds for the salaries of needed teachers.