SP approves P160M
supplemental budget
Capitol employees bonuses okayed, too
BY CARLA GOMEZ

After almost five months of waiting, the 2,339 employees of the provincial government of Negros Occidental will receive their additional bonuses of P20,000 each tomorrow.

This was after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Negros Occidental unanimously approved yesterday the two supplemental budgets of the province for a total amount of P160,421,838.55.

Of the P160.4 million budget, P105,763,224 was the 2013 supplemental budget number 1 of the province, with P54,658,614.55 for its Economic Enterprises Development Department.

Oti questions
ombudsman report release
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Silay Mayor Jose “Oti” Montelibano yesterday scored the release of the final evaluation report of the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas, recommending that criminal charges be filed against him and three other city officials for “irregularities in the purchase of fuel,” saying it is an internal report in which he did not even have a chance to be heard yet.

The evaluation report recommends that criminal charges be filed against Montelibano, Silay City Administrator Ignacio Salmingo, City Budget Officer Ramon Dumancas, and General Services Officer Dela Ledesma.

Administrative charges against Salmingo, Dumancas and Ledesma were also recommended. It said the administrative charge against Montelibano had already been mooted as he was re-elected city mayor in May 2010..

Mayor: It's premature
to interfere in Baciwa
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

Bacolod Mayor and Congressman-elect Evelio Leonardia yesterday said the Bacolod City Water District is supposed to be self-regulating and self-functional and it is premature for him to interfere in the internal conflict involving the management and union employees, when asked for his opinion on the issue.

The Baciwa Employees Union had expressed opposition to what they called attempts to allow private sector participation in the improvement of the water district's non-revenue water, saying it may result in the privatization of the water utility firm and affect the job security of its employees.

However, the Board of Directors of Baciwa said they are against the privatization of the water utility firm and explained the need to go into public private partnership as the NRW of Baciwa since 2003, had reached P2.4 billion in 2012.