Ombudsman dismisses
raps vs.13 Silay officials
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The Ombudsman has dismissed an administrative complaint for gross negligence and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service, filed against Silay Mayor Jose Montelibano and 12 other officials, in connection with their lease of city properties to Smart Communications, for lack of substantial evidence.

But the complainant Jose Lindy Chan Jr., who furnished the DAILY STAR a copy of the decision signed by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales on May 27, that he received Friday, yesterday questioned the validity of the decision.

He said previous rulings of the Ombudsman on cases involving Silay City officials contained the recommendation and signature of Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol, but in the decision on the properties leased to Smart for cell site towers, his name was not in the decision.

Informal settlers
tagged in poaching
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Informal settlers within the Northern Negros Natural Park, especially in three hinterland barangays of Cadiz City, where cutting of premium species of trees had been discovered recently by Task Force Ilahas and policemen, are also involved in timber poaching activities, Police Chief Inspector Gabriel Gutierrez, TFI enforcement unit chief, said.

In a report he submitted to TFI Executive Officer Jose Maria Valencia, Gutierrez said they noted during a week-long operation against poachers in forestal areas of Brgys. Celestino Villacin, Magsaysay and Andres Bonifacio, all in Cadiz City, that some housing structures, including the chapel of a religious sect, are made of endemic species of trees, such as lauan, almon, nato, mandulawnon and odling.

DOE hearing set at Capitol
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The hearing to be held by the Department of Energy on the creation of an Oil Price Watchdog Task Force in the province to monitor fuel price violations will be held at the Negros Occidental Capitol building in Bacolod City, 2 p.m. Friday, Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), said yesterday.

He said top officials of the province and congressmen are expected to attend.

Benitez had sought the creation of the price watch dog after numerous complaints were aired that Negros Occidental pays much more for its fuel compared to Metro Manila and Cebu.