6 Negrenses quarantined,
2 negative for MERS-Cov
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Six Negrenses have been quarantined for possible Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona virus (MERS-CoV), but two who tested negative were released, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Negros Occidental provincial health officer, said yesterday.

The six Negrenses were among the 414 on board Etihad Airways flight EY 0424 that arrived in the Philippines on April 15 where one of their co-passengers was initially found positive for MERS-CoV, he said.

A nurse, not from Negros Occidental, who had come into contact with the Filipino paramedic who died of MERS-CoV in the United Arab Emirates, was on board the flight.

Power rates up
45 cents in April bills

The residential power rate for the April billing will be P9.9224/kWh, an increase of P0.4596/kWh from last month’s P9.4628/kWh, the Central Negros Electric Cooperative Inc. said yesterday in a press release.

The generation charges contributed an increase of 7.29 percent because of the Must Run Unit and Price Substitution Adjustment in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market for the billing months of November and December 2013 as cited in ERC Case No. 2014-021 MC, CENECO manager Sulpicio Lagarde Jr. said in the press release.

The Average Transmission Rate also increased by 9.76 percent, he added.

Police transport detainees in PUJ
BY SHIELA GELERA

Photos of detainees riding a public utility jeepney with other passengers, from the Hall of Justice at Gatuslao Street going to the Police Station 1 in Bacolod City, at about noon yesterday drew mostly negative comments from netizens on a social networking site.

Senior Insp. Lanel Mae Lanado, Station 1 chief told the DAILY STAR that their patrol car was not available to pick up the three detainees at the Hall of Justice since it was being used in a follow-up operation.

Lanado said his men assessed the situation and the safety of the passengers before deciding to transport Ian Velarde, 29, of Brgy. 10, Micheal Tangian, 26, and Edward Sain, 30, both of Brgy. 35, all in Bacolod, who were charged for illegal gambling to the Hall of Justice.