Albee: P300M set
for oil price watch
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

The creation of Visayan Oil Price Watchdog, an offshoot of the big disparity of fuel prices in Negros Occidental compared to Metro Manila and Cebu, has initially paid off.

Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), who headed the creation of the oil price watchdog, said yesterday that the national government has allocated a P300 million budget under the General Appropriations Act, that has been approved by President Benigno Aquino III, for fuel price downstreaming.

This will be used, to provide additional manpower to monitor activities, adopting a watchdog concept, as the Department of Energy felt that a watchdog is a good deterrent against disparity in fuel prices and price manipulation that is detrimental to consumers, among others.

Villamor: Monico innocent;
Bayatan: They’re in denial
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

City Administrator Rolando Villamor said yesterday that Bacolod Mayor Monico Puentevella is innocent and has a clear conscience despite the recommendation of the Ombudsman to file charges against him at the Sandiganbayan.

Private complainant, lawyer Joselito Bayatan, however, said “They are in the denial stage.”

The Ombudsman denied the motion for reconsideration filed by Puentevella seeking the reversal of its decision indicting him, Victorino Tirol, former regional director of the Department of Education Region VI, and Jessie Garcia, chairman of Merryland Publishing Corporation, in connection with the purchase of overpriced computers worth P25 million when the Mayor was still a congressman.

Police arrests
Sagaynon for ‘hiring killers’
BY SHIELA GELERA

The police arrested an elderly man at his house in Brgy. Bato, Sagay City in Negros Occidental, at about 1 a.m. yesterday, for allegedly hiring gunmen to kill a farmer on Wednesday.

Paulino Canoy Sr., 74, allegedly transacted with three gunmen for P15,000, and directed them to shoot Samuel Patricio, 53, of Brgy. Babiera, also in the city, Insp. Joevito Bose, deputy chief of Sagay Police said yesterday.

Patricio had three gunshot wounds on his head when he was found lying dead at about 7 a.m. Thursday, at his own farm in Brgy. Babiera, Bose said.