Cops handcuff Lopez kin,
end blockade at dumpsite
BY SHIELA GELERA & CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

Tension rose yesterday between personnel of the Bacolod City government and the Lopez family for about five-and-a-half hours when more than 20 garbage-filled dump trucks of the Enviroking Corporation were prevented from entering the access road leading to the sanitary landfill and open dumpsite in Purok Acacia, Brgy. Felisa, Bacolod City for failure of the garbage hauler to pay toll fees.

Roy Lopez, spokesperson of the Lopez family, blocked the road with a tractor, a bamboo barrier and a pick-up truck, preventing the dump trucks from passing through the access road.

He was only following instructions from the board of directors of the Dynasty Agri-Aqua Ventures Corp. to stay in the area since the road is still part of their property, Lopez said. In order for the dump truck to pass through, they should pay toll fees, he added.

Policeman meted 8 years
for illegal gun possession
BY CARLA GOMEZ

A policeman was sentenced yesterday to eight years imprisonment for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, but was acquitted of charges for illegal possession of drugs.

Bacolod Regional Trial Court Branch 43 Judge Philadelfa Pagapong-Agraviador found Chief Inspector Ernesto Marañon Alcantara guilty beyond reasonable doubt for illegal possession of a 12-Gauge Armscor shotgun and ammunition and sentenced him to four years, two months and one day to eight years imprisonment.

Alcantara told the court he used to be the head of the Vice and Narcotics Control Division of the Bacolod PNP.

Vresco systems losses
drops to 13 percent: GM
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

The power systems losses of the VMC-Rural Electric Service Cooperative (VRESCO) has reduced from 17 percent to 13 percent within a three month period, its new manager, Danny Pondevilla, announced yesterday.

The National Electrification Administration has set a cap of 15 percent system losses for electric cooperatives.

Pondevilla said yesterday that with the institutionalization of new programs, he is aiming to further reduce the systems losses of VRESCO to a single digit.