Cops nab 15 in drug busts
BY SHIELA GELERA

Fifteen persons were nabbed in simultaneous buy-bust operations in six houses at Galo Street in Purok Mapalaron, Brgy. 22, Bacolod City, at about 5 a.m. yesterday.

Twenty big and small sachets of suspected shabu, all worth about P100,000, were seized from the suspects, Supt. Jefferson Descallar, chief of the Special Operations Group, said.

Those arrested were identified as Caezar Ian Rodrigazo, Willy dela Cruz, Zara Zaico, Ryan Tiloz, Jesus Diane, Bernard Fernandez, Floid Decena, Romel Tuvilla, Mae Ejusa, Jed Delfin, Delia Ungod, Mary Chris dela Gente, Grace Arnaiz, Nora Golez, and Kevin dela Cruz.

House moving vs.
housing backlog
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) yesterday said Congress is making headway in the push to create a Department of Housing, which is vital to swiftly addressing the nation’s huge housing backlog, that includes those of the victims of super-typhoon Yolanda.

Benitez, chairman of the Committee on Housing and Urban Development, spoke before the top leaders of the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA), led by its national board chairman Paul Tanchi, board adviser Ed Alunan, and Negros chapter president Kenneth Tirthdas, at the Chalet in Bacolod City.

The housing backlog of the country is now at six million Filipinos, of which 70 to 80 percent belong to the informal sector, Benitez said.

Abolish NEDA,
it’s useless: guv
BY ADRIAN NEMES III

“The National Economic and Development Authority should be abolished as it is useless.”

This was the reaction of Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon yesterday to the statement of NEDA Region 6 Director Ro-Ann Bacal Thursday that the creation of a one-island region may not be necessary if the needs of Negros Occidental and Oriental are adequately addressed by their respective regional offices.

Bacal said that, personally, she thinks the creation of a new region composed of just two provinces might not be necessary and what can be done is to address the concerns of Negros Oriental and Occidental on inadequacies in services from regional offices in their areas.