Salvador Benedicto Mayor Joemax Ortiz said he has been receiving death threats since two weeks ago but he is unfazed since he is well guarded.

On Sunday Ortiz said he was informed by reliable sources that there is a group that wants to kill him. He does not know their motive and does not want to speculate that it is politically motivated, he said.

“In my case, I do not want to be another Malabor,” he said, referring to Negros Occidental Board Member Renato Malabor who was assassinated in Isabela last month. “That is why I have enough bodyguards, considering the situation in our place,” he said.

Ortiz, who announced that he is seeking re-election, said he does not fear anyone who has evil plans against him. However, he will have to be cautious, especially as the election nears.

Meanwhile, Ortiz said he was already given a go-signal by their Sanggunian to put up the first hotel in Salvador Benedicto and this will be owned by the municipality. Hopefully, by August 30 they will also inaugurate a Class A restaurant in the town to cater to tourists, he also said.

They plan to start the biggest zoo next month and he also plans to manage a firefly farm in the area because he breeds fireflies, he said.

Salvador Benedicto is considered the third or fourth coolest place in the country next to Benguet, Baguio and Tagaytay, Ortiz said. It is the only place in Negros where they do not have air-conditioning units, he said.

He said they will plant 100,000 to 110,000 forest trees in an hour on August 7 and they hope to break the Guinness Book of World Records although they do not plan to register. So they are inviting the public to participate in the activity.

On October 30 to 31, they will hold the Full Moon Festival. There will be an open band, especially folk singers, on October 30, and a zombie walk at 5:30 p.m. on October 31 from the municipal hall to the zipline where there will be a costume festival in preparation for Halloween the next day, he said.

At midnight, they will have an “aswang ride” where one will see a witch on a broom gliding down the longest zipline, he added.

Ortiz said they are staging these activities to boost their tourism industry.*CGS

back to top