Three Police units and a junior police officer in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City are among the regional awardees to be honored by the Philippine National Police led by Director General Arturo Lomibao at Camp Martin Delgado in Iloilo City on Feb. 6.

The awardees are the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office - Provincial Police Office for 2005, the Bacolod City Police Office - Best City Police Office for 2005, Victorias City Police Station - City Police Station for 2005, and Sr. Insp. Rico Santotome - Junior Police Commissioned Officer of the Year.

Sr. Supt. Charles Calima yesterday said NOPPO also ranks 2nd among 79 police provincial offices nationwide.

Congress deliberates
on soldiers pay hike
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Lt. Gen. Abraham Bagasin, commanding general of the AFP Central Command, yesterday said Congress is now deliberating on the proposal to increase the pay and allowances of soldiers.

Military records show that, for almost two decades now, soldiers receive P60 daily subsistence allowance and P240 as combat pay a month.

Bagasin said there are several versions of bills in Congress increasing the subsistence allowance of soldiers either to P100 or P120, and their combat pay from P240 to an equivalent of 25 percent of their basic pay.

GMA moves to
curb sugar hoarding
12% VAT STARTS TODAY,
MONITORING ORDERED
BY CARLA GOMEZ

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday said the government is stepping up the temporary importation of sugar so hoarders will not make money from their illegal activities.

"To teach (these hoarders) a lesson, I have authorized the importation of sugar," Arroyo said.

Sugar Regulatory Administrator James Ledesma said this means the SRA will step up the planned importation of 50,000 metric tons of sugar from July to as soon as possible.