Former Baciwa head seeks
reversal of Sandigan ruling
Acquitted in two other cases
BY CARLA GOMEZ

The former manager of the Bacolod City Water District has filed a motion for reconsideration before the Sandiganbayan to its decision finding her guilty of three counts of falsification of private documents for allegedly adding P1,700 to sales invoices and order slips from two Iloilo hotels, her lawyer said yesterday.

The Sandiganbayan sentenced Juliana Tan to suffer the indeterminate penalty of one year and one day to three years, six months and 21 days imprisonment for each charge, which her lawyer Roger Reyes said are to be served simultaneously and not separately, over a maximum period of 10 years and six months.

However, Reyes said the decision is not final and that he has filed a motion for reconsideration to the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division ruling on Criminal Cases No 26339, 26349 and 26341 promulgated on Jan. 24, 2006.

Crying bride
interrupts mass wedding
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

A "crying bride" whose partner arrived late, interrupted the rites officiated by Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia at the mass wedding of 373 couples, that he solemnized on Valentine's Day at the Bays Center in Bacolod City.

As the ceremony was about to end, and Leonardia was asking the couples to kiss each other, Bernadette Tocama, 27, of Brgy. Punta Taytay tapped the Mayor's shoulder, saying, "Mayor, my partner and I have not yet been married."

Leonardia cheerfully officiated at a special ceremony for Tocama and her husband, Jee-R Villaluna, 24, on the stage of the Bays Center, when the mass weddings was over.

Vresco president
replaced by Pilla
BY NANETTE GUADALQUIVER

Jose Alan Leonor was ousted as president of the board of the V-M-C Rural Electric Service Cooperative as the controversies hounding VRESCO in recent weeks peaked on Monday

This was disclosed yesterday by Director Ernesto Pilla, who was named new president of the nine-man board, after majority of his colleagues voted for Leonor's ouster during a meeting held at the VRESCO main office in Manapla.

Pilla told the DAILY STAR that Leonor, who still could not be reached for comment, walked out just before the meeting ended.