The Supreme Court has reversed a Court of Appeals ruling and suspended four officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways in Negros Occidental for three months without pay after finding them administratively liable for neglect of duty.

Of the four suspended DPWH officials, however, two have already retired.

Suspended were Sanny Boy Oropel, current head of the Negros Occidental first engineering district, and his assistant Jaime S.J. Javellana, and then first engineer district chief Rogelio Tongson and Jose Maravilla, for reporting that a P13.4 million road concreting project had been 100 percent completed when in fact it had not. "The act of certifying the project as 100 percent complete when the truth is it was not is unacceptable," the SC said.

'Gretchen definitely running'
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Philip Loyola photo

Rep. Carlos Cojuangco says his mother, Gretchen, can get things done*

"Definitely yes."

Gretchen Oppen Cojuanco, wife of business tycoon Eduardo Cojuangco, has finally decided to run for congresswoman of the fourth district of Negros Occidental, her son Rep. Carlos Cojuangco (4th District, Negros Occ.) confirmed yesterday.

The solon is on his third term and cannot seek reelection.

Mrs. Cojuangco, who is a registered voter of Pontevedra town in the fourth district, has decided to run because she has some advocacies that she can push as a member of congress, such as the rights of battered women, education and the environment, the solon told the DAILY STAR in an exclusive interview.

Judge issues warrant of arrest
for businessman linked to rape
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Silay City Regional Trial Court Judge Reynaldo Alon yesterday issued an arrest warrant against Charles Balbon Sr., a businessman tagged by the police to be the alleged financier of an illegal drug trade in Silay City, Negros Occidental, who has been charged for three counts of rape for the molestation of a minor.

However, the serving of the arrest warrant against Balbon Sr., alias Boss, met a hitch when the police noted that the name of the accused was stated as Charles Balbon Jr., Silay police chief Celestino Guara said.

The separate information filed by Ma. Lisa Lorraine Atotubo, City Prosecutor of Silay, named Charles Balbon Jr. alias Boss, as the respondent in the three counts of rape.