GONZALEZ SAYS OTHERWISE
Senator fears cover-up
in Solar 1 investigation
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Senator Jamby Madrigal said the findings of the Special Board of Marine Inquiry on the sinking of the MT Solar 1 showed traces of a grand cover-up and a whitewash, but Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez yesterday denied that that would happen.

MT Solar 1 sank off the coast of Guimaras with 2.1 million liters of Petron bunker fuel, triggering an oil spill that hit the shores of Guimaras and Iloilo, and remains a threat to Negros Occidental.

Yesterday a very thin oil sheen was found approximately 65 meters from the coastline of Barangay Balaring, Silay City, the Provincial Disaster Management Team reported. The oil sheen was 30 meters in width and 600 meters in length, it added.

Monico urged to act
on BREDCO ownership
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

The minority members of the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod are recommending that Rep. Monico Puentevella be urged to exert all efforts to help the city government in having the foreshore lease agreement and the titles of the BREDCO port placed in the name of the City.

The SP adopted yesterday the special committee report, that contained the recommendations of Councilors Lyndon Caña, Greg Gasataya, Homer Bais, Dindo Ramos, Thaddy Sayson and Al Victor Espino. It was the result of several conferences conducted to comply with the requirement of a public hearing.

The group passed on first reading three months ago an ordinance asserting the rights of ownership of Bacolod City over the reclamation project, port and port operations at the Bacolod reclamation area.

Gloria could go way of Thaksin,
anti-martial law protestor warns
BY DONALYN GUERRERO

The head of a partylist group said yesterday that the coup that ousted Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra should serve as a warning to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that it could also happen in the Philippines if she does not stop her anti-people policies.

Siegfred Deduro, vice-president of the Bayan Muna partylist for Western Visayas, yesterday joined about 1,000 protestors led by the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan at the Bacolod public plaza to mark the 34th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law.

He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines is divided, and some military men are going against Arroyo.