Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman.*

Majority of the mayors in Negros Occidental have committed to support a resolution declaring Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman persona non grata and demanding his immediate resignation, La Castellana Mayor Enrico Elumba said yesterday.

Elumba said that, as of yesterday, 29 out of the 32 mayors of the Negros Association of Chief Executives had given their commitment and only three more have to be reached. The resolution against Pangandaman is in connection with the manner in which he installed on Thursday 57 farmer beneficiaries in Hacienda Velez-Malaga in La Castellana., 53 of whom were members of Task Force Mapalad.

Pangandaman last night told the DAILY STAR he was just doing his job when he installed the farmers and did not mean o disrespect to the Negros Occidental officials.

'Dulay status in WV
now permanent'
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

The recommendation of the Philippine Senate to relieve Chief Supt. Wilfredo Dulay, who had ordered the assault of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol, as Western Visayas police chief, has apparently been ignored by the Philippine National Police.

Instead, PNP chief Oscar Calderon approved recently the appointment of Dulay as police regional director of Western Visayas, making his status permanent, police records show.

The assault, supposed to implement an order of the Ombudsman dismissing Governor Niel Tupas Sr. and two provincial board members on graft charges, had shocked the entire country with the force used by the police.

Hagad joining race for
city congressman
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Peace advocate and human rights lawyer Andy Hagad is running for congressman of Bacolod as an independent bet.

"I am giving non-trapo politics another try," he said yesterday.

Hagad, a columnist of the Visayan DAILY STAR, will be running against incumbent Rep. Monico Puentevella and Vice Mayor Renecito Novero for the lone congressional seat of Bacolod.

He also ran for congressman of Bacolod as an independent in 2001 but lost.