Labor arbiter gunned down,
alleged assassin killed, too
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

The slain labor arbiter Phibun Pura.*

A labor arbiter of the National Labor Relations Commission was gunned down by an alleged leader of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao at about 1:30 a.m. yesterday in Brgy. Zone 14, Talisay City , Negros Occidental, police said.

The victim was identified as NLRC Labor Arbiter Phibun Pura, 60, of Carmela Valley Homes, Talisay City .

Supt. Joseph Thomas Martir, Talisay police chief, however, said the gunman identified as Edgar Nicor, alias Ka Joshua, was also shot, allegedly by Kenneth Tirthdas who tried to rescue Pura, who was his brother-in-law.

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Negros Occidental Chapter supports the Senate investigation into the NBN-ZTE national broadband deal and is opposing attempts to frustrate the people's right to know the truth, its president Rodolfo Parreño said yesterday.

The IBP Negros Occidental Chapter lauds Senate witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr. for coming out with what appears to be confirmatory information that fraud, corruption, and dishonest dealings were part of the negotiations into the national broadband agreement, its statement released to the DAILY STAR by Parreño and lawyer Andres Hagad, said.

The IBP lawyers also support a deeper investigation being proposed by some Senators into the Northrail and Southrail contracts entered into by the executive department with the Chinese government, the statement said.

Mayor Magdaleno Peña yesterday said the barangay captains of his town are “quite happy” that a member of the Mondia family filed a case against them so they can inform the people of Negros of the Mondias' having used active and former rebels in past elections in Pulupandan town.

Gina Mondia-Villanueva, a member of the Mondia family and employee of the Integrated Stevedoring and Arrastre Corp. in Pulupandan town filed a criminal case for libel and an administrative case of grave misconduct in office and oppression against 20 barangay captains of Pulupandan town before the Office of the Ombudsman for Visayas Thursday.

Peña said the filing of the charges by Villanueva will give the barangay captains the opportunity to inform the people of Negros Occidental that the Mondias' are financially supporting the NPA movement in Negros .