Robbers stage rush-hour raid
BY PATRICK PANGILINAN

Eight unidentified men raided a merchandising shop, overpowering security guards in a daring rush hour robbery in Bacolod City last night.

The police said the suspects managed to take 40 cellphones within five minutes from Unitop Merchandising at Gonzaga Street , in Bacolod , despite the rush hour crowd at about 7:30 p.m. yesterday.

Police Station 1 commander, Chief Inspector Noel Manaay, said they are still probing how they did it.

Abalos in Bacolod for the PAL golf tournament.*

Former Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos Jr., who has been accused of allegedly trying to wrangle a $130 million kickback from the controversial national broadband network deal, last night said it is very clear Senate witness Rodolfo Lozada is a “pathological liar”.

Abalos, who is in Bacolod for the Philippine Airlines Interclub golf tournament that kicks off today, has been linked by Lozada to bribes and overpricing in the now-scrapped contract, in his testimony before the Senate.

Abalos told the DAILY STAR he is getting the transcript of Lozada's testimony and will definitely file libel and perjury charges against him for lying under oath.

Bacolod City Legal Officer Allan Zamora yesterday assured that there will be no whitewash in the investigation to be conducted by his office on the alleged irregularity involving the purchase of 10 dump trucks.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod will also conduct a separate formal inquiry on the matter.

Mayor Evelio Leonardia has tasked Zamora to look into the allegations of a salesman of Commercial Motors Corporation that there was a “standard operating procedure” involved in the transaction.