Airport retention lobby
brought to Malacañang
BY CARLA GOMEZ

A petition for the retention of the present Bacolod airport along with about 100,000 signatures supporting it was submitted by Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia to Malacañang yesterday.

The Department of Transportation and Communication has announced that the P5.6 billion New Bacolod-Silay Airport is set to open Jan. 18 in Barangay Bagtic, Silay City , and the present Bacolod airport will be shut down after the last flight on Jan. 17.

Leonardia, along with Charlie Hagad, Lucy Ponce and Rodolfo Alvarez of the Retain the Bacolod Airport Movement, submitted the petition to Executive Secretary Edgardo Ermita.

Solons look into
shuttle to new site
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Concerned government agencies are now working to install a lighting system along the road leading to the New Bacolod Silay Airport and setting up an affordable shuttle system to ply about 20 kilometers from Bacolod City .

This was announced yesterday in a Philippine Information Agency press statement but it did not say if such would be in place in time for the opening of the new airport on Jan. 18.

Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson (Neg. Occ., 3 rd district) and Rep. Monico Puentevella ( Bacolod ) said they would look into the work done as far as setting up an affordable shuttle system is concerned.

Housewife brutally
slain, rape likely
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

A housewife was brutally killed and believed sexually molested, Wednesday in a sugarcane field of Hacienda Basa 2 in Brgy. 10, Victorias City , police said yesterday.

Imelda Manapo, 42, also a farm worker, bore multiple hack wounds in the head, Supt. Norberto Boston, Victorias police chief, said.

Police said her body was half-naked, without her short pants and underwear, and was “spread-eagled” when found by her husband, Serafin, at about 6 p.m. on Wednesday, almost two hours after she failed to return to their home in the hacienda.