Negros mayors unite
in fight vs. IRA cuts
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

The Mayor's League of the Philippines in Negros Occidental met yesterday in Bacolod City to show solidarity against the reduction of their Internal Revenue Allotment share due to the conversion of 16 new cities.

Present were Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Ramon Torres – Bago, Salvador Escalante Jr. – Cadiz, Carminia Bascon – Himamaylan, Pedro Zayco Jr. – Kabankalan, Demie John Honrado – La Carlota, Alfredo Marañon Jr. – Sagay, Eugenio Jose Lacson – San Carlos, Jose Montelibano – Silay, Eric Saratan – Talisay, Severo Palanca – Victorias and Sipalay Vice Mayor Oscar Montilla who represented Mayor Soledad Montilla. Absent was Mayor Melecio Yap of Escalante.

“Joey de Venecia must be hallucinating again to accuse the first gentleman of plotting to oust his father. The poor boy needs psychiatric help,” presidential brother-in-law Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo Jr. (Neg. Occ., 5 th district) said yesterday.

Talk of a plot to oust Jose de Venecia as Speaker of the House continued to fester despite Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita's statement that the plotters did not have the numbers.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's allies continued to maintain that she has nothing to do with the move.

Seven unidentified armed men yesterday burned a cargo truck owned by a councilor who is a party-mate of Vice Mayor Santiago Barcelona in Brgy. Tamlang, Escalante City .

This came two weeks after Jury Alsado, a supporter of Barcelona , was gunned down in Escalante, an assassination that was claimed by the New People's Army Jean Pelle Command.

Initial police investigations showed that the unidentified group who torched the 6x6 cargo truck of Councilor Antonio Encarquez, carried hand guns.