Army, Church unite
for respect of rights
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Church and military leaders in Negros rallied behind the creation of the Church-Military Advisory Group in Negros yesterday, which they said aims to ensure respect for human life and dignity and achieve sustained peace and development in Negros.

The MOU was signed by Col. Honorato de los Reyes – Army 303rd Infantry Brigade chief, Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra and Kabankalan Bishop Patricio Buzon in the presence of Lt. Gen. Victor Ibrado – APF Central Command chief, and Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak – military ordinate of the Philippines, at the Diocesan Center of Bacolod.

San Carlos Bishop Jose Avincula and Dumaguete Bishop John Du who were not present had separately signed the MOU.

Chief Inspector Jefferson Descallar will remain as police chief of Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, despite two arrest warrants issued against him, Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director, said yesterday.

The two arrest warrants were issued by the Cadiz City Regional Trial Court and Municipal Trial Court in Cities of Cadiz against Descallar for arbitrary detention and violation of Section 4 of RA 7438, or an Act Defining Certain Rights of Persons Arrested, Detained, or Under Custodial Investigation.

The filing of charges and issuance of arrest warrants against Descallar were for the arrest of Marcelino Palomo in 2007, who was mistaken by his team as one of the most wanted persons in Western Visayas.

Two sisters disappeared in the Sicaba River after they fell off a bamboo bridge in Barangay Caduhaan, Cadiz City, at about 4 p.m. yesterday, Vice Mayor Samson Mirhan said last night.

The two were identified as Jonalyn, 12, and Jessa Joy, 6, Dimotica, he said.

It was raining hard so the teachers allowed their pupils at the Barangay Caduhaan Elementary School to go home earlier than usual, he said.