SAGAY CITY -- Flowers fell from the sky and the poignant sound of Taps filled the air as thousands of Negrenses bade their final farewell to Gov. Joseph Marañon here yesterday morning.

Superintendent William Señoron, Sagay police chief, said about 10,000 people from all walks of life came for the funeral of the governor, who was laid to rest at the Marañon family cemetery in Barangay Rizal here.

The crowds packed the St. Joseph the Worker Church where the funeral mass was held, while others waited at the cemetery and in front of the Sagay City Hall, and some lined the streets waving flaglets..

About 50 New People’s Army rebels simultaneously raided and burned two sugarcane transloading stations, as well as their heavy equipment in Toboso, Negros Occidental, Sunday night, causing damage  estimated at P4.8 million, the police and military said yesterday.

 Burned at the transloading stations of Victorias Milling Co. and Lopez Sugar Corp. in Brgy. San Jose, Toboso, were four prime movers with trailers, two cranes, a 10-wheeler truck, scale house, two generator sets, and a fuel tank with its pumps.

Col. Honorato de los Reyes, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, yesterday said the simultaneous raids and destruction of properties may have something to do with the rebel extortion activities, or the insurgents wanted to divert the attention of soldiers who are hunting them down in the mountains.

Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri comforts his uncle, Gov. Isidro Zayco, at the funeral mass.*

SAGAY CITY - Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday said Negrenses  as a sign of protest against global warming and  climate change should oppose any  purchase of electricity from  coal-fired plants.

Central Negros Electric Cooperative in Bacolod City  has been under fire for signing a contract to purchase coal power from KEPCO-Salcon Power Corp. in Cebu.

KSPC will build a 200-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Naga, Cebu to supply electricity to CENECO and other electric cooperatives in the Visayas starting 2011.