Three friends drown
in ‘mysterious’ river
BY GILBERT BAYORAN & PATRICK PANGILINAN

Three friends drowned yesterday in what has been described as a “mysterious river” in Brgy. Inapoy, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, despite premonitions and warnings from their family members and friends hours before the incident.

Cyril Olay, 22, Exequil Arroz, 17, and Fred Am-is Jr., 18, all of Brgy. Handumanan, Bacolod, drowned in the Pilyo-Pilyohan River in Brgy. Inapoy, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, at about 10 a.m. yesterday, the police said.

As the red-curtained white car of Funeraria Salvarino carrying the boys’ remains approached the St. Peter Memorial Homes in Brgy. Alijis, Bacolod City shortly before midnight yesterday, the silent crowd that had been waiting there began to sob and embrace each other, calling out their names..

Negros Occidental Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday called on traders not to create an artificial rice shortage by hoarding supply in the hope of making more money.

Zayco issued the appeal as President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday directed Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap to go all-out against rice hoarders to ensure that cheap government rice ends up on the tables of the intended consumers – the country’s poor.

At the same time, Arroyo appealed to  traders to refrain from unnecessarily jacking up prices, particularly of food products not affected by the tightening rice supply and high oil prices in the world market.

Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday said the recent acquisition of new vehicles for Negros Occidental board members did not undergo bidding because they were purchased from exclusive dealers.

If they were purchased from an exclusive dealer it is my understanding that they do jot have to undergo bidding, he said.

Zayco said the vehicles were purchased from the P1.5 million discretionary fund given to each board member, and since the vehicles prices ranged from P1.1 to P1.2 million they still have P300,000 to P400,000 each left for projects for their districts.