Showing no signs of panic, two Bohol congressmen—Edgar Chatto and Roberto Cajes, remained cool under fire after a self-styled crusader stepped up his verbal artillery against Bohol lawmakers. Acting like a one man demolition crew, lawyer Victor de la Serna made another vicious tirade, this time, zeroing in on the three congressmen's bank accounts. De la Serna demanded that the three including Cong. Eladio Jala of the third district to open their bank deposits including their wives and children to public scrutiny to prove that they did dip their fingers in the public tills. Full story

AFTER issuing Eskaya Resort and Spa an order to dismantle a barricade the resort set up to cut access to the beaches and spawning complaints, the Provincial Legal Office (PLO) reports: orders complied. In his report to Governor Erico Aumentado dated February 14, PLO Handel Lagunay said “it is apparent that the order to remove the barricade was already complied with as of last week of January, 2007. It may be recalled that in November of last year, the PLO acted favorably on a complaint alleging that Eskaya has set up a road blockade in a barangay road hindering fishermen and bathers access to the beaches in Sitio Sunrise, barangay Tawala, Panglao. The PLO issued the dismantle order to Eskaya Chief Executive Officer Richard Lim. Full story

CONTRARY to the National Democratic Front's press statement that the latest military encounter left them with nary a scratch, army's 302nd Brigade insists the New People's Army suffered heavy casualties. At the recent Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting Monday, army brigade commander Colonel Jessie Dellosa showed that despite being ambushed and tactically disadvantaged, the elements of the 1st Scout Ranger Battalion were able to counter attack and hit hard. Full story

Supplem budget OK'd

GOV. Erico Aumentado Thursday submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) a P44.26-M supplemental budget to cover, among others, the 10-percent across the board salary increase for regular and casual employees effective March 1. The salary increases is the biggest item in the supplemental budget that the SP under Vice Governor Julius Caesar Herrera approved the following day. The increase elicited wild cheers especially from the rank and file as they see hope of coping with the spiraling cost of living though this blessing from the Aumentado-Herrera administration. Full story