Robbers strike again,
another woman killed
BY ADRIAN NEMES III

Robbers killed another woman in Bacolod City yesterday, Police Officer 3 Miller Dionio said.

Stabbed in her house at about 8 a.m. yesterday was Rowena Alabia, 45, married, of Purok Rosal, Brgy. Singcang-Airport.

The housewife succumbed to multiple stab wounds at the Bacolod Adventist Medical Center at about 2 p.m.

A Department of Trade and Industry official yesterday insisted on making refined sugar available at P43 a kilo in the retail market for the next two weeks under a “Pamaskong Handog na Asukal” program, Sugar Regulatory Administrator Rafael Coscolluela said.

Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya insisted on keeping the prices at P43 a kilo but prices of sugar in the retail market have been selling at P44 to P45 a kilo lately. Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila has warned of a possible price freeze on sugar.

“We expressed our objection to the DTI's insistence on pinning down prices because the current retail prices of sugar are not unreasonable, they are just following world market trends,” Coscolluela said.

Negros Occidental Gov. Isidro Zayco yesterday appealed to everyone, including government and rebel forces, for a ceasefire over the Christmas holidays.

“Let us hope for everlasting peace in Negros Occidental,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said if those responsible for breaking the sliding glass door at the provincial government's Economic Enterprise Development Department warehouse facing Gatuslao Street in Bacolod City on Thursday apologize for what they did, he will forgive them.