Official about to wed killed
BY GILBERT BAYORAN

Six bonnet-wearing armed men yesterday shot and killed Councilor Jeniviv Fajardo of Moises Padilla town in Negros Occidental, who was to get married on June 21, in Brgy. Pula , Canlaon City , Negros Oriental.

Fajardo, 32, who sustained gunshot wounds on the left side of his stomach and his right thigh, was declared dead on arrival at the Canlaon District Hospital , an initial police report said.

Chief Inspector Rosauro Francisco, Moises Padilla police chief, said Fajardo was on his way to his cabbage farm, on board a motorcycle, when he was shot three times by the unidentified gunmen at about 6 a.m. yesterday, at an overflow area in Sitio Pantao, Brgy. Pula , Canlaon City .

Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes yesterday said that, as the nation celebrated its 110 th Independence Day, it must also strive for energy independence through renewable energy and conservation that is the way of the future.

At the ceremonial switching of power to four villages in Negros Occidental at the provincial capitol in Bacolod City , Reyes called for a shift from “a culture of extravagance and waste, to a culture of conservation and efficiency” as the prices of oil in the world market soar.

He cited the vast renewable energy potential of Negros Occidental from biofuels to hyrdro and geothermal power.

Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes yesterday urged Negrenses to honor the sacrifices of their forebears, who won the freedom they now enjoy, by playing an active role in the politico-economic and socio-cultural life of the nation.

Reyes, who spoke at the 110 th joint Independence Day celebration in Bacolod City , said the Philippine Republic can spell out a socio-economic road map that is designed to lead its people to a more prosperous country.

The medium-term Philippine development plan covering 2006-2010 spells out a number of targets focused on the goal of reducing poverty through job creation and enterprise, he said.