Nueva Vizcaya governor, bishop make peace

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — The war is over!

Bishop Ramon Villena and Gov. Rodolfo Agbayani finally made peace last Monday, renewing their cordial ties that soured when the bishop made a jueteng exposé last February.

"Finally, the war is over," said Gene Basilio Jr., provincial information officer, after Villena and Agbayani emerged from a two-hour, closed-door meeting at the governor’s office.

Earlier, Villena threatened to make public a supposed list of provincial officials and police officers receiving protection money from jueteng operators.

The list supposedly identified a certain "Palmolive" who has been receiving the biggest payola. In an episode, the ABS-CBN public affairs show Assignment allegedly hinted that Agbayani was "Palmolive," prompting the governor to file libel charges against people behind the show.

Villena denied dropping the name of the governor as "Palmolive" when he was interviewed for the Assignment episode. — Charlie Lagasca