Carla P. Gomez

Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) is seeking a fair, impartial and fact-based inquiry into the armed encounter in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, that left 19 dead.The inquiry will provide a proper forum and opportunity for all concerned parties to present their version of facts, submit reports, and clarify accounts surrounding the incident, he said on Wednesday, April 29.Benitez, in House Resolution 968 filed Wednesday, asked that the appropriate committee of the House of Representatives be directed to conduct the inquiry “for the purpose of establishing the factual circumstances surrounding the incident and determining whether enactment of a legislative measure is necessary to avoid similar incidents from happening”.Benitez said on April 19 an armed en...

The undocumented Chinese national (right)* An undocumented and overstaying Chinese national was caught at the seaport in Brgy. Mantaangan, EB Magalona, at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 28.The 42-year-old man, who claimed to be from Urumqi, China, was attempting to board an FF Cruz Shipping Corp. vessel bound for Ajuy, Iloilo.However, he told authorities that his passport, documents, and personal belongings had been lost in a Makati City hotel since 2018.Commodore Christopher Auro, commander of the Coast Guard District Southern Visayas, stated that the individual was turned over to the Bureau of Immigration (BI).BI personnel subsequently transported him to Manila via the Bacolod-Silay Airport on Wednesday.Auro noted that the apprehension aligns with the directive of Admi...

The Toboso SB is urging the town’s barangays to support the declaration.* Ronnie Baldonado file photoThe Sangguniang Bayan of Toboso in Negros Occidental unanimously declared the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) persona non grata (unwelcome) within the municipality's territorial jurisdiction during its regular session Tuesday morning, April 28.The resolution urged all Toboso barangays to support the declaration and strengthen programs that promote peace, unity, and development.The Municipality of Toboso fully supports the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and other government agencies in their ongoing efforts to maintain peace and security, the resolution said.The resoluti...

Senator Risa Hontiveros at the Negros Occidental Universal Health Care Summit.* Richard Malihan photoSenator Risa Hontiveros said she supports a full, objective, and impartial investigation to determine what really happened in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, that resulted in the death of 19 individuals.“Only on the basis of truth can there be justice,” she said, at a press conference at Nature's Village Resort in Talisay City where she attended the Negros Occidental Universal Health Care Summit on Tuesday, April 28.Hontiveros said she supports the investigation being undertaken by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR).The CHR is in the best position right now to determine what really happened, Hontiveros said.Hontiveros said she condoles with the families of all 19 casualt...

Provincial Health Officer Dr. Girlie Pinongan, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, Senator Risa Hontiveros, Health Undersecretary Dr. Mary Ann Maestral and DOH NIR Director Dr. Razel Nikka Hao (l-r) at the UHC summit.* Richard Malihan photoDepartment of Health (DOH) Undersecretary Dr. Mary Ann Maestral described Negros Occidental’s expansion from zero to 24 Licensed Primary Care Facilities (PCFs) as a "powerful start" to the province's implementation of Universal Health Care (UHC) program.Speaking at the Negros Occidental Universal Health Care Summit 2026 at Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City on Tuesday, April 28, Maestral said that establishing PCFs in 24 of the province’s 31 local government units (LGUs) is among the highest achievements in the country.The DOH will work closely wi...

DOH Undersecretary Dr. Mary Ann Maestral is reminding the public to take precautions against extreme heat.*The Department of Health (DOH) is urging the public to take stringent precautions as extreme heat continues to affect Negros Occidental, warning of the increased risk of dehydration and heat-related illnesses.DOH Undersecretary Dr. Mary Ann Maestral on Tuesday, April 28, advised the public to schedule errands and outdoor work before 10 a.m. to avoid peak thermal exposure.She also emphasized the importance of remaining in cool, well-ventilated areas whenever possible."It is very important to drink a lot of water and stay hydrated," Maestral said, explaining that the body loses fluids rapidly when exposed to high temperatures.She noted that many common illnesses dur...

Maj. Edgar Tonico Jr.*Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla has named Maj. Edgar Tonico Jr., chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Bacolod City, as the alleged protector of a syndicate operating in Negros Occidental.In a press conference held Monday, April 27, Remulla said Tonico is accused of shielding the syndicate whose illegal cigarette factory in Bago City and unauthorized e-sabong (online cockfighting) hub in Talisay City were recently dismantled.Remulla confirmed that Tonico is currently under preventive custody at the CIDG Negros Island Region (NIR) headquarters while authorities finalize the case build-up for formal charges.The secretary disclosed that the operations conducted last week...

Former rebels and residents of Toboso, Negros Occidental gather for a peace rally in front to Toboso Municipal Hall to condemn the killings of 48 civilians by the New People's Army since last year.* Buklod Kapayapaan photoThe National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said on Monday, April 27, that the recent incidents in Negros Occidental and Samar show a troubling shift in the recruitment practices of the New People’s Army (NPA)The task force said the increasing involvement of foreign nationals and minors in active combat is a development that raises serious concerns regarding the trajectory of the armed movement.Undersecretary Ernesto C. Torres Jr., NTF-ELCAC Executive Director, said that during an armed encounter in Toboso on April 19, two Ame...

The Philippine Army assisting the families of the dead in Toboso claiming the bodies of their relatives.* 3CMO "Peacemaker" Battalion photoThe Communist Party of the Philippines on Monday, April 27, identified all 19 casualties in Barangay Salamanca, Toboso, Negros Occidental, claiming 10 were armed revolutionaries and nine were civilians.The Philippine National Police and Armed Forces of the Philippines have yet to release the full list of names of the 19 casualties whom they said were killed in a series of encounters between the 79th Infantry Battalion soldiers and the NPA in Barangay Salamanca on April . 19.They have maintained that all 19 were armed NPA combatants.Meanwhile, CPP said the 10 NPA fighters killed in the encounters were:· Roger Fabillar (K...