Marchel P. Espina

A pickup vehicle hit by the bullets.*Police Station 3 photoAn ice cream warehouse was strafed at Bangga Subay, Barangay Mandalagan in Bacolod City early Thursday, August 25, and left one employee injured.Delivery driver Anthony Glaraga, 34, of Talisay City, was playing chess beside the warehouse when unidentified men opened fire.Glaraga sustained a gunshot wound to his stomach. He is now in a stable condition.Capt. Armilyn Vargas, Police Station 3 chief, said that a pick-up vehicle that was parked in front of the warehouse was also hit by the bullets.The police are still investigating the incident, as the motive has yet to be established.

Police inspect the scene of the crime in Isabela town.*Isabela PNP photoA barangay captain in Isabela town, Negros Occidental, was gunned down Wednesday, August 24.Killed was Barangay Cabcab Captain Danilo Dautil, 62.The victim was on his way home on board a motorcycle when he was waylaid and shot to death by two unidentified men.Capt. Joseph Partidas, town police chief, said the victim succumbed to gunshot wounds to his chest and head. He was declared dead on arrival at Ignacio L. Arroyo Sr. Memorial District Hospital.Police are looking at insurgency as the motive for the killing.*

The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) warned the public on Wednesday, August 24, against claims that there are kidnappers in the city and other parts of the country victimizing children and teenagers.Lt. Col. Sherlock Gabana, BCPO public information officer, said the “fake” messages spread through social media have caused alarm and confusion to the public.The messages also state the type and color of the vehicles used by the alleged kidnapping group.“The BCPO would like to inform the public once and again that the messages are not true, there is no reported kidnapping in Bacolod City,” Gabana said.He further stressed that there is no kidnapping group operating in Bacolod.Gabana also said that an investigation is being conducted to identify the people or group behind the...

The public hearing last week attended by the CENECO management.*CENECO photoThe board of directors of Central Negros Electric Cooperative Inc. (CENECO) are being urged to attend the next Sangguniang Panlungsod hearing regarding its financial status and refund to consumers.This, after they failed to show up at last week’s hearing that was presided by Bacolod City Councilor Kalaw Puentevella.The councilor said that the invitation to attend the hearing was sent, but the board members did notshow up. Only those from the management led by acting CENECO general manager Ervin Stan Leo Ticar were present.Puentevella said he is expecting the board members to show up in the next hearing, which will be either next week or the succeeding week.He said the board has a lot to clarify,...

The seized drugs in Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City*PDEA photoFour persons were arrested in a drug bust operation at Purok Pag-asa, Brgy. Estefania, Bacolod City, Tuesday night, August 23.Nabbed were suspected drug den maintainer Marlon Treyes, 37, Cherry Panes, 40, Junie Alisbo, 32, and Airene Cantiga, 36.The operation led by the operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Western Visayas and Negros Occidental led to the seizure of 15 grams of suspected shabu worth P102,000, the P500 buybust money, a coin purse and drug paraphernalia.The suspects are now facing drug charges.*

The Central Negros Electric Cooperative said it is closely coordinating with the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) for the restoration of power following the series of brownouts in the past few days.Ervin Stan Leo Ticar, CENECO acting general manager, in as statement Tuesday, August 23, said that the intermittent power interruptions that occurred over the weekend and on Monday, August 22, were due to the overloading of the NGCP Negros-Cebu submarine cable triggering the opening of Bacolod-Silay 69kV protection device.The Bacolod-Silay 69kV line covers the Talisay and Silay feeders.“CENECO would like to reiterate that situations that cause unscheduled power interruptions are unforeseen by the electric cooperatives (ECs), such as CENECO. These circumstances are ...

The scene of the accident in Barangay San Isidro, Toboso, Negros Occidental.*Toboso DRRMO photoA woman was killed while her partner sustained injuries after they figured in an accident at Barangay San Isidro, Toboso, Negros Occidental, on Monday, August 22.Killed was Julieta Librado, 24, while her live-in partner, Reymode Averena, 27, was injured.Police said they were onboard a motorcycle, that was driven by Averena, when it hit a stone, causing the driver to lose control and their falling on the pavement.The woman succumbed to head injuries and died on the spot. She was not wearing a helmet.Police said that the families of the victims have reached a settlement.*

A high-value drug individual was arrested in a drug buy-bust operation at Brgy. 2, Silay City, Negros Occidental Monday, August 22.*Silay PNP photoA reported high-value drug suspect was arrested in a buy-bust operation at Purok Mainuswagon, Brgy. 2, Silay City, Negros Occidental Monday, August 22.Nabbed was 41-year-old Dax Gonzales, who was tagged by the police as a high-value individual.He was arrested after he sold P600 worth of suspected shabu to a police poseur buyer.Recovered from his possession were 18 grams of suspected shabu worth P122,400 and other non-drug items.He is now in custody of the Silay police and facing drug charges.*

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Western Visayas has assured the public that it will improve its distribution system for its one-time cash assistance for indigent students.This, after thousands flocked to Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City on Saturday, August 20, for the initial payout, but only 587 indigent students in the city and the province received cash assistance amounting to P2.203 million.Chaos ensued after the local DSWD office announced that only 600 beneficiaries from Bacolod City and Negros Occidental will be accommodated on the first day of the cash payout. More than 7,000 reportedly lined up outside of the mall. Some had started the queue as early as Friday night, August 19.Videos of the huge crowd forcing their way inside the m...

A man was killed and another was injured when a shooting broke out at a wake in Barangay Japitan, Escalante City, Negros Occidental, on Sunday, August 21.Killed was 33-year-old Jamar Paulino, while injured was Benjie Sabino, 50, who was said to be the target of the shooting.The victims and the suspect identified as 52-year-old Eduardo Mahilum were having a drinking spree at the wake.While Sabino and Mahilum were having a conversation, the suspect showed his firearm to the victim, who advised the latter to keep his weapon as there were many people attending the vigil.This prompted Sabino to leave Mahilum and sit beside Paulino, who was watching others engaged in a card game.Mahilum then went to Sabino and shot him in the face, but the bullet went through and hit Paulino ...