Marchel P. Espina

Contributed photoThe Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) based in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, installed its new commander Friday, May 28.Lt. Col.Gerard Alvaran turned over the leadership to Lt. Col. J-Jay Javines, who said that his efforts will always be geared towards achieving their mission while maintaining the morale and welfare of his troops, and professionalism and service excellence, at rites held at the 79th IB headquarters.He also assured stakeholders that the 79th IB will always be a partner in their collaborative pursuit of genuine peace and equitable development.Alvaran, who was also installed as the commander of the 82nd Infantry Battalion based in Cebu, that recently returned to their mother unit in the Visayas following their deployment in Minda...

Local transport leader Diego Malacad is questioning the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board’s service contracting scheme.Malacad, secretary-general of United Negros Drivers and Operators Center, said Thursday, May 27, that he has doubts about the “legitimacy of the contract” since the program was supposed to be an assistance to the drivers as part of the national government’s Bayanihan to Recover as One Act (Bayanihan 2).Under the program, drivers and operators of public utility vehicles can enter into transport service contracts with the government to help ease the impact of the pandemic in the transport sector.In the agreement, the duties of LTFRB include monitoring the operation of the unit on a daily basis, providing a service plan, investigating any compla...

An alleged New People’s Army (NPA) fighter died in an encounter with state troopers at Sitio Bugo, Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental Wednesday afternoon, May 26.Maj. Cenon Pancito III, Public Affairs Office chief of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, said the troops of the 94th Infantry Battalion encountered the rebels while they were conducting combat operations in response to reports of the community about the presence of about seven armed rebels in the area.The firefight ensued for about 10 minutes, he said, adding that the rebels immediately withdrew towards the Cabadiangan creek.No casualty was reported on the government side, he added.Troops also seized a M1 carbine rifle, two .357 caliber pistols, and personal belongings from the encounter site...

Kabankalan PNP photoMore than P400,000 in drugs was seized while two persons were arrested in a buy-bust operation at Barangay 6, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, Tuesday night, May 25.Nabbed were Rolly Dofeliz, 52, the subject of the buy-bust operation, and Edmar Sta. Ana, 38.The two suspects sold a plastic sachet containing shabu worth P500 to a police poseur buyer.When the operative declared he was a policeman, the suspects tried to escape, but they were cornered by the police.Confiscated from their possession were 60 grams worth of shabu worth P408,000, drug paraphernalia, a .357 caliber revolver loaded with six live ammunition, a cellphone, and P1,300 in cash.The suspects are now in the custody of the Kabankalan police and are facing drug charges.*

Photo from Bong Go FB pagePresident Rodrigo Duterte was “appalled” by the numerous killings in Negros Oriental, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday, May 25.Duterte, along with other top national officials, was in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental Monday, May 24, for a National Peace and Order Council closed-door meeting at the Silliman University gymnasium.The president assured the officials of Negros Oriental that the state will do its obligation to investigate the incidents and punish those behind the killings, Roque said.He said Duterte has tasked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to resolve the conflicting claims on untitled lands which triggered the killings.“The president directed them to resolve this dispute in favor of the poor,” R...

PNP photoThe neutralization of two high-value targets is expected to lessen the drug supply in Negros Occidental, Col. Romy Palgue, provincial police director, said Tuesday, May 25.Jordan Abrigo and Jayvee de Guzman, suspected members of the Divinagracia Drug Group, died in an encounter with policemen at Katarungan Village 1, Muntinlupa City, on Sunday, May 23.They also yielded 10 kilos of shabu worth P68 million, P1.5 million bust money, and two loaded . 45 caliber pistols, the police said.The armed encounter came four days after Michael Divinagracia, the alleged leader of the Divinagracia drug group in Silay City, Negros Occidental, was found dead in Rizal province.Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), in a statement, said that the dru...

Aksyon Radyo Bacolod photoA man who went to visit his daughter at Barangay Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, was shot to death by unidentified motorcycle-riding suspects Sunday night, May 23.Police identified the fatality as Angelo Tamparong, 31, of Barangay Payao, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental.The victim went to the residence of his former live-in partner to visit their 12-year-old daughter, but he was allegedly prohibited from entering the house.This prompted the victim to leave, but as he was walking in the street, two unidentified persons on board a motorcycle attacked him.He was brought to Bacolod Adventist Medical Center where he was declared dead on arrival, while the suspects quickly escaped.The victim succumbed to a lone gunshot wound to his head.Police h...

A case for alleged environmental violations is being readied against the owner of a beach resort project in Barangay Pahanocoy, Bacolod City.Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya, head of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office-Bago City, said Monday, May 24, that a case for the illegal cutting of mangroves will be filed against the person responsible for the cut trees at the mouth of the Sum-ag River.He said that the case file was already forwarded to Barangay Sum-ag Captain Rodney Carmona, who earlier sought the help of Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu after the owner of an ongoing beach resort project in his community allegedly committed environmental violations.Carmona said the developer constructed a mini wharf at the entrance of Sum-ag River using concrete boulder mater...

Police Station 7 photoA man who was walking on the side of the road at Kabugwason in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, was shot to death by riding-in-tandem suspects on Friday night, May 21.The police identified the fatality as Audie Gonzaga, 38, of Kabugwason.The victim, who had just left his house to buy food, was waylaid and killed by unidentified men onboard a white motorcycle.The back rider alighted from the motorcycle and shot the victim seven times, the police report said.The victim was rushed to the Corazon Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital but was declared dead on arrival. He succumbed to multiple gunshot wounds to his head and body.Police probers recovered six fired cartridges of a .45 caliber pistol, three deformed metal jackets, one deformed fired...

A 12-year-old girl drowned in a river at Barangay Tooy, Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental Saturday afternoon, May 22.The victim, whose name was withheld by the police, and her minor friends went to the river to play and take a bath.A few minutes later, the friends noticed that the victim was gone so they searched for her. After an hour, they saw her body submerged in the water.The victim was brought by the Himamaylan rescue team to the Governor Valeriano M. Gatuslao Hospital where she was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician.The cadaver of the victim was then brought to a funeral home for a post-mortem examination.*