Marchel P. Espina

Capitol file photoLocally stranded individuals returning to Bacolod City won’t need to undergo quarantine in city government facilities as long as they present negative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test results issued within 72 hours, or three days before travel, Councilor Cindy Rojas said today, January 17.This was stipulated in Mayor Evelio Leonardia’s new executive order, which he signed on January 4 and was released on Friday, January 15.Executive Order No. 1, series of 2021, or an order establishing the consolidated guidelines for travel into Bacolod, said there is a need for the city government to come up with proper guidelines on essential and non-essential travel into the City to ensure unhampered movement, while also maintaining public safet...

(Front, l-r) Bishop Patricio Buzon (Bacolod), Archbishop Jose Romeo Lazo (Jaro), Cardinal Jose Advincula (Capiz), (second row, l-r) Bishop Jose Corazon Talaoc (Kalibo), Bishop Louie Galbines (Kabankalan), Bishop Gerardo Alminaza (San Carlos), Bishop Narciso Abellana (Romblon), and Bishop Marvyn Maceda (San Jose de Antique) at the 120th Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines plenary assembly in January 2020. Photo from Bishop AlminazaEight prelates in Western Visayas and Romblon, including Cardinal Jose Advincula of Capiz, denounced the killing of nine leaders and members of the indigenous peoples in Panay during police operations on December 30 in Iloilo and Capiz provinces.In a pastoral letter dated January 15, they said: “We, the bishops of Western Visayas, share the gri...

PDEA photoTwo brothers, both tagged by the authorities as high-value targets, were arrested in a drug bust operation at Barangay 6 in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental on Friday, January 15.Nabbed were tricycle driver Jessie James “Aming” Magaso, 34, and younger brother, Gemon “Mamoy” Magaso, 31.The operation conducted by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Negros Occidental along with the local police led to the recovery of 55 grams of suspected shabu worth P374,000.Also recovered from the suspects were drug paraphernalia and the P20,000 buy-bust money.The suspects, who are now in police custody, are facing drug charges.*

OCD-6 photoLocal government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental were told to develop their masterplan for river basins to mitigate flooding, Jose Roberto Nuñez, director of Office of Civil Defense Region 6, said.Nuñez, along with other agencies and local officials, led an aerial assessment today, January 15, of northern Negros Occidental, which was ravaged by floods recently.He said they inspected various major tributaries that usually overflow when heavy rains occur.Based on his initial observation, there is a need for LGUs to develop their rehabilitation and recovery masterplan for river basins, and that there is a need to address the drainage system.He said this is a long-term plan to address the problem.But the immediate solution right now is the “major dredging” ...

BCPO photosMore than P270,000 worth of drugs were seized while four suspects were arrested in separate police operations in Bacolod City Thursday, January 14.First to be arrested was 36-year-old Marc Plary Bayonita, a high-value individual, at Purok Kahirup Village in Barangay Singcang-Airport.During the 5 a.m. buy-bust operation, Bayonita of Brgy. Mambulac, Silay City yielded six sachets of suspected shabu worth P102,000, and the P500 marked money.Also arrested in a separate buy-bust operation at Purok Dughan, Barangay 10 were 42-year-old Ana Marie Dacones and 28-year-old Vincent John Martinez, Major Jovil Sedel, head of Police Station 1, said.Confiscated from their possession were the 12 sachets of suspected shabu worth P54,080, drug paraphernalia, a P200 bill, and th...

Losses to crops and livestock in Negros Occidental due to floods are now at P54.855 million.Based on the latest report released today, January 14, by the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist, damage to the agricultural sector has reached P34.253 million.Of the figure, the rice sector incurred the highest damage with P19 million, affecting 1,073 farmers and 818 hectares in the cities of Sagay, Cadiz, Talisay, Silay, and the towns of Manapla, Valladolid, and Pontevedra from January 8 to 11.Losses to high-value crops in the cities of Escalante, Cadiz, Talisay, and Silay was pegged at P8.178 million, while the fisheries sector reported P5.846 million worth of damage in Talisay, Sagay, Cadiz, San Carlos, and EB Magalona.Sagay also reported P1.117 million damage to corn while i...

Members of the Bacolod City Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) are seeking the help of President Rodrigo Duterte to probe the deal between the Bacolod City Water District (BACIWA) and PrimeWater Infrastructure Inc., which is owned by the Villar family.The resolution requesting Duterte through the Department of Justice to look into the matter and review the validity of the joint venture agreement between BACIWA and PrimeWater, which was authored by Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., was passed unanimously by members of the city council in their regular session today, January 13.BACIWA is considered to be a government-owned and controlled corporation, the same is imbued with public interest and its creation or charter emanated from Presidential Decree 198, Gamboa said.He added that Section 18...