Marchel P. Espina

City PIO file photoThe local government of Bacolod has declared December 13 as “Leonito 'Diotay' Dacles Lopue Day” to recognize his “invaluable and selfless contributions” to the city.Lopue passed away on December 5 in Metro Manila and is mourned by the City of Bacolod which had been his home and to which he had contributed immensely, Mayor Evelio Leonardia said in an executive order signed on Sunday, December 13.Leonardia said Lopue, who was born on March 23, 1950, came from a humble family whose retail trade, the Lopue’s chain of department stores and supermarkets founded by his parents in August 1945, has become an icon of Bacolod.He said through Lopue’s hard work, perseverance, and good business acumen, he went to carve a name for himself, not only for his gain but for ...

A food delivery rider died after he suffered a cardiac arrest along Araneta Highway in Barangay Tangub, Bacolod City, on Saturday, December 12.The fatality was identified as Rene Caceres, 54, of Ramylu Village in the Barangay Tangub.The police report showed that Caceres sideswiped the vehicle of Charlie Alcocillo, 49, of Gardenville Subdivision and fell to the ground.Caceres was rushed to the nearest hospital but was declared dead on arrival.Police Staff Sargeant Celerino Arrollado, investigator of the case, said his cause of death, according to the physician, was due to cardiac arrest. He added that Caceres did not sustain injuries from the accident.It was not known if Caceres suffered from a cardiac arrest before or after the accident, he added.*

Some of the pork products seized by the Provincial ASF Task Force at Bacolod-Silay Airport recently. Photo from Provincial Veterinarian Renante DecenaThe Department of Agriculture in Western Visayas reminded residents to refrain from buying pork products online to stop the spread of the dreaded African swine fever.Remelyn Recoter, DA-Region 6 director, said: “As we celebrate the holiday season, there are attempts to bring in processed pork products from Luzon.”She said, “we are not sure where the sources are coming from,” adding that pasalubongs are good but bring in cash not pork, ham, tocino, and longganisa from Luzon and Mindanao areas affected by the deadly virus.She stressed that WV remains ASF-free.“We are very much thankful to the vigilance of the provincial gove...

A businessman from Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, was shot to death by motorcycle-riding suspects at Rizal Street in Barangay 9 Friday night, December 11.Killed was Leo Biñas, 30, of Villa Concha Subdivision in Barangay Hilamonan.Based on the police report, the victim was supervising, and at the same time hauling his stocks in front of his boutique when the unidentified riding-in-tandem suspects approached and fired at him several times.The assailants, on board a black Yamaha sniper motorcycle with an unidentified plate number, escaped after the shooting.The victim was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.Recovered from the crime scene were five fired cartridges of a .45 caliber pistol.Police have yet to establish the motive of the killing....

Five men, including a senior citizen, were nabbed for possession of illegal firearms in separate police operations in Negros Occidental on Saturday, December 12.First to be arrested was Ricky Sanao, 48, of Hacienda Enriquita in Barangay Tinongan, Isabela.Police operatives swooped down on his house to implement the search warrant for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation law issued by La Carlota Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Cyclamen Jison Fernandez on December 10.Recovered from the suspect’s possession was a .38 caliber revolver with one live ammunition and one fired cartridge.Also arrested in Isabela town was Renante Tobis, 50, of Barangay Sibucawan.Policemen went to his residence to apply the search warrant for ...

Photo from Julius Drilon FacebookThe Department of Health has ordered Dr. Julius Drilon, medical center chief of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City, to answer the abuse of authority complaint filed by a nurse.Dr. Abdullah Dumama Jr., Health Undersecretary-Field Implementation and Coordination Team for Visayas and Mindanao, who signed the order dated June 23 by the authority of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III, directed Drilon to submit his answer or counter-affidavit to the complaint filed by Milagros Atienza, CLMMRH assistant chief nurse for clinical services, in 10 days.The complaint for abuse of authority, grave misconduct, and harassment against Drilon was endorsed by the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas and transmitted by the Cente...

The cities of La Carlota and San Carlos were among the 13 localities in the Philippines that were cited by the World Wide Fund for Nature for their sustainable practices towards a climate-resilient future.The virtual awarding of the One Planet City Challenge (OPCC) was held on Wednesday, December 9.Other localities that were recognized were Cagayan de Oro City, Davao City, Dipolog City, Malolos City, Parañaque City, Pasig City, Quezon City, and Tagum City.The OPCC recognized the cities initiatives and commitments intended to accelerate the shift towards a climate-resilient economy and a low-carbon future.San Carlos City Environment Management officer Arthur Batomalaque there is a need for the locality to establish policies and ordinances regarding programs that promote rene...

Photo from Sipalay LGUThe Sipalay City government is building a P16.9 million evacuation center as part of its efforts to strengthen its disaster preparedness and response.Mayor Maria Gina Lizares led the groundbreaking rites on Wednesday, December 9. The construction of the facility located at Barangay Gil Montilla commenced after.Lizares said that having an equipped evacuation center is important for Sipalay, which is geographically situated in a disaster-prone area."We are near the Negros trench which is one of the reasons why we often experience earthquakes which can potentially trigger a tsunami. We are also prone to storm surges and floods brought by heavy rains," she said.The mayor also urged the barangay leaders, especially in coastal barangays, to strengthen th...

The city government of Escalante is regulating tourism-related activities, sports, and social events in the locality to curb the spread of coronavirus.Mayor Melecio Yap Jr., in an executive order issued on December 9, said the locality is concerned about the economic breakdown and is committed to extending its support for the economic revival in the city.He added that the pandemic has caused tremendous business losses particularly in the tourism industry, which promoted some establishments to close or retrench their employees.Among the adverse effects of the pandemic is the curtailment of the people’s social activities, leisure, and sports, he said, adding that the city recognizes the importance of sports and social activities “for the holistic development of an individual and ...

Karapatan Negros photoMembers of progressive groups in Negros Occidental trooped to the Bacolod City public plaza this afternoon, December 10, to commemorate the 72nd International Human Rights Day.The rallyists braved the heat and downpour as they marched through downtown Bacolod.They called on the government to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and to stop the red-tagging of government critics. They also demanded justice for all victims of extrajudicial killings and called for the junking of the Anti-Terror Law.Clarizza Singson, secretary-general of Karapatan Negros Island, said that throughout President Rodrigo Duterte’s murderous reign, Negros Island has been spattered with blood.“Negros Island is still a simmering ‘so...