Marchel P. Espina

BCPO photoA former policeman died in a vehicle crash at Bangga Lote in Barangay Alijis, Bacolod City, Sunday night, December 6.Killed was Aries John Elmission of Barangay Mansilingan.The victim, on board a motorcycle, tried to overtake a vehicle when he bumped into a tricycle that counterflowed on the lane, a police report said.The victim died on the spot.Tricycle driver Jerome Brose, 26, of Barangay Felisa, was pushing the tricycle after it ran out of gas, the police report said.The driver, who was unscathed, was supposed to go to a gas station.Brose is now detained at the police station.*

Barangay captains in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, were urged today to support the local government’s initiatives to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease.Councilor Wilmer Yap, commander of the Emergency Operations Center, said they received reports that barangay officials are not supportive of the contact tracing operations in their areas and that some of those under strict home quarantine were not religiously monitored as they were seen going out of their houses.Both Yap and Joe Recalex Alingasa, City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer and EOC manager, urged the barangay captains to assert their authority over the violators and arrest them.Have it recorded in a police blotter so legal action can be taken by the city government, they said in a press statemen...

Police arrested 16 persons, mostly laborers, after they were caught engaging in illegal cockfighting at Barangay Don Jorge Araneta in Bago City, Negros Occidental on Saturday, December 5.Nabbed were Rommel Galido Francisco, 45, Je-Ar Dela Cruz, 34, Alfredo Solis, 51, Johnny Basto, 40, Virgilio Colango, 54, June Udtuan, 44, Winky Perez 48, and Jeric Davido, 28, of Bago.Also arrested were Jonathan Perez, 34, Willy Solis, 48, Rosendo Locsin III, 53, Joseph Labasan, 44, Dominice Francisco, 19, Roger Gomez, 53, Bryan Delos Garovillo Santos, 37, of Bago, and James Sichon, 53, of Bacolod City.A police report said authorities conducted a campaign against illegal cockfighting in the area and caught the suspects in front of a house, engaging in the activity.Some unidentified individu...

A resident of Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, was arrested in his home on Friday, December 4, for loose firearms.Nabbed was 49-year-old Jerry Emia of Barangay Tapi.Policemen went to the residence of the suspect to implement the search warrant issued by Kabankalan Regional Trial Court Judge Rodney Magbanua for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.”Recovered from the suspect were a 12-gauge shotgun with nine live ammunition, two .38 caliber revolvers with 10 live ammunition, a .22 caliber evolver with eight live ammunition, a black holster, and a toy gun.The suspect, who will face charges, was detained at the police station.*

The Moises Padilla municipal hall has been locked down after one of its employees exhibited COVID-like symptoms, Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo said today, December 4.She said that the female employee, who resides in Binalbagan town, tested positive in an rapid antibody test, which is not conclusive for COVID-19.The mayor said that the suspected patient had already undergone a real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction test and the result has yet to be released.As a precautionary measure, the local government has locked down the municipal hall for two days, since Thursday, December 3, she said.She said that swab tests are being done regularly on Moises Padilla employees who travel to Bacolod City on official business.Municipal Health Officer Dr. Lyle Ladera, in a...

The management of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital, a Department of Health-run hospital in Bacolod City, announced tonight, December 4, that it will limit its admission of patients after it reached its maximum capacity at its Pediatric Ward.Dr. Julius Drilon, CLMMRH chief, said that admissions under the Department of Pediatrics will be temporarily suspended, except for extreme emergencies.“This notice will take effect immediately until further notice,” he said.He also requested the public to contact their hotline at (034) 702-4480 and (034) 701-7865 before the transport and transfer of patients.“We would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding regarding this matter,” he said.*

The inflation, or the rate of increase in consumer prices, in Western Visayas jumped to 3.5 percent in November from 2.5 percent in October, the Philippine Statistics Authority said today, December 4.The national headline has also increased to 3.3 percent in November from 2.5 percent in the previous month, the PSA said.The national inflation in November last year was 1.3 percent.The annual increase of 4.3 percent in the heavily-weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages primarily pushed up the overall inflation in November, PSA said.Also contributing to the uptrend in the overall inflation during the month was the higher annual increment noted in alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 12.3 percent.Meanwhile, annual mark-ups decelerated in the indices of the rest of the commo...

Norppo photoA sexagenarian was arrested by the police in his house at Barangay Anibong, Ayungon in Negros Oriental today, December 4.Nabbed was 66-year-old Policarpo Bantayao, also known as “Carpo.”Joint operatives of the Provincial Intelligence Unit, Regional Intelligence Division-Region 7, 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company, and the Ayungon Municipal Police Station swooped down on the house of the suspect to implement a search warrant for violation of Republic Act 10591 or the “Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.”Seized from the suspect were two homemade 12-gauge shotguns with four ammunition, and a .38 caliber revolver with no markings.The suspect, who will face criminal charges, is now detained at the town police station.Col. Bryant Demot, Neg...

PDEA photoA kagawad and two others were arrested in a drug bust operation at Buri Road in Barangay Mandalagan, Bacolod City, today, December 3.Nabbed were Jan Michael Astorga, kagawad of Barangay 12-A in Talisay City, Dino Dimson of Barangay Granada, and Cris Angelo Abelarde of Barangay Mandalagan. They yielded P1 million worth of drugs.Intelligence Agent Jay-r Espares of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-6 Special Enforcement Team said they had been monitoring the suspects, who were considered high-value targets, for two to three weeks now.He said the suspects were being careful in their transactions and that PDEA agents dealt with them through their confidential informant.The undercover agent transacted to buy 5 grams of suspected shabu worth P14,500, Espares sa...

PDEA photosThe Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has stepped up its campaign against illegal drugs through intensified operations at ports in Negros Occidental to curb drug smuggling.The PDEA-Negros Occidental Provincial Office simultaneously conducted random paneling and K9 sweeping operations at the Ceres North Bus Terminal in Bacolod City on Wednesday, December 2.The operation primarily focused on the waybill section since this area is responsible for mail, parcel, and cargo logistics at the bus terminal.The PDEA-NOCPO Interdiction Team also inspected the Bacolod-Silay Airport, but no drugs were found.Narcotics Detection Dog "Loppy" along with his K9 handler inspected the cargo and parcels at the warehouse of the airport.The operation was part of PDEA-NOC...