Negros Oriental

Three suspects are now in police custody following the killing of an American national in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, while authorities continue to hunt down another suspect who remains at large.On July 16, The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO NIR) said two suspects were arrested and another voluntarily surrendered following sustained hot pursuit operations by the Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Carpenter.”Arrested were Mark Bucog Oracoy, 26, of Brgy. Ajong, Sibulan, at around 9:56 p.m. on  Wednesday, July 15, and Jal Piañar Filipinas, 40, also of Brgy. Ajong, at around 10:35 p.m. the same day.At around 4:06 a.m. on  Thursday, July 16, Ciem Mansing Diputado, 21, likewise a resident of Brgy. Ajong, voluntarily surrendered to authorities.The s...

Police arrested 21 wanted persons in Negros Oriental from July 7 to 13 as authorities intensified manhunt operations across the province.Based on the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO) weekly accomplishment report, those arrested included one regional most wanted person, three provincial most wanted persons, two city or municipal most wanted persons, and 15 other wanted persons.During the same period, NOrPPO also conducted eight anti-illegal drug operations that led to the arrest of eight suspects and the confiscation of 32.75 grams of suspected shabu valued at P222,700.In its campaign against illegal gambling, police carried out 25 operations, resulting in the arrest of 28 individuals and the confiscation of P4,948 in cash and other gambling paraphernalia.Au...

Renowned marine biologist Dr. Kent Carpenter.*Tubbataha Reefs Facebook page photoThe Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has honored internationally renowned marine biologist Dr. Kent Carpenter following his passing, recognizing his decades of research that helped deepen scientific understanding and advance conservation efforts of the Philippines' rich marine ecosystems and biodiversity.Carpenter, a Research Associate of Silliman University in Dumaguete City, was killed in his home in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, on Sunday.Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna extended the DENR’s condolences to the bereaved family, friends and colleagues of Carpenter, including the global marine science community.He said the scientist's work strengthened the country's marin...

Commission on Elections Chairman George Erwin Garcia (third from left) at a press conference in Bais City, Negros Oriental on Wednesday.* PNA/Mary Judaline Flores Partlow photoCommission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia issued a stern warning on Wednesday, July 15, to candidates of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) against leveraging government resources to advance their campaigns.Speaking at a press conference in Bais City, Negros Oriental, Garcia said that while the implementation of public programs and the distribution of financial assistance are not entirely prohibited, local government units must first secure a formal Comelec exemption.He also underscored the need to monitor who is utilizing state resources, noting that some politici...

American marine scientist Kent Carpenter*Sillliman University photoThe Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday, July 15,  said it now has two "persons of interest" (POI) in the fatal shooting of an American marine scientist and the alleged sexual assault of his Filipino partner in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.Negros Oriental Police director, Col. Timmar Alam, said the 34-year-old woman, who was the partner of Kent Carpenter, 73, is considered a POI, along with her sibling, who has been frequently visiting the couple's house.“We already have a POI, we have 2 POIs, but hopefully they can help us pinpoint the suspects we saw (the live-in partner). For now, she is still considered a POI and the other POI is the woman's brother. He is the one who often goes to the house,” Ala...

Dumaguete City will host the inaugural 6200 BookFest from July 17 to 19 at Filinvest Mall, bringing together national publishers, independent booksellers, authors, and readers.The three-day event is being positioned as the first regional book fair of its kind in the Negros Island Region and will also serve as a host event for the National Book Development Board’s Philippine Book Festival in the Regions.Themed “Across the Shores,” the fair will feature a marketplace for publishers and booksellers, along with book launches, author talks, and workshops for readers, writers, and educators.Historian and author Ambeth Ocampo will deliver the keynote address.Ocampo is known for his writings on Philippine history and national hero José Rizal, including the book Rizal Without the Ov...

Six people were injured after a wing van struck a motorcycle with a sidecar along the national highway in Valladolid, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday morning, July 14.Police identified the motorcycle driver as alias “Ian,” 42, a resident of Valladolid, whose driver’s license was already expired.His five passengers were identified as aliases “Rona,” 41; “Angelo,” 23; “John,” 24; “Ramelyn,” 22; and “Pinky,” 24.The Mitsubishi wing van was driven by alias “Fernando,” 38, a resident of Sibulan, Negros Oriental.Police said both vehicles were traveling north from San Enrique toward Valladolid when the wing van struck the Kawasaki Barako motorcycle at around 8:30 a.m.The motorcycle driver and his passengers sustained injuries on different parts of their bodies.Personnel of th...

Dr. Kent E. Carpenter made groundbreaking contributions that transformed the global understanding of Philippine marine biodiversity.*Silliman University photoSilliman University (SU) on Tuesday, July 14, said it joins the international scientific community in mourning the loss of Dr. Kent E. Carpenter, a distinguished marine biologist who was killed in his home in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, on Sunday evening.He was a research associate at Silliman  and Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences at Old Dominion University in Virginia, United States.At about 11:30 p.m. Sunday, July 12, three suspects forcibly entered the victim’s residence in Barangay Ajong, Sibulan, while he and his live-in partner were watching television,  Capt. Stephen Jaynard Polinar, spokesperson of...

 Police investigators examine clothing and other personal belongings at the residence of an American national who was shot dead in Sibulan, Negros Oriental, on Sunday evening.* NORPPO photoThe Philippine National Police (PNP) has created a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) to investigate the  fatal shooting of an American marine scientist and the alleged sexual assault of his Filipino partner in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.Capt. Stephen Jaynard Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NORPPO), in a virtual press briefing on Tuesday, said that SITG Carpenter is composed of police investigators, personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the Provincial Anti-Cybercrime Team, Scene of the Crime Operatives, and other law enforcem...

Search and retrieval operations are continuing for a 44-year-old fisherman who was swept away by strong river currents in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental, on Monday night, July 13.The missing fisherman was identified as Ritchel, a resident of Sitio Bateria, Brgy. Poblacion.Witnesses Kelvin and Rufino told authorities that the victim attempted to help secure their pump boat amid the dangerous river conditions.The witnesses said they tried to stop him because he was allegedly intoxicated and the river current was strong.However, the victim continued toward the boat, lost his balance, and was carried away by the floodwaters.Personnel of the Guihulngan City Police Station, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and Bureau of Fire Protection are conducting retr...