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Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro at the wake of Private First Class John Rey Brasil in Sagay City.*DND photoDefense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Wednesday, June 3, called on those protecting communist terrorists to also investigate the killing of a 79th Infantry Battalion soldier in Escalante City, Negros Occidental.Private First Class John Rey Brasil, 29, was shot in the head by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Barangay Tamlang on Monday, said Teodoro, who visited the soldier's wake at the Sagay District Hospital in Sagay City,  Negros Occidental.Brasil, who was originally from Iloilo, was residing in Murcia, where his 24-year-old wife is from. They have been married for a year, and his wife is devastated and has been given help for post-traumatic stress disorder, Teod...

The Confederation of Sugar Producers Associations (CONFED) is calling on the Department of Agriculture (DA), particularly the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), to immediately implement measures to arrest the surge of red-striped soft scale insect (RSSI) infestation in sugar farms.“Numerous sugar farmers have reported a resurgence of RSSI infestation in their farms. They conduct natural and biological measures to combat its spread, but the infestation persists because the insects simply transfer to adjacent, untreated sugar farms,” CONFED President Aurelio Gerardo J. Valderrama Jr. said in a press statement Wednesday, June 3.“Last crop year, we experienced widespread RSSI infestation in Negros and Panay. We learned that arresting the spread of RSSI cannot be done simply by addr...

A high-value individual was arrested after police seized P952,000 worth of suspected shabu in a buy-bust operation in Bacolod City on Tuesday morning, June 2.The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region identified the suspect as alias “Jenjen,” 23, unemployed, and a resident of Purok Cereza South, Brgy. 3.The operation was conducted at around 6:44 a.m. in Purok Cereza South by the Bacolod City Police Office City Drug Enforcement Unit, together with the City Intelligence Unit and Police Station 2.Police said the operation stemmed from validated intelligence information on the suspect’s alleged involvement in illegal drug activities.Authorities recovered about 140 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated standard drug price of P952,000.Seized during the operation wer...

A 76-year-old man died after his house was razed by fire in Valencia, Negros Oriental, early Tuesday morning, June 2.The Bureau of Fire Protection-Valencia identified the fatality as Primitivo Abellon, single, and a resident of Purok 7, Brgy. Jawa.The fire reportedly broke out at around 5 a.m.BFP-Valencia said responders discovered the remains of Abellon inside the house that was engulfed by fire.Reports also said that the victim lived alone, was active in the community, and had no known health problem.BFP-Valencia also reported that four motorcycles were burned in the fire.Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire and have yet to release the estimated cost of damage.*

Police in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental, seized nearly PHP7 million worth of suspected shabu on May 16.*NORPPO photoPolice in Negros Oriental seized approximately PHP8.4 million worth of suspected shabu and arrested 65 suspected drug personalities during enhanced anti-illegal drug operations in May, a police official said Wednesday, June 3.Capt. Stephen Jaynard Polinar, spokesperson of the Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO), said the accomplishments resulted from relentless operations ordered by police director Col. Timmar Alam."The biggest of the drug haul is the incident in Zamboanguita town, where the suspect is a 'repeat offender,' previously serving a jail term before he was released due to some technicalities," Polinar said.NOrPPO records showed that ...

A 21-year-old motorcycle rider died after his motorcycle struck a concrete road shoulder in Bago City, Negros Occidental. late Tuesday night, June 2.Police identified the fatality as alias “Dreyk,” a resident of Brgy. Poblacion, Bago City.The vehicular incident happened at around 11:52 p.m. along the national highway in Purok Mainuswagon, Brgy. Sampinit.The Bacolod police said  the victim was driving a Honda Click motorcycle from Brgy. Poblacion toward Brgy. Sampinit when he swerved to the right shoulder and hit the concrete road shoulder.The rider sustained injuries and was rushed by the Bago City Rescue Team to the Bago City Hospital.He was declared dead by the attending physician while undergoing treatment.The police said the victim had no driver’s license.*...

A high-value individual and a street-level suspect  were arrested in a joint buy-bust operation in Lazi, Siquijor, on Monday, June 1.The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region said the operation was conducted in Brgy. Simacolong by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Siquijor and Lazi Municipal Police Station.The suspects were identified as alias “Ric,” 46, a fisherman and resident of Brgy. Simacolong, and alias “Ar,” 23, jobless and resident of Brgy. Catamboan, Lazi.Authorities seized about five grams of suspected shabu with an estimated standard drug price of P34,000.Also recovered during the operation were a belt bag, weighing scale, cellular phone, scissors, improvised tooter, Click motorcycle, and P1,000 buy-bust money.Police said the suspects are now ...

Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya (right) meets with the assigned private security guards at the public plaza during their deployment on Wednesday *BCCO photoBacolod City has deployed a team of private security personnel to guard the public plaza, which is undergoing an upgrade funded by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA).Mayor Greg Gasataya said after a two-day briefing, the security guards already reported for duty on Wednesday, July 3.“Based on the contract, there are six of them. Number one, as blue guards, they are allowed to use firearms. Number two, their sense of authority is different from the city’s Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) personnel. Number three, there would be people accountable. That’s why we decided to put blue guards ...

 The current impasse in the Senate is untenable and unacceptable. When political divisions become too extreme and obstruct our mandate, we must all have the courage to pause, gain perspective, reflect, consider and realize that we should put the  Senate, as the institution that we serve, above ourselves. This is not a political contest. I am not taking sides. I am taking a stand for the Senate. My allegiance is not to any faction, personality, group or alliance. This is not about loyalty, betrayal, or choosing one group over the other—this is about duty. Hindi ito usaping pampulitika. Wala akong sinasamahan o iniiwanang grupo, pangkat o paksyon. Hindi ko sinasabi na may mali o tama o may nagkulang o nagmalabis kaninuman. Ngunit hindi...