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 The fire that destroyed 80 houses and damaged nine in Puroks Katilingban 1 and 2.* Roentgen Baring photo A fire razed 89 houses in a "red zone" neighborhood in Barangay 39, Bacolod City, on Friday morning, Feb. 27, displacing 849 residents. The blaze, which tore through the densely populated Puroks Katilingban 1 and 2, destroyed 80 houses and damaged nine affecting 207 families, City Social Welfare Officer Richelle H. Verdeprado said. It was the second time the area had been hit by a fire, residents said. The blaze started at 11:06 a.m. in an area that had been tagged as a "red zone" due to its being highly vulnerable to fire, Fire Inspector Jenmarie Tapiru, Bacolod Deputy Fire Marshal, said. The houses were made of light materials and built close to each ...

La Castellana covered in ash on Friday.*Ralf Pancho Montiflor photoA moderate explosive eruption at Kanlaon Volcano on Thursday night, followed by renewed ash emissions on Friday morning, has sent ashfall and sulfuric smell across 137 barangays in 18 towns and cities in Negros Occidental. Affected by the falling ash  are the municipalities of La Castellana, San Enrique, Murcia, Hinigaran, Moises Padilla, Binalbagan, Isabela, Pontevedra, Ilog, Hinoba-an, Candoni and Cauayan, as well as the cities of La Carlota, San Carlos, Bago, Himamaylan, Kabankalan, and Sipalay, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported on Friday, Feb. 27. Sulfuric smell was also reported in some areas close to the volcano. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Off...

The CIDG raid at the mining site in Hinoba-an*The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) arrested nine persons and seized ₱17.5 million in evidence during an “illegal mining” crackdown in Barangay Bacuyangan, Hinoba-an, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, Feb. 26.The raid resulted in the arrest of nine suspects, including one Chinese national, the CIDG reported on Friday.The nine suspects were identified only as aliases Xiong (the Chinese national), Bert, Joey, Chris, Rey, Leo, Randy, Dante, and Egay, who were caught while allegedly extracting mineral resources.The CIDG said the group lacked the necessary mining rights, permits, or agreements from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), rendering the entire operation illegal.Seized from them were two backhoes, th...

Bomb threats temporarily disrupted operations at the Hall of Justice in Bago City and a public high school in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, Feb. 26.In Bago City, employees of the Hall of Justice received a bomb threat through the messaging application Messenger, prompting authorities to conduct security procedures.The police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team conducted a panel inspection of the facility, but no explosive device was found.Operations at the Hall of Justice resumed after authorities declared the area clear.A bomb scare also interrupted classes at Mabini National High School in Escalante City.Police said the school principal received a text message from an unidentified sender claiming that a bomb had been planted inside the Grade 9 and Grade...

Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez provided immediate food assistance to the families affected by a fire that hit Barangay 39 in Bacolod City on Friday morning, Feb. 27, his spokesman Caesar Distrito said.The fire destroyed 80 houses and damaged nine in Puroks Katilingban 1 and 2, affecting 207 families (849 individuals), City Social Welfare Officer Richelle H. Verdeprado said.The office of Benitez immediately provided 950 packed meals and 204 food packs to the fire victims, Distrito said.The food packs contained rice, canned goods, and noodles.A soup kitchen was also set up to continuously provide hot meals for evacuees and affected residents, Distrito said.Benitez stressed the need for swift assistance during emergencies and assured the fire victims that help would continu...

The New People’s Army (NPA) has claimed responsibility for shooting a man to death outside his residence in Barangay Dian-ay, Escalante City, Negros Occidental, Thursday morning, Feb. 26.The police earlier reported that a 42-year-old resident of Sitio Lumanab in Dian-ay was discovered lifeless at around 9:55 a.m. on Thursday.Initial investigation showed that the victim’s sister found his body lying outside the house with visible gunshot wounds to the head and other parts of the body.Police also recovered eight fired cartridge cases at the scene, believed to be from a .45 caliber firearm.Authorities initially said the victim was shot by unidentified suspects and was declared dead on the spot.The Roselyn Jean Pelle Command of the NPA in a statement Friday claimed responsi...

The policemen deployed to secure the regional meet* PRO-NIR photoThe Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) is set to provide extensive security coverage for the Negros Island Region Athletic Association Meet (NIRAAM), which kicks off at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, at 4 p.m. on Sunday, March 1.Bacolod City will host the meet to be held from March 1 to 7. The adjacent cities of Silay, Talisay, Bago and Victorias will also serve as playing venues.About 145 police personnel will be deployed, including 75 from the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (NOcPPO) and 25 from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion (RMFB), who will be augmented by the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), the PRO-NIR said in a press statement Friday,...

A vehicular crash in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, led to the arrest of a motorcycle rider and the confiscation of an improvised firearm and ammunition on Thursday, Feb. 26.Police said the incident happened at around 6:30 p.m. in Purok Dalawidaw, Brgy Binicuil.A parked Montero Sport SUV was sideswiped by a SKYGO 125 motorcycle traveling northbound toward Kabankalan City proper, the police said.The SUV was driven by a 33-year-old businesswoman, while a 34-year-old laborer drove the motorcycle,When the responding policemen approached the scene to conduct a standard traffic investigation the motorcycle driver allegedly resisted and attempted to evade authorities.With the assistance of barangay tanods, the suspect was eventually arrested, the police said.During th...

Two men were arrested after a checkpoint evasion in Silay City led to the seizure of suspected illegal cigarettes on Thursday afternoon, Feb. 26.Arrested were alias “Ram,” 38, from Brgy. Pahanocoy, Bacolod City, and alias “Predo,” 35, from Brgy. Concepcion, Talisay City.Silay police said the incident began at around 4 p.m. after a concerned citizen reported an alleged armed individual aboard a red Mitsubishi Expander.Authorities set up a checkpoint in Brgy. Bagtic, but the vehicle allegedly made a U-turn and attempted to flee toward Bacolod City.The police launched a hot pursuit operation and intercepted the vehicle along the Circumferential Road in Brgy. 5, Silay City.During inspection, officers discovered assorted cigarette packs inside the vehicle that allegedly had ...