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The drugs seized at Estancia Subdivision Tuesday night.*PNP photoThe police seized P510,000 in suspected shabu and arrested two persons at Brazil Street in Estancia Subdivision, Brgy. Mandalagan, Bacolod City, at 9:57 p.m. Tuesday, February 21.Arrested were "high value drug target" Rowena Garcia Ponce, 44, and Alter Torres Hernaez, 32, of Brazil Street, the police reported.They were arrested in a buy bust operation conducted by the City Drug Enforcement Unit led by Capt. Joven Mogato.Seized were 75 grams of shabu worth P510,000, the report said.The arrested persons were turned over to Police Station 3 for proper disposition.*

City Social Welfare Officer Sally Abelarde said P360,000 was distributed to 36 fire victim families in Bacolod City on Tuesday, February 21.The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) VI distributed P10,000 for each family, she said. The recipients were 34 fire victim families from Barangay 10, one from Barangay Felisa and one from Barangay 27, she said.The Office of Senator Bong Go also distributed grocery packs, umbrellas and T-shirts and raffled off a cellphone, shoes, a bike and watch.Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the city government will provide those whose houses were destroyed P15,000 each and P10,000 for those damaged.Benitez said a better housing solution needs to be found for the fire victims in Barangay 10.They cannot just be allowed to rebu...

Tension at the Libertad Market Annex Building in Bacolod City on Tuesday morning.*Nico Delfin photoTwenty seven fruit stalls at the Libertad Market Annex Building in Bacolod City were raffled off to previously identified vendors on Tuesday afternoon, February 21, City Administrator Pacifico Maghari said.They will discuss the status of the stall assignments in the other sections of the annex on Wednesday, he said.The market committee will deliberate on the complaints aired, Maghari said.The raffle of the stalls in the other areas did not take place Tuesday amid complaints from some vendors that they had not been included in the master list despite their having been longtime market tenants.Maghari said the masterlist of vendors had been verified several times.Those ex...

The police have not located the four wanted persons with addresses in Negros Occidental, who are believed responsible for the disappearance of missing “sabungeros (cockfighting enthusiasts)” in the Manila Arena.The four security guards and the two others wanted with them are considered armed and dangerous, Capt. Judesses Catalogo, Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office spokesperson, said Tuesday, February 21.The Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on Friday, February 17, released wanted posters of the six accused security guards. A reward of P1 million is being offered for the arrest of each of the six or a total of P6 million, the CIDG announced.The four from Negros Occidental on the poster are Mark Carlo E. Zabala, 29, of Barangay II (Pob...

Negros Occidental Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Merle Garcia and Provincial Health Officer Ernell Tumimbang*Richard Mailhan photoNegros Occidental Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer (PSWDO) Merle Garcia and Provincial Health Officer Ernell Tumimbang are set to retire this year.Garcia is retiring on February 24 and Tumimbang in June, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Tuesday, February 21.A new permanent social welfare officer will have to be found because it is a Seal of Good Local Governance requirement, he said.Diaz also said a PHO transition team or OIC will start work in April.There are a lot of concerns that the PHO needs to address, including nutrition and sanitation, he said.He said the PHO report that there wer...

There are now three firms interested in investing in the bulk water project of Negros Occidental, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Tuesday, February 21.The three are Suez, Manila Water of billionaire Enrique Razon Jr. and Aboitiz InfraCapital, he said.Whether or not the unsolicited proposals are submitted, the Negros Occidental provincial government will continue to conduct its bulk water project feasibility study, he said.Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson wants to ensure that water rates for Negrense consumers are reasonable, Diaz said.An investors’ forum is set for June, but it could also be held earlier, Diaz said. “I we can hold the investors’ forum and conduct the bidding earlier I think the governor and our water consumers will be happy,” he said.The provin...

NBI Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino*The National Bureau of Investigation arrested four persons and issued subpoenas against two barangay captains in connection with the illegal operation of Small Town Lottery (STL) in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, NBI Bacolod chief Renoir Baldovino said Tuesday, February 21.Baldovino said the person suspected to be the financier of the illegal STL operations is a former elected official, whom he did not name, pending further investigation.The lone Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office authorized operator of STL in Negros Occidental and Bacolod City is Super Lucky Beagler Inc., Baldovino stressed. Others who collect STL bets are illegal, he said.Issued subpoenas were Barangay 5 Captain Joel Alibango and Barangay 6 Captain Franz Seguiro ...

The smuggled sugar at the Manila International Container Port (MICP) on Friday, February 17.*BoC photoSen. Risa Hontiveros is calling on the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to investigate the entry of Thai sugar into the country through the Port of Batangas in what appears to be “government-sponsored smuggling.”The shipment of sugar in 260 units of 20-foot containers arrived February 9 six days before the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) issued Sugar Order No. 6 on February 15 for the importation of 440,000 metric tons of sugar, she said in a Senate press briefing on Tuesday, February 21.“That a shipment arrived on February 9 appears to be confirmed by this letter to the Bureau of Customs from the Department of Agriculture dated February 14, 2023, flagging shipments of sugar ...

The accident in Silay City that lleft a motorcycle driver dead.*PNP photoA truck accidentally ran over a motorcycle driver causing his instantaneous death at the Hinicayan Road in Brgy. E. Lopez, Silay City, Negros Occidental, 10:45 a.m. Sunday, February 19.Antonio Granada, 30, of Sitio Mantabanon, Brgy. Camang-Camang, Isabela, who was driving a Kawasaki Barako motorcycle without plate number was killed, the police reported Monday. His passenger Michael Sung, 30, of Hacienda Marigasa 2, Brgy. E. Lopez, Silay City, sustained minor injuries.The truck driver Walden Gale, 57, of Silay City was detained, the police said.Police investigation showed that the truck driven by Gale was travelling from south to north while the motorcycle was trailing from behind.Gale changed lanes...