Top Stories

Barangay Captain Joseph Delos Santos*“It's a sad day indeed but life must go on,” Bacolod Barangay Captain Joseph Delos Santos said on Friday, August 4, following his suspension for another six months.“I'm signing off in my political career but not in serving my people,” he said in a Facebook post.The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod on Wednesday suspended him as Barangay 16 captain for another six months for gross neglect of duty for five unjustified consecutive absences from barangay sessions in violation of the provisions of the Local Government Code of 1991.De los Santos said it was his third suspension.“I am humbled by this setback in my life but it will not stop me from dreaming of a happy ending in my struggle. Thank you to all those people who believe in me and wh...

Representatives of the micro-enterprises in Bacolod City who received the livelihood assistance with Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson and City Department of Social Services and Development head Sally Abelarde *Three micro-enterprises in Bacolod City are recipients of P1.245 million in livelihood assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development through the Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).These include the Mabandata 110 Unload Association, South Women's Association, and Mainuswagon Mavistafehan Association, a report on Friday, August 4, showed.“The funding assistance will contribute to the growth and success of the beneficiaries’ respective livelihood ventures, making a positive impact on the local economy and the lives of those involved,” said the city’s Depar...

The Balay Negrense, Negros Occidental’s first lifestyle museum located on the historic Cinco de Noviembre Street in Silay City.*The famous Balay Negrense museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental, will undergo rehabilitation and renovation after its care and preservation was formally turned over by the Negros Cultural Foundation Inc. (NCFI) to the provincial government.“The provincial government will now manage the maintenance and renovation of the house, given the responsibility of preserving the shared heritage,” the provincial government said in a statement on Friday, August 4.In rites at the Governor’s Office on Thursday, NCFI president Lyn Gamboa presented to Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II a roof garden baluster from Balay Negrens...

PCol. Noel Aliño, Bacolod police director, said when I get evidence against them I will arrest all of them.*Voluntarily surrender now or face police investigation and arrest.That was the warning of PCol. Noel Aliño, Bacolod police director, on Friday, August 4, to the 49 job order workers and four regular employees of the Bacolod City government who tested positive for drugs.“They should voluntarily surrender to me so they can undergo rehabilitation,” Aliño said.They should also disclose where they got their drugs, he said.“We will not force them to surrender but we will conduct police operations against them,” he said.Aliño said “they are now under surveillance and investigation. When I get evidence against them I will arrest all of them”.The 49 JO workers and ...

A woman was found dead near a creek in Brgy. 1, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, August 3.She was identified as Erma Rose Higtenta, 41, from Bacolod City and temporarily residing in San Carlos, the police said.Lt. Col. Jesus Mesahon, San Carlos City police chief, told DIGICAST NEGROS that there were reports that the victim was allegedly tagged for involvement in scamming operations and the illegal drug trade.These allegations are still being investigated, he said.Residents reportedly heard a gunshot before the victim was found dead but the police did not recover any empty bullet shells.Mesahon said that a medico-legal examination will be conducted on the body of the victim.*

The police arrested the 8th most wanted person in Western Visayas in Brgy. Camalanda-an, Cauayan, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday, August 1.Arrested was Rolly Gutang, 27, of Sitio Lupni, Brgy. Hilamonan, Kabankalan City, the Police Community Affairs and Development Group-Western Visayas said in a statement Thursday, August 3.The police served a warrant of arrest against the suspect for an alleged murder case with no bail recommended.Regional Trial Court Judge Rodney Magbanua issued the warrant against Gutang on July 18 this year.Officers from the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, and Bacolod City Maritime Police Station led the arrest of Gutang.The suspect is now under the custody of the CIDG in Negros Occidental.*

Daily pig deaths from various diseases in Negros Occidental remained at a single digit for a third day on Thursday, August 3.There were two deaths reported in Kabankalan City and three in Cauayan on Thursday, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.The Provincial Animal Biosecurity Incident Management Team (PABIMT) is continuing to implement measures to keep the pig deaths down, he said.There are now 1,593 pig houses in affected local government units that have been decontaminated and readied for re-population as soon as practicable, Diaz said.This is subject to laboratory RT-PCR testing to finally determine if there are still Hog Cholera or African swine fever viruses in affected areas, he said.Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said as long as they can so...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson on Thursday, August 3, congratulated the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) headed by PCol. Leo Pamittan for being named the Best Police Provincial Office in the entire country.NOCPPO had a score of 92.33 percent and is expected to receive the award at the 122nd Police Service Anniversary at Camp Crame on August 8.The Bacolod City Police Office was also named the Best City Police Office in the entire country.Lacson said he congratulated Pamittan for the NOCPPO achievement, noting that it was also a top performer last year.“I told him I hope every year you can maintain that performance,” he said.The NOCPPO’s making it to No.1 shows that it is performing well as far as the standards of the PNP are concerned, Lacson said.*

The Himamaylan City government in Negros Occidental gave P80,000 in cash assistance to eight former rebels on Wednesday, August 3, the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade reported.The Himamaylan City Social Welfare Development Office together with the police and military officials turnover P10,000 to each of the former rebels in a ceremony at the Himamaylan City Government Center.Civil-Military Operations Officer of the 303rd Brigade, Capt. Mervin Rosal, said that the eight former rebels had surrendered to the 94th Infantry Battalion and the Himamaylan police.The former rebels also received food packs and personal hygiene kits from the local government and City Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC).Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, s...

The drug bust in San Carlos City.*PNP photoBrothers and a Ceres bus driver were among seven individuals who were arrested in separate buy-bust operations in two towns and a city in Negros Occidental on Wednesday and Thursday, August 2 and 3.About P245,580 worth of suspected shabu was seized from them, the police reportedFive individuals were arrested and 0.8 gram of suspected shabu worth P5,440 and drug paraphernalia were seized in Sitio Bagroy, Brgy. Delicioso, Ilog town, 12:03 a.m. Thursday, the police said.Mark Talanguines, 29, Joven Tapang, 27, Jake Albito, 33, Jason Tapang, 32, and Leo Labrador, 24, all from Cauayan town, were arrested.Ilog Police Executive MSgt. Jomel Villavicencio told DIGICAST NEGROS that Jason and Joven are brothers, while Labrador was a Ceres ...