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The buy-bust operation in Purok Kapawa, Barangay Tangub, Bacolod, Thursday night*BCPO photoThe police seized P680,800 worth of suspected shabu in two towns and two cities in Negros Occidental on Wednesday and Thursday, June 21 and 22.The City Drug Enforcement Unit arrested Harem Barbiera Muleta, 26 of Barangay Aguisan, Himamaylan City, in a buy-bust operation Purok Kapawa, Barangay Tangub, Bacolod City, 9:22 p.m. Thursday.Confiscated from him was about 70 grams of suspected shabu valued at P476,800, the police said.The police also arrested Edwardo Odon Jr. and seized 20 grams of suspected shabu worth P136,000 at Purok Nawasa, Brgy. San Jose in Binalbagan town on Wednesday.The police arrested Gerardo Gelisanga, 32, and Rubilyn Suplico, 22, on Wednesday and recovered seve...

Four alleged members of the Bugalon Drug Group in Kabankalan City were arrested in a buy-bust operation on Wednesday, June 21, the police reported.High-value target Hinnio Red, alias “Onyo”, John Mark Arante, alias “Santino”, John Arnel Costas, alias “Jan-jan”, and Marcelo Medel III, alias “Thirdy”, were arrested in Purok Uhaw, Brgy. 4, the police said.PCapt. Thurslie Castillo, Kabankalan police chief, told DIGICAST NEGROS that the arrested suspects were tagged as members of the Bugalon Drug Group, the only drug group remaining in Kabankalan.Confiscated were six grams of suspected shabu with an estimated value of P40,800 and drug paraphernalia, the police reported.Castillo said in 2018 Red was also arrested for illegal drug operations and re-appeared on the Philippine Drug ...

The bodies of the Fausto couple and their two minor sons that were retrieved from the crime scene.*PNP photoThe Philippine National Police in Western Visayas on Thursday, June 22, said the facts indicate categorically that members of the New People’s Army massacred four members of the Fausto family in Himamaylan City.“We present our case based on evidence and not on hearsay and biased statements from the CPP-NDF-NPA propaganda machinery,” PMaj. Mary Grace Socorro Borio, PNP 6 spokesperson, said in a statement.Farmer Rolly Fausto, his wife, Imelda, and their two sons aged 15 and 11 years, were peppered with bullets in their home at Sitio Kangkiling, Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City, on June 14.The identification of the NPA members behind the massacre is based on testimony o...

The Bacolod City Police Office is offering a P10,000 reward for information that could lead to the arrest of dog meat traders in the city.Anyone can call him directly if they have information about illegal dog-meat trading in the city, Col. Noel Aliño, acting Bacolod police director, said on Wednesday, June 21.This came after the animal rights group Alaga BCD met with the police and barangay representatives to urge the Philippine National Police to create a help desk in every barangay hall for animal welfare complaints.Community Animal Rescue Efforts (CARE) Vice President Ai-Ai Gamboa, said that their group has received several reports of dog-meat traders buying and slaughtering dogs in some barangays.Aliño said that informants can directly call the BCPO or his office and i...

Col. Noel Aliño, acting Bacolod police director*There is only one drug group left operating in Bacolod City that the police aims to neutralize, Col. Noel Aliño, acting Bacolod police director, said Wednesday, June 21.The Caunda Drug Group remains to be the lone active illegal drugs group in Bacolod, he said.Aliño said that with their series of drug operations in the past two months, the others were already neutralized.The Cebu Police Provincial Office arrested the sub-group leader of the Caunda drug syndicate in Cebu province earlier this month, he said.The last big operation of the Bacolod police versus illegal was on Sunday, where they seized P5.4 million worth of suspected shabu from Rene Lapera Jr. in a buy-bust operation in Brgy. Sincang-Airport, Bacolod City.*

The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) has assured that witnesses in the killing of the Fausto family in Himamaylan City can qualify for the government’s witness protection program.PCapt. Judesses Catalogo, NOCCPO spokesperson, said the assurance was being given to witnesses worried about their security.The police earlier reported that they already have witnesses in the killing of Rolly and Emilda Fausto, and their two minor children Ben and Raben, but they are still undecided about issuing sworn statements for security reasons.The witnesses have reportedly identified the suspects as members of the New People’s Army, a claim the NPA has denied.The NOCCPO aims to file charges against the suspects within a month as ordered by Police Regional Director, Brig. G...

Pig deaths in Negros Occidental reached 13,863, or 9.69 percent of the province’s hog population on Wednesday, the Provincial Veterinary Office reported.*Richard Malihan photoPigs in more barangays in Negros Occidental have tested positive for the highly contagious and deadly African Swine fever (ASF), Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) test results released to the media on Wednesday, June 21, showed.Pig specimens from barangays Lantad and Hawaiian in Silay City tested positive for ASF, June 16 BAI test results showed.Pigs in barangay Patag and Guinhalaran in Silay City had also tested positive for ASF, Mayor Joedith Gallego confirmed earlier.Three specimens from Barangay 5, Victorias City, and 14 from Barangay Anahaw, Hinigaran, also tested positive for ASF, June 9 BAI test r...

Power Watch-Negros slammed the CENECO Union of Rational Employees (CURE) for filing a notice of strike before the National Conciliation and Mediation Board in Bacolod City.Wennie Sancho, Power Watch-Negros secretary general, in a statement Wednesday, June 21, said that the filing of the notice of strike is not rational at all as it will make the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) consumers “hapless victims” of the labor strike.“The notice of strike is a very strong indicator that CURE as a labor union does not care about CENECO and the consumers who would be the victims of a labor strike that would cause irreparable damage to the lives and properties of the consumers,” Sancho said.CURE lawyer Rey Gorgonio said they filed the notice of strike because the CENECO and Pri...

Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria*The formal validation results of the potential election watchlist areas (EWAS) in Negros Occidental will be presented to the Regional Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council next month, Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said Wednesday, June 21.The Philippine National Police and Army are reviewing the peace and order situation in the province in preparation for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) in October.Ananorioa said he met with the PNP and Army officials at the Negros Occidental Provincial Police headquarters on Tuesday, and among the matters they discussed were the EWAS and the insurgency situation in the province, with recent armed classes having occurred in Central Negros.They are...