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The Supreme Court has designated Judge Phoebe Gargantiel-Balbin as the executive judge of the Regional Trial Courts in Bacolod City.Judge Raymond Javier said his term as executive judge expired on October 16.The term of an executive judge is only for two years, he said.Judge Therese Blanche Bolunia was designated 1st vice executive judge and Judge Juvy Victoriano-Dioso is 2nd vice executive judge, Javier said.Bago City Executive Judge is Mary Jennifer Protasio-Arches and Himamaylan City Executive Judge is Walter Zorilla.*

Jerry Gasendo*The Bacolod City police are investigating two persons of interest in the killing of a businessman at the Araneta highway in Barangay Tangub on November 2.Maj. Joery Puerto, Police Station 8 chief, said they are looking at the profile of the two suspects seen in closed circuit television footage.He said that the motive for the killing of 53-year-old Jerry Gasendo was drug-related. The victim allegedly “failed to pay for a drug transaction”, Puerto said.The victim was linked by a high-value drug suspect, street sweeper Mary Nessa Ong, who was earlier nabbed at Brgy. Taculing on October 27 that led to the recovery of P680,000 worth of suspected shabu.Ong claimed that the drugs recovered from her were supplied by Gasendo, Puerto said.The police said that t...

The fake lawyer was arrested in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City.*A 41-year-old woman who pretended to be a lawyer was arrested in a police entrapment operation in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City, on Thursday, November 3.Jonelly Lacson met the complainant at a parlor in July and promised to help her partner get out of jail, Capt. Rondyl Tapang, Police Station 9 chief, said.The victim already gave the suspect P1,000, but was asked to give an additional P30,000.When the suspect was arrested during the entrapment operation, it was discovered that she was only pretending to be a lawyer, and was said to be a member of a non-government anti-crime community service group, which was a force multiplier of the police.Tapang called on the others who were victimized by the suspect to fi...

Houses destroyed in Silay City.*Mayor Joedith Gallego FB page photoThe number of houses destroyed by Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng” in Negros Occidental have increased.An updated report from the Provincial Social Welfare Office on Friday, November 4, showed 118 houses destroyed and 1,148 damaged.In Bacolod 69 houses were destroyed and 114 were damaged, Pacita Tero, City Department of Social Services and Development head, said on Thursday.Flooding brought on by “Paeng” also affected 43,902 families with 171,830 members in Negros Occidental, Provincial Social Welfare Officer Merle Garcia said in her updated report Friday.*

The P44.9 million flood control structure in Manapla*DPWH photoLives, properties and livelihood of the people of the coastal barangay of Punta Mesa in Manapla, Negros Occidental, are now safer from flooding with the completion of a P44.9 million flood control structure along the Dapdap River, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 6 said Friday, November 4.The revetment wall project undertaken by the DPWH Negros Occidental 1st District Engineering Office is a 1.16-kilometer, 3-meter high stone masonry structure, the DPWH said.DPWH 6 Regional Director Nerie D. Bueno said the completed structure will reduce possible damage that may be caused by flooding and erosion of river banks.“This revetment wall will protect the river banks from erosion and prevent the possib...

BCPO photoIligal nga droga ang isa karon sa gina tan-aw sang Police Station 8 nga motibo sa pag patay sa negosyante nga si Jerry Gasendo sang Miyerkules sa dalan Araneta sa Barangay Tangub sa Bacolod.Naga drive lang sang iya motor si Gasendo sang siya ang gintiro sang riding in tandem.Suno kay Major Joery Puerto, hepe sang Police Station 8, si Gasendo ang gintudlo nga source sang iligal nga droga sang suspek nga naaresto sa buybust operation nagligad nga semana sa Barangay Taculing. Gani lansihanay sa iligal nga droga ukon wala mabayaran nga shabu amo karon ang ginatan-aw sang PNP nga motibo sa pag patay kay Gasendo.Padayon pa ang followup operation sang PNP agud matumod ang mga suspek sa pag patay kay Gasendo.

Seized pork products at Bacolod ports being burned.*Bacolod PIO photoThe African Swine Fever (ASF) Joint Task Force needs additional police assistance at the Banago Port in Bacolod City.The policemen assigned by the Bacolod City Police Office to assist the task force are not enough, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Friday, November 4.Diaz said he was tasked to ask the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office for additional policemen to augment those deployed by the BCPO.The drive to protect Negros Occidental and Bacolod City by preventing the entry of pigs and pork products from ASF hit areas is ongoing, and an additional P35,214 worth of the banned products from Iloilo and Capiz were seized from November 1 to 3, Diaz said.The task force confiscated and...

Mayor Marvin Malacon turned over certified palay seeds to 75 farmers*Mayor Marvin Malacon turned over assistance to Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng” victims in EB Magalona, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, November 3.Malacon turned over housing materials, which included corrugated metal sheets, nails, plywood and nipa, to 10 families from Sitio Takas in Barangay Tuburan whose houses were destroyed by “Paeng”, a press release from EB Magalona said Friday.Families with destroyed houses will also receive cash assistance of P5,000 each, Malacon said.The municipal government is also giving housing materials to about 40 families of Sitio Takas whose houses were damaged, pending assessment of the Municipal Engineer's Office, the press release said.The Office of Senator Christopher...

Negros Occidental now has 24 confirmed cholera cases, with Talisay City having the most number, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported Friday, November 4.The cholera cases in Talisay City rose from 7 to 10, the PHO said.Silay City and EB Magalona have six cases each, and one death each.Victorias City and Calatrava have one cholera case each.The 23 cholera cases are in the Third District of Negros Occidental.Cholera is an acute diarrheal infection caused by ingestion of food or water contaminated with the bacterium Vibrio cholera that can kill within hours if left untreated, the World Health Organization said.Negros Occidental is set to hold a Health Summit on November 24.*