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The release of the Financial Benefit Fund.*DOLE 6 photoThe Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office 6 through its Negros Occidental Field Office facilitated the release of P4,286,573.25 from the Financial Benefit Fund (FBF) to 491 bioethanol plant workers in Negros Occidental.Pursuant to Republic Act 9367 or the “The Biofuel Act of 2006”, 80 percent of the levy collected from the bioethanol utilizing molasses as feedstock will be used to support the Social Amelioration Workers Program (SAWP) for the bioethanol workers, the DOLE 6 said in a post on its Facebook page.Victorias Milling Corp., URC La Carlota Distillery, Asian Alcohol, and Kooll Company Inc. released the financial benefit fund in December and January, it said.The FBF released covers Calendar Yea...

The AFP deployed more soldiers to intensify security and checkpoint operations in Negros Oriental on Sunday, March 12.*Judy F. Patlow photosA Joint Task Force to step up the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) suppression of lawless violence in Negros Island following the assassination of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo has been activated.Hundreds of troops from the AFP and the PNP were deployed during the weekend in different parts of Negros Oriental to conduct joint security checkpoints.Lt. Col. Roderick Salayo, 11th Infantry Battalion (IB) commander, led the sendoff ceremony of hundreds of composite soldiers from six Army battalions in the province to man at least 21 joint AFP-PNP checkpoints, initially in the Third District of the...

The buy bust operation in San Carlos City.*Two persons were arrested in separate buy bust operations and P149,600 in suspected shabu were seized on Saturday, the police reported on Sunday, March 12.Romeo Ornias Distrito, 52, was arrested at Purok Lerio, Brgy Zone 6, Talisay City.About 2 grams of suspected shabu estimated at P13,600 were recovered, the Talisay police reported.Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives and the San Carlos police also arrested Rovener Era Nemenzo, alias "Nene Panggoy, 61, at Ylagan-Endrina Interior, Brgy 5, San Carlos City.Recovered from him were about 20 grams of suspected shabu valued at P136,000, the PDEA reported.*

Antonino Panique, right, takes his oath before CENECO District Election Committee chairperson Joel Cabalatungan.*shAn incumbent director was proclaimed the winner of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative Inc. election for District V – Bacolod West on Saturday, March 11.Antonino Panique was re-elected as representative of District V covering the areas of barangays 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, and Singcang in Bacolod City, a press release from Ceneco said.Panique was formally proclaimed winner by the CENECO District Election Committee (DECOM) headed by chairperson Joel Cabalatungan, secretary May Bautista and member Aireen Gedorio at the CENECO Mabini Main Office.Meanwhile, regular elections for District IV (Bacolod East) and District VIII (...

House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez *House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Sunday, March 12, sought a congressional inquiry over the failure of several police escorts of slain Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo to report for duty on the day he was gunned down in his own house.He noted reports that five out of the six police escorts of Degamo did not show up for duty on March 4, when a group of gunmen attacked his house and killed him, along with eight other individuals, mostly civilians, in Pamplona, Negros Oriental."Gov. Degamo had earlier reported to the police about the threats to his life so it stands to reason that his security detail should have implemented stricter measures to ensure his safety. That's why it's highly suspicious why these police escorts we...

First Lady Louise ”Liza” Araneta-Marcos meets with the newly weds.*Ronnie Baldonado photoFirst Lady Louise ”Liza” Araneta-Marcos shared three marriage tips, which she learned from being married to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for almost 30 years, with 2,023 couples who joined a historic mass wedding at the Bacolod City Government Center grounds on Saturday, March 11.Mrs. Marcos, who was the guest of honor at the mass wedding officiated by Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez, said she and the president will be celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary on April 17.“I don’t need to tell you that each couple is unique. There’s no magic formula which will make a marriage work a hundred percent,” she said.But she was sharing three lessons she learned from her marria...

Department of National Defense officer-in-charge Senior Undersecretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr. , AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Andres C. Centino and Philippine National Police OIC Lt. Gen. Rhodel O. Sermonia at the wake of Gov. Roel Degamo in Dumaguete City on Saturday, March 11.*DND photosDepartment of National Defense officer-in-charge (OIC) Senior Undersecretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr. on Saturday, March 11, assured the continued support of the DND and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in the Special Joint Task Force, in accordance with the verbal instructions of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to suppress lawless violence in Negros Oriental.“Under the orders of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., we have organized a Joint Task Force to step up the law enforcement operations of the AFP ...

The CIDG seized guns in Negros Oriental on Friday.*CIDG photoThe Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) seized about 15 firearms, explosives, and ammunition in raids on three houses in Barangay Malabugas, Bayawan City, Negros Oriental, one of which was allegedly owned by Rep. Arnolfo "Arnie" Teves Jr. (Neg. Or., 3rd District), on Friday morning, March 10.The two other houses were believed to be owned by the congressman’s relatives, identified as Hannah Mae and Jojo Maturan, PCol. Thomas Valmonte, CIDG Legal Division chief, told reporters.Search warrants were also reportedly implemented at a house and a beach resort allegedly owned by Teves in Basay, Negros Oriental.Candice Colleen, the wife of Teves, on her Facebook page said “they planted so many things in our p...