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The scene of the crime in Cadiz City on Saturday.*Aksyon Radyo photoA farmer was gunned down by unidentified men at Sitio Tambobo, Brgy. Celestino Villacin, Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, Saturday, November 19.The fatality was identified as 65-year-old Diosdado Fuentes of Purok Pilar, Brgy. Colonia Divina, Sagay City.The victim was at a farm when unidentified men shot him to death, the police said.The victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was immediately brought to the Sagay City District Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.Six gun shots were heard at the scene, the police said.Police have yet to establish the motive for the killing.*

A senior citizen was hacked by his brother and relatives at Sitio Marabo, Brgy. Mambaroto, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, Saturday, November 19.The victim was identified as 63-year-old Alejandro Gonsalez.Police said the victim was on his way to the house of his elder brother when he was hacked several times by another brother, 55-year-old Armando Gonsalez, his nephew 23-year-old Armando Jr., and niece, 29-year-old Jezah Mae.The victim sustained hack wounds on different parts of his body and head and was brought to the Sipalay City infirmary.The three suspects were arrested by responding policemen and are detained in the custodial facility of the Sipalay police.*

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has asked the police to expand their campaign against illegal drugs in Bacolod City.“I have called the attention of the city (police) director to expand and to make sure that we have more assets covering drug proliferation. I have a sense that it is increasing again and that is something that we will address,” Benitez said at a press conference on Friday, November 18.A barangay kagawad and a job order worker of the City Health Office were recently involved in illegal drugs, the mayor noted.The city government is studying whether to conduct mandatory drug tests for barangay officials and city employees, he added.“We will come up with a decision on that,” Benitez said.*

IPM Construction and Development Corp. hauling the garbage of Bacolod City.*Bacolod PIO photoAbout eight firms are interested in bidding for the collection of Bacolod City’s garbage, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said.The contract of IPM Construction and Development Corp. (IPM-CDC) for the collection and hauling of garbage and the maintenance of the Bacolod’s landfill ends on December 31, City Administrator Pacifico Maghari III said Sunday, November 20.Benitez, at a press conference of Friday, November 18, said the terms of reference for the bidding is being expedited.However, if there is a need the city could extend the IPM contract for three months, Benitez said.“There are a lot of improvements in the garbage collection that can be done and I don’t think we should le...

Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez says 44 tons of "spaghetti wires" have been removed so far.*Bacolod PIO photoThe Bacolod City government will start impounding illegally parked vehicles soon.Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said, at a press conference on Friday, November 18, that the city government will be towing and impounding illegally parked vehicles in Bacolod to prevent traffic congestion, which could be in place before the end of the year.“We are finalizing an agreement with the proponent to exercise impounding and towing enforcement,” he said.The mayor also announced that the Task Force Spaghetti Wires has removed 44 tons of old and unused telecommunication and electricity wires along the city’s major roads since June.The “spaghetti wires” were brought to the stocky...

A total of 430 families from various barangays of E. B. Magalona received relief goods from the Negros Occidental provincial government, during the distribution at the Municipal Public Plaza Friday, November 18.Each family received 5 kilos of rice and canned goods from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO), a press release from EB Magalona said.The beneficiaries were among those affected by Severe Tropical Storm “Paeng” last month.The distribution of relief goods was spearheaded by the Provincial Disaster Management and Program Division (PDMPD), PSWDO, and Provincial Administrator’s Office, with the assistance of the MDRRMO and MSWDO.The personnel who assisted in the distribution were: from PDMPD—Remselle Limaco, Ivory Joy Nicavera, Christopher Dorde,...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (center) at a press conference at the Bacolod City Government Center on Friday.*The 1,500 Bacolod City government job order (JO) workers without any official appointments are considered volunteers and will not be paid, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said Friday, November 18.Only about 3,500 JOs officially appointed from October to December will be paid, he said.Benitez said 800 of the JOs with appointments are assigned to schools and 2,700 to the Bacolod City Government Center.“We cannot accommodate all because of the restrictions of the amount of budget that we have left for this year,” he said.“If you are not officially appointed for a three-month period, we will now consider you as volunteers...do not expect to be paid,”...

The creation of Regions 6 (Western Visayas) and 7 (Central Visayas) sub regions instead of a Negros Island Region could “be a good compromise for us to move forward”, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said Friday, November 18.However, he does not know if the congressmen pushing for a Negros Island Region, which will include Siquijor, will withdraw their bills that have already been filed in the Lower House.The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the National Economic and Development Authority have proposed that instead of making Negros Occidental and Oriental and Siquijor part of one region, Region 6B and Region 7B should instead be created to address the clamor for efficient delivery of services, he said.Under Region 6B all national government offices ba...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez is meeting Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and Land Transportation Office officials on Saturday, November 19, to discuss a transition phase for the remaining operators of traditional jeepneys to join the public utility vehicle modernization program.The 15-day LTFRB ceasefire on the apprehension of traditional jeepneys without franchises in Bacolod ends next week.Benitez said he met with the operators of the traditional jeepneys on Thursday and they want to join the modernization program with certain provisions.He asked them to itemize their proposed provisions to be included in the modernization program in a letter signed by all of them so he can present them to the LTFRB, Benitez said.The mayor said he saw...