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A village watchman of Barangay San Isidro, Pontevedra, Negros Occidental, was arrested during a raid on his home for possession of an illegal firearm on Sunday, July 10.Police identified the suspect as Edwin Rodrigazo, 58.The police conducted the raid after receiving  reports of alleged indiscriminate firing, and alarm and scandal by the suspect.The search warrant was issued La Carlota City Regional Trial Court Executive Judge Cyclamen Jison-Fernandez.Recovered from the suspect were a .45  caliber pistol, a homemade .38 caliber revolver, a silencer for .45 caliber pistol  and  ammunition.The suspect who is now in police custody was charged for illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.*

Three persons were arrested in drug bust at Barangay 3, Bacolod City, on Monday, July 11.*PDEA photoA suspected drug den was dismantled by anti-drug operatives during a bust at Purok Lubi, Brgy. 3, Bacolod City, on Monday, July 11.Nabbed were suspected drug den maintainer Ernie Catahay, Michael Murillo and his cousin, Birgo Murillo. They were said to be high-value individuals.The drug sting operation also resulted to the confiscation of 12 grams of suspected shabu worth P81,600, an improvised glass tooter, disposable lighters, a pouch and the buy-bust money.The suspects who are now in the custody of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Negros Occidental are facing drug charges.*

A senior citizen was found dead at Barangay Bagtic, Silay City, on Monday, July 11.*Silay City PNP photoA 70-year-old man was found dead on the side of the road at Hda. Abo-abo, Barangay Bagtic in Silay City, Negros Occidental, on  Monday, July 11.The victim identified by the police as Noli Sibungga was covered in blood when he was discovered.The victim may have been hit with a hard object, a police report said.The victim’s relatives said he suffered from mental illness and was said to be an alcoholic, the police added.The police are still waiting for the result of the post-mortem examination of the victim's body.*

The Northern Territory delegation meets with Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson at the Governor's Office in Bacolod City on Tuesday*A delegation from the Northern Territory of Australia wants to strengthen cooperation with the business sector of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Tuesday, July 12.The delegation that met with Lacson at the Governor’s Office in Bacolod City Tuesday morning also said they are aiming to also establish ties with Iloilo province and Iloilo City, he said.They are inviting the governors of Negros Occidental and Iloilo, and the mayors of Bacolod and Iloilo to visit the Northern Territory later this year.The delegation led by Januario John Rivas, Philippine Honorary Consul General to Darwin in the Northern Territory, included Sea...

Silay Councilor Ryan Gamboa currently represents the PCL Negros Occidental at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan*The Love Negros-United Negros Alliance (UNegA) coalition will name the person it will endorse for president of the Philippine Councilors League-Negros Occidental chapter in due time, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Tuesday, July 12.“In the spirit of the coalition we don’t want any encounter of candidates… it will be a decision supported by the coalition,” said Lacson of Love Negros.Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, a Love Negros leader, said a decision had been reached but he was leaving the announcement to the provincial officials.Silay City Councilor Ryan Gamboa of Love Negros is the current PCL Negros Occidental president.However, La Carlota Councilor Julius...

The night market operations at Ballesteros Street in Bacolod City have been suspended, City Administrator Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. said Tuesday, July 12.The resumption of the night market’s operations will depend on the Sangguniang Panlungsod market committee, he said.The SP Committee on Markets and Slaughterhouse is chaired by Councilor Celia Flor.The night market has no approval from the new administration and needs an ordinance to operate, City Administrator  Pacifico Maghari said.*

The National Electrification Administration has suspended six members of the Central Negros Electric Cooperative board and its former acting general manager for 30 days after finding them guilty of simple neglect of duty, Wennie Sancho, Power Watch secretary general, announced Tuesday, July 12.Suspended were CENECO Board president Jojit Yap and directors Martha Joyce Cuenca, Ernie Larida, Antonio Panique and Eugene Velasco.Also named in the suspension order are former CENECO board member Robert J. Javellana and NEA project supervisor/acting general manager Danny L. Pondevilla.Pondevilla, who is no longer with Ceneco, is currently the general manager of the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative Inc.The NEA decision stemmed from a complaint filed by Sancho against the seven&nb...

Capitol file photoThe Bacolod City government’s tripartite deal with AstraZeneca  is a contractual obligation that must be honored, the spokesman of former Bacolod Mayor  Evelio Leonardia, said on Tuesday, July 12.Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said on Monday  that he will try to the best of his ability not to pay for the 434,000 doses of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines ordered by the previous city administration that Bacolod did not receive.“If Mayor Albee decides not to pay the balance with the  supplier, that's his call. At the end of the day, he will be the one to deal with the pharmaceutical firm now as the new local chief executive,” Dr. Chris Sorongon, Leonardia’s spokesperson, said in a press statement.More than 300,000 of the 434,000 doses...

A total of 2,992 wanted persons were arrested in Western Visayas in the first six months of the year.Of the arrests, 488 were classified as most wanted persons (MWP) and 2,485 were tagged as other wanted persons (OWP).For the MWPs, Negros Occidental topped the list with 170 arrests, followed by Iloilo province with 98, Bacolod City with 72, Capiz – 42, Antique - 31, Iloilo City - 28, Aklan - 27, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group – Regional Field Unit (CIDG-RFU) - 14, and Guimaras - six.Of the 2,504 arrested OWPs, Negros Occidental posted the highest number of arrests with 1,330, Iloilo province with 394, Bacolod City - 216, Aklan - 117, Capiz - 112, Antique - 103, Iloilo City and CIDG-RFU with 89 each, and Guimaras - 54.Brig. Gen. Flynn Dongbo, Police Regional Offi...