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Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri during the Blue Ribbon committee hearing on the alleged sugar fiasco Tuesday, September 6.*Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" F. Zubiri on Tuesday, September 6, said sugar industry stakeholders must be allowed to import supplies of the commodity on their own to end suspicions of "tong-pats", or the price-padding scheme.Zubiri made the recommendation as the Committee on Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, or the Blue Ribbon Committee wrapped up its inquiry on the fiasco involving the import order released by Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), a press release from the Senate said.There should be less intervention from the government on importation, and end-users should instead be authorized to source their sugar supply ba...

A suspected drug personality escaped police operatives during a raid at his home in Barangay Poblacion 1, Sagay City, Negros Occidental on Monday, September 5.The police were acting on a search warrant issued against 47-year-old Jojit Fernandez for illegal possession of drugs and firearms.Maj. Roberto Indiape Jr., Sagay police chief, said the suspect escaped through a secret passageway in his house after sensing the presence of the policemen.He added the police failed to see the passageway.During the raid, the police seized 12 grams of suspected shabu worth P81,600, a .45 caliber pistol with three magazines and 19 ammunition, a .38 caliber homemade revolver with two ammunition, .22 caliber revolver with 10 ammunition, and several drugs paraphernalia.Indiape said the sus...

The scene of the accident in La Castellana.* La Castellana PNP photoA senior citizen died while his minor grandson was injured after the e-tricycle they were riding on was hit by an ambulance at Hda. Layagon Road, Brgy. Lalagsan, La Castellana, Negros Occidental, Monday night, September 5.Killed was 72-year-old Emeterio Ordas, while his 12-year-old grandson sustained injuries.The ambulance came from La Carlota City going to Isabela when it hit the e-tricycle that it was tailing.The driver may not have seen the e-trike because part of the road was dark and it was raining, the police said.The ambulance was not carrying a patient when it happened.Isabela ambulance driver Jether Yutob was detained by the La Castellana police.*

Strengthened health monitoring systems at entry points into Negros Occidental and Bacolod City will be enforced two weeks ahead of the MassKara Festival that kicks off on October 1, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer, said on Tuesday, September 6.The monitoring against monkeypox and COVID-19 will have to be strengthened with a huge influx of visitors expected for the MassKara, he said.Tumimbang said Bacolod City Health Officer Ma. Carmela Gensoli called a meeting to discuss the CHO’s preparations and protocols, and for a coordinated response with the provincial government.Visitors arriving at the Bacolod Silay Airport and at seaports in Bacolod and other areas of Negros Occidental will be closely monitored, he said.Negros Occidental and Bacolod City composite t...

Human remains that were found in an abandoned house in Barangay Mansilingan.*Police Station 7 photoTwo minors found the remains of a person in an abandoned house in Prk. Kahirup A, Barangay Mansilingan in Bacolod City Sunday, September 4.The children were cleaning the place when they saw the bones in a pile of broken beds and garbage, the police reported Tuesday.Capt. Elmer Bonilla, Police Station 7 chief, said the discovered remains belonged to a man who was mentally handicapped.He said the person used to go around the barangay, but was not seen for several years.The police has coordinated with Scene of the Crime Operatives to investigate the cause of the man's death.*

Dengue deaths in Negros Occidental have hit 27 with three new fatalities, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Provincial Health Officer, said Tuesday, September 6.Negros Occidental has recorded 3,956 dengue cases from January 1 to August 27 or a 1008.12 percent increase compared to the same period last year.However, the dengue cases in the province have been decreasing in the last four weeks, Tumimbang said.The dengue deaths this year were reported in Hinigaran – four, Himamaylan City and Calatrava - three each, Talisay City, Murcia, Sagay City and Isabala – two each, and Toboso, La Carlota City, Victorias City, Manapla, Pontevedra, Bago City, Silay City, La Castellana and EB Magalona – one each, the Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported.The top five areas with the highest number of de...

The Provincial Health Office is pushing a house-to-house COVID-19 campaign to vaccinate senior citizens in upland barangays of Negros Occidental.This is being conducted as part of the Department of Health’s “PinasLakas” nationwide campaign since many elderly residents cannot go to vaccination sites in the lowlands, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, provincial health officer, said on Tuesday, September 6.“We have to go to the hinterlands. House-to-house is still the most effective way of looking for these seniors to be vaccinated,” he said.The “PinasLakas” target is to vaccinate 90 percent of senior citizens and administer booster shots to a least 50 percent of the adult population by October 8.The Negros Occidental vaccination performance as of September 3 showed that 1,425,719 residen...

Councilor Julius Martin Asistio and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer (right) at the Negros Occidental SP session at the Capitol in Bacolod City, Tuesday.*La Carlota City Councilor Julius Martin Asistio assumed his post as Philippine Councilors League representative to the Negros Occidental Sagguniang Panlalawigan (SP) at its regular session, Tuesday, September 6.The SP during its session approved the appointment of retired provincial veterinarian Renante Decena as consultant for animal welfare and management of the province, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer said.They, however, deferred approval of the appointment of Engineer Leo Van Juguan as consultant for mining geosciences and quarry operations as he was not present at the session, Ferrer said.Asistio, who was recently elected p...

The ongoing construction of the Bacolod City coliseum*Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Tuesday, September 6, that he is meeting with the contractors building the P800 million Bacolod City coliseum in Barangay Alijis to discuss the repurposing of at least 10 to 20 percent of the funds allocated for it.The mayor said the aim is to reduce the P800 million intended for the coliseum, which was borrowed by the previous city administration from the Development Bank of the Philippines, by about P80 toP160 million.The construction of the coliseum started during the Leonardia administration.Benitez said he is meeting with the contractors this week or next week. The repurposed funds will then go back to the bank, he said.The city government can then apply for another...