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Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Benitez in an ambush interview on Monday, September 12.*“Don’t they have anything better to do? Let’s get to work, the elections are over.”That was the reaction of Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez to the statement of former Bacolod mayor Evelio Leonardia’s spokesman on the dismissal of the election protest they filed against him.The COMELEC Second Division in an eight-page order dated September 7 dismissed the election protest of Leonardia against Benitez for being “improperly filed” and “insufficient in form and content”."Our lawyers have yet to receive a copy of the alleged decision of the Second Division of the COMELEC. As such, we cannot comment yet on the reported decision being unaware of the reasons allegedly made by the Second Division. R...

A Bacolod City resident was among the top passers of the Civil Service Commission’s eligibility examinations through pen and paper test in the first semester this year.The eligibility exams include the Career Service Exam, Pen and Paper Test (CSE-PPT) for Professional and Sub-Professional levels conducted on March 13 and June 19; and Fire Officer Exam (FOE), Penology Officer Exam (POE), Basic Competency on Local Treasury Exam (BCLTE), and CSE for Foreign Service Officer (CSE-FSO), all held on April 24.Jumel Gamboa from Bacolod topped the POE with a rating of 91.28.He was among the 385 of the 2,235 who passed the POE eligibility exam.The CSC said the resulting eligibilities, which are the Fire Officer Eligibility and the Penology Officer Eligibility, are both second level el...

Six policemen from the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office have been relieved from their posts effective Saturday, September 10, by the regional command.The Negros Occidental police officials will assume the posts vacated by their counterparts at the Antique Provincial Police Office following their relief, Lt. Judesses Catalogo, NOCPPO public information officer, said.Lt. Col. Jigger Gimeno, head of the Police Community Affairs Division Unit (PCADU), was replaced by his deputy, Maj. Ruel Culanag.Five deputy police chiefs from various police stations in the province – Lt. Lynie Delos Santos of Murcia, Lt. Rex Lendong of La Castellana, Lt. Alfonso Precia of Cadiz City, Lt. Jomel Salarda of Kabankalan City, and Lt. Charles Richard Casalan of Binalbagan - were also transferr...

The man who was killed in his sleep in Hinigaran town Sunday.*Hinigaran PNP photoA sugarcane worker was hacked to death by his co-workers at Purok Ipil-ipil, Barangay Calapi, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, Sunday night, September 11.Killed was Alex Estrada, who was sleeping in his nipa hut when he was attacked by the two suspects.He died instantly.The police said that the motive for the incident could be related to their work.Police are still looking for the suspects.*

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has issued an executive order allowing the voluntary wearing of face masks in open spaces and non-crowded outdoor areas with adequate ventilation with a goal of further boosting the economy, Malacañang announced Monday, September 12.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson who issued a similar executive order on Friday for Negros Occidental, stressed the need for people to use their common sense on the voluntary use of face masks in open spaces.When in close proximity to other people in outdoor places, protect yourselves because COVID-19 still exist, he said.Negros Occidental had 185 active COVID-19 cases on Monday, and three deaths during the weekend.Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said he will also issue an executive order on the voluntary outdoor use of fac...

Firing activities at the shooting range inside the Negros Occidental District Jail in Barangay Tabunan, Bago City, has been temporarily suspended after bullets were discovered outside the facility.A concerned citizen alleged that bullets were recovered from a roof of a house near the NODJ.Lawyer Jairus Dogelio, spokesperson of Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP)-Region 6, said they are still investigating if the bullets came from the shooting range inside the jail facility.Dogelio said the jail warden has coordinated with the barangay, but no one lodged a formal complaint.The local police also did not receive a complaint.Meanwhile, Governor Eugenio Lacson said he will inquire about the incident.*

Asia’s Pop Heartthrob Darren Espanto and actress-singer Sue Ramirez perform in this year's MassKara Festival music-video that was launched at the Bacolod City Government Center Monday morning, September 12.*The MassKara Festival streetdance and arena competition will be held at the Paglaum Stadium in Bacolod City on October 23 to allow more people to watch the performances in a spacious and comfortable venue, festival director Pinky-Mirano Ocampo said.The stadium has a grandstand where about 5,000 people can be seated, she said.The 17 groups joining the streetdancing competition will dance to the upbeat “Smile Again” song performed by Asia’s pop heartthrob Darren Espanto, which was launched at the Bacolod City Government Center on Monday, September 12.Mirano said there will...

Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he remains hopeful that the Guimaras-Negros bridge will be built despite a statement by former Senator Franklin Drilon that a Korean bank is only willing to fund the Panay-Guimaras stretch.Lacson pointed out that the National Economic Development Authority recently asked the Provincial Development Council to endorse the Guimaras-Negros bridge so it could be forwarded to the Regional Development Council.Drilon was reported as saying that the Export-Import Bank of Korea is considering providing a loan for only the Panay-Guimaras bridge, and not for Guimaras-Negros stretch that is much longer.Funding is always a concern but hopefully the two bridges will be funded together, Lacson said.*