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The scene of the shooting incident.*The Bacolod City Station 8 cops are still trying to gather the closed circuit television footage near Henrietta Village in Barangay Singcang-Airport where a businessman was gunned down Wednesday night, December 7.Maj. Joery Puerto, Police Station 8 chief, said they are still investigating if the gunman was the same person responsible for the killing of a security guard in Barangay Mandalagan on August. 25.Police are looking at a business conflict as one of the motives for the killingTheir investigation revealed that an incorporator of the company, who had been fired by the victim identified as Ivan Magbanua, reportedly had a grudge.The corporation's warehouse is being guarded by the security agency of Magbanua so the former incorporat...

Rep. Francisco Benitez at the consultative meeting on ecotourism Friday, December 12.*The office of Rep. Francisco Benitez (Neg. Occ. 3rd District) spearheaded the holding of a consultative meeting on ecotourism Friday, December 9, as part of the two-day assessment visit of the Regional EcoTourism Committee VI to selected sites in the 3rd District.The meeting was held in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT), Department of Environment and Natural Resources Economic and Development (DENR) and the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) that comprise the Regional EcoTourism Committee (REC).Local chief executives and tourism officers of the Third District, tourism stakeholders, and members of the Protected Area Management Board of Northern Negros Natural Park (NN...

The scene of the accident where two brothers died in Barangay Cubay, La Carlota City.* La Carlota PNP photoA driver and his brother were killed after the motorcycle they were riding on slammed into a parked truck at the highway in Barangay Cubay, La Carlota City, Thursday, December 8.Killed were John Lawrence Mesobre, 19, and his younger brother Joven Desoyo, 17. Their companion, Dan Fred Locsin, who was also riding on their motorcycle, was injured.Lt. Col. Lowell Garingano, city police chief, said the truck driven by Jonnel Bayarcal malfunctioned and was parked on the side of the road.He also installed a warning device.But because Mesobre's motorcycle was going fast, he wasn’t able to avoid the truck, the police said.The truck driver was already released from polic...

Stella dela Peña takes her oath as acting barangay captain before Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.*Bacolod PIO photoStella dela Peña took her oath as acting barangay captain of Barangay 16 before Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez at the Bacolod City Government Center Friday afternoon, December 9.She took her oath after the Sangguniang Panlungsod suspended barangay captain Joseph de los Santos for six months.The oath taking was witnessed by Department of the Interior and Local Government-Bacolod Director Maredith Joy Madayag, City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. and Rep. Stephen Paduano (Abang Lingkod Partylist).Dela Peña was accompanied by Richard Arellano – Brgy 16 secretary, Annaliza Santiago – treasurer and kagawads Jie Rodolfo Madrigal, Franz Familliaran...

Jyxyvzcky Escrupulo, Provincial Drug Enforcement Agency Negros Occidental provincial director.*Twenty-four more barangays in Negros Occidental and one in Bacolod City have been declared drug free, Jyxyvzcky Escrupulo, Provincial Drug Enforcement Agency Negros Occidental provincial director, said Friday, December 9.Declared drug free during a Regional Oversight Committee meeting were Barangay 41 in Bacolod City, and barangays in Bago City, Binalbagan, Calatrava, EB Magalona, Escalante, Pontevedra, Isabela, Himamaylan, Murcia, Silay City, Toboso and Manapla.Bacolod City now has 14 drug cleared barangays and Negros Occidental has 394.The drug cleared barangays in Negros Occidental are 61.56 percent and in Bacolod City - 21.31 percent.*

Businessmen are asking for exemptions from the new truck ban to be implemented at the Bacolod City circumferential road from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. starting Monday, December 12.The truck ban is being imposed to ease traffic in Bacolod City, especially over the holidays, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said Wednesday.Frank Carbon, executive director of the Metro Bacolod Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said they are asking for a window between 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. for the regulated movement of trucks when traffic is not heavy.Maj. Junji Liba, Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) head, said they cannot grant exemptions as it may set a precedent.The mayor wants us to stick to the original plan, he said.A meeting is set with the concerned sectors on Saturday, Liba said....

Persons unvaccinated against COVID-19 are urged to get vaccinated to avoid being infected or spreading the virus during the holidays, Dr. Ernell Tumimbang, Negros Occidental provincial health officer, said Friday, December 9.They should get protected before joining family gatherings and parties this Christmas, he said.Tumimbang said the majority of the COVID-related deaths in the province have involved unvaccinated persons with comorbidities.The COVID-19 active cases in Negros Occidental on Thursday were 308, the Provincial Incident Management Team reported.However, the majority of the cases were mild or asymptomatic, Tumimbang said.Most of the cases were discovered after patients were tested for COVID-19 as a requirement prior to treatment for other ailments, he said.T...

The acute gastroenteritis (AGE) related deaths in Bacolod City have hit 17, the City Health Office reported Thursday, December 8.Bacolod City had 74 new AGE cases from November 27 to December 3, bringing the total for this year to 463, the CHO report said.The barangays with 10 and above AGE cases from September 1 to December 3 are:1. Mansilingan7. Vista Alegre13. Pahanocoy2 Singcang8. Sum-ag14. Alijis3. Mandalagan9. Estefania15. B304. Taculing10. Villamonte16. Handumanan5. Tangub11. Cabug17. Granada6. Banago12. Bata18. B35Bacolod City also had 28 confirmed cholera cases since September, the report also said.CHO testing found 175 water sources in the city positive for coliform and E. coli, and 128 for coliform only.*

Ivan Magbanua being removed from his vehicle that was peppered with bullets.*Police Station 8 photoA businessman was gunned down in Henrietta Village, Barangay Singcang- Airport, Bacolod City Wednesday, December 7.Killed was 39-year-old Ivan Magbanua, who was onboard his vehicle when he was followed by the motorcycle-riding suspects.The unidentified suspects peppered the victim’s vehicle with bullets.The victim died while his driver was injured from the gun attack.Maj. Joery Puerto, Police Station 8 chief, said they are still investigating the incident, but Magbanua's security agency has a client who had a conflict with their company.Meanwhile, a man was injured after he was shot at Purok Sigay, Brgy. 2 Wednesday.The victim was identified as Reynante Guillang, 4...