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Hinigaran PNP photoA 78-year-old man died after he was hit by a Ceres bus along the national highway in Brgy. Gargato, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, Tuesday, March 29.Killed was Cornelio Tiamsing of Barangay Gargato.The victim was on board his motorcycle when he tried to change lanes on the road, and the tailing bus driver identified as 32-year-old Khianthler Barcelona failed to see him, the police said.This caused the Ceres bus to bump the motorcycle.The elderly man, who sustained severe injuries, was declared dead on arrival at the Hinigaran Medical Clinic.*

PDEA photoThe Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6 Special Enforcement Team and the Philippine Coast Guard Intelligence Group-Western Visayas seized P81,600 in shabu in a buy-bust operation and dismantled a drug den in Barangay 19, Bacolod City, 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, the PDEA reported.Arrested were Romeo Villacampa Cabarles, alias “Tata Longhair”, an alleged drug den maintainer, from Brgy. Lag-asan, Cadiz City, and Joebert Bacalso Amante and Arjie Cartagena Paran of Brgy. 19, Ronald Colango Torres of Brgy. Villamonte, and Jake Dela Torre of of Brgy. Magsungay all in Bacolod City, the PDEA added.The drug sting also resulted in the confiscation of shabu weighing about 12 grams with a standard value of P81,600, mobile phones, a gray coin purse, a blue pouch, disposable light...

There are now three fake Negros Occidental provincial government Facebook accounts and a fourth one bearing the name of Gov. Eugenio Jose “Bong” Lacson, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Wednesday, March 30.Diaz said they have requested Facebook to block all four accounts for misrepresentation. They are not authorized by the provincial government or the governor, he said.The three Facebook accounts bear the name Negros Occidental with the official seal of the provincial government, he said.There is also a Bong Lacson Facebook page with the picture of the governor and the official seal of the province, he added.They asked Facebook to block the four accounts so they cannot be used as a means deceive people, he said.They are also warning the public about these f...

The provincial government is asking the Department of Health (DOH) to lower the alert levels of towns and cities in Negros Occidental that have high COVID-19 vaccination performances, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Tuesday, March 29.This will enable local government units (LGUs) that have been performing well to enjoy their efforts under lower alert levels, while keeping those with poor vaccination performances at higher alert levels, he said.This will serve as a reminder to LGUs who continue to have low vaccination numbers to ramp up their efforts, Diaz added.At present the alert level ranking is based on the overall performance of all LGUs in Negros Occidental.Negros Occidental has remained under Alert Level 2 because of the low percentage of its overall tar...

Former Bacolod mayor and representative Monico Puentevella announcing the visit of presidential candidate Manny Pacquiao.*CPG photoPresidential candidate and Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao will be campaigning in four cities in Negros Occidental on Friday, April 1, former Bacolod mayor and representative Monico Puentevella said on Tuesday, March 29.Puentevella refuted rumors Pacquiao will back out of the presidential race in favor of Vice President Leni Robredo.Pacquiao has stated “very clearly that he is not thinking of withdrawal at all, I don’t know where these rumors are coming from”, Puentevella said.“He is a fighter, he believes in himself,” the former mayor added.Pacquiao will arrive at the Bacolod Silay Airport from Iloilo City at 10 a.m. Friday, and his first...

A woman and her two minor nieces drowned in the Bago River in Bago City, Negros Occidental, Tuesday morning, March 29.Killed were 31-year-old Riza Macatigos and her two nieces aged 16 and 11.MSgt. Sargeant Mars Anthony Luto, Bago police investigator, said that the minor victims were taking a bath in the river when one of them pushed Macatigos’ 13-year-old daughter to the deeper portion of the river.When the mother saw the incident, she tried to save the minors, but she could not swim.The mother and her two nieces then drowned.Only Macatigos’ daughter survived as she was the only one who knows how to swim, the police said.*

Police Station 7 photoFour suspects who robbed a gas station in Brgy. Alijis, Bacolod City, past midnight Monday, March 28, carted away P1 million in cash.The four suspects entered the office of the gas station as seen on the closed-circuit television, the police reported.The robbers then destroyed the lock of the cabinet and the vault, where the money was placed.One of the suspects was identified as an admin worker of the gas station, whom the police did not name.Police continue to investigate the case.*

Photo from Albee Benitez FBMayoral candidate Alfredo "Albee" Benitez said on Tuesday, March 29, that he will duplicate the Negros Occidental Comprehensive Health Program (NOCHP) in Bacolod City if elected mayor.The Bacolod City Comprehensive Health Program (BACHP) will be patterned after the NOCHP that addresses the health needs of indigent patients, he said."We have seen the success of the NOCHP. A program for health is one of the most crucial and needed programs in any local government unit," Benitez said.Benitez said he has discussed this with owners of private hospitals in Bacolod City and they will recognize the BACHP health card.He pointed out "those private hospitals by law must provide 10 percent of their bed capacity for no balance billing for the poorest of th...