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It has been a year since the CIDG launched a coordinated raid on the offices of Bayan, Gabriela, National Federation of Sugar Workers, and one private residence in Bacolod City on the evening of October 31, 2019.“It is still fresh in the minds of the Negrosanon when the state forces used a search warrant issued by Executive Judge Cecilyn Burgos-Villavert of Branch 89 of the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City to target the three offices and one private residence. The use of search warrants from the so called laboratory of fabricated warrants have become a trend increasingly used in Negros as the island was used as the laboratory of trumped-up charges, this makes offices and individuals at risk to the planting of evidences.” said Clarizza Singson, secretary-general of Karapatan Neg...

BCPO photoA 53-year-old man was killed after he was shot to death by riding-in-tandem suspects at Purok Fatima in Barangay Sum-ag, Bacolod City, Wednesday night, October 28.Killed was Gaudioso Empase of SP Village, Barangay Pahanocoy in Bacolod City.Initial police investigation showed that the victim was driving his tricycle when the suspects shot him.The victim sustained gunshot wounds at the back of his head, causing him to die instantly.Recovered from the scene were five empty shells from an unknown firearm.Police are still investigating the case.*

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson this afternoon, October 30, signed an executive order extending the duration of the Modified General Community Quarantine over Negros Occidental until 11:59 p.m. of November 30.The governor, in Executive Order No. 20-47, Series of 2020, said all persons violating the provisions of the EO and established health safety protocols issued by the Department of Health and the Inter-Agency Task Force will face appropriate administrative and criminal charges.Negros Occidental has been under MGCQ since June.There are 62 new COVID-19 cases in Negros Occidental and 25 in Bacolod City, the Department of Health reported today.The DOH said 4,614 persons have been hit by COVID-19 in Negros Occidental, 2,936 of whom have recovered and 79 have died. The province...

Photo from Ferdinand Panes' FacebookThe Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), together with all of our attached agencies, mourn the passing of our Negros Occidental Provincial Director Atty. Ferdinand Panes due to COVID-19 infection leading to a heart attack on October 29, 2020.As a frontliner, PD Panes’ life was true to our dictum of Matino, Mahusay at Maaasahan brand of leadership in Western Visayas. He was a beacon of excellence in his quest to deliver public service to the Negrenses and all other LGUs he was assigned to.True to his calling as a public servant and despite the danger posed by the coronavirus, especially to people of his age, he braved the threat of the pandemic every single day if only to serve the people.We extend our sincerest condole...

BCPO photoThree persons, including a woman, were arrested in a drug bust at Purok Kabugwason in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City on Wednesday, October 28.Nabbed were Jose Guzman Jr., 50; Guila Golez, 26; and Ronald Pelowa, 25, all of the barangay.A police report showed that the suspects yielded nine plastic sachets of suspected shabu worth P102,000, the P1,000 marked money, a digital weighing scale, a plastic straw, and two pouches.The suspects, who will face drug charges, are now detained at Police Station 7.*

OPAV photosThe Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas (OPAV) recognized the 29 partners from private and public sectors in Bacolod City in the fight against the coronavirus disease.Leading the rites was Secretary Lloyd Michael Dino at the Seda Hotel in Bacolod City on Thursday, October 29. He was joined by Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz II and Board Member Ryan Gamboa, both representing the provincial government.The partners were recognized for their immense contribution to the goal of OPAV to bring down cases in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, and Western Visayas.Those who received the plaques of recognition were Melquiades Feliciano, chief implementer of the Inter-Agency Task Force-Visayas, and his wife Mia; Richard Osme...

Photo from Ferdinand Panes' FacebookThe Department of the Interior and Local Government mourns the passing of its Negros Occidental provincial director, Ferdinand Panes, and will provide all necessary assistance and benefits to his family, DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said.Panes passed away at the St. Paul’s Hospital in Iloilo City Wednesday night, October 28.“As a frontliner, PD Panes’ life was true to our dictum of Matino, Mahusay at Maaasahan brand of leadership in Western Visayas. He was a beacon of excellence in his quest to deliver public service to the Negrenses and all other LGUs he was assigned to,” the secretary said in a statement“True to his calling as a public servant and despite the danger posed by the coronavirus, especially to people of his age, he braved the...

Richard Malihan photoThe flag at the Negros Occidental Capitol in Bacolod City is flying at half staff for the provincial head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government who passed away at past 11 p.m. Wednesday, October 28, after being hit by COVID-19.Ferdinand Panes, 60, passed away at the St. Paul’s Hospital in Iloilo after suffering from a heart attack and becoming comatose, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said today, October 29.He had gone home to Iloilo on October 2, was diagnosed with COVID-19, and was intubated at the St. Paul’s Hospital on October 13, Diaz added.Diaz said about 30 DILG staff members in Negros Occidental were tested for COVID-19 and one casual employee tested positive.The casual employee was quarantined at the Mambukal Resor...

City PIO photoThe city government of San Carlos has developed its owned technology for contact tracingThe city’s Information Technology and Computer Services Office (ITCSO) came up with a Quick Response (QR) code application for easier and faster contact tracing.The application was launched this week.Joseph Binghay, ITCSO Information Technology Officer II, said the application, named Viral Assessment and Monitoring System, was developed amid the rising COVID-19 cases in the city to make contact tracing easier and faster.He added that the formulation of the ordinance is underway so the use of the application will be implemented in the city.An executive order directing the government offices and barangays to use and implement the contact tracing was already issued by...

Department of Health and Department of the Interior and Local Government officials in Western Visayas are endorsing the appeal of Mayor Evelio Leonardia to the national Inter-Agency Task Force to de-escalate the status of Bacolod City from general community quarantine (GCQ) to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), City Administrator Em Ang said Wednesday night, October 28.President Duterte on Tuesday, October 27, announced that Bacolod would remain under GCQ until the end of November.Dr. Marlyn Concovar, DOH regional director, has announced that Bacolod is qualified to be under MGCQ subject to observance of gatekeeping parameters, Ang said.Leonardia in his appeal for the city to be placed under MGCQ said there is already a significant indication of a continuous red...