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Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño (center), acting director of Police Regional Office - Negros Island Region, with Bacolod City Police Director Col. Eugene Rebadomia (right), and other law enforcement officials prepare to release balloons to mark the launch of the SAFE NIR Dial 911 on Thursday.*PRO NIR photoThe Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) vowed quick police response to more than 600,000 Bacolodnons through the SAFE NIR Dial 911 launched on Thursday, June 4.Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño, acting director of Police Regional Office - Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR), together with BCPO Director Col. Eugene Rebadomia, introduced the program that encourages Bacolodnons to "be alert, stay safe, and look out for one another."By just dialing 911, Bacolodnons can get immediate police assistance...

Atty. Jose Ma. V. Valencia*The former Negros Occidental Provincial Legal Officer (PLO) and Chief of Staff to former governors Joseph Marañon and Alfredo Marañon Jr. has passed away.Lawyer Jose Ma. V.  Valencia, 75, passed away in his sleep at the Riverside Medical Center shortly before 8 a.m. Thursday,  his wife, lawyer Lily Valencia, told DIGICAST NEGROS .While serving as PLO, Valencia chaired the Negros Occidental Task Force Ilahas, which fought to protect the province's remaining forests.He also supported numerous programs to assist the poor and was widely known for his helping those in need.Valencia had  also served as a labor arbiter.He is survived by his wife and their daughter, Dr. Celeste-Jo Valencia Pramio.In a Facebook post announci...

Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano* Senate photoRep. Julio Ledesma IV (Negros Occidental, 1st District) said Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano is a disgrace to the Senate and as a former member of the House of Representatives.Ledesma said he will urge the local government units of the 1st District of Negros Occidental to declare Cayetano persona non grata.“This is my ask of our district and I will get this,” he said.He said Cayetano has trivialized his duty as a legislator twice.Ledesma said Cayetano committed “acts inimical and deleterious to the common good.”“He held us hostage for three weeks. His acts are a redux of his stead as House speaker. He has demeaned both chambers spanning two administrations. Enough is enough,” Ledesma said.The criticism that Cayetano "trivialized" C...

A 76-year-old man listed as the No. 5 most wanted person at the regional level in the Negros Island Region was arrested in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday, June 2.Police identified the accused as alias “Moden,” a married carpenter and resident of Brgy. Old Sagay.The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region said the accused was arrested in Purok Santan 2, Brgy. Old Sagay during an intelligence-driven manhunt operation.Police said the accused was informed of the nature and cause of his arrest, his constitutional rights, and the provisions of the Anti-Torture Law in a language he understood.The operation was also documented using two body-worn cameras in line with police operational procedures.The accused is now under the custody of the Sagay City Police Stati...

The seized items from the suspects*Two men were arrested after they allegedly fired at two Bacolod police intelligence operatives in Brgy. Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, on Wednesday night, June 3.Police identified the suspects as Bernard Traje, 29, of Don Salvador Benedicto, Negros Occidental, and Romeo Araiz, 28, of Bacolod City.The incident happened at around 9 p.m. along Magsaysay Avenue while PCpl. Ruben Aldevira and Pat. Lowrence Esmeralda, both assigned to the City Intelligence Unit of the Bacolod City Police Office, were conducting covert intelligence monitoring.Initial investigation showed the police operatives were on board a Toyota Vios and were heading to the BCPO headquarters when they noticed two men on a motorcycle tailing them.Upon reaching the area in ...

A 53-year-old local government worker died after he was hit by a car in E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental on Wednesday morning, June 3.Police said the incident  happened at around 7:15 a.m. along the national highway in Brgy. Tabigue.Initial investigation by the E.B. Magalona Municipal Police Station showed a red Mitsubishi Mirage driven by alias “Eva,” 36, a clinical instructor from Ilog, was traveling from E.B. Magalona toward Victorias City when it hit the pedestrian.The victim, a resident of the area, was walking beside the road when he was hit, police said.He sustained serious head injuries and was immediately brought by E.B. Magalona MDRRMO personnel to the Teresita Jalandoni Provincial Hospital in Silay City.The victim was declared dead on arrival by the atte...

A high-value drug target was arrested in a buy-bust operation that yielded P170,000 worth of suspected shabu in Valladolid, Negros Occidental.The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Negros Island Region  identified the suspect as alias “Marissa,” 54, jobless, and a resident of Brgy. Paloma, Valladolid.The operation was conducted at around 4:44 p.m. on May 30 in Purok Kanipa-an II, Brgy. Paloma.The PDEA said the operation was led by its Regional Special Enforcement Team, together with PDEA Negros Occidental Provincial Office, PDEU-NIR, and the Valladolid Municipal Police Station.Authorities confiscated eight heat-sealed plastic sachets containing about 25 grams of suspected shabu.Also recovered were the buy-bust money, a black coin purse, an Android cellphone, and P3...

More than 234,000 learners  enrolled in public schools in the Negros Island Region in the first two days of the enrollment period this week. Almyr Caezar Dequiña, spokesperson of Depart of Education  NIR, said  234,931 had enrolled  from kindergarten to senior high school as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, June 3..The enrollment period is scheduled until June 5 and the number of enrollees is expected to increase."We are constantly updating the enrollment. And we're looking forward to seeing more numbers in the following days," Dequiña said.Meanwhile, the DepEd recognizes the country's literacy crisis following an assessment that shows that 87 percent of Grade 11 students are classified as non-independent readers.Dequiña said the DepEd NIR is implementi...

The Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) scheduled cloud seeding operations in Negros Occidental have been put on hold, a Department of Agriculture (DA) official said Wednesday, June 3.Negros Island Region DA Director Jose Albert Barrogo said everything will depend on the pronouncements of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) regarding the impact of  the El Niño.Barrogo earlier said that the BSWM would conduct cloud seeding operations over Negros Occidental and Western Visayas in early July to mitigate the effects of a dry spell.PAGASA has since announced that the rainy season will start in June and there will be heavy rains in some parts of Negros Occidental."The cloud seeding was prepared because of the pron...