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Screengrab of the video showing the man firing his gun*A police manhunt hunt is on for a man shown in a video, which has gone viral on social media, firing his gun at a female agrarian reform beneficiary in Barangay Dos Hemanas, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, Friday morning, Jan. 31.Lt. Col. Salvador Trono Jr., Talisay police chief, said they are searching for the man in the video who will face charges for violation of the Commission on Elections gun ban, grave threats and illegal discharge of a firearm.The motive for the incident is a land dispute, Trono said.The man could not be found in the a addresses given to the police but their operations are ongoing to locate and arrest him, Trono said.The video shows an angry man fire his gun in the direction of a woman hold...

Two priests of the Diocese of San Carlos in Negros Occidental facing complains for alleged sexual abuse of minors remain on administrative leave and are not engaged in any ministerial duties, Bishop Gerardo Alminaza said on Thursday, Jan. 30.The Diocese of San Carlos would like to address recent concerns regarding the status of Fr. Conrado Mantac and Fr. Aron Buenacosa, who are both facing complaints for alleged sexual abuse of minors, Alminaza said.BishopAccountability.org, a United States-based watchdog, on Wednesday launched an online database on more than 80 Roman Catholic priests in the Philippines who have been publicly accused of sexually abusing minors.It said Buenacosa was charged on Feb. 27, 2019 by the Cadiz City Prosecutor’s Office with raping a 4-year-old girl. ...

Business tycoon Hans T. Sy, honorary mayor of Bacolod, (seated) with Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and his children Harvey and Hanna Carinna Sy (standing, l-r)  at the mayor’s office.*Ronnie Baldonado photoBusiness tycoon Hans T. Sy announced on Thursday, Jan. 30, that SM’s biggest development in Bacolod City will be its township at the city’s old airport along Araneta Avenue.The 20-hectare mixed use development will become an urban oasis, Sy, chairman of the Executive Committee of SM Prime Holdings Inc., said in his speech at the Bacoloadiat spring festival gala at the SMX Convention Center Thursday evening.“It will have a new upscale shopping and lifestyle center, BPOs and other commercial projects that the business sector and the city will surely benefit from,...

The government’s Regional Task Force Kanlaon, through the National Food Authority (NFA), has augmented rice supply to displaced families affected by the eruption of Mt. Kanlaon in Negros Island.At least 659 sacks of rice procured by Office of Civil Defense (OCD) were released to five local government units (LGUs), data on Thursday, Jan. 30, showed.Maria Christina Ilustre-Mayor, public information officer of OCD-Western Visayas, said they cater to all requests for rice assistance through the NFA.“It should be supported by the situation report of the LGU, showing the affected population,” she said.La Castellana, the worst-hit LGU in Negros Occidental, has an allocation of 310 sacks; La Carlota City, 70; San Carlos City, 15; and Bago City, 10, while Canlaon City in Negros Orie...

The establishment of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Regional Statistical Services Office (RSSO) in the Negros Island Region (NIR) is underway.In a statement on Thursday, the PSA-Negros Occidental said its chief statistical specialist John Campomanes has been named as the interim regional director.“The PSA is gearing towards the establishment of its additional field office. Preparations are underway, beginning with the appointment of Campomanes,” it added.Campomanes is spearheading the transition efforts, which will place the Provincial Statistical Offices of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor together under the RSSO-NIR.He met with Negros Oriental chief statistical specialist Ariel Fortuito to discuss key points and ways forward during a preparatory ...

Another baby from an evacuation center in La Castellana, Negros Occidental, has died, Dr. Girlie Pinongan, provincial health officer, confirmed Thursday, Jan. 30.The 9-month-old male from Brgy. Cabagna-an, La Castellana, died on Jan. 25.Five days before he was referred to a hospital the baby had cough and intermittent fever. He was brought by his parents to a private doctor and was given antibiotics, Pinongan said.When the Municipal Health Office personnel saw the patient one hour prior to referral to the Ignacio L. Arroyo Memorial District Hospital in Isabela, the patient was already severely dehydrated, she said.The patient was admitted on Jan. 25 and died on the same day from septic shock due to sepsis secondary to community acquired pneumonia, Pinongan said.Anoth...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson has ordered that a decision on whether to award or decline the lone bid for the Negros Occidental Bulk Water Supply Project (NBWSP) be made by the end of May.A consortium composed of First Balfour Inc., Victorias Milling Co. and FPIP Utilities Inc. was the lone bidder for the P1.2 billion NBWSP. The bid is currently undergoing post qualification evaluation.“The technical and financial post qualification evaluation is very tedious because we don’t want to overlook something important that could cause a problem later on”, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Thursday, Jan. 30.He said the governor has issued an executive order directing the completion of the post qualification evaluation by the end of May.If the bid is not accepted the pr...

The new Negros Occidental Provincial Administration Center is about 50 to 60 percent complete.*Barbara Mijares photoThe construction of the 7-storey new Negros Occidental Provincial Administration Center at Aguinaldo Street in Bacolod City is about 50 to 60 percent complete, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Thursday, Jan. 30.The building, including furniture and fixtures, will cost close to P1 billion, he said.Dynamic Builders, the contractor of the building, is on track and hopefully will deliver on schedule, Diaz said.The target date for completion of the building, which construction started in 2022, is June this year, he said.The housing of provincial government offices in one building when it is completed will speed up government services, he said....

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Negros Occidental agents arrested a “drug personality” and seized suspected shabu worth P136,000 in a buy-bust operation in Purok Kagaykay, Brgy. 2, Bacolod City, Wednesday, Jan. 29.“Bebe Balat”, 24, of Purok Kagaykay was arrested by PDEA, Philippine Coast Guard Intelligence Group-Visayas, and Coast Guard Intelligence Unit-Southern Negros Occidental operatives.Recovered from the suspect was suspected shabu weighing 20 grams.Five P100 bills, including the marked buy-bust money, a black coin purse, an iPhone 15, and P1,500 in cash, believed to be proceeds from illegal drug transactions were also confiscated.The suspect will be facing charges for violating Sections 5 and 11, Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug...

A man died after he was ran over by a sugarcane train in Brgy. Consolacion, Bais City, Negros Oriental, on Monday, Jan. 27.The fatality was Nolan Cabugnason, 31, of Brgy. Consolacion, the police said.The slow-moving wagon train came from Central Azucarera de Bais and was headed towards Sitio Biasong also in Brgy. Consolacion when it ran over the victim who was allegedly lying on the railroad, the police report added.The 55-year-old train operator of Brgy. Ilaud, Tanjay City, said while they were approaching a blind curve of the railroad, they did not notice the person lying on the tracks.It was too late to apply the brakes, he said.The police said prior to the accident, the victim was drinking with his father and had been left to sleep along the way.The wagon train...