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These are among the seized equipment during the raid.*The police arrested seven individuals and seized heavy equipment alongside quarry materials valued at ₱16.025 million during a joint anti-illegal quarrying operation in Hacienda Bag-o, Barangay Crossing Magallon, Moises Padilla,  on Tuesday, August 25.The operation was conducted along the Binalbagan River by the Regional Special Operations Group (RSOG) of the Police Regional Office Negros Island Region (PRO NIR), in coordination with the Moises Padilla Municipal Police Station, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOcPPO), and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB NIR).The suspects were identified as aliases “Rom,” 44; “Rit,” 30; “Jer,” 28; “Gem,” 37; “Hen,” 40; “Ron,” 42; and “Rit,” 45.  The group inclu...

Board Member Jeffrey Tubola and Deputy House Speaker Mercedes Alvarez*Deputy House Speaker Mercedes Alvarez (Neg. Occ., 6th District) will not run for vice governor of Negros Occidental in 2028, Board Member Jeffrey Tubola said on Tuesday, August 25.Tubola said he does not believe Alvarez will take on the provincial post because she still has one full term left as representative of the province's 6th District.Rumors had previously surfaced that Alvarez could be  a likely running mate for Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) of the Love Negros coalition if he decides to run for governor in 2028.Tubola, who is currently serving his final term as board member, also dismissed speculation that he plans to run for mayor of Kabankalan City in 2028."My plan...

Rep. Julio Ledesma IV and Rep. Emilio “Dino” Yulo (l-r)*Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, secretary-general of the United Negros Alliance (UNegA), would not confirm reports that two more Negros Occidental mayors are set to join the party.Escalante on Tuesday,  August 25,    said he also  has no information on whether  the two mayors are joining the National Unity Party (NUP), of which Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (Neg. Occ.,2nd District) is a member.Marañon of UNegA  and Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) of Love Negros  are seen as likely candidates for governor in 2028.Escalante noted that 14 to 15 of the 31 mayors in Negros Occidental are currently members of UNegA. A few new mayors have yet to affiliate with any l...

PRO NIR urged the public to continue reporting security concerns and crime information through the SAFE NIR DIAL 911 hotline*PRO NIR photoThe Police Regional Office Negros Island Region (PRO NIR) recorded a 23.26 percent drop in shooting incidents during the implementation of its Safer Cities Program (SCP), which it attributed to heightened police visibility, proactive interventions, and enhanced community cooperation.Data covering the 43-day SCP implementation period from April 6 to May 18, 2026, showed 33 recorded shooting incidents across the region—a reduction of 10 incidents compared to the 43 recorded during the preceding 43-day period from February 22 to April 5, 2026, a PRO NIR report said Tuesday, August 25.PBGen. Romano V. Cardiño, PRO NIR regional director,  cre...

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin says two major coal-fired generating units in the Visayas are expected to resume operations this week.*Screengrab from DOE online briefingEnergy authorities said the low capacity in the Visayas grid is expected to be addressed partly within the week with the expected resumption of operations of generating units of two major coal-fired power plants.In an online briefing Monday, Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Sharon Garin said the 169-megawatt (MW) Unit 2 of Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI) and the 105-MW Unit 2 of Kepco SPC Power Corporation should return to service this week.She said TVI’s 169-MW Unit 1 and Cebu Energy Development Corporation's 82-MW Unit 1 are also scheduled to resume operations by September.“Power will arrive. It's unfortunate na...

Joselyn Makilan Jr.*A graduate of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos placed ninth in the August 2026 Medical Technologists Licensure Examination, the Professional Regulation Commission announced.Joselyn Makilan Jr. earned a rating of 91.40 percent, placing ninth among the top-performing examinees nationwide.Makilan was the lone graduate from a Negros Occidental-based school listed among the top 10 placers in the examination.The PRC said 4,204 out of 5,634 examinees passed the licensure examination administered in testing centers across the country this August.Marti Angela Janagap Policarpio of the University of San Agustin topped the examination with a rating of 92.90 percent.Mehia John Tan Nawa of the University of the Immaculate Conception-Davao ranked...

City Administrator Mark Steven Mayo (second from left) answers questions on the city’s sanitary landfill during a press conference on Tuesday. He was joined by  Secretary to the Mayor Jose Marty Go, BENRO OIC  Allyn Luv Dignadice, and    Dr. Grace Tan, head of the Environmental Sanitation Division of the City Health Office (l-r).*BCCO photo The Bacolod City government, through the City Legal Office, has submitted its position paper in response to two separate Notices of Violation (NOVs) issued by the Environmental Management Bureau–Negros Island Region (EMB-NIR) concerning the management and operation of the sanitary landfill (SLF) in Barangay Felisa on Tuesday, August 25.City Administrator  Mark Steven Mayo, together with Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENR...

Police are investigating the death of an unidentified man who was apprehended and handcuffed by security guards after he and another person were allegedly seen attempting to enter a house inside a subdivision in Talisay City, Negros Occidental, early Tuesday morning, Aug. 25.PLt. John Patrick Linda,  Talisay deputy  police chief, said security guards were conducting a routine roving patrol in a subdivision in Brgy. Zone 15 when they spotted two men allegedly trying to enter a residence.The guards chased the two, but one managed to escape while the other was apprehended and handcuffed.According to the security guards, the man was still breathing when they restrained him.Personnel of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office later arrived and assessed t...