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Pastor Jimie Teves (center) and his co-accused were acquitted Monday.*UCCP photo A pastor of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) and his co-accused, also known as the Himamaylan 7, were acquitted of two counts of murder and seven counts of frustrated murder for failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt on Monday, Nov. 18, their lawyer Rey Gorgonio said.Acquitted by Kabankalan Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 61 Judge Rodney Magbanua were UCCP Pastor Jimie Teves, government job order worker Jodito Montesino, Susan Medes, Jeppy Romano, Jasper Aguyong, Rogelio Sabanal, Eliseo Andres, and Rodrigo Medes, Gorgonio said.They were accused off being members of the Communist Party- New People's Army responsible for the death of...

SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona*“Sugar stock levels have been constant in the past couple of months and claims from certain groups that there is an oversupply of sugar that purportedly caused a drop in sugar prices is laced with malice,” Sugar Regulatory Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said on Monday, Nov. 18.“Unless it is their goal to announce oversupply to purposely try and lower prices, for reasons they only know,” said Azcona in reaction to the joint statement of the Sugar Council and National Congress of Unions in the Sugar Industry (NACUSIP) on Sunday.Azcona decried their presumption that the recent joint announcement made by the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) that no importation will happen until post-harvest was intend...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said on Monday, Nov. 18, that he has designated a new head of the Office of the Building Official (OBO).Benitez designated Engineer Amy Tentia officer-in-charge of the Bacolod City OBO replacing Engineer Isidro Sun.Benitez said he replaced Sun because of “differences in objectives and goals”.Asked if he had received complaints of money illegally solicited for the granting of building permits, Benitez said “to be fair there will be due process to be undertaken”.*

A Cadiz City, Negros Occidental, resident appears to be of a stolen identity victim.She is is getting married next month and was surprised that when she applied for a Cerificate of No Marriage (Cenomar) from the Philippine Statistics Office ( PSA) records showed that she was married to an Indian national last year.Evelyn Ruelan, who is seven months pregnant, is planning to marry her live-in partner of two years in the first week of December.When she applied for her Cenomar it was stated that she was married to the Indian national on Nov. 16, 2023 in Valenzuela, Metro Manila.It's the first year anniversary of that marriage and she does not know who her supposedly husband is.She was advised by a lawyer to go to Valenzuela City and prove that she is the real Evely...

Two persons were stabbed to death and four others were injured in Talisay City, San Carlos City and Isabela town in Negros Occidental on Sunday, Nov. 17.A man was stabbed to death and three others were injured in a commotion at Sitio Balogo, Brgy. Concepcion, Talisay City, Negros Occidental.The 58-year-old man and resident of Sitio Bokbok, Barangay Concepcion, succumbed to multiple stab wounds inflicted by a 48-year-old suspect, the police said, but withheld their names.The wife and brother of the suspect, and another man, whose names were also withheld by the police, were also injured during the commotion.Investigation revealed that the suspect and his brother were having a drinking session when the two other victims passed by their house and called the suspect....

Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz*The bid submission deadline for the Negros Occidental Bulk Water Supply Project (NBWSP) has again been moved from November to December, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Monday, Nov. 18.The PPP (public-private partnership) Center asked for the final extension for the submission of documents to Dec. 11, he said.The NBWSP is targeted to supply treated bulk water to service providers in the cities of Silay, Talisay, Victorias and Bacolod, and the municipalities of E.B. Magalona and Manapla.“The provincial government would like to assure all stakeholders that we are not just here to take water, we are here to develop a water security plan that includes water resource management to secure watershed areas,” Diaz said.The ...

Preparations for the 17th Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival at the North Capitol Road in Bacolod City were underway on Monday.*Barbara Mijares photoThe 17th Negros Island Organic Farmers Festival and 2nd Terra Madre Visayas will open at the North Capitol Road 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, and will run until Saturday, Nov. 23.A program will follow at the Negros Residences with Assistant Secretary Elizabeth de Leon of the Department of the Interior and Local Government as the keynote speaker.Among the officials expected at the program are Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson, Negros Oriental Gov. Manuel "Chaco" Sagarbarría, Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, and Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez – Negros Association of Chief Executives president.Pro...

The police arrested two individuals and seized suspected shabu worth P142,800 and a firearm in two separate buy-bust operations in Silay City on Saturday, Nov. 16.Alias “Ann”, 42, tagged as a high value drug personality and resident of Brgy. Rizal, was arrested at about 4 p.m. Saturday, the police said.Seized from her were 13 grams of suspected shabu estimated to cost P88,400.Three hours later, alias “Padoy”, 41, was arrested in a buy-bust operation in Brgy. E. Lopez at about 7:17 p.m., the police reported.The police confiscated from him eight grams of suspected shabu valued at P54,000, a .22 caliber pistol, magazine, and 10 live cartridges.The suspects are now under police custody and will be charged for violation of sections 5 and 11 of Republic Act 9165 or t...

The Negros Occidental provincial government is preparing a list of its ongoing projects, including those to be implemented during the election period, to be submitted to the Commission on Elections.The list is being prepared so they can seek permission and exemptions for the projects to continue during a Comelec ban, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said.They will inform the Comelec as early as possible of ongoing infrastructure and soft projects so that here will be no miscommunication, Diaz said.As a matter of procedure ongoing projects do not require Comelec approval but to be on the safe side we will inform them, he said.Projects yet to implemented during the election period need Comelec exemption, he added.The Comelec states that during the campaig...

A fire damaged a furniture shop at Liroville Subdivision, Brgy. Singcang-Airport, Bacolod City, at noon on Monday, Nov. 18.Damaged was Rojo Muebles and Craft, the Bacolod Fire Station reported.One of the employees of the shop noticed that the staff house made of light materials was on fire and called for help.The fire damaged the staff house, two motorcycles, and a vehicle.The shop, which is owned by Maxemia Libo-on, incurred damages worth P225,000, the Bacolod Fire Station reported.The cause of the fire still being investigated, it added.*