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An alleged thief, who remains unidentified, was found dead hours after he was caught stealing in Purok Gold Medal, Brgy. Pahanocoy, Bacolod City, on Friday, May 30.Residents said the man was caught stealing from a house at about 2 a.m., Capt. Greeky Cayao, Bacolod Police Station 8 commander, said.Some residents chased him and about four hours later he was found dead in Purok Hanapbuhay in Brgy. Pahanocoy, Cayao added.Cayao said that the victim was wearing a yellow T-shirt, black shorts, and was about 30 to 40 years old with a height of 5 feet 3 inches to 5 feet 4 inches tall.The victim has many tattoos including the name “Alo” on his hand that matched the tattoo of a man captured in CCTV footage who had entered a construction supply establishment in Brgy. Tangub, Bacolod Ci...

SRA Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona, Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. and Bureau of Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio inspecting the smuggled sugar on Thursday.*Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. has instructed the Sugar Regulatory Administration to blacklist two registered sugar traders and importers for the illegal entry into the country of P9 million worth of refined sugar.Ordered blacklisted are Lapaz Multi-purpose Cooperative and Yabai OPC, a Department of Agriculture (DA) statement said on Friday, May 30.Laurel, Bureau of Customs Commissioner Bienvenido Rubio and Sugar Regulatory Administration chief Pablo Luis Azcona inspected the smuggled sugar from Thailand at the Port of Manila on Thursday, May 29.“We cannot let these illicit tra...

An American citizen and his son were injured when their motorcycle hit a wingvan  at the  highway in Purok 3, Brgy. 4, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, Thursday, May 29. The 55-year-old American of Purok 9, Brgy. Aguisan, Himamaylan, and his minor son, were injured when their motorcycle hit the van driven by a 40-year-old man from Caloocan City, Metro Manila, the police reported.Police investigation revealed that the American and his son were travelling from Binalbagan going to Kabankalan City, while the van was headed in the opposite direction.The American overtook another vehicle and lost control of the motorcycle, the police reported.He swerved on to the opposite lane and bumped the wingvan, causing damages to both vehicles.The American and his son were brought to...

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) – Negros Island Region inaugurated its regional office at the Puer Sanctus Building at Doña Juliana Avenue in Bacolod City on Friday, May 30.“This new regional office symbolizes DILG’s strengthened commitment to fostering efficient and responsive governance across Negros Island Region — bringing the Department closer to the communities it serves in Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Siquijor, and Bacolod City,” a DILG NIR Facebook post said.Present at the event were DILG Undersecretary Marlo L. Iringan, NIR OIC Regional Director Lailyn A. Ortiz, and Assistant Regional Director Teodora P. Sumagaysay.*

The Department of Health Central Office clarified that the two deaths in Siquijor province were not caused by glanders disease as earlier disclosed, but by melioidosis.DOH Secretary Teddy Herboso, in a national report, clarified that based on DNA analysis of the bacteria it was melioidosis.Health Undersecretary Mary Ann Maestral said the two cases were tested twice. Genomic sequencing at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine showed that the two were hit with melioidosis, she said.It is a bacterial infection that infects humans and animals and is often spread through contact with contaminated soil, air or water, according to the US Center for Disease Control.The DOH Negros Island Region recently reported that the province of Siquijor had six confirmed cases of glande...

Criminal Investigation and Detection Group chief Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre III*PNA/Joan Bondoc photoThe Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) assures its full support for Maj. Gen. Nicolas Torre II, the incoming Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.NOCPPO Director Col. Rainerio De Chavez said, in a statement Friday, May 30, that he is extending his unwavering support to Torre.Torre, who is the current Criminal Investigation and Detection Group director, will assume his new post on June 2.De Chavez said that his appointment marks a significant milestone as Torre was the first graduate of the Philippine National Police Academy to be appointed as PNP Chief.“With his leadership, I am confident that the PNP will continue to advance its mission of ensuring peace...

Former Negros Oriental 3rd District representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. being read his Miranda rights on a Philippine Air Force plane back to the Philippines.*President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday, May 29, announced that former Negros Oriental 3rd District representative Arnolfo Teves Jr., who has been tagged as the mastermind in the murder of governor Roel Degamo, was deported from Timor-Leste and is now back in the Philippines."As we know the former congressman Arnie Teves is facing charges of murder and other crimes related to the ambush killing of the former (Negros Oriental) governor Degamo. We would like to assure all our citizens that such lawlessness will not go unpunished," Marcos said in a video statement."It is now time for Arnie Teves to face justice," Marcos said...

Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Dominique Lopez-Benitez.*Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo "Albee" Benitez on Thursday, May 29, denied alleged economic and psychological abuse allegations hurled against him by his estranged wife, Dominique Lopez-Benitez.“Mayor Alfredo Abelardo "Albee" Benitez firmly denies the baseless and retaliatory allegations made against him by his estranged spouse under Republic Act No. 9262, or the Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act, for alleged economic and psychological abuse,” a press release issued by his lawyer Peter Sanchez said on Thursday evening, May 29.The VAWC case was filed shortly after the Bacolod mayor initiated annulment proceedings in 2024, raising serious doubts about the complainant's motives, said Sanchez, in ...

A woman died after a dumptruck ran over her while she and her husband were headed for a funeral at Zone 1, Brgy. Hilamonan, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on Thursday, May 29.Maria Cecilia Martinez, 49, of Sitio Kabangahan, Brgy. Hilamonan, died after she fell from the motorcycle driven by her husband when it was allegedly sideswiped by an overtaking dumptruck.The victim and her husband, Leonardo, 49, were headed for the Kabankalan Public Cemetery to attend the funeral of a friend.The dumptruck driven by Gene Berondo, 58, of Brgy. Hilamonan, sideswiped the motorcycle causing Maria Cecilia to fall under the wheels of the truck causing severe head injuries.Her husband did not suffer any injuries.Maria Cecilia was brought to the Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital wher...

The police arrested a store caretaker after they seized suspected shabu worth P816,000 from him in a buy-bust operation in Purok Mapisanon, Brgy. Lantad, Silay City, Negros Occidental, on Wednesday, May 28.Arrested was alias “Philip”, 41, male, the police said.Recovered from him were 120 grams of shabu, and the P12,000 buy-bust money, the police said.The suspect is now in police custody and will be charged for violation of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.*