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Campaign materials in Bacolod City.*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe mayors of Bacolod and Victorias have ordered the cleanup of campaign materials in their cities.Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said he ordered a cleanup on Tuesday, May 13, the day after the elections.Benitez directed the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office to lead the city's "Operation Baklas" and to turnover the collected campaign materials for recycling.The Bacolod Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO) has started removing the campaign materials.The Bacolod DRRMO, Commission on Elections and Negros Power are also set to conduct a joint cleanup on Saturday.Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez on Wednesday also urged all candidates in his city to remove campai...

The suspect behind the stabbing of an 18-year-old man at Lacson Street in Brgy. Mandalagan, Bacolod City, on Tuesday surrendered to the police a day after the incident.Alias “Adrian”, 19, a college student and resident of Brgy. Granada, surrendered at the Bacolod City Police Office on Wednesday, May 14, and is now detained at the Bacolod Police Station 3.Hikaru Legaste, 18, of Brgy. Efigenio Lizares, Talisay City, was allegedly stabbed by the suspect in the chest and stomach causing his death, the police reported.The victim and the suspect were allegedly involved in a heated argument causing the suspect to allegedly stab him, the report added.The surrender was facilitated by Brgy. 18 Chairperson Madeline B. Diaz and the police commended the cooperation of the community for ...

A member of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (CAFGU) was shot to death by four New People’s Army gunmen in Sitio Minasug-ang, Brgy. Tabun-ac, Toboso, Negros Occidental, 7 a.m. Wednesday, May 14.Killed was alias “Jury”, 54, of Brgy. Bandila Proper, Toboso, who also worked as a habal-habal driver.Capt. Arnel Lasap, Toboso Acting Police Chief, said that the victim was driving a motorcycle when he was waylaid by at least four persons and shot.The police said revenge could be one of the possible motives.The Roselyn Jean Pelle Command-New People’s Army owned the killing of Jury Gani for allegedly being an intelligence asset of the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.*

The three persons arrested at the drug den in Brgy. Poblacion, Sibulan, Negros Oriental, on Tuesday.*A drug den was busted and three persons were arrested in a buy-bust operation in Brgy. Poblacion, Sibulan, Negros Oriental, on Tuesday, May 13.The three suspects, including an alleged maintainer, were arrested by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-7, the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) reported on Wednesday.Seized were six grams of suspected shabu worth P40,800, drug paraphernalia and the marked buy bust money.Brig. Gen. Arnold Thomas Ibay, PRO-NIR Director, commended the PDEA for the successful operation and emphasized the importance of collaboration in the fight against illegal drugs.Meanwhile, Jorebec Ancajas, 36, was arrested after evading a...

The bottle attached to a cable that hit a high-voltage power line.*Negros Power photoA Bacolod City resident suffered serious burns after accidentally coming in contact with a high-voltage power line while attempting to install an internet cable at 2 p.m. Wednesday, May 14.The incident, serves as a stark reminder of the inherent dangers of working near electrical lines without proper training and safety precautions, a press release from the Negros Electric and Power Corp. said.A male resident, whose name was withheld, of Purok Baybay, Barangay 35, was attempting to install a WiFi cable for a computer shop at Rodriguez Avenue, the press release said.While attempting to cross the street with the cable, he used a plastic bottle as a weight to guide the cable across.The bo...

PStaff Sgt Alvin Uy*The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) commended a police officer who was wounded while apprehending an armed suspect in Brgy. Gargato, Hinigaran, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday, May 13.PStaff Sgt Alvin Uy of the Hinigaran Police Station was wounded while pacifying alias “Juan”, 27, who was armed with a bladed weapon and acting violent.Concerned citizens had reported that there was a man roaming around the neighborhood carrying a bladed weapon.When the police arrived, the suspect acted violently and attacked Uy after the police officer confronted him.The suspect was pacified while Uy sustained minor wounds.The police recovered two bladed weapons from the suspect, who is now detained at the Hinigaran Police Station.Uy was tre...

The fun run at the at The Upper East*Carlos Hilado Memorial State University (CHMSU) kicked off its 3rd University Foundation Week on Tuesday, May 13, with activities anchored on its Sustainable Development Goals.Participants from the CHMSU Alijis and Fortune Towne campuses in Bacolod joined a fun run and raced to the finish line at Megaworld’s The Upper East, a press release from CHMSU said.The Binalbagan and Talisay campuses also held their versions of the fun run in their areas participated in by students, employees, and alumni.CHMSU also highlighted its various projects, programs, and initiatives led by students, faculty, and staff that contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through its SDG Expo Village.The SDG Expo Village is organized by th...

Ash over Brgy Araal in La Carlota City on Tuesday*Romeo Subaldo photoThree airlines cancelled flights in and out of Negros Occidental and Iloilo following the eruption of Kanloan Volcano that left ash in their airspace on Tuesday, May 13.Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia said they cancelled flights as a precautionary measure.Commission on Elections officials said they were thankful that the eruption occurred after the May 12 polls ended.Bacolod City and 10 other towns and cities in Negros Occidental experienced ashfall and sulfur smell after the explosive eruption at 2:55 a.m. Tuesday.The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council - Emergency Operations Center monitored ashfall or sulfur smell in the cities of La Carlota, Bago and San C...

Nicholas Yulo, Paula Alonso, Pal Guanzon, Jose Benito Alonso, Eugenio Jose Lacson, Jeffrey Ferrer, Javier Miguel Benitez, Andrew Montelibano and Bambi Depasucat (l-r) were proclaimed winners on Tuesday.* Ronnie Baldonado photoGov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, vice governor-elect Jose Benito Alonso and the winning representatives and board members of Negros Occidental were proclaimed winners at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Tuesday afternoon, May 13.The winning representatives proclaimed on Tuesday were Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez for the 3rd District, Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer – 4th District, Rep. Emilio “Dino” Yulo III – 5th District, and Rep. Mercedes Alvarez – 6th District.Javier Miguel BenitezJeffrey FerrerRep. Emilio "Dino" ...

Ther City Board of Canvassers and the Bacolod winners after their proclation early Tuesday morning.*Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez who won as congressman and Rep. Greg Gasataya as mayor on Tuesday, May 13, vowed to continue to bring more meaningful reforms to Bacolod.The City Board of Canvassers officially proclaimed the winners of the May 12 polls at the Bacolod City Government Center close to 4 a.m. on Tuesday.Benitez won with 164,145 votes giving him a lead of 44,714 votes over his opponent former Bacolod mayor Evelio Leonardia who garnered 119,431 votes.Gasataya won with 157,150 votes while his opponent Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran had 143,307 votes.Councilor Kalaw Puentevella of Team Asenso also won as vice mayor with 146,639 votes, to defeat Councilor Renecito No...