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Murder and frustrated murder charges were filed against a barangay captain and three unidentified persons for the shooting incident on Election Day that left two dead and seven injured in Barangay Mambulac, Silay City, a police official said on Wednesday, May 14.The charges were filed against Barangay Captain Arnie Benedicto of Lantad, Silay City, and three John Does following inquest proceedings before the Silay City Prosecutor’s Office, Col. Rainerio de Chavez, Negros Occidental police provincial director and Special Investigation Task Group Silay head, said.The barangay captain requested a preliminary investigation, de Chavez said.Killed in the shooting incident were Albert Salimbot and Ronnie Piedad, 47, of Silay City.Wounded were Ruel Espinosa, 42; Rick Ortillano, 4...

Representative-elect Julio Ledesma IV (3rd from left) being proclaimed winner by the Provincial Board of Canvassers chaired by Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria with Provincial Prosecutor Hermes Ariño  and Provincial Schools Division Superintendent Anthony Liobet (l-r).*Barbara Mijares photoRepresentative-elect Julio Ledesma IV (Neg. Occ., 1st District) said he will prioritize the construction of an airport in San Carlos City and push for a comprehensive land use plan for the Negros Island Region.The Provincial Board of Canvassers proclaimed Ledesma the winning congressman of the 1st District of Negros Occidental at the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City on Wednesday, May 14.Ledesma said he started the push for an airport in San Carlos in 1998 and will see to it...

The Sagarbarrias - Dumaguete councilor Chessa, Governor Chaco, Dumaguete Mayor-elect Chikiting and Representative-elect Maisa (2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th from left) after their proclamation as winners.* Gov. Chaco Sagarbarria FB page photoIt was a big win for four members of the Sagarbarria family in Negros Oriental who were all proclaimed winners on Tuesday, May 13.Incumbent Negros Oriental Governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria (PFP) was reelected with 365,020 votes.He defeated former governor Pryde Henry Teves (LP) who garnered 254,415 votes.The governor, in a statement, said “I promise to continue working tirelessly for the betterment of our beloved Negros Oriental.”His father Rep. Manuel “Chikiting” Sagarbarria, who is on his third term as representative of the second dis...

The Cadiz City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Team helps remove ashfall from roads leading to Brgy. Yubo, La Carlota City.* OCD photoFlights at the Bacolod-Silay and Iloilo airports resumed normal operations on Wednesday, May 14, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said.Cebu Pacific, Philippine Airlines and AirAsia had cancelled some of their flights on Tuesday after an eruption at Kanlaon Volcano left ash in their airspace. Only the first flight of Cebu Pacific to the Bacolod Silay Airport on Wednesday morning was cancelled.A CAAP advisory said flight operations are strongly advised to avoid flying close to the volcano’s summit due to the potential hazards posed by volcanic ash.The Philippine National Police – Negros Island Region (PNP-NIR) h...

The Provincial Board of Canvassers chaired by Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria with Provincial Prosecutor Hermes Ariño  and Provincial Schools Division Superintendent Anthony Liobet (l-r) proclaim Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (3rd from left) winner Wednesday afternoon.*Ronnie Baldonado photoTwo more congressmen and five board members of Negros Occidental were proclaimed winners at the Social Hall of the Capitol in Bacolod City on Wednesday, May 14.The Provincial Board of Canvassers proclaimed former representative Julio Ledesma IV and Rep. Alfredo Marañon III the winning congressmen of the first and second districts, respectively.Araceli Somosa and Marxlen dela Cruz (3rd and 4th from left)*Rita Gatuslao*Julio Ledesma IVFormer Negros Occide...

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...