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Former president Rodrigo Duterte, left, at Villamor Air Base in Pasay City following his arrest.* PNP photoSan Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza and Bayan Negros welcomed the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on his return from Hong Kong Tuesday morning, March 11.“The rule of law must prevail. Justice must be served. Let this be a turning point for our nation - a step toward healing, accountability, and real change,” Alminaza said.Duterte, 79, was served a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over allegations of crimes against humanity in his bloody war against illegal drugs.A chartered plane bringing Duterte to The Hague, Netherlands, where he is expected to face the ICC Court took off from the ...

Former president Rodrigo Duterte was flown to The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday night where he is expected to face the ICC Court.*Here are the answers to the frequently asked questions on former president Rodrigo Duterte’s International Criminal Court (ICC) case from a purely scholarly perspective with no politics involved.𝗔. 𝗝𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀𝟭. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗥𝗼𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗼 𝗗𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗖𝗖?Rodrigo Duterte is accused of crimes against humanity, specifically murder, relating to extrajudicial killings during his anti-drug campaign (2016–2019) and earlier as Mayor of Davao City (2011–2016) (Rome Statute art. 7(1)(a); Situation in the Philippines, ICC-01/21, Pre-Trial Chamber I, Decision Authorizing Investigation (Sept. 15, 2021)).𝟮. 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼...

Bago City Legal Officer Aaron Lirazan*Mayor Nicholas Yulo has appointed Bago City Legal Officer Aaron Lirazan as the hearing officer for the charges to be filed against Bago City Hospital personnel facing a complaint for the death of a baby in February.The hearing will commence as soon as the formal charges are filed, the Bago City mayor said on Tuesday, March 11.The Bago City government will be the complainant in the case since it involves employees of the Bago City Hospital, he said.The baby’s father claimed there was negligence on the part of the Bago City Hospital staff that caused his son to die and his wife to be in critical condition.His wife was in labor for 12 hours and asked to give birth by cesarian, but her request was not heeded, he said.A fact-finding ...

NEDA Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan (3rd from left) in Pulupandan.*NEDA photoNational Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said the construction of the Iloilo-Guimaras Bridge may be slightly delayed.Balisacan disclosed that the detailed engineering study of the bridge needs to be restudied as they will need to dig deeper for its construction, from 75 meters to 150 meters, Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, March 11.The secretary who was in Bacolod City for the inauguration of the NEDA Negros Island Region office on Monday also inspected the Bacolod-Negros Occidental Economic Highway and the Pulupandan town site for the Guimaras-Negros Bridge.Balisacan, who visited major infrastructure projects in Negros Occidental, under...

Department of Health personnel checking on the evacuees at the Felix Robles Elementary School Evacuation Center in La Castellana.* OCD photoThe Negros Occidental provincial government will use the P50 million fund from Malacañang to feed the Kanlaon Volcano evacuees and for permanent evacuation sites, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, Feb. 11.The provincial government will resume its third round of providing meals to the evacuees, which this time will include rice, he said.In the past the rice was provided by the local government units but La Castellana that has the most number of evacuees is running out of resources, Lacson said.They will also allocate P14 million for the permanent evacuation site in La Castellana and P1.3 million for the site development in Ba...

Campaign posters will not be allowed at the 29th Panaad sa Negros Festival at the Panaad Park and Stadium in Bacolod City, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, Marh 11.They decided to keep the festival, set from March 24 to 30, apolitical, he said.Campaign posters will not be allowed to be plastered in the stadium and on trees in the park, he said.If the festival site is filled with campaign materials it will not look nice, he said.But candidates can come to the festival to shake hands and even give T-shirts if they want, Lacson added.*

A barangay tanod died after he was shot by three unidentified persons at a sugarcane field in Hacienda Launcia, Brgy. Consing, E.B. Magalona, Negros Occidental, Tuesday, March 11.The police identified the victim only as alias “Dakol”, 60, a tanod and former watchman of a quarry project.Investigation revealed that while the victim was cutting grass at the sugarcane field, three suspects approached and shot him.*

The Negros Occidental athletes at the WVRAA meet in Antique*Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said he will urge Negros Oriental or Siquijor to host the first Negros Island Region athletic meet next year.Lacson said he is willing to give the hosting to either of the two provinces so the Negros Occidental athletes can travel.He expects the Negros Occidental athletes to dominate the NIR regional athletic meet, Lacson said.Negros Occidental came in second in the recent Western Visayas Regional Athletic Association Meet in Antique.The province was champion only in the elementary level, while Iloilo won the most golds in the secondary and para games to bag the championship.Lacson said he was satisfied with the performance of the Negros Occidental athletes who did...

A driver died and his passenger was injured after their motorcycle hit a steel post in Brgy. Binicuil, Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on Monday, March 10.Jerald Salibio of Sitio Utod, Brgy. Poblacion, San Enrique, died, while his backrider, Jomar Zara, 28, was injured.They were on their way to the Mag-aso Falls in Kabankalan, however, the motorcycle went off the road causing them to hit a steel post, the police said.The victims were not wearing helmets and the incident was self-inflicted, the police added.*