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Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson in running for a third term as governor of Negros Occidental in 2025.*Richard Malihan  photo  Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday, May 7, that he is thankful to the incumbent officials in Negros Occidental who are Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP) members for their support for his reelection bid in 2025. “I know for a fact   that the incumbent PDP members are supporting me… I am very thankful for their support,” he said. The possibility of PDP’s supporting   former Victorias mayor Francis Frederick “Wantan” Palanca for governor of Negros Occidental in 2025 was announced last month by Jesus Villanueva Hinlo, PDP deputy secretary general for Visayas and Negros Occidental Council president. This prompte...

Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante*Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, United Negros Alliance secretary general, said on Monday, May 6, that there is no need for him to resign from the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan since he never received his appointment papers as a member.Escalante said he, then governor Alfredo Marañon and other Negros Occidental officials underwent membership training and took their oaths as PDP Laban members in September 2016 but never received papers acknowledging them as party members.PDP Laban led by then president Rodrigo Duterte was the ruling party at the time.“There is no need for me to resign since I think was not accepted into the party…from the onset I was a bogus PDP Laban member,” Escalante said.Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Ab...

The Armando Sumayang Jr. Command of the New People's Army (ASJC-NPA) on Monday, May 6, claimed the summary execution of the chief tanod of Brgy. Camindangan, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, for allegedly being an intelligence asset of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.  Killed was Donie Baculi in Sitio Baktolon, Brgy. Camindangan. Baculi succumbed to 14 gunshot wounds on Friday, May 3. The victim was at his fish stall when he was shot by unidentified suspects, the police said. The ASJC-NPA alleged that through his fish-selling business, Baculi went to far flung areas to secretly spy on the NPA.* 

The Negros Occidental provincial government on Monday, May 6,  announced the opening of participation for exhibitors in the Renewable Energy Week Expo  in Bacolod City on May 20 to 22. The activity is part of the 1st Renewable Energy Week of the province set on May 20 to 24 at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central Activity Center, under the SecuRE Negros campaign and in observance of Executive Order 04-09 issued by Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson. “Booths will be provided free of charge while exhibitors will shoulder the cost of their own exhibit materials and assigned personnel,” the provincial government said in its announcement. Interested parties may send a letter addressed to former governor Rafael Coscolluela, the provincial consultant on energy and enviro...

Photo by Lisa Fotios on Pexels.comA 1-year-old boy is the 14th to test positive for pertussis in Negros Occidental this year, Dr. Girlie Pinongan, Provincial Health Officer, said on Monday, May 6.Of the 64 probable pertussis cases detected in Negros Occidental 14 patients have tested positive and one died earlier, she said.There were 33 who tested negative while the  laboratory test results of  16 are not out yet, she said. Twenty of  the 31 local government units in Negros Occidental have reported  at least one pertussis related case, she said. Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, can cause serious illness in people of all ages but is most dangerous for babies. The 10,000 dosses of vaccines versus pertussis that were ordered b...

Former president Rodrigo Duterte and Harry Roque*PCOO file photo  The Hakbang ng Maisug prayer for peace rally to be attended by former president Rodrigo Duterte will push through at the Freedom Park in front of the Negros Oriental Capitol in Dumaguete City at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, former presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.“We don’t need a permit to use a freedom park”, Roque told DIGICAST NEGROS.Roque issued the statement after the Dumaguete City government revoked a permit for the prayer rally at Pantawan 3, Dumaguete City.Dumaguete City Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo told DIGICAST NEGROS a certain Rev. Ed Samson applied for a permit for the prayer rally on May 7, which was granted on April 16.On May 3 another person, Benjamin Villa, wrote the city polic...

The drought damage to rice and corn crops in Negros Occidental has hit P214,150,262 and the figure is still expected to increase with more reports coming in, Provincial  Agriculturist Dina Genzola said on Monday, May 6. The rain that has hit some parts of the province has not been enough to revive the crops in   areas   where extreme heat has caused the parched soil to crack, Genzola said. Light rainfall was reported in Cauayan and Himamaylan City, moderate rainfall in Binalbagan, Hinoba-an, Valladolid, La Castellana, Moises Padilla, Toboso and Hinigaran, and heavy rainfall in Sipalay and Talisay cities for about five minutes late last month, she said.They are hoping that the rice production in Negros Occidental’s irrigated areas will make up for the losses in the rai...

Two more branches of  Municipal Trial Courts in Cities (MTCCs) will soon be created under the 6th Judicial Region in Bacolod City through the proposed legislation authored by Bacolod  Rep. Greg Gasataya. House Bill (HB) 8255, aimed to ensure the speedy disposition of cases and to unclog court dockets, is sponsored in the Senate by Senator Francis Tolentino, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights. “Within this week, this will be approved,” Tolentino said during his visit to Bacolod on Monday, May 6. As provided in HB 8255, the Supreme Court shall assign the branch numbers for the new branches of the MTCCs. It added that the Chief Justice, in coordination with the Secretary of Justice, shall immediately include in the Hig...

Patrick Lacson*Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez signed a five-day suspension order against Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) head Patrick Lacson. City Legal Officer  Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. said  on Monday, May 6, that the 5-day suspension   will take effect  when Lacson receives the order. The suspension came after Lacson was ordered to explain the removal of the  MABB Cab logo from a  city government vehicle  that was photographed  at his residence and his issuance of a memorandum that gave a  quota to traffic personnel to apprehend traffic violators. The mayor has already reprimanded and warned Lacson, leading to the recommendation of the 5-day suspension against him, Ting said. Ting...