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Twelve trucks were apprehended for various traffic and roadworthiness violations during separate road clearing operations in Bacolod City on Wednesday, Aug. 19.The Land Transportation Office-Negros Island Region said five trucks were apprehended in Brgy. Bata and seven others in Brgy. Mansilingan between 8:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.The violations included illegal parking, obstruction and the use of worn-out tires, the LTO-NIR said.The agency said the operations were part of its continuing campaign to clear road obstructions and ensure that vehicles operating on public roads comply with safety and roadworthiness requirements.LTO-NIR also warned that illegally parked trucks and other road obstructions could pose risks to motorists and pedestrians and contribute to road incidents....

A 30-year-old appliance collector classified by police as a newly identified high-value drug suspect was arrested with about P408,000 worth of suspected shabu in Sagay City, Negros Occidental, on Wednesday, Aug. 19.The Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region said the buy-bust operation was conducted at around 10:50 a.m. in Purok 1, Brgy. Poblacion 1.Police identified the suspect only ay  “Babyboy,” a resident of Brgy. Tadlong, Sagay City.The Sagay City  Police Station launched surveillance after receiving information that the suspect was allegedly involved in the distribution of illegal drugs.Police said their validation indicated that the suspect allegedly sourced suspected shabu from Bacolod City and distributed it to customers in Sagay.The suspect was a...

The Land Transportation Office-Negros Island Region is set to issue a show cause order against a driver allegedly involved in the assault of a traffic enforcer in Himamaylan City on Wednesday, Aug. 19.LTO-NIR said the incident happened at around 11 a.m. behind Himamaylan Central School.The driver was reportedly reprimanded by the traffic enforcer for roadside parking when the confrontation escalated.The driver allegedly punched the traffic enforcer, causing an injury to the latter’s mouth, the LTO said.The driver was subsequently placed under the custody of the Himamaylan Component City Police Station.The traffic enforcer, meanwhile, is preparing to file a complaint in connection with the incident.LTO-NIR OIC Regional Director Jeck Conlu said the agency will issue a...

Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr .(2nd from left) and SRA Administrator Paul Azcona (right) lead the launching of the new cane varieties.* SRA photo.The Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) launched three new high-yielding sugarcane varieties during the opening of the 72nd Philippine Sugar Technologists Association (PhilSuTech) Annual National Convention in Cebu on Wednesday, August 19. The new varieties—PHIL 2015-0445, PHIL 2015-0953, and PHIL 2015-0867—were developed over a 10-year period to raise farmer productivity, boost local sugar supply, and increase farmer incomes.Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu Laurel Jr. noted that deploying these high-yielding varieties alongside DA-SRA support programs "will help farmers raise productivity and incomes"...

Who will be the next governor of Negros Occidental?Rep. Alfredo Marañon III (Neg. Occ., 2nd District) and Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) on Wednesday, Aug. 19, said it is too early to talk about politics and that they are focusing on work for now.Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Tuesday that he is still hoping a Love Negros and United Negros Alliance (UNegA) coalition will field a unified ticket for governor and vice governor in 2028.His statement came amid political speculation over a potential gubernatorial clash in the 2028 polls between Marañon of UNegA and Benitez of Love Negros.Marañon said a united ticket would be good, but for now he is focusing on work and the  concerns at hand.A survey  on the 2028 governor pr...

Spurred by two recent deadly school shootings, Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Javier Miguel L. Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District) filed the Final Firearms Amnesty and Loose Firearms Accountability Act of 2026 on Wednesday, August 19, seeking to make major loose firearm offenses non-bailable and establish “the most stringent gun accountability measures in the history of the Philippines”.The proposed legislation comes following severe gun violence targeting students across the country.On June 22, two teenagers opened fire inside San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, killing three students and wounding 20 others. Less than two months later, on August 18, a Grade 9 student armed with a pistol and a rifle killed a schoolmate and took his own life at the Ateneo de Zamboanga Univ...