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The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office awarded 25 police officers and stations in the province for outstanding work during the celebration of the 122nd Police Service Anniversary at Camp Alfredo M. Montelibano Sr. in Bacolod City on Friday, August 11.The three best unit awards went to the Silay City Component Police Station as Best CCPS, E.B. Magalona Municipal Police Station as Best MPS, and 2nd Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company as Best PMFC.Sixteen police officers were also given special awards.The awardees are Silay police chief Lt. Col. Mark Anthony Darroca , E.B. Magalona police chief Maj. Kenneth Jay Gratones, and Hinigaran police chief Maj. Clifford Batadhay for Most Number of Planned Operations on Illegal Drugs;Bago police chief Lt. Col. Jay ...

The National Electrification Administration (NEA) has approved the resumption of the plebiscite for the Joint Venture Agreement between Central Negros Electric Cooperative and Primelectric Holdings Incorporated.The six-day plebiscite is set August 19, 20, 26 and 27 and September 2 and 3, CENECO acting general manager Arnel Lapore said Thursday, August10.The plebiscite was halted to give the NEA time to cleanse the CENECO member-consumers’ list.Lapore said from 192,000 member-consumers the number is now 177,000.Most of the names removed from the master list were double entries and those who have died, he said.Lapore expects a big turnout during the plebiscite.*

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson.*Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Thursday, August 10, that Love Negros fully supports Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez amid accusations hurled by suspended Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (Neg. Or., 3rd District).“As leader of the Love Negros we fully support Mayor Albee Benitez. We believe in his integrity and we totally believe him when he said he will never break the law,” Lacson said.Lacson said he believes even the United Negros Alliance members are in total support of Benitez.Benitez said on Monday that he will never break the law and will leave the claims hurled by Teves against him to the proper authorities to handle.Teves, in a video circulating on social media, said since he along with his friends and children are bei...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson (3rd from left) led the Negros Occidental Bulk Water Project Investors Conference.*Richard Malihan photoRepresentatives of 43 firms and financing institutions joined the Negros Occidental Bulk Water Project Investors Conference at the Ayala Malls Capitol Central in Bacolod City, Thursday morning, August 10.Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson urged the prospective investors, some of whom joined the conference online, to invest in the P1.2 billion project.“This invitation to be a part of our Bulk Water Project will create value not just for your enterprise but also for our people and province,“ Lacson said, as he assured that the provincial government is committed to creating a business-friendly environment.The Negros Occidental Bulk Water Project Investors Con...

The retrieval of the bodies of the slain civilians.*79th IB photoThe number of policemen injured in an encounter with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Brgy. Minapasok, Calatrava in Negros Occidental on Wednesday morning, increased to three.The police on Wednesday reported that PCpl. Jaime Nunez was killed and PCapt. Jesus Alba and PCpl. Dennis Nasis of the Calatrava police station were injured.However, another policeman discovered that he had small wounds on his back that he did not notice the day before and was brought to a hospital on Thursday, August 10, PMaj. Ronald Santillan, Calatrava police chief, said.He identified the third injured policeman as PSSgt Frank Caballero.The wounds appear to have been caused by shrapnel from an M-203 grenade fired by the rebels, he...

Carl Hanson Gerale*A University of St. La Salle-Bacolod graduate placed 8th in the August 2023 Psychometricians Licensure Examination, the Professional Regulatory Commission announced Thursday, August 10.Carl Hanson Gerale, a BS Psychology graduate from USLS last year, placed eighth with a 87.60 percent rating.Gerale placed eighth out of 6,133 passers of the examination.USLS also announced that the school had a 84.85 passing rate, where 54 out of 64 Lasallian examinees passed the licensure exam.There were 8,370 individuals who took the exam in the country but only 73.23 percent passed.*

A Negrense died after sustaining multiple hack wounds in Purok Bougainvillea, Brgy. Culo, Pulupandan town, Negros Occidental, Wednesday, August 9.Rudy Amar, 43, was found lifeless, the police said.He told his wife, Carisma Amar, that he was going to check on the fishpond near their house.Moments later, two witnesses informed Carisma that her husband was found dead.*

A former rebel turned forest guard was gunned down in Sitio Buli, Brgy. Rizal, San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, on Wednesday, August 9.Alejandro Traya, 62, of Sitio Pakighiusa, Brgy. Pinoyawan, Salvador Benedicto town, was shot by an unidentified suspect, the police said.Traya was shot in the back and was declared dead at the San Carlos City Hospital.San Carlos Police Chief, Lt. Col. Jesus Mesahon, told DIGICAST NEGROS that Traya was a former member of the New People’s Army then the Revolutionary Proletarian Army- Alex Boncayao Brigade before he surrendered.He was given a work as forest guard of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.*

The shabu seized in Brgy. Vista Alegre, Bacolod.*BCPO photoAn alleged member of a notorious drug syndicate was arrested in a buy-bust operation and P14.38 million in suspected shabu was seized from him in Bacolod City at 6:49 a.m. Thursday, August 10.Micheal Frias, 45, an alleged member of the Caunda Drug Syndicate, was arrested in his house at Purok Pablo Torre, Brgy. Vista Alegre, the police reported.The police recovered four heat-sealed sachets and five plastic bags containing 2.12 kilograms of suspected shabu worth P14,382,000 from Frias, Capt. Joven Mogato, City Drug Enforcement Unit chief, said.Micheal Frias, seated, during the drug bust.*BCPO photoThe suspect, whom they had been monitoring, had been arrested in 2009 but was released after 10 years in detention, f...

Cocolisap-hit leaves being inspected*Cocolisap, pests that eat the leaves of coconut trees until they die, have been detected in two cities and two towns in Negros Occidental and bio-control measures have been taken to prevent their spread, Dr. Neil Melencion, Philippine Coconut Authority Western Visayas regional manager, said Thursday, August 10.An estimated 5,000 coconut trees have been infected in Barangay Mailum, Bago City, Barangay Minoyan, Murcia, La Carlota City and La Castellana, he said.Cocolisap pests that look like fish scales usually thrive during the dry season.Cocolisap had hit Laguna, Batangas and Zamboanga in the past and almost wiped out the coconut industry, Ramon Uy Sr., RU Ecological and Agricultural Development Foundation president, said.The PCA 6 i...