Top Stories

Nigel Electona (wearing BJMP shirt), a former cop assigned at the Dumaguete City Police Office and reportedly the chief security officer of an agricultural firm owned by the Teves family, attends a hearing at the Department of Justice in Manila on Monday.*PNA photoThe findings of the preliminary hearings on the killing of Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo have been submitted to prosecutors who will determine if the pieces of evidence are enough for the filing of criminal cases.Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. (Neg. Or., 3rd District), the alleged masterminded, was a no-show during the proceedings at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila on Monday, July 17.Teves' counsels did not file a counter-affidavit to refute the allegations but instead submitted a motion to dismiss.The fugiti...

The police arresting the couple at Espinos Village 2 on Friday*BCPO photoA criminal case for “qualified trafficking in persons” was filed against a couple, whose four minor children were rescued from them, before the Office of the Bacolod City Prosecutor on Monday afternoon, July 17, PCol. Noel Aliño, Bacolod police director, said.The Philippine National Police Women and Children Protection Center – Visayas Field Unit had arrested the couple and rescued their four minor children at Espinos Village 2 in Brgy. Taculing, Bacolod City, on Friday.The parents were arrested for the online trafficking and sexual exploitation of their minor children, Aliño said.A criminal case for Qualified Trafficking in Persons under Section 4 in relation to Section 6 of Republic 9208 (an act to i...

A criminal complaint for alleged physical injuries inflicted on two minors was filed against a policeman assigned to the 1st Mobile Company of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office on Monday afternoon, July 17, PCol. Noel Aliño, Bacolod police director, said.A video of the incident had gone viral on social media last week and caught the attention of Senator Raffy Tulfo, whose staff are reportedly arriving in Bacolod on Friday.The complaint for physical injuries in relation to violation of Republic Act 7610 (an act providing for stronger deterrence and special protection against child abuse, exploitation and discrimination, and for other purposes) was filed against PStaff Sgt. Harry Gonzaga, 40, before the Office of the Bacolod City Prosecutor.The complaint states that ...

An 84-year-old female from Bago City, Negros Occidental, who tested positive for COVID-19 died, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Monday, July 17.The new COVID-19 death and 37 active cases in Negros Occidental were reported Sunday by the Provincial Incident Management Team.The 84-year-old was admitted at a Bacolod hospital with a fever and cough, Diaz said.She was a diabetic and unvaccinated, he added.The patient already died when the COVID-19 positive result came out, he said.The Bago City local government was instructed to ensure immediate burial of the 84-year-old, Diaz added.*

The Negros Occidental provincial government is strengthening the legal basis for the takeover of a building next to the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital in Bacolod City, which he wants to convert into a place where relatives or helpers of patients, especially from out of town, can temporarily stay, Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said Monday, July 17.The building was previously used by the University of St. La Salle for its College of Medicine.The provincial government and CLMMRH are both claiming ownership of the property.Lacson said they hope to reach an agreement with the CLMMRH so they can perhaps share the use of the building.He only wants the use of a portion of the building so patients’ relatives or helpers will have some shelter, Lacson said.Meanwh...

Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said on Monday, July 17, that he assured Department of Education that armed skirmishes between government soldiers and the New People’s Army (NPA) in Negros Occidental would not affect the province’s hosting of the 2024 Palarong Pambansa.Lacson led the presentation of Negros Occidental’s bid to host the 2024 games before the Palarong Pambansa Board at the DepEd Central Office on Friday.The security issue was raised because of reports of encounters between government forces and the NPA in Negros, he said.Lacson said he assured the board that the armed skirmishes were happening far away from the venues of the games, and that the Philippine Army and police will secure all of the athletes.He also told them that there were skirmishes because the governme...

Products being sold at the Negros Occidental Kadiwa ng Pangulo.*Barbara Mijares photoNegros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson led the launching of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo at the Food Terminal Market of Negros (FTMON) complex in Bacolod City on Monday morning, July 17.Under the guidance of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Kadiwa ng Pangulo “is a testament to our commitment to assisting our farmers, fisherfolk, and micro enterprises and at the same time, ensuring that consumers are not burdened by high prices of commodities,” Lacson said.The launching of Kadiwa ng Pangulo centers was held simultaneously in 81 provinces in the country.The objective of the president is to improve agricultural production to avoid the importation of basic commodities and in effect not burden consu...

Two electric cooperatives announced a P1 decrease in electricity rates for the month of July.The Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) and Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (NOCECO) announced Monday, that their electricity rates for July decreased by P1.1902/kWh and P1.37446/kWh, respectively.CENECO’s member-consumers will pay P11.533/kWh this month from the previous P12.7835/kWh, and at NOCECO it will be P13.3741/kWH from P14.7487/kWh in June.CENECO attributed the drop to the generation charges that decreased by 11.22 percent compared to the previous month due to a decrease in prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) from P9.6952/kWh to P7.7711/kWH.They also attributed it to the decrease in other pass-through charges such as Lifeline and Senior Ci...

A man arrested for alleged possession of illegal drugs had a seizure and died at the Himamaylan City Police Station in Negros Occidental, early Sunday morning, July 16.Arthur James Vargas, 37, from Brgy. 1, Himamaylan, was reported by his fellow person under police custody (PUPC) to have suffered a seizure, the police reported Monday.The victim was brought to the Valriano M. Gatuslao Memorial District Hospital in Himamaylan where he was declared dead.PLtCol. Reynante Jomocan, Himamaylan Police Chief, said that the victim suffered from hypertension.The police have requested the Himamaylan City Health Office to conduct a post-mortem examination.*

The police arrested four suspects in separate buy-bust operations and seized P127,160 worth of suspected shabu in three cities and a town in Negros Occidental from Friday to Sunday, July 14 to 16.Abdul Wahed Dirindingon, 25, was arrested in Brgy. 6, San Carlos City, and 16 grams of suspected shabu worth P108,000 was seized on Saturday, the police reported on Monday.Kirth Lee Villa, 39, of Brgy. Zone-2 in Cadiz City was also arrested and the police confiscated 0.5 gram of suspected shabu worth P3,400 on Sunday, the police added.Joemar Milan, 20, a habal-habal driver, was arrested with two grams of suspected shabu worth P13,600 in Barangay 3, Moises Padilla, Friday.A street-level target was also arrested in Sipalay City.Ernesto Rama, 30, of Brgy. Maricalum was arrested an...