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Some police officials in Negros Oriental have recently been relieved from their positions for “career enhancement” purposes, Col. Ronan Claravall, acting police provincial director, said Saturday, July 15.The minor reshuffle would not affect key positions, Claravall said.The reassignment was part of regular reshuffling and has the “guidance and approval of higher headquarters", he said.“I have just been here for five days only and I am doing the rounds of the cities and towns to meet with the local chief executives and get to know the people and the places,” he said.Claravall is the fifth police provincial director of Negros Oriental this year, following the relief of four of his predecessors in the midst of national government efforts to restore peace and order in the prov...

PHI and NEPC president Roel Z. Castro*Primelectric Holdings Inc. (PHI) has assured Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez that it is committed to invest whatever it takes to "expand and modernize the distribution system" in the Central Negros Electric Cooperative (CENECO) franchise area.The PHI-CENECO joint venture firm will be known as the Negros Electric and Power Corp. (NEPC).However, the joint venture agreement (JVA) needs the approval of CENECO consumer-members through a plebiscite for it to push through. The National Electrification Administration has put the plebiscite on hold pending the cleansing of the CENECO voters list.PHI and NEPC president Roel Z. Castro, in his letter dated July 10 in response to Benitez queries, said “some people interpret the fact that ther...

The backyard hog raisers of San Enrique, Bago City and Ilog, which have been the hardest hit by pig deaths from various diseases, will be the first to receive financial assistance from the Negros Occidental provincial government next week.Affected hog raiser will receive P2,000 each, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said on Friday, July 14.The assistance will be delivered by the provincial government to the affected pig raisers, he said.San Enrique has 2,671 pig deaths comprising 99.22 percent of its hog population and affecting 508 raisers, the Provincial Animal Biosecurity Incident Management Team (PABIMT) reported Friday.Bago City has 2,433 pig deaths or 11.93 percent of its hog population and affecting 319 raisers, the report added.Ilog has 1,390 pig deaths a...

The Negros Occidental disaster response ambulances and vehicles.*The Negros Occidental province-wide disaster response program is now fully operational, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Friday, July 14.The provincial government has prepositioned 18 new ambulances in the six districts of Negros Occidental, he said.Road rescue vehicles have also been assigned to Bago City and EB Magalona where most of the vehicular accidents transpire, while water search and rescue equipment have been placed in Sipalay City, he said.The provincial government has a 911 emergency hotline that has been operating for more than a year.It is based at the command center at the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division building at the Panaad Park in Bacolod City, he said.Mea...

Rennier Araco Jr photoThe police arrested five individuals and seized P421,600 worth of suspected shabu in separate buy-bust operations in two cities and a town in Negros Occidental, on Thursday, July 13.Ricky Tocaste, 33, of Sitio Sagahan, Brgy. General Luna, Toboso, was arrested in a buy-bust operation, Thursday afternoon.Shabu weighing 45 grams with an estimated value of P306,000 was seized, the police reported.Three suspects were also arrested in a buy-bust operation in Brgy. 6, Kabankalan City.Rodelyn Arias, 44, Rila Joy Cañete, 34, both from Kabankalan, and Jon Karlo Teovis, 23, of Brgy. Delicioso, Ilog town, were arrested and confiscated were 10 grams of shabu worth P68,000, the police said.Edsil Estancia, 31, of Brgy. Mambulac, Silay City, was also arrested ...

Representatives from the Office of Senator Raffy Tulfo will arrive in Bacolod City next week to assist the family of two children who were allegedly assaulted by a police officer Monday night, July 10.A police officer identified as Staff Sergeant Harry Gonzaga was caught on video “assaulting” the 12 and 13-year-old children which resulted to physical injuries in Brgy. 30, Bacolod City.Jason Decena, uncle of the two victims, said the family is seriously considering filing charges against the police officer.The victims underwent a medico-legal examination on July 11 and results showed that the injuries will incapacitate the patients from ordinary labor or require medical attention for five to seven days.Decena said that they already had a video call with the staff of Tulfo wi...

The police have identified about 15 members of the New People’s Army as suspects-at-large in the massacre of the Fausto family in Brgy. Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental, on June 14.Himamaylan Police Chief PLt. Col. Reynante Jomocan said on Friday, July 14, they have already identified the suspects who are at-large since they are in the hinterlands.It has been a month since the incident happened, but the police are still waiting for the family of the Faustos to decide whether they will file a case or issue a waiver so the police can instead file charges against the suspects, he said.Four members of Fausto family, Emilda, Rolly, Ben, and Raben, were peppered with bullets that led to their death last month in their residence.Jomocan further said that the suspects...

The bullets foundat the FTMON*The case is not closed, the discovery of two bullets at the Food Terminal Market of Occidental Negros (FTMON) in Bacolod City may have been intended to scare an employee of the Provincial Human Resource Management Office, Provincial Administrator Rayfrando Diaz said Friday, July 14.Diaz said he does not believe the bullets found at the FTMON were intended as a threat to the upper management of the provincial government, but were for an HR employee the perpetrators suspect of having caused the non-renewal of the contracts of some watchmen at the facility.He also said the person who later claimed ownership of the bullets was a job order worker of the provincial government assigned to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist. His alleged link to the...

Gov. Manuel "Chaco" Sagarbarria (center) says he will ramp up the sports tourism industry in Negros Oriental.*Judy Flores Partlow/PNA photoNegros Oriental Gov. Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria on Friday, July 14, announced that his administration will undertake more sporting activities and events to intensify the provincial government’s tourism campaign.Sagarbarria made this commitment during a press conference at the convention center in Dumaguete City as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is scheduled to hold an out-of-town game in the city this weekend.“The resumption of the PBA out-of-town games played here will be the start of our endeavor to host or bring in more sporting activities to ramp up efforts to boost our social and economic activities in the province,” Sagarb...

Bacolod City Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez (right) receives the symbolic key from Jiangsu Fengchuen New Energy Power Technology Co. Ltd. chairman Li Longde, formalizing the intention of the Korean-invested Chinese electric (e)-vehicle maker to establish an industrial complex in the city, during the launching ceremony held at the Bacolod Government Center on Friday.*Nanette L. Guadalquiver/PNA photoA Chinese company backed by Korean investment is poised to set up an industrial complex for the production of electric (e)-vehicles for local and Southeast Asia markets in Bacolod City.Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and Jiangsu Fengchuen New Energy Power Technology Co. Ltd. (Fengchuen) chairman Li Longde signed an investment intention agreement during the launching ceremony at the Bacolo...