The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings simply had an answer for every Titan Ultra Giant Risers run, eking out a 119-107 win to punch a quarterfinals berth in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. Resident import Justin Brownlee played through four fouls and torched the Giant Risers with 35 points …
Monthly Archives: April 2026
CHR probes Toboso clash | Conflicting claims need verified facts, inquiry
By CESAR JOLITO III The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has launched an independent investigation into the recent armed encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town that left 19 people dead, as conflicting narratives continue to emerge from the military and various groups. In a statement, the CHR said its office in the Negros Island Region …
30 nabbed in ‘e-sabong’ raid
By CESAR JOLITO III Authorities arrested 30 individuals and dismantled a suspected illegal online cockfighting or “e-sabong” operation during a joint law enforcement raid at Barangay Concepcion in Negros Occidental’s Talisay City. The operation, led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), was conducted under its flagship campaign, Oplan Bolilyo, in coordination with regional …
Is Madriaga credible?
By Ade S. Fajardo Ramil Madriaga’s testimony at the House of Representatives committee on justice last week may be synthesized as follows: He helped establish ISIP, a non-profit organization intended to propel Sara Duterte to the presidency in 2022. ISIP stands for Inday Sara Is My President movement. *** When Duterte slid to the vice …
China oil deal trap
By Herman M. Lagon There is something about the way the idea is being floated that feels too smooth. Joint oil exploration with China is being sold as practical, even inevitable. Rising prices and global uncertainty make that argument easy to accept. But easy answers deserve a second look. For many Filipinos, the West Philippine …
US negotiators go, but Iran says no direct talks
US negotiators are scheduled to leave for Pakistan, but Iran said its officials did not plan to meet the Americans to discuss ending the war that has killed thousands and roiled global markets. President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are due to depart for talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas …
Bacolod expands landfill; Cell No. 5 nears completion
By CESAR JOLITO III The expansion of a sanitary landfill in Bacolod City’s Barangay Felisa is moving forward, with the construction of Cell No. 5 now 75 percent complete, signaling efforts by local authorities to address increasing waste volume while maintaining environmental standards. Mario Sandil, operations manager of International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialists Inc. …
Rebel recruitment to surge after Toboso clash?
By CESAR JOLITO III Authorities are monitoring the possibility of intensified recruitment activities by rebel groups following a deadly encounter at Barangay Salamanca in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town that left 19 individuals dead. Police Lt. Colonel Joem Malong, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR), said the recent clash may …
6 Bacolod houses gutted in 2 fires
By CESAR JOLITO III Two separate fire incidents struck Bacolod City on Saturday morning, April 25, leaving six houses damaged but no reported injuries. Four houses were totally destroyed after a fire broke out in Barangay 2’s Purok Tahong at 11:26 a.m., the Bureau of Fire Protection said. Investigators said the blaze started inside the …
Cop tagged as ‘protector’ in smuggled cigarette raid
By CESAR JOLITO III An active police major assigned in Bacolod City is now under preventive custody after being tagged as an alleged “protector” of a large-scale illegal cigarette manufacturing operation uncovered in Negros Occidental, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said. Speaking during a press briefing at the raided cigarette warehouse in Negros Occidental’s Bago City, …