By CESAR JOLITO III Deputy Speaker and Bacolod City Lone District Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez confirmed that the Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed all criminal and administrative complaints filed against him and other respondents over the city’s landbanking project during his tenure as mayor. In a statement, Benitez said the ruling effectively clears them …
Monthly Archives: May 2026
Cadiz mayor warns public over fake account
By CESAR JOLITO III Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante, Jr. has issued a public warning after a fraudulent Facebook account surfaced online impersonating him and attempting to interact with residents. In his Facebook post, Escalante said the fake account has been sending friend requests and private messages while falsely presenting itself as his official social …
NegOcc solon seeks House probe into Toboso clash
By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel Benitez has filed a resolution in the House of Representatives calling for a formal inquiry into the deadly armed encounter in Toboso town’s Barangay Salamanca. House Resolution No. 968 directs the appropriate House committee to conduct an investigation, in aid of legislation, into the …
Dead man floats off Tañon Strait
By CESAR JOLITO III The body of a 45-year-old man believed to have jumped from a passenger vessel was recovered in the waters off Negros Occidental’s San Carlos City on Thursday morning, April 30. The victim, identified as alias Jesse Ruben, a resident of Sagay City’s Barangay Lopez Jaena, was found floating in an advanced …
Toboso probe must ensure civilians not drawn to insurgency: NTF-ELCAC
A ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) said the body respects the proposed House inquiry over the April 19 clash in Toboso, Negros Occidental, even as they hope the investigation will see to it that no more minors or foreigners will be drawn into insurgency. NTF-ELCAC executive …
US issues security alert after 2 Americans killed in Negros clash
The United States Embassy in Manila yesterday issued a security alert for its citizens in the Philippines following the deaths of two Americans in a reported clash in Toboso, Negros Occidental. In the security alert, the US embassy flagged as “areas of heightened concern” the rural and mountainous parts of Leyte, Mindoro, Negros, and Samar. …
Valenzuela beats Negros in MPBL
By ADRIAN STEWART CO The Valenzuela Darkhorse went full throttle in the second half to rout the Negros Hacienderos, 85-67, and gain traction in the SportsPlus MPBL 2026 Season at the Batangas City Coliseum on Thursday, April 30. Barely ahead, 39-37, at the break, Valenzuela got the push from Shaq Alanes, Lester Reyes and Jay …
76ers dump Celtics again, send series to Game 7
Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points as the surging Philadelphia 76ers posted a 106-93 win over the visiting Boston Celtics, forcing a decisive Game 7 in a first-round Eastern Conference playoff series yesterday (Philippine time). The second-seeded Celtics led the series, 3-1, following a 32-point win, but the seventh-seeded Sixers rebounded to post double-digit wins in …
Jardio credits hard work, team effort for UAAP Best Libero award
By ADRIAN STEWART CO National University (NU) Lady Bulldogs libero Shaira Jardio remained grounded after being named Best Libero at the conclusion of the UAAP Season 88 women’s volleyball elimination round. Known for her steady floor defense, the Negrense said she approaches every play with a simple but consistent goal in mind. She also attributed …
Short-handed Wolves seal series vs. Nuggets
Elevated into the starting lineup of a heavily depleted back court, Terrence Shannon, Jr. scored a career-playoff-high 24 points to help the Minnesota Timberwolves close out the Denver Nuggets, 110-98, in Game 6 of a first-round playoff series yesterday (Philippine time). The sixth-seeded Timberwolves advance to face the second-seeded Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals. …