By CESAR JOLITO III Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. said the government will no longer pursue peace negotiations with the New People’s Army (NPA), as he reaffirmed the state’s intensified campaign against armed insurgents following recent clashes in Negros Occidental. Teodoro personally visited the province on Saturday, May 23, amid continuing military operations against communist …
Monthly Archives: May 2026
CERNET not cleared amid terror financing case dismissal: army
By CESAR JOLITO III The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID) has backed the position of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict’s (NTF-ELCAC) legal cooperation cluster on the dismissal of the terrorism financing case filed against Community Empowerment Resource Network Inc. (CERNET), stressing that the court ruling should not be interpreted …
Local warrant not needed vs. Bato
By Ade S. Fajardo Alan Peter Cayetano, when he was Foreign Relations secretary, was the “principal architect” of the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC). The solicitor general minced no words in her comment to Bato dela Rosa’s urgent motion seeking relief from the Supreme Court against his impending arrest as directed by …
Beyond ‘bobotante’
By Herman M. Lagon A few nights ago, I posted a question online that sounded half-sarcastic, half-exhausted: “What do you call a person who, after everything is said and done, will still vote for and defend the corrupt, the sloth, the gasbag, the inept, the vile, the crass, the trapo, the greedy, the prig, and/or …
Who will win the Hormuz endurance game?
Deadlocked, dysfunctional and dangerous. That is how the Strait of Hormuz standoff is increasingly being described. Now approaching its fourth month, the crisis off Iran’s coast is marked by mutual blockades. Tehran has been charging ships up to $2 million for safe passage through the strait, while the United States has imposed a naval embargo, …
‘MOISTURE STRESS’ | Dry spell hits P16.2-M in crop losses
By CESAR JOLITO III Agricultural losses in Negros Occidental have climbed to more than P16 million due to a dry spell across several local government units, prompting authorities to prepare mitigation measures ahead of the projected worsening of El Niño conditions later this year. Data released by the Provincial Agriculture Office showed that crop damage …
10 NIR LGUs recognized for advancing gov’t reforms
By CESAR JOLITO III Ten local government units (LGUs) across the Negros Island Region (NIR) have been recognized by the Philippine Open Government Partnership (OGP) for their strong commitment to transparency, accountability and citizen participation during the observance of Open Government Week. The official list of awardees, released on May 21, showed that six LGUs …
Unifed backs Lacson’s call for tight watch on rebel influence in schools
By CESAR JOLITO III The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) has expressed support for Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson in urging schools to strengthen monitoring of students amid allegations of insurgency recruitment within academic institutions. Unifed President Manuel Lamata said the reported presence of student leaders among fatalities in the recent encounter in Toboso …
Teodoro lauds NegOcc anti-rebel efforts, reintegration program
By CESAR JOLITO III Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. has lauded the Negros Occidental provincial government for its intensified efforts against insurgency, particularly its reintegration initiatives for former communist rebels. During a visit to the Provincial Capitol on Saturday, May 23, Teodoro met with Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and other local officials before proceeding to …
Ex-rebel surrenders
By CESAR JOLITO III A former member of a communist-linked militia group voluntarily surrendered to authorities in Negros Occidental, as government forces intensified efforts to encourage rebels and supporters to return to the fold of the law. The surrender took place at the headquarters of the 2nd Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company at Sitio …