HEADLINE

By CESAR JOLITO III Authorities have identified the suspect behind the killing of a Filipino-Chinese businessman who was gunned down outside his hardware store on Bonifacio Street in Bacolod City’s Barangay 12 on Tuesday morning, September 9, tagging the perpetrator as an alleged gun-for-hire. In a press conference yesterday, Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) director, Police Colonel Joeresty Coronica, …

By CESAR JOLITO III A contractor and construction supplier was shot dead while opening his hardware store on Bonifacio Street in Bacolod City’s Barangay 12 yesterday, in what police described as a brazen daylight attack. The victim was identified as 52-year-old Filipino-Chinese Romy Li, a resident of Barangay Taculing and owner of Emerald Republic Hardware, …

By CESAR JOLITO III A lawmaker from Negros Occidental has warned contractors that they risk being blacklisted if they fail to immediately repair defective flood control projects in the province’s 3rd District. Negros Occidental 3rd District Representative Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez issued the warning after inspecting flood mitigation structures in E.B. Magalona and the cities of Silay …

By CESAR JOLITO III Bacolod City Mayor Greg Gasataya ordered a full investigation into the discovery of P1 million worth of unused cement in two warehouses of the Bacolod City Engineer’s Office (CEO) on Saturday, September 6, warning that legal action may be taken against those accountable. “Heads will roll. This will not be swept …

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson said the proposal to lower the minimum age requirement for national candidates should ultimately be left to the electorate. “It’s really up to the people who will elect them,” Lacson said, adding that age should not be a hindrance as long as candidates meet constitutional …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Department of Agriculture in the Negros Island Region (DA-NIR) is working on measures to increase the buying price of palay (unmilled rice) to shield local farmers from losses as the peak harvest season begins this September amid the two-month importation ban on rice. DA-NIR Regional Director Jose Albert Barrogo said some …

By CESAR JOLITO III The People’s Coalition for Good Governance (PCGG) has issued a strong call for accountability within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), denouncing what it described as a deep-seated culture of corruption involving politicians and contractors in infrastructure projects. PCGG convenor Wennie Sancho, in a statement on Tuesday, September 2, …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Negros Occidental provincial government has deployed heavy equipment to begin dredging operations at Tamburong Creek in La Castellana’s Barangay Biak na Bato, after hardened lahar from Kanlaon Volcano triggered severe flooding over the weekend. “We will start with the clearing of the roads, then dredge the creek,” Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz …

By CESAR JOLITO III Continuous heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon or habagat over the weekend have affected 871 families or 2,832 individuals while displacing hundreds across four local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) said. As of 5:00 p.m. yesterday, PDRRMO reported that at least 222 …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Kabankalan Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has approved Mayor Benjie Miranda’s proposal to secure a P2-billion loan for a “flood-free” project, but the decision immediately triggered questions on its legality and raised concerns over transparency and planning. In a closely split vote, seven councilors voted in favor of the loan while six …