HEADLINE

By CESAR JOLITO III Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has rejected the need for dialogue with armed groups following the April 19 Toboso encounter, insisting that the government’s security operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) were legitimate. Lacson stood firm on his position that there is no need for talks with insurgents at …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Negros Occidental provincial government is conducting an environmental assessment on the proposed 150-megawatt wind power project in Bago City, with officials closely examining its possible impact on migratory birds passing through the province. Former governor and current Provincial Consultant on Energy and Environment Rafael Coscolluela said one of the major …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Sugar Council has doubled down on its call to replace the Sugar Regulatory Administration’s (SRA) Sugar Board, backing a manifesto signed by 93 industry leaders nationwide, even as labor groups simultaneously pushed for sweeping institutional reforms in sugar industry governance. The council said the growing clamor from farmers, mill workers, …

By CESAR JOLITO III Two major sugar industry groups have come out in strong support of the current leadership of the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA), pushing back against calls to replace the Sugar Board amid declining sugar prices. The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) and the Luzon Federation of Sugarcane Growers Association (LuzonFed) expressed full …

By CESAR JOLITO III Human rights group Karapatan has criticized a recent security advisory issued by the United States embassy in the Philippines, warning American citizens against associating with groups allegedly linked to the New People’s Army (NPA). The advisory followed an April 19 military operation in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town, where 19 individuals were …

By CESAR JOLITO Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. reiterated the government’s refusal to engage in peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (NPA) in the aftermath of the deadly encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town that left 19 suspected rebel remnants dead. “They’re the ones disturbing the peace. Why …

By CESAR JOLITO III A local workers’ group marked Labor Day with a sharp critique of government leadership, saying the annual celebration has lost its meaning for ordinary workers amid rising prices, stagnant wages and alleged corruption. In a press statement, Wennie Sancho, secretary general of the General Alliance of Workers Association (GAWA), said the …

By CESAR JOLITO III Forty-two former employees of Vallacar Transit, Inc. have filed criminal complaints against company officials, alleging they were forced out of their jobs during an internal family dispute that rocked one of the country’s largest transport firms. The complaints, filed on the eve of Labor Day, include three counts of grave coercion …

By CESAR JOLITO III The National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL) is asserting that the deaths of 19 individuals at Barangay Salamanca in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town on April 19 constitute a “massacre,” disputing the military’s claim that the incident resulted from armed encounters. In a statement, NUPL spokesperson Atty. Julianne Agpalo said they are …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Toboso municipal government has officially declared the Communist Terrorist Groups and the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army – National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) as “persona non grata” within its territorial jurisdiction. The declaration follows the April 19 armed encounter between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) …