By Paulo Loreto Lim House Bill 619, submitted by Abang Lingkod partylist Rep. Stephen Paduano, seeks to provide retirement benefits for barangay officials, whom the bill refers to as “the frontline of government services.” Currently before the House Committee on Local Government, Paduano said barangay officials receive “meager allowances.” The bill seeks to amend Section …
HEADLINE
Drug lord’s son, three others charged for illegal drugs, gun possession
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The son of recently-captured drug lord Arturo Balume, Sr., along with three others, were brought up on illegal drugs and illegal firearm possession charges over the weekend. Police identified the four suspects as Arturo Balume, Jr., Hany Grace Balume, Pamela Balume, and Ryan Cainglet. Hinoba-an municipal police said the …
UNDOC: No transport strike in Bacolod City
Classes suspended nationwide By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Local transport group, the United Negros Drivers and Operators Center (UNDOC), yesterday announced they would not be formally joining the two-day nationwide transport strike, set to begin today and run until tomorrow, Tuesday. According to UNDOC Secretary-General Diego Malacad, the group will not conduct a transport strike in …
Dengue-related deaths in Negros Occidental hits 31
Report from last week: 25 deaths By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The most recent data from the Provincial Health Office (PHO) revealed a total 31 dengue-related deaths have been recorded in Negros Occidental this year, an addition of six cases since their previous report, which was released last week. According to PHO head, Dr. …
MassKara Festival: BTAO tells truck drivers to avoid major roads during festival highlights
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) advised local truck hauling companies to avoid traveling along major roads in the city during the highlights of the ongoing MassKara Festival. In addition, BTAO head, Police Superintendent Luisito Acebuche, said a truck ban will be implemented along major roads on Friday, October 20, …
Iloilo International Airport reopened Sunday night
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Iloilo International Airport reopened Sunday night after a Cebu Pacific Air airbus A320 veered off the runway last Friday. According to Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) spokesperson Eric Apolonio, the airport was supposed to resume operations Saturday night, however, bad weather made it difficult to remove the aircraft. According to a …
Congressman endorses PDEA takeover of anti-drug operations
By Paulo Loreto Lim Negros Occidental fifth district Rep. Alejandro Mirasol endorsed the recent move by President Rodrigo Duterte to shift responsibility over anti-drug operations from the Philippine National Police (PNP) to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). “Give PDEA a chance to perform their mandate,” he said. PDEA-Region VI (PDEA-6) Director Wardly Getalia …
Captured drug lord affirms links to two Iloilo mayors
Suspect, son arrested in Hinoba-an earlier in the week By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Following his capture earlier this week at Poblacion, Barangay 1, Hinoba-an, 65-year-old Arturo Balume, Sr., the leader of the Balume drug group, based in San Rafael, Iloilo, affirmed links to two Iloilo mayors, former Sara Mayor Neptali Salcedo and incumbent Estancia …
PDEA-6 confident they can carry out anti-drug operations effectively
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Region VI (PDEA-6) Director Wardly Getalia said he is confident his agency can carry out anti-drug operations effectively, following a memorandum recently signed by President Rodrigo Duterte transferring all anti-drug operations from the Philippine National Police (PNP) to PDEA. In a radio interview with Bombo Radyo-Bacolod yesterday …
Bacolod CHO: 19.8% decrease in dengue cases
By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Bacolod City Health Office (CHO), based on recent data, reported a 19.8 percent drop in local dengue cases. Between January 1 and October 7 of this year, the office recorded a total of 1,461 dengue cases in the city, a reduction from the 1,822 recorded during the same period …