HEADLINE

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Negros Occidental’s La Castellana town is generally peaceful amid the recent armed clashes between government forces and the New People’s Army (NPA), Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan said during the 11th anniversary of the massacre in the town’s Barangay Puso on Friday, January 26. Over a decade after the deadly ambush, Mangilimutan said there was …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Progressive Alliance of Capitol Employees’ (PACE) election committee reaffirms its commitment for a fair and transparent elections on Saturday, January 27, despite concerns raised about the tabulators’ credibility. Al Ceralbo, PACE election committee chairperson, said their tabulation and election systems adhered to the union’s guidelines and mechanics to prevent doubts and manipulation during …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Sugar Council expressed appreciation for the national government’s proactive move to stabilize domestic sugar prices, aiming to provide relief for farmers grappling with persistently low millgate prices in recent months. In a press statement released yesterday, the Sugar Council — composed of the Confederation of Sugar Producers Association Inc. …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) is conducting a deeper investigation into the rock-throwing incident at a restaurant owned by an Israeli national in the city’s Barangay Villamonte. The local police are now seriously looking into the incident, as threats against Israelis continue to grow worldwide due to the ongoing war between …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Negros Occidental Provincial Health Office (PHO) reported that the death of a one-year-old boy from Moises Padilla town is the first suspected rabies case in the province this year. PHO head Dr. Girlie Pinongan said the child, a resident of the town’s Barangay Macagahay, was bitten by their pet dog last week. …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga   Local power advocacy group Power Watch Negros (PWN) has pointed a finger at the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) following a massive blackout on Panay Island earlier this month. PWN secretary-general Wennie Sancho believes that NGCP’s failure to contract sufficient power reserves played a pivotal role in the energy reliability crisis. …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Leaders of various sugar groups in the country gathered to devise strategies and mechanisms in a significant move towards fostering unity within the sugar industry. The collective effort comes in response to the government’s approval of direct sugar purchases from farmers at a premium price. Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) head …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The only surviving kin in the Himamaylan massacre has not filed any formal charges against the perpetrators, the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) said yesterday. NOCPPO director, Colonel Leo Pamittan said Emily Fausto, who managed to escape the massacre in June last year, was not cooperating with the police. The …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Negros Occidental confirmed yesterday morning that they have received more than 157,000 signatures pushing for the People’s Initiative. Based on data from Comelec-NegOcc, Bacolod City has the highest number of gathered signatures with 69,098. It was followed by Sagay City (15,052 signatures), Calatrava town …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Bacolod City has the lowest number of consolidated public utility vehicle (PUV) operators in Western Visayas for the modernization program, the Bacolod Alliance of Commuters, Operators and Drivers, Inc. (BACOD) said. BACOD president Rudy Catedral said only 23 percent of jeepney operators in the city have decided to consolidate, while …