HEADLINE

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Senate will carefully review the provisions of the Negros Island Region (NIR) bill which was approved on the third and final reading by the House of Representatives in March. Senator Risa Hontiveros visited Bacolod City late Tuesday afternoon, July 18, to meet with representatives from the sugar industry in …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson assured security for participating athletes if the province wins the bid to host Palarong Pambansa 2024.  Lacson said the organizers expressed concerns over security in the province as they have received reports of encounters between government forces and the New People’s Army. The security …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The couple who were arrested for allegedly using their children for online sexual abuse and exploitation, are likely to spend their remaining lives in prison. In an interview on 96.7 XFM Bacolod, legal counsel, Atty. Cesar Beloria said that online sexual abuse and exploitation is a serious charge. Beloria explained it is likely …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Four minors were rescued after they were being used for cybersex at Espinos Village 2 in Bacolod City’s Barangay Taculing on Friday night, July 14. The Women and Children’s Protection Desk (WCPD) of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Western Visayas conducted an …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga  A lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) local group slammed the controversial “Ama Namin” performance of a Filipino drag queen. In a radio interview, BANAAG LGBT Inc. Vice President Jonathan Diaz, Jr. condemned drag performer Pura Luka Vega for disrespecting the Black Nazarene, a revered figure of Jesus Christ for the Catholic faithful, and using the …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga  Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson is also eyeing conducting random drug testing for the more than 3,000 employees of the provincial government. Lacson’s pronouncement came after Silay City Mayor Joedith Gallego sacked seven traffic enforcers of the city government after they tested positive for illegal drugs. Lacson said the recent firings …

By Mae Singuay  Five regular employees of Bacolod City government were served a show cause order in relation to the missing government service vehicles. Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the employees, composed of a driver, an engineer and three officers, were from different departments in the city hall. The names of the employees are being withheld for anonymity. The show cause order was …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga  A resident got threats after being blamed following the huge fire at Purok Magnolia in Bacolod City’s Barangay 7 on Thursday night, July 6. In a radio interview yesterday, Barangay 7 chief Hercy Sibug said the family of Richard Benjamin told them that some village residents had threatened to harm him …

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr. said he saw no reasons to defer the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections in Negros Oriental in October, during his visit to the province over the weekend.  Abalos said the province has been “relatively peaceful” four months after the murder of former Governor Roel Degamo, based on comparative data presented …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga  The United Sugar Producers Federation (Unifed) said the ongoing El Niño phenomenon in the country will bring benefits — and also risks for sugarcane farmers in Negros Occidental. In a radio interview with Bombo Radyo Bacolod over the weekend, Unifed President Manuel Lamata said the hot weather conditions brought by …