The death toll in Canlaon City, Negros Oriental, due to massive flooding triggered by Typhoon “Tino” last month rose to 23 with the discovery of the decomposing body of another victim in neighboring Moises Padilla town. Officials said yesterday two more residents remain missing. Edna Lhou Masicampo, Canlaon City public information officer, told the Philippine …
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Bacolod files raps vs. 33 employees for forging GSIS loan papers
The Bacolod City government has filed administrative complaints against an assistant department head and 32 workers of the General Services Office (GSO) involved in the alleged mass falsification of documents in their application for Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) loans. In an interview yesterday, City Legal Officer Karol Joseph Chiu said Mayor Greg Gasataya has …
NOCPPO, BFP tighten security for holidays
By CESAR JOLITO III Security and emergency response units in Negros Occidental are tightening preparations for the Christmas and New Year festivities, with both the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) placing their forces on full alert and suspending all personnel leave. NOCPPO has been on full alert since …
Yulo vows to comply after case ruling
By CESAR JOLITO III The Office of the Ombudsman has upheld its earlier ruling finding Moises Padilla Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo and two municipal officials administratively liable for grave abuse of authority and neglect of duty over the delayed processing of a business permit application. The denial of their motions for reconsideration was confirmed by Garcia-Yulo, …
NTF-ELCAC dares NPA to condemn own executions
A ranking official of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) dared the remaining New People’s Army (NPA) members to condemn the killings perpetuated by the group. “If you truly believe in human rights, then denounce the killings your movement ordered,” NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Undersecretary Ernesto Torres, Jr. said in a …
Bacolod SP urges payment delay for IPM service
By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has approved a resolution requesting Mayor Greg Gasataya to temporarily defer payments to IPM-Construction Development Corp. (IPM-CDC), the city’s contracted provider for garbage collection and disposal. The move comes amid reported concerns over alleged delays, deficiencies and inconsistencies in IPM-CDC’s fulfillment of its contractual obligations. The …
Comelec-NIR suspends voter reg for holidays
By CESAR JOLITO III The Commission on Elections in Negros Island Region (Comelec-NIR) announced that voter registration services will be suspended on designated holidays this December, as well as on Sundays, in all its offices across the province. Comelec-NIR Director Lionel Marco Castillano said there will be no voter registration on December 24, 25, 30, …
Hinigaran to release P9.5-M ‘Tino’ aid amid documentation delays
By CESAR JOLITO III The Hinigaran municipal government will release a total of P9.5 million in aid to families who lost their homes due to Typhoon “Tino,” combining the P5 million assistance from the Office of the President (OP) with an additional P4.5 million from the local government. Vice Mayor Nadi Arceo said the local …
Bomb threat hits school
By CESAR JOLITO III Classes were suspended at Doña Montserrat Lopez Memorial High School (DMLMHS) in Negros Occidental’s Silay City after a bomb threat prompted an immediate evacuation and a full sweep by authorities yesterday morning, December 9. No explosive device was found. According to DMLMHS Principal Dr. Warlito Rosareal, the school first received a …
NPA remnants linked to ‘targeted killings’
By CESAR JOLITO III Local police and government security forces have condemned what they called the “continued pattern of targeted killings” in northern Negros, after remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) claimed responsibility for the deaths of a civilian and a police officer in separate incidents on Sunday, December 7. In a statement, the …