TOP STORIES

By Paulo Loreto Lim After earlier ordering the removal of illegal structures, which included kiosks selling ‘ukay-ukay,’ or second-hand clothing retailers, from Iloilo City’s Jaro Plaza, acting Iloilo City Mayor Jose Espinosa III issued a similar order for the city’s Mandurriao Plaza. According to the executive order, the clean-up specifically targets the area along Q. …

Following a graft indictment by the Office of the Ombudsman earlier this week, Calinog Mayor Alex Centena yesterday said he hopes the Sandiganbayan junks the case, which surrounds an alleged anomalous fertilizer purchase from 2004. The mayor was indicted on violations of RA 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, for approving the purchase …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) further strengthened anti-criminality plans amid the ongoing MassKara Festival. According to BCPO Police Community Relations (PCR) head, Police Senior Inspector Armilyn Vargas, an additional 400 police officers from Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6) were deployed to various points of the city. Vargas said every corner …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Rondoy robbery group member Rodio Tico, who was served an arrest warrant earlier this week, accused the leader of the crime syndicate, Alex ‘Rondoy’ Barredo, who was also recently apprehended by police, of rape. According to the suspect, he and Barredo captured a woman in Barangay Mandalagan and brought her …

By Paulo Loreto Lim The head of the Iloilo City Public Safety and Traffic Management Office (PSTMO) said they are projecting around 200 flower vendors for this year’s All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day observances, which runs from November 1 to 2. “We are just waiting for the BPLO (Business Permits and Licensing Office), …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga In an interview yesterday morning, Bacolod City Councilor Caesar Distrito said the decision by President Rodrigo Duterte to transfer all anti-drug operations from the Philippine National Police (PNP) to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is bound to fail. “In order to allay the fears of the public, he centralized …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga The New People’s Army (NPA) Leonardo Panaligan Command (LPC) issued a statement yesterday morning denying a meeting took place between embattled police officer Senior Police Officer 1 (SPO1) Joshua Barile in July of last year. According to three former aides to Barile, the supposed meeting was arranged by journalist Edgar …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga After denying plans to relieve Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) acting director, Police Senior Superintendent Jack Wanky, from his post, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia yesterday revealed during a press conference the police chief was being replaced by a member of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF). Police Regional …

By Paulo Loreto Lim Resulting from the recent Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) decision allowing the Korean Electric Power Corporation-Salcon Power Corporation (Kepco-SPC) and the Central Negros Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ceneco) to collect P232 million from consumers, along with generation charge fluctuations, Ceneco General Manager Sulpicio Lagarde, Jr. predicted rate hikes for this month. According to …

By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga Executive assistant to Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia, Sammy Montoyo, accused former Mayor Monico Puentevella of conducting a “banana split” scam surrounding a P1 million radio equipment purchase made in 2016. In a press conference yesterday morning, Sammy Montoyo, who also leads the Save Bacolod Movement, presented documentation from the …