TOP STORIES

By CESAR JOLITO III A police major assigned in Bacolod City has been named by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla as allegedly linked to illegal cigarette operations, online cockfighting and possible connections to a Chinese triad and businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang. Remulla identified the officer as Police Major Edgar Tonico Jr., commander of the Criminal Investigation …

By CESAR JOLITO III Authorities arrested 30 individuals and dismantled a suspected illegal online cockfighting or “e-sabong” operation during a joint law enforcement raid at Barangay Concepcion in Negros Occidental’s Talisay City. The operation, led by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), was conducted under its flagship campaign, Oplan Bolilyo, in coordination with regional …

By CESAR JOLITO III The expansion of a sanitary landfill in Bacolod City’s Barangay Felisa is moving forward, with the construction of Cell No. 5 now 75 percent complete, signaling efforts by local authorities to address increasing waste volume while maintaining environmental standards. Mario Sandil, operations manager of International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialists Inc. …

By CESAR JOLITO III Authorities are monitoring the possibility of intensified recruitment activities by rebel groups following a deadly encounter at Barangay Salamanca in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town that left 19 individuals dead. Police Lt. Colonel Joem Malong, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR), said the recent clash may …

By CESAR JOLITO III Two separate fire incidents struck Bacolod City on Saturday morning, April 25, leaving six houses damaged but no reported injuries. Four houses were totally destroyed after a fire broke out in Barangay 2’s Purok Tahong at 11:26 a.m., the Bureau of Fire Protection said. Investigators said the blaze started inside the …

By CESAR JOLITO III An active police major assigned in Bacolod City is now under preventive custody after being tagged as an alleged “protector” of a large-scale illegal cigarette manufacturing operation uncovered in Negros Occidental, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said. Speaking during a press briefing at the raided cigarette warehouse in Negros Occidental’s Bago City, …

  By CESAR JOLITO III The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has expressed condolences following the reported death of an American citizen of Filipino descent during an armed encounter in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town on Sunday, April 19, while also raising concerns over alleged overseas recruitment linked to communist insurgency …

By CESAR JOLITO III Relatives have claimed the remains of at least eight of the 19 alleged New People’s Army (NPA) members killed in the April 19 armed encounters in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town, the Police Regional Office in the Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) said. Among those identified and claimed was 36-year-old Roger Fabillar Tapang, …

By CESAR JOLITO III The Bacolod City government has strengthened its law enforcement capabilities with the acquisition of 10 electric vehicles (EVs) for the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), aiming to improve response time while reducing operational costs. Mayor Greg Gasataya said the city allocated P14 million for the new fleet as part of efforts …

By CESAR JOLITO III A human rights organization in Negros has condemned the killing of community journalist RJ Ledesma during a military operation in Negros Occidental’s Toboso town. In a statement, Human Rights Advocates in Negros (HRAN) expressed grief over Ledesma’s death and called for an independent investigation, asserting that the victim was a non-combatant …