Guv calls on cooperation of new officials

“NOW that the election is over, it's time to move on. Let us forget politics. We should unite and cooperate for the good of the province," said reelected Negros Oriental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr.

Marañon acknowledged the statement of newly elected Vice Governor Eugenio Lacson, who assured the governor that, despite an opposition-dominated Provincial Board, they won't be obstructionists to Marañon's administration.

Sayson thanks Bacolodnons

OUTGOING Bacolod City Vice Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson expressed Monday his gratitude to Bacolodnons despite his painful defeat to mayor-elect Monico Puentevella in the May 13, 2013 elections.

“My statement started with the word of gratitude because I wanted to emphasize my heartfelt thanks to all Bacolodnons for the chance they had given me to serve them,” Sayson said.

Bacolod water district mulls rate hike

THE Bacolod City Water district (Baciwa) is looking to increase its water rates before the year ends, according to general manager lawyer Julie Ann Carbon.

Carbon clarified the rate increase being sought by Baciwa is not in any way related to recent power price hike as petitioned by Central Negros Electric Cooperative (Ceneco), the energy provider of the water district.

Fire guts internet café, offices

AN EARLY morning fire gutted an internet café and other offices along Lizares Avenue Barangay 40, Bacolod City, resulting to more than P2 million in damages, based on initial estimates by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

Arson investigators are still determining the actual cause of fire which reportedly started at the back of Marby’s Internet Café and immediately gutted the whole establishment.

Negros shows potential for drive, organic tourism

FORMER Tourism Secretary Mina Gabor, currently the president of the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), said that Negros Occidental has great potentials for drive and organic tourism that could attract both national and International tourists.

Gabor led 70 AAP members for the three-day Fly-Drive Caravan that started last Friday, May 17.

Marañon orders all-out war vs gambling

NEGROS Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. ordered anew an all-out war against illegal gambling which he said is still rampant, especially in the northern part of the province.

"Now that the election is over, I am calling the police to concentrate on its campaign against illegal gambling," Marañon said Monday in a press conference at the Governor's Office.

Magno urges Tubillara to accept defeat

REELECTED San Enrique Mayor Mario Magno asked his opponent former Mayor Jilson Tubillara to accept defeat.

"He should be gentleman enough to accept defeat. Would welcome his support in our programs as a private citizen," Magno said in reaction to Tubillara's plan of filing a protest for recount against him.

Councilors promise best public service

MAGNIFICENT 7 reelected councilors El Cid Familiaran, Archie Baribar, and Sonya Verdeflor vowed to give their best for the welfare of the City of Bacolod.

Familiaran, Baribar and Verdeflor took their oath of office Monday before Judge Ray Allan Drilon in the presence of their families, some supporters and friends.

Man shot dead while watching TV

A MAN was shot dead while watching television in his house at Bigonia St., Purok Paghida-et, Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City, around 8:45 p.m. May 19, Sunday.

Police identified the victim as Gibson Villanueva who was allegedly shot dead in his house by unidentified suspects for unknown reason, police investigation shows.

Woman dies in hit-and-run

A WOMAN died in a hit-and-run incident last May 17, Friday at Araneta Street, Bacolod City.

Police identified the victim as Angela Sorayda, a rice cake vendor.

Parents urged to enroll kids early, join Brigada Eskwela

APART from encouraging the parents to enroll their children early, the Department of Education (DepEd) is also encouraging the parents and the whole community to participate in the Brigada Eskwela which will start today, Monday.

Nenita Divinagracia of DepEd Bacolod City said they are appealing for the parents’ cooperation in terms of early enrollment. In January 26, she said, DepEd have conducted an early registration for the convenience of both parents and students as well as for teachers.

Alter Trade Corp spearheads sugarcane producer’s confab

AS PART of its forthcoming 25th anniversary celebration in July, a “Sugarcane Producers Encounter” was held recently by Alter Trade Corporation (ATC) for its producer communities at the Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae (CICM) center in Talisay City, Negros Occidental. 

Agrarian reform beneficiaries and marginalized farmers who attended the activity belong to farm communities assisted by ATC and Alter Trade Manufacturing Corporation (ATMC).

Rep. Golez hints 2016 comeback

OUTGOING Bacolod City lone district Representative Anthony Rolando Golez, Jr. thanked Bacolodnons who gave him the opportunity to serve them for a three-year term but pointed out that a single defeat does not mean a final defeat.

"If it is in boxing, the May 13 election was just the first round. There are still more rounds coming," he said.

4.8 quake jolts province

THE Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported that a magnitude 4.8 earthquake jolted the Negros Occidental on Sunday morning.

Phivolcs said that the quake, which was tectonic in origin occurred at 5:06 a.m. with its epicenter traced at nine kilometers northwest of Hinoba-an town in Negros Occidental and had depth of 39 kilometers.

Army recruitment on

THE 3rd Infantry Division (ID) of the Philippine Army at Camp Macario Peralta, Jamindan, Capiz announces the recruitment schedule for Western Visayas and Negros Oriental. 

Cops on poll duties back to barracks

POLICEMEN who were deployed to different areas for election duties are now back to barracks.

The Police Regional Office-Western Visayas (PRO-6) has consolidated its members who were deployed as augmentation force for the May 13 election security coverage.

Colmenares: ‘Smartmatic should be finished now’

BAYAN Muna Representative Nerie Colmenares said Sunday that the services of Smartmatic in the conduct of the May 13 automated midterm election should be over and should not be allowed to interfere in the 2016 presidential election.   Colmenares was in the city yesterday to thank the Negrense and Bacolodnons for the overwhelming support they gave to Bayan Muna locally garnering more or less 120,000 votes.  

They have raised a serious concern about the automated election.

Bacolod underway to digitize ordinances

BACOLOD City Legal Officer lawyer Joselito Bayatan said the city government has awarded to CD Technologies Asia Inc. (CD Asia) to digitize, harmonize, and codify the ordinances of the city government from 1938 to 2007.

This has passed the Bids and Awards Committee biddings and procedures and there was already in fact a purchase order issued in favor of DC Asia way back in July 2007. But the city was not able to formalize its agreement with CD Asia. So DC Asia filed a case against the city for it to comply with the contract because it (CD Asia) had already passed all the formalities.

Montelibano, Golez proclaimed in Silay City

RE-ELECTED Mayor Jose “Oti” Montelibano and Vice Mayor Mark Andrew Golez were finally proclaimed Thursday night as the winners for mayor and vice-mayor, respectively, of Silay City after the canvassing of votes by the City Board of Canvassers (CBOC).

Montelibano won by a margin of 914 votes, garnering 29,411 votes over Carlo Gamban's 28,497, while Golez garnered an overwhelming 41,296 votes over his opponent July Ledesma.

Prices, prizes up for PCSO’s 6/42, 6/45 draws

EFFECTIVE yesterday, May 17, the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) doubled its betting price from P10 to P20 per combination, as well as the jackpot prizes, for the Lotto 6/42 and Megalotto 6/45 games.

PCSO General Manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, in a press conference Friday at the PCSO office at the Paglaum Sports Complex, Bacolod City, said that the minimum jackpot prizes also increased effective yesterday from P3 Million to P6 Million for Lotto 6/42 and from P4.5 Million to P9 Million for Megalotto 6/45.

Tubillara seeks recount vs Magno

MAYORAL candidate Jilson Tubillara revealed his plans to file a Protest for Recount against re-elected Mayor Mario Magno.

Magno won against Tubillara by only 20 votes.

Bacolod City councilors-elect thank voters

AS ELECTION is over, many things happened to both winners and losers.

The expression of gratitude from the winners becomes endless, while those who did not make it in the May 13, 2013 polls could hardly be seen or reached even by phone.

Caña: 'Political prostitution' worsened

INDEPENDENT congressional candidate for the lone district of Bacolod lawyer Lyndon Cana could not imagine the apparent political prostitution which has worsened in the city as evident in the recent conduct of the May 13, 2013 polls.

"While I accept the result of the election, it is confirmed to me that money has become the dominant force in Bacolod and even in national politics,” he said.

Orola hopes miracle can make Bart win

LAWYER John N. Orola, City Administrator and brother of Engr. Bart Orola, candidate for councilor hopes that a miracle would happen considering that there are still 3,200 plus votes which were not canvassed by the Board of Canvassers due to defective PCOS machines' memory cards.

He said that since there are still some returns that were not yet counted but he does not know whether it can still offset the votes who got the 12 slot.

New vice guv assures SP won't be 'obstructionist'

NEWLY elected Vice Governor Eugenio "Bong" Lcason on Thursday assured that, although the composition of the incoming Provincial Board is dominated by the opposition party to which he belongs, it will not be obstructionist to the programs of re-elected Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr.

Rep. Alvarez eyes Kabankalan as highly urbanized city

RE-ELECTED Sixth District Congresswoman Mercedes Alvarez will push for the conversion of Kabankalan City into a Highly Urbanized City during her second term.

Alvarez was proclaimed Thursday after winning over her opponent Philip Arles for the second time. She garnered 101,824 votes while Arles got 53,366 votes.

Vladi rises above defeat

PAMILYA MKK vice mayoralty candidate Vladimir Gonzales has stood firm to rise above his defeat in the recent May 13, 2013 elections.

Gonzales said acceptance is better for him so that he could move on and pick up the pieces.

Cops on poll duty to get P1,800 each

EACH of the 474 Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) personnel who were deployed for poll duty last Monday will receive P1,800 subsistence allowance from the City Government through the Bacolod City Commission on Elections (Comelec), a police official said.

BCPO Spokesperson Supt. Armando Tubongbanua, in a press briefing at the BCPO Headquarters, said that the police deserve the subsistence allowance, as they performed well in keeping the whole electoral process peaceful and successful.

Stolen car recovered

A 1980 model Toyota Sedan that was stolen at the parking area of SM City Bacolod on Wednesday evening was recovered by personnel from the Police Station 1 Thursday morning along Gonzaga Street in Bacolod City.

The car, with plate number JAF 283, was driven by Mary Joy Araneta who parked it at the SM City Bacolod South Wing Car Park around 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Marañon remains guv, UNA reps proclaimed

RE-ELECTED Governor Alfredo Marañon, Jr. and congressmen belonging to his party, the United Negros Alliance (UNA), were proclaimed Wednesday by the Comelec Provincial Board of Canvassers (BOC) at the Provincial Capitol.

Second District newly-elected Representative Leo Rafael Cueva, Fourth District re-elected Representative Jeffrey Ferrer and Fifth District re-elected Representative Alejandro Mirasol were also proclaimed, along with re-elected Board Members Salvador Escalante and Miller Serondo of the Second District, Jose Benito Alonso of the Fourth District and Alain Gatuslao of the Fifth District.