More jailguards face suspension 

EIGHT more guards at the Negros Occidental Provincial Jail face suspension for various offenses.    Provincial Jail Warden Dionisio Silva confirmed this but he did not reveal the names of the jail guards.

Last week, Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Maranon Jr. sacked three jail guards at the Negros Occidental Provincial Jail for various offenses.    Ordered dismissed from service were provincial guards Eraño Dairo, Christopher Eric Gonzales and Rogelio Jereza.   

IBP Negros Occidental elects new officers

THE Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)–Negros Occidental Chapter held its election of officers at the Hall of Justice, Saturday.

The elected officers for 2011-2013 are Filomeno Tan Jr. (president); Enrique S. Tabino (vice-president); Rayfrando P. Diaz (secretary); Suelyn Jolingan (auditor); Jan Saril (treasurer); and Mario Diaz (public information officer).

Police urged to help traffic body vs colorum tricycles

BACOLOD City Councilor Caesar Distrito proposed a resolution requesting Bacolod City Police Director Ricardo de la Paz to direct all his police station commanders in all barangays to help the Bacolod Traffic Authority to cleanse the streets of colorum motorized tricycles freely plying the streets of Bacolod.

Imperial Court may get mayor’s permit

BACOLOD City’s Case Review and Recommendation Committee (CRRC), which is composed of lawyers Cesar B. Beloria, Jr., Romela T. Amarilla and Silverio Sorbito IV, recommended that a Mayor’s Permit may be issued to the Bacolod Imperial Court, Inc. after the motel pays the penalties for the ordinances it violated.

The penalties are the P5,000 under Article 13 in relation to Article 3 and/or Article 4 of City Ordinance 308, Series of 2002 and a another penalty of P5,000 for violating the City’s Tax Ordinance No. 93-001, Series of 1993, Section. 62 in relation to Section 47 thereof.

Lawmaker pursues plan for Banago public port

BACOLOD City Representative Anthony Golez met Friday with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Manuel Geroche and officials of the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and Negros Navigation (NN) to thresh out plans for the construction of a modern public port in Banago by 2013.

NN used to hold the rights over the entire coastal area of the Banago port by virtue of a foreshore lease agreement (FLA) but the FLA over half of the area expired last year.

Mayors’ league prexy backs police chiefs’ relief

EB MAGALONA Mayor David Lacson said he supports the move of Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office (Noppo) director Alan Guisihan to relieve all the police chiefs in the province.

Lacson, president of the League of Municipal Mayors and the Association of Chief Executives of Negros Occidental (ACE-Negros), said he sees nothing wrong with the impending relief of all the police chiefs in the cities and municipalities in the province come March 1 as ordered by Guisihan.

Aquino to visit Negros Occidental next week

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III is scheduled to visit Negros Occidental next week to meet with Provincial Government officials and industry leaders as well as the business sector.

Information from the office of the governor revealed that Aquino is set to arrive in the province on March 4, 2011, Friday, next week.

Negros mayors to choose new police chiefs

LOCAL chief executives in towns and cities in Negros Occidental province will choose new police chiefs to replace the station commanders who will be removed from their posts starting March 1, a top police official said.

Provincial police chief Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan said the mayors will be given three names from which they could choose their new chiefs of police. There will be no swapping of police chiefs, he added.

Kin of OFWs in Libya, New Zealand get free call

THE Provincial Government of Negros Occidental is planning to offer again free calls for the families of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Libya and New Zealand who might be affected by the events in the two countries.

Christchurch, New Zealand was hit by a devastating earthquake earlier this week while Libya is undergoing severe political turmoil as Libyans protest against the rule of strongman Moammar Gadhafi.

Advocates hope for RH bill approval in Congress

ADVOCATES of the controversial Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development Bill are hoping that Congress will pass the measure, which they believe is the solution to the rapid population growth and high mortality rate in the country.

During the multi-sectoral forum on the "Responsible Parenthood-Reproductive Health Bill" at the Caribbean Water Park and Resotel Thursday, led by the Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Welfare Inc. (PNGOC) executive director Dr. Eden Divinagracia said that the bill needs the votes of at least 149 members of the House of Representatives for it to be approved.

Councilor supports RH bill

BACOLOD City Councilor Em Ang expressed support to the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill.

Ang said that, as a devout Christian, a mother, a woman and a registered nurse herself, she supports the bill.

Council endorses Dela Paz as city police head

PAT Martir, a member of Bacolod City’s Peace and Order Council, endorsed to Bacolod City Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia the permanent appointment of Senior Supt. Ricardo dela Paz as director of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO).

Cop chief thanks endorsement

SENIOR Supt. Ricardo De la Paz, acting chief of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), on Thursday expressed his gratitude for the Bacolod City Peace and Order Council’s endorsement for his permanent appointment as BCPO head.

Police told to go after illegal gambling

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Director General Raul Bacalzo ordered all policemen in Negros Occidental to go after illegal gambling.

"That is my number one order - go after illegal gambling," Bacalzo said Wednesday during the joint meeting of the Provincial and City Peace and Order Council held at the Capitol where the PNP chief was the guest speaker.

All police chiefs in Negros Occidental to be relieved

NEGROS Occidental Provincial Police Office (Noppo) Director Alan Guisihan said Wednesday that all police chiefs in the cities and municipalities in the province will be relieved from their post effective March 1, 2011.

“It’s not a question on who will be affected because all of them will be relieved and reshuffled,” Guisihan said in an interview Wednesday at the Provincial Capitol after the Joint Provincial and City Peace and Order Council meeting with PNP Director General Raul Bacalzo as guest speaker.

Clearing operation worries informal settlers

THE clearing operation at Bag-ong Dalan, Barangay 16 Wednesday alarmed the informal settlers in the area.

After seeing bulldozers raking the area of debris and other obstructions in the road, the informal settlers thought their houses will be demolished.

Bacolod execs to help Talabans get to Thailand

OFFICIALS of Bacolod City pledged to help the parents of Bacoleña Flory May Talaban to travel to Thailand to visit their daughter who was imprisoned for alleged drug trafficking.

Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia said that Councilors Em Ang and Caesar Distrito committed to shoulder the expenses for the passports of Florentino and Nede Talaban.

PSSLAI office inaugurated

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) Director General Raul Bacalzo, with Bacolod Mayor Evelio R. Leonardia, led the inauguration of the Public Safety Savings and Loan Association, Inc’s (PSSLAI) 16th field office in the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) compound Wednesday.

Bacalzo, who is also the chairman of PSSLAI, said that the event is his first inauguration of a PSSLAI branch in his term as PNP chief.

Communist rebels kill civilians, launch atrocities

THE military alleged that members of the New People’s Army (NPA) immediately carried out execution of civilians and plunged a truck of a businessman in a ravine in Toboso, a military officer said Wednesday.

Jonas Sumagaysay, commanding officer of the 303rd Infantry Brigade of the Philippine Army, during the Joint Provincial and City Peace and Order Council Meeting at the Capitol Wednesday said that alleged members of the NPA executed Randy Ellanic in Sitio Mahusay, Barangay Magtikod, Toboso at about 6:30 p.m. last Tuesday.

Distrito, Red Cross undertake feeding program

BACOLOD City Councilor Caesar Z. Distrito, in cooperation with the Philippine National Red Cross-Bacolod Chapter, launched recently a program aimed at feeding the children of Bacolod.

The feeding program, dubbed as the Supplemental Feeding in School and Barangay Program under Distrito’s Child Development Project, officially opened in ETCS II last February 14, 2011.

Police exec lauds Noppo, BCPO

POLICE Regional Office-6 Director Cipriano E. Querol, Jr. lauded Wednesday the accomplishments of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) and Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Noppo) in their campaign against illegal numbers games in the province.

“I’m impressed with the results of their operations against illegal numbers game in their area of responsibility,” Querol said, adding that BCPO and Noppo had strengthened their campaign against jai alai.

PDEA, PNP to monitor poppy seeds

THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are now working together in monitoring the possible entry and use of poppy seeds in Western Visayas, Police Regional Office-6 director Cipriano E. Querol, Jr. said Wednesday.

Despite being classified as an illegal drug in the country, poppy seeds have become a popular pastry and salad ingredient in restaurants and cafes.

Rape suspect nabbed by Bago police

A SEXAGENARIAN with a pending arrest warrant for rape was nabbed Tuesday afternoon at his residence in Barangay Calumangan, Bago City by Bago City police officers.

Bago police officer-in-charge Rico Santotome Jr said that 64-year-old Rodito Calatrava was nabbed by Senior Police Officer 2 Tomas Makilan and PO2 Glenn Bolaoro by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Frances Guanzon of Bago City RTC.

Passenger punches taxi driver

TAXI driver Joey Lorezo, 30, of Purok 2, Barangay Granada, Bacolod was injured Wednesday morning after one of his passengers punched him when he failed to stop his taxi, Station 2 commander Noel Polines said.

Polines said that at about 4 a.m., Lorezo was on his way to deliver his two passengers at Purok Narra-Baybay, Barangay 8, Bacolod.

Jai-alai hide-out raided

OPERATIVES of San Carlos City police led by Police Superintendent Harold Tuzon conducted Wednesday a search and seizure operation at the residence of Sergio Bulat-ag in Barangay Quezon, San Carlos City.

Police received information that the house of Bulat-ag serves as a betting center for jai alai, Tuzon said.

City Health Office conducts leprosy orientation

THE Bacolod City Health Office, together with the Regional Health Office and Department of Health (DOH), held an orientation on leprosy Tuesday at Bacolod’s New Government Center.

The activity is in line with the celebration of DOH’s Leprosy Prevention and Control Week from February 21-27, 2011 with the theme “Promoting leprosy and human dignity towards a ‘leprosy free’ country”.

20,000 join rally vs RH bill

ABOUT 20,000 members of religious groups, academe and civic-oriented organizations joined in the interfaith rally against the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill Tuesday at the Bacolod City Public Plaza.

The RH bill, or "The Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population and Development Act of 2011” is a consolidation of six RH bills proposed in Congress.

Women’s group bats for RH bill

WHILE the rally against the controversial RH bill was ongoing Tuesday, women’s rights advocate Gabriela-Negros defended the RH bill, saying it is not anti-life and it is not pro-abortion.

Nenita Cherniguin of Gabriela-Negros disputed the Church’s claim that the RH bill is anti-life and pro abortion.

Excavation starts at landfill

A. L. Salazar construction has started the excavation works at the sanitary landfill in Barangay Felisa, Bacolod City with backhoes, trucks and excavators being utilized for the digging as part of the preparatory works.

Barangay Felisa head Mona Dia Jardin said that the first phase of the construction works started two weeks ago with the aim to finish the project within three months.

Paglaum Complex deal draft now ready

THE final draft of the agreement for the reversion of the management of Paglaum Sports Complex to the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental is now ready.

Provincial Legal Officer Jose Maria Valencia said that the memorandum of agreement (MOA) and may be signed between the Capitol and the Department of Education (DepEd) by next week.