Carmen mayor poised to lead Bohol mayors’ league unopposed
Carmen, Bohol Mayor Conchita De los Reyes appears set to become the next president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) Bohol chapter, with indications she will run unopposed.
Support for De los Reyes has reportedly solidified among mayors in the province’s 3rd district, bolstered by backing from her counterparts in the 2nd district.
Politicians from the 1st district are also expected to rally behind her candidacy.
Two other potential contenders — dismissed Dauis mayor Marietta “Miriam” Sumaylo and Catigbian mayor Benjie Oliva — have withdrawn from the race, according to political sources.
Both had earlier expressed interest in the post.
The LMP-Bohol election is expected to be held in the first week of September 2025.
De los Reyes, now serving her second term as mayor, is aligned with the Abante Bohol political bloc led by Governor Aris Aumentado and Representative Kristine Alexie Tutor.
Man Survives Stabbing Attempt in Tagbilaran; Suspect Arrested
Police arrested a man over the weekend afternoon after he allegedly tried to stab his neighbor three times without apparent reason in Barangay Tiptip, Tagb City.
The Tagbilaran City police identified the victim as Richard Guadalquiver, 47, who was buying cigarettes at a neighborhood store around 1:20 p.m. when the suspect, Jonathan “Moymoy” Nuevo, 31, allegedly attacked him with a knife. Guadalquiver avoided the blows and ran to the San Isidro Police Precinct for help, sustaining injuries to both knees in the escape.
Authorities arrested Nuevo about 30 minutes later a few meters from the scene and recovered the knife believed to have been used in the attack.
Nuevo is being held at the Tagbilaran City police jail while investigators work to determine the motive.
18-Year-Old Arrested in Inabanga Buy-Bust Operation
Police arrested an 18-year-old man in a buy-bust operation in Barangay Saa, Inabanga.
Authorities identified the suspect as Mark Gabriel Zaragosa, a newly identified drug pusher. The Municipal Drug Enforcement Team, along with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bohol, conducted the operation at around 3:42 a.m. on Aug. 9, 2025.
Seized from Zaragosa were a sachet of suspected shabu sold to an undercover officer, P500 in marked money, and 10 more sachets containing a similar substance weighing about 0.9 grams with a standard drug price of P6,120.
The suspect is detained at the Inabanga police station. The confiscated evidence has been turned over to the Bohol Forensics Unit for examination and safekeeping.
Police said charges for violating Sections 5 and 11 of Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, will be filed against Zaragosa.
NGCP strengthens grid readiness with Annual Blackout Drills
NGCP continues to improve its grid response capabilities in case of large-scale power outages or system disturbances with the conduct of its annual Blackout Drills.
Conducted separately for the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao grids, the NGCP-led Blackout Drills aligns the contingency response of every player in the energy sector, particularly the generation plants.
With the theme “Blackout Readiness: Strengthening Response Capabilities,” the Annual Blackout Drill included both tabletop discussions and practical simulation exercises.
“Through these drills, NGCP can evaluate communication protocols, assess response times, and strengthen coordination efforts. We are able to identify weaknesses, if any, and address them proactively, in coordination with our partner stakeholders,” NGCP said.
The table-top presentations include discussions on black start services, actual restoration
experiences, blackout restoration guidelines and procedures, breakout sessions, and workshops focusing on area-specific blackout restoration highways. A simulation drill is held a week after the tabletop presentation to replicate an actual blackout scenario.
The activity was attended by stakeholders from the generation sector and distribution sector, as well as representatives from the Department of Energy (DOE) and Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC), Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM), National Power Corporation (NPC), National Transmission Corporation (TransCo), Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM), Philippine Electricity Market Corporation (PEMC), Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP), Philippine Independent Power Producers Association Inc. (PIPPA), and National Electrification Administration (NEA).
One of NGCP’s main functions as the country’s transmission operator is to constantly enhance operational efficiency of power transmission network operations, particularly that of System Operations
NGCP’s Transmission Rates up due to New MAR and Under-Recovery
The Energy Regulatory Commission’s (ERC) approval of NGCP’s Maximum Allowable Revenue (MAR) and Under-Recoveries (UR) from 2016 to 2022, along with the decrease on the energy consumption from June to July 2025 Billing Period, resulted in an increase in NGCP’s Transmission Rates in the July 2025 Billing Period which will be translated by the Distribution Utilities in the electric bills of their end consumers effective August 2025.
From PhP0.4611/kWh in June 2025 Billing Period, Transmission Rates rose to PhP0.5923/kWh or an increase of PhP0.1312/kWh.
Ancillary Services Rates, on the other hand, went down from PhP0.6182/kWh in June to PhP0.5872/kWh in July, a decrease of PhP0.0310/kWh.
Overall average Transmission Rates for the July 2025 Billing Period have increased to PhP1.3233/kWh, up by 9.25% from June’s PhP1.2113/kWh.
The ERC earlier approved a UR fixed rate of PhP0.0384/kWh to be implemented for 84 months, or until the UR amount of PhP28 Billion is fully collected.
In addition, the ERC allowed NGCP to recover the MAR increase of PhP6.62 Billion, raising the previously approved MAR from PhP 51.47 Billion to PhP 58.10 Billion, translating to an anticipated increase of PhP0.0629/kWh.
The ERC approval forms part of NGCP’s Fourth Regulatory Period Reset, covering years 2016–2022. The third reset, covering 2010–2015, took place more than a decade ago.
The approved increase will help finance NGCP’s efforts to further strengthen the power grid
Motorcycle group questions Bohol police over muffler arrest
A local motorcycle group has criticized police in Loon town for allegedly failing to conduct proper sound level testing during an operation against aftermarket mufflers.
Bohol Bikers said one of its members was apprehended on Aug. 9, 2025 for using an aftermarket muffler without undergoing a decibel meter test. In a Facebook post, the group questioned the police’s procedure, claiming officers relied solely on their hearing to determine the violation.
The group cited Land Transportation Office and Department of Environment and Natural Resources rules, which require calibrated decibel meter testing before issuing citations for excessive noise. They argued that following proper procedures ensures fairness.
In an official statement, the Loon Municipal Police Station said the operation took place from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. along the National Highway in Barangay Moto Sur, where a motorcycle with an improvised muffler was flagged down.
Police cited Municipal Ordinance No. 22-008, which prohibits operating vehicles with “loud and disturbing” improvised mufflers within town limits. The rider was issued a citation ticket, and the muffler was confiscated in lieu of impounding the motorcycle, as allowed under the ordinance.
The case was also referred to the Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group–Bohol for violating Republic Act 4136, which regulates defective or unauthorized motorcycle parts, including open-pipe mufflers.
Police clarified that a decibel meter is not required when the violation is obvious, such as in the case of an open-pipe or modified muffler. They said the operations respond to residents’ complaints about noise pollution, particularly affecting senior citizens.
Police Capt. Thomas Zen Cheung defended the officers, saying they were simply enforcing the law.
Bohol police seize P5.6M shabu, nab 30 in weeklong operations
The Bohol Police Provincial Office (BPPO) seized more than P5.6 million worth of illegal drugs and arrested 30 suspects in a series of operations from Aug. 4 to 10, 2025 targeting various crimes.
Police said 12 anti-drug operations led to the arrest of 14 suspects, including street-level pushers and high-profile traffickers, and the confiscation of 830.37 grams of shabu valued at P5.6 million.
Authorities also recovered 11 unlicensed firearms surrendered during separate operations and arrested 16 people with outstanding warrants, including seven of the province’s most wanted individuals.
The crackdown on illegal gambling resulted in four arrests, the confiscation of P575 in bets, and the filing of 13 cases.
BPPO Provincial Director Col. Arnel B. Banzon lauded his officers’ dedication, emphasizing the importance of sustained efforts to curb criminality across Bohol.