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The Iglesia ni Cristo has endorsed Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya, mayoral bet Alfredo “Albee” Benitez and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran (l-r).*The influential Iglesia ni Cristo has endorsed Bacolod Rep. Greg Gasataya and mayoral candidate Alfredo “Albee” Benitez of Asenso Bacolod, and Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran of Grupo Progreso (GP) in the May 9 polls, an INC source confirmed Friday, May 6.The INC has also endorsed five Asenso Bacolod candidates for councilor and seven from GP.The candidates for councilor are Thaddeus Sayson, Bart Orola, Kalaw Puentevella, Simple Distrito and newcomer Jason Villaroso of Asenso Bacolod, and incumbents Israel Salanga, Renecito Novero, Cindy Rojas, Dindo Ramos, Carl Lopez, Archie Baribar and returning councilor Em Ang of GP.The endorsemen...

The Commission on Elections, in partnership with the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, will arrest all those violating the Comelec liquor ban on Sunday and Monday, May 8 and 9, Bacolod Elections Officer Revo Sorbito warned Friday, May 6.“We will be strictly enforcing the liquor ban and arrests will be made,” he said.Those consuming liquor in public places and responsible for selling such drinks will be arrested, he said.Meanwhile, the Central Negros Electric Cooperative and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines have assured Comelec Bacolod of continuous power supply on May 9, Election Day, Sorbito said.Voters need not worry because if there is any power outage the vote counting machines have external batteries that can last from ...

Photo from Atty. Revo Sorbito FBThe final testing and sealing of vote counting machines (VCMs) in Bacolod City will be held Saturday, May 7, Acting Negros Occidental Provincial Elections Supervisor Roberto Salazar said Friday.The VCMs were delivered to the voting areas in Bacolod City on Friday.The VCMs for the towns and cities of Negros Occidental will be delivered to voting areas on Saturday, where they will also undergo final testing a sealing, he said.Salazar said on Election Day there will be a separate line for voters who are persons with disabilities, heavily pregnant and senior citizens.The Comelec in Negros on Friday was waiting for the arrival of non-accountable election forms and COVID-19 protective gear, he added.If they do not arrive on time they will n...

PNA file photoThe Negros-based Public Interest Forum (PIF) is calling on the people and faith communities “to keep their vigilance and readiness at all times to stand up and resist all attempts at undermining the pillars of our democratic and sovereign life”.The PIF, a local ecumenical voluntary agency composed of religious leaders, academics, researchers, writers, artists, and students committed to social reform and people empowerment, issued the call in a statement released Friday, May 6.They expressed concern over the trends in the run up to May 9 polls.PIF cited the flooding of social media with surveys leading the public to believe that the Ferdinand ”BBM” Marcos Jr.–Sarah Duterte ticket is the sure winner in the elections. This narrative is hyped by various surveying ...

Alfredo "Albee" Benitez and Evelio "Bing" Leonardia (right) are staging miting de avances Saturday, May 7.*Thousands of Bacolodnons are expected to join the miting de avances of the two major political parties in Bacolod City on Saturday, May 7, the last day of the campaign period before the May 9 polls.Grupo Progreso led by Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia will hold its miting de avance at the Bacolod Reclamation Area beside the Pope John Paul II Tower at 5:30 p.m., while Asenso Bacolod is staging its grand rally at the Paglaum Sports Complex at 3 p.m. on Saturday.The Grupo Progreso miting de avance will be preceded by a 3 p.m. mass to be officiated by Fr. Jerryvel Celestial at the San Sebastian Cathedral.Leonardia will be joined by congressional aspirant Dan Atayde, his ru...

The feisty Negrense former Commission on Elections commissioner Rowena Guanzon said she will fight for the rights of persons with disabilities (PWDs) and senior citizens if her partylist group, P3PWD, garners enough votes on May 9 to win a seat in the Lower House.“When we win a seat I will substitute as representative of P3PWD, which is No. 54 on the ballot. You can be sure that I will work tirelessly for the PWDs and senior citizens by pushing for laws for their rights, benefits and welfare,” Guanzon, who is from Cadiz City in Negros Occidental, said on Friday, May 6.P3PWD is representing PWDs, children with special needs, seniors and those with chronic illnesses who have long been unrepresented in Congress, she said.“We are not financed by contractors or a front for politicia...

City PIO photoThe new facilities at the Bacolod City College that were inaugurated Thursday, May 5, in preparation for plans to elevate the school to a university status.This was reiterated by Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia during the blessing and inauguration of the P350 million BCC facilities in Barangay Taculing, which included the 2,218-seater fully air-conditioned Activity Center, Information Systems Building and Business Education and Administration Building, on Thursday, May 5, a press release from the Bacolod City Public Information Office said Friday.Leonardia paid tribute to the late Councilor Constancio Legaspi and Councilor Renecito Novero, chair of the SP Committee on Education, for their authorship of the ordinance establishing the city-funded college for children...