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Screengrab from Rea Mae Castronuevo Lachica video on Facebook*The Valencia Police Station in Negros Oriental clarified that the fiery object seen falling from the sky in a viral video posted on Jan. 2 was not a “bulalakaw” or meteorite but a parachute flare. The clarification came after an investigation conducted by the Valencia police in coordination with the Bureau of Fire Protection–Valencia. Authorities explained that a parachute flare is a pyrotechnic distress signal designed to emit a bright, long-burning light while descending slowly with the aid of a parachute. Police said that parachute flares are commonly used in marine emergencies by ships and lifeboats for long-range signaling during both day and night operations. Under Safety of Life at Sea regulations, authorities said par...

The public is advised not to believe malicious posts on Facebook declaring that there will be no classes in Bacolod City on Monday, January 5, the city government announced Sunday evening.Mayor Greg Gasataya did not issue an order suspending classes due to foul weather, it said.The mayor does not issue an order without basis, don’t be fooled by these kind of rumors or fake news, it added.*

A 20-year-old woman was found dead after apparently drowning in a river in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental, on New Year’s Day, Jan. 1.Police said the victim’s body was discovered at around 6 p.m. along the river in Purok Paghida-et, Brgy Tampalon.They identified the victim as a single woman and a resident of Purok Buslogan, Brgy. Camingawan, Kabankalan.The victim’s mother reported that her daughter was last seen at around 2 p.m. on December 31 after she was instructed to deliver food to her grandmother.The victim failed to return home after several hours, prompting her mother to conduct a search.Police said the victim usually used a bamboo raft to cross the river to her grandmother’s house.At around 5:30 p.m. on Jan 1, the victim’s mother received a call from a...

Police seized more than ₱1.02 million worth of suspected shabu and arrested a high-value individual during a buy-bust operation in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, on Friday, Jan. 2.The Police Regional Office–Negros Island Region said operatives of the Dumaguete City Police Station conducted the operation at Purok 7, Diversion Road, Brgy. Batinguel.Police identified the suspect as alias “Melsac,” 46, married, and a resident of Purok Santan, Barangay Taclobo, Dumaguete City.Authorities said the operation was launched after a confidential informant reported that the suspect was actively selling illegal drugs in the area.Police added that validation revealed the suspect had a previous arrest for illegal drug-related offenses.During the operation, police recovered a sachet ...

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) has warned the public against what it described as a “deliberate” and “synchronized” social media propaganda drive allegedly being carried out by the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and allied groups.NTF-ELCAC Executive Director Ernesto Torres Jr. said dozens of interlinked pages and sectoral fronts have been pushing identical narratives, slogans, hashtags, visuals, and calls for action—signs, he said, of central direction rather than spontaneous activism.“This is neither coincidence nor spontaneity. This is central direction from the party,” Torres said in a statement Saturday, Jan. 3.“The timing, language, framing, and cadence of these posts p...

A 44-year-old man was found dead inside a structure at Hacienda Garazon in Brgy. San Jose, Binalbagan, Negros Occidental, on Saturday morning, Jan. 3.Authorities identified the victim only as “John,” married, and a resident of Hacienda Garazon, Brgy. San Jose, Binalbagan.Police said the body was discovered at around 8:30 a.m. and was already in a state of decomposition when found.The Binalbagan police said they received report about the incident at around 8:45 a.m. Saturday.Police, together with personnel from the Binalbagan Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, immediately responded and conducted retrieval and initial investigation at the scene.Investigation showed that the body was first discovered by a 41-year-old resident inside a structure where the...

PNA file photo by Joan BondocThree weather systems will continue to affect most parts of the country, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Sunday.The weather bureau said the Visayas and the provinces of Palawan, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, and Romblon will have cloudy skies with scattered rains and isolated thunderstorms due to the shear line.Caraga will also experience cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms caused by the easterlies.The northeast monsoon or amihan will continue to bring cloudy skies with rains over Cagayan Valley, Aurora, Quezon, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, and the rest of Bicol Region.These weather systems, PAGASA said, may cause possible flashfloods or landslides due t...

Three  Negrenses  were killed in separate shooting and stabbing incidents in  Cauayan and Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental,  between December 30 and January 1.In Cauayan, a confrontation between two laborers turned deadly at about  2:40 a.m. on New Year’s Day in Purok 7, Barangay Isio.A 30-year-old laborer was killed by a person  identified by the police only as alias “Key”, 33. Alias “Key,” allegedly returned to a scene after an earlier misunderstanding with the victim's nephew. When he confronted the group with a firearm, the 30-year-old victim reportedly hacked "Key" with a bladed weapon, wounding him in the head. In response, "Key" fired a .45 caliber pistol multiple times hitting the victim in various parts of the body.They were rushed t...