Top Stories

Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, Greg Gasataya and Kalaw Puentevella (l-r)*It’s a 15-1 win for Team Asenso Bacolod.Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez has won the race for congressman of Bacolod defeating former mayor Evelio Leonardia for a second time, Comelec partial unofficial results showed at 12:50 a.m. Tuesday, Mach 13.Benitez had  162,419  votes and Leonardia  garnered 117,706 votes.He had also defeated Leonardia in the race for mayor in 2022.Rep. Greg Gasataya also won the race for mayor of Bacolod, defeating Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran.Gasataya had 156,257 votes while Familiaran had 140,446.In the race for vice mayor Councilor Kalaw Puentevella defeated  Councilor Renecito Novero.Puentevella had 145,292 while Novero had 131,506.The &nb...

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez take early leads by wide margins in Mondays elections.Partial results showed Lacson with 880,042 votes in the race for governor versus his closes rival former Victorias City mayor Wantan Palanca who had 64,808 votes.Jose Benito Alonso was also winning the vice gubernatorial race by a large margin.The Negros Occidental winners for representatives are:Julio Ledesma – 1st DistrictAlfredo Marañon III – 2nd DistrictJavier Miguel Benitez – 3rd DistrictJeffrey Ferrer – 4th DistrictEmilio Yulo – 5th DistrictMercedes Alvarez – 6th DistrictIn the Bacolod congressional race Mayor Alredo Abelardo Benitez had 162,419 votes while former mayor Evelio Leonardia had 117,706 vot...

The police arrested a construction worker for violation of the liquor ban in Zone 6, Brgy. Concepcion, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, early Monday morning, May 12.Alias “Ron”, 24, of Hacienda Asuncion, Brgy Concepcion, was arrested at about 2:20 a.m., the police said.The suspect was caught with a bottle of rum and upon their search, the police also recovered an improvised tooter inside his coin purse.The suspect is now under the custody of the police while the seized drug paraphernalia was brought to the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office Provincial Forensic Unit, Bacolod City, for laboratory examination, the police said.*

Victorias Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez*Victorias City Mayor Javier Miguel “Javi” Benitez has requested the National Bureau of Investigation - Cybercrime Division to trace and identify the managers of a social media page for allegedly posting false information about him and accusing him and his father of being involved in the shooting incident in Brgy. Mambulac, Silay City, on Monday, May 12.The Victorias mayor, in a post of his Facebook page, said “Silay Rising” had made “false and damaging statements” about him and his father on Election Day.“Let me say this plainly: this is not just political noise, it is a serious and dangerous lie. I will not take it lightly”, Benitez said.Benitez is running for congressman of the Third District of Negros Occidental while his father May...

The Philippine National Police and Army assured the public that the shooting incident in Brgy. Mambulac, Silay City, Negros Occidental, that left two dead and seven injured on Monday was under control and does not reflect the overall security situation in Northern Negros.The Philippine National Police-Negros Island Region and the 79th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army issued the assurances in separate statements.PRO-NIR said in a statement that they already implemented measures to ensure public safety and law enforcement continuity.Police Regional Director BGen. Arnold Thomas Ibay said that the situation is under control and all necessary actions are being done to bring the perpetrators to justice and maintain peace in the community.“We assure the people of Silay an...

The crime scene in Silay City. *The camps of Silay Mayor Joedith Gallego and his opponent former mayor Mark Golez condemned the killing of two persons and the wounding of seven others in Barangay Mambulac, Silay City.Assistance to the victims was also promised by both camps.Gallego and Bacolod Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez, an ally of Golez, both promised to assist to the victims.The Silay City government will extend all necessary assistance — medical, legal, and psychological — to aid those affected, Gallego said.Benitez said they condemn the incident and have asked the police to swiftly act on the matter.“We are exerting all efforts to see how we can assist,” Benitez said. "Violence has no place in our community — especially when used to silence those who se...

The area where the shooting occurred.*Barbara Mijares photoTwo supporters of Silay Mayor Joedith Gallego were killed and seven others were injured in a shooting incident in Barangay Mambulac, Silay City, Negros Occidental, 7 a.m. Monday morning.Barangay Captain Arnie Benedicto of Lantad, Silay City, who was on board a van, and two unidentified cohorts opened fire without provocation while passing through the area based on a testimony of a witness, an initial police report said.The incident took place in front of a house allegedly used as a headquarters of Team Asenso Silay of mayoral candidate Mark Golez, the police said.Golez denied that the house was a Team Asenso Silay headquarters.Lawyer Jose Edward Davila, legal counselof Team Asenso Silay, said Benedicto deni...

The Negros Occidental Provincial Board of Canvassers convened at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City Monday with Provincial Election Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria (center) as chairman, Provincial Prosector Hermes Ariño (left) as vice chairperson and Provincial Schools Division Superintendent Anthony Liobet as member-secretary.*The election winners in the towns and cities of Negros Occidental are expected to be proclaimed by midnight Monday to at the latest Tuesday morning, Provincial Elections Supervisor Ian Lee Ananoria said.The Negros Occidental Provincial Board of Canvassers chaired by Ananoria convened to consolidate the results of the elections in the province at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City at 1 p.m . Monday.Provincial P...

Kanlaon Volcano as seen from Calaon City on Sunday.*Romeo Subaldo photoThe Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology issued a notice of increased seismic activity at Kanlaon Volcano on Election Day, May 12.Phivolcs said 72 volcanic earthquakes were recorded by the Kanlaon Volcano Network between 12 a.m. and 12 p.m. Monday.These events ranged in strength between ML0.3 and ML3.1 and were generated at 0 to 8 kilometers depths beneath the northern and northwestern flanks of the volcanic edifice, Phivolcs said.A total of 135 volcanic earthquakes had been recorded since 12 a.m. on Sunday, May 11, it added,These included relatively strong volcano-tectonic or VT earthquakes.VTs are generated by rock fracturing processes and the increase in VT activity strongly ind...

A bee sting victim given first aid.* Philippine Red Cross photoAbout 50 persons were stung by bees at the Rodolfo Medel Elementary School in Brgy. Tangub, Bacolod City, 9:58 a.m. on Election Day, May 12, Dr. Anna Maria Laarni M. Pornan, Bacolod Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head, said.The injured individuals who were in the area to vote were given first aid and monitored for allergic reactions, Pornan said.No injured person was transported to the hospital, the DRRMO report said.“The bees appeared suddenly and aggressively pursued the victims, causing numerous stings. Some of the individuals who were in the area sustained bee stings and required medical attention,” the DRRMO reported.“The attack may have been provoked by disturbance to a nearby hive, thou...