Top Stories

An 84-year-old man died after he was struck by lightning in Zone 1 Calatong, Brgy. Cabadiangan, Sipalay City, Negros Occidental, on Election Day, May 12.The victim, who was not named by the police, was found lying on his back with visible burn marks on his arms and back.The victim was brought to the Sipalay City Health Facility but was declared dead on arrival.A post-mortem examination report said the cause of death was fatal arrythmia secondary to lightning strike.*

A man died after her was shot in the head inside a computer shop in Purok Lubi, Brgy. 3, Bacolod City, early Tuesday morning, May 13.The unidentified man was shot by his assailant while they were both playing computer games.Maj. Eugene Tolentino, Bacolod City Police Station 2 commander, said that their initial investigation revealed that the victim and the suspect were sitting beside each other inside the computer shop.The suspect was with a woman and they were arguing while indirectly mentioning the victim.The suspect went out and when he returned he immediately shot the victim.The victim was about 38 to 40 years old and was wearing a black shirt and khaki shorts, the police said.*

Voting in Negros Occidental*Ronnie Baldonado photoThe Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region said that the 2025 National and Local Elections in the region was generally peaceful. except for an isolated shooting incident in Silay City, Negros Occidental, on May 12.The PRO-NIR, in a press statement, said that despite the incident the overall conduct of the elections across the region remained calm and orderly.“Voters were able to freely and safely exercise their right to vote in all areas of Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental and Siquijor, demonstrating the strength of our democratic process”, the statement said.PRO-NIR also said that they are commending the efforts of the security forces, election officials, volunteers, and the citizens of the Negros Island Region for ...

A moderately explosive eruption occurred at the summit crater of Kanlaon Volcano at 2:55 a.m. Tuesday, May 13, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.The eruption lasted for five  minutes based on seismic and infrasound data.The eruption generated a greyish voluminous plume that rose at least four kilometers above the vent before drifting to the general west, Phivolcs said.Audible rumbling sounds of the eruption were reported in Brgy. Pula, Canlaon City, Negros Oriental and La Castellana, Negros Occidental. Incandescent pyroclastic density currents or PDCs descended the southern slopes within approximately two kilometers of the crater based on visual and thermal camera monitoring, Phivolcs said.Large ballistic fragments were als...

The members of the Bacolod City Board of Canvassers with the Bacolod winners*             The City Board of Canvassers officially proclaimed the winners of the May 12 polls at the Bacolod City Government Center at close to 4 a.m. today.                Election Officer Revo Sorbito led the proclamation of Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez as the winning  congressman, Rep. Greg Gasataya as mayor and Kalaw Puentevella as vice mayor.The 12 candidates for councilor proclaimed winners are:Caesar DistritoIsrael SalangaEm AngThaddy SaysonJason VillarosaCelia Matea FlorBobby RojasWilson Gamboa Jr.Dindo RamosPao SyHomer BaisAl Victo...

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...