Day: May 6, 2025

Northern Mindanao: Northern Mindanao police have launched an investigation into viral online reports of alleged vote-buying, with banknotes stapled to candidates’ names, circulating on social media, a police official said Tuesday. Police Regional Office (PRO) 10 (Northern Mindanao) spokesperson Maj. Joann Navarro stated that PRO-10 director Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman ordered the probe after reports of the practice, locally referred to as “ulan-ulan” (money sprinkling), were received. According to Philippines News Agency, the police are collaborating with the Anti-Cybercrime Unit to authenticate these social media posts. The region is home to 3.17 million registered voters, including 1.1 million residing

Iloilo City: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Iloilo City completed the deployment of automated counting machines (ACMs) in seven districts here on Tuesday, except for mall voting which will be distributed early morning on Wednesday. According to Philippines News Agency, “Tomorrow will be the synchronized final testing and sealing for the remaining 414 clustered precincts in the city of Iloilo,” said lawyer Pinky Jenivi Tentativa, Comelec Iloilo City Election IV, in an interview. Each clustered precinct will have one ACM. The final testing will test the accuracy of the machines. Thereafter, these will be sealed and will only be opened

San Fernando City: The La Union Tourism Office has reported a significant increase in tourist arrivals during the Holy Week, recording approximately 415,028 visitors compared to 220,182 during the same period last year. According to Philippines News Agency, the data collected from April 12 to April 20, which includes the day before Palm Sunday up to Easter Sunday, revealed that there were 337,362 day visitors and 77,666 overnight tourists. Pilgrimage sites, particularly churches, were among the most frequented, with a total of 104,895 visitors. Notable sites included the St. John the Baptist Parish Church in San Juan town and several

Bacolod City: The Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO) has dispatched 310 personnel to Negros Oriental to bolster security measures for the upcoming May 12 national and local elections. The deployment aims to enhance safety and ensure smooth electoral proceedings on the island. The send-off ceremony, featuring a prayer and blessing by Fr. Chris Gonzales, took place at the city police headquarters on Tuesday morning. According to Philippines News Agency, the decision to send additional forces from Bacolod to Negros Oriental was endorsed by the Police Regional Office-Negros Island Region (PRO-NIR) and approved by the Regional Joint Security Coordinating Center during

Legazpi City: The Land Transportation Office in Bicol (LTO-5) has mandated all accredited driving schools, institutions, and medical clinics to adhere strictly to regulations to ensure the roadworthiness of motor vehicles and the qualifications of licensed drivers. A memorandum signed by LTO-5 Director Edgar Allan Castillejos highlighted that ongoing reports of “non-appearance” in transactions have prompted this compliance order. According to Philippines News Agency, “non-appearance” refers to cases where individuals receive driver’s licenses or vehicle registrations without completing necessary personal appearances, examinations, medical assessments, or inspections. The memorandum, signed on Monday, stated that such practices undermine the integrity of the