Brownouts in Negros Occidental towns alarm netizens

BACOLOD CITY — Brownouts hit parts of Bacolod, Silay and Talisay cities, raising alarm on social media of delays in voting and of possible cheating in Negros Occidental.

But acting provincial election supervisor Salud Milagros Villanueva said voting would continue despite the brownouts because Vote Counting Machines had standby batteries that could last up to eight hours.

Roel Venus, Central Negros Electric Cooperative Consumer Services Division chief, said the brownouts, which started at 12:35 p.m., were caused by 69KV lines of Talisay, Silay, and Talisay that tripped off.

As of 1:20 p.m, power was gradually being restored.

Two electric poles in Talisay and Silay were discovered toppled, he said.  (Editor: Leti Z. Boniol)