Negros folk report meteor sighting; authorities doubt claim

Residents of Valencia town in Negros Oriental on Tuesday reported seeing a bright, burning object in the sky, claiming it was a meteor, but authorities immediately cast doubt on the report.

According to a report on “Balitanghali,” the incident was captured on a mobile phone camera by one of the residents.

However, operatives from the Bureau of Fire Protection in Valencia and the Valencia Police inspected the site of the alleged meteor fall in Barangay Jawa but found no trace of fire or any celestial object.

Fire authorities suspect that what residents saw may have been an emergency flare, which is used by boats as a distress signal.

Police, meanwhile, are investigating who may have launched the flare, noting that such devices should be used solely for emergency purposes.—Vince Angelo Ferreras/MCG, GMA Integrated News