At about 4:30 a.m. on January 1, 2026, a resident in Barangay New Buswang, Kalibo, Aklan found a bullet slug on a working table in her room. Upon inspection, she saw a hole on the ceiling.
"I thought ano siya, naputol na lipstick. Pinag-iisip ako, paano ako magkaroon ng putol sa lipstick sa aking working stable? So nung nilapitan ko siya, nakita ko, sabi ko parang bala ito,” said Loannie (not her real name), the houseowner.
She said that because they celebrated their New Year at their ancestral house, no one was in the room when the incident happened.
The incident was reported immediately to the Kalibo Police.
Personnel of the Scene of the Crime Operation (SOCO) also investigated the incident.
“Tinitingnan na namin ang record namin dito with regards sa mga firearm holder, ang lisensyado, dyan sa may 100 meters na radius ng bahay na yun,” Captain Jover Ponghon, deputy chief of Kalibo Municipal Police Station.
Loannie called on gunowners to be more responsible in handling their weapons in order to avoid hurting people or destroying properties.
At past 9 a.m. on January 1, a family in Barangay Dala, Mina, Iloilo reported to the Mina Police about a slug they found on the floor of their garage.
According to police investigation, a hole was found on the roof the house believed where a bullet passed through. No one was reported hurt in the incident.
“Ongoing ang ating thorough investigation to determine sa posibilidad kung saan talaga nanggaling ang trajectory ng nagpaputok ng baril,” Lt. Redan Octaviano, officer in charge of Mina Municipal Police Station, said.
Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 ordered an intensive investigation on the stray bullet incidents.
Further, a slug was also recovered from the kitchen of a house in Barangay Robles, La Castellana, Negros Occidental.
Police investigation said that the owner of the house found a hole on their roof and a crack on a portion of the floor tiles, believed to have been caused by a stray bullet. No one was reported injured in the incident.
"Yung may makuha tayong identity of owner ng firearm, that’s the time na pwede tayong mag-file ng case. Dini-discourage natin ang celebratory firing,” according to Lt. Col. Joem Malong, spokesperson of PRO Negros Island Region.
Fireworks-related injuries (FWRIs) in Western Visayas reached 63 cases, based on data from PRO 6. But the figure is lower compared to the 232 cases in 2024.
Iloilo Province and Iloilo City are on top of the list with 23 cases, followed by Capiz with 17, Aklan with 12, Antique with seven, and Guimaras with four cases.
Among the top items that caused the injuries are pla-pla, kamara, kwitis, trianggulo, whistle bomb, and “boga,” or improvised cannon.
“Sa mga biktima natin dito, makikita natin na halos magkakatulad. Ang minor natin 32 out of 63 at 31 naman ang adult. Ang ilan sa adult na biktima, tinamaan lang ng mga firecracker na pinaputok ng kanilang mga katabi,” Major Lailyn Sencil, spokesperson of PRO 6, said.
Data from the Department of Health-Negros Island Region (DOH-NIR) showed that FWRI in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental went down in 2026.
Bacolod City logged two cases only, lower than the 20 cases recorded in 2025. In Negros Occidental, the cases went down to 49 only from 94 in 2025.
The overall count posted a 40-percent drop, according to the authorities.
“Marami ang designated areas na may fireworks, nag-enjoy sa panonood ang mga tao. Ang mga tao, well-informed nang maging safe,” DOH NIR Assistant Regional Director Adrian Hort Ramos said.
As of January 1, NIR logged 69 cases, also lesser than the cases in 2025 with 131.
“Public safety is a shared responsibility. The PNP cannot do this alone because we need the continued support from the public, barangay and the media,” said Colonel Dennis Wenceslao, director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.
