By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Following reports of a Marian apparition in Bacolod City, where an Our Lady of Fátima image is said to shed tears, Diocese of Bacolod Judicial Vicar and San Antonio Abad Parish Priest, Monsignor Victorino Rivas, said such events are “not unusual.”

In a radio interview yesterday morning, Rivas said the incident is “not new,” but it needs to be authenticated by the Vatican, which he affirmed would be a long process.

Rivas explained, the apparition is the Blessed Mother trying to find a medium in order to convey a message and said faithful should remain steadfast in their devotion to the Lord’s mother.

Earlier, Watchmen Daily Journal visited the chapel in Bacolod City where the incident reportedly took place, which remains undisclosed as requested by the owner.

During an examination of the image, there were no tubes or liquid containers found. In addition, the image itself is hollow, with a hole drilled in the bottom, a result of earlier investigations.

The façade was oily to the touch and smelled of flowers, along with fresh-looking blood marks in the eyes.

The said image has been reported by the owner to be shedding tears since August 2013, prior to the large earthquake that struck Bohol and Super Typhoon “Yolanda.”/DGB, WDJ