ORMOC CITY — One person was killed while another was injured following a vehicular accident along Barangay Libertad, Ormoc City, at around 10:40 a.m. on Tuesday, January 13, 2025.

The incident involved a Fuso truck driven by Francis Eric Cale Cañete, 46, single, a resident of Barangay Libertad, Kananga, Leyte, and a gray Suzuki multicab driven by Mark Gerald Dacer, 45, married, and a resident of Naval, Biliran.

Also on board the Suzuki multicab was its passenger, Annalisa Dacer, of legal age, married, and likewise a resident of Naval, Biliran.

Based on the initial investigation conducted by the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) of the Ormoc City Police Office (OCPO), both vehicles were traveling in opposite directions. The Fuso truck was heading toward Barangay Salvacion from Barangay Libertad, while the Suzuki multicab was traveling from Barangay Airport toward Barangay Libertad.

Upon reaching the area of the incident, the left front tire of the Suzuki multicab suddenly exploded, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle. The multicab swerved into the opposite lane and collided at an angle with the oncoming Fuso truck.

As a result of the collision, both the driver and passenger of the Suzuki multicab sustained injuries to different parts of their bodies.

Ormoc Rescue personnel immediately transported the passenger to Gatchalian Medical Center. The driver was rushed to Ormoc Doctors Hospital but was declared dead on arrival by the attending physician, Dr. Jesus Castro.

Both vehicles incurred damage of still undetermined cost.

The driver of the Fuso truck was brought to the TEU office for documentation and proper disposition. Meanwhile, the involved vehicles remained at the scene and were secured by responding personnel.

(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)

TACLOBAN CITY — Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has denied any knowledge or involvement in an alleged property transaction that recent media reports have linked to the Discaya family, calling the claims “outright baseless.”

In a statement issued on Thursday, Jan.15, Rep. Romualdez, former House Speaker, said he has never met the Discayas and only became aware of them through media reports. He stressed that he had no participation in any supposed property purchase and rejected allegations that the Discayas were used as a “front” for any transaction.

As the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee prepares to resume its probe on January 19, Romualdez underscored the importance of relying on sworn testimony and official records rather than speculation.

He cited the testimony of Curlee Discaya before the House of Representatives in September 2025, where Discaya categorically stated under oath that he had no direct or indirect transaction with Romualdez. Discaya further explained that the former Speaker’s name had merely been used or “name-dropped” by others, without any personal knowledge, meeting, or dealings on his part.

Romualdez said this testimony forms part of the official congressional record and directly contradicts the allegations now being revived in public discourse.

He also echoed earlier remarks from Senator Panfilo Lacson, emphasizing that accusations cannot replace evidence and that only proof, not speculation, should determine accountability.

Romualdez expressed confidence in institutional processes, saying that any fair and evidence-based inquiry will ultimately clear his name.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY — Electricity consumers will see a slight reduction in transmission charges reflected in their January 2026 power bills, following a marginal decrease in transmission rates set by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

NGCP said the overall average transmission rate for the December 2025 billing period, which is being charged to consumers this month, declined by 0.68 percent to P1.3455 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) from P1.3547 per kWh.

Transmission charges cover the cost of delivering electricity from power plants to distribution utilities and electric cooperatives through the national power grid. These charges are passed on to end-users by local power providers and form only a portion of the total electricity bill.

Of the total transmission rate, Ancillary Services (AS) accounted for P0.5971 per kWh. AS charges cover the cost of maintaining grid stability, including services sourced from the Ancillary Services Reserve Market and from providers with bilateral contracts with NGCP.
Meanwhile, NGCP’s transmission wheeling rate, or the charge for using the transmission network, stood at P0.6058 per kWh.

“For the January 2026 electric bill of end consumers, NGCP charges only about 60 centavos per kWh for the delivery of its services,” NGCP said, noting that its revenues are regulated and capped by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

The transmission rate for the December billing period is billed to consumers through distribution utilities and electric cooperatives nationwide.

(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)