TACLOBAN CITY – House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has expressed his full support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent Cabinet revamp, describing it as a “strong and necessary step” that reflects the President’s readiness to listen to public sentiment and act with decisive leadership.

Romualdez lauded the President’s courage in demanding accountability and reorganizing the administration to realign priorities. He assured the public that the House of Representatives is ready to work closely with the new Cabinet to tackle pressing national issues such as job creation, rising food prices, and improved public service delivery.

“As leader of the 306-strong House, I believe what we need now is unity and compassion—pagkakaisa at malasakit,” Romualdez said in a statement. “I stand with the President. The nation comes first.”

He emphasized that the House will strengthen its oversight functions to help drive the President’s reform agenda and ensure the implementation of meaningful changes that benefit the Filipino people.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY– Cheryl Pascua, regional director of the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Region 8, pledged to expedite special permits for ship companies seeking new routes due to the 3-ton weight limit restrictions on the San Juanico Bridge.

Pascua is confident that more shipping lines will adopt new routes to alleviate the burden on the trucking industry and vehicles over three tons.

“Hopefully, more people will apply,” Pascua said.

MARINA has announced that ALD Sea Transport is now providing service for cargo trucks and other heavy vehicles on the route between GGC Port in Punta, Ormoc City, Leyte, and Maguino-o Port in Calbayog, Samar, and vice versa.

Anthero Doyon, chief operating officer of ALD Sea Transport, stated that the RoRo vessels can accommodate approximately 30 to 40 trucks operating in both directions between Ormoc and Calbayog.

Doyon also specified that the vessels are designated exclusively for cargo transport and do not carry passengers.

In addition to ALD Sea Transport, another shipping company registered in Cebu City has submitted a letter of intent to MARINA.

The trucking industry has raised concerns about limited access to the San Juanico Bridge. If fully funded, its rehabilitation will take two years.

DPWH-8 proposed two budget rehabilitation options: a total closure estimated to cost P5.2 billion or a partial closure costing P6.9 billion.

As of April 2025, traffic counts showed around 14,061 vehicles, of which 1,396 were heavy vehicles. (CBA, PIA-8)

ORMOC CITY– A 54-year-old Canadian national, earlier seen alive just days ago, was discovered dead in his rented apartment in Barangay F.E. Marcos, Calubian, Leyte, on the morning of Thursday, May 22.

Authorities reported that the body was already in an early stage of decomposition.
According to PCpt. Alexander Alfonzo, officer-in-charge of the Calubian municipal police, the victim—identified only by the alias “Kevin”—was jobless, married, and had been residing in the village.

The discovery was made after a relative, identified as “Ilumida,” the victim’s mother-in-law, reported the matter to the police. She was alerted by neighbors who noticed a foul odor coming from the apartment and had not seen Kevin since the afternoon of May 19. At that time, he had appeared restless and unwell while lying in bed.

Police responded immediately and found Kevin’s lifeless body lying on his bed in a side-lying position. His remains showed signs of early decomposition.

Further investigation revealed that Kevin had been suffering from an acute ulcer, reportedly due to excessive alcohol consumption and irregular meals, according to his in-laws. His landlord, Dean Barro, also informed authorities that Kevin had failed to pay rent for three months due to financial difficulties.

Authorities are continuing their investigation but have found no immediate signs of foul play.
(ROBERT DEJON)

After Mindanao poll duties

TACLOBAN CITY – After successfully completing their election duties in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), 101 police personnel from the Philippine National Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) returned to Eastern Visayas on Tuesday, May 20.
The personnel, deployed on April 30 as members of Special Electoral Boards (SEBs), were tasked with helping ensure the conduct of the 2025 National and Local Elections in BARMM — a region often characterized by complex political dynamics and heightened security concerns during election periods.

Police Brigadier General Jay Cumigad, regional director of PRO-8, led the welcome ceremony at Camp Ruperto Kangleon in Palo, Leyte, where he commended the returning personnel for their bravery, professionalism, and dedication to duty.

“I wish to express my appreciation to the 101 brave and dedicated personnel of PRO-8 who answered the call of duty and were deployed to PRO Bangsamoro as Special Electoral Boards,” Cumigad said.

“Despite our own personnel requirements here in PRO-8, we still managed to send support to PRO-BAR, demonstrating our strong commitment to the PNP’s mission of ensuring honest, orderly, and peaceful elections across the nation,” he added.

The deployment was part of the Philippine National Police’s national security strategy, in collaboration with the Commission on Elections (Comelec), to strengthen security in vulnerable and high-risk areas during the polls.

Meanwhile, Cumigad reported that the conduct of the 2025 elections in Eastern Visayas was generally peaceful, with only a few isolated incidents that were quickly resolved.
“Despite a few incidents, we were able to maintain peace and order through the immediate and coordinated actions of our personnel, in close cooperation with partner agencies,” he said. “The safety of the public and the integrity of the elections were our top priorities, and I believe we achieved both successfully.”

Over 10,000 PRO-8 personnel were deployed across the region, supported by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Security operations focused on 27 municipalities identified as election areas of concern, classified into areas of concern, immediate concern, and grave concern.

During the election period, 71 individuals were arrested for violating the liquor ban, while 64 others were apprehended for gun ban violations.

Cumigad lauded the effective coordination among uniformed personnel and partner agencies, emphasizing that their collective efforts were vital in ensuring a secure and credible electoral process across Eastern Visayas.

(JOEY A. GABIETA, RONALD O. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY – The 8th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army conducted a large-scale military exercise dubbed “Pagparig-on” on Wednesday, May 21, across Eastern Visayas to strengthen its combat readiness, crisis response capabilities, and coordination in both territorial defense operations (TDO) and humanitarian assistance and disaster response (HADR).

The exercise featured synchronized battalion movements in strategic locations, testing the troops’ rapid deployment and field coordination. It also included a Staff Exercise (STAFFEX), designed to sharpen planning and decision-making under crisis scenarios.

Lt. Col. Joemar Buban stressed the importance of the exercise in enhancing the division’s defensive posture while improving its ability to respond swiftly to natural calamities and security threats.

“This exercise ensures that our units, both active and reserve, are capable of complementing each other in times of disaster or conflict. It’s about readiness, resilience, and unified response,” he said.

Also participating were the ready Reserve Battalions, whose integration into the drills tested their preparedness to support frontline forces when mobilized.

The 8ID reiterated its commitment to safeguarding the people of Eastern Visayas and reinforcing national security. Through “Pagparig-on”—a Waray term meaning “to strengthen”—the division aims to build cohesive, mission-ready units capable of responding effectively to any challenge.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)