ORMOC CITY — Police are investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy who was found unconscious with a hammock tied around his neck inside his family’s rented home in Barangay Aguit-itan, Calbayog City, Samar, on Sunday afternoon, June 28.
The victim, identified only by the alias “Ken-ken,” was a Grade 6 pupil and a resident of Purok 1, Barangay Aguit-itan.
According to a report submitted to the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8), the victim’s mother, identified by the alias “Maya,” 40, reported the incident to the Calbayog City Police Station at around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, June 29.
She told investigators that at about 1:46 p.m. on Sunday, she and her husband were drinking liquor with visitors inside their house when a neighbor, identified only as “Cecil,” alerted them by saying in the local dialect, “Te Maya, kitaa la si Ken-ken didto” (“Maya, look at Ken-ken over there”), while pointing toward the hammock area.
The couple immediately rushed outside and found the child kneeling on the floor, unconscious, with a hammock tied around his neck. They quickly untied the hammock and brought him to the Calbayog District Hospital for emergency treatment.
Despite efforts to save him, the attending physician declared the boy dead at around 2:30 p.m.
The victim’s remains were brought to Jun-jun Funeral Services in Barangay Obrero, Calbayog City.
Police have coordinated with the Calbayog City Health Office for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death and whether foul play was involved. The incident remains under investigation.
HISTORIC MILESTONE. Eastern Samar Governor Ralph Vincent “RV” Evardone was among the officials of the province who graced the inauguration of the Eastern Samar State University College of Medicine on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The new medical school is expected to produce locally trained physicians to help strengthen healthcare services in Eastern Samar and across Eastern Visayas. (Photo courtesy of ESSU)
HISTORIC MILESTONE. Eastern Samar Governor Ralph Vincent “RV” Evardone was among the officials of the province who graced the inauguration of the Eastern Samar State University College of Medicine on Thursday, July 2, 2026. The new medical school is expected to produce locally trained physicians to help strengthen healthcare services in Eastern Samar and across Eastern Visayas. (Photo courtesy of ESSU)
TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Samar took a major step toward addressing its shortage of doctors and strengthening its healthcare system as the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) formally inaugurated its College of Medicine on Thursday, July 2, paving the way for aspiring physicians to earn a Doctor of Medicine degree without leaving the province.
The historic inauguration, held at the ESSU Main Campus in Borongan City, marked the realization of a long-standing vision to establish a government medical school in Eastern Samar and develop a pool of locally trained physicians who are expected to serve underserved communities across the province and the Eastern Visayas region.
The ceremony was attended by House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Representative Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan, who authored the law that created ESSU and is widely regarded as the “father” of the university. He also pushed for the establishment of the medical school from the 19th to the 20th Congress in partnership with Eastern Samar Lone District Representative Christopher Sheen P. Gonzales.
Libanan said he hopes future graduates of the ESSU College of Medicine will choose to practice in rural communities where healthcare professionals remain in short supply.
“My hope is that in the years ahead, the doctors serving rural health units and communities throughout Eastern Samar and Eastern Visayas will proudly say they are graduates of the ESSU College of Medicine,” he said.
“Our greatest achievement will not simply be building a medical school, but producing compassionate physicians who choose to serve where they are needed most.”
To further support the program, Eastern Samar Governor Ralph Vincent “RV” Evardone announced a scholarship partnership between the provincial government and ESSU through a memorandum of agreement signed during the inauguration.
Under the agreement, the provincial government will finance the education of 10 medical students for the current academic year, increase the number of scholars to 20 next school year, and sustain the program by supporting 10 scholars annually in the succeeding years.
Evardone also announced that the provincial government has earmarked P500 million for the rehabilitation and modernization of the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital. Once upgraded, the hospital will become the teaching and clinical training facility for ESSU’s medical students.
The university likewise conducted the ceremonial enrollment of its pioneering medical students who will comprise the first batch of the Doctor of Medicine program for School Year 2026-2027.
University officials said the inaugural class is expected to reach 50 students, who were selected through a competitive admission process based on their National Medical Admission Test (NMAT) scores and academic performance.
Representing the faculty, Dr. Model Grace Montes-Buna pledged the commitment of the medical school’s faculty members to provide quality medical education while nurturing competent, ethical and community-oriented physicians.
She said the establishment of the College of Medicine represents a long-term investment in Eastern Samar’s healthcare system by producing doctors who understand the province’s culture, language and unique public health challenges.
“Our province deserves physicians who understand both the science of medicine and the realities of serving rural communities. This medical school is more than an academic program—it is an investment in our people. It is a promise that talented young men and women of Eastern Samar no longer need to leave home to pursue their dream of becoming physicians,” Buna said.
The inauguration was attended by ESSU President Andres Pagatpatan Jr., officials of the Commission on Higher Education, representatives of Tingog Party-list, local government officials, municipal mayors, and members of the university’s newly appointed faculty and staff.
The opening of the ESSU College of Medicine is expected to help address the persistent shortage of physicians in Eastern Samar and neighboring provinces by producing homegrown doctors who are more likely to practice in their communities, particularly in geographically isolated and underserved areas.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has extended more than PhP1 million in financial assistance to the families of students who were killed and injured in the shooting incident at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.
In a press briefing in Malacañang, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Marcos was deeply saddened by the tragedy, especially since young students were the victims of violence.
“Nakakadurog ng puso, iyan ang naramdaman ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. sa pangyayari sa Tacloban kung saan may mga kabataan na nagbuwis ng buhay para masagip ang ibang kamag-aral. Mga kabataan ang nabibiktima at mga kabataan din ang nambibiktima,” said Castro.
According to Castro, President Marcos also paid tribute to the heroism of the students who sacrificed their lives to save their fellow classmates.
She said, according to the Office of the President, the family of each of the three students who died will receive PhP150,000 while each of the 18 students injured in the incident will receive Php50,000.
“Iba pa ito sa naunang tulong na ipinaabot ng iba’t ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan, kagaya ng Department of Social Welfare and Development sa pangunguna ni Secretary Rex Gatchalian at ng Department of Education sa pamumuno ni Secretary Sonny Angara,” Castro added.
Following the incident, she said the DepEd has strengthened the implementation of school safety measures, including installing metal detectors and CCTV cameras, as well as enhancing coordination with parents and barangay officials.
The President also acknowledged the appeal of the families of the victims that the minor suspects should not merely remain under the custody of the DSWD.
Castro added that the Marcos Administration assured the victims’ families that justice would be served.
“Ang intervention na ito ang ipinatutupad na batas para sa children in conflict with the law. Pero sisiguruhin ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. na makakamit ninyo ang hustisya,” Castro added. (PCO-PND)
ORMOC CITY — Police are investigating the discovery of an unidentified body found inside a sack along the provincial highway in Barangay Liberty, Palompon, Leyte, on Wednesday afternoon, July 1, in what authorities suspect may be a case of homicide.
Palompon Officer-in-Charge of Police, Cpt. Rushty Alvarado, said the body was discovered at around 12:50 p.m. by village councilor Eden Rodrigo while she and several companions were conducting a routine inspection of the village’s waterline.
According to Alvarado, village chairman Gilbert Toledo reported the incident to the Palompon Municipal Police Station at around 1:15 p.m., prompting responding officers to proceed to the area to verify the report and secure the scene.
Police found the decomposing body inside a white rice sack bearing the handwritten markings, “BOO: F7, HUWAG TULARAN, DU30.”
Personnel from the Ormoc Forensic Unit processed the crime scene and estimated that the victim had been dead for about three to five days based on the advanced stage of decomposition and the presence of maggots.
Authorities said the victim was wearing a T-shirt and jersey shorts and had a tribal tattoo on the chest. No visible stab or gunshot wounds were found during the initial examination.
Crime scene investigators also recovered a small transparent plastic sachet containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu from the right pocket of the victim’s jersey shorts.
Police have requested the Municipal Health Officer of the Palompon Rural Health Unit to conduct a post-mortem examination to determine the victim’s exact cause of death.
Authorities are continuing efforts to identify the victim and determine the circumstances surrounding the killing. The case remains under investigation.
ORMOC CITY — A 48-year-old tuba gatherer was declared dead after he reportedly fell from a coconut tree while collecting coconut sap in Sitio Bukid, Barangay Calingcaguing, Barugo, Leyte, on Sunday afternoon, June 28.
Police identified the victim only by the alias “Nico,” a resident of said town, Barugo.
According to the Barugo Municipal Police Station, officers responded at around 3 p.m. after receiving a report from a concerned citizen about a lifeless body found on the private property of Praxidio Bagares Llosa in Sitio Bukid.
Upon arriving at the scene, responding officers confirmed the report and found the victim lying lifeless at the foot of a coconut tree.
Initial investigation revealed that the victim accidentally fell while gathering tuba after the dried coconut frond he was holding reportedly broke off, causing him to lose his grip and plunge to the ground. His body was later found leaning against the trunk of the tree.
The victim was transported by rescue personnel to the Barugo Municipal Infirmary, where the attending physician declared him dead on arrival.
Police said further investigation showed that the victim had left home at around 6 a.m. to gather tuba before planning to buy groceries at the market in Carigara, Leyte. When he failed to return home as expected, his live-in partner went to the area where he regularly harvested coconut sap and discovered him already lifeless.
The landowner told investigators that the victim was the only person authorized to gather tuba on the property and that no other individuals had entered the area that day.
Authorities said no signs of foul play were observed at the scene. The victim’s remains were later released to his family.
EXTENDING A HELPING HAND. Tacloban City Councilor Ferdinand Martin “Marty” Romualdez Jr. distributes relief goods to families displaced by a fire in Purok 5, Barangay 92, Apitong, Tacloban City on Wednesday, July 1. The assistance, which included rice, canned goods, hygiene kits, blankets, pails, and tarpaulins, was part of efforts to help affected residents recover from the disaster.
(Photo Courtesy)
EXTENDING A HELPING HAND. Tacloban City Councilor Ferdinand Martin “Marty” Romualdez Jr. distributes relief goods to families displaced by a fire in Purok 5, Barangay 92, Apitong, Tacloban City on Wednesday, July 1. The assistance, which included rice, canned goods, hygiene kits, blankets, pails, and tarpaulins, was part of efforts to help affected residents recover from the disaster. (Photo Courtesy)
TACLOBAN CITY — City Councilor Ferdinand Martin “Marty” Romualdez Jr. on Wednesday, July 1, extended immediate relief assistance to families displaced by a fire that razed several houses in Purok 5, Barangay 92, Apitong, assuring victims of continued support as they recover from the disaster.
Romualdez personally visited the affected community to check on the condition of the fire victims and distribute emergency relief goods aimed at helping families meet their immediate needs.
The relief packs included sacks of rice, assorted canned goods, hygiene kits, blankets, pails, and tarpaulins.
He said the assistance is part of his office’s ongoing commitment to provide immediate support to Tacloban residents affected by emergencies and calamities.
“Our priority is to ensure that families affected by this tragedy receive immediate assistance as they begin rebuilding their lives,” Romualdez said.
He assured residents that his office remains ready to extend further assistance and coordinate with concerned agencies to address their other urgent needs.
“In times of hardship, it is important that every Taclobanon feels they are not alone. We will continue to work together to help every affected family recover,” he added.
Romualdez also urged the community to show solidarity and compassion by helping families displaced by the fire, saying collective action and community support are essential in helping victims recover from disasters.
The fire left several families homeless, forcing them to seek temporary shelter while assessing the damage to their homes and belongings.
