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Ombudsman suspends Burauen mayor over irregular marriage certificate signing

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TACLOBAN CITY – The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the six-month suspension without pay of Burauen, Leyte Mayor Fe Renomeron for signing a marriage certificate in 2014 despite not having personally officiated the ceremony—a violation deemed as conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

In a nine-page decision dated July 12, 2025, and signed by Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Dante Vargas, Renomeron was found administratively liable for the infraction but was cleared of more serious charges of grave misconduct and serious dishonesty due to lack of substantial evidence.

The case was filed by Ralph Anthony Acedillo, who claimed that Renomeron signed his marriage certificate with partner Lyka Angeli Calucer on December 10, 2014, even though no actual wedding ceremony took place and the mayor was not present at the supposed venue, his residence.

Under Republic Act 7160 or the Local Government Code, municipal mayors are authorized to solemnize civil marriages, provided they are physically present during the ceremony.
Case records show that Renomeron admitted she was unavailable on the date in question and had directed a staff member to collect the signed certificate from the couple. She later signed the document in her office.

“The contracting parties and the witnesses were merely asked to sign the certificate of marriage on December 10, 2014, without a marriage ceremony before the respondent as solemnizing officer,” the Ombudsman ruling stated. “In fact, respondent only signed the certificate days later.”

Renomeron maintained that she had conducted the ceremony and submitted documents, including the marriage certificate, in her defense. However, the Ombudsman said this was not enough to rebut sworn testimonies from the complainants and their witnesses, who asserted that no wedding took place and that the mayor was not at the scene.

“The testimonies of the contracting parties and their witnesses are sufficient to overcome the legal presumption [of regularity]. It is clear that the respondent failed to conduct the required marriage rites, thereby tarnishing the image and integrity of her office,” the decision added.

While the anti-graft body ruled out any intent to deceive or engage in corruption—key components of graver offenses—it found the mayor’s actions damaging to the dignity of her position.

In a statement posted on her social media account on Wednesday, July 23, Renomeron, who was re-elected in the May 2025 elections, denied wrongdoing and described the complaint as politically motivated.

“This development, initiated by the son of a political opponent, inevitably involves me in a legal proceeding,” she said.

“While I believe this action to be politically motivated, my focus remains on upholding the integrity of my office and ensuring the continuous delivery of public services to all of you.”
She assured her constituents that she would face the case squarely and expressed confidence in the legal process.

“My heart remains entirely with the beloved people of Burauen, and I pledge to continue my dedicated service, working tirelessly for our shared future and the betterment of our community,” she added.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

Farmers go digital through PLDT, Smart’s eBizNovation program

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PLDT and Smart’s digital training with farmers and agribusiness students in Eastern Visayas, in partnership with ATI-RTC 8 and Visayas State University. As part of their eBizNovation program, this training aims to empower farmer entrepreneurs and enhance their digital skills to help grow their businesses online.
PLDT and Smart’s digital training with farmers and agribusiness students in Eastern Visayas, in partnership with ATI-RTC 8 and Visayas State University. As part of their eBizNovation program, this training aims to empower farmer entrepreneurs and enhance their digital skills to help grow their businesses online.

Farmers in Eastern Visayas are quickly learning how A.I. and social media can boost their livelihoods. Through a training and knowledge exchange session, more than 40 farmers from Eastern Visayas gained new knowledge about these digital essentials, with the assistance of digitally savvy agribusiness students.

The initiative was made possible through a collaboration between the Department of Agriculture Agricultural Training Institute – Regional Training Center 8 (DA ATI-RTC 8), Visayas State University (VSU), PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), under the PLDT Group’s eBizNovation program.

The session introduced the farmers, who come from various Learning Sites for Agriculture (LSAs) across the region, to essential digital skills such as social media marketing, content creation, and beginner-friendly Generative Artificial Intelligence (Gen AI). This helped them gain technical know-how on promoting their products online.

“Thank you to our partners for making this event possible. This is a good avenue for farmers and students to share and leverage their strengths as we work toward helping grow farming businesses, especially in the digital space,” said Concepcion B. Miro, Assistant Center Director of DA ATI-RTC 8.

During the event, agribusiness students from VSU took the opportunity to connect with farmers.

Allan Capa, president of the Society of Agribusiness Students at VSU, was thankful for this meaningful experience. “This activity helped us meet more farmers and learn from each other. They taught us about farming, while we shared our knowledge on digital tools. It helped bridge our gaps and form valuable connections,” he said.

Additionally, PLDT and Smart guided the participants on how to safely navigate the digital world by sharing practical internet safety tips to avoid different types of online scams.

“These are the people who feed our country. This is why we will always be ready to help empower our farmers through training programs that can help them thrive in the digital age,” said Marylou B. Gocotano, Stakeholder Engagement – Visayas Relations Head at PLDT and Smart.

This initiative underscores PLDT and Smart’s efforts to help the country achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth. (PR)

DPWH delivers community facility to Barangay Apale, Isabel

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Ormoc City – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Leyte 4th District Engineering Office completed a multi-purpose building in Brgy. Apale, Isabel, Leyte which was officially turned over on Thursday, July 24, 2025 in a ceremony attended by Leyte 4th District Representative Richard I. Gomez, Isabel Mayor Bennet Pongos Jr., municipal councilors, and barangay officials.

Implemented under the 2023 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the project has a contract cost of P4,900,497.77 and covers an area of 87.5 square meters on the first level and 75.6 square meters on the second.

The two-storey building is expected to serve as a space for delivering essential services to residents, while also providing barangay officials with a venue for swift coordination during emergencies. It is seen as a meaningful addition to the community that supports more efficient and organized local governance. (PR)

Disadvantageous

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The newly signed business deal during President Bongbong Marcos’ recent visit to the US is cause for concern: American products enter the Filipino market duty-free, but Philippine products are subjected to a 19% duty. This asymmetric agreement severely disadvantages the Filipino economy and imperils the interests of the local industries.

An asymmetric setup indicates either deep-seated incompetence or risky submissiveness. Trade agreements are intended to be negotiated in the spirit of mutual advantage, not as concessions to existing strong economies. It is the responsibility of the Philippine state to look out for its economic interests, not to deliver these on a platter. Awarding a foreign state unlimited access to Philippine markets without negotiating for equal terms is a strategic blunder that will take decades to reverse.

The consequences of the pact can be felt. Domestic producers, already suffering from high production costs and inadequacy of infrastructure, will now have to contend with cheaper, duty-free American imports. Small businesses, manufacturing, and farming will bear the brunt. With neither buffer nor leverage, the Philippines is a dumping ground for other nations’ foreign surpluses. At the same time, its own exports are hit with excessive tariffs and become uncompetitive in the same market it was given entry. This is economic surrender, not fair trade.

Others would justify this deal by saying it opens up investment possibilities or improves diplomatic relations. But diplomacy on the back of national interest is not diplomacy—it is capitulation. Investment is not a favor but should go along with conditions that will lead to national growth, not dependency. A government that enters into such an agreement does not know how power is exercised on the world platform or is too scared to stand up for itself. In any case, the Filipino people have to bear the consequences.

This agreement must be scrutinized, questioned, and if necessary, withdrawn. Future negotiations must be led by masters who are educated on the economics of trade and committed to furthering the long-term interests of the country. Trade policy must be for national development, not disinvestment in it. The Philippines must stop begging for leftovers and start acting like a sovereign country worthy of respect.

A show of immaturity

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Davao City’s acting mayor, “Baste” Duterte, and PNP Chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III are bickering with one another, not due to a policy difference or a national issue, but because of wounded egos, which they agreed to settle through a boxing match. Not only is it petty, but it’s reprehensible. And if those who are supposedly running peace and order in the country act like this, then what order is the country to expect?

Public tantrums by public figures have long been a staple of Philippine politics, but it is tragic to see two grown men, one the head of a major city and the other the head of the country’s police bureau, acting like schoolboys jostling each other for who’s tougher. Being “Mayor” or “Chief” is to be presumed to be equipped with dignity, responsibility, and restraint. Instead, what the nation gets is a theatrical display of machismo, personal vendettas, and sheer disregard for the duties they are sworn to perform. What we’re witnessing is not leadership—it’s ego in uniform, flexing muscles instead of character.

Mayor Baste Duterte’s tirade against the deployment of the PNP Special Action Force in his city and calling Torre to resign would have been justified had he done it on the premise of legitimate grievances, vented through the appropriate channels. But diverting the PNP Chief during a press conference and challenging him to a fist fight is an act drawn from the depths of impulse and immaturity. It wasn’t a debate—it was a provocation. And when powerful men treat the state like their sandbox, the citizenry are mere collateral casualties.

But again, PNP Chief Torre is no innocent bystander himself. His mysterious yet snarky responses to Duterte’s taunts were burning the fire instead. As the chief policeman of the nation, he was meant to calm down the head, not ignite it. But rather than act the role of the cooler head, Torre opted to employ sarcasm rather than statesmanship. In an institution that already suffers from high crime rates and office politics, he believed that engaging in a war of words with a mayor was his time well spent. It’s a tragic squandering of his office, and more, a lost chance to show professionalism and maturity.

The whole charade is a diversion from serious governance. As two officials slug each other out with microphones and press statements, public safety, peace, and order in society, and institutional trust is all taken hostage. Davao, which used to be a bastion of discipline, is now becoming the stage for a soap opera in rapid time. And the Philippine National Police, which has to be above local politicking, is drawn into a drama that tarnishes it with its own credibility loss.

The core of the issue is that this is not an isolated incident. Too many of our officials, from barangay to national, view seats of power as personal crowns. They attack their critics instead of listening to them, they demand loyalty instead of public service, and they always look at themselves as kings, not as civil servants. What is dangerous is that when officials behave like children, they set the tone for the whole bureaucracy. When there are petty leaders, the institutions below them collapse with similar pettiness.

The drama in Philippine politics has always been present, but this latest form of immaturity is no longer entertaining—it is corrosive. Filipinos have been drilled time and again to respect and obey their leaders, but how can one show respect when said leaders themselves lose respect for anything other than machismo, ridicule, and drama? A country governed by egoistic thin skins is bound to trip, because good leadership involves the ability to take offense without hitting back in the same coin.

What this nation needs are leaders who realize that public service is not ego-boasting but a noble mandate. Administrators who cannot keep their mouths closed, curb their rage, or control their temper do not deserve the seats they hold. It’s time to elect leaders whose power doesn’t lie in their fists or sound bites, but in their capacity to hear, decide, and act with integrity, not reaction. The nation deserves grown-ups as legislators, not boys wearing big-boy suits.

Its raining in Manila and we are cloudy in Tacloban

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In all, it shows we are all connected, we are affected and yes, if it’s raining in Manila problems can hit us here in Tacloban.

At exactly 2:20 PM on the 22nd of July I checked on the web for real time weather and yes, its raining in Manila and cloudy in Tacloban.

Yes, it is raining in Manila right now! The city is experiencing heavy rain with a 90% chance of precipitation throughout the day, and even more intense showers expected tonight. There is also a flood warning in effect, so folks there might want to keep their umbrellas—and maybe their boots—handy. The advisory goes

Right now, in Tacloban, it is light rain showers with cloudy skies and a high humidity of 90%, making it feel warmer than the actual temperature of 30°C—more like 37°C. So not sunny now! The weather Application says so.

Monsoon the Southwest Monsoon to be exact and the Typhoon Crising was the culprit of the floods and torrential rains.

Prior to the Facebook era all these can be an after the event conversation, right now it is a blow-by-blow analysis and real time watching and unfolding. Any problem with this?

Let me count the ways; the Geography and the Coastlines can also create Spillover Rainfall, which means soon rains can come, here in the Eastern Visayas . The big problem in Matnog Port may create Disrupted Transport: Heavy rains in Luzon have already led to road closures and port suspensions, which can delay inter-island shipping and logistics to Visayas. This affects supply chains, especially for food and fuel. Add the San Juanico Problem, it is going to be hitting us a bit hard. Stranded Passengers can also be there. Sea travel has been suspended in parts of the Visayas, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded in ports. This is especially tough for small boat operators and fisherfolk.

In all, it shows we are all connected, we are affected and yes, if its raining in Manila problems can hit us here in Tacloban.

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