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The Land Transportation Office in Western Visayas (LTO-6) has relieved two of its traffic enforcers after a viral video showed them overtaking on a double solid yellow line at a bridge in Barangay Balantang, Jaro, Iloilo City.

The video, uploaded on Facebook by radio station manager Jay Balnig, quickly spread online, drawing more than 300 reactions, 201 shares, and 110 comments as of press time. Netizens blasted the officers for violating the traffic rules they are sworn to enforce.

‘They catch violators, but they themselves are worse,’ one commenter wrote in Hiligaynon. Another said, ‘There should also be a show-cause order for the driver. If he can’t explain, his license should be revoked. That’s only fair.’

Some expressed frustration over claims that the enforcers were in a blinker vehicle.

‘If an ordinary person commits a violation, it’s considered wrong. But for them, it’s not-because they are supposedly protected by the law,’ another user commented.

According to the LTO, a double solid yellow line means that overtaking or lane changing is strictly prohibited. The markings, often placed on bridges and highways, are designed to prevent accidents and separate vehicles moving in opposite directions.

An LTO 6 vehicle veers through a no-crossing lane, prompting questions about traffic enforcement. (Photo: Jay Balnig)

LTO-6 regional director Atty. Gaudioso P. Geduspan II confirmed on Wednesday that the two officers had been relieved from their posts pending investigation.

‘Obviously, as shown in the video, there is a clear lapse of judgment when they maneuvered an illegal overtaking on roads with pavement markings such as solid yellow lines, which indicate no overtaking,’ Geduspan said.

He added that a Show-Cause Order will be issued, requiring the two to explain their actions as part of due process. The agency’s Intelligence and Investigation Unit will conduct a full probe and recommend appropriate sanctions.

‘If culpability is found, the appropriate administrative penalties will follow,’ Geduspan emphasized.

‘No one is above the law’

While withholding the officers’ identities, Geduspan underscored that the LTO will not shield erring personnel from accountability.

‘No LTO personnel are exempt from enforcement of traffic rules,’ he said. ‘Our enforcers must uphold them first before they can expect the public to comply.’

He added that internal monitoring is being tightened to prevent similar lapses, stressing that discipline within the ranks is crucial to credible law enforcement.

‘The rules apply to everyone,’ Geduspan said. ‘No one is above the law

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it has not received any reports of violence or looting in Central Visayas following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the region.

The tremor hit 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo City in Cebu province on Tuesday night.

‘Fortunately, there have been no reports of gender-based violence or looting incidents in the aftermath of the earthquake,’ PNP Directorate for Police Community Relations Deputy Chief Brig. Gen. Antonio Marallag Jr. said during a briefing at Camp Crame on Thursday.

Marallag also said that the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO 7) increased its deployment from 1,356 officers on Wednesday to 2,250 officers on Thursday to support recovery efforts.

He added that the PNP’s Reserve Standby Support Force also deployed 312 personnel from PRO 7, 116 from PRO Eastern Visayas, and 112 from PRO Negros Island Region to strengthen the police response.

According to the latest situational report from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Thursday morning, at least 72 people have died and 294 were injured.

The NDRRMC said these casualty figures are yet to be validated.

Instead of deliberating and adopting a resolution seeking house arrest for former President Rodrigo Duterte, the Senate should have tackled proposals for the country to rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC), Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said on Thursday.

In a statement, De Lima said it seems that the country is still thinking backwards, as the Senate Resolution (SR) No. 144-a resolution signed by Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri and Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano calling for Duterte’s interim release from ICC detention-was adopted on Wednesday.

The resolution was adopted after 15 senators voted in favor, with three opposing and two abstaining.

‘They should have discussed and voted on proposals to bring back the Philippines as an ICC member. But we are still backwards,’ de Lima said, referring to Duterte’s order in March 2018 to withdraw from the Rome Statute, which some government officials are discussing.

Progressive group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), meanwhile, said the Senate resolution is a mere ‘display of political opportunism.’ According to the group, the ‘resolution invokes humanitarian concern for the unrepentant Duterte while ignoring the families of victims of extrajudicial killings who continue to demand justice.’

‘The senators who voted in favor of the resolution are complicit in the malicious attempts of the Duterte camp to spread disinformation about the case in order to delay and undermine the ICC trial,’ Bayan said.

‘As a sweeping probe into infrastructure corruption unfolds, many dating back to the Duterte presidency, senators entangled in the scandal and the architects of the ‘tokhang’ carnage are cynically using Duterte’s ICC detention to pander to the pro-Duterte crowd. Their goal is clear: to muddy the waters of public opinion, silence the clamor for truth and justice, and escape accountability,’ it added.

Bayan also said that the resolution might backfire as the ICC may treat the Senate’s move as proof of Duterte’s still strong influence in the country.

‘The ICC will likely consider the Senate resolution as glaring proof of the remaining influence of the former president in the country with his family and subordinates holding powerful positions in government. Thus, allowing Duterte to be placed under house arrest poses real danger to victims and witnesses of Tokhang and extrajudicial killings,’ Bayan noted.

Under SR No. 144, the Senate called on the ICC to allow the placing of Duterte under house arrest for humanitarian reasons, emphasizing that due to the former president’s advanced age and deteriorating health, a physician or medical doctor should be assigned to examine his health and ascertain if he is fit to withstand regular detention.

According to the resolution, ‘such house arrest, or a similar appropriate arrangement, will be subject to conditions restricting liberty to be imposed by the ICC, presenting no risk to the integrity of the ongoing trial.’

Duterte has been under ICC custody since March 2025. Last March 11, after coming home from Hong Kong, the ex-leader was stopped from leaving the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 as local authorities assisted the International Criminal Police Organization in enforcing the ICC’s arrest order.

The warrant was issued due to complaints for the crime against humanity of mass murder, due to his role in his administration’s drug war.

There have been concerns about Duterte’s health, with legal counsel Nicholas Kaufman telling the ICC that the former president is suffering from cognitive deficiencies and is unable to recall events, places and even members of his close family, and even the defense team.

In a 13-page document dated September 11, Kaufman explained that the Duterte camp is seeking the adjournment of all legal proceedings due to his deteriorating health.

However, there is also some confusion regarding the real state of Duterte’s health. Last September 16, netizens pointed out that Vice President Sara Duterte, Duterte’s daughter, said her father is doing well.

The younger Duterte said she and her father discussed politics and the recent flood control mess in their conversation, along with his ‘love life.’ Netizens and observers claimed that this is proof that Duterte is well and is able to think properly.

While Duterte was praised for addressing the country’s drug problem, there were concerns from human rights advocates early on that there were rights disregarded in the implementation of the drug war.

After his administration, different bodies have initiated different investigations of the drug war, particularly allegations of extrajudicial killings (EJKs) in the conduct of the police operations, like Oplan Tokhang-a portmanteau of Visayan words ‘toktok’ or to knock, and ‘hangyo’ or to plead.

Despite Tokhang being just about knocking on doors, there were incidents where innocent individuals were killed during drug busts. In August 2017, 17-year-old Kian delos Santos was killed despite not being the original target of the anti-drug operation in Caloocan City. He was shot point-blank even if camera footage showed him pleading for his life.

President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. on Thursday visited northern Cebu to assess the situation in areas devastated by the powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the province earlier this week, leaving at least 72 people dead and hundreds injured.

The President arrived around 10 a.m. in Barangay Polambato, Bogo City-considered the hardest-hit area-where nine residents were confirmed dead inside the SM Cares Village, a relocation site for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Accompanying President Marcos were Cebu Governor Pam Baricuatro, Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, Bogo City Mayor Mayel Martinez, 4th District Rep. Sun Shimura, and other local officials.

Marcos also visited the Archdiocesan Shrine of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish to inspect quake damage and met with the priests. He later proceeded to the Cebu Provincial Hospital, where he spoke with survivors and assured them of government support.

According to the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), as of 6 a.m. Thursday, October 2, 2025, fatalities have climbed to 72-30 in Bogo City, 22 in San Remigio, 12 in Medellin, five in Tabogon, and one each in the towns of Tabuelan, Borbon, and Sogod. Nearly 300 people were reported injured, many of whom remain confined in hospitals across the province.

Need more help

In Tabuelan, residents appealed for urgent assistance as they continue to endure dire conditions. Resident Jess Colongan reported the absence of water supply, electricity, medical aid, mobile signals, gasoline stations, and even access to ATMs.

He said many families are sleeping outdoors or in makeshift tents, fearing strong aftershocks.

‘Our mayor and local officials are doing their best, but we still need help. Water and medical assistance are the most urgent,’ Colongan said, calling on friends, donors, and higher government offices for immediate relief.

Authorities said relief operations are being scaled up, but access to mountain barangays and hard-to-reach communities remains a major challenge.

Tropical Storm Paolo (international name: Matmo) maintained its strength, prompting the weather bureau to place more provinces in Luzon under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2.

In its 2 p.m. update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) placed the following areas under TCWS:

TCWS No. 2

The central and southern portions of Isabela (San Mariano, Dinapigue, San Guillermo, Echague, Jones, San Agustin, Benito Soliven, Angadanan, Naguilian, Palanan, Ilagan City, Quirino, Mallig, Quezon, Delfin Albano, Tumauini, Cordon, City of Santiago, San Isidro, Ramon, Alicia, San Mateo, Cabatuan, City of Cauayan, Reina Mercedes, Luna, Gamu, Burgos, San Manuel, Aurora, Roxas)

The northern portion of Quirino (Maddela, Aglipay, Cabarroguis, Saguday, Diffun)

The northern portion of Nueva Vizcaya (Diadi, Bagabag, Quezon, Solano, Villaverde, Ambaguio, Bayombong, Kasibu)

The eastern portion of Mountain Province (Paracelis, Natonin, Barlig)

Ifugao

The northern portion of Aurora (Dilasag, Casiguran, Dinalungan)

Areas under Signal No. 2 are warned of gale-force winds within 24 hours.

TCWS No. 1

Cagayan

The rest of Isabela

The rest of Quirino

The rest of Nueva Vizcaya

Apayao

Abra

Kalinga

The rest of Mountain Province

Benguet

Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Sur

La Union

Pangasinan

The northern portion of Zambales (Palauig, Masinloc, Candelaria, Santa Cruz)

Tarlac

Nueva Ecija

The rest of Aurora

The northern portion of Bulacan (Doña Remedios Trinidad, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, Norzagaray, San Rafael)

The northern portion of Pampanga (Magalang, Arayat, Candaba, Mabalacat City)

The northern portion of Quezon (General Nakar, Infanta), including Polillo Islands

Camarines Norte

The northern portion of Camarines Sur (Siruma, Tinambac, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan, Goa, San Jose, Presentacion)

Catanduanes

Areas under Signal No. 1 are expected to experience strong winds within the next 36 hours.

Meanwhile, during the 12 p.m. press conference, Pagasa said that Metro Manila will not be directly affected by Paolo.

‘Right now, the southwest monsoon, or habagat, has weakened. So the concentration of the heavy rains is now in those areas near the tropical storm,’ said weather services chief Engineer Juanito Galang during the conference.

But he added that it is still possible for Metro Manila and nearby provinces to experience light to moderate rainfall as Paolo crosses the country in the coming days.

The center of Paolo was last estimated 530 km east of Infanta, Quezon. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph), with gusts of up to 90 kph, and was moving westward at 20 kph.

It is the 16th tropical cyclone to hit the Philippines in 2025. Nine more typhoons are expected to enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility before the year ends.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday personally visited victims of the devastating 6.9-magnitude earthquake in Cebu province to oversee relief efforts and extend immediate assistance to affected residents.

President Marcos arrived in Bogo City, the epicenter of the Sept. 30 powerful earthquake, where he inspected some of the badly damaged structures and interacted with victims.

The President, along with local officials of Cebu province led by Governor Pamela Baricuatro, inspected the collapsed housing units at SM Cares Village in Barangay Polambato, which was established by SM Supermalls in November 2014 as a relocation site for survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Reports indicate that eight bodies have been recovered from collapsed houses in the area.

Marcos afterwards visited the Archdiocesan Shrine and Parish Church of St. Vicente Ferrer in Barangay Bungtod, as the church sustained heavy damage during the earthquake.

The President then went to the City of Bogo Science and Arts Academy in Barangay Cogon, a public school heavily damaged during the earthquake.

He also inspected the Cebu Provincial Hospital in Barangay Taytayan, where he assured patients of immediate relief assistance. The hospital staff have put up makeshift wards at the parking lot to attend to the influx of patients.

The President gave instructions on relief operations to the Cabinet officials who accompanied him, including Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara, Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Cristina Frasco, and Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Teodoro Herbosa.

According to the latest report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), the death toll of the earthquake has climbed to 72, of which 30 were from Bogo.

At least 294 are reported injured, all in the Central Visayas region.

The NDRRMC has yet to determine damage to infrastructure and agriculture as of this posting.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) has extended its Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) covering flights near Taal Volcano in Batangas until Friday morning, October 3.

This came after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported on Thursday that two additional eruptions had been observed at the volcano.

In its latest advisory released on Thursday afternoon, Caap said the NOTAM, which covers flights near Taal with vertical limits from the surface up to 11,000 feet, will be in effect until 9 a.m. Friday.

‘Flight operators are strongly advised to avoid flying near the volcano,’ Caap advised airmen.

The aviation authority issued the NOTAM on Wednesday after a minor phreatomagmatic eruption from Taal’s main crater occurred from 2:02 a.m. to 2:15 a.m. that day.

Taal Volcano remains under Alert Level 1.

The second-highest official of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), Parliament Speaker Pangalian Balindong, rejoined his Creator at about 1 a.m. Thursday at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Makati City due to an undisclosed illness, his family and regional officials announced.

Balindong was 85 years old.

Balindong, who has led the interim regional legislature since its creation in 2019, would also be buried on Thursday in Lanao del Sur.

BARMM interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua said the regional government mourns the passing of Balindong, the second-highest leader of the Bangsamoro transition government.

‘He was more than a leader-he was a guiding light whose wisdom, humility, and dedication touched the lives of many. His legacy of service to the Bangsamoro will live on in our hearts,’ Macacua said in a statement.

Member of Parliament Naguib Sinarimbo described Balindong as ‘an important pillar of the Bangsamoro struggle who waged it both in and out of government.’

He said Balindong was a pioneering lawyer, together with fellow lawyer Zacaria Candao, in providing legal assistance to the Moro liberation movements.

The Meranaw lawmaker is the eldest son of Sultan Amer Macaorao Balindong, former mayor of the Municipality of Malabang, and Hajjatu Maimona Marohom Balindong.

He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree in 1966 from Manuel L. Quezon University and passed the bar examinations the following year.

A delegate to the Philippine Constitutional Convention representing the lone district of Lanao del Sur in 1971, Balindong is also a member of the Philippine Constitution Association (Philconsa).

He served as legal counsel of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in its peace talks with the government in Libya.

Balindong attended numerous international conventions and conferences on Muslim Filipinos in the Southern Philippines.

He was an assemblyman of the defunct autonomous region from 1993 to 1995 and was later elected as a member of the House of Representatives in the 10th Congress, representing Lanao del Sur’s second district, replacing Sultan Ali Dimaporo.

The Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA), Cebu’s major gateway, continued normal operations on Wednesday after inspections showed that its runway was not damaged after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook the province on Tuesday night, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (Caap) said.

In its latest situational report, the Caap also said other airports in the three regions in the Visayas were not damaged after the earthquake-its epicenter traced in Bogo City in northern Cebu-struck at 9:59 p.m. Tuesday.

Less than an hour after the quake, passengers were evacuated from the MCIA terminal but were later allowed to enter the building after inspection and assessment.

According to the Caap, the MCIA’s tower cab equipment and tower structure were not damaged from the quake.

The Caap, meanwhile, reported a power outage at the airport.

The aviation authority also said their initial inspection and assessment showed that there was no earthquake-related damage reported in Calbayog Airport (Samar), Hilongos Airport (Leyte), Maasin Airport (Leyte), Ormoc Airport (Leyte), and Tacloban Airport (Leyte) in the Eastern Visayas region.

Tourism advisory

Inspection of the runway of the Bacolod-Silay Airport in Negros Occidental province was done on Wednesday.

‘PAL (Philippine Airlines) and Cebu Pacific flights from Manila were temporarily held for landing while runway inspection is ongoing. Safely landed after they were given safe-to-land clearance,’ according to the Caap.

Meanwhile, the Department of Tourism (DOT) has cautioned the public against visiting tourist destinations in parts of Cebu province hit by the earthquake.

‘Tourists are advised to confirm the status of destinations before traveling. Several tourist sites in affected areas may be closed while safety inspections are ongoing,’ the DOT said in an advisory on Wednesday.

Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco flew to Cebu on Wednesday to assess the situation on the ground and check on the well-being of tourism workers affected by the quake.

Frasco, a former mayor of Liloan, Cebu, said she also ordered the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza), the DOT’s implementing arm, to inspect historical churches in the towns of Daanbantayan, Bantayan, Tabogon and San Remigio and other tourism-heavy areas in Cebu City to guide the department on the next steps to protect the tourism industry and the visiting public.

Aside from Tieza, the tourism chief also coordinated with DOT regional directors as well as airport and port officials to find out the status of tourism gateways.

‘These assessments will guide the next steps to ensure safety and provide appropriate support,’ she said in a statement.

Cebu, a top tourist destination in the country, is home to centuries-old heritage sites, including Catholic churches built during the Spanish colonization.

According to reports, among those damaged by the earthquake were the Archdiocesan Shrine of Santa Rosa de Lima in Daanbantayan and Parroquia de San Pedro Apostol on Bantayan Island.

The DOT asked earthquake-affected tourists and industry workers to reach out to the following contact information should they need assistance: Hotline 151-TOUR (8687); mobile number 09542533215; and the live webchat of the DOT on its website (www.tourism.gov.ph).

The total number of reported deaths due to the strong Cebu earthquake increased to 72 on the second day of the temblor’s aftermath. The second day also saw the termination of search and rescue (SAR) operations, prompting authorities to shift its focus to relief and rehabilitation as residents complain of food and water shortage.

All of the fatalities as well as the 294 reported injuries are recorded in the Central Visayas region, while no missing have been recorded, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Due to the absence of reported missing individuals from local government units (LGUs), OCD spokesperson Junie Castillo said they are presumed as ‘accounted for.’

Search teams demobilized

Some private rescue teams are even informed of possible demobilization ‘unless they want to continue helping with relief or debris clearing’ due to lack of reported missing individuals, Castillo said.

OCD deputy administration Rafael Alejandro IV said authorities were scrambling to conduct its search and rescue within the first 24 hours after the earthquake, which occurred at 9:59 p.m on Tuesday.

Bogo City, the epicenter of the earthquake, bore the brunt of the temblor, with almost half of the total number fatalities-or around 30-being recorded from the area.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. went to this quake-stricken city to hold a situational briefing for the earthquake which damaged several heritage churches, billions worth of roads and bridges, hundreds of residential houses and hundreds of classrooms, while causing widespread power outages in the province.

During the briefing, an OCD official reported to Marcos that 597 damaged houses were damaged, with 501 tagged as ‘partially damaged’ and 96 deemed as ‘totally damaged.’

There are still nine impassable roads, five affected bridges, with 10 LGUs experiencing power interruptions, including three LGUs still experiencing telecommunication interruptions, according to the same OCD official.

The same OCD official also told Marcos that the SAR operations have already been terminated.

‘We need food’, ‘We need water’

Nevertheless, aftershocks still remain, which state seismologists said reached a total of 3,081 as of 5:00 p.m., compelling residents to sleep outside.

In Medellin town in northern Cebu, the lack of camping tents, and proper evacuation area left residents still apprehensive of aftershocks to sleep inside plastic bags to protect them from the rain.

Children carrying cardboards begging for food and drinking water were also spotted along the highway in Medellin town.

Residents in Tabuelan town were also reporting lack of food and drinking water, with some children carrying signs saying ‘WE NEED FOOD’ and ‘WE NEED WATER,’ as reported by Cebu Daily News.

Marcos said the government will provide tents with stations for relief goods, waters, and generator sets to 65,000 displaced families in the entire Cebu province.

Marcos seeks emergency funds

During the same briefing, the president also announced over P200 million aid package ‘donation’ for areas affected by the deadly Cebu province earthquake.

Marcos said P50 million will be for the Cebu provincial government, P20 million each for local government unit of Bogo City and towns of San Remigio and Sogod; P10 million each for municipalities of Medellin, Bantayan, Daanbantayan, Madridejos, Santa Fe, Tabogon, and Tabuelan.

Meanwhile, Marcos also said Department of Health-owned hospitals will receive P20 million and P5 million each for LGU-run hospitals affected by the earthquake.

The President also ordered the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release a government support fund worth P150 million for Cebu and P75 million for San Remigio, Bogo, and Medellin.

‘This is only an initial release; we are contemplating further releases that will be in the pipeline,’ he said of the fund from the DBM.

Marcos also said he will be going to the House and the Senate to ask for allocation of emergency funds to replenish the government’s Quick Response Fund (QRF).

‘We will have it released as quickly as possible,’ Marcos said.

The QRF is a built-in standby fund for agencies that, once depleted, receives replenishment through the approval of the President or the DBM.