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A man seen on video holding a pistol, believed to be behind the killing of a 37-year-old construction worker at the height of a riot in Manila after the September 21 protests, is not part of the Philippine National Police (PNP), according to a lawmaker.

During the plenary debates at the House of Representatives on Thursday regarding the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), budget sponsor and Camarines Sur 4th District Rep. Arnie Fuentebella assured ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio that no PNP officer discharged a firearm that killed Eric Saber.

Tinio, during his time to quiz the PNP, an attached agency of the DILG, asked whether the police force had seen videos circulating on social media showing the exact moment Saber was gunned down amid the riot along Claro M. Recto Avenue in the City of Manila.

‘This is widely circulated on social media [.] the ones who entered the hotel have firearms before they eventually went out, so in the video, the alleged gunman who fired is wearing a blue sweater or sweatshirt, he is allegedly the gunman. This is evident in the video. He went in, and his two companions went in to rescue him,’ Tinio said.

‘We are not making any conclusions, but who are those people? Some are saying that maybe they are police officers (in plainclothes). My point is, there is evidence circulating on social media of gunmen in the vicinity right where the shooting happened. So in other words, if the police work on the investigation, they can identify the actual gunman who shot Eric Saber,’ he added.

‘Yes, actually, Madam Speaker, that’s part of the investigation, but we can say that these are not police officers; these people pertain to what we have been saying that they are rioters with guns. So, they are not part of the organization of the Philippine National Police,’ Fuentebella replied.

Tinio said he hopes Saber would get justice, saying that it is the wish of the victim’s relatives when he went to the wake over the weekend.

‘We talked to the family, of course, they are looking for justice for their brother,’ he added.

According to Tinio, Saber was neither part of the rally nor the riot – stressing that Saber’s family relayed that the construction worker only went to a mall in Pasay City to hang out with friends before returning home.

Since Saber lives in Tondo, he had to move through Recto Avenue to go home. Tinio said that Saber was curious about the rally and checked out what was happening.

‘He’s a construction worker, and actually he and his friends only visited MOA that afternoon – meaning, he is not part of those staging a rally. That is his photo. Then, when they were returning home in the afternoon, since he hails from Tondo, he had to move along Recto Avenue,’ Tinio said.

‘And because there has been a commotion near the area, and you know that many Filipinos during commotions are curious to see what is happening. So that is what happened, he was clearly a bystander, watching the riot unfolding,’ he added.

On September 21, two major rallies were organized by opposition groups – one in Luneta Park, Manila, in the morning, and another along the EDSA Shrine and the People Power Monument in Quezon City. Both were geared at protesting against the corruption schemes in the government’s infrastructure projects.

While the programs were generally peaceful, rallies took on a violent turn after some protesters not affiliated with organizers burned down a container trailer along Ayala Avenue – just a few steps from one of Malacañang complex’s gates.

The riot then shifted to Recto Avenue, and in one instance, shots were heard being fired near a hotel chain. The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), meanwhile, said that their officers did not fire guns during the protest.

No tear gas

Fuentebella, who was assisted by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and acting PNP chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez, also maintained that no tear gas was released by the anti-riot force during the protests.

Fuentebella said this after being asked by Kamanggagawa party-list Rep. Elijah San Fernando about news reports stating that tear gas was used. According to the Camarines Sur solon, only ‘smoke grenades’ were deployed.

‘The DILG Secretary claims no teargas and guns were used by the police officers [.] Now based on media reports, the police responded with teargas and water cannons, and there are many pieces of evidence, videos, posts,’ San Fernando said.

‘Yes actually Madam Speaker, we have to be careful also in watching the media, because it is not teargas, it was smoke grenades Madam Speaker,’ Fuentebella replied.

San Fernando also asked Fuentebella about police officers carrying firearms to areas of rallies, which supposedly violates Batas Pambansa No. 880 or the The Public Assembly Act of 1985.

Fuentebella then said that only members of the PNP’s Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit have firearms, and they are located at the far end of the police line – and not at the front lines.

‘Now, the Public Assembly Act of 1985 or BP 880, Section 10(b), it says members of the law enforcement contingent shall not carry any kind of firearms but maybe equipped with batons, riot sticks, shields, crash helmets, visors, gas masks, boots, or ankle-high shoes with shin guards. Now there are media reports circulating that we can actually see our police personnel carrying firearms during the rally,’ San Fernando said.

‘Yes, the riot police had no firearms but SWAT they do have. But they were at the far back Madam Speaker, if we cannot control the rioters who we saw burning things, throwing stones, and causing violence in our society, then the SWAT has firearms to address it. But at the forefront, the ones in front are riot police, who do not have firearms, Madam Speaker,’ Fuentebella answered.

At least 34 police stations and two police headquarters in Cebu were damaged in the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

Although the PNP could not specify all the affected stations and headquarters, PNP Community Affairs Division Chief Col. Esmeraldo Osia Jr. said in a briefing at Camp Crame on Thursday that the stations were in northern Cebu, near the quake’s epicenter.

The tremor hit 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo City on Tuesday night, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Osia said one of the damaged headquarters was the Cebu Provincial Police Office in Cebu City.

Osia said the stations and headquarters had ‘cracks in their walls,’ while the Directorate for Police Community Relations Deputy Chief Brig. Gen. Antonio Marallag Jr. noted ‘varying degrees of damage.’

‘We are deploying teams of PNP civil engineers supported by experts from the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers to conduct a detailed and comprehensive assessment. The assessment is scheduled to begin tomorrow,’ Marallag said.

He added that six PNP mobility assets were damaged but that communication equipment remained operational.

Marallag further said 36 uniformed PNP personnel and one non-uniformed personnel from the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO 7) reported that their homes were affected by the tremor.

He added that the PNP has not received any reports of violence or looting following the earthquake and that Central Visayas police increased their deployment from 1,356 to 2,250 officers to support relief and rehabilitation efforts.

At least 72 individuals were reported dead and 294 were reported injured, according to the latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) situational report on Thursday morning.

However, the NDRRMC noted that these casualties have yet to be validated.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong ‘has only himself to blame’ for his short-lived tenure as special advisor to the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI), a lawmaker said Thursday, after it was revealed that the controversy-dogged Discayas built a project in his city.

In a statement, House infrastructure committee chair Terry Ridon said Magalong’s failure to disclose that St. Gerrard Construction Company – owned by big-time contractor Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya – had undertaken a ?110-million Baguio tennis court project ‘does not speak well of his actual commitment to transparency, accountability, and good governance.’

Curlee and his wife Cezarah are accused of enriching themselves through ghost and substandard projects implemented by their nine-company empire and of colluding with Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials to secure lucrative contracts.

‘It is the height of hypocrisy for a public official who styles himself as a champion of transparency, accountability, and good governance to reject public scrutiny of projects within his own local government,’ Ridon said.

This, after Magalong claimed in a Senate hearing on Thursday that he might have ‘struck a nerve or several nerves’ during his stint at the ICI, which is tasked with investigating anomalous infrastructure projects over the past 10 years.

Tennis court project

This, he said, might be the reason for the ‘sudden below-the-belt accusation’ tagging the tennis court project as anomalous.

Magalong maintained that the tennis court project followed proper procurement and denied any irregularities, and that it was unfair to suggest he was corrupt ‘just because the Discayas have a project (in Baguio).’

The anti-corruption group Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) likewise rallied behind Magalong, whom it said ‘cannot be bought, bullied, or swayed by favors or threats.’

Magalong resigned from the ICI last week after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a review of his role in light of the controversy. He was then replaced by former Philippine National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin.

Ridon, however, argued that the scrutiny was justified given the Discayas’ track record of poor infrastructure projects.

At the same time, the Bicol Saro lawmaker said, this would have ‘directly test(ed) Mayor Magalong’s integrity and commitment to transparency, as he himself, as the city’s Head of Procuring Entity, has engaged a contractor linked to ghost and substandard projects.’

He noted that Magalong had more than a month – from Marcos’ Aug. 11 disclosure of the Discayas’ role in anomalous projects to the family’s Sept. 2 admission that they controlled multiple firms, including St. Gerrard – to reveal the Baguio project, but kept silent until a news report surfaced on Sept. 20.

‘To be clear, there is no allegation at this point that the ?110-million Baguio City tennis court project is tainted with corruption, or that city officials received kickbacks from the Discayas. There is, however, a legitimate allegation that the project may be substandard-giving the public every reason to ask questions,’ Ridon said.

‘And more importantly, even the loudest champions of good governance should never reject scrutiny of their own projects,’ he added.

As it is located in the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire,’ the Philippines is at risk from earthquakes, with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) saying that 100 to 150 earthquakes hit the country every year.

Last Tuesday, Sept. 30, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit Cebu, leaving 69 people dead, 147 individuals wounded, and P2 billion worth of damage.

RELATED STORY: ‘Big One’ scenario in Metro: 52,000 dead, 500,000 injured

Rafael Alejandro IV, assistant secretary of the Office of the Civil Defense, said most of the deaths were in Bogo City-the epicenter of the earthquake-at 30, followed by 22 in San Remigio; 10 in Medellin; five in Tabogon; and one each in Sogod and Tabuelan.

The province is already in a state of calamity, with officials saying they do not know the extent of the damage because a lot of areas, specifically remote villages, have yet to be accessed.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit at 9:59 p.m., with the epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City with a shallow depth of five kilometers, which was felt as far as Camarines Sur in Luzon and Davao del Sur in Mindanao.

An earthquake, Phivolcs said, is ‘a weak to violent shaking of the ground produced by sudden movement of rock materials below the earth’s surface.’ It said earthquakes originated in the tectonic plate boundary.

There are two ways by which we can measure the strength of an earthquake: magnitude and intensity. Magnitude is proportional to the energy released by an earthquake where its strength was most felt, while intensity is generally higher near the epicenter.

Back in 2022, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake (earlier measured at 7.3) hit Tayum, Abra, prompting President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to order the immediate deployment of rescue and relief teams to Northern Luzon.

The earthquake, which was strongly felt in Luzon, killed 11 people and left P1.4 billion worth of damage.

Heritage structures in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur were also reported damaged by the earthquake, which struck at 8:43 a.m., and felt at different levels of intensities mainly in Northern Luzon and as far as Metro Manila.

An earthquake, Phivolcs said, is ‘a weak to violent shaking of the ground produced by sudden movement of rock materials below the earth’s surface.’ It said earthquakes originated in the tectonic plate boundary.

RELATED STORY: Earthquake damages structures, bridges in Abra town – initial reports

There are two ways by which we can measure the strength of an earthquake: magnitude and intensity. Magnitude is proportional to the energy released by an earthquake where its strength was most felt, while intensity is generally higher near the epicenter.

INQUIRER.net lists down some of the killer earthquakes that hit the Philippines, which is surrounded by active faults, like the West Valley Fault, which is 100 kilometers in length.

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan

Casiguran earthquake

A magnitude 7.3 earthquake with an intensity of 8 struck Casiguran, Aurora at 4:19 a.m. on Aug. 2, 1968, the most severe and destructive experienced in the Philippines then, leaving ‘several millions of pesos worth of damage.’

Phivolcs said 270 people were killed and 261 were injured as a result of the earthquake. A six-story building in Binondo, Manila collapsed instantly while some buildings near Binondo and Escolta in Manila sustained varying levels of structural damage.

‘The cost of property damage was several million dollars. Extensive landslides and large fissures were observed in the mountainous part of the epicentral area. Tsunami was also observed and recorded as far as observations in tide gauge stations in Japan.’

Moro Gulf earthquake

Phivolcs said that a few minutes after the stroke of midnight on Aug. 17, 1976, a magnitude 8.1 earthquake hit the island of Mindanao, triggering a tsunami that devastated more than 700 kilometers of the coastline bordering Moro Gulf in Celebes Sea. Damage was estimated at P6.7 billion.

It was an earthquake that resulted in massive destruction of properties and great loss of lives-8,000. Phivolcs said the tsunami was responsible for 85 percent of deaths, 65 percent of the injuries, and 95 percent of those missing.

‘After the sea spent its fury and rolled back to its natural flow, thousands of people were left dead, others homeless or missing and millions of pesos lost with the damages of properties.’

Some of the structures damaged by the earthquake were the Notre Dame University, Dawns Hotel, Imperial Hotel, Melbourne Hotel, New Society Hotel, Cotabato Cinema, and the Immaculate Conception Church.

Laoag earthquake

On Aug. 17, 1983, 8:18 p.m., a magnitude 6.5 earthquake with an intensity of 7 hit the province of Ilocos Norte, with a tremor that was perceptible over a distance of 400 kilometers from the epicenter.

Phivolcs said this was the most severe earthquake in northwestern Luzon in 52 years and probably the second strongest earthquake to hit Laoag City and its immediate vicinity.

This earthquake, which destroyed buildings in the province, left 16 people dead and 47 people wounded. The most heavily damaged structures in Laoag City are those near the Laoag River flood plain and along reclaimed stream channels.

‘Several earthquake-induced landslides were observed in places where the slopes along road cuts were steep to very steep. This condition had been aggravated by prolonged rainy days, absence of vegetation to hold the soil, and moderately weathered rocks.’

Panay earthquake

Panay Island was hit by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake on June 14, 1990, leaving eight people dead and 41 people wounded. Its epicenter was tagged in the vicinity of Culasi, Antique province.

The earthquake’s depth, Phivolcs said, was computed to be 15 kilometers and was generated by fault movement in the collisional zone off western Panay Island. An intensity of 7 was felt in Culasi, Antique and Libacao, Aklan.

Because of the earthquake, 15 percent of residential houses collapsed while the rest were damaged. Several commercial buildings, a school, a church, and bridges collapsed. Damage was estimated at P30 million.

Luzon Earthquake

The International Code Council said the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck the island of Luzon on July 16, 1990, wreaked havoc across a sizeable portion of the island, the country’s largest, with Baguio City suffering the most devastating effects.

The epicenter of the earthquake, which struck at 4:26 p.m., was located in Rizal, Nueva Ecija. The shaking went on for nearly a full minute and collapsing buildings were the main cause of damage and death.

The earthquake resulted in a number of collapsed buildings, left an estimated $369 million worth of damage, and 2,412 people dead. It produced a 125-kilometer long ground rupture that stretches from Dingalan, Aurora to Kayapa, Nueva Vizcaya.

Mindoro earthquake

According to the International Tsunami Information Center, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Mindoro province on Nov. 15, 1994, leaving damage worth P67. 2 million. The earthquake generated a local destructive tsunami.

In Oriental Mindoro, the combined effects of the earthquake and the tsunami killed a total of 78 people, injured 430, damaged or destroyed 7, 566 houses in 13 out of 15 municipalities, damaged roads, destroyed or damaged 24 bridges, and sunk numerous fishing boats.

It said there was no time to issue a warning. Approximately five minutes after the tremor, tsunami waves struck along a 40-kilometer stretch of the northern and eastern shoreline of Mindoro island, from Puerto Galera up to Pinamalayan.

Negros Oriental earthquake

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook the provinces of Negros and Cebu, and nearby islands of Western Visayas region at 11:49 a.m. on Feb. 6, 2012.

The earthquake was generated by a thrust fault movement with the epicenter located in Tayasan, Negros Oriental. An intensity of 8 was felt in Tayasan, Vallehermoso, Jimalalud, La Libertad, and Guihulngan, Negros Oriental.

The estimated cost of damage to infrastructure was P383 million. The earthquake left 51 dead and 112 injured, while 62 went missing from the landslide in Solongon, La Libertad and Planas, Guihulngan

Tsunami waves as high as five meters likewise struck Barangays Martilo, Pisong, and Magtalisay in La Libertad, Negros Oriental. Coastal areas of Negros Oriental from San Jose to Vallehermoso, and Cebu from Badian to Barili were also affected by the tsunami.

Bohol earthquake

It was on Oct. 15, 2013 when a magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck the Visayas. The epicenter was located in Bohol in Central Visayas, but the shaking was felt as far as Southern Mindanao.

The earthquake affected over 1.2 million people, 222 people died, 976 were injured and eight people were missing. Over 79,000 structures including homes, roads, churches, schools and public buildings were damaged, according to a World Health Organization report. At least 14,500 of these structures were destroyed, the WHO report said.

The earthquake, which hit a month before Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck the Visayas, left damage worth P2.25 billion.

Central Luzon earthquake

Zambales, Pampanga, and nearby provinces were hit by a magnitude 6.1 earthquake at 5:11 p.m. on April 22, 2019, leaving damage to infrastructure worth P539 million.

The epicenter was located 18 kilometers east of Castillejos, Zambales, on a mountainous area, at a depth of 10 kilometers. Small-magnitude earthquakes followed afterwards, and as of 8:00 a.m. of 23 April 2019, 421 aftershocks have been recorded.

The earthquake left 18 people dead, 256 people injured, while three people went missing.

Davao del Sur earthquake

At 2:11 p.m. on Dec. 15, 2019, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook the province of Davao del Sur and its vicinity. The earthquake’s epicenter was located nine kilometers northwest of Matanao, Davao del Sur, at a depth of three kilometers.

This earthquake followed the recent earthquake events on July 9, 2019 and Oct. 16 2019. After this, a total of 530 small to moderate magnitude earthquakes have been recorded.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the earthquake left nine dead and injured hundreds of people. Damage was estimated at P4.55 million.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Thursday vowed to ‘fully implement’ the Public Transport Modernization Program (PTMP), despite delays.

‘We remain focused on our mandate, which is to guarantee the unimpeded implementation of the PTMP,’ LTFRB Chairperson Atty. Teofilo Gaudiz III was quoted in a statement.

Gaudiz also shared that the LTFRB is seeking financial assistance from government institutions to cover the loan obligations of modernized jeepney operators.

‘We have been seeking dialogue with our partner government financing institutions to assist modernized jeepney fleets to meet their loan obligations under the PTMP,’ he said.

He then assured that the agency goes through a ‘thorough technical, legal, and financial evaluation’ for the transport groups and commuters.

Former Transport Secretary Vince Dizon said in June 2025 that the PTMP was ‘not viable’ due to the inability of those who purchased the modern jeeps to pay their loans.

By June 2025, the government is expected to have released loans of up to P15 billion through the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines, with over P5 billion still outstanding.

Dizon also stated that the program involves ‘a lot of problems,’ but asserted that it will push through.

A special committee was formed in April 2025 to review the government’s modernization program for public utility vehicles, aiming to expedite its implementation.

Tropical Storm Paolo will bring over 200 millimeters (mm) of rain in Isabela, Quirino, and Aurora from Thursday evening to Friday afternoon, the state weather bureau said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Paolo was last located approximately 480 kilometers east of Infanta, Quezon at 4 p.m., moving west-northwestward at 15 kilometers per hour (kph), Pagasa reported.

The state weather bureau also said Paolo has maximum sustained winds of 85 kph and gusts of up to 105 kph.

In its 5 p.m. advisory, Pagasa also reported the following rainfall forecast from Thursday to Friday afternoon.

100 to 200 mm

Cagayan

Kalinga

Mountain Province

Ifugao

Benguet

Nueva Vizcaya

Nueva Ecija

50 to 100 mm

Apayao

Abra

Ilocos Sur

La Union

Pangasinan

Zambales

Tarlac

Bataan

Pampanga

Bulacan

Rizal

Laguna

Quezon

Camarines Norte

Camarines Sur

Catanduanes

Additionally, the trough of the cyclone was forecast to bring scattered rains over Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Eastern Visayas and Western Visayas.

Pagasa hoisted Tropical Cyclone Signal (TCWS) no. 2 over Isabela, the northern portion of Quirino, the northern portion of Nueva Vizcaya, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and the northern portion of Aurora.

Meanwhile, TCWS no. 1 was raised in Cagayan, the rest of Quirino, the rest of Nueva Vizcaya, Apayao, Abra, Benguet, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan, the northern portion of Zambales, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, the rest of Aurora, the northern portion of Bulacan, the northern portion of Pampanga, the northern portion of Quezon including Polillo Islands, Camarines Norte, the northern portion of Camarines Sur, and Catanduanes.

The local government of Zamboanga City sent off a 19-member team for a humanitarian mission to quake-hit Cebu on Wednesday.

Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso said the team was composed of personnel from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), the City Health Office, and the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDP), to provide medical assistance and help in the relief, search, and rescue operations in the province.

The team left Zamboanga City on Wednesday evening and expected to arrive in Cebu on Thursday, bringing along 1,000 sacks of rice, 1,000 boxes of canned goods, and 1,000 jerry cans with water.

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake struck Cebu province around 10 p.m. on September 30, killing more than 70 people, mostly from badly-hit Bogo City.

In Pagadian City, Mayor Samuel Co is still coordinating with the Cebu local government to determine the unmet immediate needs of the people not covered by the assistance that has been pouring into the province.

Co, who also serves as vice president for Mindanao in the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), said that he is coordinating with members to send more assistance to Cebu.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has invited former Public Works and Highways secretary and now Senator Mark Villar to attend its hearing on the investigation into the flood control anomalies.

Based on the invitation issued on Thursday, ICI Chair Andres Reyes requested Villar to appear before the ICI hearing in Taguig City at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 7.

Reyes said Villar’s appearance is ‘to testify under oath to discuss and shed light relative to the planning, budgeting, execution, supervision, and monitoring of flood control and other infrastructure projects under your jurisdiction during your tenure as Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which is the subject matter under inquiry/ investigation by the Commission.’

Meanwhile, Villar broke his silence on Thursday, saying that he welcomes any investigations on his alleged involvement in anomalous flood control projects, maintaining that he has ‘nothing to hide.’

In a statement, the former DPWH-chief-turned-senator categorically stated that he has neither direct nor indirect ownership nor controlling interest in any company participating in DPWH projects.

‘The official record will confirm that none of my relatives acquired any contracts from 2016 to 2021, during my tenure as Secretary,’ said Villar.

On Thursday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said that there are efforts from the camp of Villar to set up a meeting, but added that he has yet to respond to it.

Remulla said that his preference for all official communications and proceedings to be handled ‘transparently, officially, across the board.’

‘I still don’t have a response, as I’d rather everything be done through official channels. This ensures it’s handled transparently, officially, and consistently across the board, leaving no room for accusations,’ Remulla told reporters.

Remulla said there is a necessity to thoroughly review documents related to whatever issues the senator’s camp wants to discuss.

Villar was the DPWH chief from 2016 to 2021, during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

On Wednesday, ICI executive director Brian Keith Hosaka said in an ambush interview that Villar, as well as former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, and Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, will be subpoenaed to attend its hearing on the investigation of the flood control anomalies.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) announced that electricity services in Eastern Visayas have been fully restored following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Bogo City, Cebu, on Tuesday night.

In its 10:00 p.m. advisory on Wednesday, NGCP said that the Leyte-Samar sub-grid was completely restored at 7:12 p.m., ensuring normal power supply in the region despite several transmission lines in other parts of the Visayas still being down.

The quake forced four power plants to shut down, leaving 348.2 megawatts of supply unavailable.

On the transmission side, the Tabango-Kananga 230kV Line 1 was restored at 9:18 p.m. Still, other major lines remain out of service, including the Daanbantayan-Tabango and Daanbantayan-Compostela 230kV Lines, as well as the Leyte-Luzon 350kV High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) Line.

Earlier, NGCP placed the Visayas grid on yellow alert after reserves fell below the required level. This was lifted at 9 p.m. after available capacity reached 2,239 megawatts against a peak demand of 1,950 megawatts.

A yellow alert is issued when the operating margin is insufficient to meet the transmission grid’s contingency requirement.

NGCP assured the public that transmission services in the Visayas grid are now operating normally, and that restoration work on the remaining affected facilities continues.

The idea of leaving the majority bloc had crossed Sen. JV Ejercito’s mind as he expressed dismay over how the Senate seems to be losing its focus on the real culprits behind the anomalous flood control projects.

For now, Ejercito said he stays with the majority bloc.

‘As for me, everyone knows I just focus on work. But if you’re no longer happy, then what?’ he said in a Viber message, written in Filipino, on Thursday.

But in an earlier interview posted on social media, Ejercito admitted that he almost left the majority group because he feels that they are already burning down their own house.

‘To be honest, I seriously thought about leaving the majority. Because if this is the direction we’re headed, it’s like we’re burning down our own house. We’re neglecting our colleagues, and we’re forgetting who the real culprits are,’ he said in the interview.

Former and incumbent senators have been accused of receiving kickbacks from either ‘ghost’ or substandard flood control projects of the government.

The scandal has been the subject of separate investigations by the Senate blue ribbon committee, the House of Representatives infrastructure committee, and the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI).

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the blue ribbon panel, recently disclosed that almost all senators in the 19th Congress inserted P100 billion worth of items in the 2025 General Appropriations Act.

‘We’re losing focus on the real perpetrators and those behind the chaos,’ Ejercito went on, still responding to queries on Viber.

‘It’s really sad and discouraging. Everything that’s happening is so frustrating – we can’t move forward anymore,’ he further lamented.

Worse, the senator feared that the issues hounding the Senate could ignite calls for its abolition through Charter change.

‘This might just be another People’s Initiative all over again – destroy the Senate so that through Charter change, it can be abolished entirely,’ he said.