Context Dispatch

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Secretary of Justice Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla as the new Ombudsman, succeeding former President Rodrigo Duterte-appointee Samuel R. Martires whose term ended in July. Remulla, who has served Justice Secretary since 2022, is known for pushing reforms to modernize the justice system and fight corruption. With decades of experience as a legislator and lawyer, he is expected to uphold transparency and accountability. The Marcos administration has reiterated its zero-tolerance of corruption. Ombudsman, the government’s primary graft buster, serves a single 7-year term and can only be removed through impeachment for offenses such as treason, bribery, graft and corruption, or betrayal of public trust.

The Piggatan Bridge in Alcala, Cagayan collapsed on Monday, October 6, after three large trucks—two carrying heavy cargo— crossed simultaneously, sending at least seven people to hospitals with various injuries. Authorities are investigating the incident, marking it as the second bridge collapse in Region II this year, following the failure of several sections of the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge in February. The incident adds to growing concerns over infrastructure safety as the Department of Public Works and Highways faces criticism for substandard construction, incomplete projects, and alleged “ghost” flood-control initiatives.

As Congress finishes deliberations on the 2026 budget, Batangas 1st District Representative Leandro Legarda Leviste is proposing that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) cancel or re-price P1.6 Trillion of ongoing and upcoming projects to save P400 Billion or over P1 Billion per day so the government can fund its priority health and education programs.

The Department of Education (DepEd) today (02 October 2025) pledged modular kits and temporary learning spaces to ensure classes resume quickly for over 19,000 learners adversely affected by a 6.9-magnitude quake In northern Cebu Tuesday.

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck Bogo City in northern Cebu late Tuesday, September 30, shaking a vast stretch of the Philippines from Camarines Sur in Luzon to Davao del Sur in Mindanao, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.