While a polite call for unity and cooperation was made at the inauguration of the new Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) provincial office, Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla reserved harsher language for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan at a closed-door meeting at a Virac hotel.
Sources who had knowledge of what transpired inside a room at Rakdell Inn last April 29, 2026 alleged that the DILG chief hurled unprintable words at Vice Governor Robert A. Fernandez and some members of the provincial board, particularly over their approval of a resolution declaring Governor Patrick Alain T. Azanza as persona non grata.
Earlier, during the event at San Isidro Village, Remulla recalled his experience as a provincial board member in Cavite in 1995 when his father lost to then winner Epimaco Velasco.
He said that the Remullas at the time had as allies all 13 SP members as well as 21 of the 23 municipal mayors but the SP approved measures proposed by the governor without asking for anything in return.
“We must respect elected officials, we must respect their positions,” the DILG secretary stated. “The people elected the governor and I respected the man who beat my father.”
“Pagdating sa pulitika hindi kami magkakasundo pero pagdating sa paglilingkod, iisa lang ang aming layunin,” he stressed.
“Magkaisa na kayo, stop the bickering, stop the fighting, stop the disagreement,” Remulla called on the vice governor and the PBMs present as the audience broke into strident applause.
“You may not agree together politically but you must agree that service to Catanduanes is above all important, is above all your duty, is above all your oath,” he said. “I ask you personally: let us serve Catanduanes.”
Later at the hotel after partaking of lunch, Remulla allegedly heard both sides but poured out his frustration at the legislative branch in a stream of unprintable words.
The secretary reportedly told the SP members that it was he who asked the governor to file the Ombudsman case against the vice governor and some PBMs, that it would be up to him to suspend those charged and recommend their removal from office.
The Cabinet member had agreed to TGP Partylist Rep. Jose “Bong” Teves Jr.’s request that he (Remulla) be the special guest during the inauguration of the BFP provincial headquarters and the BFP building in Baras town.
Teves later told local media that he had requested funding from then DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos for the construction of the headquarters and two fire stations in Baras and Virac, but the latter was not funded for lack of a lot.
He handed over the approved request to Remulla when the latter went with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to Catanduanes following super typhoon Uwan.
He disclosed that he had asked the DILG chief to act as go-between and mediate in the long-running feud between the SP and the governor.
“The discussions had a positive result, a win-win solution for the politicians and also the province,” Cong. Teves bared but refused to provide details.
He also said that he had requested Remulla to allocate funding for the provision of a fire truck with aerial ladders that can reach up to 30 or 40 meters in height, in view of the presence of buildings in Virac that are 10 stories or lower, as well as six more fire trucks for municipal fire stations which were on his original request to Abalos.
In closing, he said to the media that the province’s two congress members, the governor, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the mayors and vice mayors need to unite to help the province, especially in the repair of school buildings damaged by past typhoons.
At the same time, he asked the people to remain calm and refrain from being too judgmental.