Tighter security seen amid Oras town chief’s slay

TACLOBAN CITY — Eastern Samar Governor Ralph Vincent Evardone ordered provincial police to intensify security in this town Friday following the broad-daylight killing of a village captain earlier this week.

Arnel Montallana, the captain of Barangay Tiguib, was stabbed to death Tuesday morning. He was riding his motorcycle after dropping his wife off at their store when he was attacked with a short-bladed knife, investigators said.

Despite being stabbed multiple times, Montallana attempted to dismount and flee, but the assailant caught up to him and continued the attack. He was declared dead on arrival at Oras Doctors’ Hospital.

Police arrested a suspect during a hot-pursuit operation, though a motive has not yet been disclosed.

Evardone described the murder as “alarming,” noting it is the third high-profile killing in the area since mid-2025. He previously cited that one of his supporters was shot dead in Barangay Paypayon during the campaign period on 1 May 2025.

“The provincial government wants to assure our constituents that we are working to make Eastern Samar a safe and peaceful province,” Evardone said.