OFFICERS and staff of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Eastern Visayas gathered Friday, October 25, for a mass and necrological service for the late DILG Assistant Regional Director Valente P. Bajet.

Bajet, 55, was found unresponsive inside his quarters at the regional office in Tacloban City around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, October 24.

He was declared dead by Tacloban City Health Officer Dr. Gloria Fabrigas around 1:30 p.m. after local police and Scene of the Crime Operatives (Soco) from Police Regional Office-Eastern Visayas responded to the scene.

There were no signs of foul play in the death of Bajet, investigators said.

Fondly called as “Nonoi” by his family and close friends, Bajet will be remembered “for his quiet professionalism, humility and calm demeanor which had a positive impact in everyone he met.”

A native of Calbayog City, Samar, Bajet entered DILG in 1989 as a Local Government Operations Officer II, and later became City Local Government Operations Officer of Calbayog City in February 2009.

He became officer-in-charge (OIC) provincial director of DILG Northern Samar in February 2011.

In 2012, Bajet attained his Career Executive Professional Eligibility, became full-fledged provincial director in 2013 and OIC-assistant regional director in November 2018.

His remains will be brought to Calbayog on Saturday, October 26. (SunStar Philippines)