BISHOP Juan de Dios Pueblos, 74, of the Diocese of Butuan, passed away on Saturday evening at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center in Greenhills North, San Juan, where he had been confined for leukemia for the past one month and 20 days. Together with some friends from the National Transformation Council, I visited him on Thursday evening, and found him asleep, breathing under an oxygen tank. We were received by Father Carlito Clase, who worked very closely with the bishop, and some diocesan staff from Butuan, who were in attendance. His remains now lie in state at the Loyola Memorial Chapel at Guadalupe, but are expected to be flown later to Butuan, where he had been bishop for the past 22 years. Details will be announced later.