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Former Bangsamoro parliament member Edrieza Hadji Nasser Rimbang, whom authorities have identified as the alleged financier of the Laos drug shipment, is expected to appear before the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Nov. 5.

PDEA spokesperson Joseph Frederick Calulut said Rimbang’s lawyers had committed to bringing him to the agency’s office to submit a sworn statement as part of the investigation.

‘The lawyers of Sultan Rimbang came to our office the other day and they committed to present him sa opisina natin (to our office) on Nov. 5,’ Calulut told reporters in a phone interview.

Calulut said that two other persons of interest (POI) had yet to appear before the agency.

He explained that there could be more individuals that may be considered as POI depending on the development of the investigation.

Interior Sec. Jonvic Remulla earlier identified 11 individuals, including the former Bangsamoro official, allegedly involved in the attempted smuggling of drugs amounting to P3.5 billion in the country.

Rimbang has denied the allegations, claiming he was being implicated because of his ties to the Duterte family.

Calulut, however, said documents and other evidence pointed to Rimbang as the alleged mastermind, not merely the financier, of the operation.

‘Based on the evidence on hand he appears to be the mastermind, hindi lang siya financier so we are still waiting for him to come to our office to give his statement para yung statement niya hindi lang pang social media,’ Calulut explained.

(Based on the evidence on hand he appears to be the mastermind, he is not just a financier so we are still waiting for him to come to our office to give his statement because his statement is not just social media,’)

‘We have documents, we have evidence indicating that it was Rimbang who provided the money,’ Calulut said, adding that the agency was awaiting information and documents from Laos and Malaysia.

Laotian authorities flagged the private jet at Luang Prabang International Airport on Oct. 1 after it departed from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah International Airport in Subang, Malaysia.

The aircraft was reportedly booked by a Filipino suspect to transport goods declared as vape products to Manila.

Authorities later discovered 521 kilograms of suspected shabu in 23 pieces of luggage following customs clearance./

Two Philippine Army soldiers were arrested after allegedly shooting a 23-year-old man traveling from Davao City to Cotabato City in Pigcawayan, North Cotabato, before dawn Thursday, police said.The suspects, both members of the Army’s 7th Infantry Battalion and residents of Midsayap, North Cotabato, were arrested following a pursuit operation shortly after the incident at around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday.

According to a police report, the victim, identified only as alias Dats, 23, of Cotabato City, flagged down a police team conducting a mobile checkpoint in Barangay South Manuangan after he was shot.

Police launched a pursuit operation that led to the interception and arrest of the suspects in Barangay Presbitero, Pigcawayan, as they sped toward Midsayap.Authorities recovered two loaded .45-caliber pistols from the suspects. One was an M1911A1 pistol with seven rounds of ammunition, while the other was a Colt MK IV Series 80 pistol with eight rounds.Police also seized a red-and-black Honda RS150 motorcycle and three cellphones.The spot report said the suspects failed to present legal documents or licenses authorizing them to possess the firearms. Dats also positively identified them as the men who allegedly shot him.Dats is being treated at Pesante Hospital in Libungan, Cotabato, while the two suspects remain detained at the Pigcawayan Municipal Police Station custodial facility pending the filing of appropriate charges.Police are still investigating the motive for the shooting

A bus driver tested positive in an initial drug screening of 200 transport workers at three terminals in Koronadal City and General Santos City ahead of Undas, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Region 12 (PDEA-12) said.

Asnawi Salik, PDEA-12 Assistant regional director, said the annual Oplan Harabas aims to ensure that public utility vehicle drivers are not under the influence of illegal drugs while transporting passengers during the holiday rush.

The screening was conducted on Oct. 27 at the Koronadal Integrated Transport Terminal Complex and the Yellow Bus Terminal in Koronadal City, and the General Santos City Public Terminal.

The drug-positive driver’s specimen will undergo confirmatory testing to establish the final result.

Salik said drivers who test positive are subject to the confiscation of their driver’s licenses and suspension by the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

The workers screened included 62 bus drivers, 64 bus conductors, 66 van drivers, one mini-bus driver, four taxi drivers and three tricycle drivers.

Authorities also conducted K9 inspections at the terminals but detected no illegal drugs.

The operation was carried out in coordination with the LTO-12, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board Region 12, the Philippine National Police, and the local governments of Koronadal City and General Santos City.

Oplan Harabas supports the implementation of Republic Act No. 10586, or the Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013, and the government’s Oplan Byaheng Ayos: Undas 2026.

Salik reminded public utility vehicle drivers to ensure they are fit to drive, stressing that their passengers’ lives depend on their safety behind the wheel.

A former Public Works and Highways official on Thursday said 25 percent of the budget allocated for infrastructure projects in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) are given as ‘commitments’ to certain proponents, including senators.

This was according to former Public Works and Highways Regional Director Gerard Opulencia, who testified as a prosecution witness before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Thursday during the continuation of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada’s bail hearing for a plunder case.

‘Question 64 of your judicial affidavit states the method by which the commitment is computed. It states that a commitment is 25 percent of the GAA allocations for the projects your office submitted,’ the defense told the ex-official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), who confirmed the statement.

When Associate Justice Gener Gito asked how his office accounted for these commitments, Opulencia said they had a ‘strategy’ for adjusting government project budgets to accommodate them.

‘Before, in my time, we had a strategy on how we would adjust the program report. So, we will have an adjustment or allowance, where we add qualifications, to consider the commitments. There was a time that there was a 5 to 10-percent allowance,’ he said.

Opulencia also said contractors gave commitments as ‘pasasalamat’ or expressions of gratitude. He confirmed that a winning contractor was usually already identified even before a project was put out for bidding.

Despite his revelations, Opulencia told the court that he had never personally delivered commitments to a proponent or witnessed money being handed to Estrada or other accused DPWH officials.

Opulencia also confirmed to the defense that he previously instructed three district engineering offices to each prepare and deliver P120 million, for a total of P360 million, to be given to former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.

Opulencia said Bernardo had instructed him to collect the amount sometime last year, to be given as a ‘commitment’ to a proponent. Opulencia said he initially did not know who the money was for, but noted that Bernardo later revealed in his affidavit that the commitment was given to Estrada.

When asked by justices if he ever sought for a share of the commitments from the district engineering offices, Opulencia said never thought of making such a request because of the promotions he had received.

‘CASH FLOW’ FROM DPWH The Department of Justice receives P40 million in cash sent by Metro Manila Public Works Director Gerard Opulencia (second from right), part of the P150 million in alleged kickbacks that he vowed to return. Present at the turnover are Prosecutor General Richard Fadullon and Justice Secretary Fredderick Vida (5th and 6th from left), among other officials. (File photo from TETCH TORRES-TUPAS / INQUIRER.net)

‘Because, truthfully, with the gratitude for the promotions I received, I really just followed the instructions of Usec. Bernardo,’ he said.

After Opulencia, the prosecution also presented Vergel Nino Garcia, Bernardo’s former driver and aide, as a witness.

Garcia testified that he helped deliver 12 boxes to Estrada at the Atriaga building in San Juan City, although he did not know what these boxes contained.

According to Garcia, he personally saw Estrada during the delivery, whom he said was wearing leather shoes and a collared shirt.Aside from Estrada, Garcia said he also made deliveries to former Education Undersecretary Trygve Olaivar, former Sen. Bong Revilla, the now-deceased former DPWH Undersecretary Catalina Cabral, former DPWH Secretary Manuel Bonoan, and at a Cherry Mobile building.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) will deploy 1,848 personnel for its Undas Operation 2026, including 248 staff members and 1,600 volunteers.

The agency will also deploy 314 first aid stations, 149 welfare desks, 103 mobile units, 104 foot patrol teams, 65 ambulances and 19 emergency vehicles.

These resources will be stationed at cemeteries, bus terminals, seaports, airports and command posts.

Of the first aid stations, 35 will be set up in the National Capital Region, 149 in Luzon, 38 in the Visayas and 29 in Mindanao.

The PRC also reminded the public to observe home safety measures, including locking all entry points, keeping emergency contact numbers accessible and preparing for emergencies.

For road safety, it urged motorists to stay alert, follow traffic rules, check schedules and plan their routes ahead of time.

Earlier, the Department of Health placed Metro Manila under code white alert status, directing hospitals and emergency response teams in the region to remain on heightened alert in anticipation of a possible increase in patients requiring immediate medical attention.

The measure aims to help ensure public safety and preparedness during the Undas period.

For 30 years, Secosana has been part of the Filipina’s journey, offering stylish and accessible bags for life’s everyday moments and special occasions. On October 22, the homegrown brand celebrates this milestone with a new anniversary collection that honors its legacy while taking an exciting step into the future.

For the first time in its history, Secosana expands into footwear, introducing a new category alongside its latest bag styles. Designed for the many occasions that make up a woman’s day, the footwear transitions effortlessly from workdays and everyday errands to special dinners and celebrations. The expansion reflects the brand’s continued commitment to making style accessible while evolving with the needs and lifestyles of the women it serves.

For Bea Secosana, the Brand Director, the milestone represents more than a new product category. It reflects a brand philosophy rooted in always looking ahead, embracing inclusivity, and thinking of the next generation of Secosana women. Shoes, in particular, hold a special place in this vision: accompanying women through every step of life, whether moving forward, taking a step back, or finding their own way ahead.

The anniversary also welcomes Andrea Brillantes as the newest Secosana woman, joining longtime brand ambassador Bea Alonzo. Bringing together different generations, the two represent the evolving spirit of the Secosana woman: confident, individual, and always becoming. Andrea’s addition reflects the brand’s continued commitment to connecting with a new generation while remaining true to the women who have grown with it.

Thirty years on, Secosana continues to look forward without losing sight of the journey that brought it here. With new bag styles, its first-ever footwear collection, and a new generation of Secosana girls, the brand celebrates not just how far it has come, but all the places its women have yet to go.

The Secosana 30th Anniversary Collection launches on October 22, 2026, and will be available at leading department stores nationwide. The shoe line will be exclusively available online.

The Department of Education (DepEd) is mobilizing teachers, tutors, and parents nationwide to strengthen mathematics learning recovery through the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Mathematics Program.

Under DepEd Memorandum No. 060, s. 2026, ARAL Mathematics will be implemented in public elementary and secondary schools for grades 1 through 10 beginning in the school year 2026-2027, according to a DepEd statement on Wednesday.

The program uses assessment results to identify students who require support and provides structured, practice-based, and self-paced tutoring to help them achieve grade-level mathematics proficiency.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized the value of using assessment results.

‘Children don’t experience the same difficulties in mathematics,’ he said in Filipino.

‘For some, basic counting is hard. For others, it’s arithmetic operations. And there are also more complicated concepts. So it’s important that we identify where they need help and allow them to learn at their own pace, with sufficient guidance and support,’ he added.

To support the implementation, DepEd conducted a nationwide online seminar on Oct. 19 to orient teachers, tutors, school heads, and ARAL focal persons on implementation guidelines, tutoring sessions, and learning materials.

The webinar drew more than 26,000 live viewers nationwide. Learners are identified through the Rapid Mathematics Assessment (RMA), with priority given to those assessed as ‘not proficient’ or ‘low proficient.’ Schools may group students according to their identified needs and adjust interventions as their skills improve.

Based on the beginning-of-school-year assessment results, more than 11 million learners nationwide were identified as requiring additional support in mathematics, underscoring the importance of targeted intervention in numeracy and coordinated support from schools and families.

ARAL Mathematics uses structured worksheets that build mathematical skills through manageable, progressively challenging activities.

Sessions are designed for small groups, with a recommended tutor-to-learner ratio of 1:10 or a maximum of 1:15, ensuring more focused and personalized support.

Tutors serve as facilitators, guiding students through questions, hints, and feedback rather than relying on conventional lectures.

The program also uses Individual Mathematics Intervention Plans to monitor learner progress and adjust support according to identified learning needs.

Schools may conduct ARAL Mathematics through face-to-face, online, or blended sessions, depending on their resources and local conditions.

Sessions may also be scheduled during class hours, before or after classes, or through other arrangements, as approved at the division level and subject to the guidelines.

DepEd is also encouraging schools to engage parents in monitoring their children’s progress and reinforcing positive learning habits at home. Through school orientations and regular communication, families can better understand the support their children need and work with teachers and tutors throughout the intervention.

According to DepEd, it will continue supporting schools and field offices in implementing ARAL Mathematics through learner assessment, appropriate learning resources, tutor guidance, and progress monitoring, consistent with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen foundational learning.

It’s important that children who are having difficulty in math do not lose confidence. With the help of teachers, tutors, and parents, we can give them more opportunities to practice, inquire, and learn not to be afraid of hard questions. Every small improvement is a valuable step towards building a stronger foundation for learning,’ Angara said