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The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) congratulated acclaimed Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz after his historical drama ‘Makikiraan Po (Let Us Through, Dear Ancestors)’ won the Brian Award at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival.

The FDCP shared its congratulatory accolade in a Facebook post on Friday, Sept. 11, describing the recognition as ‘another win’ for the Filipino filmmaker.

‘The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) proudly extends its warmest congratulations to Direk Lav and producer Hazel Orencio, proud grantees of the FDCP International Film Festival Assistance Program (IFFAP), and to the entire team behind ‘Makikiraan Po,” read the caption.

Diaz received the Premio Brian, or Brian Award, during a ceremony in Lido on Thursday, Sept. 10. The collateral award is presented by the Italian Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics to films that promote human rights, freedom of conscience, democracy, pluralism and other values centered on individual freedom and equal opportunities.

The award takes its name from the 1979 satirical film ‘Monty Python’s Life of Brian’ by Terry Jones.

‘Makikiraan Po,’ which was screened out of competition at Venice, was recognized for its depiction of Spanish colonial brutality in the Philippines.

Set in 1617, the film follows a group of men who are ordered by a Spanish friar to transport slabs of marble through the jungles and mountains for a church being built during the Spanish colonial period.

The film stars Bart Guingona, Ronnie Lazaro, Christian Bables, Isabel Sandoval, Yul Servo, Bong Cabrera, Rafa Siguion-Reyna and Amado Arjay Babon.

In a statement to Inquirer.net USA, Diaz said the recognition came as a surprise to him and his team.

‘It was a big surprise when the most radical group at the Lido reached out yesterday to tell Hazel Orencio, our line producer, that after their revolutionary lenses had checked all the works at the fest, they’re giving the gig to us,’ Diaz said.

The Brian Award adds to Diaz’s long list of honors at the Venice festival.

In 2016, he won the Golden Lion for Best Film for ‘The Woman Who Left,’ starring Charo Santos-Concio, John Lloyd Cruz and Michael De Mesa. That victory made Diaz the first Filipino filmmaker to win Venice’s top prize.

‘Makikiraan Po’ marks Diaz’s ninth feature film to be included in the world’s oldest film festival.

Previous recipients of the Brian Award include Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘La Grazia’ in 2025, Pedro Almodovar’s ‘The Room Next Door’ in 2024, ‘Tatami’ by Guy Nattiv and Zar Amir Ebrahimi in 2023, ‘Spotlight’ by Tom McCarthy in 2015, ‘Philomena’ by Stephen Frears in 2013 and George Clooney’s ‘The Ides of March’ in 2011.

Ai-Ai delas Alas clarified that she did not have her former husband, Gerald Sibayan, deported from the United States following his remarriage to a new partner months after the finalization of their divorce.

While delas Alas did not grant interviews after walking the runway at the Maddox Jewelry showroom opening on Sept. 10 in Marikina City, she replied to a netizen’s comment following her fashion show appearance.

The netizen brought up reports that Sibayan had recently remarried a non-showbiz partner in San Francisco, California, and said they had assumed he had already been deported to the Philippines.

‘Si Gerald pala nasa Amerika pa rin. Akala ko na deport eh,’ the netizen wrote. ‘Nakapag asawa na ng ibang ka edad nya. Okay lang, mukhang kuntento naman na si Ms Ai sa buhay niya.’

Delas Alas responded by clarifying that she only had Sibayan’s green card revoked as part of their divorce proceedings.

‘Ni revoke ko lang..d ko kaya i pa deport sya baka magalit si Lord sya na bahala kay Gerald,’ she said. ‘Vengeance is not ours, it’s God’s amen.’

When the netizen asked whether revoking Sibayan’s green card could be considered an act of revenge, Delas Alas explained that the revocation was connected to their divorce.

‘Kasabay kasi ng divorce yun matic the revocation,’ the actress continued.

It can be recalled that in 2024 the comedy queen said she wanted to revoke Sibayan’s green card in the United States to get ‘revenge’ for what he did to her.

Delas Alas and Sibayan, who share a nearly three-decade age gap, married in 2017. They separated in 2024. Their divorce was finalized in the United States in March.

Reports of Sibayan’s remarriage surfaced recently after Ogie Diaz reported that he had married a new partner in a civil ceremony at San Francisco City Hall.

In a previous statement to ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,’ Delas Alas said she had expected Sibayan to remarry because he needed to remain in the United States.

The seasoned actress also expressed hope that Sibayan would not repeat with his new partner what he had done to her, even as she assured the public that she had already moved on.

Aryna Sabalenka is going for a third consecutive US Open title. Standing in her way is Elena Rybakina, who is taking over for her as the No. 1-ranked women’s tennis player in the world.

Sabalenka and Rybakina meet in the final on Saturday, their third time playing for a Grand Slam championship and 18th head-to-head matchup of their careers. It comes with them at the top of their games and the top of the sport after Sabalenka beat Jessica Pegula in straight sets and Rybakina rallied past Coco Gauff in the semifinals.

‘We’re dealing with the two best players in the last couple of years on the women’s side,’ former men’s player Max Mirnyi, now part of Sabalenka’s coaching team, said Friday. ‘Their results and their rankings and their titles speak for themselves. When they see each other across the net, I think that brings out the best in each one of them.’

Sabalenka entered the US Open in a bit of a rut, failing to reach the quarterfinals in each of her past three tournaments, including an exit in the round of 16 at Wimbledon. The 28-year-old has looked right at home back in Flushing Meadows, losing just one set in six matches and making another deep run in dominant fashion.

‘She’s in love with New York, I guess,’ coach Anton Dubrov said with a laugh, noting Sabalenka’s strength on hard courts and calmness in the chaotic environment of Arthur Ashe Stadium. ‘If she’s in control of (her) energy, she’s pretty good.’

Sabalenka has been first in the WTA rankings since Oct. 21, 2024. Regardless of the result, that changes Monday, with Rybakina ascending to that spot for the first time.

Rybakina, 27, is one victory away from her third major title and second this year. She won the Australian Open in January, beating Sabalenka in the final.

‘It’s an important match, and since it’s a final, honestly, I feel like it doesn’t matter who is on the other side,’ Rybakina said. ‘You just want to win and do your best.’

Sabalenka has won 10 of her 17 matches against Rybakina, including two of three at Grand Slams. Rybakina is 4-2 when they’ve faced off in a final.

‘She’s a very aggressive player: It’s difficult to play with her, mentally, physically because she has big game, big serve,’ Rybakina said. ‘I will need to come with all the energy I will have, bring my best serve against Aryna and make the right decisions in the right moment because most of the times it’s (a) tight, tight score.’

Mirnyi believes Sabalenka has gotten better throughout the tournament. That was evident in her making quick work of the third-ranked Pegula 7-5, 6-2, in 80 minutes to reach her fourth U.S. Open final in a row.

So much for the concerns over Sabalenka’s summer struggles.

Moody’s Ratings has assigned DigiPlus Interactive Corp. its first corporate family rating, citing the gaming firm’s dominant position in the local online market and strong financial profile despite regulatory and expansion risks.

The digital entertainment platform led by tycoon Eusebio Tanco said on Friday that the global credit ratings agency gave the company a B1 corporate family rating with a stable outlook.

The rating means lending to DigiPlus is roughly middle-tier ‘non-investment grade.’ Still, it is the top notch of the highly speculative category.

‘DigiPlus’ B1 rating reflects its leadership in the Philippines’ online gaming market and strong financial profile, underpinned by low leverage, robust cash generation and a net cash position, ‘ said Yu Sheng Tay, assistant vice president at Moody’s Ratings.

‘These strengths are balanced by exposure to regulatory change and intense competition in the Philippines’ online gaming sector,’ said Tay.

Moody’s estimates that DigiPlus is now the country’s largest online gaming operator, cornering a 38.5-percent market share with about six million monthly active users.

The firm’s platforms offer more than 1,000 games spanning bingo, electronic games and sports betting.

Still, the ratings agency expects DigiPlus’ earnings to take a hit this year.

Moody’s projects its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) to fall to about P11.4 billion in 2026 from P14.3 billion last year.

The credit rater attributed the potential decline partly to the central bank’s directive issued in August 2025 that requires mobile wallet and payment providers to delink in-app access to online gaming platforms.

The measure reduced industry-wide online gross gaming revenue.

High fuel prices, inflationary pressures and weaker consumer sentiment have also weighed on discretionary gaming spending.

Moody’s, however, expects DigiPlus’ Ebitda to recover to around P14 billion to P15 billion in 2027 to 2028, supported by organic growth, the consolidation of International Entertainment Corp. (IEC) and overseas investments.

The company is expanding beyond its core Philippine online gaming business.

Its investment in IEC convertible notes gives DigiPlus the option to acquire majority control of IEC upon conversion, increasing its potential exposure to IEC’s capital commitments for LaVie Resort and Casino Manila.

Moody’s expects leverage to remain below 0.5 times over the next 12 to 18 months, absent significant acquisitions or investments.

The stable outlook assumes DigiPlus will retain its leadership in the Philippine online gaming market, grow earnings over the next 12 to 18 months and adapt to evolving regulations while pursuing its expansion prudently.

Still, Moody’s flagged regulatory changes, intense competition and execution risks from the company’s land-based and overseas expansion.

The number of votes needed to convict Vice President Sara Z. Duterte could fall to 13 if only 20 senators are legally able to function and participate as senator-judges when the impeachment court renders judgment, according to one interpretation of the Constitution being advanced outside the prosecution panel.

‘We are applying two-thirds kasi tignan po natin ang batas, concurrence of two-thirds of all members. Hindi sinabing 16, hindi sinabing 24. So, movable po yung number ng two-thirds, movable din yung number ng all members,’ lawyer Howard Calleja stressed during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.

Calleja argued that the denominator should change when senators are legally or practically unable to function as members of the impeachment court, rather than automatically treating the full 24-member Senate as the base.

‘So, tatlo na po yan. So, 21 so, ano ho ang two-thirds ng 21? So, doon po tayo titingin kung 13 po yan o 14,’ Calleja explained.

He proceeded to calculate the requirement based on only 20 senators participating in the court.

‘So, kung yan ay 20, I think at 20 is 13 na po,’ Calleja stressed.

The House prosecution’s present position remains that 16 votes are required for conviction, consistent with the initial ruling of the impeachment court’s presiding officer, while the Senate is preparing to hear constitutional experts before reconsidering the issue.

The court has invited former Supreme Court (SC) justices to discuss the constitutional phrase requiring concurrence of two-thirds of all members of the Senate before senator-judges take up oral arguments on the disputed threshold.

‘So ang aking bilang po diyan is depende po kung sino ang present and functional senators na makakapag-participate doon po sa impeachment court,’ Calleja explained.

He stressed that his interpretation treats the constitutionally required fraction as variable according to the number of senators actually capable of exercising their functions when judgment is rendered.

‘So ganoon po yung bilang po dyan. So it’s a moving number kasi as I said, hindi naman nilagay ng Constitution 16, hindi naman nilagay ng Constitution 24,’ Calleja maintained.

The Senate impeachment court will ultimately determine whether to retain the present 16-vote rule or adopt another interpretation before Duterte’s case reaches a final vote.

The San Juan City Local School Board (LSB), chaired by Mayor Francis Zamora, approved a resolution authorizing the allocation of funds for the procurement of walk-through metal detectors and additional handheld metal detectors for the city’s public schools.

Zamora presided over the LSB meeting where the measure was discussed and approved, highlighting the importance of strengthening existing security protocols in public schools.

The additional security equipment are intended to support schools in conducting more effective screening and monitoring of individuals entering school premises.

The walk-through metal detectors would provide an additional layer of security at school entrances, while the handheld units would allow security personnel and designated school personnel to conduct supplementary screening when necessary.

The equipment would be deployed to help schools enhance their existing safety and security measures.

Following the board’s approval, the procurement process is set to begin in accordance with applicable government procurement rules and procedures.

The measure underscored San Juan City’s continuing efforts to strengthen school safety and provide students, teachers, and non-teaching personnel with a more secure environment conducive to learning and teaching.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla is proposing the abolition of the Mimaropa region and its reintegration with Calabarzon to streamline government operations and improve service delivery.

Remulla made the proposal during a Senate Finance Subcommittee J hearing on Thursday (Sept.10) in response to a question from Sen. Erwin Tulfo about providing sea transport for the Mimaropa regional police director.

According to Remulla, the current regional setup makes it difficult for regional directors and agency heads to effectively serve the area, particularly because many regional offices are not based in Calapan City, the designated regional center.

‘As of now, sir, it’s almost impossible to be regional director of any agency in Region 4B,’ Remulla said, noting that most agencies do not have their regional offices in Calapan.

He cited the DILG Region 4B office, which is based in Quezon City, as an example.

Mimaropa, or Region 4B, is made up of Oriental and Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon and Palawan.

It was separated from the former Region IV in 2002 under Executive Order No. 103 issued by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The reorganization also created Calabarzon, or Region 4A (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon).

Command centers

Remulla proposed returning the provinces to a single Region 4 but organizing them into separate command centers based on geography and accessibility.

Under his proposal, Cavite would be grouped with Palawan; Batangas with Mindoro; Laguna with Rizal; Quezon with Marinduque; while Romblon would remain a separate unit.

Remulla said the restructuring would rationalize government functions and make services more responsive by taking into account geography, travel time and accessibility.

‘That is what we want to do – return it to Region 4, into one region, but divide it into different command centers,’ he said.

Tulfo had raised the difficulty faced by the Mimaropa regional police director in visiting the island provinces, noting that travel from Mindoro to Palawan often requires passing through Manila.

He asked whether the Philippine National Police could acquire vessels to allow direct travel between the provinces.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the acquisition of vehicles and watercraft, including maintenance costs, was already being considered under the police procurement program.

But Remulla said additional transport would not fully address the problem, arguing that a fundamental restructuring of the region was needed.

He said the DILG would submit the proposed reorganization of Region 4 to the Senate within the year.