Author: user user

The Philippine National Police – Highway Patrol Group (PNP HPG) said it arrested three suspects and recovered five allegedly stolen vehicles in the cities of Pasay and Mandaluyong.

In a press briefing in Camp Crame on Wednesday, HPG spokesperson Lt. Nadame Malang said the suspects were entrapped while attempting to sell two vehicles at the Esplanade Seaside Terminal on Tuesday night.

Once arrested, the suspects pointed to a garage along R. O. Santos Street in New Zaniga, Mandaluyong City, where the three other vehicles were found.

Malang only identified the suspects as a seller named ‘Vitara;’ an alleged accomplice; and a supposed financier.

‘These cars have monthly dues with car financing companies,’ he said in Filipino.

‘Once they can no longer pay the monthly dues, that’s the time they can steal it and evade the financing company to sell the car to another person,’ he added.

The HPG spokesperson noted that the cars were being sold for P120,000 to P600,000.

‘Vitara’ was also allegedly caught with an unlicensed .22 caliber revolver.

The suspects are under PNP-HPG custody in Camp Crame.

They will face formal complaints for estafa and violation of Republic Act No. 4136 or the Land Transportation and Traffic Code; RA No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act; and RA No. 10591 or the Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Several senators welcomed the appointment of Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla as the new Ombudsman, saying the latter’s extensive experience in the field of investigation is an advantage.

‘It’s a big deal that he has a vast background in investigation at the Department of Justice (DOJ), and he will bring it with him at the Ombudsman,’ Senate President Vicente Sotto III told reporters.

‘He is the tribune and protector of the people, fearless in the search for truth and justice,’ he added.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said the appointment of Remulla as the new Ombudsman comes at a time when the nation is confronting serious corruption challenges.

‘As a former Justice Secretary, he brings with him extensive knowledge of the country’s major corruption cases and the workings of our justice system. The nation now looks to him for decisive and impartial action in the fight against corruption,’ he said in a statement.

‘This appointment should send a clear signal that corruption, abuse of power, and other forms of misconduct have no place in government and that restoring public trust begins with holding everyone, regardless of rank, accountable under the law,’ added Gatchalian.

For Sen. Alan Cayetano, Remulla should be given a clean slate but people should watch him closely.

‘It’s a clean slate for me. Give Boying Remulla a clean slate then let’s keep an eye on what he will do,’ Cayetano said in a press briefing.

‘Congratulations to him and just follow your oath,’ he added. ‘I believe that all people have talent..it’s tough when it comes to judiciary, COA (Commission on Audit), Ombudsman, once you take an oath, it all depends on you.’

‘So if you allow yourself to be used in politics, if you have a group or if you have a personal agenda, you can do that. But that’s your call, that’s your conscience,’ he added.

Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has signified his intention to appear before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) which invited him to attend a hearing.

Romualdez’ office, in a statement on Wednesday said that the former House of Representatives speaker has received the invitation from the ICI.

According to Romualdez, this is an opportunity to cooperate with the body tasked to probe anomalous infrastructure projects.

‘The Office of Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez confirms receipt today of the invitation from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI),’ Romualdez’ office said.

‘Rep. Romualdez welcomes the opportunity to cooperate with the Commission and fully supports its objective of promoting transparency, accountability, and good governance,’ it added.

‘In this regard, Rep. Romualdez is prepared to appear before the Commission.’

Earlier, the ICI sent an invitation to Romualdez, and a subpoena to former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co, for them to appear for the body’s flood control probe hearing on October 14.

ICI will also inquire about programs linked to the ghost or substandard flood control projects, as well as the procedures for the release of the unprogrammed funds.

Based on the invitation to Romualdez and the subpoena issued to Co, both signed by ICI Chair Andres Reyes, the hearing set for Tuesday will be at 10 a.m. at the commission’s office in Taguig City.

According to the invitation, Reyes asked Romualdez in the letter to appear before the ICI’s hearing on Tuesday to discuss his ‘familiarity and personal knowledge as Speaker of the House relative to the National Budget insertions, and as well as the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) flood control projects.’

Romualdez was also included in the copy of ICI’s immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) request to the Department of Justice (DOJ) dated this Wednesday.

Several public officials and companies have been at the hot seat recently, amid revelations that flood control funds may have been lost to corruption.

In his fourth State of the Nation Address last July 2025, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. condemned government officials and contractors who allegedly benefitted from flood control projects at the expense of the people.

Eventually, Marcos inspected several projects which were then revealed to be either substandard or completely non-existent.

Investigations from different bodies – including Congress – followed suit, but several lawmakers were implicated as either having interests in the companies that do flood control projects, or were accused of diverting funds for such purposes.

The flood control scandal eventually reached Congress’ leadership: last September 8, former Senate president Francis Escudero was replaced by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, after after Escudero was criticized for receiving a P30 million campaign donation in 2022 from a contractor whose firm was able to bag a lot of government infrastructure projects.

In the House, Romualdez relinquished his post last September 17, to allow an independent commission to probe his alleged involvement in flood control issues.

Romualdez has not been connected to any of the top companies doing the flood control projects, but he was one of the lawmakers named by contractor-couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya of allegedly receiving kickbacks from the projects.

Romualdez called out the Discaya couple’s claims, calling it ‘false, malicious and nothing more than name-dropping.’

Business tycoon and billionaire Hans Sy is the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) 2025 ‘Management Person of the Year,’ making him the 49th recipient of the prestigious award.

Sy, chair of China Banking Corp. and SM Prime Holdings Inc.’s executive committee, is recognized for his ‘lifelong commitment to environmental stewardship, social inclusion, good governance and resilience.’

Under Sy’s leadership, SM Prime Holdings grew to be the one of the largest property development firms in Southeast Asia.

His appointment was approved by MAP members during their general membership meeting on Wednesday.

Other awardees in recent years were former Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson (2024), Jollibee Foods Corp. CEO Ernesto Tanmantiong (2023) and DMCI Holdings Inc. chair and president Isidro Consunji (2022).

Finally returning to action, Kat Tolentino is grateful to be able to contribute again to the Choco Mucho Flying Titans in the PVL.

Tolentino has been sidelined for most of the year due to a ruptured appendix but she hardly missed a beat, pouring in 15 points in their 33-31, 26-24, 25-23 sweep of Capital1 in the PVL Reinforced Conference opening day.

‘I think I’m just thankful to be back and be able to play alongside the team,’ said the veteran opposite spiker. ‘That in itself is already a blessing for me. Being able to contribute is also a plus but I know there’s still more I can give and it was really a team effort.’

It was not the first time that Tolentino had dealt with health issues after also missing a chunk of the 2024 season due to an auditory problem, but the struggles have not dampened her determination to return to action.

‘I was thankful to coach Dante and the team that they welcomed me back with open arms,’ said the former Ateneo Blue Eagle. ‘It took a long time, but I had to make sure that I was mentally and physically healthy and ready to come back 100%. I didn’t want it to be something that I felt forced to do.’

Tolentino’s first game back after a long layoff impressed Choco Mucho coach Dante Alinsunurin.

‘I’m really impressed and I salute Kat. Every time something happens to her, she’s so patient and determined to come back,’ said Alinsunurin in Filipino. ‘I’m super proud of how she performed-she really gave her best.

‘At first, I was nervous since it was her first game back, but once I saw how she was moving in the first set, it felt like her usual self again, and I had full trust in her from that point on.’

Tolentino and Choco Mucho, though, will have to replicate-or even surpass-their Tuesday’s efforts when they meet Capital1 again after the PVL decided to replay all the opening games due to the dispute over International Transfer Certificates.

Reigning Miss Asia Pacific International Janelis Leyba came to the Philippines earlier last month for the remainder of her yearlong reign. But she will not be on hand to crown her successor.

The Dominican-American preschool teacher from New York even joined the delegates to Cebu, where most of the activities had been scheduled. However, she had already flown back home even before the winner had been chosen.

This was revealed at the ‘National Directors’ Night’ hosted by the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant at the Temple of Leah in Cebu City on Monday evening, Oct. 6.

Onin Mas, the pageant’s director for international relations, crown management, and media relations, told the national directors, ‘the winner for 2024 decided to go back to her home country because of the trauma that she had experienced during the earthquake.’

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake origninating in Bogo City in northern Cebu halted the pageant’s Benefit Gala Night at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City on Sept. 30, just as the program was about to close.

Videos from the incident saw Leyba frantically taking off her crown and dropping it on the runway as she hurriedly left the stage to seek safety from the tremor.

Inquirer Entertainment learned that she was still living in the Dominican Republic when the Caribbean was jolted by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake originating from Haiti, in 2010 when she was still six years old.

The pageant’s organizers said the painful memory of the tremor that she experienced as a child may still be fresh in her mind, and her fear may have been triggered by the Cebu earthquake.

‘We respect the decision,’ Mas emphasized. He also clarified that Leyba is still considered the reigning Miss Asia Pacific International titleholder of 2024.

Last year’s batch still has a representative, second runner-up Selena Ali of Belgium, who has been with the delegates since day one, from Manila all the way to Cebu, even experiencing the earthquake with the ladies.

‘She’s been with us right after the earthquake because she chose to be with us. And she’ll be with us until the coronation night, and she’ll be representing the whole batch of Miss Asia Pacific International,’ Mas said.

‘We’re happy that Selena is with us, and joining until the coronation night. So expect more from Selena. We’re very happy that we have [Ali], and you make your batch very, very proud,’ he continued.

Meanwhile, Mas and Miss Asia Pacific International President Eva Patalinug-Lim revealed that the province of Cebu will still host next year’s competition. The 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International coronation night will be held at the Cebu Coliseum on Oct. 8. Forty-three ladies from around the world are competing for the title.

Five women leaders in the Philippine corporate world landed on Fortune Magazine’s list of ‘100 Most Powerful Women Asia.’

They are recognized for being unfazed by global and regional volatility and instead leveraging these challenges to accelerate the growth of their businesses.

Mynt president and CEO, Martha Sazon, ranked highest among the women leaders at the 37th spot.

As chief of Mynt, Sazon oversees the operations of popular e-wallet platform GCash, which now has over 94 million Filipino users.

Last year, Japan’s MUFG Bank invested $393 million into GCash, raising the valuation of this fintech to $5 billion.

Now headed for its stock market debut, GCash is expected to raise as much as $1.5 billion from its initial public offering, making it the largest listing in the Philippines.

Sazon said her inclusion ‘reflects how GCash continues to make a difference in the lives of millions of Filipinos who count on our app every day.’

Property, banking leaders

Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) president and CEO Anna Ma. Margarita Bautista Dy ranked No. 69. The first woman to hold the top position at ALI, Dy heads the real estate giant’s pursuit of a massive P13-billion mall redevelopment project and portfolio expansion across the company’s business units.

Under Dy’s leadership, ALI also took over New World Hotel Makati as part of its $500-million plan to double its hotel room capacity to 8,000 by the end of the decade.

Land Bank of the Philippines president and CEO Lynette Ortiz is at 72nd place, recognized for leading the country’s largest government financial institution.

The seasoned banker has built a strong, three-decade career in the sector. Landbank, which has at least P3.44 trillion in assets and the country’s second-largest bank, is seen to offer competitive product offerings and stand ‘shoulder to shoulder with private banks’ with Ortiz at the helm.

At No. 92 on Fortune’s list is Megaworld Corp. president Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso, now leading the company’s plan to expand its township and office empire.

Despite a challenging environment for the real estate sector, Megaworld leveraged the strength of its townships, which have led to record-high profits for the developer.

Alfonso is now focusing on taking charge of Megaworld’s $6.1-billion expansion plan over the next five years.

Next-gen banker

Union Bank of the Philippines president and CEO Ana Maria Aboitiz Delgado is 94th.

Delgado, a fifth-generation member of the Aboitiz family, is currently driving the bank’s digital innovation and customer-centric growth.

‘This recognition reflects her visionary leadership, commitment to innovation and dedication to client-centric service-hallmarks of UnionBank’s aspiration to be the Philippines’ leading Next-Gen Bank,’ UnionBank said in a statement sent to the Inquirer.

‘Ana’s presence on this global list affirms her role in shaping the future of banking not only in the Philippines, but across the region for generations to come,’ it added.

According to Fortune, all the leaders on its list were scored based on the scale and performance of their business, innovation, influence, trajectory and impact.

DBS Group CEO Tan Su Shan topped the list, the first woman to lead the Singapore-based banking giant. INQ

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday unveiled eight new Petroleum Service Contracts (PSCs) covering exploration areas in the Sulu Sea, Cagayan, Cebu, northwest Palawan, east Palawan and central Luzon.

PSCs are agreements between the government and the private sector that allow the latter to explore, develop and produce petroleum resources within designated areas.

In his speech, Marcos said the agreements would ensure a sufficient energy supply for the present and future generations.

‘Through these service contracts, our country will have a secure supply of energy – enough to meet our needs not only today but also for the future of our children and the generations to come,’ he said.

Valued at USD 200 million, or around P11.6 billion, these PSCs will pave the way for the exploration of offshore gas and oil reserves in Palawan and the Sulu Sea, as well as hydrogen exploration in central Luzon, among others.

‘Consequently, these efforts will capture the interest of more international partners to invest in our country and to join our quest to discover new indigenous resources,’ the president said.

‘We will continue to update and upgrade our processes to make them more responsive to the needs of our investors and our communities. In return, I encourage our investors to turn your investments into engines of progress,’ he added.

The Department of Energy, through its Philippine Conventional Energy Contracting Program, evaluated applications that were found legally, technically, and financially qualified to enter into PSCs for their areas.

Below is the list of the eight PSCs presented during the ceremony:

PSC Nos. 80 and 81 – awarded to a consortium composed of Triangle Energy (Global) Limited, Sunda Energy Plc, and Philippine-based firms PXP Energy Corp. and The Philodrill Corp. were aimed to revitalize petroleum exploration in the southern Sulu Sea

PSC No. 82 – located in the Cagayan basin and awarded to Triangle Energy (Global) Limited

PSC Nos. 83 and 84 – both for native hydrogen exploration in Central Luzon, were awarded to Koloma Inc., a company based in the United States

PSC No. 85 – located in Cebu was awarded to Gas 2 Grid Pte. Ltd.

PSC No. 86 – located in the northwest Palawan basin was awarded to a consortium of Filipino companies composed of The Philodrill Corp., Anglo Philippine Holdings Corp., PXP Energy Corp., and Forum Energy Philippines Corp.

PSC No. 87 – located in the east Palawan basin was was awarded to Ratio Petroleum Ltd. of Israel. /apl

Sen. Erwin Tulfo is the acting chairman of the Senate Blue Ribbon panel at present, said Senate President Vicente Sotto III.

Sotto confirmed the matter to reporters in an ambush interview on Wednesday following an hour-long caucus with the majority bloc.

The Senate president said Senators JV Ejercito, Risa Hontiveros, Pia Cayetano, Raffy Tulfo, and Francis Pangilinan all declined to head the committee.

‘None of the five wants it now. As of now, acting chairman is Sen. Erwin Tulfo. When he comes back, we are going to conduct a blue ribbon meeting,’ said Sotto.

The Senate chief explained that the five declined because they want to focus on their committees.

Tulfo, meanwhile, is the vice chairperson of the powerful blue ribbon committee.

Sotto earlier said that if none of the five senators accept their offer to chair the panel, Tulfo would automatically be named as its head, being the current committee vice chairman.

According to Sotto, committee hearings in the chamber will continue despite the Senate’s scheduled session adjournment on Friday.

‘Just because we’re on break or some are out of town, it doesn’t mean that the Senate will not proceed,’ said Sotto. ‘The reason why we have this break [is] so that the committee hearings continue.’

‘There will be continuous hearings of different committees, most especially the committee on finance,’ he noted.

But now that Tulfo has been designated the acting chairperson of the Blue Ribbon panel, will he become permanent in his post? Sotto said it would be decided upon by Tulfo and the majority.

For now, the Senate president said Tulfo accepted the post: ‘He accepted. He said: ‘Just acting in the meantime, right?”

The search for the next blue ribbon panel head started after Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson resigned.

In a resignation letter, dated Oct. 7 and addressed to Sotto, Lacson explained how a number of their colleagues have expressed disappointment with the ‘direction’ of the blue ribbon committee hearings regarding the anomalous flood control projects.

‘Some senators publicly and secretly pursue the narrative that I am zeroing in on several of my colleagues while purportedly protecting those members of the Lower House perceived to be the principal actors in the budget anomalies related to the substandard and ghost flood control projects,’ said Lacson.

But according to him, nothing could be further from the truth.

‘This narrative is categorically false. These misrepresentations are being floated mostly by critics opposed to our efforts to get to the bottom of the flood control anomalies,’ he said. /apl

Moderate to heavy rain with lightning and strong winds is expected over parts of Quezon and Batangas on Wednesday morning, according to the state weather bureau.

In its 6:50 a.m. advisory, Pagasa’s National Capital Region wing reported that thunderstorms are expected within the next two hours in Quezon province, including the towns of Mauban, Perez, Polillo, Real, Sampaloc, Lucban, Tiaong, San Antonio, Dolores, Tayabas, Candelaria, and Sariaya.

In Batangas, the affected areas are Santo Tomas, Lipa, Tanauan, Malvar, Balete, and Mataasnakahoy.

The agency said similar conditions are being experienced in San Pablo, Nagcarlan, and Rizal in Laguna and may persist for two hours, affecting nearby areas.

In a separate weather forecast, Pagasa reported that rains will continue across the Philippines as the Intertropical Convergence Zone, northeasterly wind flow, and localized thunderstorms persist on Wednesday.