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Kabataan party-list Rep. Renee Co condemned the subpoenas issued by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) to two youth leaders for questioning over their alleged involvement in violence during the Sept. 21 anti-corruption rallies.

‘While the people are rising up against corruption, they are trying to silence us. They are quick to prosecute innocent citizens but slow to hold the corrupt accountable,’ Co said in Filipino in a statement on Wednesday.

‘We condemn this kind of repression. The only response to such treatment by the state is the people’s continued struggle in the streets,’ she added.

Co identified two of those subpoenaed as Aldrin Kitsune of the youth group Kabataan Kontra Korapsyon and Jacob Baluyot of the campus journalist alliance Alyansa ng Kabataang Mamamahayag.

In a separate statement on Tuesday night, the College Editors Guild of the Philippines also denounced the subpoena against Baluyot, saying he merely ‘covered the anti-corruption protests that day along with hundreds of student journalists.’

However, during a press briefing at Camp Crame on Wednesday, CIDG public information chief Maj. Helen dela Cruz declined to confirm whether Kitsune and Baluyot were among the four male ‘leaders with large followings’ who had been subpoenaed.

‘Witch hunt’

Asked for comment, in a phone interview with the Inquirer later on Wednesday, Kitsune confirmed police brought the CIDG’s subpoena to his Manila and Quezon City residences last Sept. 30.

But, Kitsune explained he was unable to receive the subpoena personally since he was working with human rights groups assisting the protestors detained during the Mendiola riot. He only managed to access an electronic copy over the weekend.

‘I consulted with paralegals and attorneys about this. They’re also confused. What the CIDG is doing is alarming. Shouldn’t a prosecutor or a judge issue a subpoena?’ he said partly in Filipino.

‘They make it appear like those who protested or rioted were terrorists. That’s the impression for me, which is extremely alarming, traumatizing. I’m just a film student,’ he added in a mix of Filipino and English.

Kitsune said he had been at the Luneta rally with his group since 8 a.m. and arrived in Mendiola at around 3:39 p.m.

The Mendiola program ended and the violence erupted sometime at 3:30 p.m.

Kitsune added that he will answer the CIDG soon with the support of his organizations but did not specify when.

For his part, in a separate phone interview with the Inquirer on Wednesday, Baluyot said the subpoena was dated Oct. 3 and police brought the subpoena to his Manila home last Tuesday while he was in class.

Baluyot is scheduled to appear before the CIDG on Friday.

‘Honestly, I will describe this incident as an orchestrated witch hunting sa mga youth activists at saka sa campus journalists,’ he maintained.

Will he comply with the subpoena? Baluyot answered, ‘Yes. Just to make sure and to clear things up na I’m a campus journalist that day and nothing more than that.’

‘Crimes were committed’

Asked to respond to Co’s statement, Dela Cruz defended the CIDG’s move to summon the individuals.

‘Crimes and violations were committed during the rally, as we saw that there was unrest and violence. The investigation is proper and still ongoing,’ she pointed out in a mix of Filipino and English.

Dela Cruz cited Republic Act No. 10973 as the basis for the CIDG’s authority to subpoena individuals for its investigations and to file a case before a regional trial court for indirect contempt if they fail to appear.

Dela Cruz earlier said only one of the subpoenaed individuals appeared before them last Monday.

The lone respondent, in a phone interview with reporters, identified himself as vlogger Park Alamada Pangawilan.

Pangawilan denied involvement in the riot, saying the violence had already broken out at both Ayala Bridge and the Mendiola Peace Arch when he and his group arrived from another program at Liwasang Bonifacio.

The violence erupted at the foot of Ayala Bridge and the Mendiola Peace Arch – both leading to Malacañang Palace – during and after the Baha sa Luneta rally in Rizal Park on Sept. 21.

Police arrested more than 200 rioters – including over 80 minors – amid the chaos, prompting human rights groups to condemn law enforcement for allegedly failing to exercise maximum tolerance.

The Baha sa Luneta rally, its subsequent program in Mendiola before the riot, and the Trillion Peso March were part of a series of protests denouncing government corruption amid ongoing investigations into alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

There is a pattern here: shoot first, ask questions later. It is a mentality characteristic of the police, but they have no monopoly on it: politically speaking, even many of the well-intentioned indignant over corruption, subscribe to it, or at least, enjoy it.

Former Philippine National Police chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, incidentally, all three once upon a time senior police generals, have thrilled at riding high in the public’s estimation, only to smear themselves against an immovable wall of institutionally acceptable conduct. The barrier is this: you really can bite off more than you can chew.

Torre, whatever his justifications might be, indulged in an act of insubordination too far; so did Magalong, who went from adviser to bloodhound after already being cautioned that his acceptance of a presidential task while retaining a local executive’s job (and his own enthusiastic acceptance of political backing from a senator being questioned over his public works record) represented conflicts of interest, no trivial matter for someone presenting himself as the incarnation of good governance; and where have you seen a Senate President Pro Tempore put his Senate President in peril in the manner Lacson did, by casting a wider and wider dragnet even as he inched forward on initial investigations?

In all three instances, their self-proclaimed aims of good governance could have been better-because longer- served-by their having a little more self-control, indulging in a little less grandstanding, and displaying a lot more situational awareness of those who are motivated by already being incriminated in crimes, ready to pounce the moment their tormentors made a mistake.

Of the three, it was Lacson who demonstrated that old habits truly die hard. ‘Gratuitous’ is the precise word to describe his tarring nearly all his colleagues with a wide brush, and ‘imprecise’ is the precise way Senate President Vicente Sotto III had to describe that effort at attributing guilt. Virtually all senators, he said, proposed amendments to the budget in open session, something that is every legislator’s job; but only a few made insertions to it behind closed doors in the small huddles comprising the bicameral conference committee-the scandal at hand.

Sen. JV Ejercito objected to being tarred, and by so doing, set off the alarm that a coup was in the works. Lacson fired off a letter-a formal tantrum-declaring not only his virtue but also his sulky resignation from the chairmanship of the blue ribbon committee. The adults in the room tried to soothe the wounded pride of their colleague.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan revealed, ‘My sense was and is that while there were some colleagues in the majority bloc who disagreed with earlier public pronouncements made by him, the matter had been threshed out and clarified by him in a majority caucus held last Wednesday, Oct. 1. No one in the majority bloc sought his replacement as blue ribbon committee chair,’ adding, ‘I appeal to Sen. Ping to stay on.’ Sotto remarked, ‘Sen. Lacson is frustrated; I will support whatever decision he makes.’

But whether Lacson relents-and it would be good if he did, because he does know how to conduct a thorough investigation-the damage has been done. He rashly painted a target on the entire institution, rending it-and Lacson and his committee-vulnerable because, if true, his accusations extinguished the legitimacy of the Senate.

Were alarmed senators to push through with their warning of a coup, it wouldn’t save their necks but rather paint vivid targets on their backs. On one hand, there would be greater public anger; on the other, it would add to the perception of the foul public mood as fostering adventurism among the original suspects: those already facing cases and fearing future cases, because of the many crimes they can be accused of when it comes to public funds. In a time of extremism-bloodcurdling romanticizing of the Nepal lynchings and burnings, outright sedition by retired officers, and constant rhetorical and social media escalation by the former regime wanting to accelerate the dawn of its own restoration-then the least extreme, because still constitutional, emergency measure not only becomes plausible but objectively necessary.

Recall: there is one official whose popularity is rising, and it’s the President. If the public sees no further utility in Congress and yet is alarmed by efforts of the investigated to shield themselves by inciting military coups and stoking the fires of sedition, no President would be able to resist the invitation to impose order through emergency rule.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has lifted the import ban on poultry products from various countries recently declared free from bird flu.

In separate issuances, the DA said the risk of contamination from importing poultry from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Sweden and Kelantan and Malaysia’s Sabah states was ‘negligible.’

The DA lifted the import restriction as respective authorities from these countries informed the World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) that all reported cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) had ended with resolved status and no additional outbreaks.

To recall, the agency imposed the moratorium on poultry meat, day-old chicks, eggs and semen originating from these areas.

Years-long ban

In 2005 and 2020, respectively, the DA barred the entry of poultry products from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia and Slovenia.

Subsequently, in 2017 and 2018, the DA enforced the restriction on poultry imports from Kelantan and Sabah in Malaysia.

Meanwhile, the DA implemented the temporary ban on poultry products from Sweden in March last year.

‘All import transactions of the above commodities shall be in accordance with existing rules and regulations of the [DA],’ the issuances stated.

‘Disruptive’ disease

HPAI is a highly contagious viral disease affecting both domestic and wild birds. This animal disease is considered one of the most economically disruptive animal diseases, particularly for the poultry sector.

‘Avian influenza is also a major concern for public health,’ the WOAH said, noting its devastating consequences for the poultry industry, farmers’ livelihoods, global trade and health of wild birds.

Only Sweden is a major supplier of imported meat among the above-mentioned countries.

In the January to August period, Sweden exported 2.79 million kilograms of pork, equivalent to a market share of less than 1 percent, data from the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) showed.

The BAI data said meat import arrivals had risen by 16.5 percent to 1.06 billion kg during the first eight months, about 400,000 kg short of last year’s 1.5 billion kg.

Government data also showed that pork, chicken and beef were the top meat imports of the Philippines.

Philippine stock market investors lost P1.7 trillion in just three weeks because of corruption behind anomalous flood control projects, according to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Francis Lim, chair of the SEC, recently told financial executives the billion-peso flood control project scandal had already shaken public confidence, impacting the country’s overall growth prospects.

‘It’s a stark reminder that corruption is a weapon of mass wealth destruction,’ the official said during his speech at the annual conference of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (Finex).

‘When trust breaks down, capital dries up, and everyone-government, business and the public-pays the price,’ he added.

The chief of the corporate watchdog also said the ‘laggard’ market reflected a ‘crisis of confidence’ and that public servants needed to rebuild trust to ensure economic growth.

SEC, a member of the Anti-Money Laundering Council through Lim, recently voiced its support for the lifting of the bank secrecy law to aid in the government investigation into the flood control projects.

Lim clarified, however, that Congress would need to determine whether a full lift would be beneficial, or if there should be certain exemptions.

Police have filed criminal charges against a man in South Cotabato for allegedly selling nude photos of minors to foreigners, the Philippine National Police Women and Children’s Protection Center (PNP WCPC) said on Wednesday.

In an interview with reporters in Camp Crame, WCPC spokesperson Maj. Shari Deseo did not name the suspect.

Deseo said he was a 25-year-old with a teacher’s license who was not practicing the profession and was instead operating a small internet cafe and selling snacks to schoolchildren.

‘A case was already filed before the prosecutor’s office against the perpetrator,’ she noted.

The case was for allegedly violating Republic Act No. 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act; and RA No. 11930 or the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Anti-Child Sexual Abuse or Exploitation Materials (CSAEM) Act.

‘He takes pictures of the children and make them pose in sexual ways, has them undress, and sells the materials to foreigners. on a social media platform,’ the spokesperson detailed.

‘Three of them were neighbors. One of them is the perpetrator’s sibling,’ she added, further saying the suspect offered the victims P50 to P600 to take pictures of them.

The suspect was arrested at his home in Banga town, South Cotabato last Friday, following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the WCPC.

During the arrest, the four male minors the suspect allegedly victimized – with ages between 10 and 16 – were brought from their homes to the province’s social welfare and development office to undergo psychological assessment. /apl

Janine Gutierrez uncontrollably burst into tears hours before her birthday as she was reminded of how her late grandmother Pilita Corrales would have celebrated the occasion with her.

Gutierrez, who turned 36 last Oct. 2, showed moments from her birthday trip to Africa with her actor boyfriend Jericho Rosales, through her Instagram page on Tuesday, Oct. 7.

In the caption, the actress narrated, ‘We were having dinner the day before my birthday and when Echo said happy birthday because it was already midnight in Manila, out of the blue, I couldn’t stop crying.’

‘I could hear mamita’s voice in my head singing happy birthday and it just hit me,’ she continued, referring to Corrales. ‘She would always sing happy birthday in her full singing voice and it just kept playing in my head and I really couldn’t stop crying over my seafood like a baby. I don’t know what happened, but I guess that’s grief.’

Gutierrez then disclosed that her yaya, whom she and her siblings treat as their second mother, has been seeking treatment for an undisclosed illness-which made her think twice about leaving for her trip.

‘My siblings said I should go and it would be okay. And then the day before I leave, as I’m about to pack, I find this old letter from mamita as I get my last box of things from my old condo,’ she wrote, showing a photo of the handwritten letter.

‘I don’t even know when this was from but I also kept crying when I found it cos it felt like a message from her saying I should go. Don’t worry,’ she continued.

The actress nonetheless said that she is grateful to be blessed with another year and with people who have been nothing but supportive.

‘It’s been the toughest year but I’m just filled with gratitude for everyone who’s held mine and my family’s hand throughout everything,’ she stated. ‘I’m so grateful for my family and Echo and my friends and my work families and all of you who’ve been there.’

‘I’m so grateful for this trip. It turned out amazing,’ she added. ‘So here’s a dump from my actual birthday. Hindi na ko umiyak. Life is beautiful, just keep showing up.’

Corrales, the mother of Janine’s dad Monching Gutierrez, died last April at the age of 85.

If the ’30 percent’ is removed, a kilometer-long farm-to-market road could only cost as low as P10 million, but the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) quoted P15 million for it, Agriculture chief Francisco Tiu Laurel revealed on Wednesday.

Tiu Laurel, citing his experience in the private sector, made this candid admission during the Senate committee on finance hearing for the proposed P176.7 billion budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA).

This topic surfaced as committee chair Sen. Win Gatchalian noted that DA’s proposed budget for farm-to-market roads in 2026 was reduced to P16 billion from this year’s P23.2 billion allocation.

Tiu Laurel explained that the budget reduction was due to ‘budget constraints’ and the agency’s small fiscal space – or its flexibility in its spending choices – as advised by the Department of Budget and Management earlier this year.

This P16 billion will be used to build ‘a little bit less than’ 1,100 kilometers of roads, the DA chief said, citing the DPWH estimates.

This means that each kilometer of farm-to-market roads will cost P15 million to build or P15,000 per one meter, according to him.

Tiu Laurel, when asked by Gatchalian if this amount is agreed upon by DA and DPWH, said: ‘No. This is set by DPWH.’

‘I am from the private sector, and I build roads. It’s too high,’ the DA chief stressed.

The secretary said this could ‘easily’ be reduced to P10 million per kilometer or P10,000 per meter if the ’30 percent’ is removed.

It is not clear what Tiu Laurel was referring to in his ’30 percent’ remark.

However, it could be noted that a former DPWH assistant district engineer in Bulacan alleged that senators were asking for a 30 percent kickback for flood control projects.

During the previous Senate hearings, DPWH’s Bulacan 1st District Assistant District Engineer Brice Hernandez alleged that Sens. Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva maneuvered to allocate P355 million and P600 million for projects in Bulacan’s first district in exchange for a 30-percent cut.

Both senators denied the accusations, with Estrada filing a perjury case against Hernandez before a Quezon City prosecutor’s office on Tuesday.

A major corruption scandal involving flood control projects prompted congressional inquiry and the formation of an independent commission to investigate the suspected collusion between lawmakers, government officials, and contractors to embezzle billions of pesos from the country’s coffers.

Amid all these developments, a nationwide and widespread Sept. 21 protest occurred – with a deadly Mendiola riot stealing the show – and even rumors of a coup also emerged, which the military later denied. /apl

The Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP-HPG) clarified that it was inspecting vehicles with green plates to prevent their misuse.

HPG Director Col. Hansel Marantan earlier said the national police’s traffic unit would inspect electric vehicles to ensure they have a certificate from the Department of Energy (DOE).

‘I apologize to you if I caused you pain and inconvenience with my statement. That is not the intention of my statement,’ Marantan said, speaking in Filipino during a press briefing in Camp Crame on Wednesday.

‘I am referring to the owners of MVs (motor vehicles) sporting green plates that are not supposed to use that because that is illegal – illegal in the sense that they are not listed on the DOE list,’ he added.

Green license plates are a special type of license plate issued to electric vehicles, which are exempted from the number coding scheme imposed by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).

Marantan said the HPG was investigating ‘thousands’ of motor vehicles illegally using green plates, though he declined to give further details, citing their ongoing investigations.

‘It’s manageable still, but it’ll become alarming if law enforcers will not intervene,’ the HPG director said.

He added that the HPG will be coordinating with the Land Transportation Office to curb misuse of green plates.

Gil Aducal Morales – best known as the comedian Ate Gay – expressed his gratitude to God after the lump on his neck is almost gone, days after undergoing radiation therapy.

Morales gave another health update on his Facebook page on Monday, Oct. 6, while sharing a clip of himself showing off the spot on his neck where the cancerous lump had been.

‘Hello! Wala na akong bukol. Konting konti na lang (My lump is almost gone. Only a small part is left). Thank you, Lord. I love you po,’ he said in the clip.

In a separate post on Wednesday, Oct. 8, Morales showed a closer look at his neck, saying the progress had been obvious even if the radiation therapy lasted for four days thus far.

‘Morningggggggg selfie ko ngayong umaga . wala na akong makitang bukol. alam nyo bang 4day radiation lang yan at may 31 days pa ako. nakakagaling talaga Angpanalangin Dasal. lab u po,’ he wrote.

(This is my morning selfie today. I don’t see any lump. Did you know that this is the effect of a four-day radiation and I still have 31 days [to undergo radiation]? Prayers really work. I love You, God.)

Morales made headlines last September after he disclosed that he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. It was revealed days later that his condition is called mucoepidermoid squamous cell carcinoma, a rare type of cancer caused by mucous-secreting cells.

Government troops from the 46th Infantry Battalion (IB) based in Calbiga town, Samar, seized several high-powered firearms, including an M60 machine gun, in a military operation in Barangay Caranas, Motiong town, Samar, on Wednesday.

According to the 46th IB, the discovery of the arms cache-which also included one M4 rifle and two M16 rifles-was made possible through information provided by a captured member of the Communist New People’s Army (NPA).

The individual reportedly decided to cooperate with authorities after realizing the ‘propaganda and deception’ of the armed communist group.

Lt. Col. Marvin Inocencio, commanding officer of the 46th IB, said the seizure of weapons was a significant setback to the NPA’s operations in Samar, reducing their capability to conduct attacks and influence communities.

‘This success showcased the bravery and dedication of our soldiers and highlights the growing trust and cooperation of those who have seen through the deception of the CTG,’ Inocencio said in a statement. ‘Every firearm recovered means one less threat to our communities and one more step toward genuine peace.’

Inocencio also reiterated the government’s call for remaining NPA members to surrender and avail themselves of the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which offers livelihood and reintegration assistance to former rebels.

The 46th Infantry Battalion vowed to continue its efforts to secure peace and promote development in Motiong and other parts of Samar