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Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday denied that Cavite Rep. Kiko Barzaga is getting orders from her family, saying she is not calling for the resignation of President Marcos.

‘I never asked him to resign. That is a pointless call. He will not resign,’ Duterte said.

Barzaga led a protest against corruption in Forbes Park, Makati on Sunday.

‘I do not control Congressman Kiko Barzaga. He is his own person. He has his own principles and he has his own free will and there is nothing wrong at all with what he is doing because as I said, we are all covered by freedom of speech and expression,’ Duterte said.

Around 300 people joined the rally, according to police.

‘Considering the personality of Congressman Barzaga, can he be handled by other people? As you can see his independence in thinking, you also see his courage, his principles,’ Duterte added.

‘All nonsense’

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro yesterday denied Duterte’s claim that Marcos wants to stay in power.

‘All talk, all accusations, no evidence, all nonsense,’ Castro said in Filipino when asked for comment on Duterte’s latest tirades against the President.

To Duterte’s assertion that the Marcos administration is doing nothing, Castro said the President has been fighting corruption, which was not done during the administration of her father.

‘What’s worse is that they even defended those who allegedly abused public funds, like in the Pharmally scandal,’ Castro said.

The Palace press officer was referring to the multibillion-peso corruption scandal involving COVID-19 pandemic supplies under the Duterte administration.

‘They are now cleaning up their mess. Don’t divert attention from the sins they committed against the people,’ she said.

Sara awaits ICC ruling on appeal

The Vice President declined to comment on the decision of the International Criminal Court after the defense team of her father former president Rodrigo Duterte filed an appeal after the ICC rejected his interim release.

The former president’s lead counsel Nicholas Kaufman confirmed that an appeal was filed a week ago.

The ICC has released the redacted version of the Sept. 26 decision denying the interim release request.

The Vice President was mum on the ICC using her previous statement as basis in rejecting the interim release of the former president.

‘Yes, I have a comment on that, but I really want to wait for the decision on the appeal so that we can have only one comment,’ she said in Zamboanga City.

She also belittled the latest survey by the Social Weather Stations, which showed one in two Filipinos agreed that her father should be held accountable for killings in relation to his administration’s so-called war on drugs.

‘Assuming that the data in the survey is truthful and faithful, it is not useful here in our country, because the case is not happening here in our country,’ Duterte added.

She thanked senators for passing a resolution calling for the house arrest of her father.

Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao and his wife Jinkee are about to become grandparents with the birth of their son Jimuel’s baby.

Jinkee posted on Instagram a throwback photo of her and a baby Jimuel as a way to announce their family’s good news.

“The day I became your mother, my world changed instantly… It marked the start of a new version of myself, one that is tender, tired, and transformed,” Jinkee wrote.

“Time flies so fast na ikaw ang karga-karga ko noon sa susunod na buwan ang apo ko naman ang kakargahin ko. So grateful to God. He is indeed good all the time!” the boxer’s wife added.

Jimuel’s family had dinner with his rumored fiancee’s family in Los Angeles, California, as seen in Jinkee’s Instagram post last July.

‘Tonight deserves something special. Family dinner time. Cherishing family moments,” Jinkee wrote in her caption last July.

Manny fought against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas last July.

The University of the Philippines-Diliman’s sari-sari store-inspired artificial intelligence (AI) environment simulation has been picked as one of this year’s best innovations for the International Conference on Computer Vision 2025.

The ‘Sari Sandbox: A Virtual Retail Store Environment for Embodied AI Agents,’ from the team led by Prof. Rowel Atienza of the University of the Philippines-Diliman College of Engineering’s Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute, was selected as one of the ‘Best of ICCV,’ a prestigious showcase of research from among 12,000 submissions worldwide.

‘This recognition at ICCV, one of the world’s most competitive conferences in computer vision and AI, demonstrates that the Philippines can stand alongside the world’s best researchers in AI,’ Atienza said.

Sari Sandbox is the first comprehensive retail store simulation environment designed to train AI systems in performing shopping tasks.

With the project’s photorealistic 3D simulation environment and dataset from human participants interacting with it through a virtual reality controller, embodied AI agents could learn complex shopping behaviors and tasks, from navigating store aisles to reading product labels such as expiration dates and scanning barcodes at checkout – benchmarked against authentic human behavioral data.

Lead researcher Janika Deborah Gajo, a BS Computer Engineering student, said the team surveyed several convenience stores across Metro Manila to ensure that the simulation accurately represents the retail experience.

The retail sector, particularly the sari-sari store, which represents nearly 70 percent of manufactured goods sold in the Philippines, remains a largely unexplored territory for AI development because existing systems focus on household tasks.

The study added that through Sari Sandbox’s simulation environment, AI assistants can be developed for inventory management, store layout design, product placement optimization, customer service and supply chain optimization, technologies particularly valuable for the country’s 1.3 million sari-sari stores.

For his part, Sari Sandbox co-author Emmanuel Maminta, an AI PhD student, said their goal was to ‘build AI that can make smart, practical decisions that mirror human-level reasoning.’

‘By developing AI that can handle tasks like budgeting and grocery planning, tasks every Filipino knows well, we’re advancing practical AI solutions rooted in Filipino ingenuity,’ Maminta said.

UP president Angelo Jimenez said while the project’s recognition in the conference reflects the university’s growing prominence in AI research, it demonstrates how our researchers are leveraging Filipino cultural contexts to advance global scientific knowledge while addressing challenges directly relevant to our economy.

The trust ratings of both President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Vice President fell amid the most controversial corruption scandal of the administration, according to a new survey from the Social Weather Stations (SWS) released on Wednesday, October 15.

The survey, commissioned by Stratbase Consultancy and confirmed by the SWS, was conducted from September 24 to 30, interviewing 1,500 adults.

A total of 300 people were interviewed in Metro Manila, 600 in Balance Luzon, 300 in the Visayas and 300 in Mindanao. The survey has a sampling error margin of ±3% for national percentages.

In the SWS survey, Marcos had a trust rating of 43% in September, down from 48% in June. Combined with those who do not trust him and those who are undecided, Marcos’ net trust rating stands at +7 – an 11-point decrease from +18 in June.

Marcos’ highest net trust ratings remain in his bailiwick of Luzon. He retained a +22 trust rating in Balance Luzon, yet this still represented a strong decline. The president used to enjoy high trust ratings in Balance Luzon at +40, an 18-point drop from July to September.

Marcos’ next highest trust rating is +11 in Metro Manila. This is also a significant drop from his net trust rating of +19 in June.

Meanwhile, Marcos’ net trust ratings in the Visayas and Mindanao have fallen into negative territory. In September, the president scored -1 net trust in the Visayas and -21 in Mindanao.

For the vice president, she has a net rating of +25 among those who still trust her (53% who trust her, 28% who do not, and 18% who are undecided).

Mindanao remains Duterte’s stronghold. Interviewees from the region gave her a +75 net trust rating last September. However, this is a decline from her +86 trust rating in June.

Duterte’s second-highest net trust rating is in the Visayas at +29 in September, but this is a 13-point decline from her +42 rating in June.

The vice president’s trust rating in Balance Luzon is her lowest at +4, followed by Metro Manila at +6.

This latest round of trust surveys comes amid the massive corruption scandal at the Department of Public Works and Highways. Billions of pesos are suspected to have been stolen in kickback schemes wherein lawmakers allegedly inserted money into the national budget for a cut later on.

The Palace took note of the survey results but maintained that Marcos cared little about numbers and would continue to work for the people.

There is cause for celebration in the Middle East. The last 20 living hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack against Israel have been released, Israel has also released 1,700 Palestinian prisoners taken during their war against Hamas, and world leaders signed a ceasefire effectively ending the war in Gaza.

We can give credit where credit is due; U.S. President Donald Trump had no small role in negotiating for this development and he should be commended for this.

But the question is and has always been ‘now what?’

What will Hamas do now that they have the time and opportunity to rebuild their forces? Will the Palestinian people still tolerate Hamas leadership after its actions almost led to the eradication of their existence? Who will rebuild Gaza and how?

Will Israel continue to push for the normalization of relations with the rest of the Middle East, which was one reason why Hamas launched their attack in the first place?

Trump dared say that this peace will hold, and while we hope it will, it isn’t something we should readily believe anytime soon. While there is happiness in both Israel and Gaza right now, the seeds have been sown for future conflicts; generations of Gazans will hate Israel for what it did during this war and will think nothing of taking up arms against it, Israel will never stop trying to destroy Hamas.

Will there even be peace? Now that Hamas has lost their best and only bargaining chips –the hostages– what will stop Israel from suddenly finding a reason to resume the war and finish Hamas off? Not that that would be a bad idea, one less terrorist organization to contend with.

What has yet to happen remains to be seen. But for now, let Israel celebrate the return of its hostages, let the people in Gaza celebrate the end of the war, and let the Middle East enjoy this breather in a world that has seen too much conflict recently.

Greg Slaughter said he is raring to go back to the PBA, four years after he last played in the league.

Slaughter, who last played in the PBA back in 2021 for the then-NorthPort Batang Pier, said that it is his ‘dream to come back’ to the PBA.

‘It’s been four years since I last played for the PBA. And I’ve missed it very much. I missed playing for the fans and competing in the top-level basketball league in the Philippines,’ he said.

‘A lot can happen in four years, and in truth, so much has: life experiences, growth and maturity. I’m older now and I am now the head of a family of five. I can honestly say that my life is great, but I also must admit, something has been missing,’ he added.

The 37-year-old center said that he is approaching ‘this new season in my life with humility,’ as he looked back and apologized on things he did wrong, including ‘miscommunications in the past that caused offense to an association that has been so good to me, an association that has made my dream of playing for a Filipino premier league come true.’

‘I am Fil-Am, but I have never felt more Filipino than when playing for the PBA. I’ve played elsewhere but nothing compares to playing for Filipino fans. They are the best in the world. Iba pa rin ang puso ng Pinoy,’ he said.

‘It is my dream to come back, and it is my dream for my family to see me proud of playing in the home court. I want my wife and children to watch me play basketball in the PBA again.

I want my three daughters to be proud of their father. I want them to grow up seeing me beam with pride in the PBA. To have a father who plays for the PBA is a legacy I want for my children.’

After being drafted first overall in the 2013 PBA Draft, he played for the Gin Kings until 2020. In March 2021, he was traded to NorthPort.

He then left the league in 2022 as he signed with the Rising Zephyr Fukuoka in the Japan B2 league.

In 2024, he returned to the Philippines and played in the MPBL.

‘Basketball is my favorite sport. I love it very much. It’s my life. I want to end by promising to everyone here and all the PBA fans everywhere that from here on, I will do my best and give my all in every game, and that you can all expect a more seasoned player,’ he said.

‘The PBA for me is family, the PBA for me is home.’

Slaughter’s PBA rights remain with the now-Titan Ultra Giant Risers.

Sen. Francis Escudero, through his counsel, defended the P30-million donation he received from a top flood control contractor for his 2022 Senate comeback bid.

Escudero submitted his response to the show-cause order issued against him by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) investigating the propriety of receiving a contractor’s money for his campaign.

‘We’re filing our submission early to respect the Comelec process. Our position is clear: the donation was legal, fully declared and follows long-standing practice,’ Escudero’s legal counsel Ramon Esguerra said.

‘The law is on our side, and we are confident the Comelec will find no fault,’ he added.

Escudero and his campaign donor Lawrence Lubiano of Centerways Construction and Development Inc. were summoned by the Comelec to explain their side for alleged violation of the election code.

The Omnibus Election Code prohibits government contractors from joining political partisan activities and donating money to candidates.

Escudero’s campaign donation was also the subject of an ethics complaint filed against him at the Senate by lawyer Eldrige Marvin Aceron.

Aceron alleged that Lubiano’s Centerways bagged 112 contracts worth P16.67 billion in Escudero’s turf Sorsogon from 2021 to 2025 as a result of the campaign donation. Escudero served as Sorsogon governor from 2019 to 2022.

Aceron also alleged that Centerways secured only 12 contracts worth P720 million in 2021, but this ‘escalated dramatically’ to P15.9 billion worth of contracts from 2022 to 2025, or after the P30-million donation to Escudero.

Escudero denied impropriety in accepting a personal donation given by a friend. Lubiano for his part said he donated the money in a personal capacity.

Perks often mean points and promos, but Globe is offering something more meaningful.

Globe is opening doors to today’s youth by connecting them with industry leaders and global pop culture icons through partnerships with Marvel U and Disney Studios. These opportunities are amplified through unique collaborations that bring experiences directly to students nationwide.

From volunteer missions to paid gigs and internships, the Globe Student Program welcomes every kind of student: the go-getters, the dreamers, the doers. It’s an open door to explore, connect and grow beyond the classroom and social media, now with a pop culture twist and real industry insights.

From fan perks to industry insights

Globe knows your life happens outside the classroom, that’s why it goes beyond typical rewards to connect you with your passions. It is your all-access pass to unforgettable experiences, from music festivals and art fairs to exclusive movie screenings.

For instance, through Globe’s partnership with Disney Studios and Marvel U, it brings you closer to the pop culture you love through epic fan activations and one-of-a-kind fan experiences designed for you.

You can also immerse yourself in the energy of music festivals, discover new things at art fairs, and catch the latest blockbusters at special screenings.

Also through this partnership, Globe is giving students opportunities to learn directly from industry professionals while enjoying the entertainment of Marvel Studios films. This commitment is proof of Globe’s drive to fuel student dreams and passions.

One recent highlight was the Star Wars Flyaway Program last April. In partnership with Disney, Globe gave four college students a chance to attend Star Wars Celebration 2025 in Tokyo, Japan.

Winners received an all-expense-paid trip. Students stayed connected through Globe’s GoRoam Japan, ensuring they shared their once-in-a-lifetime experience in real time.

Continuing the momentum in September, Globe hosted a workshop with Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski, where 150 students from Metro Manila universities gained valuable insights into storytelling, creativity, and personal strengths.

Looking ahead, Marvel U will also join Globe’s Campus Rush Program, bringing more freebies, giveaways and workshops to students nationwide.

In addition to educational events, Globe’s partnership with Disney Studios continues to expand with blockbuster screenings.

This year, Globe also brought students across the Philippines to special showings of Captain America: Brave New World, Thunderbolts and Fantastic Four: The First Family in key cities including Baguio, Davao, Cebu, Iloilo, Cabanatuan, Cagayan de Oro, Manila and Quezon City.

Beyond the perks

For Globe, it’s not just about fan perks or fun events. The telco’s support extends to real opportunities for growth.

With its exciting partnerships, students don’t just attend events, they help shape them. They take on real responsibilities, gain hands-on experience (and sometimes income) and explore fields they might one day lead.

Whether building a resume, advocating for causes or finding community, Globe makes space for students to thrive. Because for Globe, perks are just the beginning.

The real reward is being part of something bigger-fostering connection, empowerment and community-building for the youth, inspiring them to #GoForwardTogether, and encouraging them to #GoForIt as they shape a brighter future

Conglomerate San Miguel Corp. (SMC) has commenced with its preferred shares offering aimed at raising as much as P30 billion.

SMC is issuing 266.7 million Series 2 preferred shares, with an oversubscription option of 133.3 million shares, priced at P75 apiece.

The offer consists of Series 2-S preferred shares with an initial dividend rate of 6.9650 percent, Series 2-T preferred shares at 7.2560 percent and Series 2-U preferred shares at 7.5360 percent.

The offer period will run until Oct. 17, with the shares to be issued and listed on Oct. 24 on the Philippine Stock Exchange.

SMC will use the proceeds for the refinancing of existing short-term loans, which were used to redeem the Series 2-F Preferred Shares, to partially redeem the Series 2-J Preferred Shares and the Series 2-K Preferred Shares.

It will likewise be utilized to make additional investments in the infrastructure business, including the Manila International Airport and other airport related projects in Bulakan, Bulacan as well as the company’s tollways projects.

Bank of Commerce, BDO Capital and Investment Corp. and PNB Capital and Investment Corp. will be the joint issue managers. They are joined by BPI Capital Corp., China Bank Capital Corp., Land Bank of the Philippines, Philippine Commercial Capital Inc., RCBC Capital Corp. and Security Bank Capital Investment Corp. as joint lead underwriters and book runners.

The Philippines achieved a milestone in forensic leadership after an official of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) was elected to the Management Committee of the Asia-Pacific Medico Legal Agencies or APMLA.

NBI medico-legal division chief Al Anthony Chua was elected during the 17th Asian Forensic Science Network annual meeting and symposium and the 13th APMLA conference in Incheon, South Korea from Sept. 15 to 19.

A 38-member delegation of forensic professionals from the NBI attended the event.

NBI Director Jaime Santiago lauded Chua for the international recognition, describing it as a ‘milestone not only for the NBI, but for the entire Philippine forensic community.’