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We all probably have that friend who makes a big deal about all the steps they take in a day-and if not, you’re very likely that friend in your group. It’s actually hard not to be that person, especially if you’ve got your fitness in mind. And if you don’t already have a smartwatch or fitness band that’s tracking your steps, your phone is serving as your pedometer by default. Face it: You cannot escape the step count in 2025.

And for good reason, too. We all know by now that getting our steps in is the easiest way to maintain a baseline level of being healthy. If you’re lounging around at home all day and not getting up on your feet, it can lead to health problems. The only difference among everyone is exactly how many steps one should take in a single day.

Really active people will set at least 8,000 to 10,000 steps as their minimum. Regular people, especially those who may not enjoy walking (we are in a hot and humid tropical country, after all), can cap their steps at 6,000 to 7,000, which should take them around an hour to achieve.

That was the general wisdom. until now.

The fake 10,000 steps

First, recent scientific studies have found that the magic 10,000-step number is actually quite arbitrary. In fact, it’s even mythical-the origin of this particular figure is apparently the marketing of a Japanese pedometer company, which told people they needed to get a lot of walking in order to stay healthy. While, yes, being that active is good for you, it is a little bit overblown.

When you really think about it, achieving 10,000 steps a day would require you to walk a total of two to three hours, which most people may not have the time and energy for. (I know my feet would be cursing at me should I try to pull that off outside of a vacation in a walkable city abroad.)

Second, and the most important breakthrough: A new study published last week in the British Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that you may only need much less walking to get its benefits. The study tracked more than 13,000 women with an average age of 72, and after only walking 4,000 steps one day a week, they saw a decline in the likelihood of dying from or developing heart disease. They recorded a 27 percent lower risk of getting cardiovascular disease and a 26 percent lower risk of dying, compared to those who didn’t walk at all.

Walking is enough to save you, but it’s not a miracle cure

So what does this tell us exactly?

It’s important to look at the nuance. For those who simply need exercise to stave off chronic illness and diseases, and may not have time or energy to devote to a greater active lifestyle, the findings are positive that you’ll only need a relatively minimal amount of activity. Of course, the more active you are and can be, the better your chances will be-so if you can do more, please do more.

For those who are going after certain fitness and wellness goals, such as losing weight, burning fat, or increasing endurance, this isn’t the news you might be looking for. Your actual goals will still need actual, dedicated work. But it’s still good to know that even a decreased amount of activity from your usual levels still helps a lot more than doing nothing at all, so don’t stress out if your busy life keeps you sidelined.

Zooming out in the bigger picture, however, it’s clear that more studies need to be done-mainly because the subjects were elderly white women. There are a lot more variables that need to be looked at, and that’ll take a long time. Still, it’s a good sign that any movement is good, especially if the thought of diving into a full workout program or an entirely healthy and active lifestyle seems daunting to you.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) suspended sea travel in Romblon Monday morning due to rough sea conditions triggered by Severe Tropical Storm Tino.

Romblon is under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1.

‘All vessels are reminded to take precautionary measures and be extra vigilant in monitoring the movement of the Severe Tropical Storm if deemed to be affected by said weather disturbance,’ the PCG said.

‘Sea travel is risky for all types or tonnage of vessels. All mariners must remain in port or, if underway, seek shelter or safe harbor as soon as possible until winds and waves subside,’ the state weather bureau, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned.

In its 5 a.m. update, Pagasa reported that Tino was spotted some 430 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, moving west-southwest at 30 kilometers per hour (kph) with a maximum sustained wind speed of 110 kph near the center and gusts of 135 kph.

‘Tino is forecast to continuously intensify and may reach typhoon category within the next 12 hours,’ Pagasa added

Severe Tropical Storm Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) may intensify into a super typhoon as it approaches, while parts of the Visayas are under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2, state meteorologists said Monday.

As of 4 a.m. Monday, Tino was some 430 kilometers east of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, packing maximum sustained winds of 110 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 135 kph, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

Tino is forecast to reach the typhoon category Monday, and ‘it will likely make its initial landfall at or near peak intensity.’

‘The possibility of reaching super typhoon category is not ruled out based on alternate scenarios and climatological data,’ Pagasa said in its 5:00 a.m. update.

Pagasa weather specialist Daniel James Villamil also said ‘rapid intensification’ of Tino is ‘highly likely.’

‘The sea where Tino’s center is going has a high sea surface temperature, so it is favorable for further intensification,’ Villamil said.

Tino will make its initial landfall over Eastern Samar, Leyte, or the Dinagat Islands by Monday midnight or early Tuesday morning.

It will traverse the Visayas and northern Palawan before emerging over the West Philippine Sea on Wednesday morning or afternoon.

‘While its interaction with the terrain will trigger a slight weakening, Tino is expected to remain as a typhoon throughout its passage over the country,’ Pagasa said.

Pagasa hoisted TCWS No. 2 for the following parts of the Visayas:

Central and southern portions of Eastern Samar

Central and southern portions of Samar

Leyte

Biliran

Southern Leyte

Camotes Islands

The eastern portion of Bohol.

TCWS No. 1 is up for the following areas:

Luzon:

Sorsogon

Masbate, including Ticao Island and Burias Island

The southern portion of Albay

The southern portion of Oriental Mindoro

The southern portion of Occidental Mindoro

Cuyo Islands

Visayas:

Northern Samar

The rest of Eastern Samar

The rest of Samar

The rest of Bohol

The rest of Cebu, including the Bantayan Islands

Siquijor

Negros Oriental

Negros Occidental

Guimaras

Iloilo

Capiz

Aklan

Antique, including Caluya Islands

Mindanao:

The central portion of Surigao del Sur

The northern portion of Agusan del Sur

The rest of Agusan del Norte

The eastern portion of Misamis Oriental

Camiguin

My childhood mornings in Isabela began with the cry of roosters. For most people, it was just countryside background noise, the alarm clock that crowed too early. For me, it was family business. My father was a cockfighter, and the roosters in our yard weren’t pets. They were warriors in training, athletes bred for blood.

I remember watching my father care for them with tenderness that surprised me. He would feed them with precision, stroke their feathers, even talk to them as if they understood. Sometimes he would whistle a tune while cleaning their cages, as if it were no different from sweeping the yard or fixing a roof. To a child, it looked like love. Yet I also knew that this love had an endgame. One day, those same roosters would enter a cockpit, blades tied to their legs, fighting for his pride, his livelihood, and maybe his luck.

The first time he let me watch a derby, I was too young to understand what was happening. The air was thick with sweat, cigarette smoke, and the noise of men shouting wagers. The atmosphere buzzed with something that felt both festive and dangerous, like a fiesta where joy and desperation danced side by side. When the fight began, I froze. The roosters blurred into each other, feathers flying, claws striking, a spray of red on the sand. The crowd roared as if it were a basketball game, but I couldn’t cheer. One rooster fell, struggling for breath, and I remember clutching my father’s hand, too afraid to ask him if this was winning or losing.

Growing up in a cockfighter’s household means you learn contradictions early. I saw my father treat his roosters like champions, only to gamble them away in a few minutes of combat. I saw neighbors cheer at death, but also cradle their wounded birds with a tenderness that reminded me of a parent tucking in a child. Was it cruelty? Was it culture? In our town, those two things often wore the same face.

Cockfighting was never just about roosters. It was about money changing hands, debts being settled, pride being measured. Men came alive in the cockpit. They shouted, laughed, argued, prayed. For them, ‘sabong’ was not simply sport. It was brotherhood, tradition, and a stubborn piece of identity. To grow up there was to understand that it was woven into our weekends, our fiestas, even our family stories.

But as I grew older, I began to see the shadows it cast. Cockfighting wasn’t just feathers and noise. It was also broken families, unpaid debts, and fathers who went home with nothing in their pockets. It was children waiting for mothers to explain why the electricity bill couldn’t be paid that month. My own father came home defeated more than once, carrying silence heavier than any rooster. At times, I wondered if he was gambling not just with roosters, but with our family’s stability, our future.

And yet, I could never hate him for it. How could I? For him, cockfighting wasn’t vice. It was survival, a way of being part of a community, a way of holding onto manhood in a province where opportunities ran thin. He inherited it, the way I inherited his stories, his stubbornness, and the sound of roosters crowing before dawn. To deny him that would be to deny the world he grew up in, the very soil that raised us both.

Now at 17, far from the Isabela cockpits of my childhood, I think about those roosters differently. They were more than animals bred to fight. They were symbols of the contradictions I carry as a daughter of this country. We are a people who cling to tradition, even when it draws blood. We celebrate life with rituals of death. We gamble on chances and call it hope.

When I hear roosters now in Dumaguete, they don’t sound like background noise. They sound like memory, like the mornings when my father bent over a cage, whispering to a bird destined for a fight. They sound like the arena, with its blur of feathers and frenzy. They sound like the part of me that is both proud and uneasy about where I come from.

I don’t know if cockfighting has a future. Maybe it will be banned completely; maybe it will outlast all of us. But I do know this: I cannot erase it from my story. I was raised in its shadow, by a father who loved his roosters as fiercely as he risked them.

And perhaps that is the lesson cockfighting left me with: that love and violence, pride and loss, tradition and change are never clearly separated. They are tangled together, like feathers and blood on a sandpit floor-remnants of a fight both brutal and beautiful, unforgettable in the way only childhood truths can be.

A driver and his helper were severely injured after their truck with hazardous materials rammed a tree in Barangay Old Cabalan, Olongapo City, on Monday.

Reports said the truck went out of control, crashed into parked vehicles, and eventually collided with a tree.

The front portion of the truck was destroyed, and the victims were trapped inside until rescuers pulled them out and rushed them to a hospital.

Cleanup operations are ongoing at the site, and containment measures have been initiated as the truck was carrying soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate. The hazardous chemical is commonly used in glass manufacturing, detergents, and chemical production. It poses health risks due to its alkaline properties, which can cause eye, skin, and respiratory irritation or burns upon exposure

Kim Atienza grew emotional as he looked back at how he was reminded that he had been a good father to his late daughter, Emmanuelle ‘Emman’ Atienza, through a letter he received from one of the latter’s friends.

In a tell-all interview on ‘Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho’ broadcast on Sunday, November 2, Kim looked back on how he accompanied Emman to the hospital after a ‘past attempt’ during the ‘first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic. He didn’t know what to do at the time, so he read the biblical book of Psalms to her.

‘The first few months of the pandemic, nag-lockdown, Emman attempted. And ang ospital n’un, 48 hours bago makakuha ng kwarto. And Emman and I were in the emergency room. I didn’t know what to do. I was praying and praying in the room and I was reading the bible to her, I was reading the book of Psalms to her constantly. Akala ko naiirita but apparently, I made an impact,’ he recalled.

Years later, Kim was informed by Emman’s friend in a letter that that particular moment had always stuck with the latter and would always use it as a reminder that things would be okay.

‘I got this letter from Sam Watson, he’s an American friend of Emman, they’re very close. ‘I have a story to tell you. I want to say with complete sincerity that you’re an incredible father. When I first met Emman in person, we started talking about mental health,” he said while reading out the letter from his phone. ”She explained to me that she had a lot of struggles and she was hospitalized after her first attempt.”

”She talked about one of the reasons it was going to be okay was you coming in and reading to her. She reminisced those parts at her weakest and how she felt a sense of family who really loved her, she talked about how much you meant to her. She spoke about all the experiences you gave her, your kindness to animals, kindness to others, hardships and overcoming them. I feel like you deserve those moments because she really, really loved you,’ he continued.

While crying, Kim said Emman never told her how much it meant to her, crediting it to children not being open with ‘expressing their feelings.’ Despite this, the letter from Emman’s friend – along with many other consoling messages – was seemingly a reminder from God that he did well as a father.

‘Kinekwento niya sa lahat gaano niya ako kamahal. But you know, it gave me comfort na nakuha ang mga sulat na ‘to on that day [we found out]. Assurance ‘to ni Lord na you’re a good father and Emman had purpose,’ he said.

‘I want to think of the beautiful things. I want to think of how beautiful she was, how smart she was, itong mga grim details, binibigay ko kay Lord ‘yan,’ he further added.

Coping with grief

When Emman died, Kim said he went through the stages of grief, although he is already at the acceptance stage. Still, he allows himself to cry because it’s a ‘healthy’ way of navigating through the wave-like sensation of grief.

‘Nagsimula ako sa questioning. And then nagkaroon ako ng konting resentment, anger sa sitwasyon. Nagreklamo ako kay Lord. Ngayon, nasa acceptance na ako. Tanggap ko na ang nangyari,’ he said. ‘Alam kong wala na siya pero kapag naalala ko ang past memories namin. kapag may naalala ka, iiyak ka. Pero kapag may dumadating na alaala, ang sakit. I allow myself to cry kasi it’s healthy. It comes in waves.’ Despite being heartbroken, the TV presenter said he is grateful for the 19 years he had with his daughter.

‘You know what I’m thankful for? The Lord gave me 19 beautiful years and not only me. God gave Emman to millions of people in those 19 years, ang daming na-inspire ng anak ko. I’m proud of my Emman,’ he said.

‘She was brave despite the fact na may iniinda siya. Nilaban niya. She was very authentic, kung anong tunay, sinasabi niya. But despite those two traits, Emman was also kind. She did everything with kindness. Ngayong wala na si Emman, just be kind. And when you’re kind today, Emman will live in our hearts,’ he continued.

After Emman’s wake, Kim said he will continue to be on leave for work, and will focus on spending more time with his family. ‘Happy ako na ‘yung dalawang anak ko nandito,’ he said, noting that they’re based in the US as well.

‘I’ll continue to be on leave habang nandito ang mga anak ko. I want to spend time with my kids and Fely,’ he continued. ‘Pagkatapos ng dalawang araw na burol ni Emman, magbo-bonding [kami].’

Kim earlier called out an ‘evangelical bully’ who said he and his wife of ‘fell short as parents,’ rebuking them for not being Emman’s ‘primary protector, teacher, and guide.’ The ‘Dami Mong Alam, Kuya Kim!’ host told the netizens that Emman was clinically depressed that resulted in her making ‘that choice.’

In a final message to his daughter, Kim expressed how he and his wife love Emman, adding that they will see her soon when their time comes.

‘Emman, mahal na mahal ka ni Papa. Papa loves you so much. Mama loves you so much. You surprised us with this last thing that you did. I just know I’ll see you soon – not too soon – but we’ll see you when our time comes,’ he said. ‘We can’t wait for that day because we’ll be with you again. Thank you for the 19 years you gave Papa and Mama, Jose and Eliana, we may not have shown you as much love when you’re alive but we love you so much.’

Emman’s death was confirmed by the TV host and his wife last October. Her wake will be held at the Heritage Memorial Park in Taguig City from Nov. 3 to 4.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) will investigate and charge a Halloween partygoer for wearing a police officer’s uniform as a costume.

‘To misuse it as a costume trivializes the meaning of service and mocks those who risk their lives to keep our communities safe. This act will not go unpunished; accountability must prevail,’ acting PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement Sunday night.

‘The PNP has launched an investigation to identify and charge the person involved,’ he added.

The national police force cited Article 179 of the Revised Penal Code, which pertains to the illegal use of uniforms or insignia, noting that this includes the improper wearing of an official uniform by a person who is not a member of the PNP.

National Police Commission (Napolcom) Vice Chairperson and Executive Officer Rafael Calinisan highlighted the issue on Sunday after photos of the Halloween partygoer circulated on social media, supposedly from a Makati City event.

Calinisan slammed the use of the uniform as a costume as disrespect to police officers, identifying the partygoer as a certain Dha Isidro and saying they will be summoned to the Napolcom office on Monday.

Isidro apologized to Calinisan and the PNP on social media on Sunday.

‘The idea to wear such a costume is with no intention to misrepresent myself or usurp any official functions of a police officer, which the law seeks to prevent. It was not made officially. The idea was solely all within the confines of a costume party,’ Isidro said.

‘My actions may have caused harm to some persons and institutions, and with that, I am deeply sorry. This circumstance will be a lifelong lesson for me, for which I will be more circumspect in my future decisions and actions. Again, I am truly sorry,’ he added.

Lawmakers of the Makabayan bloc on Friday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to abolish the pork barrel system, saying his latest directive to adopt the new market-based pricing system that he first imposed on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) would not be enough to curb corruption in government infrastructure projects.

In a joint statement, ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio, Gabriela Rep. Sarah Elago, and Kabataan Rep. Renee Co said pricing reforms would be meaningless if the allocation system that allows politicians to nominate projects in their districts and rig procurement in exchange for kickbacks remained intact.

‘Contractors will simply adjust their operations, and corruption will continue through ghost projects, substandard materials, or inflated quantities,’ they said.

They noted that Marcos’ directive does not address ongoing flood control investigations that could end up without any official being prosecuted.

‘[Pricing] reform is meaningless if those who profited from overpricing remain unpunished and free to continue their schemes,’ they said.

‘Will the president also address who gets to nominate these projects? Will he end the practice of politicians controlling infrastructure funds? Will he dismantle the allocation system that enables corruption in the first place? If not, then this is just a PR stunt-nice to hear, but without real substance,’ they added.

Influence of local pols

The lawmakers were referring to a long-standing DPWH practice of setting aside allocable funds for district engineering offices.

Supposedly, the funds are based on a formula designed to ensure their equitable distribution across district offices.

Both Makabayan lawmakers and civil society groups have flagged this system as a ‘breeding ground for insertions,’ in which politicians nominate projects in their districts, influence contractor selection, and often receive kickbacks set at 20-30 percent of project costs.

They said such a system enabled the majority of the anomalous infrastructure projects now being investigated by the Marcos administration, following revelations of a massive kickback scheme involving DPWH officials, contractors, and politicians.

Last Wednesday, the President ordered government agencies with infrastructure components – including the Department of Education, Department of Agriculture, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Health, Department of Transportation, and the National Irrigation Administration – to follow in the footsteps of the DPWH and cut their construction material costs by 50 percent.

‘So let me be clear. The quality of what we build will not be compromised. The only thing weakened will be corruption,’ the President said in a speech before his departure to South Korea to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings.

‘This is the accountability that our citizens deserve. It will not be limited to the public works, but we shall be the norm across all of government,’ he added.

‘Billionaire capture’

The Makabayan legislators said that while they welcomed this move to reduce inflated costs, ‘pricing reforms alone will not eliminate corruption. The root cause remains the pork barrel system that allows legislators and the executive to control, nominate, and profit from infrastructure projects.’

Ibon Foundation executive director Sonny Africa said earlier that Marcos was still being ‘complicit in making the pork flow.’

‘The president feigns surprise at the extent of corruption in his administration. Since taking office, he has overseen the rotten budget process that doles out trillions of pesos in pork to presidential allies to keep their support as well as to not-so-allies to moderate their opposition. He can do this because of his overwhelming control of the annual national budget,’ Africa said in a commentary published by IBON in September.

He added that the Marcos administration’s anticorruption campaign ignores ‘so many other vectors of massive corruption and the abuse of public resources, authority, and power for personal gain.’

Aside from pork-ridden infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, and buildings, Africa cited billions of pesos in confidential and intelligence funds, ‘tax cheats’ among the wealthy and businesses, and ‘billionaire regulatory capture’ of utilities and public services as avenues for corruption.

‘Enduring reforms require pressure from outside government-and the most effective measure is a mass movement constantly demanding accountability and forcing a government that feeds off plunder to finally answer to the people,’ he said. /cb

A power struggle is seemingly looming between the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) and its VP for Asiana Nawat Itsaragrisil, as the global pageant thumbed down the ‘special dinner and talk show’ hosted by the latter for being ‘not authorized.’

On Sunday, Nov. 2, Itsaragrisil launched a social media campaign where the Top 10 candidates with the most likes on their solo portraits will have a ‘special dinner and talk show’ with him. The portraits are found on the official Facebook and Instagram accounts of Miss Universe Thailand.

So far, the Philippines’ own Ahtisa Manalo garnered over 1.2 million likes on Facebook and 142,000 likes on Instagram.

However, the MUO issued a statement declaring the event as ‘not authorized,’ with a seeming warning against committing a violation of its intellectual property rights.

‘The organization wishes to make it absolutely clear that this activity is not authorized. Any independent or third party activity using the Miss Universe name, logo, marks, or related branding without prior written authorization is considered a violation of intellectual property rights and brand integrity,’ it read.

Citing the campaign, the organization also reminded the public that ‘promotional materials, contests, or voting initiatives’ using the MUO’s name are ‘unauthorized and misleading.’

‘The organization further declares that any promotional materials, contests, or voting initiatives currently circulating online under the Miss Universe name, including those associated with the aforementioned event, are unauthorized and misleading. Such initiatives do not represent the values, operations, or official activities of the Miss Universe organization,’ it said.

The MUO further stated that it has the right to ‘take appropriation action’ against those who would use its name, intellectual property, and trademark without its consent.

The organization also reminded the public that ‘official communications, announcements, and voting initiatives’ will be released through its verified platforms.

‘As the global authority of the Miss Universe brand, MUO will continue to uphold the highest standards of transparency, professionalism, and integrity in every country where it operates. The organization reaffirms its ongoing commitment to protecting its delegates, partners, sponsors, and the global public from misleading or unauthorized activities,’ it said.

Itsaragrisil has yet to respond to the MUO, as of this writing.

The Miss Universe Organization is under new management following the appointment of its new chief executive officer, Mario Bucaro, replacing Thai business mogul Anne Jakrajutatip who held the position since 2022.

Jakrajutatip, through her company JKN Global Group, stepped down from her post in June after a board ‘restructuring,’ leaving behind her co-owner Legacy Holdings Group of Raul Rocha, pageant president, as a minority shareholder.

Itsaragrisil has a stake in Jakrajutatip’s company. His own company, Miss Grand International, also acquired the franchise to stage the Miss Universe Thailand pageant until 2029.

Activities for Miss Universe 2025 kicked off with a registration ceremony at the Chatrium Hotel Riverside in Bangkok, Thailand. Candidates are welcomed by Itsaragrisil, reigning titleholder Victoria Theilvig, Miss Grand International 2025 Emma Tiglao, and other executives.

The coronation ceremony will take place at the Impact Challenger Hall on Nov. 21. Representing the Philippines is pageant veteran Ahtisa Manalo who arrived in Bangkok on Sunday.

To prevent abuse and misuse of government funds, Sen. Francis Escudero is pushing for the institutionalization of budget transparency and accountability safeguards for all infrastructure projects introduced in the national budget.

In his proposed Senate Bill No. 1461, otherwise known as the Infrastructure Appropriations Integrity Act, Escudero said there is a need to ensure that only government infrastructure projects that are technically and financially viable are included in the national budget.

Under the measure, he proposed that all infrastructure projects will have to incorporate mechanisms such as station numbers, geotagging, geodetic coordinates, and other technology-based methodologies that will allow anyone to locate these at any time.

‘Geotagging is one of the most important mechanisms for us to see the actual status of a project-whether something is really being done or if it’s just idle while the government continues to release funds,’ Escudero said in Filipino.

The bill also states that no government infrastructure project should be included in the national budget and implemented unless it has gone through a thorough feasibility study.

‘This documentation is a requirement and condition sine qua non for inclusion of any infrastructure project in the National Expenditure Program and the General Appropriations Act. All proposed projects must be vetted; otherwise, [they] should not receive a single centavo in public funds,’ Escudero said.

Apart from these two, Escudero’s measure likewise indicated that budget splitting or the division of the appropriations for infrastructure projects in phases, will also be prohibited.

Escudero is one of the government officials implicated in the anomalous flood control scandal.

In September, resigned Public Works and Highways undersecretary Roberto Bernardo testified before the Senate blue ribbon panel that he is close to businessman Maynard Ngu, a campaign contributor of Escudero.

He said Ngu once asked him to submit a list of projects for inclusion in the General Appropriations Act. Bernardo said they agreed on a 20 percent cut.

‘After inclusion of the projects in the General Appropriations Act, I delivered 20 percent of approximately P800 million, or about P160 million, which was meant for Senator Escudero,’ Bernardo said.

Escudero denied Bernardo’s allegation and said it is part of a ‘well-orchestrated’ attempt to discredit the Senate.