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The magnitude 7.4 earthquake that rocked Davao Oriental on Friday morning has left the provincial health-care system severely strained, with Davao Oriental Provincial Hospital (DOPH) in Manay town, the area nearest the epicenter, sustaining major damage.

Davao Oriental was also rocked on Friday night by a magnitude 6.8 quake following at least 792 aftershocks. This was succeeded by a magnitude 5.8 temblor on Saturday night, while a magnitude 5 quake struck Zambales province.

Overwhelmed

Saturday’s temblors marked the fifth and sixth to hit the country in less than two weeks since the Sept. 30 quake in northern Cebu.

Following the Friday quake at 9:43 a.m. in Davao Oriental, DOPH staff rushed patients out, as some of the hospital’s wall and ceilings began to crack. But no one was reported hurt.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said on Saturday, after inspecting the hospital, that it was no longer safe for occupancy.

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian had ordered enclosed tents set up outside as admission wards and emergency rooms so DOPH could continue to accommodate more patients.

Marcos’ instructions

As expected, other cases had to be referred to Davao Oriental Provincial Medical Center (DOPMC) in the provincial capital of Mati City.

Personnel of the Office of Civil Defense observed that DOPMC’s capacity was suddenly overwhelmed by the high number of admissions.

On Saturday, the Philippine Red Cross set up a 10-bed medical tent at that hospital’s compound and deployed six volunteers to support its medical staff.

Dizon, Gatchalian, Education Secretary Sonny Angara and Mindanao Development Authority Chair Leo Tereso Magno made the rounds in Davao Oriental on Saturday, upon instructions by President Marcos to fast-track rescue and relief efforts.

‘The President’s paramount concern is the safety and well-being of our people in the earthquake-struck areas,’ Communications Secretary Dave Gomez said. ‘On the instructions of the President, all concerned front-line agencies were tasked to work round-the-clock to provide rescue and relief operations.’

As of Saturday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 1,265 residents were brought out of their homes but 7,915 more had to be evacuated.

Dizon said all national roads have been cleared and authorities are now focusing on making provincial and municipal roads passable.

Gatchalian said the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has ensured that enough food and other relief supplies are provided to displaced families. In Tarragona town, the DSWD has set up tents for them in the municipal hall grounds.

Angara said the Department of Education (DepEd) has released P139.4 million for disaster victims in Davao Oriental, Cebu and Masbate, adding that DepEd has conducted an assessment of quake-damaged schools in these provinces.

Doublet quake

The education chief said 575 schools have estimated repair costs so far totaling P2.23 billion. A total of 1,006 schools in the province have been affected by the quake, he said.

According to an initial report by the provincial government of Davao Oriental, some 70,142 families from 10 component towns and one city were affected by the quake. A total of 225 houses were reported destroyed while 471 were damaged.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) classified Friday’s temblors in the province as a doublet quake because the 7:12 p.m. temblor had a magnitude of 6.8. The agency said this exceeded Friday morning’s ‘magnitude 7.4 quake less one magnitude,’ which equals magnitude 6.4.

The 792 aftershocks between the doublet quake affected 41 other areas in Davao Oriental besides Manay.

Friday’s quakes in the province, which were felt throughout Davao region and even as far as the Visayas, affected 8,436 people, or 3,519 families, according to an initial report on Saturday by the NDRRMC.

The death toll was still at seven, the figure reported by authorities on Friday night, while 360 were injured and there were no missing cases yet.

Saturday’s quake had a depth of 10 kilometers and had its epicenter at 62 km southeast of Manay, the same coastal town directly affected by Friday’s quakes.

Acting Philippine National Police chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has instructed police directors in the Davao and Caraga regions to inspect all police facilities for possible structural damage.

‘We are also verifying the condition of our communication equipment, vehicles, and other operational assets that may have been impacted by the earthquake,’ Nartatez said.

Meanwhile the European Union said it has allotted 750,000 euros (P50.52 million) for victims of the Sept. 30 quake in Cebu.

The funds, released under the administration of the Philippine Red Cross and other humanitarian agencies, will provide emergency relief, such as temporary shelter, water, sanitation, and cash assistance to displaced families, the bloc said in a statement.

Zambales quake

In Zambales, the quake’s epicenter was 19 km east of Cabangan town and had a depth of 100 km, Phivolcs said in its bulletin on Saturday night.

This was followed immediately by another bulletin reporting a magnitude 2.7 aftershock barely an hour later at 6:15 p.m.

The tremor’s epicenter was 25 km east of Botolan town with a depth of 99 km.

Before the aftershock, Phivolcs said Intensity III was felt in Cabangan and the capital town of Iba, while Intensity II was felt in the towns of Botolan, Subic and San Marcelino.

National University regained the solo lead after holding off La Salle, 82-78, in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at UST Quadricentennial Pavilion.

Jake Figueroa scored 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the field and grabbed eight rebounds to power the Bulldogs, who climbed to 5-1 for a half-game lead over second-running University of Santo Tomas. PJ Palacielo and Paul Francisco also hit double digits with 16 and 13 points for NU, which shot 56 percent from the field.

‘Our motivation was the fact that in our preseason games, we couldn’t win against La Salle,’ said NU guard Reinhard Jumamoy after scoring all of his eight points in the fourth quarter.

‘We brought our learning from those losses and luckily we got that win today.’

The Green Archers, who absorbed their second consecutive setback in just a span of a week, suffered a double whammy after losing forward Mason Amos to an injury in the fourth quarter.

Mike Phillips notched a double-double of 15 points and 16 rebounds, but couldn’t keep La Salle from sliding to 2-3. Guards Jacob Cortez and Kean Baclaan added 15 and 11, respectively.

Baclaan kept the Archers alive late after his 3-pointer cut the Bulldogs’ lead to one with still seven ticks to go. After Jumamoy sank two free throws to give NU an 81-78 cushion, La Salle blew its chance to tie after LeBron Jhames Daep committed a traveling violation.

NU (5-1) faces Ateneo (4-2) on Saturday at Araneta Coliseum.

Only hours after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla reported for work on the weekend, he told journalists that investigators are already looking at around 100 to 200 people involved in the flood project anomalies that have emerged since September.

Of the 200, the newly minted ombudsman said, there are about 67 ‘Cong-tractors’ (or, congressmen-contractors) who may be easier to pin down than the others.

‘Of the 67, there are about 12 to 15 low-laying fruit ready for plucking,’ Remulla said at his first press briefing at the Ombudsman’s headquarters in Quezon City. ‘As for the rest, we may have to build up the cases far more.’

‘We know that the cases are there, but how do we prove it? That’s our job, to prove charges that stand in court,’ he said, noting that some cases are already awaiting processing from Ombudsman lawyers while others are in varying stages of development, as court cases go.

Will anyone even go to jail

But Remulla assured journalists that the Office of the Ombudsman has the skills and experience to catch many of the perpetrators and send them some time, although some are easier to prove than others, while others cost more time than most.

Remulla said that he has yet to finalize the new rules and guidelines for the public’s easier access to the statement of assets and liabilities and net worth (SALN), but even then, the rules would still have to be validated with common practices, particularly the light of the new legislation on privacy rights.

He said the reforms he envisioned include making public the SALNs of public officials and subjecting them to lifestyle checks.

However, he mentioned certain conditions before the document is released, including a possible ‘information sharing’ agreement with members of the press who would need the SALN for producing investigative reports.

‘I want to open this office to the public. We are supposed to be the ‘sumbungan ng bayan,’ (public complaint center),’ Remulla told reporters at a press conference.

The former justice secretary said the SALNs of former President Rodrigo Duterte, President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte would be among those that could be accessed beginning next week.

He also said he was ‘open’ to the possibility of making SALNs dating back to 2016 available for scrutiny.

‘This is public information that we’re looking for. We are talking about transparency here, so let’s go all the way,’ he said.

Memorandum

Remulla said he would issue a memorandum next week, possibly on Oct. 15, that would reverse restrictions placed by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires.

He, however, emphasized that there had to be ‘requesting parties’ for an official’s SALN and that there should be an ‘undertaking’ in making these requests.

‘They (SALNs) could be weaponized. There should be an undertaking when someone requests a SALN,’ he explained.

On Tuesday, shortly after his appointment as the new Ombudsman was announced by Malacañang, Remulla said he was also considering an arrangement with the media, especially in cases where SALNs would be used for investigative reports.

‘What’s the reason for requesting the SALN? If it’s for investigative journalism, maybe the findings can be shared, exactly all the findings should be shared with the Office of the Ombudsman also, so [we’re] not left in a lurch, not left in a void . In releasing information, we [also] get information,” he said.

Remulla again floated the idea on Friday: ‘When you have that article and you discover facts . It’s about information sharing, after all. You want information, okay; but you give me information also.’

Restricted release

He also raised the possibility of redacting certain details from the copies of the SALNs cleared for release, to accord due privacy to the officials’ personal matters.

Remulla said he also intended to tap the public’s assistance in conducting lifestyle checks through ‘crowdsourcing of information.’ ‘We will open a line for that,’ he said, adding the process would be fine-tuned and ‘old-timers’ in the government would be consulted before releasing the memo. /cb

Ah, Metric! The band that has consistently, gloriously, and sometimes even a bit too subtly, rocked our world for decades. I’m talking about the kind of band that makes other bands take notice, silently scribble notes, and then miraculously release a song eerily similar to a Metric B-side a few years later. You know the type. I’m not naming names, but let’s just say a certain well-known music database probably needs to fact-check its ‘original composition’ credits more often.

And, there has to be a strong anti-plagiarism bill made and passed because it seems the already existing intellectual property (IP) laws through measures like the Philippine Intellectual Property Strategy (PHIPS) 2025-2030 and the Cyber Crime Anti-Dummy Act of 2025 seems to be not enough to deter or stop the most shameless, brazen and without principle musicians and bands from committing these criminal in nature acts always. Why so? It is because being original is a must, a prerequisite, it is understood, it should be honored and a sacred virtue when you are into making music and the business of music, and you can’t keep deceiving discerning casual and critical listeners anymore on who is original and who is not. I mean, C’mon, the ‘O’ in OPM means original, so be one, it’s about time.

There is a fine line between being musically inspired and influenced from plagiarizing another song, then, you would release that song as a supposed ‘original’, that alone is proof of plagiarism, especially, when you are making money of it, performing it among your set list in paid gigs/concerts/events/guestings, and even releasing a studio album with it in the track list. It is wrong, plain and simple. In 2025, plagiarism should no longer exist in OPM.

In this day and age, where everything is digital, online, and we are connected to the worldwide web, there is no escaping from eventually getting caught red-handed with plagiarism. Maybe, in previous decades (70s to early 2000s), and became emboldened to do so, pre-internet, it was so much easier, that is why so many local bands did it! And, guess what, many of them got caught eventually, but, really, as far back as 2012, you guys did it already, then when I discovered it in 2016, then many more in the succeeding years? Wow! The nerve you guys have, keep doing that!

Listeners are smart enough, more importantly, your fans, to know the difference. Why would they want to listen to your music when they would prefer to listen to the original foreign band that composed it and sang the songs you have been ripping off from? There should be a code of ethics or a sense of decency at least in all of you, because how would you feel if you were the one being plagiarized and some band was copying your life’s work in a faraway country, thinking you guys would not notice it or discover it? If you discovered it, you guys would raise hell about it! 100 percent sure if the roles were reversed, you would not sit idly by and not say anything because those are your original compositions and songs. See! It always works both ways.

Going back to my other point, then when the long arm of the law can’t convince you to stop committing wrong acts, simply because the said band or their management has not called your attention yet. The bigger question there is, why wait for that to happen? That would be a perfect example of the universal law of karma. Please don’t wait for any of that to happen. Then, when it does inevitably happen, you will suddenly play victim, try to play the blame game, and portray yourselves as ‘innocent’ all of a sudden? I have seen that happen before with a different local band. But they apologized and changed their ways afterward. However, in your case, what hypocrisy, what a double standard, and the nerve for you, when you have knowingly, intentionally, and without conscience ripped off so many of their songs for many years without mercy or restraint, despite being called out by me first in mainstream media from our side of the world, then others followed suit in music communities, circles, and groups. Hey, it is not your right to do that! Trust me, you guys will lose in any court, in any grandstanding, in any legal proceeding without question, if the foreign band discovers everything you guys plagiarized from them in their music catalog for nearly 20 years on and off and plays those songs back-to-back. You will lose. Stop already! You guys will never be their equivalent in the Philippines. Be yourselves for a change.

Anyway, I am sick and tired of discussing this. I have tried my best already. I no longer care if they get caught one day by the Canadian indie-rock band they have been plagiarizing for nearly 20 years. And enough with the ‘subtle jabs’ from my part because these musicians in a certain local band are stubborn, hard-headed posers, they are playing the ‘victim game’, and judging by the sheer number of songs they have plagiarized over the many years, seriously, realistically, logically and sensibly they don’t deserve to call themselves musicians or be in a band when much of their body of work is based on someone else’s because they are not original to begin with. You know what I mean. Gawd! The nerve of some people. It is befuddling.

Now, today, we are going to do what is called for; we’re focusing on the pure, unadulterated brilliance, unbridled artistry, and musical genius of Emily Haines and the boys (and James Shaw, of course, because what is Metric without the wizardry of James Shaw?).

Picking just five songs from their treasure trove is like choosing your favorite album, but alas, duty calls. So, here, in my humble and utterly correct opinion, are my Top 5 songs from Metric that every true music aficionado and music historian should have etched into their soul.***

1. ‘Youth Without Youth’ from the album ‘Synthetica (2012)’

This is it, folks. The absolute pinnacle. From the moment that insistent synth line grabs you by the throat, to the raw, pulsating energy that builds and builds, ‘Youth Without Youth’ is a sonic masterpiece. It’s a defiant anthem for those who refuse to let the world steal their spirit. Haines’ vocals are sharp, urgent, and perfectly capture that beautiful desperation of holding onto something vital in a world trying to make you conform, you know? The driving beat, the layered instrumentation – it’s Metric at their most potent.

2. ‘Black Sheep’ from the OST of ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)’

While most folks discovered it thanks to Scott Pilgrim, the version on Fantasies is just as good. This song is a masterclass in controlled chaos. It’s got that undeniable groove, a swagger that makes you want to strut down the street like you own the place. It’s the perfect encapsulation of that feeling of being an outsider, but a cool outsider, if you catch my drift. That guitar riff is instantly iconic, a testament to Shaw’s genius.

3. ‘Help I’m Alive’ from the album ‘Fantasies (2009)’

This song is practically a religious experience. The opening chords alone send shivers down your spine. Then Haines unleashes that incredible vocal performance – vulnerable yet powerful, singing about needing silence to regain a sense of self and the fear of letting oneself feel. It’s a raw, honest expression of the human condition, wrapped in a deceptively simple, yet utterly captivating, arrangement. It’s got that undeniable Metric magic where the lyrics cut deep, but the music lifts you.

4. ‘Gold Guns Girls’ from the album ‘Fantasies (2009)’

Okay, so this one’s a bit of a classic, a no-brainer for any serious Metric fan. It’s got that signature synth-rock punch, the kind that makes you want to stomp your feet and maybe question a few things about modern society while you’re at it. The lyrics are incisive, hinting at the seductive yet ultimately empty pursuits that often define our times. Plus, it’s just a damn catchy tune. You try getting that chorus out of your head – I dare you.

5. ‘Gimme Sympathy’ from the album ‘Fantasies (2009)’

‘Gimme Sympathy’ is Metric’s wink to the music industry and, let’s be honest, to a lot of us who’ve ever felt a bit misunderstood. The playful sarcasm in the lyrics, juxtaposed with that driving, almost danceable beat, makes it an absolute standout. It’s got that perfect blend of indie edge and pop sensibility that Metric perfected. It’s witty, it’s infectious, and it’s got a message that resonates: sometimes, you just want a little understanding, you know? There you have it, finally, I got to my Top 5 songs of Metric, my friends. Haha. Five songs that scratch the surface of Metric’s incredible catalog, yet offer a powerful glimpse into why they remain the most important, influential, and yet, unfortunately, often plagiarized Canadian indie-rock band of the last 20 years. So, go forth, listen, and remember: accept no substitutes, poor imitations, and shameless rip-offs of their songs, especially from those who seem to ‘borrow’ a little too liberally from the masters.

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian is pushing for the creation of a ‘Build Back Better Fund’ in next year’s national budget to accelerate recovery and reconstruction in communities devastated by recent calamities.

‘We’re thinking of carving out funds from what we call ‘Build Back Better Fund’ next year to help victims of earthquake, particularly in Bogo City, Cebu. We have what we call Local Government Support Fund as a possible source of financing for the proposed initiative to help affected people rebuild their homes,’ he said in an interview with radio dzBB on Sunday.

Asked if the allocation may also come from funding that would be transferred from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Gatchalian said that would also be possible.

‘But I also saw that there were reserved funds for these kinds of responses, the local government support fund. There are also the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF) fund and contingency fund. so for 2026, because the funding is still intact so we still have resources,’ said the chair of the Committee on Finance.

This will not be a new item in the budget, he said.

‘We will just add new criteria or a new possibility where the funds may be used. There were around 100 tents built, so it means we have so many fellowmen affected by the quake. They cannot go back if we do not help them. So this is where we will get the funds to help them rebuild their houses,’ said Gatchalian.

Eyeing higher allocations

For next year, the Senate is also eyeing higher allocations for agencies handling post-disaster reconstruction, particularly for rebuilding classrooms, restoring heritage sites such as century-old churches damaged by the recent earthquake, and providing housing for displaced families

For now, Gatchalian said the government can tap a total of ?182.8 billion from various funding sources to boost response and rehabilitation efforts.

Based on data from the senator’s office, the available 2025 budget for rehabilitation and response includes a ?7 billion balance from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF), ?6.4 billion from the Quick Response Fund (QRF), and ?287 million from the Disaster Response Operations Fund of the Office of Civil Defense.

In addition, he said the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) still has ?15 billion, the Contingent Fund ?12 billion, and the Unprogrammed Appropriations ?141 billion, specifically under the Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs (SAGIP).

Gatchalian said the Palace has not yet asked for a supplemental budget to address disaster response needs. ‘As of now, the Executive has still enough funds until the end of the year, it’s now October anyway,’ he added.

Gabe Norwood played like he had an added spring on Saturday, two days after the Rain or Shine lifer announced that the PBA Philippine Cup would be his last.

‘It’s the first game of the year, everybody should be fresh, right?’ Norwood insisted after his tip-in with a second left in regulation eventually helped the Elasto Painters come up with a 96-95 overtime victory over the Meralco Bolts at Ynares Center II here. His decision, which he revealed on the team’s social media, made his tying basket even more memorable, prompting some, including coach Yeng Guiao, to wonder if the 40-year-old can reconsider.

The tip was reminiscent of his game-winner back in 2008 as a high-profiled rookie that beat San Miguel Beer, though Norwood had to use his left hand while also leaning on his youth and athleticism.

This time, Norwood thought he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He wasn’t after the fact.

‘It was just crazy,’ he said. ‘We didn’t rebound the ball well all night, and just wanted to get in there, try to make a play. Honestly I thought I jumped the opposite direction, I thought I jumped out of the play and I just tried to tip it, tried to put it up on the backboard, hoping somebody was running behind, and it just fell into the basket.

‘We got lucky. We got down and got a stop later and figured it out in overtime,’ Norwood added after finishing with 11 points and three rebounds in almost 29 minutes on the hardwood.

The rest of the conference will serve as a Gabe Norwood Retirement Tour, if you will, and Norwood hopes to achieve something he, coach Yeng Guiao and the rest of the franchise had never done in its PBA participation.

‘Another chance at the All-Filipino. It’s rare that you get back-to-back chances, right?’ said Norwood. ‘Just wanted to try and get one more for the organization, for Coach Yeng his first all-Filipino, and for myself as well. We’ll see. We’ll see what happens.’

One of the teams that will Rain or Shine’s way is defending champion San Miguel, its opponent on Oct. 19 at the same venue. Following the Beermen are nine more elimination round games, then the playoffs, if the Elasto Painters do meet their expected destination.

Whether Rain or Shine meets its end goal or not, expect Norwood to shed a tear or two once he dons the famous No. 5 jersey for the final time to close out an 18-year career that brought him plenty of opportunities in his basketball life. ‘I mean it’s gonna be emotional for a while, man,’ Norwood said. ‘The PBA has given me a lot. I grew up here. I came out 21, 22 years old, and I’m 40 now, lived most of my adult life here in the PBA.

‘I’m gonna cherish every game and try to leave on a high note.’

Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael ‘PM’ Vargas filed a bill on Tuesday seeking welfare assistance for widows under the proposed ‘Widowed Persons Assistance Act,’ or House Bill 5395.

Once enacted, the bill will provide temporary financial assistance, psychosocial counseling, livelihood support, and priority access to social services for indigent widowed Filipinos.

‘We will not let them grieve alone, but rather we will prepare them for the challenge of losing their life partner,’ Vargas said.

According to Vargas, the Widowed Persons Assistance Act will cover all widows regardless of age, but it is seen to benefit the elderly the most, due to their limited capacity to secure employment.

‘Our goal is to help especially older widows and give them a chance to get back on their feet,’ he said in Filipino.

Vargas also said the bill goes hand in hand with the Expanded Senior Citizens Act and the Universal Healthcare Act, which ensures that widows are provided with their specific needs.

‘This bill, if we can enact it, will not only give new hope to our senior citizens. It is also our government’s way of conveying that we see them, we value them, and we will remain with them in their final years,’ Vargas said.

Out of the entire household population in the country, 4.5 percent are widowed persons, 75 percent of whom are women, based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Juan Gomez de Liaño just proved why he’s considered a major piece in Converge’s championship ambitions. And he did so by pulling off what no other player has ever done in the PBA’s 50-year history.

Gomez de Liaño’s 15 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in Saturday’s 129-92 rout of Titan Ultra at Ynares Center II here allowed him to become the first-ever rookie to register a triple-double in his PBA debut.

‘Not a bad way to start my PBA career,’ Gomez de Liaño later said.

Not bad, indeed. Gomez de Liaño played true to expectations raised by his performance during the FiberXers’ tuneup games leading up to the season-opening Philippine Cup.

He did the trick in 33 minutes-more than he should have in a game that was long decided before the final buzzer as the team convinced him he could pull off what he had done a few times during his UAAP career with the University of the Philippines and for Marinerong Pilipino in the PBA D-League.

It was also the first triple-double by a rookie since Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson in 2016.

Nonetheless, Gomez de Liaño was doubly glad to secure the result that enabled the FiberXers to set in motion their quest to play spoiler to the championship duopoly held by teams from San Miguel Corp. and the MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan) group.

‘It’s a total team effort and I give the proper credit to our coaching staff, especially our players for executing our game plan,’ said Gomez de Liaño, who played before his parents and siblings, including brother Javi of the Magnolia Hotshots.

Justin Arana, who has held the fort for Converge since its PBA entry in 2022, had 28 points and 22 rebounds that also helped secure a winning start to the tenure of Pampanga vice governor Delta Pineda as the one calling the shots for the FiberXers.

The long trip to this municipality, still known by its old name of Montalban, pales in comparison to what Converge will endure next Saturday when it goes to Vigan, Ilocos Sur, to take on TNT in a highly anticipated showdown.

TNT opened the season the previous night, also here in Rizal, by defeating Phoenix, 93-78, as almost everyone from Rey Nambatac to new additions Kevin Ferrer and Jio Jalalon stepped up.

Titan Ultra was sent crashing back to earth after starting its PBA foray with an upset of Meralco behind 41 points from Calvin Abueva.

Abueva, however, was scratched after five minutes due to a hamstring injury as the Giant Risers had little answers to the FiberXers’ onslaught Meanwhile, action returns to Antipolo on Sunday to wrap up the first week of Season 50 with NLEX going for a 2-0 start against Terrafirma at 5 p.m., while San Miguel Beer tries to bounce back against Phoenix at 7:30 p.m.

A concert headlined by Billie Eilish in the US took a terrifying turn after the hugely popular singer-songwriter was violently yanked into a crowd barricade during her performance.

The 23-year-old Grammy winner was at the Kaseya Center in Downtown Miami on Oct 9 to kick off her ‘Hit Me Hard And Soft’ tour.

After the song Guess, Eilish jumped offstage and was moving along a line of fans pressed against the front-row barricade – shaking hands and sharing high-fives – when, in an instant, the energy shifted.

A man grabbed her arm and pulled her hard towards the barricade. Eilish lurched forward, landing hard into the metal barrier as security guards rushed in.

Videos of the moment, captured from multiple angles and quickly shared across social media, show Eilish staggering back, visibly shaken, and upset. Within seconds, her security guards pulled her upright and pushed the man away.

Eilish steadied herself, kept on walking, and continued performing.

Police later confirmed that the man was ejected from the venue. They offered no details about whether he was detained or charged.

Andres Rodriguez, 26, told NBC News he had been standing in the front row, hand outstretched for a high-five with Eilish, when he noticed a man just behind him reach forward suddenly.

‘I saw that, and my first reaction was, ‘What was his plan here? What was he trying to do?” he said.

He recalled feeling uneasy about the man even before the incident.

The stranger, he said, arrived moments before Eilish took the stage and made an unprompted remark to two teenage girls nearby: ‘Oh, don’t worry, I’m not going to harass you.’

‘Their mum said, ‘Listen, buddy, as long as you don’t do something weird, we’re good’,’ Mr Rodriguez recalled. ‘And I thought, ‘Why would anyone even say something like that?”

WE LOVE THIS DIVApic.twitter.com/l7tROcrKOf

– Billie Eilish Spotify (@BillieSpotify_) October 10, 2025

It was not the first time Eilish had encountered inappropriate behaviour from her fans and concertgoers.

In December, Billboard reported that Eilish was struck in the face by a necklace thrown from the crowd during a concert in Arizona.

Fans had also thrown their phones at her, she said.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in 2023, Eilish and her brother and collaborator, Finneas, said this object-throwing trend during concerts and performances was ‘nothing new’.

‘I’ve been getting hit on stage with things for, like, literally six years. People just get excited, and it can be dangerous,’ she said. ‘It’s absolutely infuriating when you’re up there,’ Eilish said. ‘I have mixed feelings about it, because you know it’s out of love. They’re just trying to give you something. But when you’re onstage, you’re in a vulnerable position.’

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook the waters off the coast of Maitum, Sarangani, on Sunday evening, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

The earthquake was recorded at 7:54 p.m., 38 kilometers southwest of Maitum, Phivolcs said.

According to the Phivolcs’ data, the tectonic earthquake had a 10-kilometer depth of focus. Phivolcs also reported the following instrumental intensities:

Intensity III

T’boli, South Cotabato

Intensity IIKiamba, Sarangani

Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat

Intensity I

Maitum, Sarangani

Kalamansig, Sultan KudaratNo aftershocks and damage to infrastructure are expected, Phivolcs added.