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The possibility of losing the support of the majority bloc – even the Senate presidency – was raised amid discussions of Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson’s return as chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee (BRC).

When Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III broached the idea of giving back the committee chairmanship to him, Lacson said he told him that they should be ready ‘for any and all consequences of my actions and decisions, including losing some members of the majority bloc and consequently, his Senate presidency.’

‘In retrospect, a simple, practical question crossed my mind when I decided to resign last October 6: What BRC chairmanship are we talking about if we lose the majority to the current Cayetano-led minority bloc?’ Lacson said in a message to reporters.

He was referring to Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who currently heads the 9-man minority group in the Senate.

‘Having said all that, if I decide to get back the BRC chairmanship, that question will no longer be a factor,’ Lacson added.

Lacson himself disclosed the ‘disappointment’ of ‘a number’ of his colleagues with the direction of the blue ribbon panel, which he previously headed.

His resignation prompted the suspension of the panel’s investigation into the flood control projects scandal allegedly involving some lawmakers, government officials, and private contractors.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo, vice chairman of the blue ribbon panel, was later named its acting chairman.

Sotto, meanwhile, expressed readiness to lose the Senate presidency if that is the price of bringing Lacson back as BRC head.

‘I’m confident that the people will be supportive of any move we will take to curb corruption in government, and whatever it takes! So, our posts in the Senate are subject to the support of our peers,’ he said. in a separate message.

When asked if he is not afraid of losing the Senate presidency as a result of Lacson’s possible return, Sotto answered: ‘Fear is a word I have already disregarded a long time ago.’

Though Lacson has yet to finalize his decision, the Senate chief noted in an earlier interview that most of his colleagues want Lacson back as the panel head.

‘We’ll discuss it in a meeting. It’s okay with Erwin,’ he added when asked how his conversation with Lacson ended.

Akari chalked up a first win in 10 matches over powerhouse Creamline last week, with coach Tina Salak employing a new system that has gotten everyone involved and an American import in Annie Mitchem, who is just too willing to be the tip of the Chargers’ sword.

‘I’m really happy and proud of us because this team is really good,’ said Mitchem, who averaged 25 points in the first two games. ‘This is like one of the [leagues I played before] in Brazil and Indonesia. The crowd was big like this. The fans are really interactive and like screaming, so it’s really fun.

‘I enjoyed it a lot,’ added Mitchem, the unanimous choice as the first PVL Press Corps Player of the Week presented by Pilipinas Live.

The Chargers are off to a 2-0 start, touched off by that thrilling 23-25, 25-23, 30-28, 23-25, 15-12 win over the Cool Smashers as the towering Mitchem dropped 33 points on the defending champions before Akari won another five-setter against Chery Tiggo EV.

The 31-year-old has a lot of pro experience outside of the United States, and she didn’t hide the fact that she feels that there is something special in her stint here.

‘I think just going to practice and just being with everyone is really helpful, and just like enjoying our time while we’re practicing,’ said Mitchem.

Mitchem edged out fellow imports in Farm Fresh’s Eli Rousseaux, ZUS Coffee’s Anna DeBeer and Capital1’s Sasha Bytsenko, along with local aces in PLDT’s Savi Davison and Petro Gazz’s Brooke Van Sickle, for the weekly plum deliberated by print and online reporters covering the pioneering professional volleyball league organized by Sports Vision.

Even with a steady import, Salak knows that their locals must step up to help Mitchem shoulder the offensive load.

‘Our goal is really to help our import offensively,’ Salak said in Filipino. ‘Our locals would need to step up every game.’

There are a lot who have turned in their share this early, as middle blockers Ced Domingo and Fifi Sharma have become more involved offensively as part of Salak’s system of spreading the offensive load. INQ

Not even a week has passed since Emma Tiglao was crowned as Miss Grand International 2025, and she immediately got to work, gracing a show at the Bangkok International Fashion Week.

Tiglao, who made a historic back-to-back win for the Philippines at the Miss Grand International tilt, started her duties by penning a heartfelt message to the Thai-based pageant organization on Instagram on Sunday, Oct. 19.

‘With a heart overflowing with gratitude. I am still in awe that this dream has become my reality. Thank you, Miss Grand International Organization @missgrandinternational, Papa @nawat.tv, Mama @teresa.mgi, for trusting me with this once-in-a-lifetime honor,’ she said.

The beauty queen also thanked her countrymen for standing by her pageant journey, saying their support is proof of how Filipinos can ‘stand as one nation, one heart, and one voice.’

‘To my beloved fellow Filipinos – this journey became our story because of you. Your ‘1 million heart reacts’ were more than just likes; they were symbols of bayanihan, of unity, of love that echoed across the world. You showed everyone what it truly means to stand as one nation, one heart, and one voice,’ she said.

‘From the very beginning until this moment, you held my hand through every step, every challenge, and every triumph. For that, my heart beats with gratitude,’ she continued.

Tiglao, looking elegant in a fur midi dress with strategic cut-outs and long sleeves, then made her first appearance as the reigning titleholder at the FlyNow show of the Bangkok International Fashion Week.

‘Let’s get started! Stepping into my first moment as your Miss Grand International 2025 here at Bangkok International Fashion Week 2025,’ she captioned her post.

A pageant veteran in her own right, Tiglao first competed at Mutya ng Pilipinas 2012, Binibining Pilipinas 2014, Miss World Philippines 2015, Binibining Pilipinas 2019, and Miss Intercontinental 2019, before earning the right to represent the Philippines at the Miss Grand International 2025 tilt.

Aside from the coveted golden crown, Tiglao bagged the Country’s Power of the Year award, which automatically secured her Top 22 spot.

You will not believe this, but a ‘Lupin’ episode just unfolded in real life, and the setting couldn’t have been more dramatic.

On the morning of Oct. 19, thieves broke into the Louvre’s Galerie d’Apollon, the glittering hall of gold and grandeur where France keeps its crown jewels and its pride.

French officials reported that several robbers entered through a window shortly after the museum opened, using a lift typically meant for moving furniture. In just four minutes, they grabbed priceless pieces dating back to the Napoleonic era.

Now, many are questioning how such a daring theft could happen in one of the most important art institutions in the world. After all, this is the Galerie d’Apollon-a place built to celebrate light, not to be robbed in the shadows. History of the gallery

The gallery that once housed the jewels stolen today is named for King Louis XIV, who saw himself in Apollo, the god of the sun.

The story began in disaster. In February 1661, a fire tore through the Petite Galerie, a jewel of Henri IV’s Louvre. His grandson, 23-year-old Louis XIV, seized the chance to rebuild bigger and brighter, dedicating the space to Apollo, god of the sun.

To bring his vision to life, he enlisted architect Louis Le Vau and painter Charles Le Brun. The Galerie d’Apollon became their playground for grandeur, a place where myth met monarchy.

Above, Le Brun’s masterpiece unfolds: Apollo driving his chariot across the sky. Along the central axis, the sun god’s journey from dawn to night is depicted, surrounded by images of hours, seasons, zodiac signs, and continents, symbolizing the reach of the Sun King’s power.

The gallery remained incomplete for almost two centuries until architect Félix Duban revived it in 1850. Eugène Delacroix was commissioned to paint the 12-meter-wide ‘Apollo Slaying the Serpent Python’, a vivid display of French Romanticism. The walls were finished with portrait tapestries of 28 monarchs and artists who built the Louvre. Treasures inside

Since the Louvre became a museum, the Galerie d’Apollon has displayed the collection of hardstone vessels of the kings of France. These pieces, carved from agate, amethyst, lapis lazuli, jade, and rock crystal, are often mounted with gilt and enamel. Louis XIV had a particular passion for hardstones, amassing around 800 items.

Among the most notable pieces is Neptune’s Ship, a lapis lazuli creation. Known for its intricate design and refined Parisian metalwork, it portrays the vessel of the Roman sea god Neptune, decorated with delicate flower garlands.

The gallery also holds the French Crown Jewels, including the Côte de Bretagne spinel, once owned by Anne de Bretagne, and three historic diamonds-the Regent, Sancy, and Hortensia.

The Regent is a 140-carat diamond brought to France from India. It’s known as one of the most valuable diamonds in the world, admired for its size, weight, and crystal-clear purity-often described as ‘of the first water.’ What was stolen

Yet amid the splendor of the Galerie d’Apollon, no one imagined its brilliance would be dimmed in the blink of an eye.

Thieves managed to steal eight items from two display cases. The missing treasures include pieces once owned by Empress Marie-Louise, wife of French Emperor Napoleon I, and Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III.

According to officials, the stolen trove comprises tiaras, necklaces, earrings, and brooches. And just like a scene from a film, the thieves sped off on motorcycles, dropping a ninth item in their escape-a small but telling remnant of a heist that shook the world’s greatest museum.

The gallery, having weathered war, revolution, and countless restorations, now faces a different kind of loss-not of jewels alone, but of the illusion that its treasures were ever beyond reach.

Regular jails were being prepared by the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to detain individuals if they are charged over the flood control scandal, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla said.

‘The BJMP is ready. The facilities are ready. We are not backing out of obligation to fulfill our role as the office in charge of all jails in the Philippines,’ Remulla, speaking in Filipino, told reporters ahead of an inspection of the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas on Monday.

‘We are preparing regular jail cells. If a thief of P100 at SM, if a thief and a shoplifter of lotion are jailed here, those who steal billions, in my opinion, should also be jailed here,’ he added.

‘The rules of the jail will apply to the rich and to the poor the same,’ Remulla stressed.

He added that, while the courts have the discretion to determine where to detain those to be indicted, the New Quezon City Jail was the closest BJMP facility to the special anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.

According to the DILG chief, the New Quezon City Jail had a bathroom, a shower, a toilet, purified drinking water, an area for exercise, and private quarters where those accused may confer with their legal counsels.

Remulla added that the custodial facility at the Philippine National Police (PNP) headquarters in Camp Crame, also in Quezon City, will not be used to detain individuals to be indicted in the flood control scandal.

‘First charges to be filed in next 3 weeks’

The DILG chief – the brother of former Justice Secretary and current Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla – said the first round of indictments against up to 200 individuals will come in the next three weeks.

Who will be charged? Remulla only said, ‘Based on the Senate hearings, it appears all the names were already revealed there. So, the names that came out of the Senate hearings, the congressional hearings, I think, they will be the first ones to be indicted.’

However, Remulla clarified, ‘I have no personal knowledge of what the Ombudsman is doing. But, based only on what I see and hear, the evidence shown at the Senate is heavy.’

Retired PNP Chief and Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Special Adviser Rodolfo Azurin Jr. previously said at least 15 cases may be filed before the Ombudsman in the coming weeks.

Alyssa Solomon delivered a breakout performance in her first start, helping Osaka Marvelous sweep the Aranmare Yamagata, 25-21, 25-21, 25-16, in the 2025-26 Japan SV.League season on Sunday at HOS Sumiyoshi Sports Center.

Benched in the opener and scoring only a total of three points three games into her first foray as a pro, Solomon made the most of her role as a starter and showed what she’s capable of on the international stage.

The Filipino opposite spiker drilled nine attacks, three blocks, and an ace to earn the Player of the Game honor.

Ameze Miyabe also stepped up with 13 points for the Marvelous. Kotona Hayashi chipped in 12, while Lisa Van Hecke added 10 to rise to a 2-2 record after losing their first two games.

Meanwhile, Jaja Santiago and the Denso AiryBees absorbed their first defeat following a 25-22, 19-25, 25-22, 25-16 loss to Rivale Astemo at Hitachinaka City Sports Park Total Gym.

Santiago’s 12-point effort off 11 kills and a block wasn’t enough as they slid to 3-1.

Denso dominated Rivale Astemo, 26-24, 25-20, 25-17, on Saturday, but couldn’t complete a weekend sweep.

Solomon seeks to sustain her fine play when Osaka battles rival NEC Red Rockets on Friday and Saturday, while Santiago seeks bounce back in Denso’s weekend matches against the Saga Hisamitsu Springs.

Acting Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., ordered the law enforcement agency to crack down on fraud related to cars.

This came after the Highway Patrol Group (HPG) impounded three vehicles in Central Luzon over fraud-related incidents last Thursday.

‘Nartatez ordered the PNP-HPG to strengthen coordination with the Anti-Cybercrime Group and Regional Police Offices in tracking down online listings and falsified registrations linked to syndicated car loan frauds,’ the top cop’s office said in a statement on Monday.

‘He also called on banks, lending institutions, and the public to verify all car-related transactions to avoid becoming victims of scammers,’ it added.

In a separate statement, the HPG said it impounded a sports utility vehicle (SUV) after being found parked unattended in Angeles City last Thursday morning after not being returned to its owner for an unspecified amount of time.

Later that morning, the HPG impounded a motorcycle with a sidecar after its owner presented an allegedly falsified certificate of registration and official receipt while at the traffic police’s office in Pilar, Bataan, to verify their motor vehicle clearance.

Then, on Thursday afternoon, the HPG impounded a sedan in Abucay, Bataan, after it was discovered to be a car that was sold off despite undergoing repossession proceedings over unpaid obligations to the financier.

The HPG did not provide further details about each case but did say they were all undergoing legal disposition.

A driver died while five other motorists were injured on Monday morning, Oct. 20, after a wayward cargo truck caught fire in a road accident in Atimonan town in Quezon province.

Atimonan police, in a spot report, said a cargo truck driven by ‘Rolando,’ was negotiating a descending curved section of the Maharlika Highway in Barangay Malinao Ilaya at 6:40 a.m. when he lost control of the vehicle due to mechanical trouble.

The wayward truck consequently crashed into a pile of mud on the roadside, hitting a parked wrecked truck, causing it to tilt on its side, and subsequently slid and bumped two running tricycles.

After the collision, the truck caught fire and eventually exploded, police said.

Rolando was trapped inside the burning truck and died on the spot.

The fire and gasoline sprays caused injuries to the two trike drivers identified as ‘Edwin,’ 58; ‘Meriel,’ 28, and his three passengers – ‘Amethys,’ 13, ‘Jamela,’ 11, and ‘Angel,’ 13.

They were brought to a hospital in the locality for treatment.

Local firemen rushed to the site and extinguished the fire on the burning truck. INQ

‘Taxi Driver,’ the hit Korean drama starring Lee Je-hoon, Kim Eui-sung, and Pyo Ye-jin, is coming back for a third season set to premiere on Nov. 21.

Viu announced the hit K-drama’s return in a press statement where Lee, Kim, and Pyo are set to reprise their roles as Kim Do-gi, Jang Sung-chul, and Ahn Go-eun, respectively.

They will be joined by Jang Hyuk-Jin and Bae Yoo-ram, who will star as Choi Kyung-ku and Park Jin-eon.

Based on the webtoon ‘The Deluxe Taxi (Red Cage),’ ‘Taxi Driver’ tells the story of a Korean Military Academy graduate Kim Do-gi (Lee), who was hired as a taxi driver for Rainbow Taxi Company, a firm that offers revenge call services to clients after his mom’s death.

This means that Kim and his colleagues were entrusted to take revenge for those who were wronged by society or in a different form.

The first season premiered in April 2021, while its second installment was released in February 2023. It soon became a hit in South Korea with both seasons earning double-digit ratings, according to data from Nielsen Korea.

For the first time in nine weeks, fuel retailers are reducing diesel prices at the pump by 70 centavos per liter, a welcome relief for motorists.

According to the advisories of Seaoil, PetroGazz and Cleanfuel on Monday, kerosene prices will likewise go down by 60 centavos a liter, effective Oct. 21.

Gasoline, on the other hand, will be more expensive by 10 centavos per liter.

Last week, oil companies imposed mixed fuel price adjustments, with only gasoline recording an increase.