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The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has rescued 19 adults and seven minors, and arrested three individuals in a suspected sex trafficking operation in La Union.

According to the NBI, agents arrested on October 9, Robert Cu, alias ‘Warren Cruz,’ Vanessa Bernaldo, alias ‘Vhanz,’ and one alias ‘Jepot’ – whose name remains undisclosed as he is a minor – for offering individuals, including underage minors, for prostitution.

After the operation, 18 female adults, one male adult, four female minors, and three male minors were rescued.

The arrests were made following information from an anti-child trafficking non-governmental organization that reported trafficking activities online, the NBI reported.

‘Cu, through social media, was offering minor females and males for sexual services in exchange for a fee,’ the NBI said.

The victims were trafficked for P3,000 to P4,000 each, the NBI added.

NBI agents conducted surveillance online where they contacted Cu posing as clients, and the suspect introduced the agents to two women who will ‘provide sexual services.’

The day after, the NBI agents met with Cu, who introduced them to Bernaldo, to offer male minors to the poseur clients, and set a meet-up for the ‘delivery’ of the victims.

In Bauang, La Union on October 9, Cu brought with him the minor female victims and a male adult victim, but before the agents secured the trafficked persons, Cu attempted to flee, but was later apprehended in a San Fernando, La Union.

In a separate but simultaneous operation, Bernaldo failed to escape NBI agents and admitted to transacting with ‘Jepot,’ who was allegedly in charge of recruiting male minor victims in Baseco, Tondo Manila.

Shortly after the arrest of Bernaldo, a ‘vehicle boarded by four male minor victims arrived,’ and the driver told the authorities that he was hired by the suspects.

The driver was then instructed by the authorities to order another hired driver who was with ‘Jepot’ at the time to take the minor suspect to the NBI-Ilocos Regional Office.

Upon arrival at the NBI office, ‘Jepot’ was apprehended and identified by the rescued victims before he was turned over to the City Social Welfare and Development.

Meanwhile, Cu and Bernaldo will face charges for violating the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003, and the Child Abuse Law in relation to Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012. /jpv

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday announced a $400-million policy-based loan to help boost the Philippines’ insurance sector by creating an enabling environment for broader participation in the industry.

The Insurance Reform Program, Subprogram 1, would support broader financial sector development reforms in regulation and supervision, including greater intermediation of long-term credit for government infrastructure projects, the ADB said in a statement.

This is ADB’s first dedicated insurance reform program, building on the bank’s ongoing support to the Philippine insurance industry and capital markets development since the late 1990s.

The Manila-based lender also said the financing was designed to foster a more efficient, consumer-oriented and technologically advanced insurance market that strengthens climate risk management and disaster resilience.

The new program will be implemented in three sequenced subprograms, in close partnership with the Insurance Commission.

It would support comprehensive reforms-including cutting-edge digitalization and climate finance-to enhance resilience, financial inclusion and consumer trust, the ADB explained.

‘This program is a strategic investment in the Philippines’ sustainable and inclusive economic future,’ said ADB country director for the Philippines Andrew Jeffries.

‘By modernizing the regulatory framework, we are not only strengthening the insurance industry itself-we are building a critical line of protection for the nation,’ he added. INQ

The contract for a new building of the Commission on Audit’s (COA) headquarters had been awarded to a contractor with ties to the wife of one of its own commissioners, already linked to anomalous public works projects, according to a watchdog group.

Records reviewed by the Right to Know, Right Now (R2KRN) coalition showed that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) awarded a P959-million contract for the new COA building in its central office in Quezon City in 2021 to the joint venture of R.U. Aquino Construction and Development Corp. and Le Bron Construction.

Le Bron Construction, a sole proprietorship, is the main joint venture (JV) partner of Olympus Mining and Builders Group Phils. Corp., a construction company headed by Marilou Laurio Lipana, wife of COA Commissioner Mario Lipana.

A review of Olympus’ DPWH contracts from 2023 to 2025 showed that it entered into JVs with Le Bron in nine out of its 22 contracts during that period.

Le Bron’s authorized managing officer is Moises Nicdao, who is also among the incorporators of another firm, Iron Ore, Gold and Vanadium Resources Inc. (IOGVRP), where Mrs. Lipana, through her maiden name Marilou G. Laurio, was listed as president based on an offshore mining project scoping document in 2021.

Ramon Aris Lipana is also listed as an IOGVRP incorporator based on Securities and Exchange Commission records, though it is unclear how he is related to Commissioner Lipana.

Le Bron itself holds a sizable public works portfolio, with around 235 DPWH contracts across Luzon and the Visayas from 2016 to 2025 worth a total of P15 billion, according to the DPWH infrastructure website.

R2KRN noted that the firm was blacklisted from July 31, 2017, to July 7, 2018, but was still awarded 21 contracts worth P514.3 million between 2017 and 2018.

‘There is little question [that] the Lipanas and Nicdao have ties that they have parlayed into a web of contracts across multiple types of infrastructure projects and supplies of various goods and services, usually as joint-venture partners,’ R2KRN said.

R2KRN is a network of advocates from the academe, labor sector, the youth, civil society organizations, and the media campaigning for the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) law and the promotion of FOI practice in the country.

On medical leave

Although Commissioner Lipana was not yet part of the commission when the new COA building contract was awarded, R2KRN noted that he was already a senior COA officer then.

Before he was appointed commissioner, Lipana, a San Ildefonso, Bulacan native, headed the COA regional office in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon, or Region IV-A) and concurrently led the Intelligence and Confidential Fund Audit Office, which reviews the liquidation and use of confidential and intelligence funds by national and local agencies.

The Inquirer on Tuesday called Commissioner Lipana’s office to seek his comments on R2KRN’s revelations but was told by his staff that he was still on medical leave.

The 1987 Constitution bars members of constitutional commissions from having any financial interest, direct or indirect, in businesses that may be affected by their office’s functions.

Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, expounds on this obligation by requiring divestment upon assumption of office and forbidding the transfer of interest to spouses and relatives within the fourth degree of consanguinity.

‘Viewed against these legal standards, the circumstances surrounding Commissioner Lipana and his wife raise serious questions of conflict of interest,’ read the R2KRN report written by Nepomuceno Malaluan, Malou Mangahas, and Jenina Joy Chavez.

Even if Commissioner Lipana had no role in auditing DPWH projects involving his wife’s company, R2KRN argued that it ‘still stands that the new headquarters of the nation’s audit institution was awarded to a contractor that had a business association with the family of one of its senior officials.’

‘This betrays the deeper institutional entanglements that now confront COA,’ it said. ‘Indeed, while a new home for the country’s supreme audit institution was being built, the very foundations of its independence were being eaten away like wood by termites from within.’

Infra partnership

The Le Bron-Olympus partnership extended far beyond the COA compound, the coalition added.

From 2016 to 2025, Olympus bagged P1.89 billion worth of infrastructure projects from the DPWH-mostly flood control structures and access roads in Bulacan-including nine JVs with Le Bron Construction.

Many of these projects fell under Bulacan’s first district engineering office, whose former officials, Henry Alcantara and Brice Ericson Hernandez, have admitted before the Senate blue ribbon committee to kickbacks, bid rigging, and substandard and ‘ghost’ projects.

In his sworn statement to the Senate on Sept. 23, Alcantara claimed that Commissioner Lipana personally requested a list of flood control projects for Bulacan and later managed to insert P500 million worth of these into the 2023 unprogrammed appropriations, followed by P400 million in 2024 and another P500 million in 2025.

Former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo confirmed in an affidavit that Lipana had sought introductions to Bulacan DPWH officials.

Ombudsman probe

The Office of the Ombudsman earlier confirmed that it was now conducting a fact-finding investigation into Commissioner Lipana since these allegations surfaced.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said this could constitute an impeachable offense for Lipana, who was appointed by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2022 and whose term is set to expire in 2027.

In light of these new allegations, R2RKN challenged the COA to ‘to apply its own ethical and administrative standards impartially. Whether through formal inquiry, recusal, or administrative review, its leadership and personnel must address questions that reach deeply into its own credibility as the nation’s guardian of fiscal integrity.’

Meanwhile, the coalition also called on the DPWH to review the contracts involving Olympus, as well as its JVs and related contractors, and for Congress to exercise its exclusive authority to initiate impeachment proceedings if the facts establish ethical or constitutional violations.

At the same time, R2KRN called on the Independent Commission for Infrastructure to look into the connection between Lipana, COA, Olympus and Le Bron, especially since one of the contracts involved one of COA’s own infrastructure.

The country’s summer capital is the wealthiest city outside the National Capital Region (NCR) based on its 2024 economic performance and is even richer per capita than seven NCR localities, a Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) official said during an economic briefing here Tuesday.

Overall, Baguio ranks 10th among highly urbanized cities in the Philippines despite a slowdown in its gross city domestic product (GDP), which dropped from 9 percent (P169.02 billion) in 2023 to 5.8 percent (P178.85 billion), said Aldrin Federico Bahit Jr., PSA chief statistician for Cordillera.

The city’s GDP translates to a per capita output of P485,433 in goods and services generated per person, he said.

Industry and services remained the main economic drivers for Baguio last year, with the services sector-valued at P133.87 billion-accounting for 5.5 percent of the city’s 5.8-percent growth in 2024.

Even Baguio’s farms performed well, posting a 3.6-percent growth last year. However, this emerging sector-composed of an ‘agricultural population’ of 12,496 micro and small commercial farmers and the Ibaloys indigenous community in the city outskirts-contributed only 0.5 percent to the local economy, Bahit said.

Hesitant

Despite the positive figures, residents have not fully embraced Baguio’s wealth ranking, prompting city officials to reflect on what the city’s prosperity may be costing its environment and overall quality of life, said City Planning Officer architect Donna Rillera Tabangin during the forum.

‘There was hesitancy,’ Tabangin noted, recalling the time when Baguio’s strong economic status was first announced in April – partly due to growing disenchantment with core industries like tourism because of their impact on people’s daily lives.

She said the city government is currently conducting a ‘quality of life’ survey to better understand why residents express reservations about Baguio’s economic success.

The survey, which may be completed by November, is expected to help reset the city’s development goals toward achieving better living standards by 2040.

For instance, Baguio is now promoting ecotourism to balance its popularity as a travel destination with programs aimed at preserving its remaining timberlands.

A 2019 government-commissioned study found that many of the city’s key resources – such as water, forest cover, and public roads and spaces – are no longer sufficient for its current population, said Tabangin, who was part of the study team that estimated Baguio’s urban carrying capacity.

Baguio is also pursuing an early transition to a circular economy, which promotes recycling and waste repurposing – an approach expected to transform local consumption patterns and introduce new community services.

The circular economy initiative, together with the city’s ongoing smart city conversion by 2027, will shape the kind of investments, expenditures, and businesses Baguio aims to attract, she added.

Baguio’s impressive growth tells two contrasting stories – a testament to Baguio’s continuing role in driving Cordillera development, but also to the widening imbalance between urban and rural economies, said Jose Dado, Cordillera assistant director of the Department of Economy, Planning and Development, who presented an analysis of the latest growth report.

‘Economic nucleus’

Dado said the Cordillera economy ‘was further concentrated in Baguio and Benguet,’ describing the city as ‘the region’s economic nucleus.’

The Cordillera region relied heavily on Baguio to achieve a gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth of 4.8 percent (P378.26 billion). The city accounted for nearly half (47.3 percent) of the region’s total growth, he said.

Benguet, which supplies most of the salad vegetables consumed in Metro Manila, contributed 23 percent to the Cordillera GRDP in 2024, Bahit added.

Benguet also accounted for 48 percent of the region’s agricultural output, which grew by 1.1 percent last year – the first positive growth in years. The province’s GDP rose by 5 percent (P86.91 billion) in 2024, slightly slower than its 5.1 percent (P82.76 billion) growth in 2023, said Imelda Buyuccan, PSA chief statistician for Benguet.

‘The concentration of output and income in Baguio and Benguet risks widening socioeconomic disparities,’ Dado warned.

He linked the negative population growth in Abra and Mountain Province last year to their sluggish economies and persistent poverty, underscoring the struggles of rural communities that ‘cannot match urban access to infrastructure, services, and investments.’

Dado added: ‘Industry output in 2024 was heavily concentrated in Baguio and Benguet, comprising 71 percent of the Cordillera’s total. The services sector is even more centralized, with 72.1 percent of output coming from Baguio (51 percent) and Benguet (21.1 percent). Despite slower growth, Baguio remains the fastest-growing economy in the services sector.’

BLISTT

Baguio has tried to address this imbalance as early as 1990 when it forged an economic alliance with neighboring Benguet towns-La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan, Tuba, and Tublay (BLISTT)-to share resources and investments.

He also cited improved economic performances in the provinces of Ifugao, home of the famed rice terraces; rice-producing Kalinga and its component city Tabuk; the natural biosphere of Apayao; bamboo-producing Abra; and the vegetable-growing towns of Benguet and Mountain Province.

‘Ifugao, Kalinga, and Abra are showing signs of economic vitality, particularly in manufacturing and services. Ifugao defied the slowdown trend, posting a 5.3-percent growth last year-up from 4.1 percent in 2023,’ Dado said.

‘Manufacturing growth was notable in Kalinga, Benguet, and Abra, while Apayao recorded a remarkable surge in mining and quarrying,’ he added

Despite the global push to phase down fossil fuels and transition to clean energy, coal continues to hold a strong foothold. It remains a dominant force in the world’s energy mix, with new coal-fired power plants still being built to meet rising electricity demand.

By mid-2025, about 2,500 coal plants will remain operational worldwide. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), coal generates about 35% of global electricity as of 2025.

As of last year, 227 gigawatts of coal power were under construction worldwide, with hundreds more gigawatts in planning.

Global Energy Monitor reports that 98% of this new capacity is concentrated in only 15 countries. China leads with 1,195 coal plants, producing more than half of the world’s coal-fired electricity.

India follows with nearly 300, while the United States still operates between 200 and 250 plants, placing it in the global top five.

According to a report, China plans to carry on with building coal-fired power plants all the way to 2027, particularly in places that need to match high power demand or grid stabilization.

In Southeast Asia, Indonesia is expanding through ‘captive’ coal plants that supply industrial nickel, cobalt, and aluminum operations. Other countries developing new coal capacity include Bangladesh, Vietnam, Laos, Zimbabwe, Russia, Kazakhstan, and the Philippines, where the Atimonan One Energy project in Quezon province is being developed as a modern coal plant.

While strategies in countries such as China, India, Russia, and Turkey diverge from the 2015 Paris Agreement’s pathways, the respective governments frame their approach as alternative timelines rather than outright rejection.

All four nations are signatories to the agreement and recognize the risks of surpassing the 1.5-2 °C warming threshold. Still, they prioritize short-term growth and energy security, planning to peak emissions later and rely on future technologies to catch up.

China has pledged to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060, though the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) warns the carbon budget for 1.5 °C may be exhausted before then.

India has set its net-zero target for 2070, two decades later than the Paris benchmark of 2050.

Russia aims at net zero by 2060 while continuing to support coal and fossil exports. Turkey has legislated a 2053 net-zero goal but continues to pursue new coal projects.

These governments are betting on more efficient, modern coal plants and future renewable energy expansion to allow for short-term overshoot, though rising electricity demand risks locking them into long-term coal dependency.

For them, coal also represents energy security, industrial stability, and millions of jobs.

Meanwhile, in the United States, President Donald Trump recently announced $625 million in new investment to expand the coal industry.

He also said his administration is revising the Clean Air Act to align with its energy policy, arguing that emissions should only be regulated with clear evidence linking a specific power plant to environmental harm.

The administration has emphasized expanding energy production as a priority while signaling that it does not plan to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from US coal plants.

In developing countries such as the Philippines, coal remains central to the power sector, supplying more than 60% of electricity generation.

Demand is projected to grow by about 5% annually through 2027, with coal providing the reliable baseload capacity needed for grid stability.

Although the Department of Energy declared a moratorium on new ‘greenfield’ coal projects in 2020, major plants such as Meralco PowerGen’s USD2-Billion plant in Atimonan are still moving forward.

The Philippines’ participation in the ongoing global reliance on coal for energy generation is extremely small compared to other coal-dependent countries.

Advocates for the immediate phaseout of coal facilities need to focus their efforts more on nations with significantly higher levels of coal dependency.

Renewable energy facility models are increasingly being promoted and developed.

However, the high costs of construction and operation, along with the inconsistency in energy generation, continue to pose challenges. The full potential of these technologies has yet to be realized in terms of providing reliable and economically affordable energy for consumers.

Offshore wind, for example. Yes, it’s clean. But it’s also hugely expensive and comes with serious economic and environmental concerns. Evidently, around the world, many offshore wind projects are now struggling.

For now, coal is far from obsolete. New plants are not remnants of the past but reinforcements for energy security, powering homes, factories, and industries.

More senators have expressed willingness to publicize their statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN), believing that making it available to the public would help curb corruption as well as win back the trust of the public in the government.

In separate ambush interviews on Wednesday, Sens. Sherwin Gatchalian and Francis Pangilinan welcomed Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla’s memorandum, which lifted restrictions on SALNs previously issued by his predecessor, Samuel Martires.

Gatchalian, for his part, particularly said he sees no security concern about making SALN public, explaining that if officials stay true to their declarations, then there would be no problem.

‘This is one way of bringing the confidence of the public back to the government. Because now there is low public trust and confidence. So this is a way to bring back confidence,’ said Gatchalian.

‘For me, if you are not hiding anything, then there would be no issue about making SALN public. Like in my case, if someone requests for it, I have not turned down a single request for SALN. Especially those who are requesting it are media outfits and CSOs. So far, I have not yet received a request from a doubtful identity,’ he said.

According to Gatchalian, none of the senators he had a chance to exchange conversation with had issues about publicizing their SALNs.

‘Everyone is ready to show their SALN. Because now, the procedure is by request. Maybe for us to see if the requesting party is a legitimate organization, but in terms of disclosing SALN, I have talked to some of my fellow senators, and none of them have raised a problem,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Pangilinan argued that under the law, SALNs clearly need to be made available for transparency and accountability.

When he was asked if it could help prevent corruption, Pangilinan answered in the affirmative.

‘Definitely, because the anti-graft laws indicate that if an income does not commensurate someone’s wealth, then that’s already prima facie evidence that that is ill-gotten. It’s now the burden of proof on the part of the public official to prove that it’s not ill-gotten,’ said Pangilinan.

Apart from Pangilinan and Gatchalian, their colleagues Sens. Robin Padilla, Risa Hontiveros, and Bam Aquino likewise welcomed the new memorandum.

Padilla, in a post on Facebook, even volunteered to publicize his SALN first.

‘Similar to my speech in the Senate plenary about Freedom of Information, let us now publicize our SALN. Let the Senate accept the challenge of the new Ombudsman! Publicize my SALN first,’ he said.

In a separate statement issued also on Wednesday, Hontiveros called the previously-imposed SALN restrictions as unconstitutional, anti-people, and unjust.

‘As always, I am willing to release my SALN, in accordance with Senate rules and policies,’ she said.

‘The new rules should be applied equally on all public officials – from the highest to the lowest, past or present – even with reasonable limitations related to personal or sensitive information and security,’ she added.

Aquino made the same remark, noting that this is one of the first steps towards a clean and transparent government.

‘Normalizing transparency is important, and this is one of the steps towards a clean and transparent government,’ he said

Senate President Vicente Sotto III earlier said he would likely call for a caucus to discuss the ombudsman’s new memorandum with his colleagues. /mr

Several schools in Tagbilaran City resumed in-person classes on Tuesday after being cleared as safe for occupancy following structural inspections conducted by the City Government’s Rapid Post-Earthquake Assessment Team.

Mayor Jane Yap said that the assessment, jointly carried out by the City Engineering Office, City Planning Office, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), and the Department of Education (DepEd), confirmed that dozens of public and private schools have received a green tag, indicating they are structurally sound.

As of 8:30 p.m. Monday, a total of 53 schools-including Tagbilaran City Science High School, Cogon National High School, Mansasa Elementary School, University of Bohol, Tagbilaran City College, and several day care centers-were cleared to resume in-person classes.

Yap said the city remains committed to ensuring the safety of students and teachers, noting that the inspections primarily focused on multi-story buildings.

‘After careful evaluation, the cleared schools are now safe for face-to-face classes. However, rooms with identified structural issues must remain off-limits until repaired,’ Yap said.

Meanwhile, as of 10:20 p.m. on Monday, the city government reported that 10 private schools have not yet been physically inspected or submitted their engineers’ clearances. These are Great Minds Academy, Royal Christian School, Holy Name University, Bohol Wisdom School, BIT International College (BIT-IC), Bohol Island State University (BISU), Holy Infant School, PMI Colleges, St. Therese School of Tagbilaran, and Holy Spirit School.

The city clarified that these private institutions may proceed with face-to-face classes provided they coordinate with the assessment team for proper guidance and monitoring. Inspectors will visit the campuses on Tuesday, October 14, to verify the safety and structural integrity of their buildings.

School administrators are advised to contact COS Cathy Torremocha at 0908-892-1455 or 0917-890-3531 for verification and inclusion in the cleared list.

Yap also directed all schools in Tagbilaran City to conduct earthquake and fire drills this week with assistance from the CDRRMO and partner agencies.

‘We cannot predict aftershocks, but we can prepare. Safety remains our top priority,’ Yap noted.

Based on the latest Cities and Municipalities Competitiveness Index and data from DepEd Tagbilaran City Division, the city has 13,658 elementary students (Kinder to Grade 6), 29,049 junior and senior high school students, and 87,671 college students from both public and private institutions.

This brings the total student population to 130,378, each representing ‘someone’s child, sibling, or friend’ whose safety the city considers a top priority./coa

MANILA, Philippines-Maverick Ahanmisi is looking forward to teaming up with his younger brother Jerrick at Terrafirma after his trade wishes were granted by Barangay Ginebra.

Ahanmisi was sent to the Dyip along with fellow 2015 Rookie Class Aljon Mariano in exchange for the first round pick in next season’s PBA Draft after the veteran guard requested a change in scenery for a chance at bigger playing minutes. The deal allowed the 34-year-old to be on the same side as the younger Ahanmisi, who is also in his first season with the team after being shipped from Magnolia in the offseason.

‘That’s another thing I’m happy about too, man,’ Ahanmisi told a handful of reporters after watching Ginebra’s 92-77 rout of TNT on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. He attended the contest to bid goodbye to his now-former teammates and is set to report to Terrafirma practice on Thursday. Maverick also acknowledged that being with Jerrick will set a new first for the Ahanmisi siblings.

‘I’ve never gotten to be teammates with my brother, ever,’ he said. ‘Any path of life, high school, whatever, I’ve never gotten to be his teammate. So, this is going to be a cool experience for me.’

Terrafirma is hoping to get a boost with Maverick, who hopes to replicate what he did for Converge in the 2022-23 season before signing with Ginebra as an unrestricted free agent.

The Dyip are currently at 1-1 after an upset win over the NLEX Road Warriors last Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Maverick’s expected Terrafirma debut is on Oct. 22 against Converge at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

MANILA, Philippines-As if La Salle didn’t have enough motivation on Wednesday, the Green Archers had another reason to win against University of the East in what has been a rough UAAP Season 88 campaign so far for the deemed title favorites.

Just three days after losing forward Mason Amos to an MCL tear in a tough loss to National University, La Salle saw another one of its key cogs in Kean Baclaan get stretchered off the court after going down with an apparent knee injury late in the fourth quarter. ‘I just remember Kean screaming like that when we were behind him and everyone just gathered together and said we have to win it for him,’ DLSU forward Mike Phillips recalled. after dropping a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds. The injury to Baclaan lit a fire under the Green Archers, who went on to outlast the Red Warriors, 111-110, in overtime to snap a two-game slide. Jacob Cortez came up clutch, scoring La Salle’s last five points to put the game away. He finished with a team-high 26 points while Phillips recorded 18 points and 11 rebounds before suffering from cramps in OT. Baclaan had 17 points before getting hurt, and La Salle trailing, 89-84, with 4:20 remaining in regulation when UE’s Wello Lingolingo dove onto his knees in a fight for the loose ball.

‘The way he was screaming, I never heard him like that and when I was watching him get stretchered off the court,’ said Cortez.

‘At first it was sad, but it’s also a motivation for us.’

Sad would be an understatement for UE center Precious Momowei, who poured his heart out and delivered a career-best 42 points. Momowei was in tears after the loss as the Red Warriors remained winless after six games.

Meralco averted another potential collapse and beat Blackwater, 105-96, on Wednesday to claim its first victory in the PBA Philippine Cup at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Chris Newsome scored 22 points while four others were in double figures as the Bolts barged into the win column after back-to-back defeats to start the season-opening conference. The last game saw Meralco squander a double-digit deficit and lose 96-95 in overtime to Rain or Shine last Saturday in Rodriguez, Rizal.

It appeared that the Bolts were in a comfortable ceiling, having led by 24, only for the Bossing to put up a stirring third and trimming the gap to three behind the hot-shooting Sedrick Barefield and RK Ilagan.

But Newsome, Aaron Black and Allein Maliksi, among others, stepped up to make sure that Meralco won’t falter again. The win was the start of a hectic schedule for the Bolts, whose next opponent is Barangay Ginebra on Friday at the same venue and Magnolia on Sunday in Rodriguez. Meralco will then open its East Asia Super League stint next Wednesday in Japan against the Ryukyu Golden Kings.

Barefield dropped 34 points as he waxed hot for Blackwater after making seven triples while Ilagan had 22 points in the defeat that sent the team down to a 1-1 record.