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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is not alarmed by the recent Pulse Asia survey results showing that more than half of Filipinos are ‘critical’ of the government’s efforts to curb inflation and corruption.

This was according to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro during a briefing in Malacañang.

‘Well, first of all, if they are conducting a survey, the President is not alarmed by the numbers,’ she responded in Filipino when asked for a reaction on the survey results.

‘The President continues to work hard to further combat corruption in our country, and he has also previously stated that ratings should not be based solely on one survey,’ Castro added speaking in Filipino.

Aside from inflation and corruption, respondents were also critical of the administration’s efforts to reduce poverty and curb the widespread sale and use of illegal drugs.

This, Castro said, is already being addressed by the administration.

‘When it comes to drugs, we can see that many illegal drugs are being intercepted and seized, and these are being reported. So, we just need to look into where this report is coming from and why some people are still not satisfied with the efforts of the PDEA [Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency] and the PNP [Philippine National Police] in combating illegal drugs],’ said Castro.

On the issue of poverty, Castro mentioned a recent report showing a decline in the unemployment rate.

‘That is part of the government’s efforts to help prevent poverty among our fellow citizens. The DSWD has also taken action to help reduce hunger in our country. These are just some of the government’s projects aimed at lowering the poverty rate nationwide,’ she said in Filipino.

In a Pulse Asia poll conducted in late September among 1,200 adults, 64 percent expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s handling of inflation.

Meanwhile, 69 percent were critical of its efforts to combat graft and corruption in government. /jpv

Former Speaker Martin Romualdez on Tuesday said he believes any resource person, including former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, invited by the Independent Commission on Infrastructure (ICI) should heed its summons and return to the country.

Romualdez made the remark after the conclusion of an ICI hearing where he was invited to discuss his ‘familiarity and personal knowledge’ of alleged insertions in the national budget.

Co, who was subpoenaed alongside Romualdez, did not attend the hearing.

Asked what he thinks the ICI should do regarding Co’s absence, Romualdez said: ‘The ICI will have resource persons invited here, and we shall await the same.’

‘[But] any resource persons invited here, we expect them to return,’ he added.

Romualdez thanked the ICI for the ‘opportunity to share his side of the story’ and reiterated his commitment to support the body in its investigation.

‘It seems that right now, it’s about facts and evidence, not just political noise or speculations,’ said Romualdez, partly in Filipino.

‘Kaya (That’s why), the ICI commissioners were able to ask me many questions, and I was able to answer them. I feel very, very happy to share the information,’ he added.

Romualdez is among the lawmakers implicated in the flood control corruption scandal after Co’s former security consultant accused him of allegedly receiving kickbacks from government projects-an allegation Romualdez has since denied. /jpv/abc

Senator Chiz Escudero’s legal counsel has filed an affidavit before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) explaining the P30-million donation made to his 2022 campaign by a contractor, according to commission chair George Garcia.

‘His lawyer filed this morning. He has an affidavit,’ Garcia said in an interview with reporters on Tuesday after a dialogue on the Supreme Court ruling on the first Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Parliamentary Elections.

‘Therefore, for us, all the ingredients are complete to have a disposition for their office,’ he added.

Garcia clarified that the decision on Escudero’s case was being handled by the office of the Political Finance and Affairs Department and not by the Commission en banc, emphasizing that he himself had inhibited himself from the case.

‘Because they (referring to the Political Finance and Affairs Department) are engaged in what is called data gathering, fact-finding, and therefore, it is up to them if they are charged,’ Garcia explained.

‘The contractor and former Senate President Chiz Escudero will not be charged. We are not interfering in that process,’ he noted.

‘We are not interfering in that process. In fact, your servant has inhibited himself there as the lawyer of former Senate President Chiz Escudero several times. So we will ignore whatever our office thinks is appropriate in this case. He has given a defense, and therefore, we will clash that with the provision of our law,’ he pointed out.

According to Garcia, the affidavit contains Escudero’s defense that he only accepted the donation from contractor Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., with the knowledge that it is a ‘private fund.’

‘That is what he is saying publicly in interviews that he really accepted it in his belief that it was a private fund and in a personal capacity as an acquaintance, a friend of Mr. Lubiano,’ the Comelec chair said.

‘And therefore, for us, we will weigh that. We will find out if that is a sufficient defense or a violation of our existing law in Section 95C of the Omnibus Election,’ he added.

In a statement sent to reporters on Tuesday, Escudero’s legal counsel Ramon Esguerra confirmed that he filed the affidavit ‘to respect the Comelec process.’

‘Our position is clear: The donation was legal, fully declared, and follows long-standing practice. The law is on our side, and we are confident the Comelec will find no fault,’ Esguerra said.

Comelec had earlier issued a show-cause order to Escudero, directing him to explain the P30-million campaign donation he received from Lubiano during the 2022 elections. /apl

Over 50,000 individuals passed the Career Service Examination – Pen and Paper Test (CSE-PPT) conducted nationwide on August 10, 2025, according to the Civil Service Commission (CSC)

In a statement on Monday, the CSC reported that 50,096 examinees for both professional and subprofessional levels are now eligible for civil service.

‘Of the 302,028 examinees who took the professional level, 45,730 passed, representing a 15.14 percent passing rate. Meanwhile, 4,366 or 14.73 percent of the 29,647 examinees successfully passed the subprofessional level,’ the CSC said.

‘We congratulate all passers of the August 2025 examinations. Passing the CSE is a significant step toward a career in public service, and we hope that this achievement inspires more Filipinos to join the civil service,’ CSC Chairperson Marilyn Yap said.

Examinees may view their exam results on CSC’s website at csc.gov.ph.

The CSC said passers may claim their certificate of eligibility (COE) printed on CSC letterhead and issued free of charge, starting November 18.

The COEs are accessible at the commission’s regional office or field office, where the exam was taken.

Passers must present either of the following valid IDs when claiming their COEs: driver’s license, passport, PRC license, SSS or GSIS ID (UMID), Voter’s ID or Certification, BIR ID, PhilHealth ID, company/office ID, school ID, police clearance, postal ID, barangay ID, NBI Clearance, seaman’s book, HDMF transaction card, PWD ID, solo parent ID, senior citizen’s ID, or PhilID. /gsg

Kaila Estrada doesn’t believe that she is a better actress than her mother, Janice de Belen, saying that she ‘only wishes to achieve half’ of the latter’s milestones in the entertainment industry.

During the media launch of ‘What Lies Beneath’ in Quezon City on Monday, October 13, Estrada said this when asked to react to an interview in which de Belen stated that the ‘Incognito’ star is a ‘better actress’ than her.

‘She said that? Thanks, mom! I disagree. I feel like my parents, gusto lang nila ipagmalaki ang mga anak nila (they just want to show how proud they are of their children),’ she said. Estrada also underscored that de Belen is a ‘living legend’ on her own, and she wanted to express how proud she is of her mom as well.

‘I look up to her in all the aspects of my life, not just her as an artista. Having said that, nandito rin ako para ipagmalaki siya (to express how proud I am of her), and I’m so proud to be her daughter. I’m so proud of what she has achieved. I only wish to achieve half of that,’ she said.

In a 2022 interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Estrada admitted that she ‘seldomly’ asks the screen veteran for acting advice, saying de Belen has always encouraged her to explore the process of being an actress in her own terms.

The actress is one of the leads of the upcoming mystery drama ‘What Lies Beneath,’ which also stars Janella Salvador, Sue Ramirez, and Charlie Dizon.

Joining the actresses are Jake Cuenca, JM de Guzman, Jameson Blake, Yves Flores, and Race Matias. /edv

The August Twenty-One Movement (ATOM) on Tuesday called out the Marcos administration over the ‘prolonged inaction’ on the irregularities surrounding the flood control projects, questioning how the promise to go after the big fish remained undone.

‘To test the limits of our people’s patience would be foolish at this time,’ said Volt Bohol, president of ATOM, a group following the assassination of former Sen. Benigno ‘Ninoy’ Aquino Jr. in 1983.

Despite the daily protests being held by various groups, the government has yet to make good on its pledge to prosecute the individuals tagged in the anomalies surrounding the state-funded projects, Bohol said.

He pointed out how the daily protests were unique since the post-Aquino assassination of 1983, but officials and private contractors who were tagged in the scandal have yet to be prosecuted completely.

‘The people are getting exhausted. More and more are taking their calls to the streets. Learn from our history. If you see something like this, it is a warning,’ Bohol said.

He also called out the legislative branch, as well as the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, over their ‘usual diversionary tactics to make the people forget about this issue, like they usually do with past scandals.’

‘No amount of shoving this under the rug can make the people forget this time,’ Bohol said.

The group demanded that all ICI reports and findings by the Commission on Audit be released to the public, as well as the publication of timelines and status updates by the ICI.

The Marcos administration should also prioritize speed in the prosecution and not the ‘spectacle,’ by proceeding with the prosecution of the tagged individuals.

‘But if there is someone who continues to give our country hope, this is our people,’ Bohol said.

‘This drive against corruption is not just the duty of organizations like ATOM or activists; this is now a movement for every Filipino citizen to participate in.’ /gsg

Developer Megaworld Corp. will spend P3.4 billion to expand three of its townships across the country, banking on the strength of its provincial projects to drive growth.

In a regulatory filing on Monday, Megaworld said it would reinvest the proceeds raised from selling its shares in its real estate investment trust (REIT) to add new ‘income-generating’ properties in The Upper East Bacolod, The Mactan Newtown in Lapu-Lapu and Paragua Coastown in Palawan.

These include office towers, lifestyle malls and hotels, among others, according to Megaworld.

In Bacolod City, the company led by billionaire Andrew Tan plans to start building a lifestyle mall within the 34-hectare (ha) township across the city government center.

Meanwhile, the 30-hectare The Mactan Newtown will soon feature the standalone Mactan Expo convention center and Mactan World Museum.

This adds to the Lapu-Lapu township’s four residential developments, five office towers and two hotels.

Megaworld is likewise developing two hotels, two residential condominiums, a residential village, commercial districts and nature parks within the 462-ha Paragua Coastown.

‘These three provincial townships, while different in scale and themes, have huge potential for tourism, which will drive business into these localities,’ Megaworld president and CEO Lourdes Gutierrez-Alfonso said in a statement.

‘We hope to be able to expand our offerings that can generate more jobs and help boost tourism in these exciting locations,’ Alfonso added.

Last month, Megaworld sold P2.24 billion worth of its shares in MREIT Inc., making room for possible asset infusions into the latter and beefing up the developer’s coffers for expansion.

In an earlier disclosure, MREIT said The Mactan Newtown would get P830 million of the total proceeds, Paragua Coastown will be allocated P845 million, while The Upper East will get P537.92 million.

Megaworld also sold P1.17 billion worth of MREIT shares in July.

The developer netted a record P12.09 billion in the first six months of the year, representing a 23-percent surge due to high demand in its township projects.

Real estate sales totaled P27.12 billion in the first semester, up by 9 percent. INQ

Rain showers are expected in many parts of Luzon Tuesday evening due to a low-pressure area (LPA), according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).

In its Tuesday afternoon update, Pagasa said that as of 3 p.m., the LPA was tracked some 130 kilometers east of Baler, Aurora.

Pagasa said cloudy skies, scattered rain showers and thunderstorms will prevail in the following areas:

Metro Manila

Calabarzon

Isabela

Aurora

Pampanga

Nueva Ecija

Bulacan

Bataan

Camarines Norte

Another LPA is being monitored outside of the Philippine area of responsibility (LPA) at around 1,760 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao.

The LPA outside of PAR has a ‘medium chance’ of developing into a tropical cyclone between Tuesday night and Saturday, Pagasa reported.

Pagasa said that the LPA may enter PAR by Thursday and will either make landfall in Bataan or in the north portion of Luzon.

Pagasa explained that the LPA’s movement may be likened to the former Tropical Storm Paolo, entering through Bataan and Isabela, before moving to northern Luzon and exiting past the Ilocos region.

The track, however, may still change.

Meanwhile, the easterlies or winds from the Pacific Ocean, will bring isolated rain showers to the Visayas, Mimaropa and the rest of Bicol region, Pagasa added.

The northeasterly wind flow will bring the same weather conditions to Batanes, Cagayan, Apayao, and Ilocos Norte, Pagasa added.

According to Pagasa, localized thunderstorms may also trigger rain showers in the rest of the country.

Flood advisories were also issued for Aurora, Bicol and Calabarzon regions. /gsg

To recall, the Supreme Court has declared that the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Redistricting Act of 2025 (BAA 77) is unconstitutional for two main reasons. These are: 1) it violated Section 5 of the Voters’ Registration Act, which prohibits any changes in precinct assignments once the election period starts. BAA 77 was approved in a plenary session of the Interim Bangsamoro Parliament on Aug. 19, 2025, five days after the election period began. It was signed into law only on Aug. 28, 2025, but not by the Speaker of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA), Pangalian Balindong, who was on sick leave. One of the deputy speakers, lawyer Nabil Tan, signed it on behalf of Balindong. This was questioned by those who did not vote for the passage of the redistricting act, as it was seen as an instrument for gerrymandering.

Secondly, BAA 77 violated the Bangsamoro Organic Law, or Republic Act 11054, the basic law for the creation of the new Bangsamoro Autonomous Region. RA 11054 requires that districts be composed of localities that are adjacent and adjoining each other, as far as practicable. The Supreme Court noted that some local government units in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and even in Cotabato City ‘were assigned to different districts that were neither contiguous nor adjacent.’ Such comments were reflective of the gerrymandering slant of BAA 77.

The Supreme Court ruled further that the nullification of BAA 77 cannot be supplanted by an earlier BAA 58 or the Bangsamoro Parliamentary Districts Act of 2004, which still included the districts assigned when Sulu was still part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. With Sulu’s exit from the BARMM in 2024, this cannot be used to supplant the nullified BAA 77 since, as the Supreme Court notes, it is based on an ‘outdated framework.’ Thus, BAA 58 cannot be reinstated.

Moreover, the Supreme Court ruled that since BAA 77 is nullified, there will be no elections on Oct. 13, 2025. The highest legal arbiter of the country also ordered the BTA to craft a valid redistricting law not later than Oct. 30, 2025, so that the postponed first parliamentary elections can be held not later than March 2026.

Take note that the Supreme Court also reminded the members of the interim parliament to craft a new redistricting law that does not violate any provision of RA 11054, national laws (like the Voters’ Registration Act), and the Constitution. In other words, members of the BTA must take extra care not to assign areas that are far from each other or not related to each other to belong to one voting district.

For once, members of the interim parliament should refrain from proposing legislation that only perpetuates their long hold on some localities that have become their fiefdoms. Some BTA members, as well as local and regional officials, have always first considered their political stronghold over communities they think belong to them by hereditary succession. They should remember that the Philippines is not a monarchy, and neither is the BARMM.

Unfortunately, this has been the political orientation of many constituents in the region, or even the whole country: that political power is based on a line of succession of leaders from the same political family. Political power is seen as a family heirloom to be handed down from one generation to another.

These realities are also present in the BARMM. But in this fledgling region’s case, they are compounded by problematic issues that relate to the fragility of the region’s extant peace process. Just a few months ago, we witnessed how events altered the composition of the regional leadership and how this has caused ripple effects in significant aspects of the terms of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), which led to the creation of the BARMM.

The CAB is the successful culmination of the long and tedious peace negotiations between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government. Now, we are seeing that the euphoria over the signing of the CAB in 2014 has somehow degenerated into a negative peace: there is no active vertical war between the Philippine government and the MILF. But there is no peace either.

Several violations of the provisions of the CAB and other bilateral agreements between the two parties have been called out by the MILF, with them complaining about ‘unilateral moves’ initiated by the Philippine government. And there are subtle references to more unpredictable events that will take over this region’s fragility, especially in terms of maintaining and sustaining peace.

Based on current sources of tension among regional leaders and their national counterparts, some observers think that a powder keg might soon explode in the region, which might put to naught all the legacy of precious lives and properties lost. Such is the legacy that Bangsamoro freedom fighters (mujahideen) have left behind, which formed the foundation of an autonomous government for the Bangsamoro, with a durable and pragmatic peace for everyone.

So, where is the BARMM going? Quo vadis, BARMM?

Easterlies and localized thunderstorms will affect parts of Luzon and Visayas on Tuesday, Oct. 14, the weather bureau said.

In its 5 a.m. update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that the following areas will experience cloudy skies with scattered rain and thunderstorms due to easterlies, the hot and humid winds from the Pacific Ocean.

Metro Manila

Calabarzon

Bicol Region

Eastern Visayas

Cagayan

Isabela

Nueva Vizcaya

Quirino

Aurora

Nueva Ecija

Bulacan

Marinduque

Oriental Mindoro

The rest of Luzon and Visayas will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

In Mindanao, localized thunderstorms will bring partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Low-pressure area

Meanwhile, the low-pressure area being monitored outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) has a medium chance of developing into a tropical storm within the next 24 hours.

‘But in the coming days, the possibility of it developing into a full-fledged storm is increasing,’ Pagasa’s weather specialist Chenel Dominguez said during a weather forecast.

She added that the LPA is likely to enter PAR on Thursday or Friday and will be locally named Ramil.

The LPA was last spotted 1,785 kilometers east of Southern Mindanao. /mcm/abc