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UAAP: New-look Maroons test Blue Eagles for early lead

Ateneo and University of the Philippines seek follow-ups to impressive debuts when they clash on Saturday, while National U and University of the East look to bounce back and end the first week of UAAP Season 89 collegiate men’s basketball tournament eliminations on a positive note at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Blue Eagles and the Fighting Maroons battle in the latest chapter of their storied ‘Battle of Katipunan’ rivalry at 5:30 p.m., with the game serving as the first major test for Ateneo, even as the Bulldogs and the Red Warriors pull the curtains up on an interesting double header at 3 p.m.

Despite being bannered by a new core, the Fighting Maroons made an early statement that they can still contend for another championship after rallying past University of Santo Tomas, 92-85, on opening day.

Led by Nigerian Francis Nnoruka and Noy Remogat, the Maroons are showing that there is life after the ‘Maroon 5’ days that were bannered by JD Cagulangan.

‘I believe this group din has its own identity din as a team,’ coach Goldwin Monteverde, now in his sixth season with the Maroons, said. ‘So far, while the team’s working together, they develop chemistry. At the same time, everybody’s really committed to really working and improving.’

Nnoruka, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds against the Growling Tigers, knows this version of the Maroons needs to raising the bar even higher.

‘I believe the previous UP teams, how everybody sees them, they have like a standard. It’s pretty much about continuing where they left off and raising the standards high,’ Nnoruka, who takes over from the effective Malick Diouf as UP’s foreign student-athlete, said.

‘I think it’s pretty much the mindset that we’ve had on our team the whole year,’ he went on. ‘We’ve just got to go out and show up, play with heart, effort, and just try and get the job done.’

Meanwhile, the Eagles seem to be healing well from the deadly disaster that marred their off-season.

Now focused on a campaign dedicated to fallen student-athletes Divine Adili and Rene Baterbonia, Ateneo dominated the University of the East, 101-74, on Wednesday.

‘I think it says a lot about the players’ willingness, because after everything that happened to them, we still fight it out,’ said assistant coach RJ Jazul, who spoke on behalf of interim coach Louie Alas. ‘Of course, the emotional baggage will always be there. But they keep on climbing every day with hard practices. They’re all going hard.’

House prosecutors to present records of VP Duterte’s business interests

House prosecutors will present corporate and government records to support allegations that Vice President Sara Duterte retained financial interests and continued participating in private businesses after assuming office in 2022, prosecution legal spokesperson and counsel Benjamin ‘Jay’ Tolosa Jr. said Saturday.’

Isa sa mga points raised in the articles of impeachment, ‘yung hindi pag-divest sa mga businesses and participating in those businesses kahit na noong panahon na naging vice president na siya,’ Tolosa said at the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.

(One of the points raised in the articles of impeachment is the failure to divest from businesses and continuing to participate in those businesses even after she became vice president.)

The allegation is included in Article II of the Articles of Impeachment, which accuses Duterte of unexplained wealth, inaccurate wealth declarations and failure to divest from business interests while in office.Prosecutors have begun presenting Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) as part of their case.

Retired Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang testified on the legal requirements governing SALN disclosures, financial interests and divestment by public officials.

The prosecution then presented lawyer Karen Batu, officer-in-charge of the Office of the Ombudsman’s Central Records Division, who authenticated and reviewed Duterte’s SALNs from her years in public office.Batu testified that Duterte continued to list several business interests after assuming the vice presidency in 2022, including Davao New Royal Taipan Corp., Metro City Chow Foods Corp., Timesquare Bee Foods Corp. and Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines Inc.

Additional business interests appeared in subsequent SALNs. Batu said Duterte’s 2024 and 2025 declarations continued to list business interests but did not indicate corresponding shares of stock or acquisition costs.The issue also appeared in earlier SALNs.

Batu testified that several declarations dating back to 2007 identified business interests or financial connections without corresponding declarations of shares of stock or acquisition costs.Cabotaje-Tang had testified that investments such as shares of stock are considered personal property and should be declared in SALNs together with their acquisition costs.

Prosecutors are now preparing to present Securities and Exchange Commission records involving companies in which Duterte declared interests, as well as other government documents intended to establish the nature and extent of those financial connections.

They also plan to examine government procurement records to determine whether the companies under scrutiny had transactions with government agencies.The Constitution provides that the president, vice president and Cabinet members, among other officials, may not directly or indirectly participate in any business or hold a financial interest in any government contract, franchise or special privilege during their tenure.

Tolosa said prosecutors would present evidence concerning Duterte’s financial interests and leave its legal significance to the senator-judges.’After naming mailatag ‘yung ebidensya namin kung anong makikita na may mga financial interest siya sa mga negosyo, then it will be up to the senator-judges to consider that as well,’ he said.

(After we lay down the evidence showing what financial interests she has in the businesses, it will be up to the senator-judges to consider that as well.)

The corporate and government records are expected to allow prosecutors to compare Duterte’s SALN declarations with records of ownership, financial interests and possible government transactions involving the companies.

Security guard killed in Ilocos Sur shooting; suspect surrenders

A 35-year-old security guard was killed in a shooting in Barangay Cadanglaan, Banayoyo town in this province on Saturday, Sept. 19, with the suspected gunman later surrendering to police in Sta Cruz town, also in this province.

The shooting occurred at 1:37 p.m. inside a house in Barangay Cadanglaan. Police found the victim in the living room, lying in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound to the head.

Police said the suspect, a neighbor of the victim, stopped the victim from entering the house. When the victim insisted, the suspect allegedly fired a single shot at him using an unidentified firearm before fleeing.

The victim was rushed to Candon General Hospital in Candon City but died while being treated.

Later that day, the suspect surrendered to the police. He was taken to Candon General Hospital for a medical examination before being returned to the Banayoyo municipal police station.

Police are continuing their investigation to determine the motive for the shooting.

Cop surrenders after fatal shooting of village exec in Northern Samar

A police officer surrendered to authorities after allegedly shooting to death a barangay councilor in Palapag, Northern Samar, on Friday afternoon, Sept. 18.

The victim, a 50-year-old resident of Barangay Mapno, was found behind a waiting shed across the barangay auditorium after the shooting at 2:53 p.m.

Police identified the suspect as a 40-year-old patrolman residing in Palapag.

According to the Palapag Municipal Police Station, the victim was sitting at the waiting shed when the suspect approached and shot him several times before fleeing the area.

Five empty 9mm cartridge cases and one slug were recovered from the scene.

Initial police investigation indicated that the shooting stemmed from a personal grudge involving the two men, who reportedly had a history of animosity and an ongoing family dispute.

Barangay Captain Lope Macayayong reported the incident to the Palapag police at 3:15 p.m. Police personnel immediately responded to the area.

A hot-pursuit operation was launched by Palapag police personnel.

The suspect, however, later voluntarily surrendered to the Palapag police and turned over his PNP-issued Taurus 9mm pistol, three magazines and 23 rounds of ammunition.

The victim’s remains were initially brought to the Palapag Rural Health Unit for post-mortem examination due to the absence of the municipal health officer. The body was later transferred to G.B. Tan Memorial Hospital in Laoang.

According to the police, the suspect was also brought to the same hospital for a medical examination.

Baguio artist sets Guinness record with giant mandala

A giant crocheted mandala measuring 6 meters (19 feet) in diameter has earned Baguio artist Adelaida Guia a Guinness World Records title for the largest mandala crocheted by a single person.

Guia received an email on Thursday, Sept. 17, informing her that she had officially set the record with her 29-square-meter creation.

‘My five children Ezekiel, Jeniel, Danielli, Azriel and Giddiel are super happy for me,’ Guia told the Inquirer on Friday.

No Guinness World Records ceremony has been scheduled yet, but Guia hopes the recognition will shine a spotlight on indigenous weavers and other underrated artisans like herself and open opportunities for gallery exhibitions typically given to established artists such as National Artist Benedicto Cabrera, known as BenCab, and National Artist Kidlat Tahimik.

A former call center employee in Manila, Guia moved to Baguio with her husband, Philip, and their children in 2016 to start a new life. She first drew attention in 2022 when she began displaying her large crocheted mandalas along Session Road, where she caught the eye of former Inquirer Baguio photographer EV Espiritu.

Session Road, the city’s main thoroughfare, used to be closed to traffic on Sundays to give artisans and other vendors a venue to display and sell their work, particularly as businesses struggled to recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

The word ‘mandala’ comes from Sanskrit and generally refers to a circle, with religious and spiritual associations in Eastern traditions. Guia, however, said her work was inspired by American crochet artist and YouTube influencer Helen Shrimpton, whose tutorials helped her improve her crochet techniques.

Guia attracted more admirers last year when she worked in public at the Rose Garden in Burnham Park, where residents and tourists watched her crochet what would eventually become her record-setting piece, ‘Wishing Star.’

At the time, she aimed to create a mandala measuring 223 inches in diameter.

But when third-party validators officially measured the piece on Jan. 22 as part of the documentation for her Guinness World Records bid, it exceeded her target, covering a total area of 29 square meters.

The massive mandala is large enough to accommodate 18 people lying down.

Guia said the road to the record began in July 2024 and was interrupted when she suffered a mild stroke in August. She resumed work by May last year, when the Inquirer again encountered her crocheting at the park.

It took her 69 days to complete ‘Wishing Star,’ she said.

Guia is an active member of the Baguio Creative Council, which was formed after Baguio was designated in 2017 as the Philippines’ first Creative City by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco), in recognition of its rich crafts and folk art.

Guia and Philip also established a startup artisan craft store, Abiakak, and are being mentored by the Social Innovation Laboratory and Business Inclusion (Silbi) of the University of the Philippines Baguio.

In a statement, Silbi said Guia’s achievement was the result of years of ‘creativity, patience, craftsmanship, and perseverance.’

‘It is not only a personal triumph for Adelaida, but also a celebration shared with her family and Abiakak, whose collective effort, encouragement, and dedication have been integral to bringing this record-breaking work to life,’ it said.

Bye-elections crucial dress rehearsal for 2027, says INEC chairman

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has described the bye-elections in Gombe, Kano, Bauchi and Delta States as crucial operational lessons ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Amupitan stated this on Saturday while presiding over operations at the Commission’s National Situation Room at its headquarters in Abuja.

The Commission conducted legislative bye-elections in Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency in Gombe State, Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano State, Sakwa and Disina State Constituencies in Bauchi State and Udu State Constituency in Delta State.

He said no electoral contest should be dismissed as trivial, noting that every off-cycle poll serves as a dress rehearsal for nationwide elections.

‘These four bye-elections provide indispensable operational lessons for the Commission as we systematically chart our roadmap toward the 2027 General Election,’ Amupitan said.

‘We must resist the temptation to view any exercise as merely an ordinary bye-election. Every election is a critical component of our broader preparations for the 2027 General Election, allowing us to continuously audit our logistics framework, stress-test our technological deployment, and evaluate administrative field readiness.’

The INEC Chairman, who monitored the exercise alongside National Commissioners and senior management officials as field reports came in, said operational bottlenecks encountered before polling were swiftly resolved.

‘Our primary mandate in the Situation Room is monitoring and proactive crisis resolution. Whatever administrative or field challenges arose before the day of the elections, the Commission was able to nip them in the bud effectively.

‘We remain committed to refining our processes so that every subsequent exercise reflects higher standards of efficiency and public confidence,’ he said.

He commended the technical team and others in the situation room for ensuring seamless monitoring of the multi-state exercise.

The statement was signed by Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman.

37 deaths in custody, national human rights disaster- Aigbe

Pro-Democracy and Human Rights Advocate, Austin Aigbe on Saturday called for an independent, transparent investigation into the death of 37 Citizens who died while in custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State.

Aigbe gave the charge in a statement titled: ’37 deaths in NSCDC custody in Niger State is a national human rights disaster – must not be swept under the carpet’, made available to Tribune Online..

Worried by the ugly development, Aigbe called for an audit of all NSCDC and Police detention facilities across the country.

He said: ‘I have received with profound shock, anger and disbelief the news of the death of 37 citizens, suspected to be artisanal miners, while in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Minna, Niger State on September 17, 2026.

‘These young men, arrested in the Wushishi-Lukoto axis for alleged illegal mining, were in the lawful custody of the Nigerian state.

‘The state therefore owed them the absolute duty of care, protection of their dignity, and preservation of their lives under Section 33 and 34 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), the Anti-Torture Act 2017, and Nigeria’s obligations under international human rights law.

‘Their deaths are not just statistics. They are 37 lives extinguished under the watch of those mandated to protect lives and property. What we are hearing is deeply troubling and points to a grave institutional failure:

‘The initial attempt to attribute mass death to ‘disease outbreak’ is insensitive and lacks credibility. Intelligence reports and testimonies from families pointing to suffocation, overcrowding and poor ventilation in detention cells raise serious questions of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment.

‘No Nigerian, however poor, however alleged to have committed an offence, deserves to die in a detention cell.’

He therefore called for an independent, transparent investigation, adding that the investigation announced by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and Minister of Interior must not be an internal NSCDC whitewash, rather ‘must include the National Human Rights Commission, the Nigerian Bar Association, medical experts, and credible civil society groups. Autopsy reports must be made public.’

While advocating for accountability, not suspension, Aigbe argued that the suspension of the Niger State Commandant of the NSCDC is not enough and rather underscored the need for ‘all officers who were on duty at the detention facility on that day must be held accountable and prosecuted if found culpable.

‘Justice and Reparation for Families: The families of the 37 deceased must be identified, adequately compensated, and given psychosocial support. The remaining detainees from that operation must be released or charged to a competent court immediately and their health assessed.

‘Urgent Reform of Detention Facilities: This tragedy exposes the colonial legacy of our detention system where poor Nigerians are warehoused in inhumane conditions. We must audit all NSCDC and police detention facilities across the country.

‘Nigeria’s democracy is already facing turbulence and citizens’ trust in institutions is at an all-time low. When citizens die in custody and the state cannot explain why, democracy itself is at risk.

‘I stand in solidarity with the families in Minna and call on all citizens to demand that the wish of the people for justice prevails. We will not be silent,’ Aigbe pledged.

Dangote takes global entrepreneurship role, stresses power of business connections

President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has stressed the importance of business connections, collaboration and cross-border partnerships in expanding opportunities for entrepreneurs across Africa and beyond.

Dangote spoke after he was appointed Grand Patron of the Global Entrepreneurship Festival (GEF) during a visit by the festival’s board to the business mogul.

Receiving the certificate of appointment, Dangote, in a brief speech, said the major benefit of his new role was the opportunity to connect entrepreneurs and businesses from different parts of Africa and other regions.

‘The main benefit of this is actually the connection. It is about connecting, merging and seeing what people can do together,’ he said.

He added: ‘You have people from North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa and different countries coming together.’

The appointment was formally presented by a delegation led by the President of GEF, Dr Summy Smart Francis, who said Dangote’s experience in building businesses and investing across key sectors of the African economy would add value to the global entrepreneurship platform.

Francis, while presenting the certificate, said the appointment was made on behalf of the GEF Board, chaired by Mr Dan Vatovic in Colorado, United States.

He said Dangote’s involvement would strengthen the platform’s efforts to bring entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders and institutions together to create opportunities and promote enterprise development.

Also speaking during the engagement, Vice Chairman of GEF, Dr Elizabeth Jack-Rich, said her experience as a mentee had encouraged her to support the expansion of mentorship opportunities to millions of entrepreneurs.

‘For me, as a mentee, I have seen tremendous growth since I joined the mentorship programme. That was why I reached out to extend such mentorship to millions of entrepreneurs out there, and I am so grateful for its acceptance,’ she said.

Dangote, in response, said he was pleased to receive the appointment and pledged to contribute to the initiative.

‘It is a great pleasure to receive this award, and I promise I will do my best,’ he said.

The Global Entrepreneurship Festival is scheduled to hold its 2026 edition in Cairo, Egypt, from November 6 to 8, bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, business leaders, innovators, policymakers and other stakeholders from different parts of the world.

The festival is expected to provide a platform for networking, business collaboration, investment opportunities and engagement among entrepreneurs and institutions within and beyond Africa.

Anambra native doctor ‘Eke Hit’ jailed 12 years over money rituals

A popular Anambra native doctor, Ekene Igboekweze, known as ‘Eke Hit’ has been jailed 12 years’ following his conviction on charges bordering on conspiracy, kidnapping, protective charms and money rituals.

Igboekweze was jailed on Friday by an Anambra High Court sitting in Akwa presided over by Justice Jude Obiora.

The native doctor and other suspects were arraigned on April 4, 2025, on charges including conspiracy, kidnapping, protective charms and money rituals.

Igboekweze, a native of Umuofor Village, Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area, gained social-media popularity advertising charms purportedly capable of bringing wealth.

But he was arrested by Agunechemba security vigilance operatives in February 2025 alongside two other native doctors.

The arrests followed the signing of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025 by Gov. Chukwuma Soludo.

The law prohibits native doctors from claiming to make people wealthy through ‘Oke Ite’ and other rituals.

It also prohibits the preparation of charms for criminals.

In his judgment on Friday, Justice Jude Obiora sentenced Igboekweze to six years on count one and another six years on count two.

The sentences will run concurrently without an option of fine, while the court considered the period he had already spent in detention.

During his defence, Igboekweze told the court he was a registered herbalist and member of the Odinani Okija Traditional Association.

He said he used herbs and roots in his practice, adding that the viral videos that made him popular were old.

According to him, the videos were recorded before the enactment of the Anambra State Homeland Security Law 2025.

In his judgment, Obiora held that the prosecution proved counts one and two beyond reasonable doubt.

The judge, however, resolved count three in favour of the defendant.

Before sentencing, Igboekweze pleaded for forgiveness, saying he had learnt his lessons and urging the court to consider his family.

He particularly appealed for consideration of his newborn triplets, whom he said he had not seen.

His wife, Elizabeth, and half-brother also pleaded for leniency, describing him as well-behaved and kind.

They told the court that Igboekweze was his mother’s only son in a polygamous family and had maintained good character.

The sun is Africa’s untapped wealth. We must build the hands to harvest it

The Editor asked Victor Chinenye Obetta, a Nigerian-born clean energy project developer based in Boston, for his view on Africa’s energy future. This is his response.

I develop clean energy projects in the United States, but I was born Nigerian, and I carry home into every project I touch. So when people ask me where the world’s next great energy story will be written, my answer is simple. It will be written here in Africa, if we choose to write it.

Start with what we already own. The International Energy Agency says Africa holds about 60 percent of the world’s best solar resources. We hold barely 1 percent of the world’s installed solar capacity. Sit with that gap. The richest sunlight on earth falls on our rooftops, our schools, and our markets, and almost none of it becomes power. The continent with the most produces the least.

At the same time, around 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa still live without electricity, and Nigeria carries the largest share of any single country on earth. Children study by candlelight in a land drowning in sun. That is not a resource problem. It is a delivery problem.

I know that problem, because I fight a version of it every day. In the United States, I have managed more than 6 million dollars in municipal clean energy projects and written over 80 funding applications for towns and school districts. What I learned is that money and technology are rarely the real barrier.

Capacity is. It is the missing hands that turn an opportunity into a finished project. Wealthy communities have those hands. Poorer ones do not, so the funding flows to the places that already have the most.

Africa faces the same trap at a continental scale. The technology has arrived. Solar is now the cheapest power in much of Africa, and one recent analysis found panel imports to the continent jumped more than 60 per cent in a single year.

The appetite is clearly here. What is thin is the machinery that turns sunlight and financing into working systems on the ground.

So what do we do? Three things.

First, treat delivery capacity as infrastructure. We train engineers, and we should. But we barely train the developers, analysts, and project managers who make projects financeable and get them built. That is the bottleneck, and building it is a national investment, not an afterthought.

Second, meet people where they live. Universal access will not come from the national grid alone. It will come from a mix, the grid where it reaches, and mini-grids and standalone solar where it does not. A clinic powered by a solar mini-grid does not mind that the line never arrived. It minds whether the lights work.

Third, follow the money honestly. The IEA estimates Africa needs roughly 190 billion dollars a year this decade to meet its energy goals, yet less than 2.5 billion dollars was committed for new electricity connections across sub-Saharan Africa in a recent year. Closing a gap that size takes strong local institutions that global investors can actually trust and work with.

I did not come to this from a distance. Through my foundation in Nigeria, I have seen what a little opportunity does for a young person. Energy is that same unlock, multiplied across a whole society. Light a home and you lengthen a school day. Power a workshop and you create a wage.

The sun over our heads is the largest untapped bank on the continent. The question was never whether Africa is rich. It is whether we will build the hands to harvest what we already own.

Victor Chinenye Obetta is a clean energy project developer and analyst, founder of NexVerde Energy Solutions, and founder of the Obetta Foundation in Nigeria.