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Letran used its offensive might and disruptive trapping defense as it overpowered a listless San Sebastian, 99-62, yesterday to seize the Group B lead in NCAA Season 102 seniors’ basketball at the Filoil Center.

The Knights did not leave anything to chance and just railroaded the Stags from start to finish to claim their second straight victory and the top spot in the second bracket that came a few days after their opening-day win over the Perpetual Altas at the MOA Arena.

Denzil Walker had another scoring masterpiece, uncorking 25 points he laced with four booming triples while Chad Gammad had a 19-point effort in helping seal Letran another triumph.

Titing Manalili also put on a show with 14 points, nine assists and five steals that more than made up for his eight turnovers.

The Stags fell to 0-2.

Earlier, the league called off the San Beda-Jose Rizal duel due to slippery floors caused by the sudden afternoon deluge.

It almost led to the league suspending this Letran-SSC-R match before deciding to push through instead in the last minute after the rains stopped and the floor dried.

The Philippines was named as the deadliest country in Asia for environmental defenders for the 13th consecutive year, climate justice watchdog Global Witness reported.

In the 2025 report of the investigative and campaigning organization, the Philippines tied with Honduras with 12 defenders’ deaths, the highest record outside Latin America.

Six of the recorded killings in the Philippines were indigenous peoples, three were small-scale farmers, a journalist and two others.

Joan Carling, executive director of Indigenous Peoples’ Rights International, attributed the killings to the government’s counter-insurgency programs and extractive projects.

Global Witness said the militarization of rural communities enabled the military to impose repressive measures, including red-tagging to portray defenders as communists or terrorists.

The watchdog cited the case of Veronico Anterio, a 65-year-old farmer who was allegedly shot for voicing opposition to the growing military presence in Samar.

‘Global Witness linked five of those killings to the armed forces, showing how, when attempts to criminalize defenders fail, the military reverts to more direct attacks,’ said Carling.

Cases with suspected links to organized crime were also recorded in the Philippines, along with five other Latin American countries.

Environmental group Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment asked the government for genuine accountability for the attacks, calling it to ‘end the use of state forces and criminal proceedings to suppress peaceful opposition.’

From 2012 to 2025, the Philippines ranked third in the Global Witness statistics, with 318 recorded killings and disappearances of environmental defenders.

The Philippines is joined by Colombia, Brazil, Honduras, Mexico, Guatemala, Peru, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Tanzania in the 2025 report.

California-based public safety technology company Next Generation Advanced 911 (NGA 911) has been awarded the Community Impact and Service Award by the International Asian American Business Expo (IAABE) in California for bringing a world-class emergency response system to the Philippines.

NGA 911 is a global emergency communications technology company that develops systems connecting people in critical moments to police, fire and emergency medical responders.

The company’s cloud-based emergency communications and public safety solutions modernize traditional dispatch infrastructure through IP-based systems that transmit voice, text and video during critical incidents.

The award was presented to NGA 911 at the IAABE Legacy Gala at the Torrance Marriott last month. The event was hosted by the Coalition of Filipino American Chambers of Commerce, a national alliance of more than 61 Filipino American chambers of commerce spanning more than 20 US states.

The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles nominated NGA 911 for the award.

‘We recognize the company’s efforts to bring a unified emergency response system modeled after the U.S. 911 system to the Philippines. Its full implementation will benefit a huge number of our Filipino population,’ Los Angeles Consul General Adelio Angelito Cruz said.

Ishka Villacisneros-Tusjakova, chief financial officer of NGA 911 in the United States and president of Next Generation Advanced 911 Philippines, received the award on behalf of the company.

‘This recognition is an opportunity to put the Philippines on an international stage as an example of what can happen when American innovation meets Filipino leadership and public service. As a Filipina, I am proud that the work we are doing can become a model for other ASEAN countries – and inspire us to keep building technology that reaches more people and ultimately saves more lives,’ Villacisneros-Tusjakova said.

The Philippines became the first country in Southeast Asia to adopt the US-grade emergency system and is the only ASEAN country where, according to NGA 911, next-generation technology is fully implemented and actively used.

Neighboring countries such as Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam are also looking to the Philippines as a template for upgrading their legacy infrastructure, according to the company.

The Office of the Ombudsman filed criminal and administrative complaints against members of the Villar family yesterday over allegedly disadvantageous joint venture agreements of PrimeWater Infrastructure Corp. with local water districts.

Two counts of graft and administrative complaints – stemming from alleged poor water services – are now under preliminary investigation against Senators Camille and Mark Villar, their brother Paolo and their parents, former senators Manny and Cynthia Villar.

The Villars were identified by the Office of the Ombudsman as the owners of PrimeWater during the period being investigated.

Also included in the complaints are officers of PrimeWater, as well as local water district officials.

‘This is for violation of section 3(e) and 3(g) of Republic Act No. 3019, otherwise known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. This is the initial list and there are still more water districts under investigation, and expectantly more cases in the pipeline,’ Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano said.

The Office of the Ombudsman said the investigation stemmed from a report received by the anti-graft body from the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC), which stated that a total of 75 local water districts had entered into joint venture agreements with PrimeWater from 2015 to 2022.

These agreements cover the financing, development, rehabilitation, expansion, improvement, operation and maintenance of water supply and septage services in their respective jurisdictions.

The OGCC said PrimeWater failed to supply uninterrupted water service and even provided water that allegedly failed to meet drinking water standards, among other complaints against the company.

The anti-graft body also pointed out that such shortcomings have likewise been subject to complaints by the public and widely reported by various media outlets.

It also cited records from the Commission on Audit which show that adverse findings resulted in the issuance of notices of charge.?The anti-graft body said the COA had flagged PrimeWater’s non-payment for the use or consumption of materials and supplies inventory of the local water districts, amounting to over P65.6 million.

The initial list includes Quezon Metro Water District, Trece Martires City Water District and San Pedro (Laguna) Water District.

The ombudsman said the acts may constitute malversation of public funds, while acts of government personnel involved may constitute grave misconduct under Rule 10, Section 50(A), No. 3 of the 2017 Rules on Administrative Cases on the Civil Service.

‘This is only the initial list, and the ombudsman expects further investigation and the filing of additional complaints,’ it said in a separate statement.

‘The ombudsman will pursue accountability wherever government resources and public interests are placed at a disadvantage – regardless of who is involved or how high their position may be. The public’s right to reliable and adequate water services must be protected,’ the office added.

Villar: We respect the legal process

Manny Villar, in a statement yesterday, expressed confidence that they can successfully defend themselves against the graft complaints, vowing to answer the allegations in the proper forum.

‘We respect the legal process and will respond to the complaints at the appropriate time and in the proper forum,’ Villar said.

‘We are confident that, once given the opportunity to examine the allegations and the evidence supporting them, we will be able to fully and properly defend our rights and address the matters raised against us,’ he added.

The University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) handed coach Roger Yap his first win as the Jaguars pummeled the University of Cebu Lapu-Lapu and Mandaue (UCLM), 75-46, in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 26 basketball tournament Thursday night, September 17, at the Cebu Coliseum.

Alcher Obra unloaded 23 points, seven rebounds, two steals, and a block, while Chan Bennedict Brigoli added 13 points, two rebounds, three assists, two steals, and a block to help the Jaguars snap a two-game losing skid.

After a hot 20-10 start, the Jaguars held UCLM to just four points in the second period while pouring in 23 to build a huge 43-14 advantage at halftime.

The Jaguars kept up their relentless offensive attack in the second half, stretching their lead to as many as 32 points late in the lopsided contest.

USJ-R shot an efficient 27-of-51 from the field, while UCLM struggled from the floor, making just 13 of 65 attempts.

Marty Louisse Sotto finished with 12 points and five rebounds for UCLM, which suffered its third loss in four games.

In the juniors division, the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Junior Wildcats caught fire in the second quarter and sustained their momentum the rest of the way to trounce the PAREF Springdale School Titans, 88-61.

The Junior Wildcats trailed by a hairline, 18-19, after the first 10 minutes of play but staged a scorching 16-3 rally midway through the second frame to seize control, 43-30, at the break.

The Junior Wildcats padded their lead to 63-41 after three quarters before it snowballed to 32 points in the closing minutes.

Geoffe Vhon Partosa exploded for 29 points for CIT-U on a dazzling 11-of-15 shooting from the field, including 6-of-8 from 3-point range. He also had six rebounds, four assists, and a steal.

Vincent Zamora chipped in 13 points, nine rebounds, an assist, and two steals, while Skeril Miez Basilisco contributed 2 points, four rebounds, three steals, and three blocks as the Junior Wildcats improved to 2-1.

Riche Sarmiento II delivered an explosive 30-point performance for Springdale laced with two rebounds and two steals, while Anton Lorenzo Gratones scattered 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block. But their efforts went for naught as the Titans suffered their third consecutive defeat.

The Economy and Development (ED) Council, chaired by President Marcos, approved changes to the North-South Commuter Railway’s (NSCR) operations and maintenance and the Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) public-private partnership (PPP) projects.

In a statement, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) said the ED Council approved the changes during its Sept. 16 meeting.

For the NSCR in particular, the ED Council approved changes in the parameters, terms and conditions to encourage firms to submit competitive proposals for the rail project that will link Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Southern Luzon.

Partial operations of the railway are expected to start in December next year.

‘The NSCR is an investment in opportunity,’ said DEPDev Secretary and ED Council vice-chair Arsenio Balisacan.

‘Improved mobility will expand access to jobs, markets, education and services across regions, reflecting our commitment to a more productive, resilient and inclusive economy,’ he added.

Also approved was the extension of the concession period for the MCIA for longer investment recovery.

Apart from enabling necessary airport improvements, the extension will reduce the pressure to increase passenger service charges.

Under the contract variation, MCIA concessionaire Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corp. commits to provide nearly P15 billion for capacity augmentation and investments.

During the meeting, the ED Council also approved changes in the scope, cost and implementation timelines of three development projects.

These are the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s Supporting Innovation in the Philippine Technical and Vocational Education and Training System Project, the Department of Public Works and Highways’ Road Network Development Project in Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao and the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers Project.

In the same meeting, the ED Council directed a further review of proposed guidelines on class suspensions.

Through the review, the aim is to provide clear protocols for schools and local government units during tropical cyclones, earthquakes, storm surges, poor air quality volcanic hazards and extreme heat.

‘Refining this policy is a matter of urgency,’ Balisacan said.

‘We must protect our learners and teachers while ensuring the continuity of education in the face of evolving risks,’ he added.

Earlier, he said that class suspensions affect not just learning outcomes but overall economic activity.