Category: Business Mirror

ART ARBOLE sustained his fine play, firing a bogey-free 67 to post his personal-best 36-hole total and seize the solo lead in the second round of the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Negros Occidental Classic in Bacolod.

At eight-under 132, Arbole is a stroke ahead of Jhonnel Ababa, who carded a 68.

‘This is the first time that I was able to lead in two days. My game continues to come together – driving, irons and putting,’ Arbole said.

He refuses to look beyond the next shot.

‘I just need to stay focused . Hopefully everything comes together,’ Arbole said. ‘Play doesn’t end until Thursday, so I just tell myself to stick with what I’ve been doing.’

Arbole missed three birdie putts but made four scrambling pars at the back.

‘Marapara’s back nine is really tough,’ added Arbole, who turned pro in 2012 with a career-best Top 5 finish.

Ababa, starting on No. 10, parred his first eight holes before dropping a stroke on No. 18 for the second straight day. He recovered in style, nailing three birdies on the front nine to salvage his round and move to 133.

Still, the former Order of Merit winner remains firmly in the hunt as he tries to add another title to his résumé after edging out Guido van der Valk in a sudden-death playoff at Apo in 2024.

Jeffren Lumbo is three shots behind at 135.

Lumbo erased the bitter memory of a triple-bogey 8 on No. 18 that marred his otherwise impressive opening-round 68, firing a 67 highlighted by four straight birdies from No. 4. He is tied with van der Valk, who also carded a three-under card in another scorching day.

Lumbo is chasing a second PGT title after breaking through at South Pacific last year, while van der Valk is likewise looking to snap a long title drought.

Albin Engino carded another 68 to move into solo fifth at 136, while Clyde Mondilla also shot a 68 to join Randy Garalde (69), Russell Bautista (70), defending two-time champion Rupert Zaragosa (70) and Josh Jorge (71) in a share of sixth at 138.

The tour’s biggest names all survived the cut and advanced to the final 36 holes of the P2.5-million championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., but they now face a sizable deficit and will need a strong Moving Day charge to get back into the thick of the title fight.

Aidric Chan shot a 69 but remained tied for 17th at 141 with Tony Lascuña, who slipped to 72, along with Ira Alido (70) and Edmar Salvador Jr. (70).

Caliraya Springs and Summit Point leg winner Angelo Que rebounded from a 73 with a 69 to join Erwin Madrileño (70), Jobim Carlos (72) and Jay Bayron (75) at 21st at 142.

Eight players caught the last bus at the cutoff score of 145: Rico Depilo (71), Kim Tae Soo (72), Jeremy Tandoy (72), Ramil Bisera (73), Boni Salahog (73), Gab Manotoc (74), Francis Morilla (75) and Kristoffer Arevalo (76).

Smart Communications Inc. subscribers can now use premium artificial intelligence (AI) tools for as little as P49 a week, paid through their mobile accounts instead of a credit card, after Smart Communications Inc. launched AI.Smart with Avtica.ai and Amazon Web Services (AWS).

AI.Smart, powered by Avtica, is an AI workspace that runs on AWS and draws on multiple AI models through Amazon Bedrock. Subscribers can ask questions about their own files and get cited answers, draft and summarize documents, build spreadsheets, create presentations and images, and analyze data in English, Filipino, or Taglish.

Lloyd Manaloto, FVP and head of Strategy and Corporate Brand at Smart, said in a press briefing that the company saw a gap between subscribers who pay for premium AI and those who rely on free versions.

‘A few days before that, we were actually looking at some stats, and we kind of noticed there were already millions of AI users in our network. But when we asked, most of them were using the free model. In other words, they’re not maximizing,’ Manaloto said. ‘We realized there is now a gap between those who can pay for premium services and those who just use free.’

Smart is packaging the service the way it has sold prepaid load for years, in small, time-bound bundles.

Winston Damarillo, CEO of Avtica.ai, said the product was built by Filipinos for Filipinos, with AWS as a key component.

‘We’re so blessed and happy that we’re partnering with Amazon as the key ingredient and component for what provides the intelligence for AI.Smart.’

He said the launch was ‘probably one of the fastest’ done at Smart and PLDT, and that free and low-cost access is only the first step.

‘We want to show you what we can do by ourselves. We no longer need foreign providers. We can do this ourselves,’ he said.

Avtica plans to take the same model, which combines a national mobile operator, a local cloud region, frontier models through Amazon Bedrock, and a localized workspace, to markets in Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa, and South Asia, with the Philippines as its proving ground.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is seeking P23.16 billion for voting machines for the 2028 national and local elections, warning that a funding shortfall could leave the commission 9,310 units short and result in longer queues at polling places.

Comelec officials told lawmakers that only P21.66 billion is currently included in the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP) for the machines, about P1.5 billion less than the commission’s request.

‘Actually, that is what they requested to be provided, the P23.16 billion, because we will be short by 9,310 machines. The result would be longer lines, longer queues at our polling places,’ Rep. Mike Tan of the 4th District of Quezon, Vice Chairperson of the Committee on Appropriations said.

Comelec’s machine requirement is part of its proposed P29.5-billion budget for 2027, which is 46 percent higher than its P20.2-billion allocation under the 2026 General Appropriations Act.

At least P23.92 billion of the proposed budget is earmarked for preparations for the 2028 national and local elections, including procurement and system preparation, voter-related activities and other election requirements.

Despite the size of the proposed allocation, Comelec has yet to make a final decision on which voting machines will be used in 2028.

‘No, Mr. Speaker, it is still subject to bidding and procurement. The terms of reference are still in draft form,’ Tan said when asked whether the machines for the elections had already been determined.

Comelec is still finalizing the terms of reference based on recommendations from its Advisory Council. No commission resolution has yet been issued approving the machines for the 2028 polls.

Caloocan City 2nd District Rep. Edgar Erice questioned the need to proceed with a new-machine procurement without first establishing the technical and financial viability of the 2025 units.

He called for an independent assessment of the options, including the potential costs of acquiring new machines versus reusing or refurbishing existing units.

Comelec said it is preparing an independent engineering study to assess the technical and cost considerations, while incorporating its experience from the recent Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.

‘We are just waiting for the conclusion of the Bangsamoro elections so we can incorporate the conduct of the BARMM elections into the study that will be conducted by Comelec,’ the representative said.

Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia earlier said the number of registered voters is projected to rise from about 68 million in 2025 to 74 million by 2028, adding to the commission’s preparations for the next national elections.

The transition to a Single-Instance Audit Framework marks a dramatic shift in how the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) balances tax enforcement with taxpayer convenience. However, the procedural architecture laid down by Revenue Memorandum Order (RMO) No. 22-2026 holds the true operational power. By institutionalizing strict internal checkpoints, standardized guidelines, and systemic firewalls, this landmark order aims to systematically eliminate examiner discretion, prevent targeting, and guarantee ironclad due process across all revenue jurisdictions.

The cornerstone of systemic integrity within the new framework is the anonymized assignment of audit cases to Group Supervisors (GS) and Revenue Officers (ROs). Historically, manual selection processes left room for vulnerabilities, potential conflicts of interest, or uneven compliance targeting.

Under the updated guidelines, case selection and initial field deployment are dictated by a centralized, algorithmic risk matrix. Taxpayer identities, corporate affiliations, and exact revenue footprints are digitally masked during the initial evaluation and allocation phases. The information remains encrypted until the system finalizes the assignment, ensuring that no internal or external lobbying can influence which specific examiner reviews which corporate entity.

Furthermore, to maintain workload equity and objective evaluation, rigid operational caps prevent cases from being assigned to any examiner holding 30 or more pending priority investigations, 10 active mandatory cases, with prescribing cases, among others. This automated firewall effectively breaks the cycle of localized targeting, transforming case distribution into a neutral, data-driven utility.

Moreover, to significantly lower administrative drag and comply with modern Ease of Paying Taxes (EOPT) mandates, the regulation establishes a uniform documentary baseline via a standardized checklist of requirements.

Historically, unstructured, piecemeal, or rolling requests for information disrupted corporate operations and extended audit durations. The new protocol dictates that upon the initial service of an electronic Letter of Authority (eLA), examiners must present a single, comprehensive, and non-negotiable checklist tailored to the specific industry category.

Recognizing that transporting physical ledgers and corporate records can halt day-to-day operations, the order explicitly addresses business continuity. Where the records required for audit are voluminous or where their transport or examination at the BIR office would be impractical, burdensome, or disruptive to business operations, the examination venue is flexible. It can proceed at either the taxpayer’s registered place of business or at the appropriate BIR office, subject to the explicit consent of the taxpayer, eliminating high-friction administrative blockages.

Beyond structural updates, the framework implements a powerful layer of corporate governance through strengthened audit safeguards and automated accountability. All audit cases shall be subject???? ?????????to continuous monitoring to ensure compliance with prescribed timelines, procedures, and audit requirements. Monitoring shall be conducted through the prescribed BIR system/platform that serves as the official platform for tracking the status and progress of audit cases.

ROs, GS, and Heads of InvestigatingOffices shall ensure that all audit activities, case developments, and status updates are timely, accurate, and completely recorded in the system.Real-time updating of case status in prescribed BIR system/platform shall be strictly observed, and such updates must be made simultaneously with the corresponding actions reflected in the physical case docket. No audit activity, case development, or status change shall be considered complete unless it is properly recorded in both the system and the physical records, in order to ensure consistency, traceability, and integrity of the audit trail.

Crucial to these safeguards is the institutionalization of a mandatory quality assurance review, termed as ‘Revalida.’ To prevent arbitrary or groundless deficiency assessments, the Revalida shall be undertaken by the Tax Audit Review Division to conduct the technical review and evaluation of audit findings, computations, and assessment issuances, subject to the approval of the CIR. The Performance Evaluation Division, on the other hand, shall provide support to the Revalida in relation to its functions on performance evaluation, monitoring, and quality assurance of audit outputs, including assessment of compliance with prescribed procedures, timelines, documentation requirements, and audit trail standards.

The Revalida shall serve as a quality assurance and compliance review mechanism to ensure that audit findings are factually and legally supported, due process requirements are observed, and assessments are free from material error or procedural defect.

The updated regulations shift the compliance paradigm from an era of unpredictable examiner discretion to one defined by systemized data integrity. For executive management, tax exposure is no longer an ambiguous variable dependent on individual negotiations. By understanding these structural boundaries, corporate leaders can protect their operations from unauthorized scope expansion, leverage standardized data requests, and confidently manage fiscal risk under a highly accountable regulatory framework.

The author is a Senior Associate II of Du-Baladad and Associates (BDB Law) (www.bdblaw.com.ph).

The article is for general information only and is not intended, nor should be construed as a substitute for tax, legal, or financial advice on any specific matter. Applicability of this article to any actual or particular tax or legal issue should be supported, therefore, by a professional study or advice. If you have any comments or questions concerning the article, you may e-mail the author at ernesto.dayao@bdblaw.com.ph or call 8403-2001 local 340.

‘I only use guns in video games,’ says Bryan (Austin Abrams), our frustrated protagonist, trying to piece together a machine gun while his impatient companion urges him to hurry. ‘It’s confusing in real life!’

It’s the most on-the-nose remark in ‘Resident Evil,’ a movie born of video games that’s trying to just be a movie. But it breaks the tension; it cuts through the slithery gore for a moment – and most importantly, it makes us giggle.

Rarely is it more clear that humor is a key asset to a horror film than in Zach Cregger’s highly entertaining survival-horror, zombie-infestation tale, and luckily Abrams is up to the task. Appealing but not cutesy, scruffy but charming, and basically genuine and kind, his Bryan is the perfect Everyman – a medical courier who somehow ends up as one of the only humans in a world of oozing tentacle monsters.

There will be many seeing this film who are aficionados of the games, and they will find Easter eggs to make them happy. The good news for all the other moviegoers is that we’re none the wiser.

Cregger (‘Barbarian,’ ‘Weapons’) has certainly chosen his star wisely. As Bryan, Abrams ends up narrating most of the film – mainly because most of those around him are, well, no longer exactly human.

We first meet Bryan on a wintry night, wrapping up his shift with an organ delivery. But then he’s offered one more job that night – for double pay – and says OK, even though it’s in a snowy, mountainous area, and he doesn’t have chains on his car or boots.

Soon he’s on his way to Raccoon City, losing his cell signal, which makes it hard to talk to his girlfriend Michelle, who has just found out some life-changing news. In any case, suddenly a body smashes into his car.

This is just one of many well-executed jumpy moments – I know I either screamed at this one, or the next.

Bryan now gets out of his car to follow a set of footsteps in the snow, never the best idea. He finds a woman, bloody and disfigured, all misshapen, but somehow believes she’s fairly normal. We won’t reveal how she figures in the overall plot line, but it’s sort of sweet how Bryan approaches each increasingly terrifying scenario as a minor hurdle in an otherwise manageable night.

He soon finds himself trudging, car-less, from the frigid road to a yard with a terrifying dog, then a barn, then a farmhouse. The environments change every 10 minutes or so, each with new challenges. Just like … a video game?

In one sequence, Bryan finds a shivering young girl in an old RV, begging for help. He wants to help but realizes that she, too, is infected with the nefarious virus turning townspeople into quivering masses of tentacles. He ends up having to shoot her in the face. ‘This isn’t real,’ he says, narrating. ‘I like kids!’

A couple in a car picks Bryan up, but their time together does not go smoothly. At least it gets Bryan closer to the place he’s been aiming for all along. And he discovers what he’s been carrying in that organ case.

And then things really hit the fan. Bryan races down a street dodging infected people, who are landing from above with major splats. Cregger has talked about a scene in which Abrams came close to getting killed by a heavy bag filled with fake blood and guts. Just doing the math here: this was probably it. The scene gets applause.

An elevator shaft. A science lab. A warren of sewers. Cregger finds new levels – er, scenarios – to up the ante. Most traumatic: a really messed-up maternity ward.

The onslaught, though, gets a little tiresome, and we become harder to impress. It’s Abrams who mostly keeps things moving with his almost-but-not-completely-overwhelmed, I’ll-get-through-this-right? shtick.

This is a minor moment, but I liked the few clever seconds when we spy our hungry courier downing a snack: milk from the carton, and a handful of Life Cereal nuggets from the box.

A little sprinkle of Life, amid the murderous mayhem.

‘Resident Evil,’ a Sony Pictures release, is now showing in Philippine cinemas. Running time: 90 minutes. Two and a half stars out of four.

THE Supreme Court (SC) has warned that it would not hesitate to impose necessary penalties against public officers who will be found engaged in corruption and extortion.

In a 14-page ruling penned by Senior Associate Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen, the Court’s Second Division affirmed the decision issued by the Court of Appeals (CA) on May 30, 2024 and resolution dated September 17, 2024, which found Police Senior Superintendent Amador Hernandez, an aviation security officer, guilty of grave misconduct.

The Court also upheld his dismissal from the service, the forfeiture of his retirement and other benefits, and perpetual disqualification from reemployment in any government agency or instrumentality, including any government-owned or controlled corporation or government financial institution.

The ruling stemmed from the petition for review filed by Hernandez seeking the reversal of the CA’s rulings which affirmed the administrative decisions and resolutions of the Office of the President and the National Police Commission (Napolcom).

Both tribunals found him administratively liable for grave misconduct for extorting the amount of P5,000 from a lady passenger.

The passenger was accosted by aviation security personnel on October 3, 2011 at the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport during check-in for carrying Philippine currency in excess of P10,000 as required under the law

She was then escorted to the airport security station chief’s office where Hernandez and another individual spoke to her about her violation of a banking circular limiting the amount of Philippine currency that may be taken outside of the country.

The passenger narrated that the two threatened to bring her to Customs authorities which would delay her flight boarding and result in the confiscation of her money.

To avoid such scenario, the lady passenger asked Hernandez what she could not and the latter replied ‘kung ano maluwag sa iyo’ (Whatever is convenient for you).

When the passenger offered P1,000 for her release, the police officer merely laughed at her.

After some negotiation, the passenger agreed to pay P5,000 for her release.

The lady passenger later filed an administrative complaint against Hernandez before Napolcom for grave misconduct for extorting money from her which ruled against the latter.

Hernandez subsequently appealed Napolcom’s ruling before the Office of the Preside which also denied his appeal, prompting him to elevate the case before the CA.

The CA affirmed both the decisions of the Napolcom and the Office of the President, which led Hernandez to bring issue before the SC.

Hernandez argued that CA ruling relied solely on the ‘bare statements given by the lady passenger and her companions.’

He added that the CA affirmed the findings of the Napolcom and of the Office of the President despite lacking factual and legal basis.

In denying his petition, the SC held that the CA acted within the bounds of its authority by affirming his liability after reviewing the evidence on record.

‘The established facts place petitioner’s actions squarely within the scope of grave misconduct, as it amounted to ‘unlawful behavior’ and a ‘deliberate violation of a rule of law.’ His unlawful behavior is further attended by corrupt intent, shown in how he used his public office to procure monetary benefit for himself,’ the SC said.

The Court also stressed that having a long track record of good service or that such misconduct was the officer’s first offense cannot be used as basis to lower the penalty against him.

‘Public office is a public trust. Any violation of this trust through grave misconduct is punishable by dismissal from service,’ the SC stressed.

The SC noted that the petitioner did not only extort money from the lady passenger but he also tried to conceal his wrongdoing by executing a sham waiver.

Quezon defeated Rizal, 90-74, on Monday to top the elimination phase of the SportsPlus Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium in Malolos.

The Huskers improved their record to 21-4, the same as Binan Tatak Gel, but emerged as the No. 1 team in the quarterfinals because of their 66-59 victory in their April 21 encounter.

Judel Fuentes and Jason Opiso led Quezon with 14 points each, Cholo Anonuevo added 13, while Christian Pagaran scored 11.

Rizal ends up as the No. 6 team at 16-9.

JP Maguliano scored 20 and Philip Manalang added 12 for the Coolers.

General Santos City beat Bulacan, 102-82, to match Cebu and Batangas at 19-6.

After the tiebreaker, Cebu ended up in third and Batangas City in fourth, owing to its 76-73 victory over Gensan on Sept. 18.

RJ Minerva paced Gensan with 17 points, while Hesed Gabo scored 14.

PROVINCIAL and city bus operators have asked President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to lift the suspension of a fare increase approved by the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) earlier this year, warning that regulated fares no longer cover the cost of keeping buses on the road. However, the President is cool to the plea to allow it, worried by the impact on commuters already reeling from inflation.

In a letter coursed through Executive Secretary Ralph G. Recto, the Nagkakaisang Samahan ng Nangangasiwa ng Panlalawigang Bus sa Pilipinas Inc. (NSNPBPI), formerly the Provincial Bus Operators Association of the Philippines (PBOAP), said rising costs have already disrupted dispatches, forced layoffs, and delayed loan payments among its members.

‘The cost of increases of diesel, parts, toll and wages can no longer be absorbed by the bus operators as the regulated revenue is lower than the cost of operations,’ NSNPBPI Executive Director Alex Yague Jr. said in the letter.

The appeal calls for ‘the immediate lifting of the directive suspending the fare adjustment order’ approved by the LTFRB in March.

Concerned over the additional financial burden a fare hike will impose on commuters, President Marcos is ‘not inclined’ to support the said proposal for now, according to Malacañang.

Instead, the chief executive wants to keep providing support to PUV drivers and operators and other vulnerable sectors reeling from the high pump prices caused by the Middle East conflict.

‘At present, there is no real inclination [from the President] to raise fares for the public, but we are not closing the door to the possibility,’ Palace Press Office Claire Castro said in Filipino in a press briefing on Tuesday.

‘We are still pressing the government to explore other measures to assist drivers and transport operators without passing the burden on to commuters; a fare hike should ideally be our last resort,’ Castro said.

Currently, she said the Department of Transportation (DOTr) continues its measures to support the PUV through fuel discounts, free tolls for buses.

Castro said in the last Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport (Uplift) Committee meeting last week, Executive Secretary Recto said the government has sufficient funds to sustain providing cash subsidy to transport groups through the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Another measure being considered by the government, Castro said, was the suspension or reduction of excise taxes on petroleum products.

This, after the Department of Energy (DOE) issued a certification that the price of crude oil has already breached the US$80 dollar per barrel two weeks ago, allowing the suspension or reduction of the said excise taxes under the Republic Act No. 12316.

Castro said the President is just waiting for the recommendation of the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) before he decides on the matter.

‘We have received an update regarding that, and their recommendation is nearing completion; most likely, they will be able to submit it to the President by this week,’ she said.

To recall, not even a full day since it was approved Mr. Marcos ordered the suspension of the fare adjustments, citing the effects of increased fares to provide relief to commuters.

Under the suspended approved adjustments, the minimum fare for traditional jeepneys rises by P1 – from P13 to P14 – with the per-kilometer rate increasing from P1.80 to P2.

Modern jeepneys will see a steeper P2 hike, bringing the minimum fare from P15 to P17, while the succeeding-kilometer rate moves up by 10 centavos to P2.30.

For Metro Manila and city ordinary buses, the minimum fare for the first five kilometers increases by P2 – from P13 to P15 – with the per-kilometer charge rising from P2.25 to P2.49.

Air-conditioned city buses get a P3 hike to P18 for the first five kilometers, with succeeding kilometers rising from P2.65 to P2.98.

Provincial ordinary buses will see a P1 hike for the first five kilometers, with varying per-kilometer increases depending on bus type – 30 centavos for ordinary buses (P1.90 to P2.20), 35 centavos for air-conditioned deluxe and super deluxe buses (P2.10 to P2.45), and 45 centavos for luxury buses (P2.90 to P3.35).

Transport network vehicle services (TNVS) will have their base fares raised by P20 plus a P15 pick-up fee, pushing sedan base fares from P45 to P65, AUVs from P55 to P75, hatchbacks from P35 to P55, and premium TNVS from P145 to P165. Per-kilometer and per-minute charges remain unchanged.

Airport taxis see the largest proportional jump: the flag-down rate rises P40 – from P75 to P115 – though charges for succeeding distance and waiting time stay the same.

Overall, the adjustments reflect a 19 percent increase in fares across all regions.

Fuel spells 60 percent of costs

The operators said fuel now accounts for about 45 to 60 percent of their operating costs, while authorized fares have not kept up with the actual cost of service.

They also said land transport is at a disadvantage compared with other modes.

‘Airlines and sea transport operators may impose fuel surcharges in response to extraordinary fuel-price increases. Provincial and city buses cannot independently impose a similar surcharge,’ the groups said.

The operators also cited a tax problem. Passenger fares are not subject to value-added tax (VAT), but the fuel they buy is. Because fares generate no output VAT against which the VAT on fuel can be credited, operators said that tax ‘becomes part of our cost-a burden the bus operator must absorb.’

Modernization loans, wage hike

The groups said operators took out ‘substantial loans’ to modernize their fleets as the government required. They now carry the combined costs of fuel, modernization loans, spare parts, tires, maintenance, insurance, toll fees, and regulatory compliance.

They added that an impending wage increase would add further pressure.

‘We recognize that our employees deserve fair compensation. But higher wages must be supported by revenues sufficient to sustain both employment and operations,’ they said.

The operators stressed that they are not seeking government aid.

‘We are not asking the government for ayuda. We are not asking taxpayers to carry our businesses,’ the appeal read. ‘We are asking for a fair and sustainable fare that reflects the real cost of operating public transportation.’

‘Not a threat’

The groups said operators cannot raise fares on their own, impose a fuel surcharge, cut corners on safety or maintenance, or halt operations without risking the loss of their franchises.

‘This is not a threat to stop operations. This is a notice that operations may soon become impossible,’ they said.

The operators warned that if responsible operators are pushed into insolvency, commuters would face fewer buses, fewer trips, longer waits, and lost links between cities and provinces. Thousands of drivers, conductors, mechanics, and support staff would also lose their jobs.

‘We understand that fare adjustments affect commuters. But keeping fares artificially below the actual cost of service does not protect the public in the long term. It merely delays the crisis until operators can no longer deploy enough safe and roadworthy buses,’ they said.

The groups urged the government to ‘act now-before more buses can no longer leave their terminals.’

The brand officially launches on September 16 at Palm Grove and Garden, The Rockwell Club, with a coffee-rave-inspired celebration bringing together media, creators, partners, friends, and guests.

For the four founders, however, the launch is only the beginning.

‘We’re not trying to tell people to completely change their lives overnight,’ says (Jr) Marf. ‘Sometimes, leveling up starts with something as simple as what you choose to drink.’ Adds Mikee.

For more information and updates, follow GUTTA GLOW (@guttaglowofficial) on its official social media platforms.

The brand officially launches on September 16 at Palm Grove and Garden, The Rockwell Club, with a coffee-rave-inspired celebration bringing together media, creators, partners, friends, and guests.

For the four founders, however, the launch is only the beginning.

‘We’re not trying to tell people to completely change their lives overnight,’ says (Jr) Marf. ‘Sometimes, leveling up starts with something as simple as what you choose to drink.’ Adds Mikee.

For more information and updates, follow GUTTA GLOW (@guttaglowofficial) on its official social media platforms.

TRANSPARENCY International created a frightening corruption story, which I would like to share with you.

No matter where you live, you probably know someone who has fallen victim to a scam. Scams promise easy money or invent a crisis-a computer virus, a blocked account-to trick people into handing over money or personal details.

With new technologies such as AI, these threats are becoming more sophisticated and targeting people on a global scale. But scams carry a less visible cost: the so-called scam industry is a significant governance and human rights issue, and corruption is what keeps it running.

Scam centers have become one of the world’s most lucrative forms of organized crime, stealing an estimated US$1 trillion globally in 2024 alone. Nearly all share the same basic components: a physical site, access to digital tools, a workforce and management structures. Bribery, political protection and law enforcement collusion multiply their reach, giving criminal networks cover to recruit, move and exploit victims, and vanish before police arrive.

The mechanics of fraud

TO the outside world, these facilities appear to be standard information technology (IT) or business support offices, often housed in modern business centers. They operate not merely through random calls, but through a highly organized system of psychological engineering and technical manipulation.

Scammers employ a specific playbook of ‘tricks’ designed to dismantle a victim’s skepticism, followed by ‘solutions.’

How a scam call center works

THE pattern repeats across continents. This week, Ukraine’s Prosecutor General, Ruslan Kravchenko, resigned amid corruption allegations related to scam centers in the country. Ukrainian anti-corruption investigators say they have identified a money-laundering scheme in the Prosecutor’s office. In exchange for bribes, the officials allegedly protected fraudulent call centers that carried out phone scams and laundered millions in assets. Kravchenko denies the allegations.

In Myanmar, reports show that the Karen Border Guard Force, which is connected to the Myanmar military, controls and provides security to scam compounds in exchange for a cut of profits.

In Georgia, allegations against senior officials and politically connected actors illustrate how scam centers can become embedded in state-linked protection networks. Corrupt actors allegedly shielded operations in exchange for kickbacks.

In Cambodia, scam operations are connected to political elites and housed in hotels, resorts, casinos and office parks. Wider kleptocratic and patronage networks help sustain the business.

Beyond the money, scam centers are connected to serious human-rights abuses.

Workers are trafficked into these compounds through fake job advertisements, then held through debt bondage, violence and restrictions on movement. ???

Corruption enables this at nearly every stage, with officials reportedly waving trafficked workers through border checkpoints. Even rescue isn’t always safe: some escaped victims say police demanded bribes before letting them go.

Why this keeps happening

SCAM centers cluster where oversight is weakest: border areas, special economic zones and conflict-affected regions. Southeast Asia is a regional hotspot: six of ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries still lack adequate laws against private-sector bribery. Only three have whistleblower protections. Without those foundations, protection rackets can run with almost no legal risk.

Special economic zones are a particular blind spot. Designed to attract investment through lighter regulation, zones in Cambodia, Laos and the Philippines have all been cited as hosting scam operations.

What can be done

THE required responses are as much about governance as policing. On the criminal side, the report highlights the importance of stronger regional law enforcement cooperation, technological safeguards against increasingly sophisticated scams, and reintegration support for trafficked workers who escape. Without this support, many risk being pulled back into the same networks.

On the corruption side, there is a need to tighten the anti-corruption framework in states that shelter these operations and enhance oversight, so it actually reaches border areas and special economic zones. Officials complicit in trafficking need to face prosecution too, not only the low-level operators usually caught in raids.

In the Georgian case, it was not law enforcement that exposed the network-it was a whistleblower, an IT specialist working inside the scam structure. He identified specific high-ranking officials allegedly protecting criminals. According to the testimony, the network was vast, spanning hundreds of locations and employing tens of thousands of people. A single call center could generate up to US$500,000 a day.

Whistleblowers, investigative journalists and civil society groups are often the first to dig where others won’t. That work is getting harder as ‘foreign agents’ laws spread and require nongovernment organizations (NGO) to disclose sources of foreign funding. Protecting them isn’t a side issue in the fight against corruption. It’s how the fight gets fought at all.

Given the fact that Transparency International and the Integrity Initiative are working together, I have read their report various times in order to find solutions for us in the Philippines. I would deeply appreciate if readers could find solutions beyond what is stated under What can be done above. Do you agree that a new generation of political leaders may have to be elected?

Finally, Mr. Ariel Nepomuceno said in his recent column PERCEPTIONS: We have to realize that we are drowning in politics, while poverty devours our future.