Category: Philippine Star

Sen. Francis Escudero yesterday slammed as ‘political retribution’ the ethics complaint filed against him at the Senate over his P30-million campaign donation from flood control contractor Lawrence Lubiano of Centerways Construction and Development.

Escudero was referring to a complaint filed against him by lawyer Eldridge Marvin Aceron for accepting campaign funds from Lubiano for his Senate comeback bid in the 2022 elections.

The former Senate president pointed out the timing of the complaint days after he delivered a plenary speech naming his counterpart, former speaker Martin Romualdez’s role in the alleged kickbacks scheme from flood control projects.?Escudero himself is accused by former Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Roberto Bernardo of receiving P160 million in kickbacks, an allegation Escudero denied.

‘I am not surprised anymore. This is what I pay for naming Martin Romualdez, and for uncovering the truth. This is just part of the harassment from his minions,’ the senator posted on social media in Filipino.

‘This isn’t about ethics. This is political retribution. This complaint is still part of their script and a desperate smokescreen. I will expose it for the politically motivated sham that it is,’ he added, using the hashtags ‘#SelectiveJustice’ and ‘#LabananAngScriptNiMartin.’

According to Aceron’s ethics complaint, Lubiano’s Centerways – one of the top 15 flood control contractors flagged by President Marcos – bagged 112 contracts worth P16.67 billion in Escudero’s turf, Sorsogon, from 2021 to 2025.

Escudero served as Sorsogon governor from 2019 to 2022.

Aceron alleged Centerways secured only 12 contracts worth P720 million in 2021, but this ‘escalated dramatically’ to P15.9 billion worth of contracts from 2022 to 2025, or after the P30-million donation to Escudero.

‘The sheer number, aggregate value and geographic concentration of these projects, coinciding with the P30-million donation, underscore the appearance of impropriety and raise serious doubts about the independence of public procurement from political influence,’ the 21-page complaint read.

‘This stark before-and-after contrast strengthens the inference that the donation and the subsequent flow of contracts in the Senator’s bailiwick are linked in both timing and magnitude,’ it added.

Sen. JV Ejercito, who chairs the ethics committee, confirmed the verified complaint against Escudero, but said he has yet to convene the committee since his designation last week.

Ejercito said he will still ‘see if there is still a need’ to tackle the complaint, with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure already tackling Escudero’s alleged role in the controversy.

Construction firms owned by contractor couple Curlee and Sarah Discaya could face fines totaling as much as P300 billion due to alleged bid rigging in over 1,200 flood control projects, the Department of Public Works and Highways announced yesterday.

DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon said the department has referred cases of bid manipulation and bid rigging to the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) for a preliminary inquiry and possible filing of charges under Republic Act 10667, the Philippine Competition Act.

The cases involve 12 flood control projects in Bulacan and Oriental Mindoro, which include five contractors. Among them is St. Timothy Construction Corp., owned by the Discaya couple, which secured two of these projects.

Other contractors implicated include Wawao Builders and Sunwest Inc., each with three projects, as well as IM Construction Corp. and SYMS Construction Trading Inc., each with two projects.

‘What we are asking from the PCC is to investigate the bid manipulation with the appropriate penalty per contract violation,’ Dizon said in Filipino during a press conference in Quezon City.

Dizon estimated penalties for the 12 projects at around P2.3 billion but warned the Discaya couple could face much steeper fines for the rest of the projects they obtained from the government.

From 2016 to 2025, companies owned by the Discayas reportedly won 1,214 flood control projects worth a total of P77.934 billion.

With the maximum penalty set at P250 million per contract, Dizon projected the Discayas could be fined up to P300 billion.

The DPWH chief also pointed to the couple’s admission before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee, where they acknowledged their companies’ participation in bid rigging, as critical evidence.

‘We have to throw everything at these people. We will file every possible case because they need to be held accountable,’ Dizon stressed, underscoring the government’s determination to recover billions of pesos in public funds lost through questionable flood control projects.

In addition, the DPWH has forwarded a list of 18 properties owned by the Discaya couple to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for possible forfeiture in favor of the government.

These properties, including the couple’s mansion in Pasig City, have an appraised value of around P1 billion and have been targeted by angry protesters.

License revocation

The DPWH is also moving to revoke the licenses of 20 engineers and other professionals implicated in anomalous flood control projects in Bulacan.

Dizon submitted yesterday to Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Chair Charito Zamora pieces of evidence for the revocation of the licenses of engineers, accountants and architects allegedly involved in the projects.

Among those tagged as ‘superstars’ in the anomaly are former Bulacan first district engineers Henry Alcantara, Brice Ericson Hernandez, Jaypee Mendoza and Paul Jayson Duya.

Dizon said the move is in compliance with President Marcos’ directive to hold accountable not only contractors but also DPWH officials and other professionals linked to the corruption scandal.

The evidence turned over included fraud audit reports from the Commission on Audit and findings from the DPWH’s internal audit service.

To institutionalize cooperation, Dizon and Zamora signed a memorandum of agreement to strengthen coordination between the two agencies in imposing sanctions against professionals involved in government corruption.

‘It’s not just about accountability, but it’s also about safeguarding the institutions and the projects that DPWH is doing from now moving forward,’ Dizon added.

For her part, Zamora gave assurance that the PRC will act on the request with substantial evidence but emphasized that due process will be observed.

‘We will give them a chance to reply and after that, the body will decide,’ she said, noting that those implicated will have 15 days to respond.

Meanwhile, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said local government units have reported substandard and ghost flood control projects nationwide, with findings set to be submitted to President Marcos by month’s end.

More assets frozen

Beyond administrative sanctions, financial regulators have also intensified their crackdown.

The AMLC has secured a fourth freeze order from the Court of Appeals, bringing the total value of immobilized assets linked to alleged corruption in flood control projects to more than P4 billion.

In a resolution dated Oct. 3, the appellate court ordered the freezing of 57 bank accounts, 10 real properties and nine motor vehicles identified by the AMLC as potentially connected to irregular infrastructure spending.

‘This marks another firm step in the government’s broader crackdown on corruption in public infrastructure projects,’ the AMLC said, noting that the action builds on earlier directives that froze billions in alleged illicit wealth.

To date, four separate freeze orders have covered 1,620 bank accounts, 54 insurance policies, 163 motor vehicles, 40 real properties and 12 e-wallet accounts.

Investigators said these include a luxury compound in a prime urban district, high-end vehicles, virtual currencies and unit investment trust funds.

‘These freezes are real actions that stop corruption,’ AMLC executive director Matthew David said. ‘Every peso frozen is a peso that cannot be used to sustain corruption.’

The cumulative value of immobilized assets has now exceeded P4 billion, with the amount expected to rise as financial trails are further uncovered.

The latest freeze order is part of ongoing investigations into irregularities in flood control spending, a sector repeatedly flagged by oversight bodies for leakages, overpriced contracts and misuse of public funds.

The AMLC, created under Republic Act 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001, has the authority to investigate suspicious transactions and secure judicial orders to immobilize assets suspected of being tied to unlawful activities.

‘The AMLC remains committed to tracing financial links to public sector anomalies,’ David stressed, underscoring the agency’s role in dismantling networks that profit from misused taxpayer money.

R and B singer Dionela scored the most nominations at the 2025 Awit Awards with seven, a majority of them for the tracks “Sining” with Jay R and “Marilag.”

“Marilag” is nominated for Record of the Year and Best Perforamance of a Solo Artist while “Sining” is up for Song of the Year and Best Collaboration,

Both are up for Best R and B Recording, and Dionela’s last nod is his collaboration with Alisson Shore “Hoodie” for Best Pop Recording.

Alternative band Lola Amour followed Dionela with six nominations, five of them for its hit single “Namimiss Ko Na.”

The track is up for Record of the Year, Song of the Year, Best Alternative Recording, Best Musical Arrangement and Best Engineered Recording credited to Rene Serna.

Lola Amour’s sixth nomination is its eponymous debut album for Album of the Year where it is up against BINI’s “Talaarawan,” SunKissed Lola’s “Olaholah,” Ben and Ben’s “The Traveller Across Dimensions,” Munimuni’s “Alegorya” and Zild’s “Superpower,”

BINI’s three other nominations were “Salamin, Salamin” and “Cherry On Top” both for Music Video of the Year and the former also competing for Best Dance/Electronic Recording.

Awit Awards organizers the Philippine Association of the Record Industry will announce details for its 38th awarding ceremony in the near future.

Here are the full list of nominees:

Record of the Year

‘Nene’ by SunKissed Lola

‘Heartache Generation’ by Ena Mori

‘Marilag’ by Dionela

‘Love Is’ by The Ridleys

‘Namimiss Ko Na’ by Lola Amour

Album of the Year

‘Talaarawan’ by BINI

‘Olaholah’ by SunKissed Lola

‘The Traveller Across Dimensions’ by Ben and Ben

‘Alegorya’ by Munimuni

‘Superpower’ by Zild

‘Lola Amour’ by Lola Amour

Song of the Year

‘Sining’ by Dionela and Jay R

‘Ikot’ by Over October

‘Misteryoso’ by Cup of Joe

‘Pagbigyan’ by Sugarcane

‘Namimiss Ko Na’ by Lola Amour

Best Collaboration

”Pag Ang Puso ang Nagsabi’ by JM Dela Cerna and Marielle Montellano

‘Ligaw na Bullet’ by Denise Laurel and Skusta Clee

”Di Ko Kasalanan’ by Demi and Gins and Melodies

‘Sining’ by Dionela and Jay R

‘Within’ by Ladine Roxas and Kris Lawrence

‘Sa Kahapon’ by Dilaw and Janine Berdin

Best Performance by a Group Artist

‘Triumph’ by Ben and Ben

‘Tayo Na Lang’ by Nobita

‘Lampara’ by Press Hit Play

‘One Sided Love’ by G22

‘Sige, Sayaw!’ by Dear Dahlia

‘Nilalang’ by Dilaw

Best Performance by a Solo Artist

‘ATM’ by Ice Seguerra

‘I’ll Be Somebody You Want’ by Jolianne

‘Pauwi Na ‘Ko (Dito Ka Na Lang)’ by Dwta

‘Marilag’ by Dionela

‘Alas Dos Na!!!’ by Janine Berdin

‘Fake Faces’ by Felip

‘Umaycan’ by Noel Cabangon

Best Performance by a New Group Artist

‘Aminin’ by Naiba

‘Hi, Tita’ by Sala

‘Bituin’ by Letters from June

‘Walang Humpay’ by 12th Street

‘Alak’ by Karilyo

Best Performance by a New Solo Artist

‘Alintana’ by Muninn

‘Panggap’ by Plume

‘Sickreet’ by Ryannah J

”Di Maipagkakaila’ by Ia

‘Kahit ‘Di Ako Ang Gusto Mo’ by Patricia Heart

‘Seryoso’ by Lottie Bie

Best Pop Recording

‘Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo’ by Itchyworms

‘Dilaw’ by Maki

‘Toyo’ by KZ Tandingan

‘Yoko Na’ by Josh Cullen and Al James

‘Hoodie’ by Dionela and Alisson Shore

Best R and B Recording

‘Tango’ by Jarlo Base

‘Marilag’ by Dionela

‘Sining’ by Dionela and Jay R

‘Call Me What You Want’ by Elise Huang

‘Fighting for You’ by Thyro Alfaro and JP Bacallan

Best Rap/Hip-hop Recording

‘Subomoto (Hev Abi remix)’ by Zae and Hev Abi

‘Kalakal’ by SB19 and Gloc-9

‘Utang Clan’ by Gloc-9

‘Ako Lang ‘To’ by XYVRL

‘Marikit sa Dilim’ by Juan Caoile, Kyleswish and Jawz

Best Dance/Electronic Recording

‘Salamin, Salamin’ by BINI

‘Tension’ by Peyton

‘Eksena’ by YARA

‘Come Over’ by Pop Money Worldwide, Carrot Mayor, SHNTI and Aunt Robert

‘Hilo’ by Paul Pablo

Best Traditional/Contemporary Folk Recording

‘ATM’ by Ice Seguerra

‘Ito Lamang’ by Project: Romeo

‘You’ll Never Feel Alone Again’ by Earl Generao

‘Nandiyan Pa Ba?’ by 6cyclemind and Gloc-9

‘Huling Liham’ by Paham and Dwta

Best Jazz Recording

‘Superfunk’ by GundamFunk

‘Get It Right’ by Nicole Asensio and Solo .Cal

‘Careless Fools’ by Debonair District and Jacques Dufourt

‘Remedios Circle’ by Alvin Cornista, Chuck Stevens, Abe Lagrimas Jr., Tim Lyddon and Dave Harder

‘What Is It All About?’ by Nicole Asensio and Solo .Cal

Best World Music Recording

‘Sarung Banggi’ by Overheat and Camsur Made

‘You Did It’ by KAIA

‘Chinese Restaurant’ by Nicole Adeya

‘Careless Fools’ by Debonair District and Jacques Dufourt

‘Sabado’ by SinoSikat?

‘100 Mensahe’ by Dan Gil and Marga Jayy

Best Alternative Recording

‘Homeostasis’ by Barbie Almalbis

‘A Gentle Reminder to Rest’ by Amateurish

‘Bulaklak sa Buwan’ by Ely Buendia

‘Namimiss Ko Na’ by Lola Amour

‘Wala Nang Saysay’ by Meds

Best Rock/Metal Recording

‘Orange’ by Amateurish

‘The Risk’ by Faspitch

‘Bawal Lumingon’ by CHNDTR

‘Dahas’ by Kjwan

‘Pano’ by Caren Tevanny

‘Dragon’ by Mayonnaise

Best Ballad Recording

‘Ethereal’ by Pappel

‘Lagi’ by Ica Frias

‘Kasing Kasing’ by Juan Karlos and Kyle Echarri

‘Medyo Ako’ by Juan Karlos and Moira Dela Torre

‘Ihilak Lang Na’ by Morissette

”Di Ko Masabi’ by Stell

Best Instrumental Recording

‘Nang Buo Kong Buhay’ by Jay Gomez and Yvette Parcom

‘SuperFunk’ by Gundam Funk

‘See You on the Other Side’ by Lustbass and RJ Pineda

‘Good Nights’ by Lustbass

‘Remedios Circle’ by Alvin Cornista, Chuck Stevens, Abe Lagrimas, Jr., Tim Lyddon and Dave Harder

Best Inspirational Recording

‘Beautiful Day’ by The Company

‘Little World Changer’ by Belle Mariano

‘Ningas ng Pag-Asa’ by Jamie Rivera and 92AD

‘Dahil Sa’Yo’ by Viola Natividad

‘Face of God’ by December Avenue

Best Novelty Recording

‘Da Coconut Nut (DJ Sandy Remix)’ by Giani Sarita and DJ Sandy

‘Walang Label’ by Eugene Layug

‘Wala Akong Pake’ by Johan Kyle and ANNUHBAE

‘Art Song’ by Pinkmen

‘Atras Abante’ by Introvert Fiesta and Aji

Best Recording by a Child or for Children

‘Ang Init Init’ by Imogen

‘The Phonics Song’ by Teacher Cleo

‘Tadhana (Easy Lang)’ by Giani Sarita

‘Jesus, Best Friend’ by Ateneo Boys Choir

‘Nasa Palad Mo’ by Ateneo Boys Choir featuring Marcel Roy S. Navarro and Generoso R. Maquirang IV

Best Original Soundtrack

‘lyo’ from ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ by Darren Espanto

‘Maskara’ from ‘Lavender Fields’ by Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez

‘Ulit Ulit’ from ‘Pamilya Sagrado’ by Regine Velasquez

‘Uuwian’ from ‘What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?’ by BGYO

‘Sa Akin Siya’ from ‘Asawa ng Asawa Ko’ by Crystal Paras and Jeniffer Maravilla

‘Nagbago ang Daigdig’ from ‘My Guardian Alien’ by Zephanie

‘Aabutin ang Tadhana’ from ‘Chasing in the Wild’ by Hyacinth Callado

Best Christmas Recording

‘Hesus Aming Hari’ by Jonathan Manalo, John Roa, EJ De Perio, Vee Jay Dela Calzada, Diwa, Hazel Faith, Shekinah Gram, Viola Natividad, Caleb Santos, Jacob Sean Bacal, Naomi, Jessi Ferrer, Elizabeth Clemente and Ezekiel Clemente

‘Ganito ang Pasko’ by Sparkle Singers

‘Weather with You’ by Lucas Pison, Chezka

‘Noche Buena’ by Jan Roberts

‘Paskong Mag-Isa’ by Debonair District

Best Regional Recording

‘Kasing Kasing’ by Juan Karlos and Kyle Echarri

‘Ihilak Lang Na’ by Morissette

‘Ang Paghuwat’ by Morissette and Ferdinand Aragon

‘Umaycan’ by Noel Cabangon

‘Buhi’ by Ferdinand Aragon

‘Dili Na Lang’ by Jolianne

‘Panata’ by Tothapi

Best Remix Recording

‘Welcome to My World’ by Jonathan Manalo and Theo Martel

‘Love Is the Answer’ by Jonathan Manalo, Moy Ortiz and The Company

‘small town (crwn’s crying in the parking lot edit)’ by crwn

‘different. (kenyama remix)’ by kenyama

‘WHITE ROOM (Reimagined ver.)’ by ena mori

Best Engineered Recording

‘Pahinga’ by Nikhil Armanani

‘Nobya’ by Carlo Jay Cruz

‘Pauwi Na’ko (Dito Ka Na Lang)’ by Brian Lotho

‘Segundo, Siguro’ by Axel Fernandez

‘Namimiss Ko Na’ by Rene Serna

Best Musical Arrangement

‘Nobya’ by Franz Sacro and Choi Padilla

‘Bittersweet’ by Ashlee Mickaela Factor and Alyssa Janine Cruz

‘Namimiss Ko Na’ by Lola Amour

‘Get It Right’ by Gabe Dandan

‘Umaycan’ by Kahlil Refuerzo

Music Video of the Year

‘Salamin, Salamin’ by BINI; produced by Roxy Liquigan, Carlo L. Katigbak and Carlos Jorge Reyes; directed by Kerbs Balagtas

‘Namumula’ by Maki; produced by Jonathan Bacala; directed by Kerbs Balagtas

‘Cherry on Top’ by BINI; produced by Roxy Liquigan, Carlo L. Katigbak and Carlos Jorge Reyes; directed by Kerbs Balagtas

‘Kalakal’ by SB19 and Gloc-9; produced by 1032 Lab and lana Cris Forbes; directed by Alanshiii and XY Pintoy

‘Tagpi-tagping Piraso’ by Ely Buendia; produced by August Lyle Espino, Cedric Hornedo, Lemuel Francia and Geoffrey Collera; directed by August Lyle Espino

Best Cover Art

‘Patibong’ by Gracenote; RJ Villanueva and Darwin Hernandez

‘The Traveller across Dimensions’ by Ben and Ben; Jether Dane Guadalupe, Katrina Urmatam and Puppeteer Studios

‘Kalakal’ by SB19 and Gloc-9; Louis Duran and IC Forbes

‘I’m Okay’ by Moira Dela Torre; Equinox Manila Productions, Moira Dela Torre, Jason Maxx and Artu Nepomuceno

‘Misteryoso’ by Cup of Joe; Nica Angeles and Gian Bernardino

Alex Eala may finally get the chance to play on home soil if and when the Philippines hosts a WTA Tour leg early next year.

Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick Gregorio disclosed the possibility the other day, saying the agency will move heaven and earth to make it happen after the 2026 Australian Open slated in January.

‘Hahabulin natin ‘yang WTA125 at sino ba gusto nating maglaro diyan? Syempre si Alex (Eala). This 2026 po two-three weeks right after the AO (Australian Open),’ said Gregorio during the Batang Pinoy launch at the Century Park Hotel.

The good news, however, came after Eala, the 20-year-old Filipina tennis star who’s now No. 58 in the world rankings, yesterday bowed to WTA No. 70 and No. 6 seed Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland, 2-6, 6-2, 6-7 (0-7) in the quarterfinals of the WTA125 Suzhou Open in China.

The No. 4 seed Eala fumbled a strong start and got blanked in the tiebreaker of the deciding set to miss out on her second Final Four appearance.

Still, Eala who took home $3,450 (over P200,000) has made the quarterfinals in four straight WTA Tour events.

That should create and stir the excitement in the PSC-backed event that could be branded as the Manila Open or Philippine Open.

It could serve as Eala’s first tournament on Philippine soil since she turned pro.

Therma Visayas Inc. (TVI), an Aboitiz Power Corp. subsidiary, has resumed partial operations at its Cebu power plant following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province earlier this week.

The company confirmed that Unit 2 of its Toledo City coal-fired facility returned online at 3:51 a.m. on October 2 after clearing safety and structural checks, and is now supplying electricity to the grid. Unit 1 is scheduled to restart by October 5 pending final inspection.

Meanwhile, East Asia Utilities Corp. (EAUC), a 37.2-megawatt plant under AboitizPower located in Lapu-Lapu City, reconnected to the Visayas grid at 12:25 p.m. on October 1.

TVI said in a statement that it is coordinating with the Department of Energy, the Energy Regulatory Commission and the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines to mitigate the earthquake’s impact on power supply and ensure grid stability.

The company added that it will provide further operational updates as it works to restore full capacity at its facilities.

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala suffered an early exit from the Wuhan Open qualifiers after succumbing to Moyuka Uchijima, 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, Saturday evening in Manila.

Eala, who had a quick return to action after the Suzhou Open, ran out of fuel after competing in her fifth straight three-set match.

The three-setter matches started during the Jingshan Open semifinals, where the Rafa Nadal Academy graduate bowed out of the tourney after a 6-3, 4-6, 2-6 defeat against Lulu Sun.

Eala then played three-set thrillers against Katarzyna Kawa and Greet Minnen, before falling against Viktorija Golubic on Friday.

And on Saturday, Uchijima took the first set with ease, before the Filipina equalized things up, breaking the 2-all deadlock with four of the next five games.

However, Eala fell behind 0-3 in the third set, and she could not claw out of the deficit this time around.

The Japanese tennister won 54 service points to Eala’s 49. The latter, though, punched in 39 receiving points to the former’s 33.

Pacific’s top seed and Masters Toronto champion Paper Rex has been eliminated in the Valorant Champions Tour’s culminating event – the Valorant Champions Paris – after suffering a 0-2 sweep from fellow Pacific be South Korea’ DRX in the lower bracket semifinals.

After an undefeated run in the group stages, Paper Rex absorbed its first loss of the tournament, against Europe’s FNATIC, which had enacted its revenge for falling to the Southeast Asian organization back in the grand finals of Masters Toronto.

Relegated to the lower brackets, Paper Rex managed to regroup and dispatch Europe’s Team Heretics to stay alive in the tournament, only to set up a Pacific El Clasico as it went up against fellow Pacific team DRX in the lower bracket semis.

In DRX’s map pick of Ascent, Paper Rex had a strong defensive side, finishing the half with a 9-3 lead, only for DRX to answer with a five-consecutive-round win to even out the series and eventually force an overtime. Though Paper Rex managed to take the opening round, it was DRX that would close out the map at 13-15.

The South Koreans continued to ride their winning momentum in Lotus, dismantling Paper Rex’s offensive side to sweep the Express, 13-8, and eliminate them from the tournament.

Though seeing the end of their 2025 season, the Express remained upbeat with what they were able to achieve after a rocky start in the beginning of the year.

‘If you win a trophy in any year, it’s a good year. We’ve attended the two big events, Toronto and Paris, and we did well in Champs, in my opinion. I think we would have lost to the two teams that are in the top three. So that means that if anything, I think we lost to better teams, and I’m very, very proud of their performance in general, especially their resilience at the start of the year. I think the fact that we still managed to stick together and go through our tough times, I think it’s a huge milestone for the team. As a group, I think I just want them to know I’m very proud of them. I thought that they improved all the way here. And particularly for PatMen, I think as a rookie to come into our team, it’s a hard thing to do, and I know there’s a lot of self-doubt, but I think you should look back and be proud of yourself because I think you played well throughout the year,’ said Paper Rex’ coach Alexandre “alecks” Sallé during the team’s post-match press conference.

Filipino player Patrick “PatMen” Mendoza, who joined Paper Rex last March took to social media to share his message to his Filipino fans after the tough defeat.

“Maraming salamat sa mga messages niyo kababayan kahit sobrang malas ko this game against DRX, sumusuporta pa rin kayo! Sana this offseason mabalik ko yung confidence ko tulad ng dati at mas makapag adjust ako nang mabilis sa meta and roles and mas mahandle ko nang maayos yung pressure. I realized na 3 years in tier 2 is not enough experience for me and playing in tier 1 is so much different but I learned a lot of things this year,’ Mendoza said on his Facebook page.

Echoing his coach, Mendoza said he is proud of the achievements he and his team has done for the year, vowing to do better in the next season.

“It’s been a good run this year still and hoping next year will be better for us and sana mas maraming Pinoy ang makapasok at masuportahan natin! It’s not the end of the world despite losing this and 4th place is not a failure. Thank you ulit sa mga suporta niyo! Next year, I will do my best to be a better player,’ he added.

Victims of the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that rocked Cebu can now avail themselves of free orthopedic treatment under PhilHealth’s ‘Z benefits’ package, the Department of Health (DOH) announced Saturday, October 4.

DOH Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said the expanded benefit was approved by the PhilHealth Board to help survivors who suffered fractures and other bone injuries after being hit or trapped by falling debris.

“‘Yung sa orthopedic Z benefit package kaya importante ‘yan dun sa gawi ng PhilHealth, kasi kunwari nabalian ang isang tao dahil nga dun sa lindol. Ang karaniwang ginagawa po ng mga orthopedic surgeons, naglalagay po ng mga tinatawag na implants. ‘Yan po ay mga bakal na kung tawagin nga po. Mahal po yan kaya nahihirapan ang ating mga kababayan,” Domingo said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(The orthopedic Z benefit package is important under PhilHealth’s system because, for instance, if a person suffers a bone fracture due to the earthquake, orthopedic surgeons typically insert what are called implants, which are metal components used to stabilize broken bones. These implants are very expensive, which is why many Filipinos struggle to afford them.)

The new orthopedic Z package will allow patients to undergo surgery and receive implants at no cost, under a zero-balance billing policy.

‘Wala na po silang kailangang gastusin (They will no longer have to spend anything),’ Domingo said.

The DOH official clarified that the benefit will cover even patients confined in non-accredited private hospitals, as long as their injuries were caused by the earthquake or its aftershocks.

He also clarified that the benefit is retroactive to the date of the quake.

“Retroactive to the time of the incident kailan nag-lindol, kahit po kayo ay nadischarge at ngayon lang nag-approve, ‘wag kayong magalala sasaklawan ‘yung bill ninyo,” the DOH official said.

(It’s retroactive to the time of the earthquake. Even if you’ve already been discharged and the approval came only now, don’t worry, your hospital bill will still be covered.)

To fast-track implementation, the DOH said it has coordinated with hospitals across Cebu and will issue provisional accreditations where necessary.

The health department continues to operate under Code Blue Alert, the highest emergency status, while aftershocks persist in the province.

Domingo said the DOH maintains round-the-clock monitoring and has so far deployed 163 medical personnel to assist affected communities.

‘Every 24 hours, nagrereport at nag-aassess kung ilan ang nadeploy at kung saan pa kailangan,’ Domingo added.

(Every 24 hours, they report and assess how many personnel have been deployed and where else they are needed.)

In a separate interview on Saturday, Domingo said the DOH will deploy additional mental health and psychosocial support teams to Cebu on a rotational basis.

‘Mayroon tayong Mental Health and Psychosocial Service team na ide-deploy sa Cebu province para iyon ang mag-aasikaso doon sa mental health,’ he said.

(We have a Mental Health and Psychosocial Service team that will be deployed to Cebu province to take care of the mental health needs there.)

The earthquake killed at least 68 people, injured nearly 600 and displaced over 77,000 residents in hard-hit towns like Bogo City and Medellin.

Officials declared a state of calamity in Cebu province to unlock emergency funds and give local governments flexibility to hasten rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts.

Following the suspension of the first parliamentary election in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Commission on Elections is recalling all poll paraphernalia that the Comelec has deployed in the BARMM.

Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the poll body would undertake reverse logistics to retrieve all poll supplies including automated counting machines (ACMs) and official ballots that were supposed to be used for the BARMM elections on Oct. 13.

‘While we wait for the new districting law, we need to retrieve all the equipment that were earlier deployed in the BARMM,’ Garcia said. ‘We spent money in shipping them. Now we have to spend money again to have them returned.’

Garcia said it is important to take back all deployed election supplies and paraphernalia as there would be changes in the system including allocations.

‘The ACMs must be reconfigured and tested again. Even supplies such as indelible ink, batteries and ballots must be returned to the Comelec,’ he said.

Earlier, the Supreme Court declared the Bangsamoro Autonomy Act 58 and BAA 77 as unconstitutional, effectively postponing the BARMM elections from October to March next year.

Meanwhile, the Comelec said it would start this month the printing of ballots for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections scheduled in November 2026.

Garcia said the early ballot printing for the barangay and SK elections would prevent conflict in the schedule once the National Printing Office needs to print ballots for the BARMM elections.

Two persons of interest who were caught on video using the credit cards of a Taguig businessman and his wife are under police custody, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group said yesterday.

CIDG National Capital Region field unit chief Lt. Col. John Guiagui said the two, a man and a woman, surrendered after seeing their faces in news reports.

Guiagui did not name them, but said that the two were the subjects of a follow-up operation in Manila following the disappearance of the couple and their business partner in July.

He said the two used the credit cards of spouses Henry Angelo and Margie Pantollana at two malls in Quezon City and Cavite. The couple and business associate Richard Cadiz were last seen in a sport utility vehicle on July 6.

According to Guiagui, the two claimed they bought the credit cards from a man in Quezon City. The cards were used in the purchase of over 50 cell phone products from a coffee shop.

He said the CIDG is preparing charges for violation of Republic Act 8484 or the Access Devices Regulation Act.

‘I just don’t believe that the credit cards randomly landed in their hands,’ Guiagui said, adding that the CIDG is investigating the extent of their participation in the couple’s disappearance.

Initial investigation showed that the Pantollanas, along with Cadiz, left Bonifacio Global City in Taguig for a business transaction with a man identified only as Jeff.

Guiagui said Jeff had submitted a sworn statement to the CIDG. Jeff allegedly told investigators that he met the victims on July 6 at his condominium in Pasig.

Jeff claimed Henry became agitated when a person called him on his phone and that the couple and Cadiz left after their meeting – an allegation that the CIDG is also investigating.