Category: Philippine Star

Conservation photographer and multidisciplinary artist Gab Mejia is the only Filipino whose work will be presented in the upcoming FOTO Bali Festival 2026.

The global photography festival, presented by Nuanu Creative City in Bali, now in its second year selected 36 artists from 24 countries – including eight Indonesians – following almost 700 submissions from over 80 countries.

The theme of this edition is “Afterimage,” where the festival examines how selections explore memory, continuity, and the ways images persist beyond the moment they capture.

Moving between personal narratives and broader reflections on history, identity, and collective experience, the selected projects consider how photographs continue to shape meaning over time.

Mejia’s selected work, “White Water,” explores the intersection of memory, colonial history, and rising sea levels across the Philippine archipelago.

Drawing from flood-damaged family archives and coastal communities affected by climate change, “White Water” reflects on how shifting shorelines challenge fixed ideas of borders, identity, and history. As part of the 44-hectare Nuanu Creative City, FOTO Bali Festival continues to position Bali as a meeting point for regional and global artistic exchange. The festival will be held from June 3 to July 12.

“We want FOTO Bali Festival to open up a wider conversation between photographic practices from different contexts, without geographical or generational boundaries,” said festival director Kelsang Dolma in a statement.

Dolma hailed the importance of having two curators in Kurniadi Widodo and Putu Sridiniari as they brought multiple perspectives into the selection process, allowing for a more layered engagement with the “Afterimage” theme.

“The qualities and approaches reflected in these works align with what we envisioned when the theme was first introduced,” said Widod. “We aim to present practices that demonstrate both strong commitment and a diversity of visual languages within contemporary photography.”

“Photography does not conclude a moment – it continues to circulate and shape how we remember the world,” added Sridiniari about the theme. “The selected works reflect diverse approaches, yet share a common attentiveness to how images carry traces and influence our understanding of the present.”

Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez was not allowed to leave the country for a medical check-up, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said.

In a press conference on Tuesday, April 21, Remulla said the camp of Romualdez asked permission if he could leave for a medical check-up in Singapore.

However, he said that the Office of the Ombudsman did not allow the former House speaker to leave due to the existing Immigration Lookout Bulletin Order (ILBO) against him.

‘We did not respond favorably to the request that he be allowed to leave,’ Remulla said. ‘Hindi namin siya pinaalis. Hindi namin pinayagan na ma-lift ‘yung validity niya kasi nga naka-look out order because we’ve been investigating him actively. Baka hindi na bumalik eh. You know, we don’t want that to happen,’ he added.

Romualdez was supposed to leave on Tuesday, according to Remulla.

Remulla also said that the Ombudsman has endorsed a complaint to the Anti-Money Laundering Council as part of a move to issue an asset freeze order on the assets against the former House speaker.

He added that the first case to roll against Romualdez will be about money laundering.

The ILBO was signed by Remulla on Oct. 8, 2025, on his last act as the former secretary of Justice.

Along with Romualdez in the ILBO are now-arrested former lawmaker Zaldy Co, Sen. Francis Escudero, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Former Sen. Bong Revilla Jr., Sen. Joel Villanueva and other government officials and lawmakers.

This is over their involvement in the alleged anomalous flood control projects, where cases involving Co and Revilla are on trial at the Sandiganbayan.

After the Evening Gown and Preliminary Interview, the Miss Universe Philippines organization finally rolled out the final segment of the preliminaries – the Swimsuit Round – to test the remaining delegates’ level of confidence and pasarela skills!

By the coming weekend, the Top 31 will be further whittled down to a Top 20!

The 2026 outstanding swimsuit performances, in alphabetical order, came from:

Baguio – Roxie Baeyens

Cebu City – Apriel Smith

Iloilo City – Zestah Espinosa

La Union – Bea Millan Windorski

Manila – Justine Beatriz Felizarta

Pampanga – Allyson Hetland

Quezon Province – Patricia Ella Evangelista

Taguig – Bella Roxas Ysmael

Other noteworhy performances are those from Erica Mae Cadayday (Camiguin) and Nicole Borromeo (Cebu Province).

After the Maya preliminary poll ends on April 25 for the Swimsuit Round, ten delegates will be chosen from the online portal, and another ten from the selection committee for the Top 20 quarterfinalists.

It is not clear though where the Top 3 Pina Beauty poll winners will be deducted from – whether from the selection committee choices or from the Maya poll – since they all win automatic placements in the quarterfinals.

Or, will they simply be added to the Top 20 to make a Top 23? By the week’s end, we will find out.

Catch the exciting Miss Universe Philippines 2026 finale on May 2 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Stay tuned!

Former Interior and Local Government Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento is set to assume a key role in the national government’s peacebuilding program.

Sarmiento has been appointed as Presidential Adviser for Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (PAPRU), drawing attention to his long record in local governance, legislation and institution-building.

His entry into the peace portfolio comes with a background that combines executive leadership and legislative experience, including direct involvement in crafting measures that laid the groundwork for what would eventually become the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

A former member of the House of Representatives representing the 1st District of Samar from 2010 to 2015, Sarmiento served during a critical period when Congress deliberated on the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law.

He was the principal author of House Bill 4994, a key legislative measure that sought to establish a new autonomous political entity in Muslim Mindanao, replacing the previous regional framework.

The measure, while not enacted in its original form, became part of the legislative progression which had set the framework for subsequent versions of the proposed legislation that ultimately contributed to the passage of the Bangsamoro Organic Law and the establishment of BARMM – widely regarded as a milestone in the country’s peace process.

Beyond his role in peace-related legislation, Sarmiento also authored and co-authored several major national laws, including Republic Act 10630, which strengthened the juvenile justice system, and Republic Act 10364, which expanded the country’s anti-trafficking framework. He was also an original author of Republic Act 11232, or the Revised Corporation Code, and Republic Act 11392, which institutionalized national performing arts companies.

His legislative record reflects a focus on institutional reforms, social protection, and governance frameworks – areas that intersect with the broader mandate of reconciliation and inclusive development under the OPAPRU.

Sarmiento also brings to the position his experience as Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government from September 2015 to June 2016, where he oversaw key national bodies involved in peace and security, including serving as chairman of the National Peace and Order Council and vice chairman for disaster preparedness of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

As DILG chief, he likewise sat in multiple inter-agency bodies such as the Justice Sector Coordinating Council and the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, providing him exposure to cross-sectoral coordination – an essential component in advancing peace and reconciliation efforts.

Prior to his national roles, Sarmiento built his political career at the local level, serving as mayor of Calbayog City for three terms from 2001 to 2010, and earlier as vice mayor. He also served as secretary general of the League of Cities of the Philippines and chaired the Regional Development Council in Eastern Visayas.

Vanie Gandler and the HD Spikers have been praying long and hard to end their PVL championship drought.

But they also know that when you pray for the rain, you have to deal with the mud too.

‘Our focus isn’t just making it to the finals. We pray for a championship,’ said Gandler, among the aces of the Manny V. Pangilinan-owned club which battles championship-tested Creamline today in Game 1 of the best-of-three PVL All-Filipino Conference finals at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

‘But that comes with challenges, and we have to play like champions,’ the Alas Pilipinas star added.

Game time is 5:30 p.m. This is Cignal’s third trip to the finals since joining the league five years ago. The HD Spikers made it in the 2022 Reinforced Conference and the 2024 Invitational but fell short both times.

Gandler and her teammates don’t want this chance to slip away again.

‘It means the world to me because I see the qualities of a champion in each one of my teammates. They’ve made me a better player and person,’ she said.

Standing in their way is a Creamline squad that knows exactly how to win. The Cool Smashers are in the finals for the 15th time and hold a league-record 10 championships. An 11th could be next.

‘Our goal is to really win the championship in this conference,’ said Creamline’s Bernadeth Pons.

Meanwhile, Farm Fresh and PLDT clash for third place at 3 p.m.

Game 2 is on Thursday, with a do-or-die Game 3, if necessary, set for April 28. All games are at the Big Dome.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is probing the involvement of government officials in the anomalous registration and transfer of 13 parcels of land in Mangatarem town in Pangasinan to a private firm used by dismissed Bamban, Tarlac mayor Alice Guo.

‘We’re now tracing how the transactions were processed and approved,’ said NBI Dagupan District Office agent-in-charge Mamerto Tello Jr.

Tello did not name the government officials, but noted that the expanded probe came after the reinstatement of charges against Guo for alleged violations of the anti-dummy law.

The Department of Justice granted last month the motion recommending charges against Guo and several others for simulation of minimum capital stock under Section 2 of Commonwealth Act 108, in reference to the incorporation and operations of 3LIN Q-Farm Inc.

Investigators said the firm might have been used as a vehicle to circumvent constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership of land through falsified corporate structures.

The initial NBI probe showed that some incorporators misrepresented their identities and nationalities, raising red flags that the firm’s ownership may have been structured to appear compliant with Philippine laws while concealing foreign control.

Seven police officers were sacked from their posts and are under investigation for alleged involvement in a rental kickback scheme targeting Philippine National Police trainees.

The PNP officials, assigned with the Cordillera Administrative Region Training Center (CARTC), were placed on floating status by training service director Brig. Gen. Rolindo Suguilon.

Suguilon did not identify the officers, but said they were composed of a colonel, major, lieutenant, master sergeant and three patrolmen.

‘Our investigators are still on the ground to verify if the allegations are true,’ Suguilon said in Filipino during a briefing at Camp Crame yesterday.

He noted that the investigation stemmed from a post on social media alleging the existence of a barracks rental kickback during the six-month field training program immersion phase of police trainees.

Rape complaint

Meanwhile, the PNP launched an investigation into a CARTC training instructor accused of sexually assaulting a female trainee in Baguio City.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the 41-year-old instructor has been placed under restrictive custody, disarmed and transferred to Laguna as the criminal and administrative investigations continue.

‘We take this allegation with utmost seriousness,’ Nartatez said.

The 23-year-old trainee alleged she was sexually assaulted on Jan. 20 and Feb. 8 when she was summoned to the instructor’s barracks.

Nartatez said the case would be handled with urgency and transparency

The UAAP takes a decisive step in expanding its sporting landscape as varsity golf receives a major boost ahead of its inaugural staging with a landmark three-year partnership with Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

This collaboration not only brings the sport into the UAAP calendar as a demonstration event, but also signals a bold commitment to diversifying the league’s portfolio and elevating emerging disciplines.

The inaugural UAAP golf tournament will be held from May 11 to 14 at Tagaytay Midlands, featuring both individual and team competitions among participating universities.

More than just an addition to the roster, the partnership lays the groundwork for a structured and sustainable pathway for aspiring collegiate golfers. By integrating golf into one of the country’s premier university leagues, the initiative strengthens talent development, widens competitive opportunities and bridges the gap between amateur promise and elite performance.

The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) will issue its judgment tomorrow on the appeal of former president Rodrigo Duterte on the issue of jurisdiction.

The five-member Appeals Chamber will deliver its judgment in open court at 11 a.m. in The Hague (5 p.m. in Manila).

Duterte has sought the permission of the chamber for him to skip the reading of judgment on his appeal. He submitted a waiver designating his lawyers to represent him.

The Appeals Chamber has yet to issue its decision on the request as of Monday afternoon (Manila time).

Duterte’s lawyers are appealing the Oct. 23 decision of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I, which dismissed their challenge to the tribunal’s jurisdiction over the charges filed against the former president.

The Appeals Chamber is composed of a different set of judges from the Pre-Trial Chamber I.

The pre-trial judges ruled that the ICC retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes against humanity committed in the Philippines when it was a member of the court.

In their appeal, defense lawyers Nicholas Kaufman and Dov Jacobs said the pre-trial chamber erred when it ruled that the matter concerning the Philippines was already ‘under consideration’ when the withdrawal took effect in 2019.

Since the onset of the dry season, the weather bureau has been issuing warnings about rising temperatures and danger-level heat indices across the country. The Department of Health has also been warning the public about the risk of heat stroke.

Yet the government itself has been exposing thousands of people to that risk in its messy, hurried rollout of fuel subsidies to mass transport drivers, operators and riders, in lieu of cutting taxes on diesel and gasoline.

Beneficiaries themselves of the P5,000 fuel dole-out have complained about losing their earnings for half or even an entire day, to wait in long lines to get their subsidy.

Worse, the waiting has been done under the sun, with no shade available and not enough seats provided.

Last Saturday, a motorcycle taxi rider died while waiting for his subsidy in such a long line at the Quezon Memorial Circle. His brother said the likely cause was a heart attack.

In Caloocan City, motorcycle taxi and delivery riders began lining up for their ayuda as early as 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. Images showed some of the riders resting on mats on the sidewalk during the night.

ALTODAP president Melencio Vargas echoed a common complaint among the subsidy beneficiaries: they were being treated like beggars.

Several beneficiaries lamented that such discourtesy and maltreatment would be unlikely at mass gatherings of people from the middle or upper income groups.

In the age of artificial intelligence and e-wallets, when even children own smartphones, how can aid payouts be so inefficient?

The Department of Social Welfare and Development cited the lack of master lists and centralized databases for determining the qualified subsidy beneficiaries, thus necessitating the personal presence of those applying for the aid. So much for e-governance.

But there must also be non-digital ways of making aid distribution systematic. Specific waiting hours can be set or areas designated for processing the aid of beneficiaries, for example, based on the first letters of their surnames.

The mass transport sector is suffering enough in this national energy emergency without the distribution of the fuel subsidy becoming a human rights violation and aggravating misery.