Category: Philippine Star

Announcing a P50-million bounty for the senator’s arrest, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he is done giving Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa special treatment.

“We have given him all the courtesy that could be afforded as a senator of the Republic of the Philippines, but he has shown nothing but cowardice by going into and remaining in hiding,” Remulla said in a statement on Friday.

He also declared that “gloves are coming off” in efforts to capture him.

Remulla said November would mark one year since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Dela Rosa over his alleged criminal responsibility for killings linked to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

The DILG chief said Dela Rosa had mistaken his attempts at negotiation for weakness.

“It’s time for the gloves to come off. It’s time to bring just justice to his victims,” Remulla said.

He also declared Dela Rosa “armed and dangerous” and announced the formation of a task force headed by Gen. Wilson Lopez, whose sole objective is to locate and arrest the senator.

Remulla said Lopez would provide further updates in the coming days

A Grade 5 student was caught carrying a handgun at a school in Opol, Misamis Oriental on Wednesday.

Reports said a .22-caliber revolver was found in the bag of the 12-year-old student.

A classmate saw the handle of the gun protruding from the bag of the suspect. He immediately reported the matter to a barangay kagawad, who confiscated the firearm.

The student reportedly admitted bringing the gun to school, although he did not reveal the reason.

Probers have yet to determine how the minor came into possession of the firearm.

The government is eyeing electric and hybrid ferries to serve sea travelers crossing short and medium-distance routes, respectively.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) is planning to pilot-test electric ferries for the Iloilo-Bacolod route and hybrid vessels for the Batangas-Calapan route, according to the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).

The initiative is in compliance with President Marcos’ thrust to push cleaner and more sustainable transportation.

‘We want to see how we can use this technology and how it would benefit passengers, ship owners and even our health and environment. It can reduce fuel consumption, carbon emissions and operational expenses of shipping companies,’ DOTr Secretary Giovanni Lopez said.

Ramon Hernandez of the MARINA overseas shipping service division said that pure electric ferries are being considered for shorter routes, while hybrid ships are more practical for medium-distance trips. Hybrid vessels can use dual power sources, the traditional diesel fuel engine and the electric motor with rechargeable batteries.

MARINA said there were around 69 million sea travels recorded in 2025.

Of the estimated 4,000 inter-island ferries, 300 account for about 86 percent of carbon dioxide emissions.

The use of electric and hybrid ferries was part of a study meant to improve the safety and energy efficiency of domestic ferries.

Routes serving at least 500,000 passengers annually are suitable for electric ferry operations.

Existing ferries may be retrofitted to be able to adapt to changes, which may open opportunities for the local shipbuilding industry.

International Criminal Court prosecutors have asked judges to admit the recorded statements of three witnesses who they say can describe the policy to “neutralize” alleged drug suspects under former president Rodrigo Duterte.

One witness speaks about 13 of the killings charged against Duterte, including one during a police “One Time Big Time” operation, according to the redacted version of the court filing dated October 21 and signed by Acting Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang.

The three witnesses, all women, were already on the prosecution’s witness list. The defense has known since August 31 that prosecutors planned to present them under this procedure.

Prosecutors are asking the court to allow transcripts of their earlier interviews with investigators to be admitted as evidence in place of most of their direct examination, saying this would save court time.

Under Rule 68(3) of the court’s rules, each witness must still appear in court, confirm her statement is accurate and consent to its use. Duterte’s lawyers can cross-examine them, and the judges and lawyers for victims can still question them.

All three accounts relate to Count 3, which covers killings in barangay “clearance” operations against alleged small-time drug users and pushers from about July 2016 to September 2018.

When the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I confirmed the charges against Duterte on April 23, Count 3 covered 45 victims, 43 of whom were killed. Count 1 covers 19 killings in Davao City from 2013 to 2016, when Duterte was mayor, and Count 2 covers 14 killings of alleged “high-value targets” in 2016 and 2017.

Pattern of killings

The identities of the three witnesses were withheld in the public document.

The statement of one witness, who is labelled in the filing as “P-0008,” comes from two interviews with prosecution investigators.

In several of the 13 killings she discusses, she allegedly described events before the victims died. Names, dates and places are redacted in the public filing.

The filing does not say where or when the “One Time Big Time” operation took place. Police in the Philippines are known to have used the term for simultaneous, large-scale anti-drug sweeps, where deadly shootouts also occur.

Prosecutors said P-0008’s evidence shows the “modus operandi and pattern of violence” police used against alleged criminals.

Another witness, labelled “P-1164,” spoke about three charged killings by police.

Meanwhile, “P-1303” gives evidence about an individual who was shot dead by police, but her relationship to him is redacted in the filing. Prosecutors said her account relates to one charged killing.

Prosecutors said the three accounts are internally consistent and match evidence expected from other witnesses, including “P-0003,” who is due to testify in person.

They said the evidence also helps prove that the killings were part of a widespread or systematic attack on civilians, a requirement for crimes against humanity.

The prosecutors said the three witnesses will show there was a policy to “neutralise” alleged criminals through violence, including murder.

All three women were told their interviews were voluntary and were informed of their rights, and each confirmed she answered of her own free will, the filing said.

Thousands of kilograms of hazardous medical waste from Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) and Guba Community Hospital are being packed into ordinary but sealed container vans, shipped by cargo vessel to Luzon, and hauled to Bulacan for treatment and disposal.

The arrangement came under scrutiny by the members of Cebu City Council, who were all surprise to learn about it. City Councilors raised concerns about environmental accountability, local treatment options and the transparency of the bidding process.

The councilors discovered the arrangement during the deliberations on a resolution authorizing Mayor Nestor Archival to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with HCML Logistics Service for the collection and transport of hazardous healthcare waste generated by the two City government-run hospitals. The proposed contract is worth ?4,085,690.

Documents attached to the resolution show that HCML was declared the lowest calculated and responsive bidder.

The company would collect hazardous healthcare waste from the two hospitals and transport it to Total Organic Environmental Solutions Inc. (TOESI), a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-accredited treatment, storage and disposal facility in Pulilan, Bulacan.

The questions were raised primarily by Councilor Joel Garganera, Environment Committee chairman, who said recent reports of improper waste disposal in nearby localities underscored the need for the government to know exactly where hazardous hospital waste ultimately ends up.

“We cannot allow that hazardous waste will be just a mere transfer of address to other areas that will cause environmental degradation,” Garganera said as he pressed hospital officials and the winning contractor for details on the technology, location and final disposal process for Cebu City’s infectious medical waste.

Garganera’s concerns came amid heightened public attention over waste disposal issues in Cebu.

Earlier, authorities in Talisay City investigated an attempted illegal dumping incident involving truckloads of hospital waste from Mandaue City in Barangay Jaclupan, prompting city officials to pursue charges and intensify enforcement of environmental regulations.

During the council’s regular session, HCML representative Muana Tragico disclosed that the company hauls approximately 3,000 kilograms of infectious waste every week.

Tragico said the waste is packed and sealed inside a container van, transported by vessel from Cebu, and delivered to Bulacan for treatment.

When Councilor Franklyn Ong asked whether refrigerated vehicles were used, Tragico admitted that the company only uses an ordinary container van that is sealed before transport.

“Ordinary container van lang siya,” he said, adding that the trip to Bulacan takes roughly five days.

The disclosure prompted further questions from council members, with Ong noting that hazardous waste is usually transported in refrigerated container vans. Tragico, however, maintained that the company complies with DENR standards.

Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who presided over the discussion, repeatedly sought clarification on the waste’s final destination and the process used to treat it.

He also questioned why waste generated in Cebu had to be transported all the way to Bulacan. At one point, Osmeña referred to a treatment facility in Toledo City and asked whether it was the same company being tapped for the service.

He said he had even been invited to inspect the facility. Osmeña later called for transparency in the bidding process.

“In the interest of transparency, we just want to know whether there was a proper selection, whether everyone was notified, and whether there was fair competition in the selection of the provider,” the vice mayor said.

He also remarked: “That’s rather strange for us to bring our garbage to Bulacan.”

Ong likewise questioned the arrangement, noting that Cebu already has an established medical waste treatment facility.

“It’s good to note also that there is a facility, a very nice facility, in MEPZ, where they’re handling most of the hospital waste,” Ong said.

“That’s why it’s very surprising to know that our medical wastes are being transported to other cities,” he added.

Other councilors noted that transporting waste all the way to Bulacan appeared likely to increase operational costs, making it surprising that the arrangement still emerged as the winning bid.

Meanwhile, Councilor Mikel Rama focused on the procurement structure. Rama pointed out that the bidding documents described the project as covering the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of hazardous waste.

However, documents later presented to the council showed that HCML would primarily handle transportation, while another company would perform the actual treatment and disposal.

“Based on the bid documents, the procurement is supposed to be for transport, treatment and disposal of hazardous waste,” Rama said.

“When they bidded it out, the winning bidder is HCML. But based on the documents, the service that they can provide is only transport, and then they contracted out the treatment and disposal to another entity.”

It was also noted that the MOA between the city and HCML did not specifically identify where the waste would ultimately be treated and disposed of, although the separate agreement between HCML and TOESI identified the Bulacan facility.

Garganera continued to press officials on accountability beyond transportation, stressing that the government’s responsibility does not end once the waste leaves Cebu City.

He asked what safeguards were in place to ensure that the hazardous waste was properly treated and did not simply become another community’s environmental problem. Hospital officials defended the arrangement.

Dr. Anton Oliver Reposar II, CCMC chief of hospital, said the hospitals’ responsibility was to properly segregate and label infectious waste before turning it over to the contractor. He said treatment and disposal were handled by the accredited service provider and monitored by the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) through permits, manifests and certificates of treatment.

Dr. Carol Cajegas, officer-in-charge of Guba Community Hospital, added that technical evaluators had visited the Bulacan facility and reviewed HCML’s agreement with TOESI before recommending the contract.

Procurement records show that HCML submitted the lowest responsive bid of ?4,085,690, beating proposals from ZIGS Eco Sanitation Corporation, Cleanaway Philippines Inc. and Medclean Management Solutions Inc.

ZIGS was later disqualified due to deficiencies in its bid security requirements. The resolution authorizes Archival to sign the MOA with HCML for the collection and transport of hazardous healthcare waste from CCMC and Guba Community Hospital, with TOESI designated as the treatment and disposal facility in Bulacan.

The contract will remain in effect until Dec. 31, 2026. Despite the questions raised, the City Council approved the resolution, with Rama abstaining

Filipino companies will be able to test artificial-intelligence tools before spending money to deploy them under a new EU-Philippines lab designed to lower the cost and risk of AI adoption.

European Union and the Philippines announced the EU-Philippines AI Industry Lab on Thursday, October 22 at the 2026 AI Forum organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

The Department of Science and Technology will establish it as an allied laboratory under the National AI Center for Research and Innovation program.

At the center of the initiative is a “test before invest” model that will allow compnies, particularly smaller businesses and startups, to evaluate AI solutions before committing capital to their deployment.

The lab will serve Philippine and European companies, micro, small and medium enterprises, and startups as part of the National AI Strategy for the Philippines.

Participants will receive access to AI infrastructure, cloud services and data sets, including Earth-observation data from the EU’s Copernicus program and information from DOST programs.

The initiative will also develop practical AI applications in energy, health, environmental protection and disaster resilience.

Expertise, market access

Businesses and innovators will be connected with technical specialists, innovation advisers and European technology expertise through European Digital Innovation Hubs and AI Factories.

The lab will seek to build partnerships among Philippine and European companies, universities, and other public and private organizations.

The EU and the Philippines said the initiative would also help promising AI products attract investment and enter new markets. It does this by promoting technology standards and drawing on European practices in interoperability, cybersecurity, data protection, intellectual property and human-centered AI governance.

Research cooperation will form another part of the program, with both sides seeking to turn academic work into commercial and industrial applications.

The lab follows a three-day joint mission of the EU and DOST that gathered European experts and private-sector participants from the Philippines and Europe to discuss AI research and innovation.

The initiative forms part of EU-Philippines digital cooperation under the bloc’s Global Gateway Strategy, which the EU said now amounts to pound 40 million.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 2 remains in effect over Batanes and the northeastern portion of the Babuyan Islands as Typhoon Rosal (international name: Champi) maintained its strength while moving northwestward over the sea east-northeast of Batanes, the state weather bureau PAGASA said Friday.

In its 5 a.m. bulletin on Friday, October 23, PAGASA said Rosal was packing maximum sustained winds of 155 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 190 kph.

The typhoon was last spotted 275 kilometers east-northeast of Itbayat, Batanes, moving northwestward at 15 kph.

Strong to typhoon-force winds extend up to 900 kilometers from the center.

Warning signals

PAGASA raised the following tropical cyclone wind signals:

Signal No. 2

Luzon

Batanes

Northeastern portion of Babuyan Islands (Babuyan, Panuitan, Calayan and Camiguin islands)

Residents in these areas may experience gale-force winds ranging from 62 to 88 kph within the next 24 hours, posing minor to moderate threats to life and property.

Signal No. 1

Luzon

Rest of the Babuyan Islands

Mainland Cagayan

Northeastern portion of Isabela (Maconacon, Divilacan, Santa Maria, Cabagan, San Pablo and Palanan)

Ilocos Norte

Apayao

Residents in these areas may experience strong winds ranging from 39 to 61 kph within the next 36 hours, posing minimal to minor threats to life and property.

The northeast monsoon and Rosal’s outer circulation will also bring strong to gale-force gusts over the following areas:

Friday, October 23: Most of Luzon and the Visayas, Zamboanga del Norte, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Camiguin, Davao Occidental and Davao Oriental.

Saturday, October 24: Batanes, Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Polillo Islands, Bicol Region, Romblon, Capiz, Iloilo and Negros Occidental.

Sunday, October 25: Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

Sea conditions

A gale warning is in effect over the seaboards of Northern Luzon and the eastern seaboards of Central and Southern Luzon.

Very rough to very high seas, with waves reaching up to 12 meters, are expected along the northern and eastern seaboards of Batanes.

Waves may reach up to 9 meters along the remaining seaboards of Batanes and up to 8 meters along the northern and eastern seaboards of the Babuyan Islands and the northeastern seaboard of mainland Cagayan.

Seas may reach up to 6 meters along the remaining seaboards of the Babuyan Islands and mainland Cagayan, the seaboard of northern Isabela and the northern seaboard of Ilocos Norte. Waves may reach up to 5.5 meters along the remaining seaboard of Isabela and up to 5 meters along the remaining seaboard of Ilocos Norte.

Waves may reach up to 4.5 meters along the seaboards of northern Ilocos Sur and northern Aurora, the northern seaboards of Camarines Sur and Camarines Norte, and the northern and eastern seaboards of the Polillo Islands and Catanduanes.

PAGASA warned that sea travel is risky for all types of vessels in areas where very rough to very high seas are expected. Mariners were advised to remain in port or seek shelter in a safe harbor until winds and waves subside.

Operators of small vessels, including motorbancas, were also advised against venturing out to sea under rough conditions, especially if their vessels are ill-equipped or they lack experience.

Track, intensity

Rosal is expected to continue moving generally northwestward until Saturday, October 24, before moving northward and then north-northeastward between Saturday and Sunday, October 25.

On its forecast track, the typhoon is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by early Saturday.

PAGASA said Rosal is forecast to weaken gradually within the next 24 hours before weakening rapidly. It may be downgraded into a severe tropical storm by Saturday morning and further weaken into a tropical storm by Saturday evening.

Following a report that China was mulling the removal of a grounded Philippine warship, Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro Jr. warned that any use of force against the BRP Sierra Madre would be an act of war against the Philippines.

“Any threats against BRP Sierra Madre will be taken very seriously, because it will be an act against a military vessel of the Republic of the Philippines,” Teodoro said in an interview with reporters Friday, October 23.

Chinese Commercial News, a Chinese-language broadsheet in the Philippines with ties to Beijing, earlier reported that China was considering pulling the Philippines’ naval outpost from Ayungin Shoal as retaliation for Manila’s “recent actions.”

Asked whether the military would update its rules of engagement for troops aboard the ship to prevent it from being boarded by another nation’s troops, Teodoro declined to discuss “operational matters.” He instead restated the vessel’s status.

“The BRP Sierra Madre is a ship of the Republic of the Philippines. If anything is attempted against it, or anything happens to it through the use of force, that is an act of war against the Republic of the Philippines,” he said in mixed Filipino and English.

The defense chief was careful to clarify that any action taken by China toward the aging warship would be an “act of war” but not a “state of war.”

Under the 1987 Constitution, only Congress, by a two-thirds vote of both chambers voting separately, can declare the existence of a state of war. Acts of war refer to hostile action done by a foreign state against another.

The 10 countermeasures. The report, published this week by Chinese Commercial News, said Beijing was losing patience with Manila and was considering 10 countermeasures.

The Binondo-based newspaper said Chinese authorities had not confirmed the measures and that it was unclear whether they had entered Beijing’s formal decision-making process.

The options being weighed purportedly include towing the Sierra Madre away, blocking resupply missions to its crew, sanctioning Filipino politicians seen as hostile to China, and cutting oil and fertilizer supplies to the Philippines.

The Philippine Navy deliberately ran the World War II-era ship aground at Ayungin in 1999 to assert Manila’s sovereign rights.

The shoal lies about 200 kilometers from Palawan, within the country’s exclusive economic zone. It was a frequent flashpoint for confrontations between Philippine and Chinese vessels until both sides reached an “arrangement” in 2024 to de-escalate tensions.

The report by Chinese Commercial News surfaced amid a widening diplomatic row between Beijing and Manila.

The Department of Foreign Affairs summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan over his October 19 remarks that China could easily win a military conflict. Lawmakers have since filed resolutions urging the president to declare him persona non grata.

‘No one has the right’

Teodoro also rejected Chinese claims that Manila sought Beijing’s approval for Wednesday’s rotation and resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.

The China Coast Guard said the Philippines delivered supplies to the ship with Chinese approval, and that it verified the Philippine vessel and monitored the whole operation, according to the state-run news outlet Global Times.

The newspaper later published a video it said showed a Philippine boat cooperating with a coast guard inspection.

“No one has the right to ask the Republic of the Philippines to ask for permission for a resupply of Sierra Madre. So that is false,” Teodoro said.

“We have no obligation to say what is on board, or what the cargo is, of a ship of the Republic of the Philippines,” he said in Filipino.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, confirmed Thursday that the military did not ask China for permission prior to the conduct of the resupply mission.

There is a natural temptation in public commentary to treat foreign policy as a high-altitude game of chess – an abstract battle of doctrines and diplomatic summits. Yet, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. hosts foreign leaders at the ASEAN Summit in Manila before flying to Shenzhen for the APEC Leaders’ Meeting, I believe the reality of Philippine statecraft cannot be separated from what happens on the water. Beyond diplomatic parlance, the West Philippine Sea dispute is an urgent issue of daily survival, food security and national energy independence.

For centuries, trade and communal fishing flowed freely between our shores. China stands today as our largest overall trading partner – our primary source of imports and a major market for our electronics and agriculture. Our cultural heritage is profoundly shared with Spain, with whom we have maintained a longstanding friendship and historic partnership, alongside a rich Chinese-Filipino heritage deeply woven into our national fabric. Just as the Intramuros-Binondo Bridge spans the Pasig River to physically link our Spanish colonial roots with our vibrant commercial enclaves, our national identity is built upon honoring all facets of our shared heritage.

Yet today, the physical reality on the water has shifted dramatically. At the center of the dispute are our local fisherfolk – coastal families in Zambales, Pangasinan and Palawan whose livelihoods are directly disrupted by water cannons, acoustic weapons and maritime blockades.

Simultaneously, the dispute directly impacts our nation’s energy future. Offshore features like Recto Bank hold significant untapped natural gas reserves within our exclusive economic zone (EEZ). With the Malampaya gas field facing eventual depletion, securing access to our own seabed energy resources is critical to preventing severe electricity supply shocks across Luzon. Under international law, anchored by the 2016 Hague Arbitral Award, these resources belong to the Filipino people.

This tension reflects a long-standing debate within Philippine leadership over how best to deal with Beijing. Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo advocated an economic-first approach, advising leaders to concentrate on economic ties rather than maritime disputes. During her administration, Arroyo championed the 2005 Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) with China and Vietnam – a deal ultimately struck down as unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2023 for compromising national sovereignty over our EEZ.

It is deeply concerning when certain public officials – particularly lawmakers – issue inflammatory, bellicose statements against China that are fundamentally far from choosing peace. Elected representatives have a sworn duty to legislate for the welfare of the people, not to posture for political grandstanding by beating drums of hostility. Reckless rhetoric from the halls of power does nothing to defend our fishermen or secure our energy reserves; instead, it closes off vital diplomatic off-ramps, heightens miscalculation risks and sabotages regional stability. True leadership demands the discipline to defend our sovereign rights with unwavering resolve while speaking with the measured prudence required to keep our nation out of avoidable conflict.

Every country must have its own distinct identity; every nation must be both nationalistic and patriotic in safeguarding sovereignty. Yet true love of country must never exist in isolation. At the forefront of our national conscience, we must choose peace, recognizing that in our modern world, all countries rely on one another in a deeply interdependent way.

As Confucius famously taught, ‘In practicing propriety, a value is placed on harmony,’ reminding us that true strength is rooted in balance and mutual respect. This wisdom echoes the ministry of Jesus Christ, who embodied active reconciliation and declared in the Beatitudes, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God’ (Matthew 5:9).

At the heart of this diplomacy is people-to-people engagement. Governments may lock horns over maritime boundaries, but everyday citizens keep the true spirit of neighborliness alive. Generations of Chinese-Filipino families, scholars, artists and business owners have proven that our shared history runs deeper than transient geopolitical storms. Fostering grassroots connections reminds us that while states can be rivals on the water, human beings can still choose dialog, empathy and mutual respect over hostility.

Indeed, in a region where a single tactical miscalculation could draw superpowers into open military confrontation, peace remains the single best option for the Philippines. War would inflict devastating humanitarian costs, destroy regional trade routes and cripple our developing economy. Asserting sovereignty must never be confused with warmongering; rather, defending international law, exercising disciplined communication and nurturing people-to-people ties maintain a credible deterrence – a shield ensuring that peace prevails on our terms, not through submission.

This commitment to peaceful resolution frames President Marcos’ attendance at the APEC Summit in Shenzhen as a necessary exercise in calculated statecraft. Participating in a multilateral economic forum allows Manila to protect trade access, advocate for regional stability and maintain vital diplomatic hotlines to prevent crisis escalation at sea.

True statecraft requires holding an unyielding line in defense of our fisherfolk, our food supply and our energy future, while remaining unconditionally committed to peaceful dialogue and human connection where national interests intersect.

Words are cheap, but working towards world peace is an active duty that should be embraced by all. After all, whether under the same sun over Manila Bay or the morning skies of Fujian, we share the same fragile earth and the same enduring hope that our children will inherit bridges, never battlefields.

P.S. I am Pro-Philippines, Pro-Filipino and Pro-Peace.

Manila Central University shocked a hastily formed La Salle Team B, while defending champion University of the Philippines and Letran won convincingly at the start of the PGFlex Invitational Tournament 2026 Quintana Cup on Thursday, October 22, at the Paco Arena in Manila.

With 6-foot-10 Nigerian David Odior imposing his frame inside the paint, the MCU Supremos blasted the Archers, 94-70, in a win that sent shockwaves through the basketball community.

Equally impressive in the preseason tournament were the Maroons, who dumped the Diliman College Blue Dragons, 88-47, and the Knights, who drew inspired games from Mark Belmonte, Thirdy Malaga, Gabriel Nepacena, Jack Turner, and Santi Romero to demolish St. Clare, 95-74.

Surprisingly quick and efficient despite his size, Odior posted a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds, apart from tallying two steals, two blocks and one assist in a little over 24 minutes of brilliance, which somehow rubbed off on his teammates.

After racing to a 29-16 first quarter lead, the Supremos were never threatened as they even hiked their lead to a commanding 70-52 advantage going into the last 10 minutes despite the red-hot shooting of Agjanti Miller. The former San Beda star scattered 27 points.

Three other MCU players scored in double figures, with Ralph Tadeo adding 18 points, while Juan Carlos Espinosa and Ivan Ngando Eyoum combined for 22 points in the event backed by by Smart, Puso.com, Hapee Toothpaste, Mighty Bond, Spalding, Maruyama, Gerry’s Grill, Crane, Vital Purified Water and Akari.

Belmonte buried three triples on the way to 21 points, with Malaga and Nepacena chipping in 15 and 14 points, respectively. Romero and Turner combined for 15 points.

UP’s win was likewise smooth as they took a 21-6 first quarter lead and never looked back – thanks to Irish Coquia, Joshua Coronel, CJ Singson, and Joshua Jamias.

Coquia led the Maroons with 25, followed by Coronel with 21, while Singson and Jamias combined for 25 points