Category: Philippine Star

Celebrity couple Lovi Poe and Montgomery Blencowe have welcomed their first child together.

Lovi publicly revealed she was expecting earlier this year just as the couple marked their second wedding anniversary.

The actress then confirmed she had already given birth in an Instagram video of her carrying the newborn.

“The moment I met you, instinct took over. Welcome to the world, my love,” Lovi wrote in the caption of the video set to Kali Uchis’ “Angels All Around Me…”

Among those who congratulated the couple were Anne Curtis, Janine Gutierrez, Megan Young, Chelsea Manalo, Isabel Oli, Ruffa Gutierrez, Jameson Blake, Valeen Montenegro, Diana Zubiri, Kate Valdez, Benjamin Alves, Rodjun Cruz and Denise Laurel.

Lovi will next be seen as the titular character of “Lakambini: Gregoria de Jesus,” which will premiere in the upcoming 2025 QCinema International Film Festival.

With the super rapid pace of developments these days, we really need to learn how to read the signs of the times so that we would not get confused and lost, like what St. Paul warned us once when he talked about helpless ‘children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the cunning of men, by their craftiness in deceitful wiles.’ (Eph 4,14)

More than just learning how to read the signs of the times, we need to acquire the relevant skills and, of course, the proper spirit, so we would know how to navigate in our increasingly complex world.

We are reminded of this duty in that gospel episode where Christ reproached the crowds for only knowing how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky, and yet did not know how to interpret the present time. (cfr. Lk 12,54-59)

What Christ wanted to teach them –and now, us– was for us to realize the importance of recognizing the signs of the times and being prepared for the coming judgment, settling as far as we can whatever issues and conflicts we can have with others so that we can be prepared spiritually for the inevitable judgment.

We need to be guarded against being carried away and swallowed by the allure and siren calls of the new developments. For this, we should feel the need for seeking guidance through prayer, considering the doctrine of our Christian faith so that we would know how to live faithfully and consistently in a rapidly-changing world. It may also be a good idea to consult with spiritual mentors or guides.

We all should strive to be persons of sound judgment. It’s an ideal whose importance, relevance, and urgency are increasing these days, given the complicating conditions we are getting into.

That’s actually an understatement. We know that to be a prudent man or a person of sound judgment is essential to us, considering our nature and dignity, plus the growing scope of the responsibilities we are acquiring nowadays.

Not only do we have to contend with the multiplying pressures and conditionings on our personal, family, and professional life. Not only do we have to grapple with the confusing ramifications of our social, economic, and political life, sorting them out as best that we could.

With escalating insistence, we need to learn how to integrate the material with the spiritual dimension of our life, the here and now with the eternal and supernatural destiny meant for us.

We have to know how to live by faith, hope, and charity, the essence of our supernatural life with God, in the middle of our daily activities and concerns, and in the pursuit of our temporal affairs, be it in business, politics, education, culture, sports, etc.

This necessity demands of us to be nothing less than persons of sound judgment. We have to overcome our tendency to be guided mainly by instincts, emotions, moods, fashions, and some sophisticated philosophies and ideologies which, while offering many good elements, actually lead us away from our principal and ultimate end.

Let’s realize that we can only read the signs of the times properly when we have a vibrant interior or spiritual life, a vital link not only with theories and principles, but with God himself.

This is how wisdom is acquired, nourished, and kept. This is also how we can counsel others properly, seconding the will and ways of God in everything that happens in our life. This is how we can safely navigate the signs of today!

‘No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances’ – Section 4, Article III, Bill of Rights, Philippine Constitution

There’s no doubt that freedom of speech is a constitutionally protected right. But our utterances, particularly when made public, become subject to public scrutiny. Such is the case of Atty. Regal Oliva.

‘It was poorly written. Maybe I was tired. Maybe I wanted to sound poetic. Maybe I just wanted to stir a conversation, and yes I got what I wanted.’

That’s how Oliva tried to convince the public, particularly Duterte Diehard Supporters (DDS) enraged by his video discussing the detention of former president Rodrigo Duterte at The Hague. He has apologized.

While some chose to rebut the legal arguments Oliva presented, many more considered some of his statements as subtle attacks against Duterte under the mantle of legal points. To them, the real purpose was to denigrate Duterte.

Oliva’s apology was followed by a long lecture on how one should make comments. ‘The discussion happened but most of it sadly became personal. It became a flood of adhominem attacks,’ he lamented. His lecture comprised a big chunk of his supposed apology. That’s why many people see him justification as an indirect attempt to turn the table against his critics.

But in fairness to Oliva, let us try to dissect some of his statements that caused the uproar.

1.) ‘How can the court be at ease when even his own family, the sitting vice president herself has publicly denounced the ICC’s jurisdiction, when words like we will never surrender him echo louder than the pleading of his counsel?’

Oliva implied the words uttered by Vice President Sara Duterte influenced the decision of the International Criminal Court. Oliva must have thought that Sara should have been silent.

2.) ‘When a man’s record is one of defiance, when his legacy is marked by thousands of deaths without trial, the court may find it difficult to grant him the benefit of the doubt.’

Oliva’s justification: ‘I was quoting the prosecution’s argument, not stating a fact.’ Sadly, nowhere in the context of his video statement did he say he was quoting the prosecution. Noticeably, the word ‘alleged’ is absent.

I believe what deepened his critics’ anger is the fact that once upon a time he sought the endorsement of FPRRD. Did Oliva want to tell the DDS that he only knew of ‘thousands of deaths without trial’ after the endorsement, not before?

3.) ‘To his supporters, this is a crusade against foreign meddling. To the victims, it is a fight for long denied justice, and to the law, it is simply the next step in a due process that he himself once denied to others.’

4.) ‘The irony is almost poetic. Noong siya ang nasa Malacañang marami ang ikinulong na walang pagkakataong magpaliwanag.’

5.) ‘And perhaps that is the true justice of it all that the man who built his power on fear must now rely on the very rule of law he once dismissed because in the end ang batas hindi natatakot, hindi napapagod, at higit sa lahat hindi nakakalimot.’

They are plain statements, so they are easy to understand. Oliva cannot conveniently attribute them to the prosecution without indicating in the video that he quoted the prosecution. Phrases such as ‘built his power on fear’ and ‘rule of law he once dismissed’ are straightforward. Does Oliva want to persuade that these are poetry lines, and that he was merely being poetic? But he used plain, not poetic, language.

One way to understand a statement is to know its context –meaning what comes before and after it. A careful review of each of the five statements shows nothing that supports Oliva’s justifications.

Many are afraid that Oliva wasn’t tired.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) gained international recognition after winning a Silver Stevie award for their 2023 Annual Report titled ‘One Clark’ at the 2025 International Business Awards held last Oct. 10.

The award was given under the Best in Publications Government Agencies category during the awarding ceremony at the Corinthia Hotel in Lisbon, Portugal.

BCDA said the recognition highlights its efforts to promote transparency, good governance and effective communication while showcasing its key contributions to national development.

‘Thank you to the International Business Awards for the meaningful recognition given to the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and for once again recognizing our commitment to building better and greater cities while supporting the modernization of our Armed Forces,’ BCDA chairperson Hilario Paredes said.

‘This recognition from IBA stands as a testament to the hard work, collaboration, and purpose-driven communication that have defined our organization. Earning this award reflects our steadfast commitment to telling BCDA’s story with clarity and integrity,’ BCDA vice president for public affairs Leilani Barlongay-Macasaet added.

The ‘One Clark’ report was chosen from more than 3,800 nominations across 78 countries for its clear presentation of BCDA’s development milestones, project performance, and strategic transformation of former military bases into economic centers.

This latest Silver Stevie is the third international recognition for the ‘One Clark’ report, following its Gold Quill Award of Excellence from the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and a Silver Stevie at the 2025 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

Despite denials from the Marcos administration, pork barrel is still alive and well in the 2026 national budget, according to members of the militant Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives.

‘There is no pork barrel in the budget. Patently false. Pork barrel exists through congressional ‘allocables’ for infrastructure, party-list allocations, and presidential pork in Unprogrammed Appropriations (UA) and Confidential and Intelligence Funds,’ Makabayan said in a statement.

The bloc said it is disingenuous for some officials and lawmakers to invoke the abolition of the Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF.

‘While PDAF was struck down in 2013 for allowing lump-sum appropriations, today’s system of district allocations achieves the same result – district engineering offices receive equal amounts as if divided among lawmakers,’ Makabayan said.

‘This system enables lawmakers to nominate projects, influence biddings, choose contractors, and receive kickbacks. If there is no system like this, we will not go as far as this level of corruption,’ it added.

The Makabayan bloc includes Reps. Antonio Tinio (ACT Teachers), Renee Louise Co (Kabataan) and Sarah Jane Elago (Gabriela women’s party).

In their joint statement, they assailed the House leadership for trying to hide P695.78 billion in pork barrel insertions consisting of ‘hard pork’ or infrastructure ‘allocables’ for lawakers’ pet projects and ‘soft pork’ for social welfare programs through which politicians can exercise patronage.

‘There is no pork in Unprogrammed Appropriations. Another falsehood. UA contains a dangerous backdoor through Special Provision No. 10, which gives DBM (Department of Budget and Management) wide latitude to realign funds within UA,’ Makabayan said.

‘While House leadership removed explicit infrastructure items, Special Provision No. 10 allows Malacañang to funnel money into infrastructure anyway,’ it added.

It also said Unprogrammed Appropriations give the President unchecked discretion, and thus are unconstitutional.

‘The Constitution provides for supplemental appropriations bills – a transparent process through Congress, not a presidential blank check,’ Makabayan said.

It also described as ‘myth’ the Marcos administration’s claim that the budget prioritizes agriculture, education and health.

‘While highlighting the P255 billion realignment from flood control, House leadership hides what else moved in the budget. There remains P174 billion for infrastructure projects lodged in the district engineering offices which are local centers of corruption and are concrete examples of ‘allocables.’ Based on our computation there are at least P230 million per congressman and P3.2 billion per senator of pork or ‘allocables,” the bloc said.

Makabayan also said that the claim that Unprogrammed Appropriations decreased in 2026 is misleading.

‘UA in 2025 NEP was P158 billion, which then ballooned to P243 billion during bicam. Malacañang proposed a smaller UA in the NEP to avoid scrutiny, then allowed this to be inflated during the during bicam when public attention wanes,’ it said.

Meanwhile, Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Leviste is seeking a reduction of government spending as well as of taxes such as the value-added tax.

The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed a complaint for graft filed against former Cebu governor Gwendolyn Garcia in connection with the issuance of a quarry permit for a river desiltation project.

In a resolution dated Aug. 29 and obtained by journalist only yesterday, the ombudsman dismissed ‘for lack of probable cause’ the complaint filed against Garcia and private respondent Anthony James Limchesing, general manager of Shalom Construction Inc.

State prosecutors said Garcia did not violate Section 3(e) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits public officials from giving unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference to a private party or from causing any party, including the government, undue injury.

The ombudsman’s five-member special panel of investigators led by Ryan Medrano said the complaint has no legal and factual bases, and failed to establish the respondents’ willful intent to violate the law.

The investigation stemmed from a complaint filed by a certain Moises Garcia Deiparine early this year.

The complainant alleged that in May 2024, Garcia issued the quarry permit even as Shalom Construction Inc. did not secure the required environmental compliance certificate or certificate of non-coverage from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Deiparine alleged that the permit was issued without any prior study or consultation with other concerned government agencies.

Garcia had maintained that the issuance of the permit was aboveboard and was borne out of necessity to address the looming water crisis in the province.

She said the issuance was approved by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and other concerned government agencies, and had undergone consultation with local governments.

In a decision promulgated on July 16 and approved by then ombudsman Samuel Martires, Garcia was found guilty of administrative offenses of simple misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Garcia was suspended for one year without pay, but since she was no longer in office, the ombudsman converted the penalty to a fine equivalent to her basic salary of six months.

I’m no blogger nor am I a content creator or a so-called influencer and neither am I a vlogger – all of which I believe have been proven to greatly impact the lives of so many Filipinos here and abroad. In truth, in recent months, too many people of diverse professions, even the street vendor or the parking valet, participate so strongly on issues that are currently affecting our country.

While I am just an old-fashioned journalist who also did some broadcast work for a little over a decade and for an advocacy I loved but not loved by many, that being education, I continue to impart what I can to help others learn. I love radio. It has always been my platform to share with others on how we can help make the educational experience better for everyone. At RJ AM, I always carried the tagline of ‘bringing the streets into the classroom and the classroom to the streets’ – that was because I firmly believed that learning must always be applied and multiplied. I still do.

Especially today when there is so much happening around us and the need to protect and at the same time advance our youth is at stake. In the social media world, for example, learning continues to evolve as this has provided all of us a platform for instant communication and access to many resources as well as making various connections that enable people to collaborate anytime from anywhere. I didn’t really get that from AM radio until we started to connect our programs to social media platforms for better reach.

It is truly amazing what technology has done our lives. It has at the same time also revealed so much about who we are – including how we think and act. The challenge that the Filipinos are facing today, however, lies in the fact that we are sadly too polarized, as there is just so much political strife. You are either pro or anti somebody and sadly, this dominates the narrative and even more so the headlines.

I’ll be honest and say that I felt this coming a few years back and fast forward to today, I have been hoping to see something fresh – new perspectives that help shape the way we think, especially for the young people. When it came to matters that I generally considered close to my heart, such as issues on insurgency and national security and how this continues to affect our democracy and political landscape, with the next generation in my opinion still being a heavy target, I somewhat fearfully expressed how politics might affect the discourse.

I also worried about the long-standing problems in the educational system and the ways we learn about many different things in this incredibly complex century that includes artificial intelligence and other strategies necessary to be at par with the rest of the world. As I continue to navigate social media in my lifelong educational journey, I am thrilled to discover one new media player that is rapidly and, quite frankly, doing big things across the board, across multiple generations and, more importantly, regardless of color.

Peanut Gallery Media Network or PGMN is giving us a fresh perspective on how we see things instead of the usual spectacle of escalating feuds and enabling people to participate in better conversations to attain significant changes in areas of interest that are at the moment overloaded by extremely polarizing information. While I am not undermining the issues or any issue for that matter, at the very least, I think that PGMN is leveling the playing field with real conversations instead of telenovela types of discussions and elevating the issues relevant to national interests.

When I reflect on my own education journey, considering this is lifelong, I stand on the basis of colorless possibilities that should be explored and made available to everyone by expanding the narrative and turning them into fruit-bearing discussions. By doing so, we also successfully put an end to destructive disinformation. It’s time to veer away from the overly exploited zarzuela plot types that are not helping Filipinos who need to think beyond this playbook so that we can finally understand what the real problems are and, more importantly, help in the solution.

As a teacher who has always promoted the idea of thinking out of the box, PGMN looks like it ‘gets’ what the young people are looking for and in turn is inspiring them to participate in nation building. As a teacher, I like that. Considering that the young ones feel like they are often not part of the conversation, a network such as PGMN is giving them a voice.

Sometimes things start small but, sometimes, it is also in the small things where change and revival can happen. They say that Gen Z’s are ‘shaking things up’ across the political, cultural and even economic landscapes but I also think that they can make a lasting impression with the help and wisdom of the older generations, especially the Gen X connectors – something you may not expect out of the so-called latch key generation.

As both a teacher and a Gen X-er myself, one can’t help but be thrilled in finding the much needed ‘force’ that could finally put the splintering pieces together. Maybe it’s easier said than done – maybe it’s peanuts. But just like Charlie Brown said, keep looking up – that’s the secret of life.

Young actress Andrea Brillantes signed a contract with MQuest Ventures, becoming a Kapatid after 15 years with ABS-CBN under Star Magic.

Andrea was joined in her contract signing by several MQuest and TV5 executives led by businessman Manuel V. Pangilinan and Jane J. Basas.

The actress later expressed to entertainment reporter MJ Marfori her gratitude and excitement for her future plans.

She confirmed wanting to explore doing more movies after being relatively known for appearing in television shows, noting the storytelling is different in films.

Just a few of her television projects include “Kadenang Ginto,” “Annaliza,” “Hawak Kamay,” “Senior High” and its sequel “High Street” and her last appearance for ABS-CBN “FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.”

Andrea is no stranger though to films having had supporting roles in “Crazy Beautiful You,” “Everyday I Love You,” “Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes,” “The Mall, The Merrier,” “Momzillas,” and “On the Job: The Missing 8.”

Following her “Batang Quiapo” stint, Andrea is eager to do more action projects but is also open to trying out romance and comedy as she mostly did dramas as a child actress.

“Madaming mga first time ko palang gagawin sa gagawin kong project,” Andrea teased to her fans.

We are facing nine years of darkness if our string of bad luck continues: three remaining years of BBM and six years of the brat, assuming the surveys are right and she will be elected in 2028.

Our only hope now is for BBM to get out of his lackadaisical mode and move as if his life depends on it. Those bastards responsible for this massive corruption scandal must go to jail soonest. Otherwise, an unspeakable nightmare is our future.

It’s the fault of our voters who stupidly elected two people with no proven ability for good governance. Both are just nepo babies of previous strongmen. What is happening now shouldn’t be surprising.

In the face of this trillion-peso robbery of the treasury, the sitting nepo baby should be eager to save his ass. A recent survey showed the brat at the top of the list of candidates who may be elected president in 2028. That’s not counting the possibility that the old man may croak at The Hague. That should give BBM nightmares.

BBM may not mind being exiled the second time but his children’s future will be dim.

As I pointed out in a past column, it all starts with BBM. He signed the budget used to legally scam the taxpayers. He failed to veto the provisions that provided the legal means for carrying out ghost projects. His DBM Secretary didn’t warn him that he is signing the permission for ghost projects.

In a sense, there is blood in BBM’s hands. There is no way BBM can claim he didn’t know. His son is Deputy Speaker and should have known and should have told him about the insertions in the budget. Unless they are also looking forward to the fruits of insertions.

That’s why BBM should make a clean breast of it, admit his shortcoming that allowed the mess to happen and ask the people to trust him to fix things. A mea culpa will improve credibility.

Then, BBM should move fast. instruct government prosecutors to follow the advice of Kim Henares to pick the low hanging fruits right away.

‘Tingin ko yung ghost projects madaling file-an ng kaso kasi lahat yan documentation lang. Mayroong bidding, may award ka, may binayaran ka, puntahan mo yung project, wala kang nakita, yan ang kaso. Wala ka nang kailangang ibang ebidensya. Puede nang i-file yan.’

Oo nga naman. What could be simpler? And the ball gets tossed to the Sandiganbayan. Because these cases look like open and shut cases, continuous hearing of a week may get guilty verdicts. And the first set of culprits, DPWH district engineers and contractors, march off to jail.

Substandard projects may require expert testimony or maybe not. Most of these substandard projects are obviously damaged and that’s proof enough of the crime committed. More district engineers and more contractors can be jailed quickly.

Jailing the district engineers and some contractors will buy BBM some time. What will test BBM’s sincerity is how he deals with the political fat cats on top of the corruption value chain.

Principal suspects include his own cousin and the resigned congressman now apparently seeking refuge in Europe. Then there are the senators and more congressmen who made the insertions in the first place.

What is worrisome now is the possibility that BBM underestimates this seething anger over corruption. Politicians including BBM may think they are in the clear and even stop pretending to clean up. Then we lose the momentum in the fight against corruption.

The full-page ad expressing the collective sentiment of our business sector on the corruption scandal is welcome. But hopefully, they are not just riding the tide of public clamor for reforms. The responsibility of the business sector does not end with publishing that ad.

‘This wasn’t a PR move,’ Apa Ongpin of the Makati Business Club said. ‘Our members were crying out for a statement. They were emotionally appalled and kept telling us, ‘We have to say something.”

Say something! Of course, we all have to say something. But the business community should do more than saying something. Getting the bastards to jail is a complicated process that needs support beyond expressions of disgust.

There are things the business community can do to follow through.

The Ombudsman, the DOJ and DPWH need trained eyes, hands and feet to help them go through all those documents to strengthen the cases to be filed. Can all those organizations that signed the statement contribute to a fund to hire lawyers, engineers and accountants to help?

Don’t think bid rigging has ended because the rats at DPWH are laying low. Credible contractors should join biddings if only to keep the bastards honest.

It is no secret that big business contributes big money to politicians during campaign seasons. Can they please remember how badly they felt the past few weeks when the same politicians come to collect their expected contributions?

How about refusing to support any politician implicated in this corruption mess? There are some business risks in denying politicians who think such donations are their birthright. But it is hypocritical for business to denounce corruption today and go on financially supporting corrupt politicians.

Given the nationwide network of all the corporations behind the organizations that signed that manifesto, can they organize monitoring teams to check on public works projects in their areas? Catch ghost projects early.

Get the professional associations of engineers, accountants, lawyers, doctors, etc. to throw out of their organizations those involved in corruption cases. Work with the PRC to revoke the licenses.

Make it socially undesirable to be seen living the high life financed by stolen funds from the national treasury.

Nine years of darkness, most likely more, is upon us. We must move as one to stop this madness. Let everyone drill that in everyone’s head.

Malacañang on Friday, October 24, distanced itself from the Sandiganbayan’s decision to acquit Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile and other alleged cohorts, telling the public to respect the court’s decision.

The anti-graft court acquitted Enrile, his former staff member Gigi Reyes and businesswoman Janet Napoles of the remaining graft charges in connection with the pork barrel scam.

‘Igalang po natin kung ano ang desisyon ng korte,’ Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing on Friday. (Let us respect the decision of the court.)

Asked if the Sandiganbayan’s ruling may cause the public to doubt the government’s ability to convict alleged plunderers, Castro maintained that the Palace had no hand in influencing the court’s decision.

‘There is a separation of powers and we need to respect this because if not, we will not respect the decision of the courts, the country will become chaotic,’ Castro said in Filipino.

The country’s anti-corruption mechanisms have recently come under fire following the suspected multibillion-peso kickback scheme in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

A secret deal?

One of the senators tagged in the DPWH flood control scam is Sen. Joel Villanueva. Ombudsman Boying Remulla recently sought to reinforce a previous ruling by then Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to dismiss Villanueva from office over his alleged involvement in the pork barrel scam.

However, her successor, Samuel Martires, had apparently granted Villanueva’s motion for reconsideration in a ‘secret decision.’

Castro said that if this decision is true, it is worrisome and may cause the people to doubt the country’s justice system.

The Palace expressed faith in Remulla’s capability as the new Ombudsman to probe the matter.