Category: Philippine Star

No worries. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and Unity (OPAPRU) headed by Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. gave this assurance as the chief implementer of the government’s continuing peace process in Southern Philippines. Galvez expressed this confidence amid concerns on the possible impact of the Supreme Court (SC) ruling on the government peace pacts with the Muslim separatist groups in Mindanao.

The SC rendered last week its final and executory ruling resetting the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Parliament elections to not later than March 31, 2026. The holding of the country’s first ever BARMM Parliament elections originally scheduled on Monday, Oct. 13, would have completed the final political track of the Philippine government’s peace pacts under the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on Bangsamoro (CAB).

The CAB implements the twin peace pacts entered into one after the other with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) much earlier in 1996. The CAB marked the culmination of 17 years of negotiations with the MILF.

Galvez cited the on-going activities to prepare for the BARMM Parliament elections next year as the best indicators of the robust state of the peace process. In fact, he noted, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) has swung into action to immediately comply with the requirements spelled out in the SC ruling. The BTA is an interim body composed of presidential appointees of representatives from the MILF, MNLF, Christian groups, lumads, indigenous people (IPs) and other sectoral groups. Under the CAB, once elected and constituted, the BARMM Parliament will replace the BTA as its organic legislature.

Speaking at our Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum last Wednesday, Galvez disclosed BARMM chief minister Abdulraof A. Macacua and the rest of the BTA are back at work in office following the SC ruling. Macacua, also known as Sammy Gambar, is among the candidates set to run in the BARMM Parliament polls. In his most recent talks with Macacua, Galvez disclosed the BARMM chief minister has secured the cooperation of the 80-man BTA to meet the deadlines set in the SC ruling.

‘We are truly grateful for the wisdom of the SC giving the BTA more time to ensure the democratic aspirations of the Bangsamoro people are realized within the framework of the Constitution and the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL). As the SC said, we need to be setting a very legitimate and very strong legal foundation,’ Galvez declared.

On instructions of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (PBBM), Galvez said the OPAPRU has been closely coordinating with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) through the office of Chairman George Erwin Garcia. Without interfering in the work of the BTA as an independent body, Galvez clarified the OPAPRU is helping ensure compliance with the deadlines and requirements on the holding of the BARMM Parliament polls.

Joining Galvez at our Kapihan sa Manila Bay conversations, Undersecretary David Diciano, Presidential Assistant, Office for Bangsamoro Transformation, reported the OPAPRU has resumed its various normalization programs. Some of the programs were held in abeyance to comply with Comelec rules and regulations during the campaign period. Diciano announced the OPAPRU got back to implementing educational assistance, various health and infrastructure programs under the socio-economic track of the CAB.

Comelec Chairman Garcia, who was our Kapihan guest last week, reassured the candidates in the BARMM Parliament elections that they will await how the BTA will comply with the SC ruling. Garcia conceded ‘it’s back to zero’ for the seven-man poll body in their preparations for these elections at the BARMM next year.

The 15-man SC ruled that the BTA-approved Bangsamoro Autonomy Act (BAA) No. 58 and its replacement, BAA No. 77, were both unconstitutional. The High Court thus directed the BTA to redraw parliamentary districts of the seven seats previously allocated to Sulu in accordance with the country’s Constitution and laws of the land. The SC gave the BTA until Oct. 30 this year to craft a new redistricting law.

Incidentally, the seven seats were created as a direct result of a separate SC ruling last year that upheld Sulu’s opting out from the BARMM. Originally, Sulu was part of the BARMM that included Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Maguindanao del Sur and Tawi-Tawi. After Sulu opted out, the SC prescribed that the seven seats will be distributed in accordance with the required number of population, contiguous location, among other requirements under the 1987 Constitution.

These five provinces, along with the City of Cotabato and the Special Geographic Area, now constitute the BARMM.

The negotiations for these Mindanao peace pacts spanned seven administrations.

It started with the 1976 Tripoli Agreement entered into during the term of the namesake father of PBBM, the late president Ferdinand Sr. with erstwhile MNLF chairman Nur Misuari. Considered as the mother of all peace pacts, the Tripoli Agreement set forth that this and subsequent agreements should conform with all the provisions under the laws and the Constitution of the Philippines.

It was the 1996 peace pact with the MNLF reached during the administration of the late president Fidel Ramos that created the ARMM, the BARMM’s immediate forerunner. The CAB was forged with the MILF during the term of the late president Benigno ‘PNoy’ Aquino III. The Bangsamoro Organic Law, under Republic Act 11504, creating the BARMM, was signed by former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Galvez vowed to follow the guidance given by PBBM to the OPAPRU. Quoting the words of the 68-year-old Chief Executive: ‘We should be able to complete the peace process starting from the Tripoli Agreement. I want all these completed during my time.’

‘The transformation of the Mindanao peace process takes generations,’ Galvez pointed out. He vows to take it to the ‘exit’ agreement of the CAB in turning the former combatants to become part of this great transformation of peace and development in Mindanao.

As far as the resetting of the BARMM parliament polls is concerned, it’s like a brief pit stop before the ‘exit’ agreement.

Five luxury properties in the Philippines were honored by the website of the prestigious Michelin Guide.

The France-based travel guide awarded the ‘Michelin Key’ distinction to Amanpulo in Palawan, Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort, Fairmont Makati, Nay Palad Hideaway Siargao and Raffles Makati, according to information from its website.

They all earned ‘One Michelin Key,’ which ‘set the standard for excellence in Filipino hospitality.’ Based on the Michelin Guide, ‘One Key’ denotes ‘a very special stay,’ where ‘service always goes the extra mile and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.’

It added the ‘One Michelin Key’ was similar to the ‘Michelin Stars’ awarded to restaurants, wherein a recommended hotel or resort could be given as much as ‘Three Michelin Keys.’

‘As the Michelin Guide broadens its recognition to include outstanding stays, the Philippines debuts on the Michelin Key stage with properties that reflect the nation’s unparalleled warmth and natural beauty,’ wrote the guide on its website.

It added, ‘Each hotel, from city landmark to island escape, offers an experience as memorable as the country itself.’

The five luxury properties awarded each with a ‘One Michelin Key’ were among the 20 hotels and resorts recommended by the Michelin Guide, which also includes Admiral Hotel Manila – MGallery, Hotel Okura Manila at Newport World Resorts, Manila Marriott Hotel at Newport World Resorts, Shangri-La The Fort Manila, Solaire Resort Entertainment City, The Peninsula Manila, Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan, Dusit Thani Mactan Cebu Resort, NUSTAR Hotel Cebu, City of Dreams – Nobu Hotel Manila, Grand Hyatt Manila, The Westin Manila, Piece Lio El Nido, The Funny Lion El Nido, Sheraton Cebu Mactan Resort and The Lind Boracay.

The Michelin Guide also announced the launch of its expansion to Manila and Cebu on Oct. 30, 2025, wherein its inspectors would ‘seek out the most exceptional dining destinations’ in Manila and neighboring Pampanga, Tagaytay and Cavite, as well as Cebu.

We have a situation. We have found ourselves in a very difficult point in our history and the question is whether we, as a people, can make the change this country so desperately needs.

As the issues on corruption and transparency continue to grow, it is obvious that the country is facing significant instability. Why do I say this? In the tourism industry alone, the latest return on tourist investment (ROTI) is showing a real cause for concern. Compared to Vietnam’s rating of 1.94, Thailand 1.50, Malaysia 1.49, Singapore 1.37 and Indonesia 1.08, the Philippines’ sad 0.57 is a rather painful result and it has affected our economy, considering that in 2019, the Philippines had a record 8.2 million tourist arrivals. Today is certainly not looking like It’s More Fun in the Philippines, as the Department of Tourism under this administration has missed its target for 2024 of having 7.7 million tourists visit the country.

Then we have the issue of the stock market, which has lost about P1.7 trillion in value over the past three weeks based on reports, as flood control controversies continue to mount and fear over corruption marking the largest loss in absolute value since the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. While I am certain that I have not cited the many other issues the country is facing today, fact is, we have a serious breakdown in trust.

Looking back in history, in the 1980s we had a debt crisis that fueled inflation during the Marcos administration and then the Asian financial crisis in 1997 and a global financial crisis in 2008. We then experienced the pandemic crash in 2020 due to fear and uncertainty, which was severely devastating for the markets and to date, we have been seeing how this current crisis is affecting investor confidence and market credibility due to the misuse of funds and trust over flood control projects.

Whether we like it or not, all this and more is brought about by the deepening political crisis our country is facing today and we need to work on a plan for stability in our country that is more urgent than ever before. Due to the worsening political upheaval in the past few months, it is becoming increasingly apparent that our economic woes are compounding.

If one will recall, just last year, France called for a snap parliamentary election in the hope of gaining a clear majority, which sadly resulted in a divided parliament, with opposing factions unwilling to work together. How to proceed in spite of this now depends on French President Macron, who they say should be asking himself how far he can take the political pretense, considering that most recently, the prime minister quit after 26 days. While Macron says he will not step down before his term ends, some parties in France are clamoring for early elections, while others are pushing for him to go.

Although this is the French ‘situation,’ the Philippines has problems of its own but the effects of political crisis are the same. If one will recall, in 2009, the Greek economy crashed and Greece went into a severe recession and sadly, their financial crisis caused political unrest and the government was forced to call for an early election and lost power.

But looking at the bigger picture, studies have shown that, in countries that have high trust levels, economic crisis is less likely to cause political unrest; however, in countries where people feel less trusting of others, a failing economy is said to be more likely to result in a ruling party being voted out of power. Again, we have a situation and the situation involves trust. Considering that high trust countries did not vote governments out of office even after a recession shows how much they can bounce back from it and much faster than the ones that voted for a change in the ruling party. High trust countries also have more media freedom, higher incomes and a much stronger democracy that plays a big role in ‘bouncing back’ after crisis.

At the end of the day, our problems are all about trust. We have leaders who have failed us and caused us to lose our faith in their leadership yet, at the same time, we are more conscious than ever about trust. This is the main thing that we need to build together, as a political crisis that continues to stress us will bring us deeper into the pit of despair, making it difficult to bounce back and recover. As the saying goes, ‘there is nowhere to go but up’ and we Filipinos need to choose this path and rebuild our country on trust.

Our current political situation is causing so much unrest and suffering, leaving our people afflicted by depression and anxiety. We need to recover and that time is now. More importantly, we need to take action by building back our trust and confidence in our leaders so that they can fully lead us out of crisis. This can only happen if and only if we have the right leaders to lead our nation.

The San Beda Red Lions program has tirelessly searched abroad for one talent they hope would end up as the key in unlocking their NCAA championship aspirations.

Janti Miller, an athletic wing from the Bay Area in California, could be it.

Miller has carried most of the load for San Beda in its first two wins and he is expected to do more when they battle an unpredictable Jose Rizal U today in NCAA Season 101 at the MOA Arena.

With the 21-year-old, 6-4 Miller doing most of the damage, the Lions have bested a pair of contenders in the St. Benilde Blazers and the Letran Knights, and are fancied for another win versus the Bombers in their 2:30 p.m. tiff.

Filipino-American guard Jordan Clarkson shook off a rough preseason start, and the New York Knicks followed his lead.

Clarkson came off the bench to spark a fourth-quarter rally as the Knicks outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves, 100-95, in overtime Thursday night (Friday Philippine time) to stay perfect through three preseason games.

The former NBA Sixth Man of the Year delivered exactly what coach Mike Brown had been waiting for – poise, pace and shot creation from the second unit. With the Knicks’ starters sluggish and out of rhythm, Brown challenged his reserves to swing the momentum, and they answered.

‘I challenged the second group because I thought their first time around, they held onto the ball too much and our spacing wasn’t good,’ Brown said. ‘Their second time around, they were really good.’

Down 71-63 entering the fourth, the Knicks’ bench opened with a 15-3 run capped by a Clarkson layup to grab the lead. The 33-year-old guard then hustled for a loose ball that turned into an extra possession, setting up an Ariel Hukporti dunk that gave New York an 82-80 edge with just under six minutes left.

Minnesota refused to go quietly, tying the game in the final seconds when Vietnamese-American Johnny Juzang floated in a jumper to force overtime. But New York’s third unit slammed the door, starting the extra frame with an 8-0 burst to finish off the Timberwolves and secure Brown’s first unofficial win at the Madison Square Garden.

Clarkson finished with 10 points, three rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes. He didn’t commit a turnover and turned a minus-3 rating entering the fourth quarter into a plus-7 by the end. Miles McBride added 10 points off the bench as well.

The Knicks’ top group continued to sputter. Mikal Bridges scored 15 points on 50 percent shooting, but the All-NBA pairing of Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combined to hit just six of 25 shots for 21 points. Brown brushed off the rough offensive night.

‘I thought we had some great looks,’ he said. ‘We just didn’t knock them down tonight.’

Former Knicks forward Julius Randle scored 16 for Minnesota, nine coming in the first quarter. Anthony Edwards carried the Timberwolves early with 17 points, 14 of them in the first half, helping the visitors control the pace until the Knicks’ depth wore them down late.

Brown said he hasn’t installed much of the Knicks’ new system yet, preferring to let players rely on reads and instincts while the offense takes shape. The defense, he added, has been ahead of schedule.

‘Usually when you have a new coach or a new system, the defense is a little ahead of the offense,’ Brown said. ‘We’re long, athletic and intelligent, and we’ve been doing a pretty good job with what we call shifting. We loosened up a couple of times, but overall, against a talented scoring team like that, our guys weren’t bad. Their second time around, they were really good.’

At 3-0, the Knicks will look to keep their preseason momentum. They will have two more games – against the Washington Wizards on October 13 and the Charlotte Hornets on October 17 – before their season tips off against the Eastern Conference favorites Cleveland Cavaliers on October 22.

State seismologists have lifted the tsunami warning triggered by the magnitude 7.5 earthquake that struck off the coast of Davao Oriental on Friday, October 10.

Phivolcs issued a tsunami warning in several Visayas and Mindanao coastal areas after the quake, and residents were told to immediately evacuate.

A tsunami was detected by the Tandag Surigao Del Sur Sea level Monitoring Station for Tsunami Detection at 10:20 a.m. It measured around 30 centimeters.

‘Any effects due to the tsunami warning have largely passed and therefore. Department of Science and Technology-PHIVOLCS has now cancelled all Tsunami Warnings issued for this event,’ the agency said in a bulletin.

The earthquake that struck Davao was felt in several localities in the area. Several local government units have suspended classes and government work to give way for safety checks.

The regional Office of Civil Defense has already raised a Red Alert status over the affected area.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier ordered for the evacuation of residents in affected areas and reassured them that help was on the way.

SM Hotels and Conventions Corp. (SMHCC), the hospitality arm of SM Prime Holdings Inc., is stepping up its waste management efforts as it targets composting 80 percent of its food waste by 2040.

SMHCC said that it has diverted 323 tons of food waste through its ‘Plate for the Planet’ program since its 2019 launch in Pico Sands Hotel and Taal Vista Hotel.

The company said this is equivalent to the amount of waste produced by more than 500 Filipino households in an entire year.

‘Plate for the Planet is now active across 10 of our hotel properties and three convention centers. This reflects our commitment to closing the loop on food waste, reducing our carbon footprint and bringing guests closer to the farm-to-table experience,’ SMHCC executive vice president Peggy Angeles said.

The program tracks the journey of food from sourcing to serving, starting with green procurement and support for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and local farmers, encouraging responsible consumption, reducing plastic use and managing food waste effectively.

SMHCC said that its kitchens are equipped to minimize waste through accurate forecasting, mindful production and cooking techniques that optimize inventory and preserve freshness.

Composting likewise plays a central role in the program, with food waste converted into soil-enriching material used to grow vegetables, herbs and fruits that return to the table for guests to enjoy.

SMHCC said the initiative supports the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ efforts to reduce food waste and landfill contributions, helping mitigate methane emissions from decomposing organic waste.

‘As the hospitality sector faces climate and waste challenges, Plate for the Planet demonstrates how targeted interventions can reduce environmental impact while reinforcing SMHCC’s leadership in sustainable and resilient hospitality practices,’ the company said.

Moving forward, SMHCC’s strategy includes expanding partnerships with local producers and MSMEs to promote inclusive sourcing and integrating more local produce into menus.

The government has reopened the country’s borders to live domestic and wild birds from six countries and two Malaysian states that were previously under a temporary import ban due to avian influenza outbreaks.

Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. signed memorandum orders allowing the resumption of poultry imports specifically for pets and zoo purposes from Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, Sweden, and Kelantan and Sabah in Malaysia.

‘All import transactions of the above commodities shall be in accordance with existing rules and regulations of the Department of Agriculture,’ the DA said.

It added that the move is part of its ongoing efforts to stabilize supply chains and support the country’s growing economy.

The ban had been imposed following reports of the highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in these areas.

The DA said all cases have since been resolved with no new outbreaks, prompting the decision to allow imports once more.

The agency added that official reports submitted by the veterinary authorities of the concerned countries along with evaluations by the Bureau of Animal Industry indicate that the risk of importing poultry from these areas is now negligible.

Despite the resumption, the DA reminded traders that all shipments must still comply with existing sanitary and phytosanitary regulations.

The move follows similar steps taken last September when the DA ended its ban on poultry imports from Israel and South Dakota in the United States after veterinary authorities confirmed that avian influenza outbreaks in those areas had been contained.

At the time, the agency allowed the entry of domestic and wild birds, poultry meat, day-old chicks, hatching eggs and semen for artificial insemination, citing international reporting standards and scientific evidence to ensure both biosecurity and a steady supply of poultry products.

San Sebastian College-Recoletos pulled off a reverse sweep over Ateneo de Manila University, 19-25, 20-25, 25-17, 25-20, 15-8, to exit the 2025 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Preseason Unity Cup with its head held up high on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Lady Stags finished with a 1-2 win-loss record in Pool D, tied with the Blue Eagles. However, Ateneo punched the last ticket to the second round with a 4-2 match points advantage over SSC-R.

Graduating winger Kath Santos poured 20 of her 21 points from kills in her last game as a Lady Stag in the tournament backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner and R and B Milk Tea.

”Di namin ini-expect itong panalo sa game na ‘to. Talagang in-effortan namin ‘yung game namin ngayon, nagtulong-tulong kami. Natalo kami ng dalawang set pero sinabi ni coach Clint (Malazo) na i-enjoy namin ang game na ito,’ said Santos, who scored 10 points in the fourth set.

SSC-R carried the momentum of its third and fourth set wins into the deciding frame as it raced to a comfortable 10-4 advantage capped by Juna Gonzales’ back-to-back hits.

A service error by Ana Hermosura widened the Lady Stags’ lead to 13-6 before May Tsunashima pounded consecutive hits to bring the Blue Eagles back to life.

Santos answered with a hit before Tsunashima committed the last of Ateneo’s 34 errors with an overcooked spike to end the two-hour, two-minute contest.

Hermosura had 15 points while Faye Nisperos got 13 for the Blue Eagles, who will take on Adamson University to kick off their single round-robin second round campaign in Pool E on Sunday.

In the first game, University of the Philippines completed a three-game sweep of Pool C in an emphatic 25-22, 25-18, 25-19 crushing of listless Letran.

Casiey Dongallo submitted nine points off the bench to pace the Fighting Maroons in the final preliminary round playdate of the competition, supported by Asics, Mikasa, Smart Sports, Summit, Team Rebel Sports, Belo Deo, Eurotel- Apo View Hotel, Batangas Country Club, Executive Optical, Baic Auto Philippines, SM Tickets and PusoP.com as technical partners.

Yesha Noceja added seven markers while Sarah Ali, Bienne Bansil and Jelai Gajero added six points each to highlight UP’s balanced offense.

The Lady Knights ended their campaign winless in three starts.

Judiel Nitura and Jogi Maquillang had nine and eight points for Letran.

Meanwhile, second round-bound Far Eastern University and Adamson University decided to forfeit their Pool B match due to prior commitments.

Both teams won their first two games without dropping a set, but the Lady Tamaraws secured the top seeding in the pool via higher point quotient.

Second-round matches on Saturday pit University of Santo Tomas, which swept Mapua University, 25-19, 25-17, 25-22, on Thursday to advance, against FEU at 4 p.m., while unbeaten College of Saint Benilde squares off with San Beda University at 2 p.m. in Pool F.

Undefeated four-peat-seeking National University crosses paths with Adamson in Pool E at 12 p.m.

The top two-ranked squads after the second round will be armed with a twice-to-beat advantage in the crossover quarterfinals.

Games in the SSL Preseason Unity Cup are available live and on demand via PusoP.com and Solar Sports.

The International Criminal Court has denied former president Rodrigo Duterte’s request for temporary release, ruling that his daughter’s public threat to ‘break him out’ and his recent election as Davao City mayor show he still wields the power and influence to flee or obstruct justice.

The decision sets back the Duterte family’s efforts to return the former president to the country and vindicates the position of victims’ families and their lawyers, who had opposed his release on grounds he would be a flight risk and a threat to witnesses.

The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I’s decision, dated September 26 but made public Friday, found that Duterte’s continued detention is necessary on these three grounds: to ensure he appears for trial, to prevent him from obstructing proceedings, and to stop him from committing new crimes.

None of the conditions proposed by Duterte’s lawyers – including electronic monitoring and undertakings by a third country to host him – could adequately contain the risks if Duterte is temporarily freed, according to the decision.

‘The detention of Mr. Duterte is required so as to ensure his appearance in these proceedings, that he does not obstruct or endanger the investigation or the Court’s proceedings, and to prevent the commission of related crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court,’ the decision read.

Why he’s a flight risk

In rejecting Duterte’s request for temporary release, the court cited the former president’s ‘rejection of the proceedings’ of the ICC itself and his family’s ‘will to help him elude detention and prosecution.’

The court pointed to several public remarks by Vice President Sara Duterte, who told supporters in July that she would ‘break [her father] out’ of detention and accused the ICC and the Philippine government of using ‘fake witnesses.’

The vice president also said in August that her father had supposedly expressed his desire to return to Davao City if granted interim release, which the court noted contradicted the defense’s assertion that Duterte would willingly remain in the host country he would be released to.

These several off-the-cuff and public statements by Sara reinforced the view that the elder Duterte still commands loyalty and political power strong enough to undermine future proceedings, according to the court.

Duterte’s continued influence, according to the court, was on full display when he won another term as mayor of Davao City in May. This placed him once again at the helm of the city where many of the alleged drug war killings occurred.

His son, elected vice mayor, and his daughter’s position as vice president, gave Duterte the “necessary political contacts … that may help him abscond,” the court ruled.

The National Union of People’s Lawyers had said in March that while “interim release pending trial is a right of the accused,” relatives of victims of the drug war believed Duterte is “a flight risk … and a threat to the safety of witnesses and evidence.”

Risk to witnesses, ongoing obstruction

The court found the second ground for detention – preventing obstruction of proceedings – was also clearly met.

Judges cited Duterte’s “repeated history” of interfering with investigations, including “alleged involvement in briefing a witness due to testify before the Philippines Senate’s inquiry into the Davao Death Squad” and “threatening and taking retaliatory actions against individuals opposed to him.”

Releasing Duterte “would provide him with greater access to his associates and family who are actively attempting to interfere with the proceedings against him,” the judges wrote.

The court said there is “a risk that Mr. Duterte would pose a threat to (potential) witnesses, either directly or indirectly through his supporters.”

Critically, with his son Baste Duterte now serving as Davao vice mayor – in one of the locations where alleged crimes against humanity occurred – the court said the risk of witness intimidation exists “even if Mr. Duterte would be released to a location that falls outside of the geographic scope of the alleged crimes.”

Risk of continuing crimes

The third ground for detention – preventing new crimes – was also satisfied, the court found.

Duterte’s election as Davao City mayor in May concerned the court, because the charges against him include crimes allegedly committed during his previous terms as Davao mayor.

“Should he return to Davao City, Mr. Duterte would be placed in the very position that allowed him to commit the crimes for which his arrest and surrender to the Court was initially sought,” the decision stated.

The court also cited prosecutors’ evidence that Duterte “reportedly pledged to ‘double’ the killings” during the 2024 campaign if elected mayor again.

The judges said this risk continues “even if Mr. Duterte would be released to a location that falls outside of the geographic scope of the alleged crimes,” given his son’s position of power in Davao.

Medical condition, proposed conditions rejected

Duterte’s defense team submitted medical reports arguing his age – 80 – and alleged cognitive decline do not make him a threat.

But the court dismissed this entirely.

The medical documents submitted by the defense, according to the court, didn’t show how Duterte’s condition would eliminate the risks he poses. The defense’s health arguments “consist in mere extrapolation of the above-mentioned documents by the Defence – who does not have the requisite expertise to draw such a conclusion – and as such, are purely speculative and without basis,” the ruling stated.

Duterte’s lawyers also offered 16 conditions for his release to an unnamed country, including electronic monitoring, communication restrictions and limited movement.

The court found the proposal unworkable. The unnamed country lacked infrastructure for electronic monitoring – which the defense itself called “essential to mitigate the risk of flight.” Some proposed conditions would require substantial involvement from the court’s Registry, raising implementation concerns.

“The Chamber finds that the proposed conditions are not sufficient to mitigate the risks enumerated above in relation to Mr. Duterte’s interim release,” the decision stated.

What’s next? The confirmation of charges hearing initially set on September 23 has been postponed. Meanwhile, independent medical experts are assessing whether Duterte is fit to participate in proceedings – a separate legal question from whether he should be granted interim release.