Category: Philippine Star

An amicus curiae and its plural form amici curiae are Latin terms for “friend of the court” which are individuals or organizations that are not a party to a lawsuit but helps the judge by offering information, expertise, or legal advice on a case.

The function of an amicus curiae is to share specialized knowledge, historical context, or technical data that the main parties might not present. He or she is not a party to the pending case. He or she has no partisan interest in the outcome of the pending litigation. An amicus curiae is a generally-recognized expert, a retired magistrate, a learned academic, a famous Law dean or Law professor or an acclaimed writer and commentator whose opinions carry weight and credibility.

In American judicial jurisdiction, the appearances of amici curiae is governed by the U.S. Rules of Court, specifically Rule 37 which outline consent requirements, formatting, and strict filing deadlines. Generally, an amicus brief requires written consent from all parties or explicit leave (permission) from the court (government entities are often exempt from needing consent). The U.S. Federal Court Rules of Appellate Jurisdiction also govern the functions of amici curiae before appellate tribunals.

In Philippine jurisdiction, Rule 36 of the Philippine Rules of Court provides: “The courts may invite experienced and impartial attorneys to appear as amici curiae to help in the disposition of issues submitted to them.” The appearance of amici curiae is subject to the grace or the sole discretion of the court. No plaintiff or respondent or defendant can force the court to admit an amicus curiae, much less can an amicus curiae force his or her way into the court.

Moreover, the amici curiae are like expert witnesses but they cannot testify on the facts of the case. They should focus their explanation and discussion on the law, the meaning, nuances, and intricacies of the law. Furthermore, their opinions are only persuasive and not binding on the court. Their opinions may be totally or partially accepted or cited as the basis for a ruling. But their views can also be totally or partially rejected by the court. Their opinions are mere inputs to decision making. They cannot constitute the judgment itself.

Retired Supreme Court magistrates (such as former chief justices Artemio Panganiban and Reynato Puno, and retired associate justice Adolf Azcuna) have frequently been tapped to act as independent amici curiae to advise on critical constitutional thresholds, such as conviction requirements in high-profile impeachment proceeding. These wise former members of the highest court of the land are considered icons of legal wisdom in our country.

But our own retired chief justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr., I believe, has the superior credentials as a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention and as Commissioner of the 1986 ConCom. He was Comelec chairman and member of the Batasan Pambansa. CJ Davide was an ambassador extraordinary plenipotentiary and the Philippines’ permanent representative to the United Nations. He is the only one who was in the legislative, the executive, and the judiciary, aside from the Comelec, a constitutional commission and in foreign affairs.

Although not all of us do concur with CJ Davide’s view on 16 as the number cast in stone as the threshold number for conviction and seven for acquittal, we should listen to him and the other learned jurists. Our views are no match to the nuggets of their legal wisdom and erudition.

Philippines delivered another historic milestone at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games after the Rebecca Cyril Torres, Samantha Veguillas and Ysabelle Arrogante clinched the women’s team kata bronze medal of karate on Tuesday, September 22, at th Toyohashi Gymnasium in Nagoya, Japan.

The trio beat Southeast Asian rival Thailand’s Ramitar Terananon, Monsicha Sakulrattanatara and Phatcharin Plangplai, 4-1, for the Philippines’ first-ever medal in team kata event in the Asian Games.

The Filipinas set the tone early with a flawless 5-0 sweep of Cambodia’s Sreynuch Puthea, Oun Sreyda and That Chenghorng, but went down to a 0-5 loss to powerhouse Iran in the semifinals.

‘Wala na kami inisip kung sino kalaban,’ Arrogante said. ‘Basta we claim sa amin ang bronze.’

The emotional triumph was the culmination of years of quiet sacrifice.

‘It has been a long journey. Dami hirap ng mga teammates,’ an emotional Torres said. ‘Marami losses over the years, pero perform lang, laban lang hanggang dulo.’

Adding fuel to their fire was the news they received just a day prior that the Philippines officially qualified for the Karate World Cup this November in Hangzhou.

‘Na-inspire kami, kaya itutuloy pa namin ito, yung magandang resulta,’ Arrogante said

The Southeastern College-Pasay has joined the PHINMA Education NCR Network to boost the education sector in the region.

The school leaders were welcomed during a recent luncheon event led by officials of Saint Jude College-Manila and Saint Jude College-Quezon City.

Several of the network’s leaders, partners and supporters also joined the event across Metro Manila.

The Quezon City government, represented by Maricris Veloso, head of QC Education, was also present.

‘As we welcome a new campus in Pasay with the recent acquisition of Southeastern College, the PHINMAEd NCR Network remains steadfast in our mission of making lives better through education by lessening barriers and reaching more students across Metro Manila,’ PHINMA Education NCR Network said in a statement.

The University of San Carlos (USC) Warriors quickly bounced back from a previous loss by defeating the University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons, 54-46, in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) Season 26 basketball tournament Monday

night, September 21, at the Cebu Coliseum.

James Paolo Gica collected 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two blocks as the Warriors joined the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters at second place in the college division standings with identical 4-1 win-loss records.

USC trailed 23-31 at halftime and was still down by five, 35-40, after three quarters before mounting a spirited endgame rally.

The Warriors wrested the driver’s seat for good, 45-43, midway through the final period and surged ahead by as many as 11 points before securing the eight-point victory.

Aron Dave Kress had 13 points, four rebounds, and a steal for UP Cebu, while AJ de los Reyes added 10 points but their efforts went unrewarded as the Fighting Maroons remained winless in four games.

In high school play, the University of Cebu (UC) Junior Webmasters routed the San Roque College de Cebu (SRCDC) Greyhounds, 101-54.

Gamaliel Chaz de la Peña sizzled with 17 points on top of two rebounds, while Jade Bialan posted a solid double-double of 16 points and 14 rebounds, along with one assist, one steal, and three blocks as the Junior Webmasters improved to 3-1 in a tie with the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U) Junior Wildcats.

Mark Jovil Datoon, Earl Joshua Booc, and John Terol chipped in 11 points each for the Junior Webmasters, who seized control early, 31-14, and built their biggest lead to 48 points.

Jezreel John Muñez finished with 14 points, three assists, and two steals, while John Raven Dumanhug had 12 points and three rebounds for the Greyhounds, who suffered their third straight loss after a winning start

The country’s coconut development plan continues to face funding gaps due to limited operational budgets and underutilized allocations, which have limited implementation, according to the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA).

In its terminal report of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan (CFIDP), the PCA said that despite adequate funding for the program, proponents have reported delays and limited operational budget in its implementation.

At the same time, market linkages and enterprise development for coconut farmers continue to be the weakest component of the development plan.

The agency said there has been a recurring delay in procurement and low utilization of funds, despite the availability of substantial program funds.

Citing focus group discussions, the agency said that government procurement procedures had substantially prolonged the acquisition of livestock, machinery, planting materials, feeds, veterinary supplies and other production inputs.

Implementing agencies also said that fund releases were slowed down by mismatched timelines, delayed inter-agency funding and long procurement procedures.

Implementing agencies of the CFIDP include the PCA, the Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Department of Trade and Industry.

The report urged the government to strengthen procurement planning, conduct earlier procurement preparation and implement more efficient administrative procedures.

Implementing agencies have also reported that operational funds remain inadequate relative to the geographical scope of implementation and the increasing number of beneficiaries.

Among the reported lack in budget are for field monitoring, technical assistance, extension services, beneficiary validation, supervision and travel.

‘This gap resulted primarily from the high operational requirements associated with implementing nationwide agricultural programs,’ the report noted.

It added that implementing agencies had to reach far-flung coconut-producing areas, requiring extensive field travel, regular farm monitoring, beneficiary consultations and continuous technical supervision.

The PCA noted that available operating expenses were often insufficient to support these activities.

‘The implication is that while project appropriations adequately finance program components, insufficient operational funding limits agencies’ ability to sustain quality implementation and provide continuous field-level support,’ it added.

The agency said that future budget planning should align program investments with adequate funding to secure effective oversight and sustain the program.

Meanwhile, the report stated that market linkage and enterprise development have remained the weakest component of the CFIDP.

This was mainly due to marketing challenges, unstable prices, limited processing facilities, inadequate value addition and insufficient enterprise development services, despite the delivery of production support.

‘This occurred because implementation efforts focused primarily on increasing production during the early years of the CFIDP, while downstream interventions such as agribusiness development, processing, marketing and value-chain integration received comparatively less emphasis,’ the report said.

Agencies also noted that improved production alone was not enough to raise farmer incomes without sustained market access and enterprise support.

It added that there is a need to strengthen value-chain development, agribusiness promotion, cooperative marketing and post-harvest support.

The CFIDP is a program designed to modernize the country’s aging coconut sector and improve the income of about 2.5 million coconut farmers. It is funded by the P75-billion coco levy fund.

There’s a free exhibit at the second floor of the Ayala Museum in Makati that people might not be aware of. It occupies a tiny area just before the museum’s dioramas, which is a paid exhibit, and provides a peek into the private life and musings of a Filipino hero.

Curated by his 17-year-old descendant Pax Pineda, ‘Marcelo: The Man Behind the Hero (Reflections on the Legacy of Marcelo H. del Pilar)’ is an attempt to humanize the lawyer and writer credited for establishing La Solidaridad.

Pineda is Del Pilar’s great-great-great-grandson, a high school senior at the ESF Island School in Hong Kong who only knew his forebear as Lolo Marcelo. He is aware that Del Pilar might be seen by many as ‘an intelligent lawyer who used pen and words as weapon… [which is why] I felt a deep responsibility to bridge the gap between the history book and personal heritage,’ Pineda said at the exhibit opening held September 4.

As a descendant, he was granted access to items and memorabilia on display at the museum dedicated to Del Pilar in his hometown of Bulacan. These items displayed at the Ayala Museum are on view until Octeber 17.

Aside from a bronze bust and a miniature bas relief depicting one of Del Pilar’s daughters pining by a capiz window, there are copies of foundational materials, such as ‘Dasalan at Tocsohan’ and La Solidaridad.

Look down at the floor to read snippets from letters that a lonely Del Pilar wrote to his wife Tsanay and daughters Sofia and Anita while he was in exile in Spain.

‘I always dream that I have Anita on my lap and Sofia by her side, that I kiss them by turns and that both tell me: Remain with us Papa, and don’t return to Madrid. I awake soaked in tears,’ one of them reads.

‘If it were not for lack of the money I need for the voyage, I would be there already,’ reads another.

While most Filipinos might imagine their heroes as stony-faced and unyielding, Pineda presents a man who longs to return to his family. ‘This exhibit is not about a distant monument but about a human character,’ he said.

Del Pilar’s journey as a leader of the late 19th-century Philippine anti-friar movement began with ordinary human choices. In 1869, he was imprisoned for 30 days after quarreling with a parish priest over exorbitant baptismal fees. Following his brother’s deportation in 1872, Del Pilar dedicated his life to limiting the friars’ control over Philippine institutions.

Pineda described ‘Dasalan at Tocsohan’ as biting satire Del Pilar authored to expose colonial hypocrisy. ‘In the 19th century, this brilliant satire was the equivalent of a viral internet sensation,’ Pineda said. ‘It was funny, cutting, and incredibly dangerous.’

Writing and distributing these underground pamphlets demanded tremendous bravery and financial sacrifice. ‘Ultimately, it was this very work that forced a turning point in Del Pilar’s life, fleeing to Spain in 1888 to escape persecution, completely separating himself from his homeland and those he cherished most,’ Pineda said.

There is a small table at the exhibit where visitors can write a letter to Del Pilar and pin it to a board. For younger visitors, putting pen to paper is a way for them to connect to this distant hero.

‘If there’s one thing I hope visitors take away with them, it’s how much Lolo Marcelo loved his family… just as much as any other father would. I think we should all remember just how great of a father he managed to be despite the difficulties,’ Pineda said.

The Gilas Pilipinas men are off to the quarterfinal round of the Asian Games’ 3×3 basketball after blasting Kazakhstan, 21-15, in the final game of pool play Wednesday at the Kinjo Futo Station Square Venue in Japan.

The Filipino quartet, made up of Nic Cabanero, Luis Pablo, Koji Buenaflor and Doy Dungo, thus finished the Pool A play undefeated through three games.

Cabanero and Dungo powered the Philippines with seven and six points, respectively. Pablo had five markers while Buenaflor added three.

Gilas trailed by one, 7-8, at the 6:24 mark of the game after a layup by Mansur Seilkhanov.

But four straight points by the Philippines, capped by a deuce by Cabanero, pushed them ahead, 11-8, with 4:47 to go.

This set the tone the rest of the way as Gilas kept their arm’s length against their opponents.

Kazakhstan, though, continued to storm back, slicing the deficit to one multiple times.

As Timur Tangiyev hit a shot to make it a 14-15 ballgame with 2:23 to go, Dungo waxed hot, hitting a 2-pointer sandwiched by close shots to push Gilas 19-14.

A Pablo layup towed the Philippines to 20-14 with 1:24 to go.

Ydydyshzan then tried to rally the Kazakhs back, but Dungo was fouled on the drive. He hit the free throw to put the cherry on top of Gilas’ win.

Tangiyev produced eight points while Seilkhanov had four for the 1-2 Kazakhstan.

The quarterfinals will be held on Thursday.

Typhoon Dujuan veered away from Aichi Prefecture and shifted eastward, and Gilas Pilipinas Women’s 3×3 whipped up a storm of its own.

The Phl belles matched the men’s Day 1 double, warding off Mongolia, 17-12, then blasting Macau-China, 21-4, for a 2-0 start in Pool C of the 20th Asian Games.

It was a strong statement in tough conditions.

Winds blew all day at the open-air court at the Kinjo Futo Station Square, making it hard for everybody to go for long bombs – the same conditions that tested the men on opening day.

Quinn dela Rosa, Amyah Espanol, Maria Pasilang and Ka Kennan adjusted, leaning on their passing game and post maneuvers to get it done against a team from a federation long feared for its 3×3 program.

They had to work for Win No. 1.

The Filipinas sized up the Mongolians in the early going, then pulled away from an 11-11 deadlock to close it out. Burly Nyamtsetseg Batjargal was a handful early and finished with a match-high 11 points and four rebounds, but Gilas contained her down the stretch.

Dela Rosa powered the win with 10 points, three rebounds, one assist and one block. Kennan added three markers and four boards, Espanol chipped in two points, three rebounds, three blocks and two assists, and Pasilang had two points, three rebounds and two assists.

The second game was a runaway.

It was a walk in the park against Macau-China, with Pasilang leading the charge with eight points and Kennan adding seven. Dela Rosa chipped in four and Espanol had two to complete the 21-4 rout.

Gilas goes for a Pool C sweep versus Malaysia today.

In 5×5, Gilas Women settled for the second seed in Group B after their two-game run was snapped by Japan, 67-89, at the Aichi International Arena. They still advanced to the next round.

Meanwhile, the men’s 3×3 team of Nic Cabañero, Koji Buenaflor, Luis Pablo and Doy Dungo goes for a sweep of its own group versus Kazakhstan at 12:15 p.m. today.

A win would give the Philippines a sweep of the elimination round and an outright ticket to the quarterfinals.

Kazakhstan is 1-1 after losing to Mongolia and beating Sri Lanka.

Cyber patrols will be enhanced to detect online ‘grooming,’ recruitment and other activities exposing minors to violence or criminal behavior, according to the National Capital Region Police Office.

The NCRPO has directed the regional anti-cybercrime unit to monitor online communities, threats, recruitments, calls for violence, games and other digital platforms that may expose minors to excessive violence or encourage dangerous activities.

Police operations will not target legitimate online gaming or the youth’s usage of technology, but the misuse of digital platforms to manipulate or recruit minors.

School shootings have occurred in Tacloban, Zamboanga and South Cotabato in the last three months.

The NCRPO urged parents, guardians and teachers to monitor children’s online activities, including their private chats, gaming communities and social media groups.

‘Know what your children are watching, who they are communicating with and what online

communities they are joining,’ NCRPO officer-in-charge Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano said yesterday.

‘Our objective is prevention. We want to detect threats before they become real-world violence,’ he added.

People should not circulate videos, photos, threats or other sensitive material related to violent incidents, the NCRPO stressed.

Police will coordinate with the Department of Education, Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), schools, parents and other agencies to prevent online exploitation and other cyber-enabled threats.

Reddit, Discord reps

The CICC has issued a 24-hour ultimatum to online forum Reddit and messaging platform Discord to designate representatives and establish a physical presence in the Philippines.

Threatening a nationwide ban for noncompliance, the CICC clarified: ‘We are not asking platforms to police the internet for the government, but to be reachable, accountable and responsive when activities on their platforms put Filipino children and communities at risk.’

Reddit and Discord should join an integrated inter-agency framework to dismantle networks creating, soliciting, distributing and monetizing online child abuse and its materials, the CICC said.

To bolster compliance, the CICC has requested the Department of Foreign Affairs to facilitate high-level diplomatic and coordination meetings with Reddit, Discord, Meta and other social media networks operating in the country.

Palace open to Big Tech congressional franchise

Malacañang is open to a bill requiring social media firms to obtain a congressional franchise and subject them to Philippine laws.

Rep. David Suarez has filed a bill classifying online social networks as public services that must secure a franchise from legislature.

‘That (bill) is being discussed and that is what the Department of Information and Communications Technology proposes, so that as much as possible, we can have jurisdiction and authority over these social media platforms. So that is a good proposal,’ Palace press officer Claire Castro said yesterday.

Under House Bill 4786, the DICT and National Telecommunications Commission will have regulatory and oversight functions over social media entities, which will be required to have a local presence in the country.

Castro refuted Vice President Sara Duterte’s statement blaming the Marcos administration for the school shootings.

‘It is not true that the government is not doing anything… We cannot force someone to understand the situation if he or she is unwilling to understand or just can’t understand,’ Castro said.

The five proposed rainwater impounding facilities in Metro Manila can store up to 107,600 cubic meters of rainwater and would require more than P4 billion in funding, according to Executive Secretary Ralph Recto.

The facilities to be administered by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) form part of ongoing measures to enhance flood mitigation and boost the capital region’s capacity to manage heavy rainfall.

‘These impounding facilities will give Metro Manila additional capacity to catch and temporarily store large volumes of rainwater instead of allowing them to immediately overwhelm our drainage systems and flood our communities,’ Recto said in a statement.

‘When completed, these projects will help protect homes, schools, businesses and public infrastructure, especially during heavy rainfall and high tide,’ he added.

The projects will be situated at Camp Aguinaldo, Miriam College, Remedios Circle, Rajah Sulayman Park and the ASEAN Garden at the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex along Vito Cruz.

‘Combined, the five facilities are designed to store up to 107,600 cubic meters of rainwater, providing additional flood water retention capacity in densely populated and flood-prone sections of Metro Manila,’ Recto’s office said.

‘The five projects have a combined indicative cost of about P4.05 billion, subject to the applicable government review, approval, budgeting and procurement processes,’ it added.

The funding for the facilities is proposed under the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management-Disaster Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Assistance Program. MMDA Chairman Romando Artes has submitted documents covering four of the proposed projects to Marcos through Recto’s office and the budget department.

The Camp Aguinaldo facility can cover a 172-hectare catchment area and store up to 50,000 cubic meters of water, while the proposed project at Miriam College will have a 30,000-cubic-meter capacity and serve a 170-hectare catchment area.

The Remedios Circle and Rajah Sulayman Park facilities will have storage capacities of 10,000 cubic meters and 8,000 cubic meters, respectively. Each will serve a 94-hectare catchment area. The flood mitigation project at the ASEAN Garden has a planned capacity of 9,600 cubic meters and can cover a 60-hectare catchment area.

The five projects are among the 39 priority sites for rainwater catchment structures designed to ease the flooding problem in Metro Manila.