Category: Philippine Star

Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon has testified before the Sandiganbayan in the case of fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co.

Dizon testified before the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division on Wednesday, September 23, in the P289.5-million flood dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, where Co faces a graft charge.

In an ambush interview with reporters on Wednesday, Dizon confirmed that he verified information showing the sheet piles used in the project were only three meters long instead of the required 12 meters.

He described the construction work done by Co-owned Sunwest Corporation as substandard, noting that during his personal visit to the site, he observed areas where erosion and excavation were already occurring after just a single rainfall.

‘Pagka talaga substandard ‘yung pundasyon, eh talagang ‘yun ang mangyayari. So para sa’kin klarong-klaro ‘yung ebidensya dito sa kaso na ‘to,’ Dizon said.

(When the foundation is substandard, that is inevitably what will happen. So for me, the evidence in this case is crystal clear.)

Co, who is hiding in Europe, is currently facing graft and malversation charges over the Oriental Mindoro flood control project. All of his co-accused are currently detained.

The former lawmaker is also facing a plunder charge, along with former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, for allegedly ‘repeatedly receiving, directly or indirectly, on at least fifteen occasions, commissions, shares, percentages, kickbacks, ‘commitments’ and/or other pecuniary benefits’ worth at least P7.44 billion linked to flood control projects.

Wireless giant Smart Communications Inc. is expanding access to artificial intelligence by launching its own AI tool that could be purchased at prepaid-like costs.

Smart yesterday launched its own AI site called AI.Smart, developed by local innovator Amihan Global Strategies Inc., to offer Filipinos prepaid access to automation.

Smart first vice president and officer in charge Lloyd Manaloto said the tool is designed to cater to Filipinos who may have no capacity to subscribe to mainstream AI.

Right now, the largest AI tools, such as ChatGPT, may cost at least P300 to subscribe per month. Manaloto said Smart wants to challenge that pricing by going as low as P49 for seven days.

Once a user is subscribed, they will be given a set amount of credits that they can use to prompt AI.Smart. The credits, if left unused, can be rolled over to the next subscription.

Manaloto said cost is becoming the defining factor for Filipinos when subscribing to an AI tool, especially as inflation is hot, averaging 5.2 percent in the seven months to August.

The credits, Manaloto said, are enough for a user to prompt one to two tasks a day, matching the needs of many AI users in the Philippines, especially freelancers and students.

Further, Smart offers larger credits and longer duration, but still at prepaid-like pricing, including P99 for 14 days, P149 for 30 days and P499 for 30 days.

AI.Smart runs to a landing zone hosted by tech giant Amazon Web Services. When a user sends a prompt on the site, it goes to cloud platform Amazon Bedrock, where the AI looks for the best results from AI giants ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.

Flawless pool play for the Gilas Pilipinas women.

Gilas women finished off the pool play of the Asian Games’ Women’s 3×3 basketball event unscathed after beating Malaysia, 17-12, Wednesday at the Kinjo Futo Station Square Venue in Japan.

In a battle of unbeaten teams, the Philippines reigned supreme as it stamped an outright ticket to the quarterfinal round of the tournament.

Kacey dela Rosa stood tall with eight points and seven rebounds, while Maria Pasilang had six markers and seven boards.

The two teams were kept in a 6-all deadlock after a free throw by Pasilang.

Dela Rosa and Amyah Espanol then teamed up to push Gilas ahead, 11-6, with 3:21 left.

Erica Ng stopped the bleeding with a 2-pointer, 8-11, but dela Rosa kept feasting inside.

A free throw by Ler Low made it a 9-13 deficit with 1:18 to go, but Pasilang iced the game with timely shots late.

Espanol had two points while Kennan Ka finished with one.

Elaine Chong tallied four points for Malaysia, while Sammi Tan and Ng had three apiece. Low produced two points in the loss.

The quarterfinal round is on Thursday.

Regional energy leaders are calling for greater urgency in building interconnected electricity networks across Southeast Asia as surging demand puts growing pressure on power systems.

The push for the ambitious ASEAN Power Grid comes as the Philippines and its regional peers face the twin challenge of meeting rapidly rising electricity needs while staying on course with longer-term energy transition and decarbonization goals.

Warit Rattanachuen, deputy governor of Thailand’s Electricity Generating Authority, said ASEAN members continue to strengthen their domestic power capacity to support cross-border electricity trading.

‘They can share the reserve capacity, including renewable energy, if they have their own. There are so many renewable energy resources there that can be shared through the ASEAN Power Grid,’ Rattanachuen said yesterday at Enlit Asia 2026 here in Indonesia’s capital.

Regional power demand, he said, continues to grow each year, driven in part by the rapid expansion of data centers, with some facilities now requiring more than one gigawatt of capacity.

The growing adoption of electric vehicles is also driving up electricity demand among ASEAN countries, Rattanachuen said.

‘When anything changes too fast, the grid is like the backbone to mitigate that,’ he emphasized.

For Ignatius Rendroyako, executive vice president of Indonesian state-owned power utility PT PLN (Persero), the key priority toward 2030 is strengthening regional connectivity.

ASEAN power utilities should commit to building robust interconnection infrastructure linking their respective electricity systems, he said.

‘We also have to always (remember) that each of us has to always try to keep, maintain and increase the capability of our system,’ Rendroyako said.

First envisioned in 1997, the ASEAN Power Grid seeks to connect the electricity networks of ASEAN member states by 2045.

The World Bank Group estimates that the initiative will require $800 billion (about P50.2 trillion) in generation and transmission investments.

The ASEAN Power Grid has long been an ambitious regional vision, but slow implementation has hindered progress.

Momentum, however, has picked up, especially this year when the Philippines holds the ASEAN chairmanship.

The Philippines, for instance, is accelerating efforts to establish possible power links with Indonesia via Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan and mainland Mindanao.

In an online media briefing yesterday, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the government remains bullish on the ASEAN Power Grid despite the country’s persistent electricity supply constraints.

‘It is very much possible. It’s just down the line,’ Garin said, noting that the initiative will just take time as many issues still need to be addressed, including technical, legal and financial concerns.

Filipinos should continue to stand firm in protecting the country’s rights in the West Philippine Sea, according to Ed dela Torre, president of Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement (PRRM) as tensions between Manila and Beijing continue over the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

Dela Torre’s call comes amid renewed discussions on the 2016 arbitral ruling and China’s continuing rejection of the decision.

Earlier, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. received a note from a Chinese official reiterating Beijing’s rejection of the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in favor of the Philippines in the maritime dispute.

Ten years after the ruling, China continues to maintain that the arbitration was ‘illegal, null and void.’

Teodoro, for his part, criticized China’s latest assertion, describing the situation as ‘actual coercion, bullying and aggression.’

The renewed tensions underscore the call of retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio for Filipinos to remain firm in defending the country’s national territory and sovereign rights.

Carpio made the statement in ‘The Unsinkable Spirit’, a recent three-part documentary that featured how generations of Filipinos have defended the West Philippine Sea through diplomacy and adherence to international law.

‘It is our obligation to protect that, not only for the present generation, but future generations,’ Carpio said.

The Philippines brought its maritime case before the tribunal in The Hague, challenging China’s expansive claims under the Nine-Dash Line. In its 2016 award, the tribunal recognized the Philippines’ entitlement to maritime zones under international law, including rights within its exclusive economic zone.

For geopolitical analyst and professor Chester Cabalza, the ruling can be viewed in the context of the Filipino First principle, which is associated with the economic policies of former President Carlos Garcia and is reflected in the 1987 Constitution.

Cabalza pointed to the importance of the ruling to Filipino fisherfolk whose livelihood depends on access to the sea.

‘Our fisherfolk feed the Filipinos and if they could not fish, how could they feed us?’ Cabalza said.

Supreme Court spokesperson Camille Ting explained that the Filipino First policy requires the state to give preference to qualified Filipinos when granting rights, privileges and concessions involving the national economy and patrimony.

Ting also noted that the policy is self-executing and can be enforced directly without the need for an implementing law.

‘National patrimony is not limited to the country’s natural resources. It also includes the Philippines’ cultural heritage and other assets that form part of the Filipino identity,’ Ting said.

Meanwhile, Cabalza emphasized the importance of strategic autonomy amid continuing geopolitical tensions. He said a country should be capable of protecting its national interests even while maintaining treaty alliances with other nations.

He also stressed that the Philippines’ decision to bring its case against China before an international tribunal was a decision made by the country itself.

‘If we do not protect the Filipino First concept, it is so easy for major powers to just intrude in our homeland,’ Cabalza said.

Philippine Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, meanwhile, said Filipinos should continue to remember the significance of the arbitration ruling despite China’s continuing rejection of it.

‘The law has remained to be the great leveler in the relationship amongst countries, big or small. We are equal insofar as the law is concerned. And it has remained to be the best friend of weaker countries,’ Gavan said.

A decade after the arbitral ruling, Carpio described the protection of the country’s maritime rights as an intergenerational responsibility.

He said the previous generation had laid the foundation through the arbitration victory, but succeeding generations must continue to protect the rights secured through international law.

‘The Constitution, in the end, only promises the inheritance. Each generation still has to go out and hold it,’ Carpio said.

The operator of Europe’s second largest port has agreed to work with the Philippines in building up the capacity, design and standards of local terminals.

With a looming free trade agreement (FTA) with the European Union, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) is turning to the bloc for best practices in developing future-ready infrastructure.

The PPA has entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Port of Antwerp-Bruges International (PoABI), operator of Belgium’s Port of Antwerp-Bruges.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges is Europe’s second largest, next to Rotterdam. It plays a crucial role of linking Belgium to more than 800 destinations globally through its roughly 300 shippers.

PPA general manager Jay Santiago said the memorandum opens up potential cooperation on port planning, development and operations. It also covers digitalization and smart port applications to speed up turnaround times and reduce trading backlogs.

Further, PoABi is expected to help the PPA develop public-private partnership (PPP) frameworks to persuade more private players to build ports.

‘This (partnership) will provide opportunities for capacity-building on operational readiness for PPP port projects, port crisis and emergency response management, cruise port development and port strategy,’ Santiago said.

PoABI head of business development Maartje Driessens said the operator is keen on helping the PPA take the next step in digitalizing its port operations.

Driessens sees possible tie-ups on digitalizing cargo flow and upgrading safety standards. She is also confident that PoABI can share best practices on sustainability efforts, especially as the PPA would soon be hosting shore-based power.

Santiago said the partnership also aligns with the Philippine push to expand bilateral ties with the EU.

The Philippines yesterday announced the conclusion of FTA talks with the EU, making it the third country in Southeast Asia to strike a trade deal with the region.

In signing the partnership with PoABI, the PPA gains access to the best practices of an operator that handles the most important infrastructure to the Belgian economy.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges employs around 164,000 workers and generates 21 billion euros, or $24 billion, in added value.

The NBA off-season is usually a time for team restructuring, disposing and collecting assets hoping to bring them somewhere. Teams could be in a win-now-not-later situation or are building for the future. With that development, we could somehow determine where will things be going for those teams.

But some teams managed to have some confusing off-season moves and some of you could agree with what happened to these two Eastern Conference teams, both former NBA champions. And to think that the EC is getting competitive.

MIAMI HEAT – Giannis Antetokounmpo needs no superlative description, and the Heat were successful in their pursuit of him. He gets paired with another frontline All-Star in Bam Adebayo. The good news ends here.

Yes, Giannis is Giannis but in acquiring him, Miami sacrificed key rotation pieces along with multiple draft picks. Bobby Portis came with the deal, and he’ll be an excellent back-up when Adebayo gets his rest. Klay Thompson and Tim Hardaway, Jr. were the recent Heat additions and they can provide the needed scoring. But these 30-something guys have a few years left in their tanks as compared to the 20-something former Heats they sent away.

With Milwaukee now are 2025 All-Star Tyler Herro (26) who in his seven seasons with the Heat averaged 19.5 points per game. Center-forward Kel’el Ware (22 y.o., 11ppg, 9rpg), 2025 6th Man of the Year finalist, forward Jaime Jaquez (25 y.o., 15.4ppg, 5rpg, 4.7apg) and 20 y.o. forward Kasparas Jakucionis (6.2ppg) complete the trade package.

After giving away their young assets, let’s trust Erik Spoelstra’s coaching genius on Miami’s updated but older roster.

BOSTON CELTICS – The championship tandem of NBA All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had been effective for so long that it was surprising Boston must break it. The move downgraded the Celtics and in turn, strengthened a division rival.

Management said ‘optionality’ was the reason. Due to their super max contracts, 70% of players’ salaries were tied up with both players and Brown is up for another massive extension in two years.

The 2024 Finals MVP is coming off a career-best season (28.7ppg, 6.9rpg, 5.1apg). He was traded to Philadelphia in exchange for an injury-prone Paul George and some draft picks. The past 2 seasons, the 36 y.o. George played only 78 games.

The perimeter downgrade is puzzling even if Boston got Mitchell Robinson from the Knicks whose play is often erratic. This makes the Celtics more reliant than ever on a prime Tatum and hope their role players show up when needed.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla admitted he was mistaken regarding his previous claims that former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s asylum application had been denied.

In an interview with reporters on Tuesday, September 22, Remulla said that Roque’s status is currently “in limbo.’

‘I was wrong…status now is in limbo,’ Remulla said.

According to Remulla, while a decision on an asylum application is normally handed down within six months, Roque’s case remains unresolved despite nine months having passed since he applied.

‘In his case, it’s neither denied nor accepted. So under the eyes of the law, he still does not have asylum,’ Remulla said.

(In his case, it is neither denied nor accepted. So in the eyes of the law, he still does not have asylum.)

Remulla also said they are assessing whether an individual granted asylum would be immune from an Interpol red notice.

‘We think that there is no reason not to bring him in,’ he said.

On September 15, Remulla claimed that Roque’s asylum bid had been denied, which was disputed by the former human rights lawyer.

Roque is currently facing non-bailable qualified human trafficking charges tied to the raided Lucky South 99 POGO hub in Porac, Pampanga, and remains in Austria, where he is seeking asylum.

An Angeles City court ordered his arrest in May 2025, following his undocumented departure from the Philippines in 2024 as law enforcement began hunting for him.

Total vehicle sales in the country are projected to reach the 600,000-unit mark by 2030, according to leading automotive firm Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP).

Sherwin Chua-Lim, senior vice president at TMP said that the projection is based on the firm’s forecast of around five to six percent annual growth in vehicle sales starting next year until 2030.

While the country’s vehicle sales are expected to post five to six percent growth per year starting next year, TMP expects total automotive industry sales to dip this year due to the Middle East crisis.

‘Initially, when we started the year, we were looking at around one percent growth (in total vehicle sales). But because of the Middle East (crisis), it dropped,’ Chua-Lim said.

Ongoing tensions in the Middle East have disrupted global oil supply, leading to higher fuel prices and other costs, which have affected consumption.

Chua-Lim said that Filipino consumers are also highly vulnerable and easily affected by sudden changes or disruptions.

As such, he said that TMP now expects total automotive industry sales to decline by around two percent this year.

Total vehicle sales in the country hit a record high of 491,395 units last year, up by 3.7 percent from the previous record of 473,842 units set in 2024.

While overall vehicle sales are expected to decline this year, electrified vehicles (xEV) such as battery electric vehicles, hybrid electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, continue to defy the trend and see growing demand amid high fuel costs.

‘Based on what we see, next year is the recovery year. How fast is the question,’ Chua-Lim said.

‘Once you recover you can have stable growth year-on-year. But without that, you cannot really project a close to accurate number,’ he said further.

Latest data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. (CAMPI) and Truck Manufacturers Association (TMA) showed that their combined sales from January to July reached 241,725 units, 10 percent lower than the 269,207 units sold in the same period last year.

Meanwhile, CAMPI and TMA’s xEV sales in the seven-month period surged by 136 percent to 38,286 units from 16,195 units in the same period a year ago. The sales figure does not include other industry players such as BYD.

A viral image purporting to show former President Rodrigo Duterte with members of his family at an airport falsely claims that he has returned to the Philippines.

The image, which appears to use Duterte’s appearance during his recent International Criminal Court (ICC) hearing, shows him alongside Vice President Sara Duterte, Honeylet Avanceña, Davao City Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte and Veronica “Kitty” Duterte.

Two Facebook posts shared the image with captions claiming that the former president had returned to the Philippines. One post was published on September 17, while another was posted on September 19, days after Duterte made his first in-person appearance before the ICC on September 16. He had previously appeared before the court via video link during his initial appearance in March 2025.

One post’s caption read:

The image also circulated on TikTok, where some posts garnered thousands of views.

TikTok posts similarly shared the image with claims that Duterte had returned to the Philippines.

Rating: This is fake.

Facts

Duterte has not returned to the Philippines. He remains in ICC custody in The Hague, Netherlands. On September 16, Trial Chamber III ordered that he continue to be detained after finding “no notable change” in circumstances that would warrant his release, with or without conditions.

The chamber said the prospect of Duterte facing trial, and a lengthy prison sentence if convicted, had increased the risk of him absconding or obstructing or endangering court proceedings.

As of the September 16 detention ruling, the chamber’s decision on Duterte’s fitness to stand trial remained pending. The judges said reports submitted by a panel of three court-appointed medical experts did not contain information warranting a change in his detention.

‘The Chamber finds that the prospect of the Accused facing a trial, and (in the event of a conviction), a lengthy prison sentence, has increased. There is, therefore, a likelihood of the Accused absconding and/or obstructing or endangering the investigation or the court proceedings,’ the five-page decision read.

Duterte’s trial is scheduled to open on November 30. The ICC confirmed in April three counts of crimes against humanity brought against him and committed him to trial.

Why we fact-checked this

The viral photo is one of several AI-generated images and videos of Duterte that have circulated since his appearance at the ICC, with one video claiming to show Duterte thanking his supporters.

Duterte appeared in person at the ICC for the first time on September 16 for the third status conference in his case. He only previously appeared before the court via videolink during his initial appearance in March 2025.

The former president’s trial is scheduled to open on November 30, as he faces three counts of crimes against humanity over his administration’s war on drugs.

As of September 22, one of the Facebook posts has garnered more than 2,800 reactions, 300 comments, and 100 shares, while the other has obtained more than 2,100 reactions, 250 comments, and 100 shares.

One of the TikTok videos, meanwhile, has garnered more than 400,000 views, 19,600 likes, and 500 comments, while the other has gained at least 73,000 views, 5,000 likes, and 300 comments.