Category: Philippine Star

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Education (DepEd) are expected to formalize an agreement on deploying “visible patrols” inside public schools following a series of school shooting incidents this year.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing on Tuesday, September 22, that a memorandum of agreement between the two agencies is set to be released by next week regarding the proposed safety protocol.

These “visible patrols,” according to Castro, may be composed of barangay security officers, particularly women, to monitor situations inside the schools.

‘Sila po [DILG] ay magkakaroon ng memorandum of agreement or pagkakasundo ng DepEd tungkol sa kanilang suhestiyon na magkaroon ng mga bantay sa loob ng paaralan na maaari ay mga tanod, lalong-lalo na mga kababaihan,’

(The DILG will have a memorandum of agreement with DepEd about their suggestion to have lookouts inside the school, which could be barangay security officers, especially women.)

The proposed security officer, Castro said, is currently under review.

‘Very disturbing’ situation

Meanwhile, Castro said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has learned about the incident and directed immediate action on what he called a ‘very disturbing’ situation.

According to Castro, Marcos read the alleged letter written by the 16-year-old Grade 9 student who shot 10 of his classmates, killing three, including himself.

‘So nung nabasa ng pangulo ‘yung hindi umanong sulat nung nagsagawa nito, ang sabi ng Pangulo ay very disturbing at hindi ito normal na pangyayari,’ Castro said. ‘Kakaiba siya, hindi siya ordinaryo. So kailangan talagang aksyunan.’

(So, when the president read the alleged letter of the suspect, the president said it was very disturbing and that it was not a normal event. It is unusual; it is not ordinary. So it needs to be acted upon.)

In response, aside from the proposed security protocol by the DILG and DepEd, Castro said the Department of Social Welfare and Development is currently conducting parenting services to guide families on raising children.

The DSWD is also conducting trauma-informed care to help school personnel recognize concerning behaviors among students, according to Castro.

In a span of four months, three school shooting incidents took place one after the other, with no less than teenage students as the armed shooters.

Last June 22, two students in San Jose National High School in Leyte went on a shooting spree that killed three schoolmates and left several others injured.

Police reported one of the shooters was a 14-year-old student who played online multiplayer game, Gorebox. According to its Google Play listing, it is a game where players can ‘obliterate anything [they] desire’ and ‘engage in brutal combat with an extensive arsenal of weapons and explosives.’

On August 18 this year, a shooting incident occurred at the junior high school building of the Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City. Three students were killed, including the Grade-8 student shooter, while 20 others were injured. Police probers discovered the student shooter visited several websites promoting nihilism.

The latest incident of school violence took place at the Banga National High School in South Cotabato where a 16-year-old Grade 9 student shot at 10 of his schoolmates last Friday (Sept.18). Two of his fellow students were killed and eight other schoolmates were wounded. Initial investigation showed the shooter-student allegedly watched and followed True Crime Community websites that purportedly tends to normalize violence.

While one of the shooting incidents was perpetrated by a student who was hooked on a violent online game, there are no scientific studies to show a direct link between video games and violent behavior. Although, there have been a spurt of school-shooting incidents, our government officials must not resort to knee-jerk reactive measures.

The Department of Education (DepEd) announced last Monday it will add another layer of school security – ‘digital safety.’ In a statement, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara cited the government has already implemented several physical measures to beef up the security in schools, in response to the recent incidents of school violence.

The DepEd ‘digital safety’ campaign intends, Angara cited, to provide practical and age-appropriate guidance on safe chatting and online behavior, grooming and online child exploitation, cyberbullying and online harassment, privacy, scams and protecting personal information.

‘We need to give children, parents and teachers the knowledge and tools to navigate these spaces safely,’ the DepEd Secretary pointed out. Angara vows to work with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), among other government agencies, to immediately pilot-test the ‘digital safety’ campaign in selected schools.

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to previously rare school-shooting occurrence in our country.

Officials, namely DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla, were quick to point to nihilistic websites as having largely brainwashed these students to shoot guns at people as the quick solution to their school problems. Many of our government authorities blame the negligence of these platform operators to filter these so-called ‘nihilist websites’ from being accessed by youngsters whose minds are most vulnerable to its deadly influences.

Information and Communications Secretary Henry Aguda would rather subject tech giants such as Meta Platforms Inc. to get a legislative franchise before they can offer digital platforms, such as Facebook and Messenger, to Filipinos. Aguda favors the imposition of stricter rules on the entry of online platforms in the Philippines in the wake of these tragic events.

In particular, Aguda reportedly supports instead proposed House Bill 4786, or the Social Media Platform Franchise Act pending at the 20th Congress. HB 4786 treats social media sites like Facebook as broadcasting channels. It seeks to mandate digital platforms to establish a local office with a designated country representative and create a grievance redress system accessible to Filipinos.

There is a consolidated House Bill authored by Speaker Faustino Dy III titled ‘Establishing Safety Standards and Regulatory Measures for the Protection of Children on Social Media and Online Gaming Platforms.’ But Dy’s HB is seeking to impose a blanket prohibition instead of risk-based regulation.

Can this be implemented reliably across platforms without creating easy workarounds or simply pushing minors toward less-regulated services? Does enforcing feature-level prohibitions create pressure for platforms to collect or infer more age-related information about every user? Is Congress establishing the substantive rule clearly enough?

From the initial information about this bill, livestreaming, endless scrolling and short-form video are categorically prohibited, while other potentially compulsive features merely require safeguards. Section 19 (h) of this bill targets the mechanism – livestreaming or short-form video – not whether the underlying content is harmful. Platforms must disable these functions for identified child accounts.

Should a 17-year-old and a 13-year-old automatically face exactly the same prohibition on these features? Where is the developmental distinction? Is a categorical feature ban consistent with the bill’s own commitment to proportionate and age-appropriate regulation?

On the other hand, the Senate approved last Monday on third and final reading the proposed Comprehensive School Safety Act under Senate Bill 2426. Authored by Senate President Win Gatchalian, the approved measure reflects his previous proposal to ban the use of mobile devices and portable electronic gadgets within school premises during instructional hours. It could be a much more practical step toward strengthening school safety amid escalating violent incidents involving learners.

There are other separate proposed legislative measures at the Senate and also counterpart bills at the Lower House seeking to impose restrictions in accessing Facebook and other platforms popular to the so-called Millennials and GenZ populace. Our lawmakers are apparently trying to outdo their counterparts in the European Union (EU).

This was after the European Commission had adopted the ‘Keeping Internet Digital Spaces Accountable and Trustworthy’ Act, or KIDS Act for short. It prohibits children under the age of 13 from having a social media account, and sets an EU-wide minimum age for minors to open an account of their own at the age of 15. Service providers operating in 27 EU member states will have to show that their services are age-appropriate and safe by design.

In our situation here, the immediate must-do is remove the bad websites to keep safe cyberspace for our kids’ tech access.

The proposed P785.2-million 2027 budget of the Office of Vice President – which is 11.7 percent lower than this year’s P889.2 million allotment – breezed through House plenary deliberations without any interpellations yesterday.

OVP assistant chief of staff Lemuel Ortonio represented the agency before lawmakers, after his boss, chief of staff Zuleika Lopez submitted a medical certificate asking to be excused from the deliberations.

‘We don’t want anything unwelcome to crop up… They were already asking questions during the briefing. It’s just the same. There’s nothing to worry about,’ House appropriations committee vice chair and Palawan Rep. Jose Alvarez said during yesterday’s budget hearing.

Alvarez expressed belief that the matter has nothing to do with the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.

‘We will not look into whether or not she is impeached. The budget is the budget,’ he noted

Manila Doctors Hospital’s (MDH) renowned urologist Dr. Eduardo R. Gatchalian has been conferred Honorary Membership in the Urological Association of Asia (UAA) at the 23rd UAA Congress held on September 4, 2026, in recognition of his excellence in Reconstructive Urologic Surgery and distinguished contributions to the field of Urology.

Widely regarded as the “Father of Modern Philippine Reconstructive Urology,” Dr. Gatchalian’s prestigious recognition goes beyond the distinction itself, honoring his decades-long of service, expertise, and excellence in advancing urologic medicine in the Philippines and across Asia through clinical practice, research, education, leadership and mentorship.

Dr. Gatchalian’s influence extends across some of the country’s most respected medical institutions and professional organizations. He has previously served as President of the Philippine Urological Association and President of the Philippine College of Surgeons, as well as Chairman of the Philippine Board of Urology. He was also the founding member of the Asian Society of Female Urology, Philippine Erectile Dysfunction Research Organization, Asia-Pacific Continence Advisory Board, Philippine Multicenter Urologic Research Foundation, and the Philippine Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons.

Urological Association of Asia is a premier international body dedicated to advancing urology and enhancing patient care in Asia. With 25 national member societies, the Association represents a growing community of more than 25,000 practicing urologists across the region.

As Manila Doctors Hospital strengthens its mission to provide excellent, patient-centered healthcare, the recognition bestowed upon Dr. Gatchalian serves as a meaningful reminder of the institution’s commitment to excellence.

It is also a strong testament to MDH’s pride in having accomplished physicians whose expertise contributes not only to its patients but also to the continued growth and reputation of Philippine medicine.

Solviva Energy, a solar startup backed by Aboitiz Power Corp., is looking to tap into growing demand for rooftop solar as it expands beyond Metro Manila, with Cebu and Davao as its first target markets.

‘Over the last couple of years, we’ve been in a testing phase. Now, the goal is to expand in the smartest way that we can. We intend to be available in more cities and offer more products for more households,’ Solviva CEO Coby Cobankiat said.

The company has been seeing rising interest in cleaner and more affordable electricity options as Filipinos grapple with persistently high power bills.

Cobankiat said the continued volatility in global energy markets has further accelerated demand for rooftop solar.

‘That has been the tipping point for us. Instead of us trying to force demand for rooftop solar, they’re coming to us,’ he said.

In recent months, consumers have taken to social media to air their frustrations over soaring electricity bills.

In August alone, electricity spot prices in the Visayas and Mindanao reached record highs amid sustained demand and the simultaneous shutdown of large coal-fired power plants.

Solviva said inquiries for its residential solar packages surged by 272 percent from March to August compared with the same period last year.

The company also observed a notable shift in customers’ electricity consumption after installation, with households using more power overall.

This is a trend Cobankiat viewed as a positive indication that solar can help consumers better manage their electricity costs.

While interest in residential solar is growing, the relatively high upfront cost of installation remains a major hurdle for many households.

To address this, Solviva offers a zero-down-payment, rent-to-own option with fixed monthly installments spread over as long as five years. Payments begin 30 days after installation.

The incumbent congressman from the lone district of Batanes died on Monday due to cardiac arrest. He was 66.

Rep. Ciriaco Gato Jr., a doctor who also headed the House committee on health, died while en route to Manila for treatment.

Gato, of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, was Batanes representative since 2019. The NPC, now headed by industrialist Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp., issued a statement.

‘The NPC deeply mourns the passing of Rep. Gato, a valued member of the party, a dedicated public servant, and a physician who devoted his life to caring for others. The NPC extends its deepest sympathies and prayers to his loved ones,’ it stated.

‘Congressman Gato served the people of Batanes with compassion and unwavering dedication. As a medical doctor and chairperson of the House committee on health, he worked tirelessly to improve the health and well-being of Filipinos,’ the party added.

‘His life of service will be remembered with gratitude and respect. His loss is deeply felt by the people of Batanes, his colleagues in Congress, the NPC and all whose lives he touched. May Congressman Gato rest in eternal peace,’ the NPC said.

Speaker Faustino Dy III expressed his deepest sympathies over the passing of Gato, paying tribute to the physician-lawmaker for a life devoted to public service and the welfare of his fellow Filipinos.

‘The entire House of Representatives extends its deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Congressman Ciriaco Gato,’ he said.

Special elections

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections is eyeing Dec. 19 for the special election in Batanes following Gato’s death, Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said yesterday.

Garcia said the proposal on the schedule for the special election would be submitted to the Comelec next week.

‘More or less, the initial date is Dec. 19, if that will be approved,’ the Comelec chief said in an interview.

A policeman at a checkpoint died after he was hit by a wayward vehicle driven by a drunk retired soldier in Jimenez, Misamis Occidental, on Monday night, September 21.

The badly injured 47-year-old Police Master Sergeant Shelvib Cuajao Cabug died at the hospital where emergency responders brought him for treatment.

Officials of the Misamis Occidental Provincial Police Office and the Police Regional Office 10 separately told reporters on Wednesday that the driver of the Mitsubishi Xpander that figured in the accident is now locked in a detention facility to be prosecuted in court.

Cabug and his companions were in the middle of the highway in Purok 5 in Barangay Batuay in Jimenez, inspecting vehicles passing by, when he was rammed by the Mitsubishi Xpander driven by its owner, who was then under the influence of liquor, according to barangay officials and police investigators who responded to the incident.

Local executives in Jimenez had assured they would support the judicial prosecution of the driver of the Mitsubishi Xpander for his offense.

Two 15-year-old boys died last Sunday noon after the motorcycle they were riding hit a passenger bus along the national highway in Barangay West-Canayaon, Garcia-Hernandez town, Bohol Province.

Police said the accident happened after the motorcycle, traveling at high speed heading to Jagna town, overtook another vehicle and got into the lane the bus was on, hitting it head-on.

The boys, who were cousins and residents of Barangay West Poblacion of the town, suffered serious head injuries as a result of the accident and died on the spot.

In the many areas, people have no other option for transportation except the motorcycle. And for many, the earlier they know how to operate one the sooner they can help their family out or even start to earn a livelihood.

But there’s also such a thing as too young to drive. As was the case for whoever was driving that motorcycle in the Bohol incident, who was without a license, without a helmet, and obviously without adequate training on road safety.

We have all been young once; with youth comes a certain recklessness stemming from a feeling of invincibility. The youth cannot be blamed for this, but this attitude and behavior can lead to serious injury or even death.

We are sure those boys aren’t the only underage motorcycle riders driving without a license, without a helmet, and without proper training. We see a lot of them already working as motorcycle-for-hire drivers in different barangays.

Obviously, we need to keep those who aren’t old enough or ready enough to drive yet from doing so. No one is too old or too young to die in an accident.

That aside, we are again wondering if this is another test case for House Bill 10196 filed Bukidnon Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores to ‘clarify the presumptions that are applicable in road safety incidents or vehicular mishaps to protect law-abiding persons from misapplied presumptions.’

Because it’s still possible the bus driver will face unfair consequences; his only fault being unable to prevent a series of unfortunate events, and being unable to stop such a huge vehicle on a dime.

An estimated five million families will benefit from the additional P27.41-billion funding allocated for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and Financially Incapacitated Patients or MAIFIP program, according to the Department of Health (DOH).

The current beneficiaries of the program stand at five million families, Health Secretary Edwin Mercado said yesterday.

‘Based on our estimate, with the additional funds given, that would also be the number of families and patients we’ll be able to assist,’ Mercado said during an interview with the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon program.

The DOH chief said that bulk or 70 percent of this P27.41 billion, which is equivalent to P19.145 billion, will be used by centers for health development (CHDs), particularly by local government units (LGUs) and private hospitals under these CHDs.

‘This amount can be used in emergency as well as catastrophic cases wherein medical expenses are already too high and PhilHealth coverage is not enough. Though we still recommend for the patient to use PhilHealth first and in our order of billing, you can get a discount depending if one falls under the senior citizen or person with disability category,’ explained Mercado.

Meanwhile, the remaining amount of the MAIFIP budget was divided among DOH hospitals in Manila (P4.35 billion), GOCC specialty hospitals including the Lung Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Philippine Children’s Medical Center and Philippine Heart Center (P2.9 billion), UP-Philippine General Hospital (P950 million), and drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation center (P52 million).

Over 70 medical and health care groups have called for the abolition of MAIFIP, calling it a medical pork barrel. The groups said the amount for the politicized health ayuda should instead be given to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. for expanded PhilHealth services.

For four years, Vice President Sara Duterte has occupied the country’s second-highest office with vast resources at her disposal. Yet what does she have to show for it? She has offered no defining national reform initiative, no durable social project and no serious contribution to economic transformation. On health care, education and political reform, her record is thin. Her vice presidency generated a lot of noise but nothing related to nation-building.

Political persecution is no excuse. Leni Robredo was denied a generous budget, excluded from the Cabinet and attacked by Rodrigo Duterte’s propaganda machinery. Yet she built Angat Buhay through private partnerships, delivering programs in nutrition, health care, education, housing and livelihood. Robredo converted political marginalization into service. Sara converts scrutiny into grievance and non-stop whining.

Let me stay it straight – grievance, victimhood and drama is Sara Duterte’s stock-in-trade. And we are tired of it.

Her pattern began in June 2023 when she posted the cryptic insult ‘tambaloslos,’ widely interpreted as a swipe against Martin Romualdez. In October, rather than explain her demand for confidential funds, she branded critics ‘enemies of peace.’ Legitimate questions about taxpayers’ money were re-packaged as acts of hostility.

In March 2024, she claimed an organized demolition job against her family. In June, she resigned from the Cabinet without a clear explanation. In July, she skipped the SONA and appointed herself ‘the designated survivor’ – a ludicrous joke implying catastrophe while national leaders gathered in Congress.

That month, she cried ‘political harassment’ when 75 police officers were withdrawn from her security detail even if hundreds remained. In September, she turned OVP budget hearings into drama, refusing direct answers while accusing lawmakers of politicizing budget oversights.

Then came her two-hour meltdown on Oct. 18, 2024. Duterte called President Marcos incompetent, declared the country headed for hell and recounted imagining herself cutting off his head. She threatened to exhume Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s remains and throw them into the West Philippine Sea. It was gutter theater performed in crass fashion.

In November, she transformed the detention of her chief of staff, Zuleika Lopez, into a nationally televised standoff involving legislators, police and her security personnel. On Nov. 23, she announced that she had instructed someone to kill the President, the First Lady and then speaker Martin Romualdez should she herself be assassinated. Two days later, she dragged Ninoy Aquino’s murder into the feud by blaming the Marcos family without presenting evidence.

When impeachment followed in February 2025, she re-framed accountability as persecution. When her father was arrested the next month under an ICC warrant, she turned his transfer to The Hague into another drama, ignoring victims seeking justice. By June, she described her impeachment as a ‘crucifixion’ and ‘bloodbath’ – the language of martyrdom.

In February 2026, she announced her presidential ambition and apologized for supporting Marcos, converting another grievance into campaign fodder. By September, facing an arrest warrant arising from her own public statements, she again cried political harassment and declared that ‘I do not feel safe.’

A waste of national discourse

Every chapter of Sara’s drama anthology grabbed headlines and deepened political division. Yet, none of it affected food prices, created jobs, built classrooms, improved hospitals or strengthened institutions. National attention, congressional time, police resources and public money were diverted to controversies of her own making. And for what? To feed her victimhood narrative. These resources could have been channeled to pursue genuine reform.

Duterte criticizes the Marcos administration for being unproductive and unresponsive. But what solutions has she offered? Where is her economic program or reform agenda? She is the Vice President, for goodness’ sake – not a commentator broadcasting grievances from the sidelines.

I am not defending PBBM. He is no better. Both the President and Vice President lead without vision or direction. Why? Because they share the same motivation. That is, to legitimize their family wealth, consolidate power and to repair the family brand.

Squandered opportunity

Sara had a golden opportunity to demonstrate her mettle as education secretary. Instead, Philippine students remained near the bottom of the 2022 PISA rankings in mathematics, reading and science. She introduced the MATATAG curriculum and Catch-up Fridays, but resigned after two years without demonstrating measurable learning recovery. She failed to move the needle where it mattered – literacy, numeracy, classrooms and teacher support.

Yet her DepEd and OVP received P612.5 million in confidential funds – P500 million for the OVP and P112.5 million for DepEd. Neither office had previously carried such funds. It was not operational necessity; it was political accommodation.

The liquidation documents make a mockery of public accountability. Of the OVP’s P125-million confidential fund released in December 2022, P73.287 million – spent in just 11 days – was disallowed by the Commission on Audit. COA subsequently testified that another P375 million was disallowed. Receipts bore names as absurd as Mary Grace Piattos, Miggy Mango and Jay Kamote. Trial testimony linked supposed recipients to children and people long dead. Duterte denies wrongdoing and deserves due process. Taxpayers also deserve the truth.

As an economist, I hear the same frustration from colleagues in the academe, in various chambers of commerce and in the private sector. We are sick and tired of Sara’s drama, victimhood and incessant whining. She behaves like an entitled politician who cannot distinguish accountability from persecution.

A leader should add clarity to national discourse, offer solutions and unite the citizenry behind a credible vision. Sara Duterte does the opposite. Her contribution is grievance without policy, outrage without solutions and ambition without accomplishment.

That makes her more than unproductive. It makes her a national liability. Filipinos have endured enough tantrums and complaints. We are fed up with the drama.