Category: Philippine Star

Bureau of Immigration officers intercepted three Filipinos attempting to leave the country under the guise of attending a martial arts tournament after they were allegedly recruited for military and border guard work in Eastern Europe.

In a statement on Monday, October 26, the BI said its officers prevented the departure of three men through Davao International Airport on October 17.

The passengers, identified by the aliases “Johnny,” 25; “Berting,” 51; and “Tappy,” 50, were stopped after members of the BI’s Immigration Protection and Border Enforcement Section (I-PROBES) flagged major inconsistencies in their travel documents and declared itineraries.

According to the bureau, the trio initially claimed they were flying to Thailand to participate in or coach a Muay Thai tournament.

Further questioning, however, bared their intended destination to be Eastern Europe, where they had allegedly been promised monthly salaries of P200,000 to work as soldiers or border guards.

BI investigators learned that some of the men had encountered recruiters identified only as “Alexander” and “Oleg” through Facebook and Telegram. The recruiters allegedly covered their travel expenses.

The men also claimed that the recruiters instructed them to fly to Thailand first, where their European electronic visas would supposedly be provided.

One of the men also revealed a last-minute change in their travel plans.

According to the bureau, the trio was initially instructed on October 13 to leave the country through a supposed “backdoor” route in Zamboanga before the recruiters changed the plan to a commercial flight out of Davao.

Immigration Commissioner Joel Viado urged the public to exercise caution when dealing with high-paying job offers involving unusual travel arrangements or high-risk work.

“Filipinos must be cautious of recruiters who promise high salaries but provide unclear employment arrangements or questionable travel plans. Before accepting any overseas job offer, they should verify the legitimacy of the employer and recruitment agency with the Department of Migrant Workers,” Viado said.

“We will continue working with our partner agencies to help prevent illegal recruitment and protect Filipinos from possible exploitation,” he added.

The Cebu City Council’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development has recommended delaying the proposed procurement of a P7 million refrigerated van for the City Agriculture Department (CAD).

The committee, in a report, said the department must first justify the vehicle’s necessity and explain how it will benefit farmers and agricultural communities.

Its members said they found the proposal “not favorable at this time” despite acknowledging the importance of proper transportation and post-harvest support for the city’s agriculture sector.

The committee, chaired by Councilor Jun Alcover, said the immediate purchase of a refrigerated van worth P7 million had not been sufficiently justified

Before the proposal can be reconsidered, the committee is requiring the CAD to submit a comprehensive report on the city’s agricultural preparedness and response to El Niño, including affected areas and farmers, anticipated impacts, existing resources and programs, identified gaps, and the specific role the refrigerated van would play in addressing those concerns.

The committee also directed the department to provide a status report on pending, delayed, and unimplemented agricultural projects, as well as a detailed utilization plan identifying the intended beneficiaries, areas to be served, frequency of use, projected operational and maintenance costs, and expected benefits of the vehicle.

A cost-benefit and sustainability assessment covering fuel, personnel, and maintenance expenses was likewise required.

According to the committee, priority should be given to existing agricultural projects and commitments that remain pending or require immediate attention before allocating P7 million for a new vehicle.

The proposal stemmed from CAD’s request for funding under the 2026 Local Development Fund to purchase a refrigerated van.

In CAD’s request, City Agriculturist Joey Baclayon said the vehicle is needed to maintain the cold-chain integrity of temperature-sensitive agricultural products during transport, reduce post-harvest losses, ensure the quality and safety of fresh produce, and improve logistical support for farmers and field operations.

The proposed refrigerated van is among several agriculture-related capital outlay projects listed under Cebu City’s 2026 Local Development Fund, which also includes the acquisition of farm machinery and heavy equipment intended to support agricultural production in upland barangays.

The Department of Agriculture has been promoting cold-chain facilities and refrigerated transport as important interventions to minimize post-harvest losses and preserve the quality of perishable agricultural products, particularly vegetables, fruits, and other high-value crops.

One of the gunmen who attacked Shariff Aguak town Mayor Akmad Ampatuan Sr. with a rocket launcher in January was arrested over the weekend, the Philippine National Police announced.

The PNP nabbed Toraipe Lusod, also known as Aripi Adam, after the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) police office received a tip on his presence in Barangay Meta in Datu Unsay, Maguindanao del Sur.

Capt. Steffi Salanguit, BARMM police spokesperson, said Lusod yielded after seeing he was surrounded by members of the Datu Unsay town and Maguindanao del Sur provincial police offices.

Lusod was identified as one of the gunmen who attacked Ampatuan’s convoy with a B40 anti-tank rocket on Jan. 25.

Police seized an assault rifle from him.

Aside from Lusod, 11 others are wanted for their involvement in the planning and execution of the ambush, including a Datu Unsay town official.

Four of the ambushers were killed in a shootout with soldiers during their attempt to flee after the attack.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking to place about P80 billion worth of farm-to-market roads (FMR) under public-private partnership (PPP) to hasten the construction of farm roads in rural areas.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the DA is looking to tap the World Bank and the International Finance Corp. to develop a PPP system for farm roads throughout the country.

‘Once that happens, if there are companies that will be eligible for PPPs, then that will be good because it will be private-sector money that will fund these projects. The government will just pay them back over the years,’ he added.

Tiu Laurel said the move to tap the private sector would allow the government to expedite the implementation of FMRs all over the country.

‘Areas with high poverty rates are the ones that need roads. The residents there have plenty of produce, but they lack access and cannot get their goods out. If roads are opened up then poverty incidents will decrease,’ he added.

He noted that the projects for PPP would be on top of the P33 billion funded under the agency’s 2026 budget for FMRs.

The agency is looking to construct 2,300 kilometers of farm roads, split across 1,605 projects this year.

Tiu Laurel said that construction for FMRs is likely to begin by December this year for projects funded by the 2026 budget.

Bidding for FMR projects has been stalled as the DA assumed construction and implementation for FMR projects from the Department of Public Works and Highways.

For 2027, the DA was given a P16 billion budget for farm roads, with the DA chief stating earlier that this is not enough to fund its 55,000 kilometers target

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) remains in active discussions with British financial technology giant Revolut over its planned entry into the Philippine digital banking market, although there is no definite timeline for securing a license.

BSP Deputy Governor Lyn Javier said Revolut continues to express interest in obtaining a digital banking license, with discussions focusing on regulatory requirements and the company’s readiness to operate in the country.

‘They are still interested,’ Javier told reporters, describing the engagement as an ‘ongoing and very active discussion.’

However, Javier said the timing of any approval would depend on the company’s compliance with licensing requirements and the BSP’s assessment process.

Asked whether Revolut could secure a license before the end of the year, she said there was no fixed timeline, as the process would depend on the readiness of both the prospective applicant and the central bank.

Earlier this month, the Department of Trade and Industry disclosed that Revolut was exploring plans to establish a wholly owned Philippine entity and secure digital banking and electronic money issuer (EMI) licenses from the BSP.

An EMI license would allow the company to issue electronic money for payments and fund transfers, while a digital banking license would enable it to offer banking services directly to Philippine customers.

The announcement followed a meeting between Trade Secretary Cristina Roque and Revolut global head of government affairs Adam Gagen in London on Oct. 2.

Revolut, which serves more than 68 million retail customers across 40 markets, already operates a global technology hub in Manila that opened in July 2025.

Meanwhile, the BSP currently has seven licensed digital banks following MariBank Philippines Inc.’s conversion in July, leaving three available slots under the existing ceiling of 10.

However, the central bank stopped accepting new digital bank applications on Dec. 1, 2025, although applications submitted before the deadline may continue to be processed.

Asked whether the BSP could eventually increase the number of available licenses beyond 10, Javier said this would remain at the discretion of the Monetary Board, subject to applicants meeting regulatory requirements.

State infrastructure spending took another hit in August as ongoing project bidding and uncashed checks weighed on disbursements by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), while flooding across parts of Luzon dampened construction activities.

Latest data from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) showed infrastructure and other capital outlays fell by 16.9 percent to P70.5 billion in August from P84.9 billion in the same period last year.

The DBM said the DPWH was affected by ongoing bidding for some projects, while most projects remained under implementation.

It also reported that P10 billion worth of checks issued to contractors and suppliers have yet to be encashed.

‘Adverse weather conditions in August – particularly flooding across parts of

Luzon – also slowed construction activities for road infrastructure and rail transport projects,’ the DBM said.

Acting Budget Secretary Kim Robert de Leon earlier said the government is counting on a pickup in public construction in the third quarter, as it tightened scrutiny and accountability over infrastructure projects more than a year after the flood control controversy erupted.

He said the DBM had made the necessary allotments available to the DPWH and expects the agency to accelerate project implementation in August and September to improve infrastructure spending figures in the third quarter.

But the anticipated recovery remained elusive.

Infrastructure and other capital outlays plunged by 34.6 percent to P522 billion in the January-to-August period from P798.4 billion a year earlier, reflecting the continued weakness in DPWH disbursements.

‘The decrease was largely reflective of the lower DPWH disbursements, as procurement compliance, oversight of ongoing projects, payment claims verification and contractor documentation were strengthened,’ it said.

These measures are intended to protect public works spending by ensuring that payments are made only for properly validated and documented work, it added.

The DBM said spending on other public infrastructure projects helped cushion the decline, including the construction of school facilities, hospitals and farm-to-market roads by the Department of Education, Department of Health and Department of Agriculture, respectively.

Defense modernization projects and rail and mass transport projects also tempered the decline in infrastructure disbursements during the period.

Overall government spending, meanwhile, improved by eight percent to P4.27 trillion in January to August from P3.95 trillion in the same period last year.

For the rest of the year, the DBM said it issued P121.8 billion in allotments in September covering agency personnel services requirements, capital outlays and programs and projects in education, health, social protection, transportation, agriculture, local government support, defense modernization and other obligations.

Of this, the agency released P15.4 billion to the DPWH for various capital outlays, mostly for the loan proceeds requirements of foreign-assisted projects.

It also issued P2.6 billion to the Department of Transportation for the implementation of five locally funded airport projects.

Impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero on Sunday expressed full confidence in the fairness of the ongoing impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte, while categorically declaring that he would refuse the vice presidency if she is convicted and removed from office.

Under the Constitution, if the vice presidency becomes vacant, the President nominates a replacement from the members of Congress.

With several critics and analysts alleging that Escudero may have been offered to replace Duterte if she is convicted, he stated that accepting such a nomination after serving as a senator-judge would be a massive ethical breach.

‘I will not accept it because of a simple reason. Conflict of interest. We were the ones who decided. That does not seem right,’ Escudero said in his podcast, arguing that it is highly inappropriate for a judge to take the seat of the official they just ousted.

While noting that no official offer has been made, Escudero emphasized that his preemptive refusal is a strict personal conviction.

‘I am not refusing something that is not offered… But even if offered, I will not accept it. And I hope it does not come to that so nothing will be accepted,’ he added.

When asked if the trial is proceeding fairly, Escudero said he remains strictly neutral.

‘I think it is fair,’ Escudero said. ‘I don’t have a decision; I have not decided yet.’

Escudero stressed that while the court may sometimes appear heavier-handed toward the prosecution, it is only because the burden of proof entirely rests on them.

Look at evidence, not surveys

Escudero also cautioned his fellow senator-judges against relying on public surveys to determine the fate of Vice President Duterte, reminding the chamber that the public has only heard the prosecution’s side of the impeachment trial.

‘It must not be based on it (surveys), it should be based on evidence,’ Escudero said in his podcast. ‘It’s not right. We should not have gone to trial if we would just base it on surveys. We could have just had a survey, and then voted.’

He urged both the court and the public to reserve judgment until the defense has its turn. With the House prosecution officially resting its case, the defense is scheduled to begin presenting its evidence on Nov. 9.

Escudero confirmed it is highly possible for the trial to conclude before the year ends, though the final timeline depends heavily on how many witnesses the defense calls and the length of the ensuing cross-examinations.

Meanwhile, Escudero also defended the court’s decision to relax the Senate’s sub judice rule, or gag order, after prosecutors withdrew three of the four impeachment articles against Duterte.

Because those three charges were officially dismissed from the trial, the Vice President will no longer have a formal venue to defend herself against them on the Senate floor.

To compensate, Escudero explained that the court loosened the gag order so Duterte and her camp can publicly address the dropped allegations without fear of being cited in contempt.

Red-hot University of the Philippines trounced winless University of the East, 101-70, to notch its fifth straight triumph and reclaim solo lead in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball yesterday at the Blue Eagle Gym.

The Fighting Maroons jumped to a 12-point advantage in the opening frame and never stepped on the brakes on their way to a 31-point victory and a 7-2 card while dealing the Red Warriors their 29th straight loss.

UP, which scored a closer 91-81 win in the first round, had no mercy in the rematch. And the Maroons broke a tie with idle NU (6-2), in hot pursuit of a twice-to-beat incentive in the Final Four.

Fresh from a 30-point career-best outing in a double overtime win over Santo Tomas, Veejay Pre had an efficient 14-point job in 21 minutes of play laced by six rebounds and five assists.

Gani Stevens and Choi Palanca produced 13 and 12 points, respectively, with Elliot Dimaculangan (9), Dicachi Ududo (9), Kio Franco (8), Sean Alter (8) and Miguel Yniguez (7) throwing in help in a scattered attack.

‘We played so hard and sustained our energy from our last games. It’s our fifth game in the last two weeks and what we liked about it was everybody came to play,’ said deputy coach Christian Luanzon.

‘The excitement of the players off the bench was there and I think it’s the first game where all 16 players played. Coach Goldwin (Monteverde) is proud of that as we sustained our intensity.’

UP never trailed in the match and led by as many as 34 points.

Tope Lagat and Mo Tañedo were the lone bright spots with 23 and 11 points, respectively, for the Red Warriors.

Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGEN) may consider bidding for Mindanao’s first coal-fired power plant, seeing an opportunity in the region’s growing electricity demand.

MGEN president and CEO Emmanuel Rubio said the company would look into the possible acquisition of the 232-megawatt (MW) STEAG Mindanao Coal, which the government is preparing to privatize.

‘Could be. It’s an opportunity. I know that plant,’ he said when asked whether MGEN would pursue the asset.

Rubio is familiar with the facility, having served as president and CEO of Aboitiz Power Corp. when it acquired a majority stake in STEAG State Power Inc., the plant’s operator.

Aboitiz-led SPI Power Inc., formerly STEAG State Power, operates the coal plant under a power purchase agreement.

AboitizPower owns an 85-percent stake in SPI Power, while La Filipina Uy Gongco Corp. holds the remaining 15 percent.

Given the potential for growth in Mindanao’s power market, Rubio also expects other companies to take an interest in the plant.

‘I think there’s an opportunity in Mindanao. There’s pent-up demand in Mindanao,’ he said.

State-run Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) is currently seeking consultancy services to conduct a third-party financial valuation for the Mindanao Coal privatization.

The plant is a baseload power facility located on a 55-hectare site within the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate in Misamis Oriental.

It was developed under a 25-year build-operate-transfer agreement between National Power Corp. and State Power Development Corp., a consortium of State Investment Trust Inc. and Harbin Power Engineering Co. Ltd.

Currently, PSALM buys the plant’s power generation output under a 25-year cooperation period set to expire in November 2031. At the end of the contract, ownership of the plant will be transferred to PSALM.

Outside Mindanao, MGEN is pursuing the development of two coal-fired power projects: the 73-MW Toledo plant in Cebu and the 1,200-MW Atimonan facility in Quezon.

The company earlier secured confirmation from the Department of Energy that both projects are exempt from the existing coal moratorium.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has called for Philippine visa processing to be outsourced to third-party providers, a comment which drew a sharp objection from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

Speaking on DZRH on Saturday, October 24, Remulla said foreign service officers should focus on diplomacy rather than handling visa applications.

“Ang problema ng DFA, they forget that their primary job is to be diplomats. Eh dito iba ‘yung gusto nilang mangyari, gusto nilang magnegosyo,” Remulla said.

(“The problem with the DFA is that they forget that their primary job is to be diplomats. But here, they want something else to happen; they want to go into business.”)

“Ako talaga ang stance ko diyan, let the Philippine visa processing be done by a third party, VFS (Visa Facilitation Services). Para alam natin kung sino pumapasok, nave-vet natin lahat ng pumapasok,” he added.

(“My position is to let Philippine visa processing be handled by a third party, like VFS. That way, we know who is entering and we can vet everyone coming in.”)

Remulla argued that using a third-party provider would establish a uniform international standard for processing applications and screening tourists and business travelers.

“Kasi pag binigay sa VFS ‘yan, it will become a standard of the country for the rest of the world,” he said.

(“Because if that is given to VFS, it will become the country’s standard for the rest of the world.”)

Remulla also said immigration matters should pass through the Department of Justice because of the need to conduct background checks on people entering the country.

“Dapat dumaan sa Department of Justice yan. I think so, because we want to get a background of the people entering our country,” Remulla said.

(“That should go through the Department of Justice. I think so, because we want to get a background check on the people entering our country.”)

DFA ‘strongly objects’

The DFA pushed back against Remulla’s remarks, saying they undermined the agency’s integrity and unfairly tarnished the reputation of the Philippine Foreign Service and its personnel.

The department said its authority to issue visas is grounded in both domestic and international law.

It cited Executive Order No. 292, or the Administrative Code of 1987, which recognizes visa issuance as a consular function, as well as the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

The DFA also explained that third-party providers such as VFS may perform administrative functions, including receiving visa applications, but do not have the authority to approve or deny them.

That authority remains with Philippine diplomatic missions, the department said.

“The visa fees collected are pursuant to applicable laws and regulations, including the prescribed Schedule of Fees. The DFA does not tolerate corruption and remains committed to accountability, transparency, and utmost professionalism in the delivery of public service,” the DFA said.