Category: Philippine Star

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.

The Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) expects its approved investments to reach over P100 billion this year amid strong investor interest.

‘If we count the whole year, we will breach P100 billion in investments,’ BCDA president and CEO Joshua Bingcang said during a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

Investments approved by the BCDA surged by 535 percent to P49.96 billion in the first half from P7.87 billion in the same period last year, driven by investments of major international aviation and logistics companies including Lufthansa Technik Philippines, FedEx and UPS international, which are expanding operations in Clark.

Of the total approved investments, the aviation sector accounted for the biggest share of nearly 68 percent or P33.91 billion.

Meanwhile, the residential sector accounted for P5.9 billion in approved investments, while the government and sports sector accounted for P500 million and hospitality investments reached P30 million.

Agreements during the period included investments involving InfiniVAN, the Philippine Sports Commission, Sophia Real Estate Executives and Development Corp., Baguio Mountainscapes, Hann Philippines and ACWA Power Philippines, as well as a consortium composed of GTM Networks Asia and Volksbahn Technologies.

Bingcang said that the investment growth shows growing confidence in the Philippines as a location for long-term business expansion.

‘Global companies are making larger and longer-term commitments to the Philippines because they see the potential to serve both the domestic market and the wider Asia-Pacific region from here,’ he said.

He also said that the investment figures demonstrate how government-owned land and infrastructure can be used to attract private capital into strategic sectors while generating employment and economic activity.

The BCDA-approved investments in the first half are expected to generate 4,210 jobs.

Bingcang said that the BCDA’s approved investments may match the level approved by Board of Investments, the main investment promotion agency, in a few years.

The BCDA also expects investment activity as it continues work with its partners to develop infrastructure to support the development of the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC).

Launched by the Philippines, United States (US) and Japan in 2024, the LEC seeks to accelerate infrastructure investments and strengthen the connectivity of Luzon’s growth centers covering Subic, Clark, Manila and Batangas.

BCDA wants to leverage the LEC to position the New Clark City as a hub for strategic investments.

Bingcang said that planned infrastructure includes the construction of an additional runway, as well as taxiway and apron at the Clark International Airport to support the expansion of logistics firms in the area.

He said that the BCDA management committee approved last week the procurement for the P1.4 billion construction of the apron.

Meanwhile, the construction of taxiways and additional runway costs around P7 billion to 10 billion.

Bingcang said that the US Development Finance Corp. is interested in the Clark Airport’s expansion.

He also said that the National Commission on Indigenous People has given its letter of no objection to the proposed extension of the North South Commuter Railway until New Clark City.

He said that the proposed extension will be a game-changer for Clark.

BCDA is also set to sign a memorandum of agreement with the Home Development Mutual Fund for the development of economic housing units in New Clark City.

Meanwhile, the Science Park of the Philippines Inc.’s 106-hectare industrial park for mixed-use development in New Clark City is targeted to start construction in the fourth quarter of this year.

As for the artificial intelligence industrial hub being developed with the US in New Clark City under the Pax Silica initiative, Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said that the government remains optimistic that the master lease agreement would be signed by the BCDA with the US government by November.

He also emphasized that there will be no diplomatic immunity for locators of the planned hub and this will be stated in the contract.

Outside of Clark, BCDA is looking to bid out the P40 billion development contract of the property near Market! Market! for mixed use by the first quarter of 2027.

Bingcang said that BCDA is looking at a joint venture for the development and will be meeting with three to four Japanese developers interested in the project.

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.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is expected to raise its benchmark interest rate to 5.25 percent by year-end as elevated oil prices and peso weakness complicate the inflation outlook, according to Union Bank of the Philippines and ANZ Research.

Their separate reports point to another 25-basis-point increase from the current five percent policy rate, which influences borrowing costs for households and businesses.

However, the two banks differ on how soon borrowing costs could decline.

UnionBank chief economist Ruben Carlo Asuncion sees an increase in October potentially paving the way for a year-end pause, while ANZ projects a 5.25-percent rate by December.

Asuncion said an October increase would bring cumulative tightening in the BSP’s current cycle to 100 basis points as policymakers seek to contain inflation risks from oil prices above $100 per barrel and a peso approaching 63 against the dollar.

‘Such an outcome could strengthen the case for a pause in the hiking cycle by year-end,’ the UnionBank report said.

A weaker peso makes imported fuel and other goods more expensive in local currency, potentially raising transport and production costs that businesses could pass on to consumers.

ANZ head of Asia research Khoon Goh identified the Philippines as among the economies more exposed to high oil prices and rising interest rates in the United States, despite broader resilience across Asian financial markets.

Much of the region has benefited from an artificial intelligence (AI) investment boom that has lifted demand for semiconductors, servers and equipment used in data centers.

Stronger exports have helped several economies build current account surpluses, providing a cushion against more expensive oil and higher global borrowing costs.

Goh identified India, Indonesia and the Philippines as exceptions to the region’s stronger position because they run current account deficits and are not major beneficiaries of the AI boom.

‘The currencies of these three economies are also the worst-performing ones year to date, as high oil prices raised the import bill while higher US interest rates made it more challenging to attract portfolio inflows to fund external deficits,’ he said.

ANZ forecasts the peso at 63 against the dollar by end-2026 before recovering to 61.50 by end-2027. UnionBank projects year-end levels of 62.30 and 61.52, respectively.

The two also expect slower Philippine economic growth this year, although their estimates differ. UnionBank forecasts gross domestic product, the value of goods and services produced in the country, to expand by 2.8 percent in 2026, while ANZ projects a 3.5-percent growth.

For 2027, UnionBank sees growth recovering to 3.8 percent while ANZ expects five percent.

UnionBank forecasts inflation to average 5.3 percent this year and 4.3 percent next year, compared to ANZ’s estimates of 6.2 percent and 5.2 percent, respectively.

Despite the pressures, Asuncion cited buffers including a well-capitalized banking system, international reserves covering more than six months of imports, and steady receipts from overseas Filipino workers and business process outsourcing services.