Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Sandiganbayan has found a former Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) official guilty of graft and malversation over the misuse of P5 million in pork barrel funds intended for low-income Pasay City residents in 2007.

In a decision promulgated on Oct. 1, the court’s Fifth Division found Honorita Bayudan guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and of malversation of public funds.

The former director of the DSWD-National Capital Region (NCR) was sentenced to a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment for graft and a maximum of 18 years for malversation. She was also ordered to pay a fine of P5 million, representing the amount malversed.

The court noted that the case stemmed from the misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocated to former Pasay Rep. Consuelo Dy.

According to the decision, Dy had a PDAF allocation worth P8 million for the first tranche of fiscal year 2007. The amount was released to the DSWD-NCR to be used for the implementation of its Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services (CIDSS) project.

The court said that Dy and the DSWD-NCR, represented by Bayudan, entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Unlad Pinoy Organization Inc. (UPOI) for the implementation of the project in Pasay City.

The project sought to provide various skills training and livelihood assistance to indigent residents from January to March 2007, with a P5 million funding.

The budget was supposed to be released in two tranches: 30 percent upon approval and signing of the MOA, and 70 percent upon submission of an accomplishment report or inspection by the DSWD-NCR.

However, the court said the DSWD-NCR released the total amount of P5 million to UPOI all on the same day, with Bayudan’s approval.

‘Glaring irregularities’

The field investigation office of the Office of the Ombudsman and the Commission on Audit (COA) then conducted validation and verification of the transactions involving the fund, and found that its transfer to UPOI violated the MOA as well as the rules on the transfer of funds to nongovernment organizations (NGO).

The Ombudsman and COA also found that the ‘legal and physical existence of UPOI as well as its suppliers,’ and the ‘reported distribution of financial assistance and conduct of trainings’ were questionable.

Following these findings, the Ombudsman filed a complaint for graft and malversation against Bayudan.

In its ruling, the court said Bayudan ‘committed glaring irregularities that reflect manifest partiality and evident bad faith on her part, or at the very least, gross inexcusable negligence’ during her involvement in the execution of the MOA, transfer of funds, and implementation and monitoring of the CIDDS project.

The court questioned why UPOI was chosen to conduct the project when it was not an accredited NGO based on the guidelines under Section 3.3 of COA Circular No. 96-003. In addition, it was registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission only a few days before the MOA’s execution.

The court added that such execution was ‘procedurally infirm’ as only Bayudan’s name and signature appeared on the agreement and it was not signed by the PDAF focal person and the officer in charge of the DSWD-NCR’s Standards Unit.

Moreover, the court said the transfer of funds to UPOI was ‘not in accordance with COA Circular 96-2003 and the MOA.’

Five individuals formerly linked to the communist insurgency surrendered to police authorities in the Samar provinces within the week, turning over firearms, ammunition, and an explosive device, the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) said.

PRO-8 said the surrenderers were identified as former members or supporters of the New People’s Army(NPA), with four surrendering in Northern Samar and one in Eastern Samar.

On Sept. 28, personnel of the 804th Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8, together with the Victoria municipal police station, PNP Intelligence Group, and 83rd Military Intelligence Battalion, facilitated the surrender of alias ‘Emar,’ a 32-year-old farmer from Victoria town, Northern Samar.

Police identified Emar as a former rebel member under the Sub-Regional Committee (SRC) Emporium of the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee. He turned over a .38-caliber revolver with a defaced serial number and a hand grenade.

On the same day, personnel of the 1st Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company facilitated the surrender of alias ‘Jaguar,’ a 55-year-old farmer from Bobon, Northern Samar, and a former NPA member listed in the National Peace and Security Registry (NPSR).

Jaguar turned over a .45-caliber pistol, one magazine, and five rounds of live ammunition.

On Sept. 29, the same police unit facilitated the surrender of alias ‘Kisha,’ a 54-year-old farmer from Bobon, identified as a rebel member under SRC Emporium.

Also on Sept. 29, alias ‘Totoy,’ a 63-year-old farmer from Laoang, Northern Samar, surrendered to personnel of the 803rd Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion 8, together with other police and military units.

Totoy was identified as a former member of a militia unit under SRC Emporium.

In Eastern Samar, alias ‘Dado,’ a 64-year-old farmer and NPSR-listed member of an underground mass organization under SRC Sesame, surrendered on Sept. 30 following negotiations conducted by personnel of the 2nd Eastern Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company and the Provincial Intelligence Unit of the Eastern Samar Police Provincial Office.

The five surrenderers were placed in the custody of the concerned operating units for documentation, disposition, and assessment for possible enrollment in the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño, PRO-8 director, commended the police units involved for their continuing efforts to encourage individuals linked to the communist insurgency to return to their communities and pursue peaceful lives.

Another female Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jeferyi) was rescued on Sept. 27 in Barangay Manobo, Magpet in Cotabato province, the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) announced on Thursday.

The young eagle named ‘Magpet’ was found weak and injured by airgun pellets on Sept. 27 by local residents in the area. It was later turned over to the Department of Natural Resources Office and later endorsed to the Philippine Eagle Foundation for examination and care.

A team from PEF led by Senior Animal Keeper Dominc Tadena, Senior Biologist Ron Taraya and Veterinarian Danielle Pasion was sent to Magpet to conduct thorough physical examination of the eagle and assess its condition.

PEF said during its initial examination, the eagle is presumed to be female, weighs 5.15 kilograms, was bright, alert and responsive despite her injuries.

X-ray revealed Eagle Magpet sustained three airgun pellets lodged inside her body-one near the right wing, one near her right leg and another near the base of her tail.

‘We have seen this happen too many times. Philippine Eagles continue to be shot with air guns and improvised firearms. Our Population Viability Analysis warns that the population could collapse if these human-caused deaths do not stop,’ Dennis Salvador, PEF Executive Director, said.

‘Protecting our national bird requires a whole-of-nation effort from government, communities, Indigenous Peoples, law enforcement, the private sector and every Filipino,’ he added.

In 2013, PEF said a juvenile Philippine Eagle was also rescued in nearby Barangay Amabel, also in Magpet, North Cotabato but it later died from a .22-caliber gunshot wound.

The place both eagles rescued is an ancient eagle territory.

‘It is part of an old Philippine Eagle nesting territory, with nesting records going back as early as 1983,’ PEF in a statement said.

According to them, the last nesting record in the area was in 1990. An eaglet was seen at the nest.

The rescue area also lies within the Mt. Apo Key Biodiversity Area, which covers around 100,000 hectares of forest.

The country’s national bird is critically endangered, largely due to loss of habitat and human persecution like hunting, with experts estimating that only 392 pairs of the raptors remain in the wild.

Romblon Gov. Trina Firmalo-Fabic on Friday urged the national government to expand the social pension program’s coverage to include senior citizens receiving low monthly pensions from the Social Security System (SSS) and Government Service Insurance System (GSIS).

Firmalo-Fabic made the call during the province’s observance of Elderly Filipino Week 2026 in Looc town, according to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in Romblon.

She said senior citizens receiving less than P5,000 a month from the SSS or GSIS should qualify for social pension assistance.

The governor said elderly people should not be excluded from additional government support simply because they receive pensions earned from their previous employment.

Firmalo-Fabic also said that although a law providing for universal social pension already exists, there are no formal guidelines and funds from the national government for its implementation, limiting the number of beneficiaries in the municipalities.

She asked the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to pass a resolution to be submitted to the Office of the President and the National Commission of Senior Citizens, seeking consideration for elderly Filipinos receiving low pensions.

Firmalo-Fabic also outlined provincial programs aimed at addressing the health, welfare and livelihood needs of senior citizens.

Among these is the Romblon Health Access Program (R-HAP), which provides qualified beneficiaries with a free R-HAP card worth P5,000 for maintenance medicines and other medical needs.

She encouraged senior citizens who have difficulty buying their medicines to secure an R-HAP card through their respective municipal governments.

The provincial government has also established Governor’s Health Desks in every municipality and public hospital to facilitate requests for medical assistance, burial assistance, and free ward confinement.

For bedridden senior citizens, the province is implementing the DEPARA Program in partnership with the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office. The program provides home visits, personal care, and assistance such as free milk and rice.

The governor also cited the Cash-for-Work and Food-for-Work programs implemented with the Department of Social Welfare and Development and municipal social welfare offices. These include activities such as vegetable gardening intended to provide senior citizens with additional livelihood opportunities.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has released its long-awaited communication related to the US$100-million settlement between the Marinduque provincial government and Canadian-firm Barrick Gold Corporation over the 1995 Marcopper mine disaster that has polluted Marinduque waterways for decades, according to the Marinduque Council for Environmental Concerns (MACEC).

In a Facebook post on Friday (Oct. 2), MACEC said a hard copy of the official DENR communication was released through lawyer Amelthon Sampayo, legal counsel of the original plaintiffs, and Rev. Fr. Arvin Anthony J. Madla, representing the environmental group.

‘Matapos ang mahabang panahon ng paghihintay, opisyal nang inilabas ng DENR ang Communication kaugnay ng $100 Million Settlement Agreement,’ MACEC said

(Following a long period of waiting, DENR has finally released the communication associated with the $100 million settlement agreement).

Details about its contents have not been made public, although it is expected that the ‘DENR communication’ would officially clear and adopt the agreement and pave the way for its execution.

The DENR communication had been among the remaining conditions for the implementation of the settlement between the province and Barrick, which signed the agreement in April 2025 but without a legal admission of liability.

he Court of Appeals approved the settlement in October 2025.

In 2006, Barrick acquired Placer Dome, a major stakeholder of Marcopper Mining Corporation, and has been at the forefront of settling the tailings leaks that flooded water ways like the Boac River thirty years ago.

Under the agreement, Barrick would pay the province US$100 million over three years once the conditions are fulfilled.

Barrick had earlier placed US$50 million in escrow, with the remaining amount to be paid in tranches.

The DENR communication became the focus of renewed calls from Marinduque environmental advocates and faith groups in recent weeks, particularly as the Oct. 4 deadline for the settlement approached.

On Sept. 28, the Diocese of Boac, MACEC and other groups held a prayer rally at the provincial capitol calling for the release of the DENR communication.

Marinduque Gov. Melecio Go had earlier asked DENR for technical guidance as to whether the settlement money would be sufficient to address the province’s rehabilitation and remediation needs.

The University of the Philippines Rural High School (UPRHS) has strongly condemned the red-tagging of the institution and its constituents over its commemoration of the 54th anniversary of martial law last month.

In a statement released Thursday, UPRHS said a social media post published by the Facebook account identified as ‘Emjay Chico’ and shared by ‘Lorraine Baddie’ (Lorraine Badoy) alleged that high school students were used in a political activity on school premises.

The photos in the post were first published by The Ruralite, the school’s official student publication, to show how UPRHS marked the UP Day of Remembrance, an institutionalized university activity commemorating the declaration of martial law.

The observance ‘reflects on one of the darkest periods in Philippine history’ and is ‘anchored on historical record, scholarship, and the university’s continuing commitment to learning from the past,’ UPRHS said.

‘The UPRHS program for UP Day of Remembrance was student-initiated and student-led, properly communicated to parents, and conducted with the necessary permits and institutional approval,’ it added.

UPRHS disputed the allegations against the institution, saying participation in the activity ‘was completely voluntary.’

‘We believe in developing learners who can think critically and engage with the complex problems confronting Philippine society and affecting their basic rights to education, a decent life, and human dignity,’ it said.

UPRHS said it was ‘deeply concerning that a legitimate educational activity and those who participated in it have been subjected to red-tagging.’

The school said it categorically rejected the use of red-tagging as a means of ‘intimidating, silencing, or casting suspicion upon our students, faculty, and staff.’

‘Contrary to insinuations of exploitation in the said posts, we are committed to keeping learning safe – not by shielding the youth from difficult questions and harsh realities, but by creating a learning environment where their right to inquire, speak, and express themselves responsibly is protected,’ it said.

UPRHS, located in Bay, Laguna, was intended for vocational education in 1927 through Philippine Legislative Act 3377. It later improved its program through linkages with UP Los Baños and evolved into a state university high school with a science-oriented and college preparatory curriculum.

The Philippines and Singapore have concluded negotiations to update their nearly 50-year-old double taxation agreement to reflect changes in their economies and the international tax landscape.

On Friday, the Department of Finance (DOF) announced that negotiators held discussions in Singapore from Sept. 22 to 25 for four days.

The renegotiation will update the agreement first signed by the two countries in 1977.

‘The Philippines is committed to strengthening tax cooperation across the region. The renegotiation of the DTA will help modernize our tax framework to support investment and economic growth while protecting our legitimate taxing rights,’ Finance Secretary Frederick Go said.

The agreement sets a framework to avoid double taxation by defining how each country will levy taxes and apply credits to income taxes already paid by citizens and residents of both countries.

The prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial said its decision to repeatedly drop witnesses is not a bluff or an attempt to confuse the defense, but part of its continuing assessment of evidence presented to the court.

The panel regularly reviews its list of witnesses and checkS if their testimonies would provide new information or merely repeat evidence, the lead public prosecutor, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, said in a press briefing Thursday, Day 32 of the trial.

Luistro made the statement after the prosecution withdrew former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV as a witness for Article II, which covers allegations involving Duterte’s unexplained wealth and undeclared assets.

‘It is not true, ever since, since day one, what we have been saying is that we have a practice of revisiting the list of witnesses; we have a practice of deciding after one witness – was this covered or not, do we proceed with this witness?,’ she said.

‘It is a continuing process,’ she said, adding that the prosecution considers several factors before deciding whether to proceed with or dispense with a witness.

Counsel for the prosecution, Lorna Kapunan, said that Luistro’s announcement was not made arbitrarily, saying that she made it after a ‘collective determination and appreciation of what has been presented in terms of testimony and in terms of documents.’

According to Kapunan, the decision to refrain from fielding Trillanes was not abruptly made, as it was the subject of discussions, adding that such matters are ‘very dynamic depending on the circumstances.’

The lawyer, who also announced previous withdrawals of witnesses, said that the reason behind the prosecution’s withdrawal of Trillanes was the same reason why they brought down the number of witnesses for Article IV, or grave threats, from 12 to three; and for Article I, or confidential fund misuse, from 25 to 12.

‘Initially, with grave threats we had 12 witnesses, but because of the strength of the testimony of three of the witnesses from the NBI, we decided to dispense – having proven already the clear issue, the clear grave threats,’ Kapunan said.

‘So that came from a determination after assessing the evidence, both testimonial and documentary. The same with confidential funds, we were supposed to present 25 witnesses, 4,900 plus documents; we decided on 12 because after 12 witnesses we felt that it was sufficient enough,’ she added.

Regarding Trillanes, Kapunan said the former senator’s previous testimony before the House justice committee was already included in the impeachment court’s judicial notice. She said his expected testimony would therefore be largely covered by the existing record.

Aside from Trillanes, the prosecution had decided to forgo the presentation of several high-profile witnesses in the past. It was Kapunan who announced last July 14 that the prosecution team would no longer present Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez, Office of the Vice President (OVP) chief-of-staff, as her testimony would be unnecessary.

For his part, Trillanes said he would disclose on Friday the contents of his testimony he was supposed to give before the impeachment court.

He said in a Facebook post that it was he who asked Luistro to remove his name from the prosecution’s list to relieve the panel of the ‘pressure it is going through.’

It is not clear what pressure Trillanes was referring to, but several netizens, including vlogger and lawyer Jesus Falcis, claimed that there were individuals who are against the presentation of the former senator.

The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division has affirmed its denial of a bid by a Pasay City Regional Trial Court judge to junk his bribery case.

Pasay Regional Trial Court Branch 108 Judge Alberto Cansino and court interpreter Mariejoy Pangan Lagman were indicted for allegedly accepting P6 million in exchange for a favorable decision in a civil case on May 23, 2024, according to the case information by the Office of the Ombudsman.

In a 25-page resolution promulgated on Sept. 30, the Sixth Division junked Cansino’s instant Motion for Reconsideration Ad Cautelam.

This motion seeks to appeal the court’s denial of his motion for consideration of his motion to quash or his bid to junk the case.

‘Insofar as his motion to quash is concerned, accused Cansino’s instant Motion for Reconsideration Ad Cautelam is already his second motion for reconsideration,’ the court said.

‘But even on the merits, the instant Motion for Reconsideration Ad Cautelam should still be denied.’

Cansino argued that his case should be dismissed due to questions about the validity of the Ombudsman’s Review Resolution.

The defendant said the investigators failed to establish the required quantum of prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty to conviction.

The anti-graft court, however, said it has jurisdiction or authority to review and reverse the Review Resolution.

‘Accused Cansino must resort to the proper remedy, which is to file a petition for certiorari with the Supreme Court,’ the court said.

Cansino also pointed out that the Department of Justice (DOJ) had a resolution recommending the dismissal of the complaint against him and Lagman.

The court, however, said it conducted its ‘independent evaluation’ of the Review Resolution and its attached supporting evidence, in which it found sufficient grounds exist for the finding of probable cause for the issuance of a warrant of arrest against Cansino and Lagman.

‘Moreover, that the DOJ arrived at a conclusion different from the Ombudsman’s is of no moment,’ according to the court, noting that the Office of the Ombudsman has primary jurisdiction over cases cognizable by the Sandiganbayan.

‘In the exercise of such primary jurisdiction, the Office of the Ombudsman may take over, at any stage, from any investigatory agency of the government, the investigation of such cases,’ it continued.

Tachiana Mangin could not hold back the tears.

The junior world champion had just fallen short of the Asian Games gold medal she came to Japan believing she could win.

Instead, she stood on the podium with silver around her neck after losing to China’s Ma Jingyue in the women’s 49kg final Friday.

For a moment, the medal felt more like a reminder of what she had missed.

‘I came really for the gold and fell short. It was disappointing. I’m sorry,’ said Mangin, fighting back tears.

But somewhere between the disappointment and the tears was the realization that this loss could become something far more valuable than a gold medal on a single night.

Mangin knows she is still only beginning to understand what it takes to consistently beat Asia’s elite. Her silver, however, was not the only one celebrated by the Philippines on a memorable Friday night.

Tokyo Olympian Kurt Barbosa also reached the men’s 58kg final and claimed silver after falling to Kazakhstan’s Tamirlan Tlueles. Barbosa’s medal was the Philippines’ eighth silver of the Games.

The two taekwondo silvers therefore carried significance beyond the disappointment of missing two gold-medal opportunities.

They added to a Philippine medal haul that has reached historic territory at these Games.

With a tally of 4 golds, 8 silvers and 16 bronze medals, Team Philippines has surpassed the most number of medals the country won in 60 years or since Filipino athletes brought home 22 medals in the 1970 Asiad in Bangkok, Thailand.

‘But I see it as a learning experience, something I could carry in future tournaments ahead,’ added the University of Santo Tomas sophomore.

And that may ultimately be the most important takeaway from her first Asian Games final.

By December, Mangin will return to the continental stage at the Asian Indoor Martial Arts Games in Saudi Arabia, where she is expected to encounter another field filled with many of the elite fighters she faced here.

Then comes the World Championships next year, another opportunity to test herself against the best in the sport.

The Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia will follow in the second half of 2027.

Then comes the ultimate target. Los Angeles Olympics 2028.

‘That’s definitely the dream. I’ll try to be patient and work doubly hard to be there,’ Mangin said.