Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

A nationwide campus tour is reaching out to young Filipinos to discuss the West Philippine Sea, government accountability and the 2028 elections, as organizers seek to encourage Gen Z voters to take a more active interest in national affairs.

Team Pinas brought its ‘GenZennial Tour’ to Mindanao State University-General Santos City on Wednesday, combining discussions on national issues with performances and activities designed for young audiences.

Cleve Arguelles, spokesperson for Team Pinas, said the tour focuses on the West Philippine Sea, government accountability, and issues young voters may consider as the country approaches the 2028 elections.

Among the topics were China’s actions in the West Philippine Sea, issues arising from the flood control controversy, and the impeachment proceedings involving Vice President Sara Duterte.

The program also features performances, lightsticks, photo booths and other activities patterned after events popular among young people.

Arguelles said the format was designed not only to attract Gen Z participants but also to find out which national issues matter most to them.

He said organizers initially wondered whether young people who spend much of their time online had become less interested in national affairs. Their experience during the tour, however, showed that students were also looking for information and face-to-face discussions.

According to Arguelles, such discussions allow students to ask questions and examine information amid the spread of fake news and disinformation online.

One session, titled ‘From TikTok to West Philippine Sea,’ connects young people’s use of social media with issues such as food security, the livelihood and safety of Filipino fishermen, and online disinformation.

The group also discusses the 2028 elections, including potential candidates and the performance of incumbent officials.

Arguelles stressed, however, that Team Pinas does not endorse candidates or tell participants whom to vote for.

‘We do not endorse candidates, and we also do not tell them whom they should vote for,’ he said.

Instead, Arguelles said, the group wants young voters to consider national issues when they eventually cast their ballots.

Team Pinas is a coalition of academics and community advocates from different universities and professions, including political scientists, public administration scholars, and lawyers.

Its activities also extend beyond campuses through ‘Baranggayan,’ or community-level discussions.

Arguelles maintained that the program is nonpartisan and focused on raising awareness among young people.

‘They are not merely the hope of the future. They are already the hope of today,’ he said.

Arguelles also urged young people not to lose interest in national affairs despite concerns over corruption and other problems confronting the country, saying Gen Z could use its collective voice to participate in discussions on issues that could shape its future

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV revealed that he asked lead prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro to remove his name from the list of witnesses to be presented by the prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.

In a statement on his Facebook page on Thursday, Trillanes said he asked Luistro to withdraw his name to relieve the prosecution panel of the ‘pressure it is going through.’

‘Earlier in the day, I requested the House prosecution under Chair Jinky Luistro to formally withdraw my name as a witness for the prosecution. This way, the prosecution panel would be relieved from the pressure it is going through,’ he said.

‘Having said that, I will hold a press conference tomorrow to present all the matters that I would have presented and released during the impeachment trial,’ he added.

Before the impeachment trial went on a lunch break, Luistro manifested before the Senate Impeachment Court that they had finally decided to refrain from presenting Trillanes as their witness for Article II of the Articles of Impeachment.

‘The prosecution has finally decided not to present former Senator Sonny Trillanes. We seek the kind indulgence of the honorable impeachment court for the belated final decision on this particular concern,’ Luistro said.

Article II contains allegations that Duterte has unexplained wealth and failed to declare this in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

It is not clear what pressure Trillanes was referring to, but several netizens, including vlogger and lawyer Jesus Falcis, claimed that individuals opposed the former senator’s presentation.

Trillanes has been seen as a crucial witness in establishing a case under Article II, as he has claimed for several years that Duterte and members of her family, including her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, hid bank accounts not stated in her SALN.

Last April 22, when the House of Representatives’ Committee on Justice held confirmatory hearings regarding the two impeachment complaints against Duterte, Trillanes was called as a resource person to shed light on his claims of hidden bank accounts.

Trillanes presented several bank accounts during the April 22 hearing. Later, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), through Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, confirmed that several financial transactions mentioned by Trillanes were the same fund movements that the agency had flagged or monitored.

The confirmation came after Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima randomly picked 18 financial transactions listed in Trillanes’ annexes and asked the AMLC to check if these were part of its investigation.

Buenaventura confirmed that 18 out of 18 randomly picked transactions in Trillanes’ annexes matched the AMLC’s records.

On Thursday, Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo urged the prosecution to be strategic in presenting its witnesses, suggesting that Trillanes be presented first before going to the AMLC executive director.

Tulfo said this as he scolded the prosecution for instances in which they failed to pique the curiosity of senator-judges, as they supposedly fielded witnesses unnecessary to Duterte’s impeachment trial.

When Presiding Officer and Senator-judge Francis Escudero said Flores would give the answer after lunch, Tulfo said he was raising the suggestion because the prosecution seemed to have stumbled several times in presenting witnesses.

Trillanes was also seen at the Senate premises last Tuesday. When the prosecution presented Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte as a witness, Trillanes was present to monitor the proceedings.

Authorities seized about P1.7 million worth of suspected shabu and arrested a suspected drug peddler during a joint buy-bust operation in Poblacion 5 here on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

The operation was led by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Maguindanao del Norte Provincial Office (PDEA-MagNor), according to PDEA-BARMM Regional Director George Paul Alcovindas.

Joining the PDEA in the entrapment operation were operatives from Cotabato City Police Office, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency 17 (NICA 17), PNP Drug Enforcement Group-Special Operations Unit BAR (PDEG-SOU BAR).

Arrested was alias ‘Ivan/Jehad,’ 22, a farmer, of Barangay Kuden, Talitay, Maguindanao del Norte.

Recovered from the suspect were five heat-sealed transparent plastic sachets containing suspected shabu weighing about 250 grams, with an estimated street value of P1.7 million.

Authorities also recovered a mobile phone, the buy-bust money, a black belt bag, a white plastic bag, and a brown paper bag allegedly used in the transaction.

The suspect is currently under the custody of the PDEA BARMM jail facility pending the filing of appropriate charges.

He is set to face charges for violation of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

PDEA BARMM urged the public to support its campaign against illegal drugs by providing authorities with information on suspected drug activities

Seawater samples collected from Carigara Bay tested positive for Pyrodinium bahamense, a toxic microorganism associated with paralytic shellfish poisoning, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said in an advisory on Tuesday.

The positive samples were collected from waters covering parts of Babatngon, San Miguel, Capoocan, Barugo and Carigara, all in Leyte.

The detection of Pyrodinium bahamense, a dinoflagellate commonly associated with red tide events in Philippine waters, has prompted authorities to monitor the affected areas and remind coastal communities and consumers to observe existing shellfish safety advisories.

Red tide occurs when certain microscopic algae, including toxin-producing dinoflagellates, multiply rapidly in marine waters. Some species can produce toxins that accumulate in filter-feeding shellfish such as mussels, oysters, and clams.

Consuming contaminated shellfish can cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), which may lead to symptoms ranging from numbness and vomiting to difficulty breathing and, in severe cases, death.

The presence of the microorganism in seawater does not necessarily mean that the water itself is poisonous to people. The main food-safety concern is the accumulation of toxins in shellfish and other marine organisms that may be consumed.

BFAR regularly collects and tests seawater and shellfish samples in areas where red tide organisms are detected.

Consumers are advised to follow official advisories from the BFAR before gathering or eating shellfish from affected waters.

Further monitoring will determine whether toxin levels in shellfish warrant a shellfish ban or other restrictions.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said it had sent invitations to Vice President Sara Duterte, former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and other individuals whom former police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. linked to his ‘cash delivery’ allegations.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said invitations were sent to their respective addresses Thursday.

These include siblings Sara Duterte and Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte, as well as Velasco and his wife, Rowena.

They are scheduled to appear before the NBI on Monday next week, Oct. 5.

Gracioso, Velasco’s former aide, alleged that he personally delivered suitcases filled with cash to the vice president, Paolo Duterte, and former President Rodrgo Duterte between 2018 and 2020.

The NBI earlier released the former cop’s polygraph examination results, where it showed ‘no deception indicated’ regarding his sworn affidavit.

‘So, there are still people we will invite and subpoena,’ Matibag said.

The vice president maintained that she does not know Gracioso, further denying his allegations in a statement

Far Eastern University coach Sean Chambers has called his deep rotation a good problem to have.

On Wednesday, the Tamaraws showed why.

FEU stunned defending champion La Salle, 90-78, at Mall of Asia Arena, riding a balanced attack to improve to 2-1 in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament.

Five Tamaraws scored in double figures as FEU controlled the game from start to finish and bounced back strongly from its first loss.

‘We got in the gym, we got better, we pushed each other and sometimes, pain becomes one of your greatest teachers,’ Chambers said.

Kirby Mongcopa led FEU with 20 points, while rookie Cabs Cabonilas provided a major lift off the bench with 17 points and six rebounds.

Jorick Bautista added 12 points, Mo Konateh had a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds, and Jedric Daa chipped in 10.

The victory put FEU at 2-1, joining Ateneo, National University, University of the Philippines and University of Santo Tomas in a five-way tie near the top of the standings.

Luis Pablo paced La Salle with 15 points, while Mason Amos and Doy Dungo scored 10 apiece as the Green Archers fell to 1-2.

Earlier, UST squandered most of a 23-point lead before holding off University of the East, 98-87. INQ

For the complete collegiate sports coverage including scores, schedules and stories, visit Inquirer Varsity.

Anti-narcotics operatives arrested a high-value target, seizing P3.4 million worth of suspected shabu from him during a drug buy-bust operation in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi on Wednesday night.

Abraham Solon Kalim, head of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (PDEA-BARMM) Tawi-Tawi provincial office, identified the suspect as Mahadir Arabani Udja, 28, a resident of Barangay Silubog, Bongao.

A high-value target, Udja was immediately arrested after he handed over the alleged shabu to an undercover agent in Barangay Tubig Tanah during the entrapment operation at about 8 p.m.

Joint operatives from PDEA, Philippine Marines, and the Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) recovered 10 sachets of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride weighing 500 grams with a value of P3.4 million.

Kalim lauded the operational support from members of the 4th Marine Rifle Battalion under Lt. Colonel Richard Malabanan, Tawi-Tawi police provincial director Colonel Byron Alatog, and Bongao municipal police chief Colonel Roy Zantua.

The operation came two days after PDEA-Tawi-Tawi also seized P20.4 million worth of suspected shabu during a drug buy-bust in the waters off Bongao.

The previous operation led to the arrest of an alleged big-time drug peddler, identified as Sheik Sahid Basa Abdulla, who was injured when the drug deal turned violent after he and his cohorts opened fire on approaching lawmen

Carlo Paalam gets a chance to end the Philippines’ 16-year Asian Games boxing gold drought when he faces Japan’s 22-year-old hometown favorite Rui Yamaguchi in the men’s 55-kilogram final Friday at Nishio Gymnasium.

Paalam, 28, reached the gold medal round after beating Kazakhstan’s reigning world champion Makhmud Sabyrkhan by a 3-2 split decision Wednesday, assuring the Philippines of at least a silver medal.

A victory in the 12:15 p.m. bout (Philippine time) would give the Philippines its first Asian Games boxing gold since Rey Saludar won the 52-kilogram division at the 2010 Guangzhou Games.

It would also give Paalam his first Asian Games silver or gold after winning bronze in Jakarta in 2018 and falling in the quarterfinals at the 2023 Hangzhou Games.

‘You can’t say what will happen in the ring. I’ll just give my best,’ Paalam said in Filipino after beating Sabyrkhan, whom he previously defeated at the 2022 Asian Elite Boxing Championships.

Paalam, a Tokyo Olympic silver medalist, is coming off a long injury layoff entering the Asian Games.

Yamaguchi, meanwhile, switched from kickboxing to boxing in middle school and won Japan’s national championship at 51 kilograms in 2024 before moving up to 55 kilograms with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics in mind.

The 2026 Asian champion at 55 kilograms also competed at last year’s World Boxing Championships and reached the final with three 5-0 victories.

Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines president Marcus Manalo said Paalam, the last boxer standing in Aichi-Nagoya, has the experience and speed advantage against the highly touted Japanese, who has the edge in height and reach.

‘It just really depends on who will be able to execute the competition plan,’ he also said. ‘But I’m sure Carlo will be up to the challenge.’

Paalam is one of several remaining chances for the Philippines to increase its gold medal haul with two full days of competition left before Sunday’s closing ceremonies.

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV will reveal on Friday, October 2, the contents of his testimony that he would have delivered before the Senate Impeachment Court if he was called as a witness of the prosecution.

Trillanes said this in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Thursday.

This comes after he admitted that it was him who had asked lead public prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro to remove his name from the prosecution’s list of witnesses.

‘Earlier in the day, I requested the House prosecution, under Chair Jinky Luistro, to formally withdraw my name as a witness for the prosecution,’ Trillanes said.

‘This way, the prosecution panel would be relieved from the pressure it is going through,’ he explained.

‘Having said that, I will hold a press conference tomorrow to present all the matters that I would have presented and released during the impeachment trial,’ he disclosed.

In a press briefing after the trial on Thursday, counsel for the prosecution Lorna Kapunan said that while they do not know what Trillanes will be stating, it will be more freewheeling for him to state his concerns during a press briefing, than in a trial.

Kapunan believes that Trillanes not serving as a witness means that he is not covered by the sub judice rule.

The sub judice rule under Rule 18 prevents senator-judges, lawyers from the prosecution and the defense, the respondent, and the witnesses from making statements that delve on the merits of the case.

‘Maybe it would be better that the presentation is made out of court,’ Kapunan noted.

‘It may be in fact more exciting because he will not be covered by the sub judice rule. So you can ask him anything and everything,’ the prosecution counsel stated the advantage.

Earlier, Luistro manifested before the Senate Impeachment Court that the prosecution will no longer call Trillanes as the prosecution’s witness for Article II of the Articles of Impeachment.

‘The prosecution has finally decided not to present former Senator Sonny Trillanes,’ she told the senator-judges.

‘We seek the kind indulgence of the honorable impeachment court for the belated final decision on this particular concern,’ Luistro said.

Article II contains allegations that Duterte has unexplained wealth and failed to declare this in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

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

Trillanes has been seen as a crucial witness to establish a case for Article II.

He had been saying, for several years now, that Duterte and members of her family – including her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte – had hidden bank accounts not stated in her SALN.

On April 22, when the House committee on justice held confirmatory hearings on the two impeachment complaints against Duterte, Trillanes was called as a resource person, to shed light on his claims of hidden bank accounts.

Trillanes presented several bank accounts during the April 22 hearing.

Later on, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), through Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, confirmed that many financial transactions mentioned by Trillanes were the same fund movements that the council had flagged or monitored.

The confirmation came after Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima randomly picked 18 financial transactions listed in Trillanes’ annexes, and asked AMLC to check if this was part of its investigation.

Eventually, Buenaventura confirmed that 18 out of all the 18 randomly-picked transactions in Trillanes’ annexes matched the AMLC’s records.

The Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee (BARSc) of the House of Representatives on Thursday approved an additional over P8 billion in amendments to the funding of the education sector for 2027.

The BARSc began its deliberations on the proposed amendments to the P7.2-trillion House budget bill on Thursday. The subcommittee, composed of select lawmakers from major political parties and the minority bloc, is tasked to discuss amendments expected to be introduced by lawmakers before being voted on the floor for second reading.

House committee on appropriations chairperson Rep. Mikaela Suansing introduced P1,952,000,000 worth of amendments to six line items under the Department of Education (DepEd). The agency received over P916 billion allocation under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

The biggest chunk of the amount was allotted to the additional budget for the basic education facilities program worth P952 million. Suansing said that as this will fund additional classrooms, the House of Representatives will exercise its oversight functions to ensure that the construction of classrooms will not be delayed.

Suansing also presented P500 million worth of additional allocation for DepEd’s school safety and security program. She noted that Education Secretary Sonny Angara requested P800 million in funding as it was not allocated any funding under the 2027 NEP amid the growing concerns of school violence across the country.

The chairperson then proposed for P350 million funding for DepEd’s Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program, noting that the initiative got no funding under the 2027 NEP.

She also proposed additional funding for the Special Needs Education Program, Indigenous People Education Program, and the Madrasah Education Program worth P75 million, P25 million, and P50 million, respectively.

Meanwhile, the Tertiary Education Subsidy and Tulong Dunong Program under the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) received P3,868,865,000 in amendments as proposed by Senior Deputy Speaker Ferdinand Hernandez.

Hernandez proposed P2,102,475,000 and P1,766,390,000 for the Tertiary Education Subsidy and Tulong Dunong Program, respectively. He noted that the Tulong Dunong Program received no funding under the 2027 NEP.

The committee also approved P360 million worth of amendments under three line items to the budget of the University of the Philippines System.

Deputy Speaker Janette Garin proposed the allocation of P70 million for the UP Center for Education and Development in its Diliman campus, noting that it received no allocation under the 2027 NEP.

FPJ Panday Bayanihan party-list Rep. Brian Poe then introduced the allocation of an additional P250 million for the funding of Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards). Project NOAH which was defunded in 2017, was the country’s flagship disaster risk reduction and management program.

Poe also presented the allocation of P15 million for the UP Diliman Institute of Mathematics, as he shared that it got no funding under the 2027 NEP. It has been recognized by the CHEd as a Center of Excellence since 1998.

Samar Rep. Stephen James Tan also proposed the inclusion of P456,000,000 for the locally funded projects of various state universities across the country.

Lastly, Ilocos Sur Rep. Kristine Singson-Meehan introduced P1,435,910,000 worth of amendments to two line items under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. Training for Work Scholarship and Special Training for Employment Program received P966,650,000 and P469,260,000, respectively.

All motions made for the amendments of these items received no objections from the members of the subcommittee.

With a total of P8,072,775,000 amended allocation proposed for the education cluster, Suansing underscored the national government’s responsibility to provide sufficient funding to sustain programs under the sector.

‘We have repeatedly said, on the part of the House of Representatives, to make sure that the education cluster gets the biggest budgetary share in our budget,’ Suansing said.

The Article XIV, Section 5(5) of the 1987 Constitution mandates the government to give the highest budgetary priority to the education sector and ensure that teachers will receive sufficient remuneration and other means of job satisfaction.