Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday urged parents to watch for behavioral changes among their children as he called for greater vigilance to prevent school violence following a series of incidents involving students.

The call came after school shooting incidents in Tacloban City, Zamboanga City, and South Cotabato that resulted in at least eight deaths and several injuries in the past three months.

‘We must closely watch over our children, our young people. We must ensure that they do not get involved in these kinds of acts. This is not easy to do-we all need to be vigilant and work together,’ the president said in his remarks after visiting Patul Elementary School in Santiago City, Isabela.

‘We must do this together, including the parents. Of course, you are the first ones who need to watch your children for changes in their behavior-if they become unusually sad, angry, or anything else. We simply need to keep a close eye on them,’ Mr. Marcos added.

Protecting young people, the president said, is a shared responsibility among parents, teachers, and the government.

Teener found with gun

‘We need everyone-the national government and local governments-to work together and help ensure that our children can study well and remain safe, so that we do not see any more unfortunate incidents,’ Mr. Marcos added.

On Thursday, a 15-year-old student in Catarman, Northern Samar, yielded a gun and bullets after policemen, who were responding to an alert from school authorities, confronted him inside a classroom at Catarman National High School on Thursday.

This came after another student told a teacher that the Grade 10 student was allegedly carrying a firearm inside the classroom, reports from the Eastern Visayas regional police showed.

The teacher reported the matter to the school administration, which then notified the Catarman municipal police.

Police recovered a .45-caliber pistol without a serial number, four magazines and 10 rounds of ammunition from the minor. The student reportedly told authorities that the gun and bullets belonged to his father, who is a bus driver.

A source, who asked not to be named due to lack of authority to speak to reporters, told the Inquirer that authorities were assessing whether the minor had acted with discernment when he brought the firearm to school, a determination that could affect whether a complaint may be filed.

The source said the student claimed he had no intention of harming anyone.

No class suspension

Classes at the school, which has more than 5,000 enrolled students, were not suspended following the incident.

But police met with school officials to review and strengthen safety and security measures to protect students, teachers and other school personnel.

Sen. Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson on Saturday said information revealed by former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV in connection with Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case has ‘no probative value.’

Trillanes on Friday held a press conference at which he revealed the contents of his testimony that was supposed to be presented to the Senate impeachment court.

This came after the House prosecution team announced that it would no longer present Trillanes as a witness on the alleged unexplained wealth charges against the vice president.

In an interview with DWIZ 882, Lacson, a senator-judge, said Trillanes’ claims lacked probative value because they were made at a press conference.

‘It has no probative value. First of all, that was a press conference. Secondly, it isn’t even part of the court record. So, how could it possibly have probative value?’ he explained when asked if Trillanes’ statement carried weight.

He added, ‘Now, it is up to the prosecution to present a witness who has the documents presented by Senator Trillanes.’

Among the allegations Trillanes raised were more than P319 million that CALE88 Foods Corp., a company linked to Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, received from the Chinese government and China-based corporations.

For Lacson, if the former senator’s testimony were presented before the court, it would be met with objections.

‘All I can say is that whether it takes place in an impeachment court or at a trial, I expect a barrage of objections from the defense-from the respondent’s side,’ he said.

From a general viewpoint, he said statements from individuals with no personal knowledge or competence regarding the matter usually encounter objections from counsel.

‘Regarding the records, the source of those official records should be the one to testify – not relying on a third party, so to speak, who lacks personal knowledge,’ he stated.

South Korea won men’s football gold at the Asian Games, beating host Japan 1-0 in Saturday’s final to lift the gloom after a disastrous World Cup and series of damaging controversies.

Swansea City’s Eom Ji-sung rifled in on the hour to give the Koreans their fourth straight title in front of 30,000 fans at Toyota Stadium near Nagoya.

Japan was looking to win gold for the first time since 2010 and was coached by Go Oiwa, who will take over the senior national team after next year’s Asian Cup.

The Asian Games are contested between under-23 squads with three overage players.

South Korea endured a miserable World Cup in North America this year, going out in the group stage after a shock loss to South Africa.

Coach Hong Myung-bo quit but his departure did little to quell public outrage over the disappointing campaign and added fuel to pre-existing questions about how he was hired.

Police raided Korean FA headquarters in August as part of an investigation into Hong’s 2024 appointment.

The KFA also apologized for allegations that it provided sexual entertainment for foreign referees.

Eom, who played at their dismal World Cup, put a smile on Korean faces with a brilliant goal, lashing home a left-foot shot against the run of play.

The win secured military exemptions for South Korea’s players.

Nearly every able-bodied South Korean male is required to perform at least 18 months of military service, but the government rewards Asian Games gold medals and Olympic medals of any colour with an exemption.

This year’s squad follows in the footsteps of senior captain Son Heung-min and Atletico Madrid playmaker Lee Kang-in.

The Koreans had players with European experience throughout their team and Eom threatened with an early chance that went over the bar.

Japan, fielding a mostly home-based Under-21 team, suffered a setback when forward Uche Nwadike was stretchered off midway through the first half with a knee injury.

The 40th Negros Trade Fair (NTF) ‘Butlak 2026′ generated around P118 million in combined reported sales, reflecting strong market demand for Negrense products and enterprises, NTF chairperson MaryAnn Colmenares said.

Organized by the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), the six-day trade fair was held at SMX Convention Center at SM Aura Premier, from Sept. 22 to 27.

Colmenares said P75 million came from spot sales, while P43 million came from business-to-business sales, including business orders and transactions generated through institutional buyers, retailers, distributors, and other business partners.

Spot sales increased from P54 million in the previous edition to P75 million this year, representing a 39-percent increase or an additional P21 million in direct consumer purchases, she added.

The strong results underscore the continued demand in the Metro Manila market for products created by Negrense entrepreneurs, makers, designers, food producers and creative enterprises, Colmenares pointed out.

Butlak 2026 marked the 40th edition of the Negros Trade Fair, one of the country’s longest-running regional trade fairs. The milestone edition showcased the breadth of Negros’ craftsmanship, food, design, creativity, and enterprise, Colmenares said.

Spearheaded by the ANP, its rollout was done in partnership with the provincial government of Negros Occidental and the SM Group.

The results reflect the growing market reach of Negrense enterprises and the continued demand for products rooted in local craftsmanship, creativity, food, design, and innovation, Colmenares added.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) is fast-tracking special permit applications for 1,003 buses ahead of the All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day holidays.

Acting LTFRB Chairman Greg Pua said the board received 356 applications covering the buses, which will serve routes in various parts of the country during the Undas period.

‘We are reviewing all the data that we have to determine the appropriate number of passenger buses that will be given special permits,’ Pua said.

The number of applications and buses is higher than last year’s 323 applications covering 847 buses, indicating increased demand for travel to and from the provinces, the LTFRB said.

Special permits allow additional public utility vehicles to operate beyond their regular routes during periods of increased passenger demand. If approved, the permits will be valid from Oct. 28 to Nov. 6.

Pua said the board would check the roadworthiness of buses before approving the permits and require operators to ensure their drivers are mentally and physically fit to drive.

The LTFRB also warned that operators may be penalized for reckless driving by their drivers.

Regional Franchising and Regulatory Office personnel were also ordered to inspect bus terminals and ensure compliance with basic passenger facility requirements.

‘We ask the operators to just comply with the commitment they made when they applied not only for special permits but also for the operation of terminals,’ Pua said.

The LTFRB said transport firms and terminal operators were penalized last year for operating ‘dilapidated transport terminals.’

Senator-judge Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson on Saturday said that there’s no truth to claims that former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV was blocked from appearing before the Senate impeachment court to testify.

‘Hindi, hindi totoo ‘yon,’ Lacson said when asked during a DWIZ interview if Trillanes’ assertion that he was blocked by Presiding Officer Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero and some senator-judges to testify before the court was true.

(‘No, that’s not true.’)

At a press briefing on Friday, Trillanes has called out Escudero for allegedly singling him out on the issuance of subpoenas.

He expressed that he did not feel welcome, which prompted him to ask the House prosecution to remove him from the list of witnesses for Article II of the Articles of Impeachment on Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial.

But, Lacson explained, ‘Maliwanag yung ruling ng presiding officer, hindi magi-issue ng subpoena, pero kung magbo-bolentaryo na ipre-presenta ng prosecution si Sen. Trillanes ay papayagan ng korte,’

(‘The presiding officer’s ruling is clear: no subpoena will be issued, however, if the prosecution voluntarily presents Sen. Trillanes, the court will allow it,’)

He emphasized, ‘Maliwanag ‘yon, wala namang pumipigil,’

(‘That’s clear, no one is stopping it,’)

Lacson has earlier dismissed the allegations made by Trillanes regarding the issuance of subpoenas, clarifying that the decision was not made by Escudero alone.

‘Just so the public knows: not to defend the Impeachment Court’s presiding officer, but the decision not to subpoena former Sen. Sonny Trillanes wasn’t made by him alone,’ he stated in a post in X, formerly Twitter, on Friday.

He then explained in the radio interview that the decisions made by the Senate impeachment court were decided by the 20 senator-judges present.

‘Remember, twenty kami ngayon na nandiyan, so pwede siyang ma-overrule kung sa tingin namin, ng majority sa amin, o kung may magmi-move at mapagbo-botohan na makontra siya, babaguhin, ire-reverse ‘yong kanyang ruling,’ he said.

Alas Pilipinas team captain Bryan Bagunas embraced all the lessons from the Asian Games with his teammates as they finished their campaign in 13th place.

Alas was initially scheduled for a final classification game on Saturday, but Kyrgyzstan opted not to play, handing the Philippines 13th place after a 25-0, 25-0, 25-0 win by forfeiture.

Bagunas thanked all the people who supported the team after he revealed at the start of their campaign that the program is still facing the same problem of lack of support and inadequate allowances.

‘Thank you so much for being with us throughout this journey!’ Bagunas said in a Facebook post in Filipino.

‘We ended our Asian Games campaign with a hard-fought win over Uzbekistan. In every match, we gave our all and represented the Philippines with pride and honor.’

Bagunas erupted for 26 points in a 25-19, 25-15, 23-25, 25-17 victory over Uzbekistan.

Amid its off-court battles, Alas got a morale-boosting first win after a winless pool stage, losing to South Korea, China, and Chinese Taipei and dropping its first classification game to Indonesia.

‘Thank you to everyone who continued to believe in and support Alas. We’ll carry these lessons and experiences with us as we continue working for Philippine volleyball,’ said Bagunas. ‘We love volleyball. Above all, we love the Philippines. Let’s go, Alas Pilipinas!’

Alas also placed 13th in the 2022 Hangzhou Games.

Overcast skies and rain are forecast over parts of Visayas and Mindanao on Saturday due to the trough of a typhoon located outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in its latest forecast, Typhoon Choi-Wan was located 2,430 kilometers (km) east of Northern Luzon.

It is carrying wind speeds of 130 km per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 160 kph.

While not expected to enter PAR as it continued to head northwards towards Japan, Pagasa said its trough is expected to bring rain over parts Western Visayas, Negros Island region, Central Visayas, Leyte and Southern Leyte, as well as the entire Mindanao.

Meanwhile, generally fair weather is expected to prevail throughout Luzon the same day.

However, chances of short-lived rain showers remain possible due to localized thunderstorms which would be more likely to occur in the afternoon and evening.

The temperature range in key cities/areas across the country for Saturday will be:

Metro Manila: 24 to 32 degrees Celsius

Baguio City: 18 to 24 degrees Celsius

Laoag City: 25 to 33 degrees Celsius

Tuguegarao: 26 to 35 degrees Celsius

Legazpi City: 24 to 33 degrees Celsius

Puerto Princesa City: 25 to 33 degrees Celsius

Tagaytay: 24 to 30 degrees Celsius

Kalayaan Islands: 26 to 32 degrees Celsius

Iloilo City: 24 to 32 degrees Celsius

Cebu: 26 to 31 degrees Celsius

Tacloban City: 25 to 33 degrees Celsius

Cagayan De Oro City: 26 to 31 degrees Celsius

Zamboanga City: 24 to 33 degrees Celsius

Davao City: 24 to 32 degrees Celsius

Amid negotiations among political parties in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on forming a coalition to form its incoming government, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Vice Chairman Mohagher Iqbal on Saturday said that a final shape up will only emerge when parliament members eventually vote on Oct. 30.

Iqbal issued the comment as the Bangsamoro Federalist Party (BFP) announced on Friday that it has secured the support of 46 of 80 elected members of the regional legislature.

Iqbal, who is a Member of Parliament-elect, dismissed the claim as ‘more a matter of optics than political reality.’

In a post on social media, Iqbal said that in negotiations, nothing is agreed upon until it is formally signed.

‘The ball is still round, so to speak. October has only just begun,’ he said.

Iqbal said the outcome would depend on which party holds the stronger bargaining chips, adding that the national government would also weigh which political formula better serves the national interest.

The choice, according to Iqbal, is between ‘a united or a fractured BARMM.’

Following the Sept. 14 regional parliamentary elections, the BFP secured 31 seats while the MILF’s United Bangsamoro Justice Party had 30.

Both can decide to coalesce to form a majority in parliament to elect the regular Chief Minister who will head the regional government as well as the Parliament Speaker and other key legislative officers.

Either can also form a coalition mainly with the BARMM Grand Coalition which secured 16 seats.

The regular parliament is set to convene on Oct. 30 this year, for a term that will end on June 30, 2031.

The lengthy negotiations between the Detroit Pistons and star center Jalen Duren didn’t leave any lingering animosity, at least not in the mind of head coach JB Bickerstaff.

Duren, an All-NBA Third Team selection last season, agreed to a five-year, $200 million contract on Thursday. There were reports during the offseason that the restricted free agent sought sign-and-trade options and even felt disrespected by the front office.

Duren, who was not made available to the media, underwent a physical and other testing on Friday and is expected to start practicing as early as this weekend. Bickerstaff brushed aside any suggestion that Duren might not be fully invested in rejoining the team.

‘The most important thing for us was having JD back with us and I know JD wanted to be back,’ Bickerstaff said. ‘All that stuff that was floating (around), we know what’s real. It’s a negotiating process and we went through the process and we knew he’d be back.’

Duren had little leverage, other than to sign a $9.6 million qualifying offer – which expired on Thursday night – and become an unrestricted free agent after this season. President of basketball operations Trajan Langdon repeatedly stated he had no interest in dealing his starting center.

Duren was eligible for a five-year contract worth up to $287 million but the fully guaranteed deal will still make him one of the top 10 centers in terms of annual salary.

‘There’s never been any bitterness between the group and how we feel about him and I know how he feels about us,’ Bickerstaff said.

Duren averaged a career-high 19.5 points last season, along with 10.5 rebounds per game on 65% shooting. He struggled in the playoffs, averaging 10.2 points as the top-seeded Pistons failed to get out of the second round.

‘We know how much he means to us and how important he’s been for us the past couple of years and how important he’ll be for us moving forward in the future,’ Bickerstaff said. ‘That’s our guy. He’s been our guy and we’re happy to have him back.’

Duren has ways to expand his game. He’s not a perimeter threat or a prolific shot-blocker (0.8 per game last season).

‘He hasn’t reached his ceiling, so there’s no reason why we wouldn’t expect him to take another step,’ Bickerstaff said. ‘I know that’s what he wants to do. He wants to continue to get better and reach greatness.’