Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

A poll watchdog has urged the House of Representatives to consider basing a proposed law against misinformation and disinformation on transparency rather than mere content regulation, as the latter supposedly has the tendency to result in censorship.

At the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reforms’ hearing on Monday on four bills seeking to ensure the fair use of the internet, social media, and artificial intelligence (AI) during elections, the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (Lente) said it wanted to avoid a chilling effect, as defining misleading and false content would depend on the implementing agency and could touch on protected speech.

‘We would like to anchor enforcement in transparency rather than content regulation. Our comparative mapping of disinformation policy found through jurisdictions relying on content regulation broadly-worded definitions of false content […] have produced censorship and abuse rather than a better information environment,’ Lente Executive Director Ona Caritos said.

‘Several of the pending measures make the creation and dissemination of fake news a punishable act. Definition of that breath, coupled with criminal liability, risks chilling protected expression and being turned against critics rather than against organized operations,’ she added. ‘Lente urges caution on this, and cause for transparency approaches over content regulation.’

Instead, Caritos told the House panel that they prefer transparency measures like the disclosure of who was behind the use of technologies in the campaign material, who financed the campaign, and other information that would relay to the public who the personalities involved are.

‘The provisions most likely to work are the transparency provisions, mandatory disclosure of AI use, paid advertisement disclosure, identifying who paid for the material, the public database of funding and spreading disclosures proposed in one of the measures, and the right of reply,’ she explained.

‘Transparency initiatives are less draconian and effective in addressing the problem of disinformation by increasing the perception of accountability, insofar as suppliers of political content are concerned,’ she added.

After the presentation, committee chairperson and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong asked Caritos to expound how she intends this proposal to be carried out. In response, Caritos said they prefer disclosures of who are the parties behind the campaign, instead of an outright removal of the content.

‘Chair, it’s more on the disclosure on the part of the users and the platforms, so the responsibility or the obligation should be lodged on the part, primarily on the platforms, the different social media platforms on disclosure and transparency, and of course the users, for example if they use AI in the campaign, they should disclose that they use AI,’ Caritos said.

Adiong then reminded Caritos that the reason why the bill is being pushed is to remove false information on the internet during election season – whether these campaign materials are in favor or against a particular candidate.

‘Actually it’s not even the negative (campaigning), it’s entirely a different story because we intend to address fake news nga eh ‘di ba? So either way, positive or negative, basta hindi tama, hindi dapat ‘yan ilalabas ‘di ba?’ Adiong said.

(Actually it’s not even about negative (campaigning), it’s entirely a different story because we intend to address fake news, right? So either way, positive or negative, as long as it’s not correct, that should not come out, right?)

‘So the responsibility share should be primary lodged on the social media platforms, so they have that responsibility to disclose, to be transparent, and to act as soon as possible on post like what you mentioned chair, the negative campaigning or campaigning against for example the electoral process or negative information about the electoral process,’ Caritos responded.

Before Caritos’ presentation, four bills have been consolidated, including House Bill (HB) No. 3691 or the proposed Social Media, Artificial Intelligence and Internet Technology Regulation for Fair Elections Act from House Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander Marcos.

Marcos’ proposal defines various terms related to the internet like AI, bots, deepfakes, and coordinated inauthentic behavior (CIB), as well as who and what parties will be covered by the proposed measure.

HB No. 3691 would allow ‘election propaganda on the internet and the social media’ but will be ‘subject to the limitation on authorized expenses of candidates and parties, observation of truth in advertising, and to the supervision and regulation’ by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

‘Social media posts, regardless of format, whether original or re-posted from some source, which may either be incidental to the poster’s advocacies of social issues or which may have, for its primary purpose, the endorsement of a candidate only including paid advertisements in internet subject to the requirements set forth in Section 5 hereof and the Fair Elections Act shall also be allowed,’ Section 4 of the bill stated.

Also, the bill listed what activities will be considered prohibited:

Use of ‘false amplifiers’, such as fake accounts, bots, and astroturf groups filled with fake users to propagate disinformation and misinformation in endorsing or campaigning against a candidate, a political party/coalition, or party-list organizations

Coordinated inauthentic behavior and utilization of hyperactive users for the aforementioned purposes

Creation and dissemination of deepfakes, cheapfakes, and soft fakes for the aforementioned purposes

Use of fake and unregistered social media accounts during the election and campaign period for the same purposes

Creation and dissemination of fake news in furtherance of the aforementioned purposes

Use of content produced through AI technology but without compliance to the transparency and disclosure requirements under these guidelines

No one has been penalized for engaging in CIB, but the said activity has been observed several times in the Philippines. As early as M arch 2019, then Facebook Cybersecurity Policy head Nathaniel Gleicher said they removed 200 fake accounts operating under the network of communication strategist Nic Gabanuda Jr. for CIB.

Gabunada was the social media campaign of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

According to Gleicher, the taken-down accounts were made to appear as normal and legitimate accounts while boosting messages in favor of certain political candidates.

Then in September 2020, Gleicher announced that the social media platform had taken down two networks for CIB again, with one of the networks being traced to the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

On Day 33 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Monday, the House prosecution is set to present Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura.

Buenaventura is expected to testify on suspicious transaction reports involving Duterte, her husband Manases Carpio, and their business interests. His testimony will be followed by representatives from banks and insurance firms subpoenaed to testify on financial records that could shed light on the allegations of unexplained wealth.

Investors looking for winners among the country’s biggest listed companies had a short list by the end of the third quarter.

Only six of the PSEi’s 30 constituents as of Sept. 30 finished above their Jan. 2 closing prices.

Leading the blue-chip race was Enrique Razon Jr.-led International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), which surged 60.40 percent to P891 from P555.50.

Its run included a historic milestone in July, when ICTSI became the first domestic listed company to close with a market capitalization exceeding P2 trillion.

The port operator ended July 14 with a market value of P2.01 trillion. This rose to P2.02 trillion the next day as its shares closed at a then-record P999 after touching P1,020 intraday.

Aboitiz Equity Ventures ranked second, climbing 34.75 percent to P38 from P28.20.

Ayala Corp. gained 5.57 percent to P500 from P473.60, while LT Group rose 3.39 percent to P15.26 from P14.76.

Puregold advanced 2.08 percent to P39.20 from P38.40. Monde Nissin completed the winners’ circle, inching up 0.85 percent to P5.90 from P5.85.

With four in every five blue chips ending in the red, ICTSI sailed far ahead of the pack.

But this is only the third-quarter scorecard. With one lap left in 2026, investors will see whether the six can stay afloat-or whether a late rally reshuffles the blue-chip race. – Emmanuel John B. Abris

A pop-up booth at the mall

The Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) is bringing its latest Retail Treasury Bond offering (RTB) 32, to TriNoma on Oct. 2 as it marks the program’s silver anniversary and looks to get more Filipinos comfortable with investing.

Last year, the Treasury took a step in that direction when RTBs became available through GCash’s GBonds. This year, it is taking the experience offline and straight to the mall.

That’s the whole tenet of RTBs, after all: bringing bonds closer to the people.

The idea is to make government securities feel a little less intimidating and investing a little more accessible, with visitors able to play games, win freebies, get one-on-one advice from BTr experts and, for those ready to take the plunge, invest on the spot.

All of this is part of the BTr’s push to bring RTBs to a wider pool of small investors, who can put in as little as P5,000, as the government seeks to raise as much as P150 billion in new money from the latest offering.

There’s even a little anniversary math to RTB 32: the 25-year-old program is celebrating with a 2.5-year bond, paying 6.875 percent a year until investors get their money back in April 2029.

Twenty-five years in, the Treasury seems to be taking the message quite literally: if you want more people to buy bonds, sometimes you just have to bring the bonds to where the people are. – Nyah Genelle C. De Leon

Moment boss goes the distance

One of the women behind the operator of some of the Philippines’ most recognizable restaurant brands has just made a significant stride in running. And no, we don’t mean running the pass, as we mean it quite literally this time.

Eliza Antonino, cofounder and CEO of The Moment Group, recently pulled off a personal feat after completing the 42-kilometer Berlin Marathon, which became the latest addition to the World Marathon Majors under her belt.

And Antonino didn’t go to Berlin to cross the finish line.

According to The Moment Group, she emerged as the third-fastest Filipina in her age group and the 11th-fastest Filipina overall among those who tackled the Berlin course.

She brought a little bit of home along for the run, too. Antonino tackled the Berlin course in a jersey emblazoned with ‘Iba talaga ‘pag Pinoy!’ and the logo of Manam, one of Moment’s homegrown restaurant brands.

Antonino cofounded The Moment Group with Abba Napa and Jon Syjuco in 2012 and has since helped build the operating machinery behind the restaurant group’s expansion.

More than a decade later, Antonino is still racing toward new goals.

The Quezon City government has advised motorists to expect heavy traffic in some areas on Sunday due to the procession of the image of La Naval de Manila.

In an advisory, the city government said the ‘Recorrido,’ or route of the La Naval de Manila image procession, will run from Sto. Domingo Church to the Diocesan Shrine of Sto. Niño Parish.

‘Motorists are advised to take alternative routes,’ it added.

According to the QC government, heavy traffic is expected from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the following blessing stations:

Station 1. Brgy. Talayan Hall

Station 2. Masambong Brgy. Hall

Station 3. Brgy. Del Monte Multi-Purpose Hall

Station 4. San Pedro Bautista Church (Damayan)

Station 5. Brgy. Mariblo Hall

Station 6. Brgy. Paraiso Hall w/ Sta. Cruz

Station 7. Brgy. Paltok Hall

Station 8. Brgy. Nayong Kanluran Hall

Station 9. Heart of Jesus and Mary Parish (West Triangle)

Station 10. Sto. Rita de Casia Parish (Philam)

Station 11. Sto. Cristo de Bungad Parish

Station 12. District 1 Action Center (San Antonio)

Station 13. Christ the King Parish (Veterans Village)

The local government said personnel from the Traffic and Transport Management Department, Department of Public Order and Safety, Task Force Disiplina, and Quezon City Police District are on standby to manage traffic along the procession routes.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) on Sunday said it revoked the authority to operate and the renewal of application of two transport network companies (TNCs) over failure to meet certain requirements.

According to the LTFRB, the Leggo Information Technology and Aztech Solutions International Corp. were not able to abide by the conditions set in providing a platform for transport network vehicle service.

The agency noted that investigations conducted proved reports that the two TNCs were no longer operating.

‘The granting of the Certificate of Accreditation comes with a responsibility, an obligation and a commitment to provide the best services to the commuting public. That’s one of the conditions that must be strictly followed,’ LTFRB acting chairperson Greg Pua said.

‘When rules are violated, that’s when accountability begins like in the case of these two TNCs,’ he added.

The LTFRB also said that the two TNCs were penalized with cancellation and revocation of their Certificate of Accreditation after they failed to provide valid reasons over the administrative issues raised by the agency.

The application for the renewal of their Certificate of Accreditation was also revoked for failure to comply with the agency’s requirements.

With this, Pua reminded public utility vehicles (PUV) to comply with the standards and guidelines set by the agency.

‘PUV operation is a tough competition. There are operators who are more responsible and are ready to provide the kind of public transportation services that the Filipino people deserve,’ Pua said.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian urged economic managers to suspend, even temporarily, the excise tax on gasoline and diesel amid the continuous increase in petroleum products.

‘The economic managers should reconsider suspending the excise tax on gasoline and diesel, even if only temporarily, because oil prices have reached over $80 a barrel again and it continues to increase. There is now sufficient reason to suspend it,’ he said in an interview with radio dzBB on Sunday.

‘The [excise tax] should already be suspended because diesel and gasoline are also used by logistics companies, and the cost is passed on to food prices,’ he added.

According to Gatchalian, he earlier made the same suggestion of suspending the excise tax on gasoline to help bring down the cost of goods and prevent the it from being passed on to other basic commodities.

‘It need not be for long period of time, but at least while the gasoline prices are high,’ he said.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. earlier issued Executive Order No. 125, which suspended the excise taxes on liquefied petroleum gas and kerosene.

Bank and tax records that are set to be presented next week before the Senate impeachment court could help determine whether allegations made by former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV against Vice President Sara Duterte have factual basis, the prosecution team said Saturday.

The team was referring to Trillanes’ claims that Duterte had time deposits in local currency and in US dollars in 2007 and 2008 which she supposedly did not declare in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).

‘[…] Let us wait and see, based on the testimonies of upcoming witnesses and the records we examine, whether these financial transactions align with what we heard from former Senator Trillanes,’ private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said at the Saturday News Forum.

What Trillanes presented, however, has ‘no probative value’ at this point, according to Senator-judge Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson.

‘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?’ Lacson said in a dwIZ interview. ‘Now, it is up to the prosecution to present a witness who holds the documents presented by Senator Trillanes.’

‘The source of the official records should be the one to testify-not by relying on a third party, so to speak, who lacks personal knowledge,’ he added.

The prosecution is set to present representatives from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, banks and financial institutions, and Bureau of Internal Revenue next week as witnesses.

Trillanes was initially included on the list of witnesses the House prosecution was supposed to present, but the former senator decided to withdraw from the trial and held a press conference on Friday instead where he revealed the contents of his testimony.

Legal scrutiny

Duterte’s lawyers on Saturday dismissed Trillanes’ recent allegations as just ‘malicious fabrications’ and ‘black propaganda,’ noting that his refusal to appear before the impeachment court shows that the claims cannot survive legal scrutiny.

‘The moment he was faced with the very first opportunity to test his wild claims against actual facts, verified records, and law through cross-examination by the Vice President’s defense team, Trillanes folded. Instead of defending his claims under oath, he chose the comfort of a safe and scripted press conference where his lies could once again go unchallenged,’ said lawyer Paolo Panelo Jr. in a statement.

‘This sudden retreat is absolute proof that his claims cannot survive real legal scrutiny, and are nothing but black propaganda, which is par for the course for a professional character assassin,’ he added.

Panelo, who serves as Duterte’s spokesperson, said the Vice President would not be taking legal action against the former lawmaker, citing the protection he supposedly enjoys from the Marcos administration.

‘Pawns’

‘The Vice President would gladly sue him for these endless fabrications, but we have already witnessed how those who actively peddle malicious lies against her and her family are openly protected and propped up by this administration,’ he said.

Asked for clarification, Panelo said: ‘I wouldn’t rule out (suing Trillanes), but we are aware of how futile it will be in terms of getting a just result under this current administration.’

He said Trillanes is one of the many ‘pawns’ the administration is using to smear Dutertes. The others, he said, are Ramil Madriaga, the alleged former aide of the Vice President; Peter Advincula, known as ‘Bikoy,’ who linked the Duterte family to the illegal drug trade; and dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., who supposedly served as security detail for former Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.

Panelo also likened Trillanes’ accusations to previous claims that held no water, including that of the late lawyer Jude Sabio’s, who ended up withdrawing his communication from the International Criminal Court against former President Rodrigo Duterte; and Arturo Lascañas, a self-proclaimed member of the Davao Death Squad who accused the Vice President of being one of the architects of ‘Oplan Tokhang.’

Trillanes’ decision not to appear before the Senate impeachment court right when Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth was being tackled further put into question the veracity of his accusations, he said.

‘Confident that the law, the facts, and the evidence are squarely on her side, the Vice President will let the evidence before the Senate impeachment court speak for itself,’ Panelo said.

Likening soil testing to a diagnostic blood test before prescribing medicine, Agusan del Sur 2nd District Rep. Adolph Edward Plaza has urged national agencies and local governments to abandon agricultural guesswork and base farm support on scientific soil data.

In a video statement released Saturday from his address to the Society for the Advancement of Philippine Soil Science Inc., Plaza warned that decades of farm programs have poured funds into seeds, fertilizer, machinery, and roads while overlooking the most critical asset: the ground beneath

‘A doctor does not prescribe medicine without first understanding the condition of the patient,’ said Plaza, who serves as vice chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Food. ‘Agriculture should be the same. Before telling a farmer how much fertilizer to apply or what crop to plant, we should first understand the actual condition of the soil. Test first, understand the soil, then prescribe.’

Plaza warned that blanket fertilizer recommendations drain farmers’ resources at a time when commercial farm inputs remain expensive.

‘Every unnecessary application is money lost by the farmer,’ he pointed out, advocating for a shift toward site-specific, data-driven farming.

In Agusan del Sur, soil health has been integrated as the centerpiece of the provincial agricultural roadmap. The province established its own Provincial Research, Development, and Innovation Office alongside a state-of-the-art soils laboratory.

The objective, Plaza noted, is not merely running high-tech diagnostic equipment, but translating laboratory findings into practical guidelines that smallholders can easily execute on their farms-from determining optimal crop suitability to precise nutrient dosing.

Initial trials under the province’s science-driven programs have recorded up to a 50-percent increase in crop yield and a 25-percent reduction in fertilizer expenses over four cropping cycles.

The province’s soil initiatives have attracted partnerships with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (DOST-PCAARRD), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

These agencies have selected Agusan del Sur to pilot various research projects, including rubber-based cropping systems and cost-effective fertilization protocols for rice.

Plaza called on other agricultural provinces to mirror the initiative by investing in localized laboratory capacity, partnering with state universities and colleges (SUCs), and training field technicians who can bring soil science directly to farming communities.

He also commended soil scientists Prof. Vic Asio and Prof. Ian Navarrete, urging researchers to step outside academic institutions and work directly alongside LGUs, extension workers, and farmers.

‘What we are doing in Agusan del Sur should not remain exclusive to our province,’ Plaza said. ‘If the model works, let us study it, improve it, and replicate it. Ultimately, the value of soil science will be measured by what happens on the farm-whether our farmers can produce more, spend less, protect their land, and keep it productive for the next generation.’

An instructor and a student pilot escaped unharmed after their light aircraft made an emergency landing in a rice field in Arayat, Pampanga, on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 3.

Lt. Sherlyn Bañares, duty officer of the Philippine National Police Aviation Security Unit 3, told the Inquirer by phone that the incident occurred around 2:30 p.m.

Bañares said the US-made, two-seater Cessna 152, bearing body number RP-C8864, made the emergency landing in a rice field along the Magalang-Arayat Road in Barangay San Antonio after its 41-year-old pilot noticed unusual vibrations.

‘The training aircraft left Omni Aviation School in Clark Freeport Zone at 2:26 p.m. Upon reaching the area of San Antonio, Arayat, Captain Huelgas decided to execute an emergency landing on the rice field due to the unusual vibration in the aircraft,’ Bañares said.

She said the aircraft flipped over after landing, but Huelgas and the 23-year-old student pilot safely got out.

The two were taken to a hospital for medical examination and were later released after doctors determined they had not sustained any serious injuries.

The aircraft remained at the emergency landing site in Arayat as of Sunday morning, pending an investigation by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines.

As the country marks World Teachers’ Day on Monday, the Department of Education (DepEd) recognized a community-based teacher in Pampanga for nearly two decades of work providing education to out-of-school youth and other underserved communities.

Allan Delos Reyes, a Master Teacher II and Alternative Learning System (ALS) teacher at Minalin Elementary School in Pampanga, was among those honored.

The DepEd Heroes ceremony took place last week at President Corazon C. Aquino National High School in Pasay City.

Among the initiatives Delos Reyes developed was Project C.O.A.S.T.A.L.S., or ‘Eskwela sa Palaisdaan,’ which brings lessons to children of fisherfolk in coastal communities.

He also developed Education Behind Bars, which provides learning opportunities to persons deprived of liberty, former rebels, and children in conflict with the law.

Another initiative, Project kALSada, is a municipality-funded mobile classroom that delivers ALS modules to remote communities in Minalin, Pampanga.

‘This is not an award meant to stay in our home. It’s a reminder that there are more youth, more learners waiting for me every day, who are excited to learn relevant lessons which can be built into a better future,’ Delos Reyes said.

Education technology firm Frontlearners Inc., represented by President Leo De Velez and CEO Maria Elaine De Velez, was also recognized during the ceremony.

The recognition was held alongside DepEd’s national ceremony honoring schools and education partners whose efforts contributed to the Philippines’ improved performance in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment or PISA.

‘The Filipino talent is as competitive as any other nationality in the workforce,’ De Velez said.