Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Friday over 200 personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), including all its regional directors, are being investigated for an alleged scheme in which applicants are asked to pay for available ‘slots’ or positions in the agency.

At a press briefing at Camp Crame, Remulla vowed to ‘clean up’ the BFP, an agency of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). ‘This will be a massive purge,’ he said.

‘We’re now investigating more than 200 personnel regarding the slots-for-sale [scheme],’ he said, adding that ‘as of now, all regional directors are being investigated.’

But the BFP and the Philippine National Police have yet to finalize how many ‘slot-selling’ cases are being investigated, he said.

Reileved SFO

Police in Pampanga recently arrested a BFP official from Metro Manila with the rank of senior fire officer (SFO) 1, who allegedly asked an applicant at the bureau’s Central Luzon office to hand her an initial P500,000.

Fire Chief Supt. Wilberto Rico Neil Kwan Tiu, BFP officer in charge, said at the briefing the SFO concerned had been relieved from her post and is now facing dismissal proceedings.

According to police, this SFO had also allegedly claimed to have successfully orchestrated the hiring of four other applicants in the past year.

Remulla said these four applicants have been subpoenaed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) of the PNP.

‘They can either testify…or we will charge them because they paid,’ the interior chief said. ‘If they testify, we will give them clemency because they are as much … victim[s]. But they have to come out with all the deeds.’

Remulla said earlier the arrested SFO had named a ‘senior fire commissioned officer’ as an accomplice-further identifying that official as a deputy director for administration in BFP Calabarzon.

P100,000 to P800,000

Kwan Tiu also said the BFP and police had arrested another SFO 1 in the Ilocos Region who had recently been dismissed, but he did not provide further details.

The alleged scheme offered slots in the bureau ranging from P100,000 to P800,000, according to Remulla.

He said before his appointment to the DILG, BFP personnel involved in this scheme made at least P15 billion a year, including kickbacks in the purchase of equipment and additional fees for inspections.

Remulla and Kwan Tiu also cited recent reforms in the BFP, particularly the adoption of an electronic hiring system in the recruitment of applicants for next year.

‘As long as people are involved in the selection, that’s where corruption happens. Now, the lists are systems-generated,’ Remulla said.

Kwan Tiu said he will explore options with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) to protect the identities of BFP applicants. The bureau, similar to the PNP, publishes its lists of applicants in a bid for transparency.

Earlier this year, Remulla launched an anticorruption drive in the BFP, starting with criminal and administrative cases against more than 40 personnel and the relief of over 900 fire safety inspectors in Metro Manila for alleged questionable practices.

The campaign included the suspension of then BFP chief Fire Director Jesus Fernandez, whom Remulla had accused of facilitating a kickback scheme on the procurement of fire trucks and ambulances.

Remulla had vowed to ‘clean the BFP and remove all its syndicates.

‘My goal is to strengthen the institution of the DILG. It used to be very weak. It used to be very porous,’ he said. ‘I will not leave as [Secretary] until I clean this up.’

A college student was found dead by campus security at the University of Makati (UMak) on Friday morning.

According to a spot report by Taguig City police, the student was a 17-year-old male from Taguig City.

Initial investigation said a security guard saw the student ‘lying motionless’ and ‘apparently lifeless’ beside the university’s generator set around 8:30 a.m.

Campus security then reported this to Taguig police, who are investigating if the student’s cause of death ‘was indeed suicide or [if there was] any indication of foul play or other circumstances.’

In a statement, UMak said it extends ‘our heartfelt sympathies to the student’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.’

It added: ‘We kindly ask the community to respect the family’s privacy by refraining from spreading speculative details and by upholding compassion across all platforms.’

The country’s target of having offshore wind assets is gaining more ground as the Department of Energy (DOE) seeks to accelerate the acquisition of land properties to support its rollout.

In pursuit of that goal, the DOE and the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) inked a memorandum of agreement signed by Energy Secretary Sharon Garin and PNOC president and CEO Franz Josef George Alvarez.

The state-run company would serve as DOE’s designated agency tasked to speed up the processing of leases or permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The government hopes its goal of scaling up the share of renewable energy in electricity generation to 35 percent by 2030 will receive a boost from the firing up of offshore wind developments by 2028.

Currently, the share for clean power assets is 25 percent.

But the country’s first auction for wind technology has faced a delay. The DOE in July cited logistical issues, infrastructure readiness and supply chain risks tied to the Middle East conflict.

Projects for auction

The DOE, however, intends to pursue the green energy auction round for offshore wind projects by December. The bidding covers 3,300 megawatts of fixed-bottom offshore wind capacity, expected for delivery between 2028 and 2030.

The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) earlier said the Philippines needs at least $500 million to upgrade ports to support the launch of offshore wind parks.

Ann Margret Francisco, GWEC director for the Asia-Pacific, said in June the group has initiated talks with financial institutions to raise funds for the modernization of ports.

‘Particularly because it will be constructed at sea, you will need vessels. And for equipment of that size, you will definitely need adequate space. And that’s the reason why you would need ports as a starting point for the business,’ Francisco said

Continuous southwest monsoon rains triggered widespread flooding and soil erosion in several parts of Olongapo City since Friday, Aug. 28, leaving major roads impassable and forcing residents in a riverside barangay to evacuate.

Minor soil erosion was reported in Barangay Kalaklan at around 1:30 p.m., scattering rocks along the major road leading to Zambales, according to former Vice Mayor Rolen Paulino.

Water levels along Rizal Avenue near Apo Torunda began rising at around 2:30 p.m.

By 4:30 p.m., the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) ordered the preemptive evacuation of residents in Barangay Sta. Rita as water levels in the Sta. Rita River continued to rise.

The river eventually overflowed at around 6:30 p.m., spilling over the Del Rosario and Sta. Rita bridges and flooding portions of West Bajac Bajac, East Bajac Bajac, Kalaklan and Sta. Rita.

Traffic in the affected areas came to a standstill by 7 p.m.

Another case of soil erosion was reported along Napalan Street in Barangay Mabayuan. No injuries were reported.

Inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, several roads also became impassable because of flooding, according to Armie Llamas, officer in charge of the Office of the Deputy Administrator for Corporate Affairs.

Bravo Fence, San Bernardino Road, Labitan Street and Quezon Avenue were not passable to light vehicles, while the 10-13 Road near the Kalayaan Sentry was closed to all vehicles.

The CDRRMO issued a red rainfall warning at around 8:30 p.m., even as floodwaters began to recede in some parts of the city

The search for three Aetas, including two children, continued on Friday, a day after a boat carrying members of an indigenous community capsized in Mapanuepe Lake in San Marcelino town, killing six people.

The missing passengers are a 26-year-old pregnant woman and two children, ages 3 and 8. They were among 13 passengers aboard the boat that capsized at about 2 p.m. on Thursday near the Sunken Church in Barangay Buhawen.

The passengers were returning to their community in Sitio (subvillage) Lumibao after attending a government vaccination program and a meeting under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) when the boat encountered strong winds and rough lake conditions. Four passengers survived the incident.

Euphraim Jayson Diciano, head of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) in Zambales, said personnel from the PCG Special Operations Group were expected to conduct an underwater search for the three missing passengers.

Municipal disaster response personnel, police, the PCG and other responding agencies continued search and recovery operations on Friday despite heavy rains in the province.

The six fatalities were identified as Elvis Tiglao Pabalan, 33; Joanavie Mae Tiglao Pabalan; Sally Serrano Dela Cruz, 29; Prince Lenard Serrano Dela Cruz, 1; Evelyn Yurik Lagman, 45; and Cedric Serrano Liwanag, 2.

The four survivors were identified as Rebecca Paana Sulit, 39; Palit Liwanag, 32; Julian Pabalan Balario; and Marqie Paanan Balario.

The passengers were members of the Aeta community in Sitio Lumibao, located across Mapanuepe Lake from the main part of Barangay Buhawen.

Residents of the sitio rely on boats to cross the lake to reach the barangay proper, where they access government services and other facilities.

Isolated

The tragedy came as continuing rains further isolated other Aeta residents in San Marcelino.

Around 800 residents on the northern side of the river in Barangay Sta. Fe have remained isolated since Aug. 9 after floodwaters damaged a portion of a dike and swept away a bridge.

The damaged dike sustained further damage on Friday as a swollen river pushed floodwaters into nearby communities. A house collapsed after being hit by strong currents, although the family living there was able to evacuate, according to the San Marcelino Public Information Office.

Floodwaters also entered government buildings and a school, while water levels nearly reached a temporary footbridge being built in the area.

The municipal government postponed its scheduled relief operations because strong river currents made it unsafe for vehicles to cross.

Local officials continued to monitor the affected communities as heavy rains persisted, while rescuers pressed on with the search for the three missing Aetas.

Surigao del Norte Rep. Francisco ‘Lalo’ Matugas and his son Francisco ‘Bingo’ Matugas II are facing complaints for graft and malversation of public funds over an P80-million road project that allegedly remained unfinished yet reported on paper as complete, with the contractor already paid in full.

This was according to the spokesperson of the Office of the Ombudsman, who said the filing of the complaints was recommended by the now-deactivated Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), the body created by President Marcos in September 2025 to investigate public works anomalies.

’65-70% accomplished’

Also included as respondents were several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and officers of the private contractor Boometrix Development Corp.

Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano on Friday said a preliminary investigation is under way on the allegations against the Matugases, the DPWH personnel and Boometrix officers regarding the P80.61-million Mahayhay-Tuburan Road project in Del Carmen, Surigao del Norte.

According to Clavano, the project has been declared complete by the DPWH officials, allowing Boometrix to collect full payment.

However, a site inspection conducted in April by the Office of the Ombudsman found it ‘only 65 to 70 percent accomplished.’

‘The matter now proceeds to preliminary investigation,’ Clavano said at a press conference. ‘No finding of guilt has been made at this stage.’

House, AMLC notified

Aside from the proceedings at the Ombudsman, the agency’s investigators have notified the House committee on ethics and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) regarding the complaints against Lalo Matugas, he added.

The respondents will soon be ordered to respond to the complaints, Clavano said.

There was no immediate reply from Representative Matugas when the Inquirer asked for comment.

Recommendation

But in a statement last year, when the ICI made the recommendation for the filing, the lawmaker maintained there were no records that would link him to any financial interest and contractual involvement in the project.

But Clavano on Friday said investigators have also documented P457.13 million in loans between the Matugases and Boometrix, which he said supports the conclusion that both father and son held direct pecuniary interests in the company.

When the Premier Volleyball League was launched in 2017, Myla Pablo instantly became one of its faces together with Alyssa Valdez after they split the first two MVP trophies contested.

Pablo brought Pocari Sweat’s success from the Shakey’s V-League-the PVL’s predecessor-and took the country’s first pro league to greater heights with no-nonsense play and charisma not seen in everyone.

The National University product has remained one of the most reliable spikers in the league as she starts another chapter in her career after joining the Nxled Chameleons together with the core of Petro Gazz, which she helped win the All-Filipino and Reinforced Conference titles last year.

As the PVL kicks off its 10-year anniversary with the 2026-2027 season, the 32-year-old Pablo celebrates a decade in the league that made her a successful player, as a two-time Conference MVP, four-time champion and five-time Best Outside Spiker.

‘It’s really a blessing to see the PVL reach 10 years. I’ve been here since the Shakey’s days, so I’ve seen how much the league has grown,’ Pablo told the Inquirer in Filipino. ‘It’s also nice to still see Sir Ricky Palou (PVL president), who has been part of the journey.

‘I’ve been playing in the PVL for almost 10 years now, and I’m just grateful that I still have a team that trusts me and gives me the opportunity to play.’

Ten years in, but the veteran hitter continues to embrace bigger and tougher challenges, as Nxled continues to miss three-time MVP Brooke Van Sickle due to a shoulder injury in the Invitationals starting next week when the Chameleons face Creamline and the towering Jaja Santiago-Minowa on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

‘We’re also expecting to learn a lot from the foreign teams,’ said Pablo, as she looks forward to playing against Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City and Thailand’s EST Cola.

‘This is another chance for us to show what we can do as a team and test how strong we are on the court,’ she added. ‘We’ll see how our connection develops with our setters-Gel Cayuna, Juliana (Tolentino) and Djanel (Cheng)-and how we can handle the challenges against these teams.’

In the PVL on Tour, Nxled split its four preseason matches, losing its first game to Creamline and its final game to another Invitational contender, Farm Fresh.

Pablo said their team is working on their connection with Cayuna as their new main setter, while trying to reduce their lapses ahead of the Invitational.

‘Our preparation really focused on the things we still need to improve on, especially our communication lapses,’ she said.

Local stocks extended their decline on Friday, sending the benchmark index below the 6,000 level as concerns over further monetary tightening and weaker economic growth weighed on investor sentiment.

The Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) fell 0.8 percent, or 48.25 points, to close at 5,956.33. This marked the PSEi’s lowest close in more than two months, or since June 24, when it last traded at the 5,900 level.

Philstocks Financial Inc. said investors remained concerned about the impact of further Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) monetary tightening on the country’s economic growth outlook.

Sentiment was further dampened after Moody’s Analytics and the Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office had trimmed their growth projections for the Philippine economy.

The peso’s slide to a new record low also added pressure to the equities market. Luis Limlingan, head of sales at Regina Capital Development Corp., said the MSCI Philippine Index rebalancing influenced a significant portion of the market volume.

‘The rebalancing triggered broad-based selling across the market as investors adjusted their positions. Sentiment was further weighed by the recent BSP rate hike, keeping investors cautious,’ Limlingan said. Net value turnover reached P18.12 billion.

Foreign investors, however, remained on the selling side, posting net outflows of P3.51 billion

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is on red alert as it monitors the prolonged effects of the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ in parts of Luzon and the Visayas.

The alert status was heightened in adherence to National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) Memorandum 237, series of 2026, which raised the national alert status from blue to red effective 5 p.m. Friday due to recent weather systems affecting the country.

Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao of the DSWD’s Disaster Response Management Group (DRMG) assured the public that the department continues to prepare for the possible effects of prolonged rains and flooding.

‘We continue to be ready because of the continuous effects of the habagat in several areas of Luzon and the Visayas. Our field offices are on heightened alert, and our relief resources are ready so we can immediately respond to the needs of our countrymen when needed,’ the DSWD spokesperson said in a statement Saturday.

She said the DSWD will continue to monitor developments and maintain its relief resources and response teams on standby, in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure that assistance can be promptly delivered to families and communities as parts of the country continue to experience the prolonged effects of the habagat.

According to the latest Disaster Response Operations Monitoring and Information Communication (DROMIC) report, as of 6 p.m. Friday, the DSWD has more than 3.4 million family food packs (FFPs) prepositioned in various warehouses and other strategic locations nationwide.

The DSWD Central Office also has P558.77 million in Quick Response Fund (QRF) available to support immediate disaster response operations.

Dumlao emphasized that DSWD field offices are in close coordination with local government units (LGUs), particularly in areas that may experience flooding, displacement, or other disaster-related incidents, to facilitate possible relief augmentation and provide technical assistance.

She likewise reminded the public to stay vigilant and regularly monitor official weather and disaster advisories, particularly as the habagat continues to bring rains to affected areas.

‘We remind the public to be updated of official advisories from [the weather bureau] PAGASA and their local governments. We also encourage everyone to coordinate with their LGUs if they need to evacuate or for any emergency assistance,’ Dumlao said.

The SM Group received 12 Stevie Awards at the 2026 International Business Awards, with recognition spanning parent-company reporting and programs delivered through its malls and communities.

SM Investments Corporation, the parent company of the SM Group, received four awards. It won Gold Stevies in the Conglomerates (Large) and Best Annual Report (Publicly Held Corporations) categories for its 2025 Integrated Report.

Its 2025 Sustainability Report received Bronze for Best Sustainability Report. The SM Sustainability School also received Bronze under Sustainability Initiative of the Year in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

‘Clear reporting gives investors and other stakeholders a better view of how we make decisions, manage the business and plan for the long term,’ said Frederic C. DyBuncio, President and Chief Executive Officer of SM Investments. ‘The other awards show how that same sense of responsibility is carried through by our businesses in the communities they serve.’

That work can be seen across the eight awards received by SM Supermalls.

‘People experience a mall through the things they do there, not through what we say about it,’ said SM Supermalls President Steven T. Tan. ‘A place to read, an event that brings local art to more people, or a program that makes the mall easier to use can make a practical difference to a community.’

The Philippine International Pyromusical Competition won Gold for Brand Experience of the Year (Consumer), while the Find Your SM campaign received Silver in the same category.

The SM Green Movement won Silver for Achievement in Corporate Social Responsibility. The SM Cares Coastal Cleanup initiative received Silver for Achievement in Environment, while SM Cares: A Mall for All received Silver for Achievement in Diversity and Inclusion.

The SM Cares Book Nook received Bronze for Most Innovative Creative Project. The program makes space in malls for people to read and share books. The Empowering Communities campaign was also recognized under Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

SM Mindanao Art received Bronze in the Corporate and Community (Community Engagement Event) category, giving Mindanaoan artists and their work a wider public audience.

More than 300 business professionals took part in two months of judging. Winners were determined from their average scores.

The International Business Awards, now in their 23rd year, recognize organizations, executives, entrepreneurs and teams worldwide.