Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The dismantling of fixtures and materials from the Senate office recently vacated by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was ‘standard practice,’ his office said on Wednesday.

According to them, ‘not a single centavo of public funds was wasted’ in the process, adding that the dismantled items, which were bought using Estrada’s personal funds, will be reinstalled in his new office.

‘It must also be emphasized that similar instances of dismantling fixtures and materials from a vacated senator’s office have occurred in the recent past,’ Estrada’s office said in a statement.

‘This is neither new nor unusual – it is an established and accepted practice within the institution, and singling out this particular transition for scrutiny is both unfair and misleading,’ it added.

The statement came after photos of the office being turned over to Senate President Pro Tempore Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III showed that the space was left in a stripped-down condition, with several fixtures, including portions of the flooring and walls dismantled.

Lawyer Marian Lucinario, from Sotto’s office, on Monday told the Inquirer that the office was left in an ‘unusable condition’ and that the situation was ‘unprecedented.’

Estrada’s office, however, maintained that the practice was not unusual and urged that the transition not be ‘politicized, sensationalized, or made into a manufactured controversy where none exists.’

Estrada’s office also said that its chief of staff, lawyer Racquel Mejia, had informed Sotto’s office ahead of the Oct. 5 deadline for Estrada to vacate the room that the fixtures, furnishings, and materials would be brought to his new office.

This contradicts an earlier statement from Sotto’s office that it had not received any correspondence from Estrada’s office regarding the turnover.

According to Estrada’s office, the matter was also explained to the resident Commission on Audit auditor.

Estrada’s office further noted that when the room was turned over to him in 2022, it was likewise bare.

This is again a contradiction from Lucinario’s message to the Inquirer on Monday, where she said that the office was ‘definitely not’ in the same condition when it was turned over to Estrada by its previous occupant, Sen. Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson who was the Senate President Pro Tempore prior to Estrada.

The Inquirer sought Lucinario and Lacson’s comment on the matter but has yet to receive a response as of posting time.

However, Lacson also said on Tuesday that he takes exception to the statement pertaining to the state or condition of the office when he turned it over to Estrada in 2022.

Classes across all levels in both public and private schools in Sibuco, Zamboanga del Norte, remain suspended on Tuesday due to persistent heavy rains and inclement weather brought by the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ).

Sibuco Mayor Joel Ventura extended the class suspension Tuesday morning to ensure the safety and welfare of students, teaching and non-teaching personnel, school administrators, and parents.

‘This measure is being implemented as a precautionary step to ensure the safety of everyone amid the prevailing weather conditions,’ the local government unit stated in its advisory.

Classes in the town were suspended on Monday due to the inclement weather.

According to the local 24-hour public weather forecast issued at 5 a.m. on Tuesday by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), the ITCZ continues to affect the entire Mindanao region.

The forecast warned that Zamboanga Peninsula and Misamis Occidental in Northern Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms.

PAGASA cautioned residents in affected areas against potential flash floods and landslides caused by moderate to occasionally heavy rains.

The Philippine government is set to receive technical assistance from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under a $500,000 regional program to strengthen safeguards against financial crimes, the Department of Finance (DOF) said.

In a statement, the DOF said the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will be among the recipients of the technical assistance, along with ADB’s other developing member countries.

The DOF has yet to specify how much of the total funding will be allocated to the Philippines, or identify specific projects and activities that will be funded in the country.

‘Through this assistance, we are strengthening the capacity of our institutions to prevent illicit finance and comply with international standards. These efforts help protect Filipinos and businesses from financial risks while fostering greater confidence in our financial system,’ Finance Secretary Frederick Go said.

‘We are building stronger institutions and systems that can help keep our financial sector safe, stable, and connected to the global economy,’ he added.

Under ADB rules, technical assistance supports the preparation and execution of development projects and programs, including feasibility studies, due diligence, pilot testing, capacity development and knowledge sharing, among others.

For the Philippines, the assistance is expected to help address financial crimes by strengthening legal and regulatory frameworks, building the capacity of government agencies and financial institutions, and improving supervisory systems, risk assessments, procedures and guidelines.

It is also seen to ensure that the country’s policies and practices remain aligned with international standards.

The assistance comes as the Philippines continues to strengthen its defenses against money laundering and terrorism financing.

The country’s latest National Risk Assessment, covering 2021 to 2024, gave the Philippines a score of 0.67 out of 1 for its antimoney laundering and counterterrorism financing framework, up from 0.60 in the previous assessment.

Still, the assessment said the country’s national-level money laundering threat remained high, citing drug trafficking, fraud, environmental crimes and tax offenses as major sources of illicit proceeds.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), in its latest 2026 annual regulatory plan, also said it was preparing amendments that would allow the watchdog to tighten its oversight of illicit financial activities.

The Philippines remains keen on exporting processed ube as it works to expand the global reach of locally produced agricultural products, the Department of Agriculture (DA) said.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. clarified the indefinite ban on raw ube exports, likely lasting until 2028, applies only to ube meant for planting.

In addition, Tiu Laurel said the Philippine government is ‘100 percent or even a million percent’ supportive of exporting processed ube in whatever form.

‘I want to clarify something: some news reports claim that I am banning the export of ube, but that is not the case,’ Tiu Laurel said in a statement on Tuesday.

‘To be clear, we are banning the export of ube planting material. Raw ube can simply be cut into pieces and planted, so we are essentially banning the sale of unprocessed, untreated raw ube that could serve as planting material,’ he said.

Moreover, Tiu Laurel explained that the export ban on raw ube aims to develop the local industry and prevent supply issues from overseas demand.

‘We want to steadily develop the ube industry, which has captured global taste buds, so we can limit, if not avoid, the missteps we made with previous high-value crops that drew overseas demand,’ the agriculture chief added.

Consequently, to support the industry’s development, the DA has sought P300 million to bolster ube production.

Meanwhile, the funding will double the current ube-planted area, with plans to add 1,000 hectares in the first year. Tiu Laurel earlier said that by 2028, the ube planting area will expand fourfold.

On the other hand, the government will allocate about P850,000 per hectare for the initial rollout of farm development and support facilities for the upcoming harvest cycle.

Furthermore, the DA eyes to accelerate the supply of planting materials through minisett propagation, alongside tissue culture and single-leaf nodal cuttings.

‘Farmers and cooperatives will source mother tubers from existing production areas, serving as multiplier farms,’ the agency said.

‘We will secure planting materials to ensure a sufficient supply for local production and prevent other countries from using Philippine planting materials to capture the growing global market.’ it added.

Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed that ube production dropped by 6.7 percent to 12,483.31 metric tons (MT) in 2025.

Police arrested a 32-year-old farmer during a search warrant operation in Barangay Cadacad in Narvacan town in this province on Sunday, Oct. 4, resulting in the seizure of suspected shabu, marijuana, and a homemade firearm and ammunition.

The Narvacan Municipal Police Station, in coordination with the Ilocos Sur Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, Provincial Intelligence Unit and other police units, conducted the operation at 5:15 a.m., according to a police report.

Police identified the suspect as a single resident of Barangay Cadacad and classified him as a street-level drug personality.

Authorities said they seized five small heat-sealed sachets containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu, with a combined estimated weight of 0.7 gram and a standard drug price of P4,760.

They also confiscated a plastic bag containing about 27 grams of suspected dried marijuana leaves valued at P3,330 under the standard drug price, along with an improvised glass tooter and two rolled aluminum foil pieces.

The operation also yielded a homemade .22-caliber revolver, four live .22-caliber Magnum rounds, four ordinary .22-caliber rounds and five .38-caliber rounds.Other items seized included a shoulder bag, plastic containers, a candy box and black gloves, police said.

Police said the seized items were inventoried and marked at the scene in the presence of the suspect and designated witnesses in compliance with legal requirements.

The suspect faces charges for alleged violations of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, and Republic Act No. 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

Two Philippine Military Academy senior cadets are now registered civil engineers after passing this year’s licensure examinations on September 26 and 27, the military school’s public information officer said on Monday night.

Army Cadets First Class Daniel F. Castro III of Dumalag, Capiz, and Carls S. Borja of Callao Norte in Lasam, Cagayan, finished their respective civil engineering courses before joining PMA, said Navy Lt. Commander Jesse Nestor Saludo, PMA spokesman.

Saludo said Castro ‘earned his Civil Engineering degree from Capiz State University.’ He described Castro as the eldest of three children whose father, Rex, died in a road accident. Their mother, Jennifer, is a municipal worker.

Saludo said Borja earned a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Saint Louis Tuguegarao. Borja is the son of retired policeman Ronilo and mathematics teacher Carolyn, who serves at the Callao National High School.

They learned the cadets had passed the exam when the Professional Regulation Commission released the test results on October 2.

Both new engineers are candidates for graduation next year as part of the Mandaraig Class of 2027.

In a news release, Saludo said, ‘Preparing for the board examination meant returning to engineering subjects after years of cadet training and finding time to review alongside their regular duties. The licensure examination also came during PMA’s final examination period, from which they are not exempt to take.’

Their cadet ranks are now referred to as Army 1CL, because the current first-class cadets were assigned their branch of service when they were second-class cadets (equivalent to third-year college students), Saludo told the Inquirer.

Once they graduate, Castro and Borja would very likely be commissioned as junior officers of the Philippine Army Corps of Engineers, he said.

Human rights group Karapatan criticized the University of Santo Tomas (UST) for suspending four student activists who staged a campus protest against the Philippine Air Force (PAF), calling the action a violation of their rights to free expression and peaceful assembly.

The students-Raven Racelis, Ralph Manuel, Mecaella Capallar, and Dex Frogoso-were suspended for four to 10 days over the April 21 protest.

Capala was also removed from her post as a student council officer, while the university withheld the students’ certificates of good moral character.

‘We stand with the UST students in their struggle against this latest act of repression that adds to the growing number of attempts by the state to suppress the people’s right to protest,’ said Karapatan in a statement on Tuesday.

On April 21, the students confronted PAF personnel in a military equipment exhibit at UST, which was commemorating its 415th anniversary and the PAF’s 79th.

The students raised concerns over the military’s use of assets and questioned the presence of military personnel on the campus.

Karapatan said the UST administration agreed to the PAF’s demand to discipline the students, but the ‘sanctions fell short of the PAF’s call to expel them from UST.’

‘It is alarming enough that the military is encroaching on campuses, stifling academic freedom and the students’ right to free expression and to protest,’ said Karapatan.

Motorists will see a mixed adjustment in fuel prices starting on Oct. 6, with gasoline again going up even as diesel slightly dips. In separate advisories, Shell Pilipinas and Seaoil said the prices of their gasoline products per liter would increase by P1.90 and P1.93, respectively.

Kerosene will also rise by P3.30 per liter while diesel will have a price drop of P1.30 per liter. Other oil firms have yet to announce their price adjustments.

In a statement late last week, Jetti Petroleum Leo Bellas said the potential price increases for Oct. 6 to Oct. 12 could be attributed to the continued supply disruption worries due to the conflict in the Middle East.

China’s decision to suspend exports of oil products to markets beyond Hong Kong and Macau likewise fueled ‘fears of worsening global product shortages,’ Bellas said.

Reina Mercedes, Isabela Vice Mayor Harold Respicio accused several village officials of involvement in the anomalous use of P66 million tobacco excise tax shares, which resulted in a heated exchange during a municipal council session.

The council session on Monday, posted on the Facebook page of Respicio, has been making rounds on social media. It has over 37,000 reactions, 8,400 comments, and 6,000 shares as of this press time.

The discussion on excise tax shares began when Councilor Hilaria Cutaran made a privilege speech urging Respicio to visit the sites of proposed projects under the tax shares.

She also acknowledged the village officials and farmers present to hear the discussion on the excise tax on tobacco products.

‘Bigyan nyo ng atensyon ang bayan ng Reina Mercedes, be considerate po para maging peaceful at progressive ang ating bayan. Dumito po kayo para malaman ang nangyayari sa bayan,’ she said.

(Give attention to the municipality of Reina Mercedes; be considerate in making this municipality peaceful and progressive.)

In his interpellation, Respicio said tobacco farmers want the excise tax on their products allotted to them amid allegations of anomalies.

‘Gusto nila na ang tobacco excise tax na nakalaan sa kanila sang-ayon sa batas mapunta sa kanilang pakinabang, hindi sa programang hindi ginagawa at dahil hindi nagagawa ang programa. Ang tamang gawin para sa kanya, ay ibigay na lang sa kanila nang substantial cash para sure na hindi manakaw,’ Respicio pointed out.

(They want that the tobacco excise tax allocated to them, as stated by the law, must be given to them and not to projects that are not implemented. The right thing to do is to give them substantial cash to ensure that the shares will not be stolen.)

The vice mayor then asked Cutaran if she knew where the projects from the tax shares from last year went. Cutaran confirmed that she has no knowledge of this matter.

In response, Respicio questioned why the tax shares must be allocated for other projects if they are not being implemented properly.

Cutaran then backtracked and said: ‘Wala naman sigurong programa na hindi magagawa.’ (There probably isn’t any project that is not being implemented.)

Respicio began raising his voice, pointing out the earlier pronouncement that she has no knowledge of the implementation of the projects.

‘Sabi mo gusto mo akong magtrabaho, nagtatrabaho ako ngayon. Magnegotiate tayo, ang premise natin is since walang report sa mga nagawa last year at hindi natin alam kung may nagawa at malaki ang suspetsa na hindi nagagawa, ang aking proposal ay huwag ka munang maglaan ng pera sa mga bagay na baka ulit hindi magawa dahil kapag hindi nagagawa… baka ninanakaw ang pera,’ he answered.

(You said you want me to perform my duties, so here I am doing my job. Let’s negotiate, the premise is since there is no report on the projects done last year, and we do not know if there is anything implemented and we have suspicion that they are not being implemented, my proposal is not allocate money on projects that may not be done because if that is the case… the money may be stolen.)

Cutaran then said that not all the tax shares must be given to farmers. Respicio once again asked if the tax shares must be allocated to unimplemented projects.

When Cutaran responded that it is ‘impossible’ for some projects to be unimplemented, Respicio said: ‘Hindi, kakasagot mo lang kanina na wala kang alam na proyektong hindi nagawa.’ (No, you just said earlier that you don’t know anything about projects that are not implemented.)

He then pressed the village officials in the room on the projects funded by the excise tax.

He told them that they are ‘sufficiently charged by law’ to provide quarterly reports on the progress of the projects funded by the tax.

‘Kung ipipilit ninyo na sabihin na wag ibigay yung pera sa tobacco farmers, at sabi nyo ibigay ang pera sa programa dahil sinasabi nyo na magagawa naman, ipakita nyo muna na nagawa yung last year,’ Respicio said.

(If you insist on not providing the money to tobacco farmers, and say that the tax shall be allotted to programs, show the progress of the projects from last year.)

An official then requested to check the progress of the projects in barangays, to which Respicio agreed to.

He asked another village official about the status of a rural health facility worth P5 million. Respicio raised his voice when the official said no project had been implemented.

Another village official intervened amid the exchange. In response, Respicio said that the session is a ‘civilized forum’ where they can confront each other.

Respicio raised concern about the alleged exclusion of tobacco farmers from participating in the session.

He then asked another village official if he was one of those who allegedly prohibited the tobacco farmers from participating in the previous session.

The village official also raised his voice and rejected the allegation, telling Respicio: ‘Bastos ka!’ (You’re rude!)

In response, Respicio told the village officials: ‘Mga magnanakaw!’ (You are thieves!)

As the exchange grew more heated, they moved to suspend the session, but it was not approved.

Respicio then asked the village officials how much they stole from the municipality. Another village official intervened and said: ‘Walang magnanakaw dito, walang napatunayang may magnanakaw.’ (No one stole here; there is no proof of that.)

As the village officials were being escorted out of the session hall, one of them threw profanities at Respicio and questioned his job as a vice mayor.

‘Andun ka lang sa Manila, hindi ka naman nagtatrabaho, kumukuha ka lang ng sahod mo,’ the village official said.

(You are just in Manila, you are not doing your job, you’re just getting your salary.)

Reina Mercedes is one of Isabela’s major tobacco-producing municipalities.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag encouraged Vice President Sara Duterte to appear at the bureau and present what she described as ‘false accusations’ made by dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr. against her.

This came after Duterte released a statement Monday evening saying they received Gracioso’s affidavit and that the former cop made 29 statements against her that she and her camp believe are ‘false.’

When sought for his response, Matibag on Tuesday said in an interview that ‘it is easy to make claims,’ but these remarks must be established with ‘evidence.’

‘And that’s what we are doing right now,’ the NBI chief emphasized.

‘So, if she will participate and come here, as we invited her and present to us what the 29 alleged violations are, then, we’ll be more than willing to investigate it, and compare it with other evidence,’ he said.

The NBI director also responded to Duterte’s statement that she expects the bureau to file perjury charges against Gracioso ‘once the agency completes its investigation and the evidence is fully evaluated.’

‘Thankfully, she’s saying that we can file a lawsuit,’ Matibag said and then, made a suggestion: ‘But if they can identify that there is a real violation, they can lodge a direct filing, [but] we will be happy to help them.’

He noted that even though Duterte will not appear at the NBI, the bureau will still ‘find ways’ to validate if Gracioso’s affidavit equates to ‘perjury.’

Duterte was first invited on Monday at the bureau, but her camp earlier wrote to the NBI, requesting to reschedule the date on Thursday, October 8.

‘We’re giving them leeway. Actually, it’s an invitation. It’s not a subpoena,’ Matibag clarified.

‘So hopefully, if they really have claims, either they come here or present the document via letter, attach the evidence, then NBI will do our job to investigate it,’ he added.

Gracioso said he delivered more than P2 billion to the vice president, P1 billion to former President Rodrigo Duterte, and P100 million to Davao City First District Rep. Paolo Duterte.

These deliveries were reporterdly done in tranches starting in 2018, upon the instructions of Gracioso’s former boss, former House Speaker Lord Allan Velasco.

Velasco-who is reportedly still out of the country-also earlier released a statement denying Gracioso’s narratives.

Three legal counsels of the former speaker and his wife, Rowena, appeared before the bureau on Monday to comply with their invitation letter and formally receive Gracioso’s affidavit.