Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Authorities arrested two Korean national who allegedly yielded P1 million worth of ketamine in a buy-bust operation at the Clark Freeport Zone on Tuesday.

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) office in Central Luzon said the two Koreans, aged 31 and 38, were working in a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) but did not release further details about their employment.

It said one of the Koreans has been in the Philippines for a year while the other one arrived in the country six months ago.

‘Operating teams recovered approximately 200 grams of ketamine valued at P1,000,000, one mobile phone, and the marked buy-bust money,’ the PDEA said.

PDEA said it had initially received confidential information about the suspects’s alleged illegal activities.

After verifying the information, PDEA conducted the buy-bust operation against the two Koreans at a resort in Clark Freeport.

The arrested suspects are facing charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

In 2005, the Dangerous Drugs Board (DBB) included ketamine in the list of regulated and controlled drugs.

While used as an anaesthetic by doctors and veterinarians, ketamine is also used recreationally which is against Philippine law. It is a dissociative drug that causes individuals to hallucinate.

DBB allows licensed doctors and veterinarians to prescribe a maximum of only 1.5 grams of ketamine per patient.

Philippine landlords have weathered the property market’s twin challenges of excess vacant homes and weaker sales, as disciplined spending and a shift in investment portfolios help strengthen their finances, SandP Global Ratings said.

In a report released on Monday, SandP said the oversupply of residential properties had eased in 2025, although inventories of completed units awaiting buyers remained high.

The improvement has helped property developers narrow the decline in sales to 7 percent in the first half of the year, from an 11-percent contraction in 2025, the ratings agency said.

Developers are also recalibrating their portfolios to bolster resilience in a volatile market. Some are shifting toward more affordable residential projects outside Metro Manila, where supply and demand are more balanced, SandP said.

The country’s four largest property groups-Ayala Land, Megaworld, SM Prime Holdings and Robinsons Land-have also tightened their spending plans. Their combined capital expenditure for 2026 has been cut by 25 percent from initial plans amid ‘macro and industry uncertainties,’ according to SandP.

Still, the broader economic outlook remains a challenge for the property sector. SandP expects the Philippine economy to grow just 2.9 percent this year before recovering to 5.4 percent in 2027.

Excess supply

Consumer sentiment is likely to remain under pressure from heightened uncertainty, supply-chain disruptions, excess property supply in Metro Manila and weaker purchasing power, while higher interest rates could further weigh on demand, SandP said.

Banks are also expected to remain cautious in extending credit to homebuyers and developers.

‘Rising interest rates, weakening purchasing power could weigh on home demand for the mid to affordable segment over the next 12 months,’ SandP said.

Looking ahead, SandP said landlords were expected to direct more capital toward income-generating properties like malls and offices rather than residential development, supporting recurring revenue and more stable earnings.

Real estate investment trust, or REIT, subsidiaries that are majority-owned by developers are also expected to remain an important source of capital through asset recycling, it added.

Former Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers has accused Vice President Sara Duterte’s lawyers of issuing veiled threats about possible criminal liability for disclosing Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) reports.

This alleged action happens even when the impeachment court had already ruled on the matter.

Barbers, the spokesperson for the prosecution panel, made his sentiment known in a press briefing on Monday night, after the 33rd day of Duterte’s impeachment trial.

He said that it seems the defense panel did not do its homework as it refused to stop its threats, despite the fact that Presiding Officer and Senator-judge Francis Escudero already allowed AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura to testify.

‘Clearly, the manner of questioning during the cross (examination) is considered to be a sort of a veiled threat against the AMLC executive director, and, of course, the media was also mentioned,’ Barbers told reporters.

‘So I guess, the defense is not doing its homework,’ he noted.

‘Remember, this has already been repeatedly ruled by no less than the presiding officer – that there is no issue about confidentiality,’ he recalled.

Buenaventura, a witness of the prosecution, was scheduled to testify on Monday to authenticate documents and reports that the panel is using to prove allegations contained in Article II of the Articles of Impeachment.

Article II delves on allegations that Duterte has unexplained wealth and failed to properly disclose these assets in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

However, counsel for the respondent Mark Vinluan moved to defer Buenaventura’s testimony, saying that there are laws that protect the confidentiality of financial records.

Vinluan went as far as to say that those who disclose confidential information – including the media – may face administrative and criminal liability.

Escudero eventually denied Vinluan’s motion, allowing Buenaventura to answer the questions of counsel for the prosecution Mae Divinagracia.

Vinluan’s remarks were not lost on other senator-judges, like Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo who reminded the defense lawyer that the Senate Impeachment Court had already allowed the disclosure of AMLC records during the trial.

Barbers and lead public prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro both said this threat from Vinluan was misplaced, saying that the proper recourse is to bring up the issue before the Supreme Court.

‘If they have any issues regarding breach of confidentiality or laws that have been violated by the AMLC executive director, this is not the proper court or proper forum,’ Barbers pointed out.

‘They should do it. They should file charges against him, if they have seen anything wrong,’ he recommended.

‘What Senator-judge Kiko Pangilinan said is quite correct: If you have concerns, do not raise it here. Elevate the issue to the Honorable Supreme Court,’ Luistro said.

‘That is because that issue has been ruled upon already. Why say it again and again?’ she wondered.

On Tuesday morning, at the start of Day 34 of the impeachment trial, Vinluan apologized to the senator-judges who noted that he appeared to intimidate the witness or members of the media.

The prosecution has maintained that there is no wrongdoing in the House Committee on Justice’s decision to tackle the AMLC reports when it held clarificatory hearings on two impeachment complaints against Duterte.

Luistro said that proceedings at the Committee on Justice, which she heads, can be considered part of the impeachment process, as they fall under the provisions of Article XI of the 1987 Constitution.

The Batangas solon was referring to Article XI, Section 3 (1), which states that the House ‘shall have the exclusive power to initiate all cases of impeachment.’

This portion also states that any complaint will be referred to the proper committee, which in this case is the Committee on Justice.

There are no specific exception is stated under Republic Act No. 9160 or the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001.

However, Section 2 of R.A. No. 1405 or the Bank Secrecy Law states that bank deposits of whatever nature, as long as they are made within banking institutions in the Philippines, are considered confidential and cannot be examined, except ‘in cases of impeachment.’

The year-end balances of Atty. Manases ‘Mans’ Carpio’s Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) account at its Davao R. Magsaysay branch from 2022 to 2025 were unveiled Tuesday during the impeachment trial of his wife, Vice President Sara Duterte.

Prosecution counsel Atty. James Alih presented LBP R. Magsaysay Branch Manager Raquel dela Cerna, who testified that Carpio has an active bank account with the branch ending in 2730.

‘In my records, year-end December 2022 is P505,517.35 … for year-end 2023, the outstanding balance at that time was P953,681.42 … for 2024 it was P115,824.20 … for 2025 it was P1,358,373.07,’ dela Cerna said.

During cross-examination, dela Cerna also clarified that LBP does not inform a client’s spouse of the client’s bank transactions and records.

Asked whether a client’s authorization is required for the disclosure of bank details, Dela Cerna answered: ‘We require SPA, sir, Special Power of Attorney – an authorization.’

Prior to dela Cerna, LBP San Pedro Branch Manager Eunice Sumatra was also called to the stand, but her testimony was short-lived because, after going through several documents, she could not find the certificate of outstanding balances subpoenaed by the Senate impeachment court.

More bank representatives are set to testify on similar matters Wednesday, particularly those from the following banks:

Banks with Carpio’s records:

Asian United Bank

Philippine Savings Bank

Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. (Metrobank)

Security Bank

Bank of the Philippine Islands

Philippine National Bank

BDO Unibank Inc.

The Quezon City government on Tuesday advised motorists to take alternate routes as heavy traffic is expected Wednesday during the procession of the image of La Naval de Manila.

In an advisory, the local government said heavy traffic is expected from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. as the ‘recorrido,’ or procession route, runs from Metrobank in Commonwealth to the Mother of Divine Providence Parish.

The procession’s blessing stations will be at Holy Trinity Parish, Commonwealth Market, Our Lady of Remedies, Holy Spirit Barangay Hall, St. Benedict Parish, St. Peter Parish: Shrine of Leaders, Batasan Hills Barangay Hall, San Antonio de Padua Parish, Christ the King Parish, San Isidro Labrador Parish Church and Sagrada Familia Parish Church.

From Holy Trinity Parish, the procession will pass through Don Espejo Avenue, Pantaleona, Don Jose Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue before reaching Commonwealth Market.

It will then proceed through Don Diosdado, Don Doroteo, Don Francisco, Don Ernesto Street, Don Renato, Don Enrique Heights Gate Exit, Holy Spirit Drive and Faustino Street toward Holy Spirit Barangay Hall.

The route will continue through Cirio, Marcelino, Don Jose and Don Victorino before reaching St. Benedict Parish. From there, it will pass through Don Sergio, Don Vicente, Don Jose, Holy Spirit Drive, Commonwealth Avenue and Tandang Sora.

The procession will then proceed to St. Peter Parish: Shrine of Leaders via Batasan Road and Batasan-San Mateo Road, followed by a stop at Batasan Hills Barangay Hall and a U-turn in front of Sunnyside Heights Subdivision.

It will continue along Batasan-San Mateo Road, Filinvest 2 Road, Doña Francesca and Doña Juliana before reaching San Antonio de Padua Parish.

From there, the procession will pass through Knox Street, Don Vicente Street, J.P. Rizal, Macabulos and Bonifacio toward Christ the King Parish.

The route will then continue through Gen. Geronimo, J.P. Rizal and Don Vicente Street before reaching San Isidro Labrador Parish Church.

The final portion will pass through Don Vicente Street, J.P. Rizal, San Vicente, San Lorenzo, Sto. Niño de Payatas, San Juan Bautista, Sto. Niño Street and San Juan Evangelista Street toward Sagrada Familia Parish Church.

Traffic personnel from the Quezon City Traffic and Transport Management Department, Department of Public Order and Safety, Task Force Disiplina and Quezon City Police District will be deployed along the procession route.

The Philippines’ food and beverage retail sales growth are projected to be relatively flat in 2026 as weakening household consumption and rising living costs constrain consumer spending.

The US Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (USDA-FAS) said local retail food and beverage sales are estimated to reach $123 billion in 2026, representing a 1.7 percent uptick.

However, grocery retail sales are seen to drop by 3.2 percent to $61 billion for this year.

The foreign agency said that economic slowdown in the second quarter of 2026 has softened household consumption and prompted consumers to adopt price-sensitive, value-seeking consumer behavior.

This shift ‘could further pressure discretionary and premium or imported product segments,’ the USDA-FAS said in its Retail Foods Annual report.

Although the report said the Philippines’ gross domestic product is expected to grow by 4 percent this year due to sustained growth in manufacturing and services, these factors could weigh on the country’s economic growth.

‘However, rising transportation and energy costs, elevated inflation and weaker overseas remittances could curb domestic consumption and pressure overall economic growth,’ it said.

Citing information from the Philippine Amalgamated Supermarkets Association, the USDA-FAS said retailers have introduced smaller, budget-friendly packaging options at accessible price points while increasing prices of larger pack sizes to help protect margins.

The foreign agency said consumers are opting for cost-effective alternatives and focusing on essentials, while others prioritize value over volume.

Although consumers prioritized essential products, the report noted that food and nonalcoholic beverages remain the single largest component of household spending, comprising 36 percent of total consumption.

Defense counsel Mark Vinluan apologizes for any impression of intimidation during the defense team’s cross-examination of Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director, lawyer Ronel Buenaventura, in Monday’s impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Vinluan said the defense never intended to intimidate anyone, but apologized if a different message was conveyed and vowed to be ‘more circumspect.’

The Forensic Group of the Philippine National Police said on Monday that 50 of the 71 bodies recovered from MV June Aster, a ferry which caught fire and ran aground in Coron, Palawan, last month, have been identified and cross-matched through DNA testing.

‘So currently, the process now is in Phase 4 [which is] reconciliation at the same time our identification of the 71 cadavers. Currently, we have identified and crossmatched 50 of those cadavers,’ PNP Forensic Group director Brig. Gen. Pierre Paul Carpio said in a press briefing.

‘So we have the remaining 21 cadavers for crossmatching,’ Carpio added, saying they have all the victims’ records needed for the process.

The PNP earlier sent Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and Scene of the Crime Operatives teams to the area to help identify the deceased.

After the DVI process, the results are sent to the local government unit, which then coordinates with the relatives of the victims.

Carpio said the DNA identification process has not encountered significant difficulties, adding that they ‘clean all [laboratories] for decontamination and sterility’ after every case.

Misdeclared cargo

The MV June Aster, operated by Atienza Interisland Ferries, was on its way to Palawan from Manila when it caught fire on Sept. 9 and later ran aground off Coron. Of the 128 passengers and crew members listed on the manifest, 77 died while 43 survived. Eight more were reportedly missing.

Of the 77 fatalities, 71 were retrieved from the vessel, five from the sea while one died in the hospital.

For its part, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is looking into whether misdeclared cargo aboard the ferry may have contributed to the fire.

It earlier filed a complaint against ferry captain Roel Sarmiento for allegedly falsifying a public document certifying the ship had complied with safety regulations.

PCG investigators are still trying to establish the cause of the fire after survivors reported hearing a loud explosion from the cargo deck seconds before flames appeared. The ferry was carrying an electric vehicle (EV) at the time.

LeBron James and Joel Embiid were among the healthy inactives for the Philadelphia 76ers in their preseason opener Monday night against the NBA champion New York Knicks.

All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey also sat out. Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe were the lone regular starters in the lineup.

Brown, who was acquired by Philadelphia in a trade for Paul George, only played in the first half and led the 76ers’ 120-97 win with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. Edgecombe added 12 points and seven assists. The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Knicks.

James signed a free-agent deal with the Sixers over the summer. He is a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP and a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

James, Embiid and the full healthy roster played in a public scrimmage on Saturday on the 76ers’ home court.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has expanded its Kaagapay Program nationwide to equip more parents, guardians, and caregivers with practical tools to act as co-educators – preventing bullying, fostering positive discipline, and reinforcing values among students.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. stressed the program’s significance when he and Education Secretary Sonny Angara met with participating parents during a recent Kaagapay session at Patul Elementary School in Santiago City, Isabela.

According to a DepEd statement on Monday, the program was established in January this year, guided by DepEd Memorandum No. 002, s. 2026, and harmonized with the Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) Program under Republic Act No. 11908.

The Kaagapay Program reinforces the ‘crucial partnership’ between home and school in safeguarding children and serves as DepEd’s proactive framework to trace the root causes of behavioral and emotional challenges among students before they escalate.

During his interaction with the parents, Marcos expressed deep concern over recent violent incidents in schools, emphasizing the urgent need for a unified approach involving schools, families, communities, and government agencies.

‘It’s saddening to see [these] incidents in some schools… We have to monitor these closely,’ Marcos said in Filipino.

‘We need to work together – not only the police, not only the teachers, not only the parents, not only the government. We need to unite and work together. Let’s guard our youth closely,’ he added.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted that empowering parents as co-educators at home would serve as the primary defense line against campus violence and bullying.

‘We can’t solve violence in schools if we only act inside the classroom. The home is our first defense,’ Angara said.

‘Let’s talk to our children every day. Let’s listen to what they’re going through and interact with their teachers and schools. We have to learn to notice the red flags and the changes in behavior of children before it turns into harm or bullying,’ he added.

According to Angara, stakeholders can ensure that students will remain safe, guided, and cared for by working together to make them feel supported.

Under the Kaagapay Program, parents and caregivers will participate in sessions dealing with the following concerns:

socio-emotional support

positive and nonviolent discipline

open communication

digital safety

early identification of protection concerns

appropriate reporting and referral mechanisms=

In partnership with Stairway Foundation Inc. (SFI), DepEd developed a parenting session guide and toolkit, while its partnership with Meta Philippines supports the Training of Trainers Program.

The program is being progressively rolled out across all regions, with some areas already conducting sessions with parents and caregivers – namely, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Bicol.

DepEd is also strengthening collaboration with parent-teacher associations and school governing councils to integrate parent education directly into broader school governance and student protection frameworks.