Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

A former music pastor in Ohio who appeared briefly on ‘American Idol’ was sentenced Monday, Oct. 5, to life in prison without the possibility of parole, after a jury convicted him last week of murdering his wife while he was having an affair.

The judge said Caleb Flynn, 40, used his Christian faith to manipulate others and showed no remorse for actions marked by ‘layers of deceit, manipulation and cruelty.’

With tears rolling down his cheeks, Flynn apologized to his family just before being sentenced, starting with his two young daughters, who were home when he shot his wife in her sleep. He called their births the ‘greatest joy in this life.’

Although he said he accepted responsibility for his words and decisions, Flynn remained adamant that he was innocent.

‘As I stand here before God, who is my ultimate judge, I am not lying when I say I did not kill my wife,’ he said.

Prosecutors said Flynn staged a home invasion in February and claimed a burglar killed his wife, Ashley Flynn, a 37-year-old schoolteacher and volleyball coach. In his 2013 appearance on ‘American Idol,’ Flynn credited his wife with encouraging him to chase his dreams on the singing contest. He did not advance to the main competition in Hollywood.

During the trial, Flynn didn’t testify on his own behalf, nor did anybody else.

Family members, including Ashley’s parents, spoke in favor of the harsh sentence Monday, while saying they had forgiven Flynn because they didn’t want her legacy to be hatred.

Her sister, Kayla Keyt, said Flynn’s actions have scarred their entire church community, prompting children to run into their parents’ bedrooms to make sure their fathers haven’t killed their mothers.

As a family member read a statement written by his daughter Ava, Flynn sobbed uncontrollably as a pile of tissues grew on the defense table in front of him. At one point, it appeared he might fall over.

‘Mommy was the perfect person,’ her statement said. ‘The absolute perfect person. What did she ever do to you to make you hate her so much?’

‘My heart aches to see you hurt, but then I think it was your choice. It was your choice to leave your only two daughters. It was your choice to hide everything from everyone, and it was your choice to kill the only mother I’ve ever had,’ Ava said. ‘Unfortunately, that was a choice that cannot be erased, even though I really wish it could.’

She added, ‘Please tell Jesus that you’re sorry. It’s not going to change your punishment, but it will determine your eternal reward someday.’

In a separate statement, his daughter Alyssa said she wouldn’t visit him in prison.

‘Ashley Flynn was the best thing that ever happened to you. You had the best life ever, and you decided to throw it away for a girl who was half your age,’ she said. ‘How could you stand in that church and sing about how much you love God when you knew all the secrets you had inside?’

‘I wish that you could come to understand that actions have consequences and you have a lot to pay,’ she added. ‘The least you could do is tell everyone you did it and receive your outcome.’

During closing arguments, prosecutors told jurors that Flynn wanted out of his marriage when he shot his wife at their house in Tipp City, a suburb north of Dayton. He sent a text message to his lover the night before the shooting, saying, ‘I choose you. I’m free. Actions will come tomorrow,’ prosecutors said.

During the trial, Alleigha Botner testified she met Flynn in 2022 while she was a 20-year-old intern at his church and had an affair with him for more than a year. She told jurors that Flynn said he hated his wife and had thoughts of killing her.

The gun used to kill Ashley Flynn was not found at the scene, and his attorney told jurors that investigators found no evidence that Caleb Flynn fired a gun that day. Prosecutors said his fingerprints and DNA were at the scene and that his devices showed him moving around the house, even though he claimed he was asleep at the time of the shooting.

It was not the intent of Vice President Sara Duterte’s defense team to threaten any party when one of its counsel pointed out possible violations of bank secrecy laws in presenting Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) documents before the Senate impeachment court, said defense spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa.

Poa made the pronouncement after the conclusion of the 33rd day of Duterte’s impeachment trial on Monday, which got heated on the part of the defense after four senator-judges called out one of its counsel, Atty. Mark Vinluan.

Vinluan raised possible administrative and criminal liability against those who disclose and report confidential information, including the media, during his cross-examination of AMLC secretariat executive director Ronel Buenaventura-which to some senator-judges, bordered on intimidation.

‘We regret that they felt that way. I think for Attorney Vinluan, that was not the intention. I think he was just reading the law and he just wanted to raise that with the witness,’ Poa said in a chance interview.

‘But again, we regret if any senator felt that way because, as you know, it’s not the intention to threaten anyone,’ he added.

Asked if the defense already has plans to make amends on how the senator-judges perceived his cross examination, Poa responded with uncertainty, pointing out that it is up to Vinluan to lead their cross.

‘The defense really did not intend to threaten anyone, or at least create a perception of threatening anyone and that, of course, includes the senator judges, the witnesses, and even the media,’ reiterated Poa.

Senator-judge Raffy Tulfo was among those who took the floor and called out Vinluan, reminding him that the Senate impeachment court had already allowed the disclosure of AMLC records during the trial.

He went as far as telling the defense lawyer to give the court a break and not to intimidate anyone.

Senator-judge Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan, for his part, shared Tulfo’s sentiments by stating that Vinluan’s argument was ‘uncalled for.’

For Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros, it was wrong for Vinluan to ‘even indirectly’ threaten the media, adding that there should be no ‘chilling effect’ on the ‘Fourth Estate.’

Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura admitted on Tuesday that he could not explain the gap between Vice President Sara Duterte’s declared net worth and reported financial transactions involving her and husband Manases Carpio.

Raising the ‘absurd possibility’ of adding Duterte’s statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) from 2022 to 2025, Presiding Officer and Sen. Francis Escudero came up with a total of P336 million.

This figure, however, was still short of the P424 million that reportedly went in and out of the couple’s bank accounts during the same period, Escudero said, citing AMLC records submitted to the Senate impeachment court.

‘Hindi pa rin umabot ng P424 (million). Meaning to say, on the assumption na walang ginastos, walang ginastos mula sa lahat ng assets nila at lahat na dineposito sa banko, hindi pa rin naabot sa ganito kalaking halaga,’ Escudero pointed out, while asking questions to AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura.

(It still did not reach P424 million. Meaning to say, assuming that nothing was spent from all of their assets and everything was deposited in the bank, it still would not reach this amount.)

Buenaventura was presented by the prosecution in relation to allegations that Duterte had amasses unexplained wealth and failed to declare all her assets in her SALNs.

‘Sa palagay at pananaw nyo, ulitin ko, in the realm of possibilities, what would explain this huge amount? Posible ba yung in and out?’ he asked the witness.

(‘In your opinion-and I’ll ask again, in the realm of possibilities-what would explain this huge amount? Is it possible that it was simply money going in and out?)

Noticing that Buenaventura was struggling to respond to his question, Escudero surmised that that the witness could not explain the gap.

The witness agreed, saying: ‘Hindi ko po maipaliwanag.’

(I cannot explain it.)

Escudero further pressed the witness to explain how the couple’s transactions could have amounted to P424 million when the vice president’s monthly salary was only P350,000.

‘Apologies po your your honor, I cannot explain,’ Buenaventura answered.

Escudero raised the same questions on the reported P4.4 billion combined transactions of the couple from 2007 to 2025.

‘Again, I bring it to its absurd point. We tried to add to all of the amounts in the combined Salns for those covered period of 2007 to 2025, it totaled only P840 million,’ he said.

‘In the realm of possibilities again, can you explain how it could reach that amount knowing that the highest salary in 2025 was at P98 million and the lowest salary in 2007 was at P7 million? Can you explain it, Sir?’

Buenaventura said he would not be able to explain or answer the question as he just relying on their records.

When Escudero asked again if he could think of any possible explanation, the witness said, ‘Medyo nahihirapan din po ako.’

(‘I’m also having some difficulty explaining it.)

‘So hindi nyo rin po kayang paliwanan kung bakit umabot ng ganito P4.4 billion yung amount? Based on the data I relayed to you on the Saln?’ the presiding officer asked further.

‘So you also cannot explain why the amount reached P4.4 billion, based on the data I relayed to you regarding the SALNs?)

‘Hindi ko po masagot po, Your Honor,’ the AMLC official said.

(‘I cannot answer that, Your Honor.)

A seaman died after he was hit by the compartment door of a passenger bus while jogging along a roadside in Guinayangan town, Quezon, on Oct. 5, police said.

In a report dated Oct. 6, Quezon police said the victim was jogging along the provincial road in Barangay Gapas at about 5:45 a.m. when he was accidentally struck by the cover of the bus’ undercarriage compartment. It was not clear why the door was ajar while the bus was moving.

The victim suffered severe neck injuries and was rushed to Magsaysay District Hospital in nearby Lopez town, where he was declared dead on arrival.

Police arrested the 38-year-old bus driver.

Far Eastern University has gone from trying to prove it belongs at the top of the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament to having a shot at staying there.

And the Tamaraws’ next major test comes against a team already occupying that neighborhood.

FEU barged into a share of the lead after stunning University of the Philippines, 90-79, on Sunday at Philsports Arena, improving to 3-1 and pulling level with Ateneo in an early shake-up of the standings.

The Tamaraws have won three straight after opening their campaign with a loss, taking down defending champion La Salle and then UP in consecutive games.

La Salle first

Now comes Ateneo.

FEU and the Blue Eagles meet Saturday at Smart Araneta Coliseum, giving the Tamaraws a chance to turn what has been a surprising start into something more substantial.

Ateneo, however, still has a Wednesday assignment against La Salle before facing FEU.

The Blue Eagles have built their own 3-1 start around a guard-heavy attack under coach Louie Alas, with Jared Bahay taking a central role and highly touted rookie Kieffer Alas quickly emerging as another late-game option.

Kieffer showed as much in Ateneo’s most recent victory, shaking off a slow start and delivering when the Blue Eagles needed him most in an 87-76 comeback win over National University. Ateneo erased a 17-point deficit, with the rookie finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, four assists and three steals.

That sets up an intriguing challenge for an FEU side whose climb has been fueled by growing confidence and a roster that has produced contributions from several directions.

‘We knew we’d see some tremendous improvement like this because guys are basically trusting one another better now,’ FEU coach Sean Chambers said after the victory over UP.

‘We talk about this in practice a lot. We have full command of what we want to do. We can only continue to be better at it.’

Kirby Mongcopa led that latest statement win with 24 points, nine rebounds and three assists as FEU beat UP for the first time since 2019 and snapped a 10-game losing streak against the Fighting Maroons.

Jorick Bautista added 16 points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals, while Janrey Pasaol scored 15. Mo Konateh finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.

Added meaning

For Bautista, the Tamaraws’ surge has also become an answer to the growing buzz around the team.

‘A lot of people on social media are saying that we here in FEU are strong, so I talked to them when we trained,’ Bautista said. ‘We started talking about it in practice.’

FEU backed up that talk against UP.

After watching a 26-13 first-quarter lead shrink to 43-41 at halftime, the Tamaraws responded with a 32-point third quarter and took a 75-55 cushion into the fourth.

The victory gave FEU its best start since Season 78, when it also opened at 3-1.

For Bautista, the run carries added meaning in his final playing year after five seasons of experiencing both ends of the UAAP standings.

‘We just keep on grinding,’ he said. ‘It feels good personally for me. I went through a lot here in the UAAP for five years, not just the highs but also the lows.’

Those lows make FEU’s current position all the more striking.

The Tamaraws entered the season without the same billing attached to several traditional contenders. Four games in, they are sitting alongside Ateneo at the top-and coming off consecutive victories over the defending champion and a UP program they had not beaten in seven years.

Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday said that confidentiality is not absolute under the Anti-Money Laundering Act.

Buenaventura made the remark during the interjection of Senator-judge Robin Padilla who asked if it was accurate to say that confidentiality is absolute when referring to the AMLC records.

‘Linawin ko lang din po kasi, kami naman sa AMLC sa Section 8, paragraph 2 may provision din po doon na we’re authorized to formulate rules,’ Buenaventura said.

(Let me just clarify, we at the AMLC, in Section 8, paragraph 2 [of AMLA], also have a provision there that we’re authorized to formulate rules.)

‘Yung mga mandato po namin, magfafile po kami ng mga kaso… we need to show to the court na merong probable cause o may proof beyond reasonable doubt, and we can only do that kung yung information na nakuha namin ay idi-disclose namin sa court. Kaya hindi ko masabi na absolute.’

(Our mandates include, we file cases… we need to show to the court that there is probable cause or proof beyond reasonable doubt, and we can only do that if the information we have obtained is disclosed to the court. So I can’t say that it is absolute.)

Buenaventura likewise asserted that his presence before the impeachment court is not putting pressure on him.

‘Hindi po ba kayo naiipit dito?’ Padilla asked.

(Aren’t you pressured here?)

‘Hindi po. Ako ay sumunod sa subpoena na ini-ssue ng honorable court… Kahapon nagkaroon ng matinding diskusyon at nagkaroon din ng ruling ang presiding officer, inallow naman po niya so I leave it to the honorable court that I was testifying here pursuant to that authority.’

(‘No. I complied with the subpoena issued by the honorable court… Yesterday there was a heated discussion and the presiding officer also made a ruling, he allowed it so I leave it to the honorable court that I was testifying here pursuant to that authority.’)

Pageants have long served as platforms for charitable efforts, and this year’s edition of the Miss Asia Pacific International competition is no exception, with the delegates spending time with special children.

The international pageant’s ‘Charity Day’ had the 38 delegates spending time with neurodivergent individuals and persons with disabilities at Casino Español de Cebu in Cebu City the whole day on Monday, Oct. 5.

During the event, the ladies joined the children in making arts and crafts using discarded cores of toilet paper rolls. Their works will be displayed in an exhibit at the 2026 Miss Asia Pacific International Charity Gala on Oct. 7.

‘Today is a very special day for all of us at Miss Asia Pacific International 2026 because we are reminded that the true beauty of a woman is not only seen in how she carries herself, but in how she uses her heart, her voice, and her influence to make a difference in the lives of others,’ said lawyer Eva Patalinjug-Lim, the pageant’s president.

The former Mutya ng Pilipinas and Binibining Pilipinas titleholder expressed her gratitude to all those who made the event possible, the organizations, educators, advocates and volunteers.

Patalinjug also shared her appreciation for Dr. Martina Jordana-Leyson, president of the Special Child Association of Cebu and the St. Martin de Porres Special School for ‘opening your doors and allowing us to celebrate this day with your wonderful children and families.’

Leyson’s Class of 1981 of the Colegio de la Imaculada Concepcion in Cebu City played a huge role in the international pageant’s charity day, with alumnae of the batch volunteering for the initiative, including Angeles Trebol who is also with the St. Martin de Porres Special School.

Also joining the Charity Day were Juanito King Foundation Inc., the Down Syndrome Association of the Philippines-Cebu Chapter and Lipata National High School whose students are mostly hearing-impaired.

‘Thank you for the work that you do every day, not only in providing education and support, but in creating a community where every child is seen, valued, respected, and given the opportunity to shine,’ Patalinjug said.

‘To our Miss Asia Pacific International 2026 candidates, I hope you carry this experience with you throughout your journey. May today remind you that your crown is not simply a symbol of beauty. It is a responsibility, a platform to serve, to inspire, and to bring hope where it is needed most,’ she continued.

Patalinjug considered it a blessing to meet the children at the event, and thanked them for allowing the international pageant to a part of their day. ‘Thank you for reminding all of us what true beauty and compassion really mean. May we continue to build a world where every child is given the chance to dream, to belong, and to shine,’ she said.

The children also sharpened their stage performance skills during the Charity Day. Teachers from the Don Vicente Rama Memorial High School of the Arts spearheaded a singing workshop, while Knapsack Dancers took charge of a dance workshop.

Victor Wembanyama said he won’t be joining the raft of superstars endorsing sports betting outfits, calling it ‘very sad to see some players promoting it.’

‘Absolutely not,’ the San Antonio Spurs star told reporters recently after a training camp practice when asked if he would sign for a piece of the increasingly lucrative sports gambling pie.

‘I will never do that,’ he added. ‘Honestly, I think it’s very sad to see some players promote it. Everybody does whatever they want, but without me.’

Wembanyama’s remarks come a week after four-time NBA champion LeBron James, a former endorser of digital sports gambling company DraftKings, signed up with prediction market Polymarket.

NBA star Kevin Durant is a brand ambassador for FanDuel and Giannis Antetokounmpo is a shareholder and marketing partner in prediction market platform Kalshi.

NBA rules allow such partnerships with betting operators and prediction markets, although players aren’t allowed to promote gambling related to the NBA.

France’s Wembanyama led the Spurs to the NBA Finals in just his third season in the league.

The 22-year-old has inked a five-year maximum rookie contract extension worth $252 million with the Spurs and has reportedly agreed to a contract extension with Nike that will include his own signature shoe.

He is a brand ambassador for Louis Vuitton and reportedly has a memorabilia endorsement deal with Fanatics.

He said he now chooses brand partnerships with the aim of ‘inspiring’ others.

‘In the past, there was a dimension of money,’ he said. ‘Not anymore … Now, I want to promote things that have a good impact, have a good influence with who I can share messages and values.

.

Lea Salonga is set to take on the role of the fierce matriarch in the upcoming Filipino-language stage production of ‘Ang Tahanan ni Bernarda Alba.’

Salonga will portray the titular Bernarda Alba in Theatre Group Asia’s (TGA) Philippine staging of Federico García Lorca’s ‘The House of Bernarda Alba,’ adapted by director-playwright Chay Yew and translated into Filipino by Guelan Valera Luarca.

The production is scheduled to run in February 2027. It will be TGA’s first production performed entirely in Filipino.

In Lorca’s story, Bernarda imposes an eight-year mourning period on her five daughters following the death of her second husband. She demands absolute obedience inside their home.

As Bernarda’s daughters struggle with their own desires, tensions begin to build within the household, particularly with the arrival of a potential suitor.

Salonga said the role presents a different challenge from many of the musical theater characters she has portrayed throughout her career.

‘To be perfectly honest, I hadn’t encountered this play before, which may work in my favor as I have no preconceived notions or strong opinions,’ she said in a press release.

Salonga noted that she felt the play was important to tackle because it ‘fits our culture’ and is timely given current events. She also acknowledged the challenge of performing the play entirely in Filipino.

‘Ang Tahanan ni Bernarda Alba’ marks Salonga’s return to TGA following her role as The Witch in the company’s sold-out staging of ‘Into the Woods.’

Last month, Salonga made history as she became the first Filipino to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The House prosecution in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial is considering seeking financial records involving Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines after Senator-Judge Bam Aquino raised possible donations from China on Tuesday.

Aquino asked House prosecution counsel Mae Divinagracia whether prosecutors would move to obtain the group’s records after the issue surfaced during the proceedings.

‘We are considering it, Your Honor,’ Divinagracia replied.

According to a prosecution statement on Tuesday, Tapang at Malasakit, which was led by Duterte when she was Davao City mayor, received a P150-million donation from the Chinese government in 2018 for the construction of 13 school buildings in Davao City.

In a news conference last week, former Sen. Antonio ‘Sonny’ Trillanes IV called renewed attention to the donation as he presented documents on China-linked funds involving entities linked with the vice president and her husband, lawyer Manases ‘Manases’ Carpio.

Ronel Buenaventura, executive director of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) secretariat, told the impeachment court Tuesday that records involving Tapang at Malasakit were not among those covered by the subpoena issued to AMLC.

Aquino raised the matter after referring to a news report discussed during the proceedings concerning China’s denial that it had provided money to a Philippine political group.

The exchange came after Senator-Judge Risa Hontiveros questioned Buenaventura about links between Chinese state-owned enterprises and companies that sent P319.33 million to CALE88 Foods Corp., a company linked to Carpio.

Buenaventura said he could not say whether AMLC was investigating the Chinese companies, but told Hontiveros the council would take note of the information she raised.

The prosecution is presenting financial evidence for the second impeachment article, which accuses Duterte of unexplained wealth and discrepancies in her financial and business disclosures.