Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

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.

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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.

Ria Atayde and Zanjoe Marudo are set to become a family of four as they announced the actress’ pregnancy with their second child.

The pregnancy was first revealed by Marudo during a recent event for his film ‘Apol of My Ai.’

‘Confirmed, yes. It is another blessing for us,’ the Atayde family said in a separate statement to Inquirer Entertainment.

Atayde and Marudo first got married in a civil ceremony in March 2024. The following September, they welcomed their firstborn, Sabino.

The couple tied the knot anew at a private church wedding held in December 2025.

Just last month, the celebrity parents organized a Toy Story-themed party to celebrate Sabino’s second birthday.

Jose Rizal University fought back from a double-digit deficit before outplaying Arellano down the stretch for a 64-62 win in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Tuesday at San Juan Arena.

Struggling all game long, Lawrence Mangubat hit a big 3-pointer before Sean Salvador calmly sank a pair of go-ahead free throws inside the final 20 seconds to rescue the Heavy Bombers, who trailed by as many as 14 in the second quarter.

Mangubat finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, three steals and two assists, while Chris Hubilla also had 14 on top of five rebounds, a steal, and a block. Hubilla set the final tally by splitting his freebies with 4.8 ticks to go.

‘I had to make so many adjustments because Arellano gave me such a tight defense,’ he said in Filipino after helping JRU improve to 4-1 in Group A.

‘What we told ourselves was, whoever’s open, shoot it. I just happened to get that opportunity.’

T-Mc Ongotan had 23 points and nine rebounds for Arellano, which had a chance to win, but Basty Valencia misfired on a 3-pointer as time ran out.

Filipino tennis star Alex Eala turned heads once again as she made her Paris Fashion Week debut at luxury fashion house Chanel’s show.

Alex – who donned a tweed jacket paired with relaxed pants – graced the event alongside her mother, Rizza, as seen in the photos shared by the athlete on her Instagram page on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

‘Freedom, made tangible. A beautiful collision of heritage, movement and artistry,’ she captioned her post.

During the show, the mother and daughter also met Singaporean actress Tan Kheng Hua and her daughter Shi-An Lim.

Among those who cheered for Alex was fashion week regular Heart Evangelista, who commented on the athlete’s post, ‘Bravo!’

Alex’s appearance at Paris Fashion Week came after her stint at the 2026 Asian Games, where she won a bronze medal in the women’s singles event.

She also attended New York Fashion Week in September, where her appearance at the Calvin Klein Spring/Summer 2027 show generated half a million dollars in earned media value (EMV).