Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said 35 cases related to anomalous flood control projects have already been filed in court.

‘There are now 35 cases before the courts…31 of them in the Sandiganbayan and four in the RTCs (regional trial courts). We are now conducting 166 cases for preliminary investigation, which of course will lead to filing. Most of [these cases] will be filed in the courts,’ Remulla said during the Senate finance committee hearing on the proposed 2026 budget of the Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday.

The proposed 2027 budget for Office of the Ombudsman is P7.23 billion.

Remulla said the agency is also conducting lifestyle checks on 107 government officials.

‘But we are still refining our method in the lifestyle checks. I think that we can do a great deal here because when we are more effective in conducting the lifestyle checks, we can go for more forfeiture cases,’ he said.

‘That I think, is the most important, because once people get used to the fact that the government can forfeit properties that have been unlawfully acquired, it will resonate within the community that information should be given to the Ombudsman, because it will do its work,’ added Remulla.

Given the magnitude of the alleged anomalies involving flood control projects, the Ombudsman was asked if it currently has sufficient investigators, forensic accountants, engineers, and other technical personnel to investigate the complex infrastructure procurement cases.

Remulla said that hiring more people is most important for the agency.

‘We have to be able to devise our system to make it faster in accepting more people into the Ombudsman’s office. I think this is so critical,’ he said, adding that old way of hiring process was really much slower.

‘We just have to streamline everything so that we can have more investigators who will file more cases,’ he said.

To date, the agency has already hired 60 new lawyers. But Remulla said they are in the now in the process of interviewing at least 40 more lawyers by November.

‘Hopefully, this will help us speed up the process of investigation and resolution of cases, and of course the prosecution of cases,’ added Remulla.

The southwest monsoon, or habagat, will continue to bring rains over Luzon and Visayas until Saturday, Sept. 5, the state weather bureau said.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), Occidental Mindoro may experience up to 200 millimeters (mm) of rainfall on Friday until Saturday.

Pagasa warned of floods and landslides that may occur during severe weather conditions.

It also forecast 50 to 100 mm of rainfall over the following areas:

Tarlac

Zambales

Pampanga

Bataan

Bulacan

Metro Manila

Cavite

Batangas

Oriental Mindoro

Meanwhile, Visayas and the rest of Luzon may experience cloudy skies with isolated rain showers due to the enhanced habagat.

Mindanao, may have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with localized thunderstorms.

Pagasa weather specialist John Manalo said in the 5 p.m. weather advisory that the southwest monsoon will continue to bring moderate to occasional heavy rains over the country due to the enhancement of Tropical Storm Krovanh, formerly Pilandok.

Pilandok exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) early around 4 a.m. Thursday.

‘At kahit lumabas na ito ng PAR kaya gusto natin ito banggitin dahil meron pa rin itong enhancement na ginagawa, partly, pinapalakas nito ang hanging habagat,’ Manalo said.

Gilas Pilipinas is likely to end up leaving one player short for its defense of the Asian Games gold in Japan in the event Justin Brownlee is not cleared to return for national team duties.

Coach Tim Cone said Brownlee still has yet to confirm whether he will be able to join the all-PBA Gilas roster for the Aichi-Nagoya edition, while also ruling out a replacement in the event that the beloved naturalized player won’t be around.

‘The door is still open for him,’ Cone said from Suwon, South Korea during a virtual press conference set up by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas on Thursday. ‘He’s still working on clearances from doctors in the States. So as soon as that’s all cleared up, we’ll have a clearer picture as well.

Cone had earlier said that a spot has been reserved for Brownlee, even after he didn’t suit up for Gilas in the fourth window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers to recover from multiple injuries he’s been dealing with in the last few months.

Brownlee has not played since Gilas lost a double-overtime thriller on the road against New Zealand in the third window of the Asian Qualifiers last month.

‘We don’t have a 12th player in mind to come over,’ Cone said. ‘There are certain budget restraints in terms of traveling with a lot of different people in terms of hotels and airline tickets and the like. So we’ve kept that 12th spot open for Justin if he can make it.’

The national team arrived in Suwon the day prior ahead of its two-game exhibition series with South Korea this weekend with only 11 players, while the rest of the delegation is composed of coaches and staff.

Cone, however, doesn’t see the lack of manpower, in case Brownlee is out, as a disadvantage.

‘I think we’ll be fine. These guys are all willing to play extended minutes,’ said Cone. ‘And I think 11 is a really good number from a coaching standpoint in terms of not feeling like you have to force some guys who should be out there longer to play less because you want other guys to play to other guys to get satisfied.

‘So I don’t know if you know what I mean, but it’s easier from a coaching standpoint, having oftentimes less players than it is having more,’ he added.

The sports utility vehicle that plunged into the river when the Agana Bridge collapsed on August 29 was pulled from the Tarlac River at 7 p.m. on Wednesday.

Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap said no bodies were found in the SUV, which was tracked down when people spotted its tire sticking out about 2 kilometers from the bridge as the waters began to recede.

Rescuers are still searching for Paul Harvey Collado, nurse supervisor of the Jecsons Medical Center, and Shiela Mae Taborlupa, who were among the SUV’s five occupants.

Strong currents brought he remains of James Patrick Taborlupa and Shanen Tuhao all the way to Pangasinan, where they were recovered. Taborlupa was snagged by the net of fishing vessel Queen Ashley at sea off the Pangasinan town of Lingayen on August 31, while Tuhao was recovered in Bayambang town on September 1.

Nataniel Dizon, a 20-year-old relative of James Taborlupa, was the lone survivor

Gilas Pilipinas opens its Asian Games 2026 men’s basketball title defense against Bahrain on Sept. 11 in Nagoya, Japan.

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Coach Tim Cone will bring a substantially different, predominantly PBA-based team to the Asian Games as the Philippines attempts to retain the gold medal it won in Hangzhou three years ago.

Here is what to know about the Gilas Pilipinas Asian Games roster, complete schedule, Justin Brownlee’s status, Kai Sotto’s absence and the Philippines’ path through the tournament.

When is the Asian Games 2026?

The 20th Asian Games will officially run from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, 2026, in Aichi and Nagoya, Japan.

Some competitions will begin before the opening ceremony. The Asian Games men’s basketball tournament starts on Sept. 10 and ends with the gold-medal game on Sept. 20.

Where will Asian Games basketball be played?

The 5-on-5 basketball competition will be held at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya. The arena has a maximum seating capacity of about 17,000.

What is the Gilas Pilipinas Asian Games 2026 schedule?

Gilas Pilipinas is in Group C with China, Bahrain and Kazakhstan.

Japan is one hour ahead of the Philippines. The schedule below has been converted from Japan time to Philippine time.

Damage from floods and the combined effects of the southwest monsoon, or ‘habagat,’ and recent tropical cyclones have affected over 11,000 classrooms nationwide, with the Department of Education (DepEd) saying it would need an estimated P7.783 billion for rehabilitation efforts.

The amount includes P65.036 million for immediate cleanup and clearing operations in 2,243 affected schools and P319.97 million for minor repairs in 1,487 schools.

On the other hand, P1.194 billion would be used to carry out major repairs in 669 schools, while P5.62 billion would go to the reconstruction of 490 heavily damaged school sites.

Overall, the combined effects of the weather disturbances have damaged 2,243 schools and 11,167 classrooms nationwide.

Of the affected classrooms, 6,530 classrooms sustained minor damage while 2,389 suffered major damage and 2,248 others were destroyed.

During an inspection of affected areas in Tarlac, Zambales and Pampanga on Wednesday, Education Secretary Sonny Angara briefed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on emergency measures to ensure that classes in public schools would not be disrupted.

Most affected region

According to the latest data from the DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service, Central Luzon sustained the heaviest damage, with at least 622 schools and 4,025 classrooms affected.

The DepEd estimated that the region would require P2.9 billion for response and recovery efforts. This includes P19.49 million for cleanup, P111.43 million for minor repairs, P402.5 million for major repairs and P2.37 billion for reconstruction.

‘We are immediately allocating the necessary assistance for the repair of schools while ensuring the safety and well-being of our teachers and students,’ Angara said.

In Tarlac City, Tarlac, the collapse of the Aquino and Agana bridges left isolated 23 of the 99 public schools under the Schools Division Office. As a result, classes were shifted to alternative delivery modes from Sept. 1 to Sept. 5.

A total of 786 damaged classrooms across 96 schools were reported, with response and recovery requirements estimated at P496.24 million.

In Pampanga, Marcos and Angara inspected the damaged Sto. Cristo Dam in Lubao town. The province sustained the most extensive damage in Central Luzon, with 250 affected schools and 1,752 damaged classrooms that would require an estimated P1.36 billion for recovery and response efforts.

Pampanga also reported damage to 5,369 learning materials, 66 sets of information technology equipment and 6,351 learner chairs.

In Zambales, the president and Angara visited Sta. Fe National High School in San Marcelino, where floodwaters and sand inundated school grounds. Six classrooms were destroyed while another six sustained minor damage.

Latest reports showed that floods damaged 21 schools and 82 classrooms across the province.

So far, a total of 1,748 classrooms in 442 schools nationwide are currently being used as temporary shelters for 13,723 displaced families.

As of Sept. 1, 367 public schools nationwide had suspended face-to-face classes due to the effects of the monsoon and tropical cyclones.

The DepEd, meanwhile, directed school administrators to use the new hazard assessment tool to prevent class disruptions caused by natural disasters.

‘We are calling all school leaders, teachers and (Disaster Risk Reduction and Management) coordinators to use LIGTAS+ as part of our regular disaster preparedness,’ Angara said in a statement.

Launched on Aug. 26, Project Ligtas+, which stands for Learning Institution Geohazard Tracking and Assessment for Safety, is a decision-support platform that converts raw weather and geological data into school-level safety alerts

The Gilas Pilipinas squad, which will compete in the 2026 Asian Games, continued its preparations for the continental multi-sport event which begins next week.

The new ensemble of the Philippines’ national team arrived in South Korea to play a couple of friendlies in preparation for the Asian Games in Japan.

‘Dream big. Forever blessed and grateful,’ wrote Adrian Nocum in a Facebook post, sharing a memory of him and his wife talking about a future Gilas stint.

RJ Abarrientos, who was in the Gilas pool for the second round of the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers but didn’t make the cut, also shared a photo of him and his fellow Gilas teammates.

‘Mga chambahan lang kumain, lalaban para sa bayan (Guys who barely ate are now representing the country),’ he wrote in jest.

Along with him in the photo were San Miguel Beer forward Don Trollano, Nocum, NLEX star Robert Bolick and the duo of Justin Arana and Justine Baltazar, who were also in the Gilas pool for the qualifiers.

Bolick was also ecstatic, sharing a picture with Nocum with the caption: ‘Banat,’ a word often used by the Rain or Shine young gun.

Gilas is in Group C of the 5-on-5 men’s basketball games of the Asian Games alongside China, Bahrain and Kazakhstan.

More than 500,000 hectares of farmlands has been distributed to beneficiaries ever since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in 2022, Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III said on Thursday.

During the deliberations on the the proposed 2027 budget of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Estrella told members of the House of Representatives committee on appropriations that his agency had distributed 410,179 titles covering 556,088 hectares to 376,738 agrarian reform beneficiaries identified.

‘The years 2022 to 2026 may aptly be described as banner years for the Department of Agrarian Reform,’ Estrella told lawmakers.

From the January to August 2026 period, DAR distributed 16,032 titles covering 23,574 hectares to 14,032 beneficiaries. In 2025, the agency had apportioned 199,838 titles over 23,574 hectares to 176,202 farmers, according to its presentation.

In 2024, 88,310 farmers received 102,546 land titles over 120,772 hectares of land. The agency gave away 69,897 titles for 84,044 hectares to 73,399 beneficiaries in 2023.

In the first year of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s government, DAR released 21,876 titles over 25,159 hectares to 24,804 farmers, based on the presentation.

Land reform is a contentious issue in the Philippines, a traditionally agricultural nation where vestiges of Spanish colonial land ownership have been inherited and sustained across decades.

About 5.4 million hectares of land were earmarked for distribution to farmers under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform law, which aimed to reduce inequality by diffusing farmlands to tillers.

The Department of Education (DepEd) spearheaded the National Simultaneous School Safety Drill on Thursday to strengthen the emergency preparedness of public and private schools.

The drill aims to enhance multi-agency coordination during active threat scenarios with localized school contingency plans to ensure the safety and psychosocial well-being of students, teachers, and other school personnel.

According to a DepEd statement, the safety drill at Carlos F. Gonzales High School in Bulacan was attended by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and DepEd officials, led by Undersecretary for Governance and Operations Malcolm Garma.

In a message, which was read on his behalf, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said: ‘We want our schools to be places where a learner’s biggest concern is an upcoming exam, a missed assignment, or simply getting through another busy day at school, not whether they are safe inside their own classroom.’

‘This drill is not about dwelling on frightening situations. It is about making sure that when an emergency happens, our school community knows how to respond. The purpose of a drill is not to look perfect. It is to help us become better prepared,’ added Angara.

Angara also thanked teachers for their steadfast commitment to protecting students during any emergency.

Updated drill guidelines

DepEd conducted the drill after extensive consultations with medical and mental health experts, including the Philippine Psychiatric Association, the Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Philippine Pediatric Society.

The result is updated drill guidelines to align with trauma-informed, child-centered standards under a strict ‘Do No Harm’ directive, which strictly prohibits ‘hyper-realistic elements, active aggressor role-playing, and graphic threat simulations.’

‘Instead, drills are triggered by a distinct early warning alarm, separate from standard fire or earthquake signals, to build procedural muscle memory without creating distress,’ the DepEd statement said.

At Carlos F. Gonzales High School, the drill began with an emergency alert via a public address system and calls to the 911 emergency hotline and local police, prompting teachers and students to execute protective actions inside classrooms.

Then police officers arrived – operating under strict safety protocols, with firearms concealed – and cleared response teams to conduct first aid while the school started reunification procedures.

Observers from various agencies were present, including representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices. They evaluated the simulation to identify operational gaps and refine localized contingency plans.

School Contingency Plan

To ensure campus readiness, DepEd is also doing a nationwide rollout of the new School Contingency Plan integrating active threat responses, such as lockout, lockdown, evacuation, and reunification procedures, into the school’s existing disaster management frameworks.

Schools are mandated to implement physical site hardening, capacity-building, and localized preparations in coordination with local government and law enforcement authorities.

Site hardening measures include the following:

single-entry points for visitors

secure perimeter gates

routine inspections of perimeter fencing

internal classroom locking or barricading mechanisms

In the event of a threat, the School Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (SDRRM) Committee automatically reconstitutes into an Incident Management Team (IMT). School personnel and students are given orientations and drills in localized, age-appropriate protective actions.

Comprehensive response and reunification guidelines detail strict behavioral compliance during police tactical interventions, multi-agency emergency dispatch, integrated Emergency Medical Services triage, and secure family reunification procedures.

Post-incident protocols call for immediate Psychological First Aid (PFA) and structured learning continuity under DepEd’s 4H (Hinto, Hinga, Hinay, Hayo) Framework for a safe, phased recovery after any active threat has been resolved.

The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) has urged residents in flood-prone areas to prioritize early evacuation as the country continues to experience the rainy season.

During the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Kapihan forum Thursday, Fire Supt. Anthony Arroyo, chief of the BFP Public Information Service, said proactive measures remain crucial to preventing loss of life, particularly in low-lying areas prone to flooding.

‘The most important thing there is really taking proactive measures,’ Arroyo said.

He said authorities are anticipating the need for residents in flood-prone communities to evacuate before conditions worsen.

However, the BFP official acknowledged that authorities continue to encounter resistance from some residents who are being urged to leave their homes.

He said the BFP is working with other law enforcement agencies, local government units and the DILG to ensure vulnerable communities are properly evacuated.

For residents who cannot evacuate on their own, Arroyo said the BFP will conduct rescue operations and transport them to safer areas.

‘If they are unable to evacuate, that is when rescue operations will be conducted to transport them to safe areas using our water assets,’ he said.