Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

House prosecution counsel Amando Ligutan on Wednesday, Day 19 of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, explained his viral social media post, saying his decision to comment stemmed from his role not only as a lawyer but also as a teacher.

‘More than a lawyer, first and foremost, I am a teacher… Ang pagtuturo ay walang pinipiling lugar at walang pinipiling panahon,’ Ligutan says, adding that his ‘teacher’s instinct kicked in’ when he saw what he believed was a mistake that needed to be corrected.

Ligutan stressed that the post was ‘not about you, but about the law we all adhere to.’

Defense lead counsel Sheila Sison had called out Ligutan on Aug. 12 over the post, which appeared to refer to a remark made by defense counsel Katherine Ferrer during her cross-examination of state auditor Xylene Del Campo

PLDT will finally be able to defend one of two titles it won last year when the High Speed Hitters come into the week-long PVL Invitational Conference as one of two favorites starting Monday.

After the On Tour was deemed just an exhibition and reduced to a mere meet-and-greet, which denied the High Speed Hitters the chance for a successful title defense, they get that chance this time when they lead three other local squads and teams from Thailand and Vietnam.

Savi Davison will spearhead the PLDT attack once again, although the squad will miss defensive ace Dell Palomata, who is with the Alas Pilipinas squad preparing for the Asian Games.

‘We treated the On Tour just like a regular (PVL conference)-we worked hard for it,’ coach Rald Ricafort said in Filipino after his High Speed Hitters wound up with a 2-0 record with one game canceled due to bad weather.

‘Our mindset has always been to work hard because the Invitational is just around the corner,’ he went on. ‘It’s just a shame that our preparation schedule was one game short. But I think our overall prep was okay.’

Reigning All-Filipino champion and 11-time titlist Creamline, red-hot Farm Fresh and upset-conscious Nxled are the other local teams that will lock horns with EST Cola from Thailand and a club team from Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.

The Cool Smashers will be without ace setter Jia de Guzman, who is also fulfilling national team duties. But the squad remains loaded to the core with Jema Galanza, Tots Carlos and Alyssa Valdez again backstopping a formidable offensive armada that will now be orchestrated by the dependable Kyle Negrito.

But the biggest addition to the Creamline roster is Sachi Minowa (nee Jaja Santiago), who returns to the league for the first time in five years.

The 6-foot-5 Minowa made her first official league appearance last week against Choco Mucho to shake off the rust and get acclimatized to the rabid following the league now enjoys.

‘It’s overwhelming to play here again,’ Minowa had said after a 25-21, 25-16, 25-21 victory over Galeries Tower in Victorias, Negros Occidental, last week.

Opening day will be a triple-header, beginning with PLDT’s clash with EST Cola at 1:30 p.m., Nxlead and Creamline squaring off at 4 p.m., before Ho Chi Minh takes on Farm Fresh in the 6:30 p.m. main event.

Around 3,000 cases of abandoned cigarettes, amounting to over P129 million, were destroyed from three containers in Santa Maria, Bulacan, according to the Bureau of Customs (BOC).

In its statement on Wednesday, the BOC said its Port of Subic disposed of the assorted-brand cigarettes through shredding and pyrolysis (melting through extreme heat) from July 28 to August 3 at its accredited disposal facility.

The bureau noted that it livestreamed the destruction process through the Port of Subic’s official YouTube account for the public to witness and ‘to ensure transparency and accountability.’

According to the BOC, the three 40-foot containers are part of the 10 identified containers of abandoned cigarettes with a total estimated value of P413 million that the bureau intends to dispose of.

The bureau said it is also in the process of disposing the contents of the remaining seven containers.

The ongoing destructions are still being livestreamed and conducted according to established disposal procedures, said the BOC.

Consumers in the Visayas may face longer power interruptions today, as persistently low power supply has prompted the grid operator to place the region under red alert on Wednesday.

In an advisory, the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines said the red alert would be in effect from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m., with households and businesses bracing for potential power interruptions.

This marks Visayas’ 22nd red alert since the start of the year.

From 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., and 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., the region would also be under yellow alert.

A yellow alert indicates that available power reserves are thinning, meaning any unexpected plant outage could trigger service interruptions. A red alert indicates that supply cannot meet demand, heightening the chances of rotational brownouts unless people manage their consumption.

The southwest monsoon or habagat will continue to affect a huge portion of Luzon on Wednesday while Visayas and Mindanao will see fair weather conditions, according to the state weather bureau.

In the 5 a.m. weather forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), weather specialist Chenel Dominguez said that former tropical cyclone Obet will still enhance the southwest monsoon, which will bring rains over certain areas in Luzon.

‘Inaasahan nating makakaranas ng pabugso-bugsong malalakas na pag-ulan dito sa may Zambales. Samantala dito sa Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, malaking bahagi ng Central Luzon, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro, makakaranas ng maulap na papawirin at kalat-kalat na pag-ulan dulot pa rin ito ng habagat,’ Dominguez said.

(We expect heavy rainfall over Zambales. Meanwhile, cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers due to habagat will prevail over Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Cordillera Administrative Region, Cagayan Valley, huge portions of Central Luzon, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro.)

She then noted that Zambales will experience significant rainfall (50 to 100 millimeters of rainfall), where she warned of possible flooding and landslides.

She also said that fair weather with chances of localized thunderstorms especially in the afternoon and evening are expected over the rest of Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) and the whole Bicol Region. Palawan and Antique will also experience cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms due to habagat.

Meanwhile, the rest of Visayas and Mindanao will still see pleasant weather and humid weather in the noon and afternoon with chances of localized thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening.

The weather specialist also reported that no gale warning was hoisted in any seaboards of the country.

She also shared that no tropical cyclones or any weather disturbances are being monitored inside the monitoring domain of Pagasa.

Temperature forecast in the following areas:

Metro Manila: 27°C to 31°C

Laoag: 25°C to 30°C

Baguio: 17°C to 21°C

Tagaytay: 23°C to 30°C

Tuguegarao: 26°C to 32°C

Legazpi: 26°C to 33°C

Cebu: 27°C to 34°C

Tacloban: 26°C to 34°C

Zamboanga: 25°C to 34°C

Cagayan de Oro: 26°C to 34°C

Davao: 26°C to 33°C

Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils have both gone far but never all the way to the US Open title. Maybe the married couple can finally win a trophy together.

The spouses made quite a pair on the court Tuesday, becoming the first team into the mixed doubles semifinals by edging Katerina Siniakova and Henry Patten 5-4 (6), 4-5 (3) (10-8).

Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz won their first-round match but were then ousted after a 5-4 (4), 4-1 loss to Belinda Bencic and Flavio Cobolli.

Svitolina and Monfils will face Bencic and Cobolli in one semifinal Wednesday, with Mirra Andreeva and Andrey Rublev to meet Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik in the other. The winning team will earn $1 million.

That would be quite a payday for Monfils to share with his wife in his final Grand Slam tournament before retiring.

‘Happy wife, happy life,’ Monfils said in their postmatch interview after a kiss and hug on the court.

Williams and Alcaraz beat Erin Routliffe and Lloyd Glasspool 5-3, 4-1 in Williams’ first match at the U.S. Open since 2022.

‘It’s always such an amazing place to be here,’ Williams said. ‘I never expected to be back on this court, so it was just a really cool moment. I never thought this would happen.’

But the 44-year-old Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam singles champion, and the two-time U.S. Open champion Alcaraz appeared to run out of steam after dropping the first-set tiebreaker after quickly returning to the court for their second match.

New champions will be crowned and an old crush is revealed

Williams and Alcaraz began their opening match just as the two-time defending champions were eliminated. Andreeva and Rublev saved a match point and outlasted Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori 1-4, 4-1 (11-9). The 19-year-old Andreeva revealed afterward that she used to have a crush on her partner and fellow Russian, who is 28.

They then recovered after blowing four match points in the second set to beat Diana Shnaider and Casper Ruud 4-1, 4-5 (9) (10-5).

The US Open tinkered with the format of the tournament this year to allow more doubles specialists back in, but it was the singles players who had the upper hand.

Monfils, who will turn 40 on Sept. 1, reached the US Open semifinals in 2016. Svitolina, who is eight years younger, got to the final four in Flushing Meadows in 2019.

Now it’s another semifinal – and an unlikely one – after they outlasted a team featuring the No.-1 ranked players in men’s and women’s doubles.

Monfils, who is from France, was given a wild card into the singles tournament. He and Svitolina, who is from Ukraine, were given wild cards to compete in mixed. They were married in 2021 and daughter Skaï was born the next year.

Because they were unsure at first they would be in the field in New York, Svitolina said they entered with no expectations, having not even worked on their tactics until Monday.

‘I mean, we practice quite a lot together back at home or on the tournaments. Only yesterday we worked on few things for doubles,’ Svitolina said.

‘When we warmed up this morning, yeah, I told my coach it would be amazing if we can win just a few games.’

Czech duo has the look

Muchova and Mensik reached the semifinals with a 4-1, 5-3 victory over American pair Emma Navarro and Tommy Paul. Mensik texted Muchova on the eve of the tournament so they could coordinate outfits, and both wore pink tops and maroon bottoms.

‘It’s definitely one of the most important things, to look good on the court, as well,’ Mensik said.

Siniakova and Patten ousted Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic 1-4, 4-2 (10-2) in the first round. Siniakova ended the match with an ace while serving to Djokovic.

The tournament was overhauled last year in an effort to get more top singles players to compete. It was moved to a two-day event well before the singles main draw begins, with a scoring format that guarantees quick matches that shouldn’t tax the players too much.

The matches in the first three rounds feature sets to four games, with a tiebreaker at 4-all and a 10-point tiebreaker instead of a third set. Only the final will resemble a regular match, with traditional sets to six games.

‘I will say if we play until basically regular rules, until six games, will be much more difficult,’ Mensik said.

Sabalenka, the two-time defending U.S. Open women’s champion, and 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic are exactly the types of players the U.S. Tennis Association was seeking. They had the No. 1 seed based on the lowest combined singles ranking of any team, but their loss was far from an upset.

Doubles specialists such as Siniakova and Patten were shut out of the U.S. Open last year, when teams qualified directly based on the two players’ singles rankings, or were given wild cards by the USTA. Errani and Vavassori, who had won the title in 2024, were the only doubles players in the field after they were given a wild card to return, and went on to defend their title.

Stars are paying tribute to Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday, Aug. 25, in Nashville, Tennessee, at 80.

Parton was among the most beloved personalities in music and beyond – the rare celebrity whose appeal transcended generations, geography and politics.

Here is a roundup of notable reactions to Parton’s death and legacy:

Dionne Warwick

‘The Heavenly Father has made the decision to bring another of his children to him. Dolly a true child of God is in the best hands now.’ – via statement

Paul McCartney

‘Her songwriting, her singing and her philanthropy were unrivaled in the world of country music and it is hard to imagine living in a world without Dolly. She was a very clever business woman who understood the value of her music and, most importantly, the effect that she had on the people of the world. There was no greater honor for me than to have her sing my song ‘Let It Be’ and, even though I only made a small contribution to it, I am so honored that she did it.’

Jane Fonda

‘I never knew anyone like her. She was simultaneously a naughty, playful southern gal from the hollows of Tennessee and a deep, soulful thinker who could see through people right down to their true selves. She was many things … lyricist, songstress, player of many instruments, writer, prankster, visionary, loyal friend, who’d never go to bed before she and her friends had laughed so hard they’d have to cross their legs.’

Linda Ronstadt

‘I am deeply saddened by the passing of my friend, Dolly Parton. One of the most extraordinary musical experiences of my life was recording with her. The world is a poorer place without her.’ – via statement

Bette Midler

‘Our beloved Dolly Parton has died. I am devastated, and I’m sure the nation will mourn her as I do, and for many years to come. She had a voice of pure gold and a heart to match. What a terrible, terrible loss.’

Kelly Clarkson

‘Dolly Parton had a way of making everyone feel special, and seen, and welcomed, and as if you were old friends. I will miss her heart and her voice as I am sure millions will. What an incredible gift and talent she was and still is with an amazing catalogue of art she has left behind for all of us.’

Dolly Parton had a way of making everyone feel special, and seen, and welcomed, and as if you were old friends. I will miss her heart and her voice as I am sure millions will. What an incredible gift and talent she was and still is with an amazing catalogue of art she has left… pic.twitter.com/swUmwRG0XJ

Melissa Etheridge

‘Words fail me today, words to describe the spirit that was Dolly. I was blessed with knowing her, just a little. We all were. I will strive the rest of my days to be as joyful and loving as she was. Her talent and gifts she gave us will live on for generations. We are a better world because she walked among us. May she live in the stars of the night and in the light of our days.’

Words fail me today, words to describe the spirit that was Dolly. I was blessed with knowing her, just a little. We all were. I will strive the rest of my days to be as joyful and loving as she was. Her talent and gifts she gave us will live on for generations. We are a better… pic.twitter.com/3DnZ1yPLbg

Kristin Chenoweth

‘Like the rest of the world, I’m immediately heartbroken. I met Dolly on several occasions and she always made me feel like one of her own. She even agreed to sing with me on one of my records. My ultimate inspiration. The world has lost one of the best but I know we will never forget her because she is impossible to forget. I love you Dolly and I will ALWAYS love you.’

Like the rest of the world, I’m immediately heartbroken. I met Dolly on several occasions and she always made me feel like one of her own. She even agreed to sing with me on one of my records. My ultimate inspiration. The world has lost one of the best but I know we will never… pic.twitter.com/dqE7U4Kbjy

Vince Gill

‘We are all crushed here at our house. One of the most beautiful sounds I’ve ever heard was when Dolly and I sang that last note of ‘I Will Always Love You’ the year we performed it on the CMA Awards.’ – via a statement

Maggie Rogers

‘One of the greatest songwriters of all time beautiful radiant butterfly human. I played with her at Newport once and I felt like my chest was on fire. I was so wildly awe struck. thank you thank you a million times, dolly.’

Elizabeth Banks

‘This is a really hard one today. Dolly Parton in show business is like the only person to aspire to be. She is the most kind, the most loving, the most talented, the most generous, the most inclusive, the most resilient, the most gritty. She was undeniably a force of nature.’

‘I can say with absolute certainty that we are all feeling the same heart brokenness today. I only got to spend any real time with Dolly when Gwen and I got to work with her on ‘The Voice.’ I want everyone to know that she was the EXACT person that you think she is. It was like being with the funnest, most loving, most caring and closest member of your family. Truly a loss for the entire world. We love you Dolly.’

I can say with absolute certainty that we are all feeling the same heart brokenness today. I only got to spend any real time with Dolly when Gwen and I got to work with her on The Voice. I want everyone to know that she was the EXACT person that you think she is. It was like… pic.twitter.com/9ycD4lSpO9

Seth MacFarlane

‘The news of Dolly Parton’s passing is devastating. I had the extraordinary experience of working with her on ‘The Orville,’ and it was a joy to discover that she really was exactly the person we all hoped she was. Her kindness, generosity, and authenticity were evident from moment one, and the benign yet assured command she maintained over her empire was obvious from the genuine love and trust you could see from everyone who worked for her. The world is a dimmer place today without her.’

The news of Dolly Parton’s passing is devastating. I had the extraordinary experience of working with her on The Orville, and it was a joy to discover that she really was exactly the person we all hoped she was. Her kindness, generosity, and authenticity were evident from moment… pic.twitter.com/xVf2ZokZLO

Reba McEntire

‘Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side. Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart. There will never ever be another you.’

Well, I just got the news that my buddy Dolly passed onto the higher and greater side. Dolly, thank you for all the wonderful things you did for us here on earth. Your love, your music and you gave so much with your huge huge heart.There will never ever be another you. We… pic.twitter.com/qpbvKUNbiM

Colman Domingo

‘Dolly taught us that you can be anything and do anything and to do it with kindness. What a light. We are all grateful that we lived in a time of Dolly Parton. We will always love her.’

Dolly taught us that you can be anything and do anything and to do it with kindness. What a light. We are all grateful that we lived in a time of Dolly Parton. We will always love her. pic.twitter.com/kKOuTrcFo9

Ken Burns

‘One of twelve children raised in a cabin, Dolly Parton left home carrying nothing but songs to become the most beloved figure in American music. She wrote ‘I Will Always Love You’ as a goodbye to Porter Wagoner. Today it belongs to all of us.’

One of twelve children raised in a cabin, Dolly Parton left home carrying nothing but songs to become the most beloved figure in American music. She wrote “I Will Always Love You” as a goodbye to Porter Wagoner. Today it belongs to all of us. pic.twitter.com/Y4XnLufJCL

As she gets closer to her date with the stork, Alex Gonzaga is turning sentimental while reflecting on the ‘little world’ she and her baby shared during her pregnancy.

The actress-TV host celebrated the final days of having her child in her womb, showing photos from her recent maternity shoot through her Instagram page on Tuesday, Aug. 25.

In the photos, Gonzaga, wearing a black knitted cutout dress, lovingly caresses her baby bump as she gazes at it. Her husband, Lipa City Vice Mayor Mikee Morada, is also featured in the snaps, kissing Gonzaga’s belly.

‘I’ll miss carrying you inside my tummy, my baby. It was like having our own little world,’ Gonzaga said in the caption.

Some fans took the post as an apparent hint at the arrival of the couple’s firstborn, although both Gonzaga and Morada have yet to make a birth announcement as of this writing.

Gonzaga and Morada got married in 2020. The couple experienced pregnancy losses in 2021, 2023 and 2024 before they announced their current pregnancy last May.

At the time, the pair revealed that they were preparing to undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) when they learned they had naturally conceived.

The Mayon Volcano in Albay emitted ash on Wednesday morning, Aug. 26, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Based on a sped-up video footage released on social media, Phivolcs said the ash emission at the Mayon’s crater occurred at 8:30 a.m.

‘This event generated a grayish plume that drifted east-northeast as recorded by the VMCB (Calbayog Observation Station) RasPi Camera,’ Phivolcs said.

Alert Level 2 remains over Mayon Volcano, indicating a moderate level of volcanic unrest.

Phivolcs advised the public to avoid entering into the six-kilometer-radius permanent danger zone.

Mirra Andreeva revealed a secret Tuesday after she and Andrey Rublev ended the reign of the two-time US Open mixed doubles champions.

She used to have a crush on her partner.

‘I’ve never said anything, I’ve never told him anything as well, but I used to have a little crush on him as well,’ Andreeva said during an interview on the court.

The French Open champion added that it was ‘like a dream come true to play with my favorite’ before being unable to finish that sentence when Rublev interrupted to give her a hug as the crowd cheered.

The crush is over – the 19-year-old Andreeva said it was when she was 15 or 16 – but their tournament goes on. The Russians will play Wednesday night in the semifinals against Karolina Muchova and Jakub Mensik.

They began the event by outlasting Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori 1-4, 4-1 (11-9), then emerged from another match tiebreaker to edge Diana Shnaider and Casper Ruud for their semifinal spot.

Rublev, 28, is perhaps most recognizable for his red hair and his occasional outbursts on the court. Andreeva definitely noticed his appearance, but thought he was kind despite the tirades.

‘I mean, first of all, his hair, OK?’ she responded when asked why she was drawn to him.

‘So many interviews I saw and so many things that I heard from other people, I just knew he’s a great person. I didn’t know him at that time yet. I don’t know, I just feel like he’s super kind, very nice with everyone. Again, the hair. I don’t know, everyone said that every time he would step on court, he would look tired. I don’t know, he was looking great every time for me.’

Rublev’s response to Andreeva’s revelation?