Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Office of the Ombudsman asked one of the justices of the Sandiganbayan Third Division to inhibit himself from the malversation case trial of former Sen. Bong Revilla over alleged bias.

In a 69-page motion obtained by Inquirer on Tuesday, the Office of the Special Prosecutor asked Associate Justice Ronald Moreno to voluntarily inhibit from the case, citing ‘unwarranted conduct’ against prosecution’s witnesses against Revilla.

Revilla faces a malversation of public funds case for being an alleged co-conspirator in the illegal disbursement of P76.9 million for the purported ghost flood control project of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Pandi, Bulacan worth P92.8 million, supposedly in exchange for a 25-percent cut.

‘Justice Moreno’s partial attitude against the prosecution witnesses, and his statements in open court suggesting that there is no evidence against accused Revilla as proponent in the infrastructure project subject of this case … are indicative of partiality and bias against the prosecution,’ the motion, filed by prosecutors on Monday, stated.

Prosecutors also said ‘Justice Moreno’s demeanor and questions to the witnesses were apparently unfair, unreasonable, disrespectful, and lacking in judicial restraint.’

They also noted as one of the reasons for recusal is Moreno’s ‘sheer number of questions’ he asks of witnesses during the bail hearings ‘which is more than the questions of the lawyers of all the seven accused individuals combined.’

Prosecutors specifically cited the number of questions Moreno asked during the testimony of state witnesses – former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, former DPWH district engineer Henry Alcantara, and SYMS Construction’s Sally Santos.

During the testimonies of Bernardo, Alcantara and Santos, they said Moreno asked 290, 210 and 430 questions, respectively.

On the other hand, the prosecutors said defense lawyers only asked a total of 210, 190, and about 170 questions to Bernardo, Alcantara and Santos, respectively.

Citing the Supreme Court case, prosecutors noted that ‘[o]rdinarily it is not a good practice for the presiding judge himself to examine witnesses at length.’

‘[I]n conducting a lengthy examination, it would be almost impossible for the judge to preserve a judicial attitude,’ the resolution said.

Nevertheless, the prosecution stressed that the motion ‘is not intended to question the integrity, competence, or good faith’ of Moreno.

‘Rather, it is being filed to preserve the fundamental right of every litigant to have his or her case resolved by a tribunal whose impartiality is beyond reasonable question.

Moreno voted to allow Revilla to post P1 million bail, along with Associate Justice Fritz Bryn Delos Santos.

On the other hand, Associate Justice Karl Miranda, chairperson of the Third Division, voted against it./

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to recommendations to ban Facebook and other social media platforms that could influence young people to engage in harmful behavior, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on Tuesday.

The remarks came after the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said it was considering recommending a ban on Facebook in the country following a deadly shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

‘Among all gaming apps, the president is open to removing anything that could be considered harmful to the youth and to our country,’ Castro said at a briefing when asked whether Malacañang supports the idea.

Castro noted that some social media platforms not only expose young people and the general public to violence but are also being used to spread fake news.

‘It also needs to be studied whether the lack of accountability for social media platforms contributes to the spread of fake news in our country,’ she added. ‘If the response is slow, it would be worth considering and studying whether they should remain part of our system.’

However, Castro said support for banning harmful social media platforms does not mean restricting freedom of expression.

‘Fake news is different from simply expressing your opinion or being a critic,’ she said.

‘That is not prohibited. No one is being prohibited from being a critic, especially now, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration,’ she added.

On Monday, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the perpetrator of the fatal Ateneo de Zamboanga University shooting had an online search history of websites supposedly containing hate speech.

‘His search pattern went to evil people, nihilism, anti-Semitism, anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender), and a lot of hate sites,’ he explained in an interview on ANC’s Headstart.

Remulla attributed this to the shooter being supposedly influenced by a ‘deep dark web of people fomenting hate and discord and violence in order to resolve your problems’ inside chat groups on the game Roblox.

A youth-led grassroots voter education caravan traveled across schools in Lanao del Sur to inform and prepare first-time voters about the historic parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) on Sept. 14.

In an email to the Inquirer on Tuesday, Noel Biadnes, project manager of Youth Leadership, Engagement and Advocacy for Development (Y-LEAD BARMM), said the program is supported by the Australian Government and implemented by Relief International in partnership with the United Youth for Peace and Development-Relief Assistance Network and Organization (UNYPAD-RANAO).

He said the youth are clamoring to be educated about the first parliamentary elections in the BARMM.

After attending a Peer Election Educators’ Training of Trainers (ToT), 36 student leaders and peer educators from Balindong, Binidayan, Madamba, and Masiu towns led in holding community learning sessions.

The school caravan toured Unda Memorial National Agricultural School in Masiu on Aug. 12, Madamba National High School on Aug. 17, Balindong National High School on Aug. 20, and Sittie Ayeesha National High School in Binidayan on Aug. 23.

During the sessions, the youth facilitators set up interactive educational booths covering background information on regional governance, parliamentary positions up for election, the voting process, and hands-on mock elections to give students practical polling experience.

The initiative aims to reach approximately 1,000 young and first-time voters across the four towns.

‘They also reflected on how the project had prepared them to become informed, responsible, and peace-promoting voters in anticipation of the upcoming BARMM parliamentary elections,’ Biadnes said.

Student participants emphasized their role in setting a standard for peaceful civic participation.

‘As an SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) Federation member, I can educate my peers on voting rights and the importance of a non-violent election process. I will be a role model in refusing to engage myself in smear campaigns and sharing of unverified political misinformation,’ said Sittie Raymah Abdullah from Binidayan.

Sonaya Asgar, protocol officer of the Supreme Secondary Learner Government at Balindong National High School, highlighted the importance of critical engagement.

‘I can promote peaceful elections by encouraging responsible voting, sharing accurate and reliable information, respecting different political opinions and to choose leaders based on their qualifications, integrity, and platforms. I will discourage vote-buying and spreading of unreliable resources,’ Asgar said.

Jerome Balinton, Relief International Philippines country director, underscored the long-term impact of youth engagement in the region.

‘As BARMM prepares for its first parliamentary elections, initiatives like Y-LEAD BARMM are more relevant than ever,’ said Balinton.

By equipping peer educators, Balinton added, the initiative helps build a generation of informed voters who can participate peacefully, think critically, and contribute to stronger democratic governance

Archie Alemania said he considered himself as a ‘good husband and father’ as he opened up for the first time about his separation from actress Gee Canlas, saying they clashed over their roles in their marriage.

In an interview with Ogie Diaz published on YouTube over the weekend, Alemania was asked for his reaction to Canlas’ interview last March where she said that she should have left the marriage earlier, adding that she had lost parts of herself in the course of their relationship.

‘Dapat ‘yun na nga ang ginawa niya. Dati pa. For the sake ng katahimikan namin kasi hindi naman nabago kung ano ‘yung ginagawa niya,’ the actor said of his wife.

Alemania said conflicts had emerged in their marriage because he and Canlas had differing views about their roles in the marriage.

‘Pareho kaming Christian ni Gee. Lahat ng pinanghahawakan ko sa pagiging magkarelasyon kapag pareho kayong Kristiyano, ‘yung, ikaw ang hari ng tahanan at siya ‘yung reyna. Wife, submit to your husband. Husband, love your wife,’ he explained. ‘Nangyayari, pareho kaming hari sa isang kaharian, so ‘di puwede ‘yon. Yun yung laging nangyayari for the past how many years.’

The actor claimed he felt he was being provoked during their arguments even as he tried to stay quiet, partly for the sake of their son, Caleb.

‘Saan ka lulugar? Wala kang lulugaran. Ikaw lagi may kasalanan. Kahit siya may kasalanan, ako pa rin ang may kasalanan. That’s in my point of view, ha. Kasi, yung naranasan ko at nakita ko. ‘Yun lang ang kinasasamaan ng loob ko,’ he added.

Regardless of their marital differences, Alemania said he believes he was a devoted husband.

‘I believe, dakila akong asawa. Kasi nu’ng nagpakasal ako, as in wala talaga, walang kalokohan,’ Alemania said. ‘Siya lang talaga. Time and effort para sa pamilya ko.’

‘Everything that I have is for them, and everything that I do is for them. I believe, from the bottom of my heart, I am a good father and good husband,’ he added.

While expressed sadness over being unable to see his son, Alemania said he is now living a more peaceful life after his separation from Canlas.

‘Peaceful. Mas tahimik ‘yung buhay. Pero siyempre may kalungkutan dahil hindi ko kasama ‘yung anak ko,’ he said. ‘I’m happy now and mas peaceful in a sense sa relasyon. Mas tahimik. Mas okay ako ngayon. Intindihin ko muna ang sarili ko.’

On Rita Daniela case

Meanwhile, Alemania continued to deny the allegations made by singer-actress Rita Daniela that he had tried to make unwanted sexual advances towards her. He insisted that he could not have committed the act despite having been found guilty by a court.

‘Hindi ko kayang gawin ‘yon,’ he said. ‘Sa tinatagal-tagal ko sa showbiz, sa dinami-dami ng chicks ko, sa dinami-dami ng babae ko, never po akong nangmanyak.’

‘Kailangan mutual consent ‘yan, para may mangyari sa inyo. Pero never kong ginawa kahit kanino ‘yon, kahit no’ng nambababae ako,’ he continued.

In October 2025, Alemania was found guilty of acts of lasciviousness under Article 336 of the Revised Penal Code in connection with the case filed by Daniela.

Unidentified gunmen shot dead a solar panel installer in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao del Norte on Tuesday amid the gun ban for the Sept. 14 first Bangsamoro parliamentary elections.

Capt. Steffi Salanguit, Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR) spokesperson, identified the victim as Merham Tugis Amilol, 26, a resident of Barangay Banubo, Sultan Kudarat.

Salanguit said Amilol was one of three men installing a solar panel system in a house along the national highway in Barangay Dalumangcob, Sultan Kudarat, when two men riding tandem on a motorbike arrived at 10:40 a.m.

Salanguit said one of the two suspects pulled out a pistol and shot Amilol, killing him instantly.

The attack came despite the strict implementation of the election gun ban along major highways in the Bangsamoro region.

Amilol was the 13th individual killed in a gun attack in the two Maguindanao provinces since the implementation of the gun ban, in line with historic parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim (BARMM) next month.

Gilas Pilipinas spent Monday preparing both the team that will compete in this weekend’s fourth window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers and the squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games by having them face each other in a tuneup game.

The scrimmage was held at the Mall of Asia Arena, where coach Tim Cone and the rest of the ‘Window Team’ also took part in a press conference ahead of the crucial matches against Jordan and Iran before a hometown crowd.

‘We’re just trying to get as much experience and time together,’ Cone said, as Gilas is set to play the window with an all-Filipino squad after ruling out naturalized player Justin Brownlee.

It was the second tuneup for the Fiba team after it defeated Korean side Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus last Thursday, a game in which Cone felt there was plenty of room for improvement.

14 Players

He echoed the same sentiments after facing the Asiad team.

‘We’re not as good as we want to be at this point,’ said Cone. ‘We need to be better, we feel. And that included the game against Korea and included the game today. We’re still trying to find the best version of ourselves.

‘But we still got a few more days, and we’re still trying to lock in and get a feel for everybody,’ he added.

Brownlee was supposed to arrive before the start of the buildup, but Cone said he ‘doesn’t feel like he’s really healthy enough to contribute,’ given that he missed Gilas’ last game against Australia in the third window and did not serve as Barangay Ginebra’s import in the PBA Governors’ Cup owing to injuries to his knee, hamstring and leg.

That leaves Cone with 14 players to choose from in his pool, including the returning Kai Sotto, Scottie Thompson and CJ Perez, and new addition Justin Arana of Converge.

‘It’s a huge pressure for us,’ Sotto said. ‘But that’s the pressure that we need. Since the start of practice, we’ve been improving. And as long as we help each other and we trust each other, we’ll get what we want.’

The rest of the players vying for a spot in the 12-man lineup for Friday and Sunday are Dwight Ramos, Juan Gomez de Liano, Kevin Quiambao, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, Chris Newsome, Troy Rosario, Justine Baltazar, RJ Abarrientos and June Mar Fajardo, who is likely to play his final games for the national team.

Mostly PBA

Meanwhile, the tuneup was something the Asian Games team sorely needed before heading to Japan for the defense of the gold it won three years ago in China.

Cone has let Del Rosario, Josh Reyes and Jong Uichico handle the Asiad squad while he focuses on Gilas, with a completely different roster composed mostly of PBA players.

NLEx’s Robert Bolick and Blackwater’s Sedrick Barefield are among the prominent players who could don the Gilas jersey for the quadrennial meet set Sept. 10 to 20.

‘The real purpose of the tuneup game is really to get each other ready. You know, getting the Asian Games team prepared for a fast-paced game. Because the Asian Games team is a really quicker team,’ Del Rosario said.

‘The composition of the Asian Games team is different. And then for the window team to prepare the Asian Games team for the size. With Kai and June Mar and AJ there. So it’s really about helping each other.

‘We always tell the players, we’re not the Asian Games team and the Fiba window team. We’re one team. So it’s really about getting each other better.’

Some lawmakers from the House of Representatives have sought to increase the budget of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) for next year amid significant cuts in the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

During the House committee on appropriations’ briefing for the proposed budget of the DHSUD, House Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling asked the lawmakers to grant the agency’s request to seek more funds for their programs.

Aliling shared that the DHSUD and its attached agencies were allotted P5.498 billion under the 2027 NEP, which fell short of P54.501 billion from what it proposed of P60 billion. The NEP allocated P2.49 billion for DHSUD; P2.274 billion for National Housing Authority (NHA); P166 million for Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC); P450,000 for National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC); and P566 million for Human Settlements Adjudication Committee (HSAC).

However, the agency proposed the following: P4.962 billion for DHSUD; P44.732 billion for NHA; P4.666 billion for SHFC; and P890 million for HSAC.

Given the budget cuts under the NEP, Aliling then requested additional funding of P280,290,000 for DHSUD; P1.623 billion for NHA; P2 billion for SHFC; P8.08 billion for NHMFC; and P47,547,000 for HSAC.

House committee on housing and urban development chairperson Marivic Co-Pilar made the first motion to increase the funding for SHFC and other attached agencies of the DHSUD.

Co-Pilar’s motion was then supported by lawmakers present in the hearing such as Reps. Leila de Lima, Lani Mercado, Roman Romulo, Elmer Catulpos, Rufus Rodriguez, Miro Quimbo, among others.

At the end of the budget briefing, committee on appropriations chairperson Mikaela Suansing asked the agency to write a letter to the panel determining the top three projects needing additional funding. Suansing noted that this is done for the panel to properly assess what to be given a budget increase upon the availability of the fiscal space.

With this, Aliling said that the top three priorities are the planning to perform mandates for the DHSUD, contract of service hiring and procurement for the HSAC, and the community mortgage program.

The Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) has yet to receive the results of the official investigation on Monday into last week’s shooting that claimed the lives of two students at its Tumaga high school campus.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla last Thursday said after visiting the campus in Zamboanga City that the final police report on the AdZU shooting incident was expected by Monday.

‘We had hoped to receive it today (Monday), but until it is formally provided to us, we will refrain from commenting on findings that have not yet been officially communicated,’ AdZU president Fr. Guillrey Anthony Andal said in a statement issued Monday evening.

He stressed that the university continues to cooperate fully with authorities and will share verified information once it’s available.

Andal said the university updated Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso on its cooperation with police and its ongoing efforts to strengthen campus security and provide psychological support to affected students and families.

The mayor expressed support for their initiatives.

The university again appealed to media organizations and the public to exercise prudence in sharing images, recordings, and information related to the incident.

‘Inaccurate information and unnecessary circulation of materials, including those AI-generated involving minors, can cause further harm to families already carrying great pain,’ Andal warned.

AdZU also continued its ‘work of accompaniment’ on Monday, allowing Junior High School students to retrieve belongings from the Tumaga campus. Similar efforts will resume Tuesday morning.

The community likewise gathered for a candle-lighting and prayer service at the Salvador campus, led by student leaders from El Consejo Atenista. Faculty and staff held a ‘Kumustahan Session,’ with similar activities planned for college students in the coming days.

‘As we continue to understand what happened, we must also be clear: violence has no place in our society,’ Andal said, underscoring that preventing violence is a shared responsibility of families, schools, government, religious institutions, media, and the wider community.

Angel Reese rebounded her way into the record books not once, but twice in one night.

Reese set a WNBA record with 26 rebounds in the Atlanta Dream’s 78-71 win over the Los Angeles Sparks on Monday, pushing her past the season record in the same game.

‘Last time I was here, I didn’t miss any shots. Tonight I couldn’t hit (anything) so I knew I was going be able to get them on the rebounding side,’ Reese told the postgame show. ‘I just want to be there for my team. Offensively, defensively, whatever it takes to win.’

Reese surpassed Chamique Holdsclaw’s record of 24 rebounds, set on May 23, 2003 for Washington. She now has 458 rebounds on the season, seven more than A’ja Wilson’s mark set in 2024.

Reese secured her WNBA-leading 27th double-double of the season on a basket with 13.9 seconds left in the game that gave her 11 points.

‘That’s a talent,’ Dream guard Allisha Gray said. ‘I’m just in awe watching her rebound.’

A three-time WNBA All-Star, Reese set a WNBA rookie record with 13.1 rebounds per game and the all-time league record with 15 straight double-doubles with Chicago in 2024.

Reese led the league in rebounding her first two seasons and is leading again this season at 12.0 per game.

Aircraft giant Boeing is once again taking some of the Philippines’ most prized eagles under its wing, thanks to another $80,000 in funding.

That amount represents the American plane-maker’s latest commitment to the Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF), an organization it has been partnering with since 2023, and would help bankroll the construction of new aviaries as well as conservation programs.

PEF executive director Dennis Salvador told Biz Buzz that part of the funding would go toward additional enclosures at the foundation’s natural breeding sanctuary at the foot of Mount Apo in Davao City.

A separate flight aviary will be built to train birds hatched at the sanctuary, Salvador said.

Another portion of the $80,000 will support initiatives under PEF’s conservation academy.

Salvador said that Boeing’s relationship with the foundation dates back to 2023, after company representatives encountered Philippine eagles in Singapore and expressed interest in supporting their conservation.

Boeing had adopted two Philippine eagles-Makisig and Hiraya-before expanding to support conservation work in the Philippines. Salvador said Boeing has provided funding every year since then and is now among the foundation’s biggest corporate supporters.

The latest commitment came after Boeing Southeast Asia president Travis Sullivan met with PEF officials on Aug. 19 to discuss follow-through programs.

As a company best known for helping people take to the skies, Boeing’s latest Philippine investment ensures the country’s national bird can keep doing the same. -Logan Kal-El M. Zapanta

Campaign donors, beware?

The general elections in the Philippines may still be about two years away, but potential campaign donors from the private sector are already taking serious note of the case involving Sen. Rodante Marcoleta.

To recall, the Office of the Ombudsman last June charged Marcoleta with plunder for over P75 million in undeclared contributions to his ultimately successful campaign for a Senate seat in 2025.

Marcoleta was also charged with three counts of violating Presidential Decree No. 46, which prohibits public officers from accepting gifts while in office.

Charged with him are former Quezon City congressman Mike Defensor and private campaign donors Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray.

And this is where the concerns are coming from, as a number of potential donors-among them the country’s richest individuals and top executives-now fear that donating to an election campaign could get them embroiled in unexpected legal trouble.

Biz Buzz sources said the liability of private citizens cannot rest solely on their having dealt with a public official -even if they get accused of wrongdoing-especially if deeds of donation are signed and donor’s taxes are paid.

The current case, however, begs the question: Was this merely a campaign donation, or was it given as part of a corrupt scheme?

The answer cannot be presumed. It must ultimately be proven.

Even then, the potential trouble down the road may just be too much of a risk for well-meaning private donors.

Given that, will the Marcoleta case change the complexion of the 2028 campaign in that candidates may find it more difficult to get donations? Abangan! -Tina Arceo-Dumlao

Lim’s stressful SEC debut

Francis Lim has survived his first year as chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). His verdict?

‘Both exciting and stressful,’ Lim told reporters when asked to sum up his first year at the corporate regulator.

The stress, he said, came partly from wanting to accelerate the transformation of the Philippine capital market. Not everyone welcomed the changes, either.

‘There’s a lot of positive comments about what we’ve done. Of course, as usual in a democracy, there’s always some resistance,’ Lim said.

Still, the SEC chair appears pleased with what his team has accomplished, crediting his fellow commissioners for helping push through the regulator’s reform agenda.

And it has been a busy first year.

The SEC imposed stricter processing timelines and a ‘deemed approved’ policy for applications not acted upon beyond prescribed periods.

It also slashed fees for corporate document requests, resulting in nearly P263 million in discounts as of July.

On the capital-market side, Lim’s first year saw the rollout of a five-year shelf registration framework, tiered minimum public ownership requirements, expanded rules for real estate investment trusts, Sukuk regulations and Southeast Asia’s first Green Equity Guidelines.

There is little sign the workload-or the stress-is easing.