Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Senate joint panels on local government and finance on Tuesday sought the schedule of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) to be moved from the first Monday of November 2026 to the second week of November 2028.

Members of the panels jointly submitted on Tuesday Committee Report no. 77 also recommending the approval of the bill fixing the term of office of barangay and SK officials to five years.

They also took into consideration the measure seeking to postpone the 2026 BSKE polls.

The committees, through their joint report, proposed that the date of the BSKE be postponed to the second Monday of November 2028, instead of the first Monday of 2026.

It also amended that the elections be held every five years thereafter, and not every four years.

Should the proposed measure be approved, the incumbent barangay and SK officials will, thereby, extend their term by another two years.

Moreover, incumbent officials already serving their third consecutive term will be ineligible for vying for the same position in the 2028 BSKE polls.

Head of the committee on local government Sen. Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero sponsored the measure at the plenary, urging the Senate to expedite the passing of the bill or otherwise.

‘I ask that the body act on this bill with urgency, for or against it, given that the barangay elections are scheduled to be conducted this November, and where the filing of certificates of candidacy are slated already in the coming month,’ Escudero said.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday deployed additional personnel and oil spill response equipment as authorities work to retrieve a tugboat that sank off Bucao River in Barangay Bangan, in Botolan, Zambales.

An underwater survey was attempted to assess the condition of the sunken tugboat SL SUAL, but poor weather and water conditions hampered the operation, Commander Euphraim Jayson Diciano, head of the PCG in Zambales, said.

Diciano said additional oil spill response equipment and personnel from the PCG’s Marine Environmental Protection Group in Manila had arrived in the area as a precaution against a possible fuel leak.

‘So in case there is a spill, we are prepared,’ Diciano said in a phone interview.

The vessel was carrying about 15,000 liters of diesel, but Diciano said no leakage had been detected as of the latest assessment.

He explained that although diesel was not considered persistent oil and could eventually ‘dissipate through wave interaction and evaporation,’ they continued to monitor the area because a diesel spill could still affect the marine environment.

‘Our priority now is to retrieve the vessel because it will be more difficult once it is covered by sediment,’ Diciano added.

According to Diciano, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has also conducted water sampling in the area to monitor possible contamination.

The tugboat SL SUAL sank on Monday while emergency salvage operations were underway after it ran aground at Bucao River on Aug. 14.

Kit Harington has been cast as Gilderoy Lockhart for the second season of ‘Harry Potter’ series, taking over the role from Nicholas Hoult who departed the project due to ‘scheduling issues.’

Harington’s casting was confirmed by Deadline, saying HBO reached out to the British actor after Hoult’s existing commitments conflicted with the ‘Harry Potter’ filming schedule.

According to the outlet, Hoult was supposed to film the Lockhart scenes while simultaneously working on two prior projects. However, the ‘Harry Potter’ production schedule was later adjusted, creating a conflict with his other commitments.

Deadline said Harington was ‘excited to take over the role.’

Prior to his casting in the series, Harington had already portrayed the role of Lockhart in the audiobook ‘Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions’ released in December 2025.

Harington is joining the cast led by Dominic McLaughlin, Arabella Stanton and Alastair Stout, who respectively play Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley.

The second season of the ‘Harry Potter’ series will adapt the second book in the JK Rowling series, ‘The Chamber of Secrets.’ /

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has urged more private hospitals to implement the no balance billing and no-copayment policies of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), saying financial hardship should not prevent Filipinos from getting specialized medical care.

Marcos made the call on Tuesday following the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between PhilHealth and St. Luke’s Medical Center (SLMC)-Global City to expand access to private hospital services for qualified PhilHealth members.

‘This is so that people who get sick will no longer be afraid to go to private hospitals because they cannot afford to pay,’ Marcos said.

According to Marcos, the MOA between PhilHealth and SLMC ‘reflects a shared commitment to strengthen the implementation of the no co-payment policy and to support the government’s Universal Health Care agenda.’

‘By joining this effort, St. Luke’s also sends an important message: that quality care in leading private hospitals can be made more accessible to qualified PhilHealth members, and that both government and the private sector have a role in making Universal Health Care work,’ he added.

No out-of-pocket expenses

Under PhilHealth’s no co-payment policy, eligible PhilHealth members admitted to basic or ward accommodations in private hospitals do not have to pay additional charges or out-of-pocket expenses for medical services covered by PhilHealth.

The policy was initially limited to indigent patients but was expanded under Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care (UHC) Act of 2019, covering all Filipinos regardless of their financial or employment status.

The initiative complements the Marcos administration’s zero balance billing program, which provides free hospital services to ward patients and is currently being implemented in 79 Department of Health (DOH) hospitals and the government’s four specialty centers, as well as the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital.

According to PhilHealth president and chief executive officer Beverly Lorraine Ho, SLMC initially allocated 53 beds for eligible patients requiring specialized treatment, 50 of which are already occupied.

PhilHealth spokesperson Dr. Alfred Philip de Dios, meanwhile, said the agreement covers all PhilHealth benefit packages and is not limited to any specific health case.

The MOA also establishes a joint mechanism between PhilHealth and SLMC Global City to monitor the implementation of the policy, improve processes, and gather evidence that could support future reforms to PhilHealth’s payment system.

The agreement forms part of the administration’s efforts to expand Filipinos’ access to quality and affordable healthcare by strengthening cooperation between the government and private hospitals.

‘We started with St. Luke’s, and we will expand this to more hospitals. We encourage more hospitals across the country to support PhilHealth in advancing Universal Health Care by embracing the no co-payment policy,’ Marcos said.

‘Together, let us ensure that no Filipino is denied the care they need simply because of financial hardship,’ he added. Aside from SLMC Global City in Taguig, three other top-tier private hospitals have expressed support for the policy. These are Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City, Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City, and The Medical City Ortigas in Pasig City

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.

Gilas Pilipinas is entering the second round of the 2027 Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers with a four-game losing skid.

Still, that didn’t stop RJ Abarrientos from having a positive outlook heading into the Philippines’ homestand against Jordan on Friday and Iran on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.

‘We now have more chemistry as a team,’ said Abarrientos. ‘That’s the most important thing. Our window [games] against New Zealand and Australia were a big help.’

‘We’re still very happy to be together again now and practice for a few more days.’

In the previous third window, Gilas dropped a 106-102 heartbreaker against New Zealand in double overtime in Auckland before getting blown out by undefeated Australia, 92-49, in Perth.

While Abarrientos was rendered scoreless against the Boomers, his playmaking was crucial against the Tall Blacks as he tallied 10 assists with six points and five rebounds.

Abarrientos hopes to regain his form and snap out of his shooting slump this time, especially with Gilas missing the services of Justin Brownlee.

FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List Rep. Brian Poe questioned on Monday the National Bureau of Investigation’s lack of funding for agents or attachés stationed abroad as he called for stronger support for the bureau as it tackles an increasing number of transnational crimes involving Filipinos.

Under Republic Act No. 10687, specifically Section 7(F), the NBI is authorized to designate attachés or representatives in Philippine embassies abroad, Poe pointed out at the House Committee on Appropriations budget briefing for the Department of Justice (DOJ).

He noted, however, that the law requires the funding for such positions to come from the NBI’s own budget,

Asked whether an allocation for this purpose was included in the current year’s budget, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said there was none.

According to Matibag, the NBI has been hoping to address the lack of funding for overseas NBI representatives, as it considers the possibility of deploying attachés to selected areas abroad to work with foreign counterparts in tackling transnational crimes.

He noted that embassies from Europe and the United States already have counterparts in the Philippines who have assisted the NBI in pursuing cases that cross national borders.

Matibag welcomed Poe’s intervention, saying he hoped funding for NBI attachés could eventually be included in the bureau’s ‘wish list.’

More agents needed

But the NBI chief also underscored another pressing problem: The bureau needs more agents as it only has around 300 agents nationwide.

If the NBI wanted to deploy agents abroad, it would need to hire more.

‘This is quite alarming,’ Poe said, as he noted that the NBI has not ‘a single centavo’ of funding for even a single international representative to be attached to Philippine embassies abroad despite the growing number of cases with international links.

Poe cited the wide range of responsibilities now being handled by the NBI, including investigations involving the following:

Philippine offshore gaming operators or POGOs

scam networks

cyber fraud

online gambling

Interpol-related cases

human trafficking

online child sexual abuse or exploitation materials

‘The list goes on,’ Poe said, adding that Congress should seriously consider the issue during Congress deliberations on the proposed DOJ budget.

Accountability and law enforcement

Poe also linked the lack of overseas NBI representation to the broader issue of accountability and law enforcement, particularly in pursuing suspects and fugitives outside Philippine jurisdiction.

The government, he said, must ask how it could effectively go after international fugitives when the NBI has no dedicated funding for representatives abroad.

The proposed expansion of the NBI’s personnel and the possible deployment of attachés overseas could strengthen the Philippines’ ability to coordinate with foreign law enforcement agencies, share intelligence, follow cross-border criminal networks, and pursue cases that do not stop at the country’s borders.

Ensuring that the NBI has enough agents, eventually including representatives in key locations abroad, is not merely a matter of expanding the bureau, he said. It’s necessary to enable it to pursue criminals abroad.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is still reviewing the request the United States government to extradite sect leader and alleged sex offender Apollo Quiboloy, Palace press officer Claire Castro said on Tuesday.

Castro last August 11 said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. would decide on Quiboloy’s fate ‘in a couple of weeks.’

As of posting time, however, she said the DOJ is still assessing the extradition request.

‘Sa ngayon ang DOJ ay kasalukuyan pa pong binubusisi, inaaral, ina-asses ang bulto-bultong dokumento na naipasa sa kanila, at hindi pa po sila halos dahil sa napakaraming dapat pag-aaralan,’ she said at a Palace briefing.

(For now, the DOJ is still scrutinizing, studying, and assessing the large volume of documents submitted to them, and they have barely made progress because there is so much that needs to be reviewed.)

Among the issues the DOJ is looking into is whether the principle of double criminality applies or whether the charges Quiboloy will face in the US are also considered offenses punishable under Philippine law.

‘So, hintayin po natin kung ito ay… kung kailan matatapos, pero alam nila na ito ay agaran na dapat magkaroon ng desisyon. So, medyo makapal lang daw po at bulto ang mga dokumentong kanilang binabasa sa ngayon,’ Castro said.

(So, let’s wait and see when they will finish, but they know that a decision needs to be made urgently. It’s just that, according to them, the documents they are reviewing at the moment are quite voluminous.)

The DOJ previously said the matter would be ‘given priority’ and carefully scrutinized to make sure the circumstances in Quiboloy’s criminal cases pending in two local courts are factored in.

Quiboloy faces qualified human trafficking charges at the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) and a separate case for sexual abuse and maltreatment before the Quezon City RTC

In a bid to enhance campus security, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday, Aug. 25, presented a campus security guard and mobile patrol strategy for public schools nationwide.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara has presented a hybrid campus security model that seeks to enhance surveillance despite the shortages in security guards in public schools in the country through a strategic patrolling assignment based on ‘campus size and needs.’

The initiative is in partnership with the local government units and the Philippine National Police, under the Department of Interior and Local Government Memorandum Circular No. 2026-037 on Safer School Zones.

‘Under the proposed framework, DepEd will prioritize assigning security guards to high-density campuses while leveraging community support for smaller schools,’ the DepEd said in a statement.

Based on the proposed model, during arrival and dismissal hours, campuses with less than 500 students and 1,000 students are provided one security guard supported by local barangay watchmen and volunteers from the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) assistance team.

Meanwhile, campuses classified as large with 3,300 learners are assigned two security guards, also assisted by the barangay tanod and the PTA volunteers.

Campuses with more than 8,000 learners are proposed to be allocated four security guards, alongside Philippine National Police mobile patrols and local security officers.

The barangay tanods are assigned to be the first line of defense for perimeter controls in campuses, while the PTA assistance teams will assist in crowd and traffic control, according to the DepEd.

‘Through our hybrid security model, we partner with our communities and other stakeholders to ensure a safe and orderly environment for every school,’ Angara said.

The move comes amid mounting concerns on campus security following the shooting incident at a private school in Zamboanga involving a junior high school student, who was able to bring a firearm inside the premises.

The agency said it is set to conduct two phases, starting with schools classified with large populations, before proceeding in small and medium schools.

‘To reinforce physical security without relying on additional manpower, the Department is also prioritizing investments in surveillance infrastructure including closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, upgraded area lighting, access control systems and scanners,’ it added. /

Thirteen towns in Zambales suspended face-to-face classes at all levels on Tuesday as the southwest monsoon continued to bring rain across the province.

The towns of Subic, Castillejos, San Antonio, Cabangan, Botolan, and Masinloc suspended classes at all levels in both public and private schools

Other towns – San Marcelino, San Narciso, San Felipe, Iba, Palauig, Candelaria and Santa Cruz – also suspended classes but will shift to alternative learning protocols like online or modular learning, to allow students to continue their education while face-to-face classes are suspended.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), in its 4 a.m. forecast on Tuesday, said Zambales could receive 50 to 100 millimeters of rain from Monday to Thursday noon (Aug. 27).

Meanwhile, Typhoon Saudel, formerly known as ‘Obet,’ was outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) as of 3 a.m. Tuesday, with maximum sustained winds of 150 km/h and gustiness of up to 185 km/h. Another tropical cyclone, Tropical Depression Atsani, was being monitored outside the PAR