Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Men’s football will be eyeing a breakthrough podium finish while its women’s counterparts seek to get back to that spot, and even more in the Thailand Southeast Asian Games.

Both squads begin their bids on Friday, with the U-22s and the Filipinas facing Myanmar in Chiang Mai and Chonburi, respectively.

Undoubtedly the most anticipated sport of every Sea Games, football usually unfurls barely a week before the formal start of the biennial event. The 33rd edition’s opening ceremonies is on Dec. 9 in Bangkok.

The men’s team joins Myanmar in Group C at 700th Anniversary Stadium along with Indonesia, which the Philippines will face on the eve of the opener.

Age restrictions

As in recent editions, men’s football will have players under 22 years old. No overage footballers were permitted by host Thailand for the competition. Players over 22 years old were also barred during the 2023 Games in Cambodia when the Philippines drew once and lost four.

There’s optimism surrounding the squad, which during the past months produced solid results in a pair of U-23 competitions.

The Filipino footballers placed fourth in the Asean U-23 Championship in Jakarta after reaching the semifinals before losing to Vietnam and Thailand, the latter being its opponent in the consolation game for third.

They also posted two wins against one defeat for second in Group K of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, but missed out a spot in the main competition.

Sandro Reyes, Javier Mariona and Otu Banatao, who received the Rising Star Award in the Asean tilt, were some of the players listed in the squad for the SEA Games. Te Philippines needs to top the group or emerge as the best among the three second placers to reach the semifinals.

The Philippines struggled two years ago in Cambodia, failing to secure a win after going one draw and four defeats.

Meanwhile, the Filipinas are in Group B of the women’s tournament with defending champion Vietnam and Malaysia, and will seek a top-two finish to make the semis.

The Filipinas failed to reach the knockout stage in 2023, a downgrade from their bronze finish in Hanoi in the pandemic-delayed 2021 edition that was held a year late.

The Philippines sending a record number of 1,600 athletes and officials to the SEA Games.

Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David on Saturday rejected the proposed National Transition Council (NTC) and a possible civilian-military junta as a response to alleged government corruption, even if Church leaders are promised positions of power.

Speaking at the second Trillion Peso March (TPMM) rally held at the Edsa People Power Monument, David said accepting such proposals would lead the country into becoming a ‘banana republic.’

‘We don’t want the proposed transitional council or revolutionary government because we do not want the Philippines to become a banana republic. We also do not want a civilian and military junta, even if we bishops are promised positions in the government,’ David said in Filipino.

David, a former president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines, is among religious leaders allied with the multi-sectoral TPMM coalition, which organized the November 30 anti-corruption protest.

His statement stood in contrast to the position of protesters at simultaneous rallies in Manila’s Rizal Park and Mendiola, who called for the creation of the NTC and the resignation of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vice President Sara Duterte, and other elected officials.

The Kilusang Bayan Kontra Kurakot (KBKK), which led the Manila rallies, proposed that the NTC independently investigate alleged anomalies in infrastructure projects and lead electoral and governance reforms.

But David and TPMM participants, including various dioceses, rejected the idea, saying accountability should be pursued through constitutional means.

David also cautioned against military intervention, saying such scenarios would only lead to tragedy.

‘Do you think that those whom they are asking to resign will resign voluntarily? That seems unlikely, unless our armed forces fall for the temptation of politics and they themselves defect and call for resignation,’ he said.

‘We don’t have to burn down the whole house just because we want to catch and hold accountable the cockroaches and rats of our society,’ he added.

Instead of stepping down, David urged Marcos to follow through with the anti-corruption probe he initiated in July, particularly on flood control projects, offering support for transparent investigations.

‘Go all out – through a genuine, transparent investigation. We will help with citizens’ participatory audit. We will help to strengthen the morale of true public servants,’ the cardinal said. /dm

The Court of Appeals (CA) has dismissed the petition of expelled lawmaker Arnolfo Teves Jr. seeking to nullify a resolution that designated him and his armed group as terrorists.

In a 65-page decision on Nov. 26, the CA’s Ninth Division said there was ample evidence to establish probable cause that Teves committed acts that constitute terrorism, justifying his designation as a terrorist.

According to the appellate court, an act does not need to reach the magnitude of mass casualty bombings or territorial sieges before it qualifies as terrorism.

‘As long as the elements of actus reus (overt act) and mens rea (criminal intent) are probably present, and in light of the evolving nature of terrorism-as well as the fact that designation serves both preventive and counterterrorism purposes-the designation is legally tenable,’ the CA said in the ruling penned by Associate Justice Selma Palacio Alaras.

Teves’ petition stemmed from the Pamplona massacre in March 2023 when his political rival, the late Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo, along with nine others, were killed in an attack at the governor’s residence.

Degamo along with several civilians were gunned down while the governor was distributing aid to the local beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

The 10 suspects allegedly involved in the killing initially said, but later recanted, that Teves was the mastermind of the assassination plot.

The National Bureau of Investigation then filed multiple counts of murder, multiple counts of frustrated murder, and multiple counts of attempted murder against Teves and several others before the Department of Justice on May 18, 2023.

The authorities also recovered and seized long and short firearms, ammunition, and explosives, among others in several locations linked to Teves, which resulted in the filing of cases of illegal possession of firearms and explosives against him and his group.

The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC), after finding that the incidents of assassinations and intimidation were all part of a ‘broader pattern of violence’ orchestrated by Teves and his group in Negros Oriental, ruled that there was probable cause to designate them as terrorists.

Teves then filed the petition before the CA, accusing the ATC of grave abuse of discretion for supposedly forcing the application and coverage of the Anti-Terrorism Act on him and the other co-accused, in relation to the criminal cases filed by the DOJ.

He argued that for terrorism to be committed, the overt acts enumerated in the law must concur with the criminal intent, that is, to intimidate the general public, or a segment of it, create an atmosphere, or spread a message of fear among others.

He claimed there was no organizational structure and pattern of orchestrated action, purportedly because the crimes attributed to them were ‘isolated from each other’ and were ‘ordinary’ crimes.

On the substantive issues, the CA disagreed with Teves’ arguments, ultimately denying his petition.

Except for Degamo, who was assassinated allegedly upon Teves’ order, the CA took note of how the other victims in the attack were killed ‘by chance.’

‘The attacks spread fear as the violence is directed, unexpectedly, against innocent victims, which in turn puts pressure on the local government of Negros Oriental to give in to the political and economic motives of Arnolfo Teves for the purpose of continuously maintaining their reign of power in the province,’ the CA said.

Teves insisted that the 10 suspects in the Pamplona massacre initially pointed him as the mastermind, but had since recanted.

The CA, however, said that the assailed ATC resolution was not just based on those testimonies alone as the council’s decision had other pieces of evidence, among them the police’s investigation report about the 2019 killings in Negros Oriental, extrajudicial confessions linking him to 2019 murders in the province; complaints filed against him, as well as CCTV footages and sworn statements showing his involvement in different killings.

Aside from the Pamplona massacre, where Teves is facing 10 counts of murder, 13 counts of frustrated murder, and four counts of attempted murder pending before the Manila Regional Trial Court, the former lawmaker is also implicated in the 2019 killing of Michael Dungog and Pacito Libron.

He is also facing a terrorism financing case pending before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court, and a separate illegal possession of firearms and explosives charge before the Manila RTC.

After eight games on the sidelines, Kean Baclaan finally made his return for the La Salle Green Archers.

And what better time to do it than in the UAAP Season 88 Final Four when La Salle needs him the most.

Following his recovery from an MCL strain, Baclaan contributed to the Green Archers’ 87-77 win over National University to force a do-or-die game against the top-seeded Bulldogs.

‘I want to be healthy so we can reach the Finals. I’m happy because I got to help the team now. I also got to take some load off Jacob (Cortez) so at least, I got to help the team somehow,’ he said at Araneta Coliseum on Wednesday.

‘Even if I have three turnovers. I don’t even know why I’m here,’ he added in jest.

Baclaan was still under minutes restriction, playing for only 19 minutes for the fourth-seeded Archers, but that didn’t stop him from pitching on offense as he finished with six points, two assists and a rebound.

The former NU standout gave his previous alma mater some fits as La Salle successfully neutralized the Bulldogs’ twice-to-beat advantage.

Baclaan backstopped Cortez, who finished with a team-high 13 points alongside four assists and two steals.

The job, however, isn’t finished for La Salle nor Baclaan, with a do-or-die game slated on Saturday at the same venue.

‘I’m very happy that I got to play again because this has been my dream since I was a kid,’ he said. ‘This isn’t over yet, though. We still have a game on Saturday against them again so we’ll be ready.’

Baclaan sustained his MCL injury in the first round of eliminations when the Archers took on the University of the East.

Bang Pineda completed her Petro Gazz’s homecoming with another PVL Reinforced Conference championship three years after winning her first with the Angels.

After a title run with the Angels in the 2022 Reinforced, the veteran libero transferred to Akari and then joined Nxled last year before finding her way home at Petro Gazz in the preseason.

Reunited with the American Lindsey Vander Weide, Myla Pablo, and the core of Petro Gazz, Pineda helped the franchise end a three-year Reinforced title drought with a 21-25, 28-26, 25-23, 25-20 win over first-time finalist ZUS Coffee on Sunday.

‘I’m really happy. Probably the same feeling I had back in 2022. And honestly, we went through a lot. We just held on to each other,’ Pineda told the reporters in Filipino.

Pineda, who had 13 digs in the winner-take-all final, believes that her decision to reunite with the Angels was ‘super worth it.’ ‘It felt like nothing changed. And with my teammates, the feeling was still the same. I just had to adjust a bit to the new faces on the team,’ she said.

‘When Ate Cha (Cruz-Behag) called me, I said yes right away. I didn’t even think twice. I just wanted peace of mind. I was already tired from my previous commitments, so this felt like another chance to simply work, contribute, and help again. And maybe it was also my way of giving back to Petro Gazz, since they won a championship after I left.’

The 34-year-old has been tagged as a ‘journeywoman’ for years, but her Petro Gazz family made her homecoming easier and successful.

‘Mentally, my support system was really my teammates. I just followed their lead because I had just returned. I didn’t need to prove anything right away. I just needed to help the team,’ Pineda said.

The country’s metal sector is expected to sustain momentum for the rest of this year after buoyant gold and silver prices boosted output value by more than 10 percent in the first nine months despite the decline in production volume.

The Chamber of Mines of the Philippines (Comp) said the latest government data on metallic output supported its ‘cautiously positive outlook’ for the rest of 2025.

The group noted that mining operations in the country remained stable.

‘With overall production value already ahead of last year, and with gold and silver buoyed by strong global prices and steady output, we expect the sector to maintain its momentum through year-end,’ Comp chair Michael Toledo said in a Viber message on Tuesday.

‘Overall, our outlook for the balance of 2025 is positive but measured, mindful of price volatility and other external factors as we continue to support national development and our host communities,’ added Toledo.

The Comp said while nickel production may remain stable, copper consistently contributed to the overall volume, buoyed by strong demand. Prices, however, are sensitive to global manufacturing trends.

Metal output value climbed by 14.8 percent to P219.74 billion in the January to September period from P191.42 billion in the same period a year ago, based on data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

Nickel

Gold, silver and nickel direct shipping ore registered increases, while other metals declined.

The value of gold metal production rose by 28.9 percent to P117.42 billion, accounting for 53.4 percent of output value. This was even as during the reference period, production volume of this precious metal fell by 5.3 percent to 20,500 kilograms.

The value of silver output reached P2.13 billion, up 4.2 percent. It accounted for less than 1 percent of the total. The volume of silver production also decreased by 10.3 percent to 35,096 kilos. INQ

Nickel direct shipping ore production, meanwhile, was valued at P52.48 billion. This translated to a 23.9-percent share.

In terms of volume, output fell by 0.6 percent to 29.07 million dry metric tons.

Wall Street stocks resumed their upward climb Tuesday after the previous day’s stutter, as markets weighed expected additional interest rate cuts and favorable seasonal dynamics against valuation concerns.

After mixed sessions on Asian and European bourses, New York indices spent the day in positive territory, veering between modest and larger gains.

The broad-based SandP 500 ended up about 0.3 percent.

Investors were reassured by the retreat in Treasury bond yields that suggested less worry that shifting monetary policy in Japan would spark volatility.

‘The early buying interest reflects more of the back-and-forth action of a market playing the seasonality game while remaining cognizant of stretched valuations and concentration risk,’ said Briefing.com analyst Patrick O’Hare.

He added investors were keeping an eye on the US Treasuries market, a day after a jump in yields on US government bonds contributed to losses in the stock market.

Eyes on US Federal Reserve

Bets on the US central bank easing monetary policy next week for a third successive meeting have been rising since several Fed decision-makers flagged concerns over labor market weakness.

While Tuesday’s calendar was light on government economic data, the National Retail Federation released an upbeat appraisal of the ‘Black Friday’ holiday shopping weekend, a critical period in the US festive season.

A record 202.9 million consumers shopped over the five-day stretch, topping estimates, according to the NRF, which said the turnout ‘reflects a highly engaged consumer who is focused on value, responds to compelling promotions, and seizes upon the opportunity to make the winter holidays special and meaningful.’

Investors are awaiting Wednesday’s monthly report on private-sector jobs, followed by the inflation figures for September on Friday.

Across Europe, Asia

Major European markets ended mixed.

Official data on Tuesday showed eurozone inflation edged up to 2.2 percent in November, veering slightly away from the European Central Bank’s 2-percent target.

The ECB will announce its rate decision on December 18.

The data ‘comes at a time where some had claimed we could yet see another cut from the ECB, although the likeliness is that their easing cycle is over,’ said Joshua Mahony, chief market analyst at Scope Markets.

Across Asia, most markets closed higher Tuesday.

Tokyo was flat after erasing early gains, following Monday’s losses triggered by Bank of Japan boss Kazuo Ueda hinting at a possible interest rate hike this month.

South Korean tech titan Samsung Electronics jumped more than 2 percent in Seoul as it launched its first triple-folding phone, even as its price tag over $2,400 places it out of reach for the average customer.

Bayer surged more than 12 percent after the Trump administration backed the German agrochemical giant’s latest legal strategy to limit liability connected to claims that a popular weedkiller causes cancer.

In a filing to the US Supreme Court, Trump’s Solicitor General John Sauer argued in favor of Bayer’s stance that a federal statute on pesticide labels preempts state laws requiring warnings on products that may be carcinogenic

Boeing jumped around 10 percent as Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave confirmed expectations that the company expects higher plane deliveries in 2026, a key component of a long-term plan to return to profitability and the generation of free cashflow.

Key figures at around 2115 GMT

New York – Dow: UP 0.4 percent at 47,474.46 (close)

New York – SandP 500: UP 0.3 percent at 6,829.37 (close)

New York – Nasdaq Composite: UP 0.6 percent at 23,413.67 (close)

London – FTSE 100: FLAT at 9,701.80 (close)

Paris – CAC 40: DOWN 0.3 percent at 8,074.61 (close)

Frankfurt – DAX: UP 0.5 percent at 23,710.86 (close)

Tokyo – Nikkei 225: FLAT at 49,303.45 (close)

Hong Kong – Hang Seng Index: UP 0.2 percent at 26,095.05 (close)

Shanghai – Composite: DOWN 0.4 percent at 3,897.71 (close)

Dollar/yen: UP at 155.86 yen from 155.46 yen on Monday

Euro/dollar: UP at $1.1622 from $1.1610

Pound/dollar: DOWN at $1.3209 from $1.3213

Euro/pound: UP at 88.00 pence from 87.86 pence

West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 1.2 percent at $58.64 per barrel

Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 1.1 percent at $62.45 per barrel

No jackpot was won in Wednesday night’s Grand Lotto 6/55 and MegaLotto 6/45 draws, according to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The Grand Lotto 6/55 combination was 54-50-14-02-25-38, with a jackpot worth ?172.93 million. PCSO said no ticket holder matched all six numbers.

In the MegaLotto 6/45 draw, the winning numbers were 01-45-31-05-29-19. The ?8.91 million jackpot also went to no one.

Minor games

4D Lotto: 8-3-4-7, with a top prize of ?42,633 and 21 winners 3D Lotto 2 p.m.: 7-0-0, ?4,500 prize, 205 winners 3D Lotto 5 p.m.: 0-9-6, ?4,500 prize, 135 winners 3D Lotto 9 p.m.: 6-4-2, ?4,500 prize, 285 winners 2D Lotto 2 p.m.: 28-22, ?4,000 prize, 179 winners 2D Lotto 5 p.m.: 05-10, ?4,000 prize, 363 winners 2D Lotto 9 p.m.: 20-19, ?4,000 prize, 192 winners

Draw schedule

Grand Lotto 6/55 draws are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. MegaLotto 6/45 draws take place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

A militant fishers’ group on Wednesday urged the House of Representatives to expedite the passage of House Bill No. 5606, or the Atin ang Kinse Kilometro Bill, which seeks to restore the exclusive fishing rights of small and subsistence fisherfolk within the 15-kilometer municipal waters.

Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) made the appeal during the deliberation of the House Committee on Aquaculture and Fisheries Resources, where HB 5606 was tackled alongside several related measures seeking to protect municipal waters amid a controversial court ruling that favored commercial fishing vessels.

During the hearing, PAMALAKAYA Vice Chairperson Ronnel Arambulo urged lawmakers to support the country’s most vulnerable fishing communities.

‘Nananawagan kami sa mga mambabatas na dinggin ang hinaing ng maliliit na mangingisda para sa eksklusibong karapatan sa munisipal na pangisdaan. Nasa panukalang batas na HB5606 ang lahat ng batayan naming mga mangingisda kung bakit dapat hadlangan ang tuluyang pagpasok ng mga commercial fishing sa municipal waters,’ Arambulo said.

(We are calling on lawmakers to heed the demands of small-scale fishers for exclusive rights to municipal fishing grounds. All the reasons why commercial fishing should be prevented from fully entering municipal waters are already laid out in House Bill 5606.)

What HB 5606 proposes

HB 5606 reasserts that municipal and subsistence fisherfolk, defined as those using vessels of three gross tons or less, shall have exclusive access to fishing grounds within 15 kilometers from the coastline of all coastal cities and municipalities.

The bill lays out the following key provisions:

Explicit ban on all commercial fishing within municipal waters

Section 6 prohibits commercial fishing-defined as large-scale fishing using active or passive gear for trade, business, or profit-within municipal waters. Commercial vessels are defined as those weighing 3.1 gross tons and above.

Section 7 further bans destructive and large-scale commercial methods within municipal waters and bays, including purse seine (pangulong), ring net (basing), trawl fishing (such as bisaya, otob, bulit-bulit), muro-ami, and modified Danish seine (hulbot-hulbot, buli-buli).

Recognition of municipal waters as traditional fishing grounds

Section 4 affirms the historical basis of the 15-kilometer rule, rooted in the archipelagic principle that has long been asserted by fisherfolk to protect nearshore ecosystems from commercial exploitation.

Creation of fisheries advisory bodies

Section 5 mandates local and national advisory bodies, with representation from municipal fisherfolk, people’s organizations, the aquaculture sector, and coastal communities, to guide the science-based and community-based stewardship of municipal waters.

Strict penalties for violators

Section 9 imposes escalating sanctions on commercial fishing vessels caught within municipal waters-including fines equivalent to the value of the catch, confiscation of gear, and, for a third offense, six months’ imprisonment and automatic revocation of the fishing license.

Filed on October 20 by the Makabayan Bloc, through Kabataan Party-list Representative Renee Co, the measure asserts that safeguarding small-scale fishing is essential to the country’s food security and the livelihood of millions of coastal families.

Court ruling opened most municipal waters to commercial vessels

The push comes in the wake of a ruling by the Malabon Regional Trial Court, upheld by the Supreme Court, declaring the preferential rights of municipal fisherfolk ‘unconstitutional,’ effectively allowing commercial fishing vessels to operate in municipal waters deeper than seven fathoms (12.8 meters).

Citing bathymetric data, the bill notes that only about 10 percent of municipal waters nationwide are shallower than seven fathoms, leaving nearly 90 percent vulnerable to commercial entry if the ruling is fully implemented.

The ruling stemmed from a petition filed by Mercidar Fishing Corporation, an operator of large commercial vessels, which sought to invalidate key provisions of the Fisheries Code that restrict commercial fishing within municipal waters.

Fishers’ groups, along with ocean conservation organizations and environmental advocates, have repeatedly warned that the ruling threatens traditional fishing grounds and accelerates resource depletion at a time when the poverty incidence among fisherfolk remains among the highest of any sector.

Pass the bill without delay

PAMALAKAYA said the bill offers the strongest legal safeguard remaining for coastal communities after the court ruling weakened long-standing protections under the Fisheries Code.

The group emphasized that more than three million small fisherfolk rely on municipal waters not only for their livelihoods but also for the local food supply. The entry of large commercial vessels, it warned, would overwhelm the limited catch of municipal fishers and heighten pressure on already stressed marine ecosystems.

HB 5606, it added, would restore clarity and enforcement power to local governments and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), which are mandated to manage municipal waters and guard them against illegal commercial intrusion.

Ahtisa Manalo has seemingly taken the results of Miss Universe 2025 in stride despite the controversies surrounding its eventual winner Fatima Bosch, as she chose to move on from the global tilt.

In a ‘Fast Talk with Boy Abunda’ interview on Wednesday, December 3, Manalo said that while the public will always not agree with the pageant results, things happen the way it is.

‘It happened na. There will always be things in life na hindi natin magugustuhan ang resulta. And that goes for anything, including this competition. And to me, tapos na siya. Wala na tayong magagawa. Let’s just move on with our lives,’ she said.

The beauty queen was also asked for her reaction to Bosch’s controversial victory and the claims of former Miss Universe judge Omar Harfouch, to which she said there isn’t anything she can do.

‘As an accountant, I really think that auditing is an important part of proper competitions and proper measures of something. But again, what is there for me to do?’ she said.

‘In my assessment, I’ve been in pageants for 18 years. And I know not all news are factual when it comes to pageants, and it’s hard to know ano ‘yung chismis and alin ‘yung totoo. So for me, I don’t judge based on what I hear especially if there’s no evidence to it. If I’m presented with facts, I might change my opinion. But with no facts, it is what it is,’ she continued.

Despite the many controversies surrounding this year’s iteration, Manalo said she was not disappointed with her experience since having the chance to represent the Philippines was a dream come true for her.

‘I was living my dream. I was focused on getting the goal as Miss Universe 2025 and frankly, everything else around me, I didn’t care that much in the sense na ang goal ko ay maging Miss Universe 2025 and there will always be drama wherever you go. So focused lang ako,’ she said.

Never received an offer to be Miss Universe Asia

Manalo also clarified that she never received an offer to be Miss Universe Asia, in contrast to the claims that she and Thailand’s Praveenar Singh-who happened to be the strongest Asian delegates during the coronation-were offered the title.

‘It was never offered to me in the first place. Nag-assume pa nga ako. Even before in-offer sa ‘kin, sabi ko kay Mama J [Jonas Gaffud], pag nag offer sila, ‘wag na natin tanggapin,’ she said.

‘Pero in-assume ko lang, ‘di naman in-offer sa’kin. I don’t know where the rumors started,’ she further added.

The Philippines’ own Chelsea Manalo was the first Miss Universe Asia titleholder before passing it to her successor, China’s Zhao Na.

The beauty queen also stressed that she didn’t know what the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) and Miss Universe Philippines (MUPh) CEO and president Jonas Gaffud, while reaffirming her stand.

‘I don’t know what the talks were between Mama J and the organization. But on my behalf, it was never offered to me,’ she said.

Having competed in beauty pageants for 18 years, Manalo joined the Miss International 2018 and Miss Cosmo 2024 tilts before her Miss Universe journey. She previously confirmed that the global tilt will be her last.

At the time of the global pageant’s coronation, she is touted as one of the favorites to win after her strong performance at the preliminary competition.