Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Around 3,000 exhumed remains of people who were mercilessly killed in the drug war during the Duterte administration have yet to be examined, cremated and brought to the cemetery.

Father Alan Bondoc, the spiritual director for Program Paghilom (healing), told the Inquirer that around 3,000 victims of the so-called war on drugs have yet to find their place at the site dedicated for them.

The spot has been dubbed ‘Dambana ng Paghilom’ (shrine of healing) built in May 2024 at the La Loma Cemetery in Caloocan City.

Since then, a total of 116 urns have been placed at the Dambana, including the five additional remains of victims of extrajudicial killings that were transferred in a ceremony held on Thursday.

Bondoc has been leading the psycho-spiritual sessions, where the families and relatives of the victims share their trauma and release their pent-up anger.

‘Through their sharing, they become empowered and mustered enough courage to voice out their stories,’ he said in an interview. ‘That’s why the others are only reporting their story to us. Then, we invite them if they want the [remains] to be transferred.’ Under the program established by Ramon Maysaysay Awardee Father Flaviano ‘Flavie’ Villanueva at the onset of the drug war, the bodies of the EJK victims are exhumed after their initial interment.

The corpses are then autopsied before they are finally cremated so their loved ones can finally mourn their deaths, something they were not allowed to do back when the victims were killed.

Such was the case of Jeremy, a 19-year-old who was killed in 2021 after being suspected to be involved in drug trade.

He went missing for four days before his family learned that he was kidnapped and forced into a van, based on eyewitness accounts, according to his father Bernard.

‘We later found out what happened to him on social media, and later, we weren’t even allowed to enter the mortuary,’ he told the Inquirer.

The police put the official deaths under the anti-narcotics campaign at about 6,000, but human rights watchdogs put the death toll much higher at around 30,000. Duterte has been under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and is held at its facility at the Scheveningen prison in The Hague.

He is facing three counts of murder, under crime against humanity, for allegedly perpetrating a brutal scheme that targeted suspected users and pushers in a nationwide crackdown that purportedly rewarded police officers and hired gunmen for every suspect killed. The transfer of the latest batch of victims to the Dambana comes a day before the ICC Appeals Chamber is slated to hand down its decision on the appeal filed by the Duterte’s camp to reverse an earlier denial of its bid for an interim release.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has reminded private employers that their employees’ 13th-month pay must be paid on or before December 24, 2025.

This is under the Labor Advisory No. 16, Series of 2025, which sets the guidelines for the issuance of the 13th-month pay. ‘The 13th-month pay shall be paid to rank-and-file employees in the private sector regardless of their position, designation, or employment status, and irrespective of the method by which their wages are paid, provided that they have worked for at least one (1) month during the calendar year,’ the advisory read.

The DOLE noted that the 13th-month pay should not be less than 1/12 of the total basic salary in a calendar year.

‘No request or application for exemption from payment of 13th month pay, or for deferment of its payment shall be accepted and allowed,’ DOLE stressed. The agency also added that the computation for the 13th-month pay using the basic salary shall include all remuneration and earnings paid by the employer for services rendered.

However, this does not include other monetary benefits and allowances (such as unused credited leaves, night differential, cost of living allowance), unless stated otherwise by their collective agreement or the company’s policy.

Further, DOLE said that piece-rate workers, or those who are paid based on their production or the amount of work done rather than the time employed, are also entitled to the 13th-month pay. The basis of their payment is the total earning from the production during the year, divided by 12.

Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and the Boston Celtics ended Detroit’s winning streak at a franchise record-tying 13, outlasting Cade Cunningham and the Pistons 117-114 in the NBA on Wednesday night.

The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons squandered a chance to break the record they share with the 1989-90 and 2003-04 championship teams. They are 15-3 two seasons after losing 28 in a row to break the NBA season record.

Derrick White (27 PTS, 6 3PM) credits the TD Garden crowd for their energy tonight in Boston’s W! Brown had 33 points and 10 rebounds, and White scored 11 of his 27 points in the final 4 1/2 minutes to help the Celtics overcome Cunningham’s 42-point night.

With Detroit down 3, Cunningham was fouled near mid-court just as he was about to go up for a 3-pointer. After a review, the officials ruled he was indeed in the act of shooting. Cunningham hit the first two, but missed the third. Payton Pritchard grabbed the rebound for Boston, was fouled and hit two free throws with 2.4 seconds left.

Boston stole a pass before Detroit could attempt a potential tying 3.

Pritchard added 16 points to help the Celtics win for the fifth time in six games.

On Monday, Detroit won at Indiana to match the team record for consecutive victories.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. refuted resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co.’s claims that first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos was involved in agricultural smuggling, and that she had intervened in a congressional inquiry into rising food prices.

In a press briefing on Thursday, Tiu Laurel said the former legislator’s corruption allegations were a ‘fabricated lie.’

Tiu Laurel denied allegations that the first lady had meddled with matters related to the Department of Agriculture (DA), and that his brother, Martin Araneta, had been involved in onion importation or smuggling issues. ‘Netflix series’

‘It’s total baloney. Sinabi ko nga parang scripts sa Netflix series. Talagang ang galing. puwede mo siyang tawaging mananahi e. Ang galing magtahi ng kuwento,’ the DA chief said.

(I even said it’s like scripts from a Netflix series. He’s so good. You can call him a scriptwriter. He’s great at stitching stories together.) The agriculture chief said Co’s ‘tell-all’ videos were to serve his own agenda, rather than an avowed concern for the welfare of the Filipino people and agricultural producers.

‘Zaldy Co, ang masasabi ko sa ‘yo, umuwi ka na. Harapin mo na. Iyan ang panawagan ng mamamayang Pilipino,’ he added.

(Zaldy Co, all I can say to you is, go home. Face the accusations against you. That’s the appeal of the Filipino people.)

LANDBANK has earned seven major distinctions from leading global financial publications in 2025, recognizing its exceptional performance in inclusive finance, institutional banking, investment banking, and the visionary leadership of its President and CEO. Affirming its leadership in financial inclusion and its stature in the banking industry, the state-run Bank earned a spot on the Forbes World’s Best Banks 2025 list, ranking 5th among nine Philippine banks recognized by the global media company, in partnership with Statista. LANDBANK was also included in the Forbes World’s Best Employers 2025 list, placing 4th in the Philippines and 187th out of 900 organizations worldwide, underscoring its strong workplace culture, employee engagement, and commitment to public service excellence.

LANDBANK was likewise named Best Bank for Diversity and Inclusion and Best Investment Bank for Debt Capital Markets (DCM) at the prestigious Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2025, in recognition of its pivotal role in structuring and facilitating debt financing across various sectors, and its commitment to reaching and serving underserved sectors and communities.

The Asian Banking and Finance (ABF) Awards also cited the Bank for expanding customer access through innovative, customer-centered services, with the Domestic Retail Bank of the Year – Philippines award.

Beyond these institutional distinctions, LANDBANK President and CEO Lynette V. Ortiz received two major leadership recognitions in 2025 – as Best New Banking CEO for 2025 by the Global Banking and Finance (GBF) Awards, citing her transformational leadership and measurable impact in strengthening the Bank’s financial performance and credibility.

Fortune Magazine also recognized PCEO Ortiz as one of Asia’s Most Powerful Women in 2025, ranking 3rd in the Philippines and 72nd on the worldwide list and highlighting her influential leadership in advancing inclusive finance, digital transformation, and public service innovation.

‘These recognitions reflect LANDBANK’s intensified focus on inclusive banking, digital transformation, and service excellence. They are a testament to the dedication of all Landbankers nationwide, whose collective efforts empower our clients and communities while advancing the nation’s broader development goals,’ said PCEO Ortiz.

Sustaining Support to Nation-Building

LANDBANK continues to deliver on its dual mandate as a development and universal bank by channeling its financial strength toward national growth. This year, LANDBANK declared ?33.53 billion in cash dividends to the National Government – the highest in its history and among all government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) – on the back of its strong financial performance.

Through its flagship AGRISENSO Plus Lending Program, the Bank strengthens access to affordable and responsive financing for small farmers, fishers, cooperatives, and agribusinesses. The Program features a lowered interest rate of 3% per annum and simplified application processes, allowing borrowers to secure the capital they need to adopt modern farm practices, scale production, and enhance their overall competitiveness.

Complementing its loan support is the ASCEND (Agri-Fishery Support thru Capability Enhancement for Nationwide Development) Program, which provides training in digital financial literacy, sustainable agriculture, and enterprise development, aimed at empowering borrowers to become full-fledged agripreneurs.

Inclusive Banking for Every Filipino

LANDBANK continues to expand its reach through its ‘phygital’ strategy, seamlessly integrating its physical presence with advanced digital channels. This approach ensures a secure and convenient banking experience while serving the underserved and unbanked. The Bank also recently piloted its Person-to-Merchant (P2M) QR payment facility in Negros Occidental, enabling farmers and MSMEs to conduct safe, cashless transactions.

The Bank maintains a nationwide network of 10,582 customer touchpoints, including 609 branches, 60 lending centers, 3,244 automated teller machines (ATMs), 236 cash deposit machines (CDMs), and 1,091 LANDBANKasama partners, ensuring financial access even in the most remote communities. Customers can also transact free of charge at over 3,800 7-Eleven ATMs nationwide through the Bank’s partnership with Pito Axm Platform, Inc. (PAPI).

Kindai University leaned on Ryutaro Aun, Haruka Misugi and Yoshiki Yasuda to turn back Savouge Aesthetics, 25-16, 26-28, 25-20, 25-18, and secure a spot in the 2025 Spikers’ Turf Invitational Conference finals on Thursday at Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.

The Japanese guest team rebounded after its first loss of the tournament last Tuesday against Cignal, closing the semifinals at 4-1. Kindai U will face Criss Cross in the championship match on Saturday at 5 p.m.

The King Crunchers, who dropped only one match-against Kindai last weekend-will try to even the score.

‘We’re really happy to be in the championship game. Savouge was really strong, I felt like they really wanted to win this, so I reminded my players to keep their hearts stronger,’ Kindai coach Hideyuki Mitsuyama said through an interpreter.

With Kindai up 19-17 in the fourth set, Misugi and Aun strung together five straight points to bring the team to match point. Shawie Caritativo answered with a block-out hit, but Yasuda closed it with a pipe attack, making Kindai the first guest team to reach the Spikers’ Turf finals.

Aun led with 23 points, Misugi added 22 on 19 attacks, two blocks and an ace, while Yasuda delivered 18 points, 17 receptions and seven digs.

Savouge will face Cignal for bronze on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Mark Calado fired 23 points for the Spin Doctors, while Caritativo added 14 points, six blocks and 27 receptions. Reymark Betco chipped in nine, but middle blocker Giles Torres was held to three.

The US central bank flagged a growing divergence in consumption Wednesday, with overall spending – a key driver of the world’s biggest economy – pulling back even as higher-end sales stayed intact.

Employment also weakened in recent weeks, while prices continued rising moderately as President Donald Trump’s tariffs squeezed business margins, said the Federal Reserve’s ‘beige book’ survey of economic conditions.

The report underscores the competing pressures that Fed policymakers face, as they decide whether to make a third consecutive interest rate cut at their upcoming meeting in December.

Adding to complications are a US government shutdown that lasted from October to mid-November and delayed the release of economic data that officials typically rely on. The Fed lowered the benchmark lending rate twice this year as the jobs market cooled, but there are growing divisions among its ranks because inflation remains markedly above its two-percent target.

‘Overall consumer spending declined further, while higher-end retail spending remained resilient,’ said the Fed on Wednesday.

It added that some retailers felt a negative hit from the record-long government shutdown, while some of the sources they consult also flagged ‘cautious discretionary spending among consumers.’

Labor market

Meanwhile, ’employment declined slightly’ with some districts seeing weaker labor demand, the report added.

There was also an uptick in layoff announcements, although more districts reported seeing businesses limiting headcounts through hiring freezes and attrition rather than letting people go.

Prices climbed slightly while ‘cost pressures were widespread in manufacturing and retail, largely reflecting tariff-induced increases,’ the Fed said. The Fed’s most recent rate cut brought interest rates to a range between 3.75 percent and 4 percent. CME Group’s FedWatch tool pegs the likelihood of a further 25-basis-points rate reduction in December at 85.1 percent.

The Social Security System (SSS) on Thursday pushed back against reports linking the pension fund to a surge in red-tape complaints, saying all cases flagged by the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) had already been resolved within mandated timelines.

ARTA tagged the SSS as the most complained-about government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC), citing 244 complaints from January to August 2025. Own audit

In a statement, SSS president and CEO Robert Joseph Montes De Claro said the agency was taking the matter seriously. The pension fund’s own monitoring, he said, had already shown a 99.3 percent resolution rate within the reported period.

‘SSS is currently coordinating with the Anti-Red Tape Authority to validate the reported data involving 244 complaints,’ de Claro said in a statement. De Claro added that the SSS had tracked about 474,000 emails during the period and worked to resolve all within ARTA standards.

‘We value transparency and accountability in all our operations. While we recognize the importance of these reports, we want to assure our members that every concern raised through our channels is being acted upon until resolved,’ he said.

The local government has asked the National Bureau of Investigation to uncover the individuals allegedly behind the forgery of former Mayor Alex Rommel Romano’s signature, which was used to make it appear that a Bulacan-based contractor had completed more than P198 million worth of infrastructure projects in this town.

Mayor Glenda Romano on Monday said the supposed projects were the concreting of a farm-to-market road worth P84,998,162.12; the construction of a flood control system amounting to P76,498,681.77; and the construction of a classroom worth P28,253,041.50.

The local government only became aware of these entries after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Central Office transmitted documents for verification Sep. 4.

The packet, addressed to former Mayor Romano, the incumbent mayor’s husband and now the town’s vice mayor, and signed by Ma. Victoria Gregorio of the DPWH Procurement Service, contained multiple attachments indicating that the projects had already been completed by Topmost Construction at Barangay Tibag in Pulilan, Bulacan.

Based on the DPWH documents obtained by the Inquirer, the projects were supposedly implemented during Vice Mayor Romano’s term as mayor Nothing exists

The farm-to-market road was listed as having begun on Aug. 16, 2023, and completed on Feb. 12 this year; the flood control system was shown as constructed from June 30 to Oct. 27, 2023; and the classroom project supposedly started on Aug. 16, 2023, and finished on April 12, 2024.

However, Mayor Romano said the municipal government’s inspection revealed that no such projects existed anywhere in the town.

She added that the local government never processed any permits, contracts, or related documents for the alleged infrastructure works.

The photocopied documents transmitted by the DPWH carried the former mayor’s name and signature in several key papers, including a notice of award, notice to proceed, contract agreement, certificate of acceptance, and certificate of completion-raising red flags that the town officials quickly referred to investigators.

‘We immediately conducted an investigation within Lupao. During our inspection, we found that none of the projects mentioned in the letter actually exists,’ Mayor Romano told the Inquirer.

She added that the forged documents appeared to be ‘extensive,’ prompting the local government to seek outside assistance.

‘We are requesting that all the documents related to these supposed projects be thoroughly investigated . all these papers were fabricated, especially the signature of our former mayor,’ she said.

The mayor emphasized that the local government is fully cooperating with the NBI and the DPWH to determine who orchestrated the alleged scheme and how the forged documents reached the DPWH central office.

Mayor Romano also assured residents that the municipal government was strengthening its internal verification systems to prevent similar attempts in the future. ‘We want to make sure this never happens again. Integrity and transparency in public service must always be protected,’ she said.

Several days ago, residents struggled to push a low-powered ambulance up the steep, makeshift road at Sitio Kipolot in Barangay Palacapao here, just a short distance from where a deadly landslide on Oct. 18 led to a collapse of a portion of the Bukidnon-Davao (BuDa) road, a vital economic lifeline between the Northern Mindanao and Davao regions.

Using an improvised cable chain and rocks wedged behind the wheels to prevent the ambulance from sliding, bystanders worked together as other vehicles lined up below, waiting for their turn to navigate the slope.

The scene has become familiar to motorists relying on the improvised single-lane path carved beside a pedestrian pathway newly constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). The narrow access route, created by residents through ‘bayanihan’ (community cooperation) efforts, emerged out of necessity after the landslide cut off mobility for more than a month.

With no official temporary road available, locals built their own to ensure they could continue transporting farm goods and traveling to nearby areas.

Although other alternatives are available, the BuDa Road is the shortest and most efficient route between the Davao and Northern Mindanao regions, the main engines of economic growth in the southern Philippines.

But the closure of the six-lane road has forced commuters and cargo forwarders to take the Talaingod and Kabacan routes, adding between 60 and 100 kilometers to their travel.

At the very least, the additional distance adds to trip delays, fuel consumption, as well as wear and tear of vehicles, said Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) regional director Mylah Aurora Faye Cariño.

Economic impact

In consideration of all these, DEPDev calculated the impact to the economy of the continued disruption to logistics due to the condition of the BuDA Road.

The DEPDev study had shown that daily economic losses amounted to P187 million, which could balloon to P14.07 billion by the end of the year, or about 1.1 percent of Northern Mindanao’s gross regional domestic product. If the situation lingers, the additional cost can have an inflationary push, meaning it adds up to the cost of goods passed on to consumers, Cariño explained. -WITH A REPORT FROM FROILAN GALLARDO