Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Defending champion Creamline and All-Filipino queens Petro Gazz will be two of the teams looking to survive Monday’s no-tomorrow quarterfinal matches in the PVL Reinforced Conference.

Both teams clash in what is supposed to be a battle of volleyball royalty. Except this time, the Cool Smashers and the Angels won’t hog the limelight.

It’s the kind of refreshing trivia that leagues love to flaunt: The four quarterfinalists involved in the 1-vs-8 and 2-vs-7 pairings were not even around when those two squads won their first PVL titles

But here they are now, young teams looking to prove their stature as championship contenders.

Farm Fresh, which finished the preliminary round with the No. 1 seed, battles No. 8 Akari at 11 a.m. to kick off the two clubs owned by sports patron Frank Lao. The Foxies’ sister team, ZUS Coffee, which tabbed the No. 2 seed, battles No. 7 Capital1.

Of those four teams, the Chargers are the oldest, having joined the league in 2022. The Foxies became league members the following year, while the Thunderbelles and the Solar Spikers debuted last year.

And the rise of these young squads, particularly the top two teams so far in the tournament, has turned the Reinforced Conference into one of the most unpredictable tournaments in the PVL’s history.

‘I’m super proud of our team,’ said Foxies setter Alohi Robins-Hardy. ‘We already made history with three or four wins in a row for Farm Fresh. I think we’re not so worried about making any more history.’

Creamline and Petro Gazz will play in the second of four knockout quarterfinal matches at Smart Araneta Coliseum, which will be followed by ZUS Coffee vs Capital1. The nightcap will feature a sibling duel between PLDT and Cignal.

Robins-Hardy, the No.2 best setter with 6.17 excellent sets per frame and averaging 5.5 points per game, will lead Farm Fresh along with Belgian import Eli Rousseaux.

The Thunderbelles are heavily favored against the Solar Spikers, in a battle of clubs with explosive imports. ZUS Coffee’s Anna DeBeer is the league’s second-best scorer with a total of 210 points, just a point behind Capital1’s Sasha Bytsenko. INQ

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson believes there seems to be ‘coordinated, orchestrated and calibrated’ moves to overthrow the government, as shown by a series of events leading up to the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) rally.

He noted, for instance, the timing of the release of resigned Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co’s three-part video series, where he accused President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos of receiving kickbacks from an alleged P100 billion insertion in the 2025 national budget.

Co’s allegations came just days before the INC rally on Nov. 16 to 18.

It was at the same event where the president’s sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, also accused the president, his wife, and son of using illegal drugs.

‘That’s why I said, it seems like the entire series of events leading up to the INC rally was orchestrated,’ Lacson said in an interview at the Senate.

‘Wasn’t there even a group that wanted to infiltrate and join the INC rally? Their intention was to march to Malacañang. But the INC didn’t allow it. They told the ‘BBM resign’ group to leave, right?’ he pointed out.

It was also around that time when Lacson started receiving messages from retired military and police officials, egging him to join a civilian-military junta.

He said a series of messages sent to him further escalated after Co’s allegations against the president.

‘That’s why I said, if I were the one to analyze, it seems calibrated. Those events seem to have happened one after another. It looks coordinated, orchestrated, and carefully planned,’ he observed.

The senator said partisan groups could be behind these ouster moves against Marcos.

‘There are clearly obvious moves to overthrow the government,’ Lacson said.

Some groups, he noted, are calling for a ‘total reset,’ without a president and a vice president, that even the line of succession would not be allowed.

The senator said he rejected it by ignoring the series of messages sent to him.

‘It’s unconstitutional,’ he answered when asked why he declined to support a junta.

Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III warned Filipinos that the country could reset to a ‘banana republic’ if mob rule and military adventurism were to succeed.

‘The rule of law and due process are the best policies for the long game to real progress,’ said Sotto, who is third in the line of succession.

‘Shortcuts will lead us to a rocky road towards anarchy and uncertainty. It will give internal and external disruptive forces their chance to turn us to un-Filipino ideologies, and tip the balance of world stability in the Asia-Pacific region,’ he further said in a message to reporters.

Gymnastics Association of the Philippines (GAP) president Cynthia Carrion believes the Philippines’ hosting of the 2025 Artistic Gymnastics Junior World Championship is a success.

With fans filling Newport World Resorts in Pasay throughout the five-day event to support Team Philippine bets, particularly Karl Eldrew Yulo, Carrion said she had no regrets pushing to bring the competition to the Philippines.

‘This is why I wanted the World Championships here. I wanted them (Filipinos) to see what a world championship looks like and to cheer for our Eldrew (Yulo),’ Carrion said.

‘If we were somewhere else, nobody would cheer for Eldrew. Probably just me,’ she added in jest.

Every time Yulo competed, the Marriott Grand Ballroom drew sizable crowds that rallied behind the 17-year-old gymnast.

Aside from fan support, multiple notable figures took their time to head to the Pasay complex to support the gymnastic event.

Aside from fans, several notable figures also showed support, including Yulo’s older brother and two-time Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo, fellow Olympian Hidilyn Diaz, Carrion said hosting the Junior Worlds was significant not only for Philippine gymnastics but also for Yulo’s development.

‘Everybody would cheer for their own countrymen so every time Eldrew goes in and fans cheer, I love it,’ she said. ‘That, for me, is already a gold medal; the cheering and backing up of the Filipino people for our athletes.’

Big fish are coming soon.’

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla made this pronouncement after authorities announced that they had taken into custody eight of the 16 accused of graft and malversation in connection with an anomalous P289.5-million flood control project.

‘In the normal process of law, we should expect the (private contractor couple) Discayas, the senators, the congressmen, they will all be jailed within the next five weeks. They will be arraigned one after the other.,’ Remulla said in a press briefing at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas on Monday.

Last Friday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced the issuance of arrest warrants against 16 individuals, including former House of Representatives appropriations committee chairperson and (resigned) Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co.

Co’s 15 co-accused included several officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways Mimaropa (DPWH 4B) and Sunwest Corporation, a construction firm linked to Co.

Co has since denied the allegations against him and instead accused Marcos and his cousin, Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez. The lawmaker resigned as House Speaker after he was implicated in receiving kickbacks from corruption in infrastructure projects.

Asked whether the ‘big fish’ included the former Speaker, Remulla said, ‘There’s nothing yet to that effect. We’re still waiting on the developments. If you look at it, he hasn’t faced anyone but the ICI (Independent Commission for Infrastructure).’

Last week, the DPWH and the ICI recommended plunder, graft, and direct bribery cases before the Ombudsman against Romualdez and Co over flood control projects worth billions of pesos.

‘But, the Ombudsman doesn’t have a comment yet,’ the DILG chief said of his brother Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla.

Romualdez has since denied Co’s allegations against him, while Marcos said he will not even ‘dignify’ the claims with a response.

The six males from the eight taken into custody were ordered by the Sandiganbayan to be detained at the New Quezon City Jail.

The DILG chief was at the facility and reiterated that those detained over the flood control case will not be given special treatment.

The quest for a third consecutive championship in 2025 continues as PLDT inched two wins closer to a first-ever PVL Reinforced Conference title.

PLDT got back at sister team and preliminary round tormentor Cignal, 25-21, 25-18, 23-25, 25-21, to advance to the semifinal on Monday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Savi Davison continued to shine bright for the High Speed Hitters to set a knockout semifinal game against the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles.

Davison finished with 21 points off 18 kills and three blocks. Russian spiker Anastasiia delivered 15 points and 12 digs, as Majoy Baron nailed five blocks for 11 points.

Rookie Alleiah Malaluan also provided quality action, scoring four in the fourth set, including the game-winning attack.

‘Full credit to Cignal. They really pushed us, especially after winning the third set. I’m just happy that after our loss to Petro Gazz, the players were able to respond, both from the preparation and during today’s game,’ said PLDT coach Rald Ricafort in Filipino. ‘We felt the challenge, the pressure, but we managed to overcome it. I’m really happy that everyone contributed, and Alleiah coming in at the right moment made a big impact too.’

PLDT bounced back from a tough elimination round loss to Petro Gazz last week and its first loss to an All-Filipino Cignal in the first round.

The High Speed Hitters reached the semifinal last year only to suffer a heartbreaking loss to eventual runner-up Akari Chargers.

This year, PLDT has swept the PVL on Tour and Invitational for the first two franchise titles.

Cignal, which won five of its last six games in the eliminations, bowed out of title contention.

Katrin Trebichavska carried Cignal with 18 points, 17 digs, and 14 receptions. Erika Santos and Jackie Acuña had 12 points each.

There is no ill feeling between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his ‘resigned’ Cabinet members, former Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and former Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman, following their exit as their names were dragged into the growing corruption scandal.

In a press briefing on Monday, Marcos said he had already talked to them ‘and we decided to keep it between ourselves.’

‘There’s no bad blood, there’s no acrimonious feeling. That’s fine,’ the President added.

Bersamin earlier disputed Malacañang’s statement that he resigned out of a sense of propriety, saying he was asked to step down from his post.

On November 17, Palace press officer Claire Castro announced that Bersamin and Pangandaman voluntarily resigned ‘out of delicadeza,’ after their names were dragged into the ongoing corruption investigation involving public works projects.

That same day, Finance Secretary Ralph Recto was appointed as Bersamin’s replacement as executive secretary, while Budget Undersecretary Rolando Toledo was named as officer-in-charge of the Department of Budget and Management.

Secretary Frederick Go, the special assistant to the President for investment and economic affairs, filled Recto’s vacated post in the Department of Finance.

The Court of Appeals (CA) has upheld the Ombudsman’s dismissal of a municipal engineer in Silang, Cavite, over the ‘simulated’ bidding for flowers and string lights used in a ball celebrating the Feast of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria in 2023.

Robert Marquina was found liable for signing off on the irregular procurement of flowers worth an estimated P70,000 and 1,000 string light bulbs valued at P100,000, with the bidding documents prepared and issued only after the event took place on Jan. 28, 2023.

The Silang municipal government issued a purchase request of P170,000 for the items on Jan. 13, which was prepared by the municipal administrator and the bids and awards committee (BAC). It was approved by then Silang, Cavite Mayor Alston Kevin Anarna and certified by the treasurer.

The BAC chair later sent out requests for quotations to three bidders. After two weeks, the obligation requests were issued, and the local government purchased the items from Badeth Merchandise.

On Jan. 5, 2024, the Commission on Audit (COA) issued an observation memorandum indicating that the procurement of the flowers and string lights was irregular and illegal, as the bidding documents, including the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System or PhilGEPS bid notice abstract, were dated and issued after the event had already taken place.

Postdated

The COA noted that the bid notice abstract was created on Jan. 31, three days after the Silangueño Ball was held, while the request for quotation was published online on Feb. 1.

Anarna, however, denied the bidding was simulated, explaining there was a delay in the documentation process and that the usual disbursement and accounting procedures had been complied with.

Nonetheless, the COA subsequently issued notices of disallowance, and complaints were filed before the Office of the Ombudsman against Silang officials, including Anarna and Marquina.

In its probe, the Ombudsman’s Field Investigation Office found that Badeth Merchandise was not registered with the Business Permit and Licensing Office of Silang. It was also discovered that no string lights were actually procured, as the ones used during the event had been rented. As for the flowers, the value of the ones delivered was much lower than the amount supposedly paid.

In his defense, Marquina maintained that he could not be held liable for the crimes charged, as there was no evidence of corruption or proof that he personally benefited from the questioned procurement. He also said he did not cause any damage to any person or association since the funds were used for their intended purpose.

But the Ombudsman, in its decision, held him and other respondents liable, saying that even though the questioned procurement falls within the threshold for small value procurement, they blatantly ignored the guidelines specified under Republic Act No. 9184 by conducting the procurement process only after the ball took place.

Appeal filed

Marquina elevated his case to the CA, arguing, among others, that the Ombudsman gravely erred in imposing extreme penalties that were not commensurate with his alleged acts.

But in denying his petition, the CA said that his act of signing the bid and procurement documents constituted serious dishonesty and grave misconduct.

‘Being a member of LGU (local government unit) Silang’s BAC, petitioner was duty-bound to know and follow the law and yet, he did not comply with the required procurement process in a flagrant manner and with such disregard for the same,’ the CA Third Division said in the ruling penned by Associate Justice Ruben Roxas.

The lack of evidence that Marquina gained financial benefit from the procurement was immaterial, the CA noted, because corruption, as an element of grave misconduct, ‘consists in the official’s unlawful and wrongful use of his position to procure some benefit-a benefit that may redound for the official himself or for another person, in this case, Badeth Merchandise.’

‘All told, while petitioner may not be held accountable for serious dishonesty, he is liable for grave misconduct and gross neglect of duty, both of which are grave offenses punishable by dismissal from service,’ the CA said.

‘Hence, the penalty of dismissal and its appurtenant penalties that the Ombudsman imposed are still in order and need not be disturbed,’ it added.

In October 2024, the Ombudsman ordered Anarna’s dismissal from office and barred him from holding a government post after it found him guilty of grave misconduct and serious dishonesty.

Though Anarna was reelected in the May midterm polls, he was disqualified by the Commission on Elections, which cited the Ombudsman’s ruling.

Solidaridad Bookshop, the iconic literary institution in Manila founded by the late National Artist for Literature F. Sionil José, has been sold to Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste.

The management of the bookshop established in 1965 made the announcement on Sunday on its Facebook page, stating that this will ‘ensure Solidaridad’s continued operations and help preserve the legacy of F. Sionil José with the continued advice of the José family.’

The post noted that Leviste’s mother, Sen. Loren Legarda, was a ‘longtime friend’ of the bookshop’s founder.

Leviste said in a statement: ‘We thank the Jose family for entrusting us with Solidaridad. We hope they can remain involved and help ensure that the Bookshop’s operations stay true to its history and the legacy of F. Sionil José.’

Sphere of influence

Sionil José founded Solidaridad – named after the publication of the 19th-century ilustrado movement – on Padre Faura Street in Manila’s historic district of Ermita. The property on which the bookshop and publishing house stood is owned by the ancestors of his wife, Teresita Jovellanos José.

‘Solidaridad was the gathering place for many of the Philippines’ literary giants, writers, intellectuals, academics, cultural workers, and civic leaders. The bookshop has hosted numerous international luminaries in the field of literature, culture, and the arts,’ Solidaridad posted on its FB page.

Even diplomats, senators, and other public officials paid a courtesy call to Sionil José during the bookshop’s heyday.

From the 1960s to the 1990s, Sionil José organized forums on land reform, the US bases, and other key issues at that time, attended by the leading intellectuals in those fields.

National Artist Nick Joaquin and Senators Benigno Aquino Jr. and Jose Diokno were among his frequent visitors in these discussions. Sionil José also gathered there the surviving founders of the Hukbalahap movement, the most serious antigovernment threat in the country’s postwar era.

The place remained his sphere of influence even after it was destroyed by a fire and then promptly rebuilt.

Solidaridad’s immediate neighbors and the district of Ermita itself also became characters in Sionil José’s fiction. A beggar outside the bookshop whom Sionil José befriended became the main character in one of his stories, ‘Gagamba’ (‘Spider’).

Solidaridad Bookshop was also called ‘Asia’s biggest little bookshop’ for having the widest collection of Filipiniana books in the Philippines, which gave Filipino authors an ‘outlet for displaying and selling their publications,’ the post said.

‘The unique selection of books at this legendary bookshop [was] specially curated by F. Sionil José, who singularly selected all the books that are sold,’ it added.

Transition

In January 2022, F. Sionil José confined himself to a Makati hospital and died in his sleep there. He was 97 years old. His wife, Teresita, fondly remembered as Tessie, died in October the same year.

Following their deaths, their eldest son, Antonio ‘Tonet’ José managed the bookshop before its sale to Leviste.

‘Our family will always cherish the memory of Solidaridad and the work our parents put into it. We are excited about the transition to the new ownership and wish them success as they continue the legacy of F. Sionil Jose,’ Antonio said in the post.

The Razon Group’s Apex Mining Co., Inc. has signed agreements with Swedish mining technology firms to expand digital systems and safety tools in its mine operations. These include a pilot deployment of underground wireless connectivity.

The deals were announced during the 71st Annual National Mine Safety and Environment Conference held in Baguio City, from Nov. 18 to Nov. 21.

Under a memorandum of understanding with Business Sweden, the Swedish trade and investment council, Apex Mining will explore digital solutions to increase operational efficiency, improve worker safety and reduce environmental impact.

Business Sweden said the partnership will connect Apex Mining with advanced mining technology firms in Sweden.

‘By streamlining access to proven technologies, we are accelerating the sector’s transition to smarter, safer and more responsible practices,’ said Emil Akander, Business Sweden’s vice president for Asia and the Pacific.

‘Gaining access to the innovative mining ecosystem of Sweden, which we have had since last year through our formalized collaboration, is a definite step in the right direction for our mining industry,’ said Apex president Luis Sarmiento.

Apex also launched a pilot project with Swedish mining equipment firm Epiroc to install Radlink, a wireless underground network designed for real-time monitoring and data-based decision-making.

Radlink uses wireless data and voice communication networks for both surface and underground mining, and in promoting mining automation.

Swedish firms Volvo Construction Equipment and Axis Communications are also in talks with Apex on potential technology collaborations.

Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla backed the partnerships, saying technology adoption could help advance digitalization and automation in mineral development.

The initiatives follow a 2024 cooperation agreement between the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association and Business Sweden, promoting technology exchange and responsible mining practices. INQ

Local law enforcers are tracking down five of the 18 accused individuals in an alleged flood control anomaly in Mindoro after the police serving arrest warrants failed to find them at their known addresses.

They are all implicated in a substandard P289.5-million road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, together with former Ako Bicol Rep. Elizaldy Co, founder of Sunwest Corp., the company that bagged the public works contract.

The Quezon City Police District (QCPD) on Sunday reported that despite visiting all registered addresses of four of the accused, its operatives failed to serve the warrants because ‘none of the subjects were present during the attempts.’

The four are Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Region IV-B construction division chief Dominic Gregorio Serrano, bids and awards committee accountant IV Lerma Dotado Cayco, material engineer Timojen Adiong Sacar, and Sunwest board member Anthony Ngo.

A fifth accused, former DPWH Region IV-B assistant regional director and now DPWH Bureau of Maintenance director Gene Ryan Alurin Altea, was also missing after Albay police failed to serve an arrest warrant on him last Saturday.

Whereabouts unknown

The warrants were issued on Nov. 21 by three divisions of the Sandiganbayan, where the Office of the Ombudsman filed on Nov. 18 two counts of graft and one count of malversation through falsification regarding the Mindoro project.

According to the QCPD, its officers attempted to serve a warrant to Ngo on the evening of Nov. 21, but the caretaker at his listed residence stated that ‘the accused no longer resides at the address, and his whereabouts could not be determined.’

The following day, in a follow-up operation, police checked for Ngo at the Rolling Hills Subdivision, where his family said ‘they have had no communication with him since the issuance of the warrant and requested that further inquiries be directed through their legal counsel.’

On the same day, the police also visited the residences of Cayco, Sacar, and Serrano.

Cayco’s relatives at a condominium in South Triangle told operatives that Cayco was ‘on leave and not at the premises,’ the QCPD reported.

Meanwhile, security personnel at the two residences of Sacar confirmed that ‘he could not be located,’ and his Pinyahan residence had already been vacant since August.

Serrano was also not found by police, and his neighbors claimed he was last seen ‘approximately two weeks before the issuance of the warrant.’

The QCPD vowed to intensify its follow-up operations, ‘including sustained district-wide manhunt efforts,’ together with national agencies such as the Philippine Center on Transnational Crime-International Police, the Department of Justice, and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.

Meanwhile, the Daraga, Albay police went to Altea’s residence at around 3:56 p.m. on Saturday, but he was nowhere to be found.

According to the Daraga police, his family said ‘they have no knowledge about his current whereabouts.’

Departures

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Sunday said it has ordered all immigration officers nationwide to be on heightened alert following the issuance of arrest warrants on Co and 17 others.

According to a statement by BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado, all individuals covered by the warrants have since been encoded into its centralized ‘derogatory database’ to ensure that front-line officers can immediately flag, verify, and respond should any of them attempt to depart from or enter the Philippines.

‘Once intercepted, our officers are under strict instruction to promptly coordinate with the Philippine National Police for the proper and lawful execution of the warrants,’ Viado said.

Meanwhile, Viado said that based on BI travel records, four of the individuals on the list are currently abroad.

Co departed for Singapore on Aug. 6; DPWH officer in charge/planning and design division chief Montrexis Tamayo left for Qatar on Nov. 15; Sunwest president and chair Aderma Angelie Alcazar traveled to Australia on Oct. 2; while Sunwest treasurer Cesar Buenaventura departed for the United Arab Emirates on the same day.

Viado said the BI remains fully aligned with law enforcement agencies to ensure that the warrants are executed once these individuals present themselves at the country’s ports.

Last Friday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Co and the other accused have until Monday, Nov. 24, to surrender to law enforcement agencies.