Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Anti-drug operatives arrested a high-value personality, as they seized 500 grams of suspected shabu (crystal meth) estimated to be worth P3.4 million during a drug buy bust operation in Barangay Sinunuc, Zamboanga City, on Monday.

Maj. Shellamie Chang, public information officer of the Police Regional Office IX, told the Inquirer that a 32-year-old male suspect, a native of Barangay Kajatian, Indanan town of Sulu province, and currently residing in Zamboanga City, was arrested during the operation.

Operatives turned the seized items over to the Regional Forensic Unit 9 for laboratory examination, as they brought the arrested suspect to the Zamboanga City Police Office detention facility, awaiting the filing of a case against him for violating Republic Act 9165, also known as the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The drug buy bust came only three days after Brig. General Edwin Quilates, the new regional director of the Zamboanga Peninsula Police, just assumed his post as Police Regional Office-IX’s 40th regional director.

Before he assumed the post on November 14, Quilates served as the director of the Philippine National Police (PNP) Drug Enforcement Group (DEG).

He was among the eight ranking police officials given new posts in the latest PNP reshuffle.

Outgoing Regional Director Brig. Gen. Eleazar Matta was transferred as the deputy director of the PNP’s Directorate for Information and Communications Technology Management

Juan Gomez de Liano, Quentin Millora-Brown, Justin Brownlee and Jamie Malonzo were among the 12 players who attended the first practice of Gilas Pilipinas for the opening window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

The four were joined by Dwight Ramos, June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, Troy Rosario and RJ Abarrientos during the session held at Blue Eagle Gym inside the Ateneo campus. AJ Edu, Kevin Quiambao and Carl Tamayo have yet to report for Gilas duties for various reasons, while Calvin Oftana has been ruled out for the two games against Guam on Nov. 28 and Dec. 1 due to a hamstring injury.

Kai Sotto is also part of the pool but will also be available for both matches due to his ongoing recovery from an ACL tear, though coach Tim Cone earlier revealed that the 7-foot-3 center will join the team during the window.

The first practice allowed Gomez de Liano and Millora-Brown to be integrated into Cone’s system after being the most recent additions to the Gilas pool. Millora-Brown was added after his appeal to be ruled as a local player was granted by Fiba while Gomez de Liano was tapped after his strong showing as a rookie for Converge in the PBA Philippine Cup.

Gilas will have daily practices at Upper Deck Sports Center in Ortigas before holding a mini-camp at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.

The national team will travel to Guam for the first meeting before hosting the second match at Blue Eagle Gym.

Five new Mutya ng Pilipinas queens were crowned during the conclusion of the national pageant’s 57th anniversary edition at the FilOil Center in San Juan City on Nov. 17, and three of them will compete in international competitions.

Miss Intercontinental second runner-up Alyssa Redondo relinquished her Mutya ng Pilipinas-Intercontinental crown to Christina Vanhefflin of Leyte, who will fly to Egypt in January next year for the international pageant. And just before she flies to China for her international contest, Mutya ng Pilipinas-World Top Model 2024 Anne Klein Castro passed her national title to Naomi Wainwright of Parañaque City.

Andrea Endicio of Candelaria, Quezon carries immense pressure as the newly-crowned Mutya ng Pilipinas-Tourism International. She succeeded 2024 Miss Tourism International Lianna Barrido and 2025 Miss Tourism Queen of the Year International Christine Eds Enero, both crowned in the 2024 national pageant.

And as customary in the national pageant, the Mutya ng Pilipinas-Overseas Communities crown was awarded to honor the contribution of Filipino communities abroad. It went to Mahalia Bangit of Melbourne, Australia.

Xena Ramos, who finished fifth in the 2025 Miss Global pageant, relinquished her Mutya ng Pilipinas-Charity crown to Ali Hanee Posueamualto of Makati.

Completing the winners’ circle were Mutya ng Pilipinas-Luzon Lyndzy Blyss Maranan, Mutya ng Pilipinas-Visayas Eunice Deza, Mutya ng Pilipinas-Mindanao Juliana Fresado, and Mutya ng Pilipinas-Kultura Glezette Garcia.

Thirty-two candidates from across the Philippines and different overseas Filipino communities took part in this year’s edition of the national pageant.

How much longer can we tolerate an unresponsive, self-serving, and corrupt government? The latest wave of corruption has clearly struck a nerve; patience has run out, and people are tired of church-going politicians who epitomize corruption. When the current President delivers a ‘Mahiya naman kayo’ speech to legislators, it signals an unprecedented level of moral decay in this country.

If there is indeed a God, we might be praying to the wrong one. In 2025, only 30 percent (2.6 billion) of the world’s population is Christian, and less than half of that figure is Catholic. China alone, with its 1.4 billion people, has about 1 percent of its population as Christians (0.43 percent Catholics). So, if the idea of praying to the wrong God seems absurd, think again.

What could have happened after Ferdinand Magellan planted the cross in Cebu in 1521? We seem to face a significant share of ‘acts of God,’ and it’s evident that Cebu has suffered the worst recently. The recent Typhoon ‘Tino’ and earthquake have severely impacted the region, with significant loss of life and extensive infrastructure damage.

How much of the P26.7 billion allotted for flood control in Cebu has been siphoned off by corrupt contractors and politicians? The years of substandard construction, rigged bidding, kickbacks, and bribes are coming back to haunt us. It has taken climate change to expose these perennial thieves.

Wouldn’t it be striking to see images of these kleptopoliticians deep in prayer in local churches? Why are we so devout on a Sunday and then act corruptly on a Monday? This discrepancy reveals a troubling truth: for many Filipinos, faith means little more than fulfilling a ritual. Going to church, praying the rosary, or observing the Stations of the Cross are practices that end once they are completed.

I learned during my years in Catholic school that it’s all about tradition and observance, often divorced from values like honesty, gratitude, or integrity. That’s why cheating has become a national pastime; the culture of ‘lamangan’ or ‘isahan’ is tightly woven into our social fabric.

The idea of the clergy going on strike may seem facetious, but it warrants serious consideration. There are several ways to enact this, the most obvious being the cancellation of Sunday services. Other possibilities include withdrawing sacramental services (weddings, baptisms, and burial rites), spiritual counseling, pastoral care, missionary work, and more.

The image of bishops and priests, clad in their robes, picketing the Manila Cathedral or the legislative building would capture headlines worldwide, calling for a more meaningful practice of faith or, more directly, demanding that the government serve its people with rectitude and integrity. This is the kind of notoriety that can effectively put some teeth in the ‘Mahiya naman kayo’ speech.

The most important message it would convey is, ‘We have had enough’-enough of corruption, enough of vote-buying, enough of reelecting corrupt politicians, and enough of business as usual. It serves as a reminder that ‘everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die.’ It is insufficient to pray for the rewards of a good life without the sacrifice and struggle required to attain that goal.

As long as we are beholden to a ‘belief gene,’ we will continue to follow the path that evolution has laid out, in one form or another. In this period of Enlightenment-300 years and counting-while we are forging changes much faster than our evolutionary predecessors, it remains too slow for humanity to break free from a metaphysical delusion and step into a progressive secular future.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not heed Sen. Imee Marcos’ dare to undergo a hair follicle test to dispel accusations of illegal drug use, as these allegations were already disproved long ago, Palace press officer Claire Castro said.

At a briefing, Castro was asked whether now is the right time for Marcos to take such a test, after the lady senator challenged him and the First Family to prove they are not users of illicit drugs.

‘Again and again, we will keep repeating it – we will not be swayed by what the loud voices are saying. This has long been resolved,’ Castro said.

‘I will repeat it, over and over-the president is clean, and the president will not give in to any kind of provocation,’ she continued.

Castro said such suggestions come from destabilizers and obstructionists who have nothing better to do than give orders to the president, even though these are no longer aligned with his work.

The issue arose after Sen. Marcos, during her appearance at the second night of the Iglesia ni Cristo rally on Monday evening, accused the president of using illegal drugs.

She also implicated the presidential son, House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, in the issue, saying he allegedly offered drugs to her children and their other relatives.

The presidential son, however, was quick to dismiss his aunt’s allegations.

‘It pains me to see how low she has gone, to the point that she resorts to a web of lies aimed at destabilizing this government to advance her own political ambitions,’ Rep. Marcos said in a statement Tuesday morning.

‘To further repeat an accusation against President Bongbong Marcos and the First Lady and, for the first time ever, myself, that is not only false but dangerously irresponsible. All that the senator mentioned has no basis, no truth, and no good intentions for the country,’ he added.

‘This is not the behavior of a true sibling,’ Rep. Marcos further said.

Sen. Marcos did not let this slide and once again dared the First Family to take the test.

‘Sandro wants to stir up rumors that I am not a real sibling. There is only one solution: I will take a DNA test, and they will take a hair follicle test,’ the senator said in a Facebook post.

Negative on cocaine test

In 2021, then-presidential aspirant Marcos underwent a drug test to put to rest speculations after former President Rodrigo Duterte claimed there was a cocaine-using presidential aspirant.

The test, conducted at St. Luke’s Medical Center, showed that Marcos tested negative for cocaine.

However, speculations about Marcos’ alleged drug use resurfaced after a video circulated online showing a man ‘sniffing’ illegal drugs. Experts in digital media and artificial intelligence have already debunked the authenticity of the video.

Presidential son and House Majority Leader Sandro Marcos denied allegations by his aunt, Sen. Imee Marcos, that he and his family used drugs, calling the remarks ‘dangerously irresponsible.’

‘It pains me to see how low she has gone, to the point that she resorts to a web of lies aimed at destabilizing this government to advance her own political ambitions,’ the presidential son said in a statement on Tuesday.

‘To further repeat an accusation against President Bongbong Marcos and the First Lady and, for the first time ever, myself, that is not only false but dangerously irresponsible. All that the senator mentioned has no basis, no truth, and no good intentions for the country,’ he added.

Sen. Marcos lodged the accusations against the President, the first lady and the House Majority Leader during her appearance at the second night of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) rally for ‘transparency and a better democracy.’

‘I’m telling you that he uses drugs. His drug addiction got worse because he and his wife use drugs,’ the senator claimed.

‘We won’t stay quiet because I found out that even his children do drugs now. I loathe that Sandro and his mother offered drugs to my children and our other relatives. I won’t let that pass.’

Rep. Marcos stressed the ‘insinuations’ against him were false, further claiming his cousins and Sen. Marcos’ children Borgy Manotoc, Vice Gov. Matthew Manotoc, and Atty. Michael Manotoc could attest that he was not using drugs.

‘Not behavior from a true sister’

Rep. Marcos also lamented the souring relations between his father and his aunt.

‘We always agreed that whatever happened between our parents, we wouldn’t let ourselves be dragged in,’ he said.

‘That is why it makes me sad to see her do this. For her to betray her own family brings a lot of pain to me as a consequence of my respect [for] her for giving me my start in public life,’ he added.

‘This is not behavior from a true sister,’ he stressed.

During the 2025 elections, Sen. Marcos left the coalition backed by her brother, the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas, days after the Philippine government turned over former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

She later got the endorsement of Vice President Sara Duterte, with whom President Marcos also had a falling out.

The INC also endorsed Sen. Marcos last May.

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) on Tuesday pushed for tighter regulations on the sale and use of Philippine National Police (PNP) uniforms.

In a statement, Napolcom said it met with authorized suppliers of police uniforms at the agency’s central office in Quezon City. The commission did not immediately say when the meeting was.

‘Suppliers were briefed on the increasing prevalence of unauthorized sellers, both in the vicinity of the PNP National Headquarters and across various online selling platforms,’ Napolcom explained in the statement.

‘The Commission is committed to implementing stricter measures, both on the ground and online, to ensure compliance, prevent misuse, and protect the credibility of the police service,’ it added.

The push for tighter regulations on the sale and use of police uniforms came weeks after Napolcom Executive Officer Atty. Rafael Calinisan publicly called out a social media user for wearing a PNP uniform as a Halloween party costume.

The partygoer met with Napolcom and told reporters that he bought the uniform from a tailor at a shopping center in Quiapo, Manila.

Renewable energy developer Alternergy Holdings Corp. has further beefed up its portfolio with the plan to take over a P7.93-billion wind project in Cebu.

In a disclosure on Monday, the firm said it would acquire the 80-megawatt (MW) Alegria Cebu wind power project, marking its first wind development in the Visayas.

Alternergy Wind Holdings Corp. will acquire a 95 percent stake in MC Project Solutions Inc., the developer of the wind farm.

The Alegria wind project has a service contract with the government after winning in the green power auction program of the Department of Energy.

Currently, the project is in the predevelopment stage. It is committed for commercial operations by late 2028.

Renewable energy portfolio

‘We are excited to develop our first wind project in Cebu, which marks a significant step in expanding our renewable energy portfolio into the Visayas grid’, said Gerry Magbanua, president of Alternergy.

MC Project Solutions Inc. chief executive Pedro Pascual added, ‘Given the track record of Alternergy in wind project development, we are pleased to collaborate with Alternergy in developing the first wind energy undertaking on the island of Cebu.’

Alternergy said securing the Alegria Cebu wind project would boost its target of firing up 1 gigawatt of clean energy by 2030.

Just in September, the company also said it was set to take control of two wind projects in Quezon, with a combined capacity of 246 MW.

Four projects are currently under advanced construction for completion in the last quarter of 2025 and early next year. These are 4.6-MW Dupinga run-of-river, 28-MW Balsik Solana, 64-MW Alabat wind and 128-MW Tanay Rizal wind projects.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday expressed hope to make Filipinos and investors see the Philippines as a ‘nation of promise.’

He made the remarks during the celebration of the 150th Anniversary Gala of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) in Taguig City.

‘Together, let us all build a more progressive Philippine economy where people can access reliable financial services, obtain meaningful opportunities, and live more dignified, comfortable lives,’ Marcos said in his speech.

‘Let us continue creating an environment where investors, stakeholders, and most importantly, our citizens see the Philippines as a nation of promise,’ he added.

With the theme ‘When Dreams Unfold: The HSBC 150th Anniversary,’ the event highlighted the institution’s ongoing presence in the country as a provider of international banking services and a partner of the public and private sectors.

Established in Binondo, Manila, in 1875, HSBC financed the early sugar and rice industries and the country’s first railway system.

‘And today, as HSBC adapts to a rapidly changing economy, we are confident that the bank will remain true to its commitment to making its services more inclusive, more secure, and accessible to all Filipinos,’ said Marcos.

‘As HSBC carries forward a legacy over a century old, we believe that you will always keep the Filipino at the center of your mission. Whether you are supporting enterprises or guiding individuals through major financial decisions, I hope that you will continue nurturing the trust that the public places in you,’ he also said.

Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste has tagged Construction Workers Solidarity partylist Rep. Edwin Gardiola as the ‘biggest’ proponent of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects.

Leviste made the claim in an ambush interview at the headquarters of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Tuesday after meeting with the commission to request an investigation into Gardiola.

‘According to my research, the largest buyer of DPWH projects is Rep. Edwin Gardiola. He is the biggest buyer in the entire country,’ he said in Filipino.

Leviste also said he submitted to ICI Commissioner Rogelio ‘Babes’ Singson documents linking infrastructure projects to their proponents.

‘I think the ICI’s investigation so far has focused on what is publicly available, and the missing information is who proposed the project. If we establish who the proponent is, then the ICI can open up a whole new can of worms, a whole new category of cases,’ he added.

According to the Batangas lawmaker, his research found that most of Gardiola’s projects came from the DPWH Central Office because ‘he is close to his godfather, former Secretary [Manuel] Bonoan.’

Leviste also said the DPWH’s 2025 budget contains numerous project insertions allegedly linked to Gardiola.

‘I am calling on the DPWH and Congress to release information on the proponents of projects being implemented by the companies of Congressman Edwin Gardiola so we can provide the ICI the documentary evidence needed to establish that he proposed the projects he is implementing, supported by testimonies that he bought the budgets for those projects and rigged the bids in his favor,’ Leviste said.

The INQUIRER sought Gardiola’s response to Leviste’s allegations but has yet to receive a reply as of this writing.

Leviste: ICI confirmed my research

Leviste also claimed that the ICI told him during their meeting that Gardiola was the ‘second biggest’ proponent of DPWH projects.

‘According to the ICI, the biggest proponent in the DPWH budget was Zaldy Co; the third biggest is Discaya, and the second biggest is Edwin Gardiola,’ Leviste said.

‘So I can say the ICI confirmed my research that the biggest contractor in Congress now is Congressman Edwin Gardiola, and the reason he has not been pinned down so far is because the key is documentary evidence identifying who the proponents of projects are, whether in the DPWH or in Congress,’ he added.

However, ICI Executive Director Brian Keith Hosaka, in a press briefing with DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday afternoon, denied making such a statement to Leviste.

‘We did not mention anything like that,’ Hosaka said in Filipino.

Hosaka added that the ICI is ready to include anyone in the infrastructure investigation as long as there is strong evidence.

‘We are looking at all the projects here. Wherever the evidence leads us, whatever evidence is submitted to us, we will verify it,’ he said.

‘You’ve seen that in our referrals; whoever is implicated by the evidence will be included-regardless of who they are, whether a congressman, someone from the DPWH, or any other officials,’ he added.

Dizon said in the press conference that the DPWH investigates every personality who may be involved in infrastructure anomalies.

‘As the president said, we will spare no one. Wherever the evidence takes us, that’s where we go. We welcome all inputs from any of our countrymen so we can hold those responsible to account,’ he added.