Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Friday honored the late Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile or JPE, paying tribute to his decades-long political career and his contributions to the nation.

Enrile passed away on Thursday at the age of 101, as announced in a social media post by his daughter, Katrina Ponce Enrile.

‘Across his six decades of distinguished service to the nation, Manong Johnny was steadfast in his championing of the interests of the Filipino people. In his capacity as a Cabinet member across various administrations, he worked tirelessly and selflessly to strengthen our institutions and to uphold the principles and tenets that make our nation great,’ Bersamin said in a statement.

Describing him as a ‘legal luminary and political titan,’ Bersamin said Enrile crafted legislation and ‘promoted and safeguarded the dignity and well-being of all citizens’ during his tenure as a Senator.

‘His stint as Senate President strengthened the chamber, enabling it to overcome the many political challenges of the time,’ he added.

He also highlighted Enrile’s iconic mantra-‘Gusto ko happy ka!’-as something that will be etched in the minds of Filipinos for a long time.

‘As we grieve his loss, may we find inspiration in his work and example, and strive to preserve the worthy legacy he has left behind,’ said Bersamin.

Born on Feb. 14, 1924, Enrile was the country’s oldest active public official, with his career spanning over several administrations-making him one of the country’s longest-lived legal luminaries.

It was during his tenure as defense minister from Feb. 9, 1970, onwards, when Enrile began gaining prominence and controversy.

He played a key role and was known as one of the architects in the implementation of martial law during former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s administration, which lasted for 20 years.

Enrile later withdrew his support and became one of the central figures in the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution, which forced the Marcoses into exile.

Justin Brownlee will continue to miss action for the Meralco Bolts in the East Asia Super League (EASL) even as the Gilas Pilipinas star arrived in the country on Friday.

Despite returning to the Philippines, Brownlee won’t be joining the Bolts here for their weekend game against Macau Black Bears.

‘We learned that he actually arrived in Manila already but that was also because he also has a commitment to play for our FIBA qualifiers, he will be joining the national team,’ Meralco team manager Paolo Trillo said on Friday during a press conference at the Citadines Hotel here.

‘Definitely, he’s not going to reach our game this weekend.’

Trillo also disclosed that pneumonia caused Brownlee to miss the Bolts’ campaign so far in the EASL, where he was supposed to team up with rival import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

‘As far as how ready he is, we all learned that he was dealing with pneumonia some weeks back. So it’s a health issue, I guess,’ Trillo said.

‘We don’t know how healthy he’ll be, even just in time for the qualifiers. We’re not really sure. But as he progresses, then we’ll see if he’s ready to be in game shape.’

Fortunately, all signs lead to the longtime Ginebra import getting back in shape, and Trillo is not closing the door on Brownlee donning a Meralco jersey for the regional tournament.

‘We have one more game left in December. We’ll see first how he fares with the national team and take it from there’ Trillo said.

The Bolts, who have a 1-2 record in Group B, will take on the debuting Black Bears at 6 pm.

Sen. Rodante Marcoleta may be asked to explain why he failed to disclose the campaign donations he received when he ran for the Senate in the May elections, as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) begins examining the statements of contributions and expenditures (Soces) filed by senators and House representatives.

In an ambush interview with reporters on Thursday, Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia confirmed that the poll body’s political finance and affairs department has started investigating the Soces of those who ran in the midterm elections, including all sitting members of Congress.

Donors’ request

Asked if Marcoleta was among those who would be asked to explain, Garcia said it was only proper to allow him to do so.

‘If it reaches that point, yes. It might reach that point because, of course, to also give an avenue or venue for the candidates or public officials to have a way to explain themselves. That is only proper because, as everyone should remember, we have what you call presumption of innocence,’ he added.

Marcoleta’s Soce came into question after he said in a recent interview on NET25 that he did not include any of the contributions he received for the midterm polls in his Soce because the donors had asked that they not be identified.

Based on his Soce, the senator received zero contributions as he reported over P112 million in campaign expenditures. The figure was much higher than his declared net worth of P51.96 million in his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) as of June 30.

‘True name’ required

Marcoleta explained that he would be forced to reveal the identities of his campaign contributors had he included their donations in his Soce.

Garcia, on the other hand, noted that Section 98 of the Omnibus Election Code requires the disclosure of the contributors’ real names and prohibits the use of pseudonyms or aliases.

The provision states in full: ‘True name of contributor required-No person shall make any contribution in any name except his own, nor shall any candidate or treasurer of a political party receive a contribution or enter or record the same in any name other than that of the person by whom it was actually made.’

Section 99 of the election code also provides that ‘the report required to be submitted by candidates or political parties must contain no lies and only facts. This is the basis of the submission of Soces,’ according to Garcia.

‘It says there that all of the contributors must be detailed, all that were received must be detailed, and all expenditures must also be detailed, including the money that was donated or those that came from personal funds,’ he explained.

According to the Comelec chief, violation of the provisions would constitute an election offense, with a corresponding penalty of one year to six years of imprisonment. Putting wrong information in one’s Soce may also be classified as perjury or falsification of public documents, he added.

SALNs needed

In conducting its investigation, the Comelec would have to compare an individual’s Soce against their SALNs to determine any discrepancies between the two.

Garcia said they were studying how to request the SALNs of the elected officials they were investigating and whether this should be addressed to the Ombudsman or to the offices or agencies of the officials themselves.

‘Our only problem here is that the SALN is not certified. The court will need that certification. The Comelec does not have the power to subpoena the SALNs,’ he noted.

‘In the same manner, which our Ombudsman already mentioned, there are processes before we can obtain these SALNs,’ Garcia said.

GT Capital Holdings’s banking and automotive businesses continued to be its growth drivers, with core profit rising by 21 percent to P26 billion in the first three quarters of this year.

Company president Carmelo Maria Luza Bautista said the group achieved this growth even with the local economy seeing its slowest pace yet in four years last quarter.

‘Loan growth and continued motorization drove the businesses of our main operating companies,’ Bautista said.

Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co. saw a record profit of P37.3 billion on the back of loan growth.

Toyota Motor Philippines, meanwhile, posted a 38-percent rise in January-September earnings with P16.8 billion. Consolidated revenues also climbed 11.6 percent to P199.6 billion.

Former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis ‘Chavit’ Singson cast doubt on the neutrality of the Office of the Ombudsman in connection with its ongoing investigation into controversies surrounding anomalous flood control projects.

‘What do you think? Look at who appointed him (Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla)?’ Singson said during a forum in Quezon City on Friday, responding to a question about the actions taken by the anti-graft body’s chief.

‘The Ombudsman should be neutral,’ he added.

Asked if he believes the Ombudsman is neutral, Singson replied, ‘Do you believe he is?’

Apart from this, Singson earlier claimed that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) is skipping Ilocos Norte – the home province of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. – in its investigation of the flood control anomalies.

In a recent interview, Singson said the ICI should investigate Ilocos Norte first to give the flood control probe credibility.

‘ICI, it was created by the President himself. They are stopping those who are speaking there. They are stopping when something is said and has already been mentioned, ‘don’t put that in.’ That I’m sure,’ the former governor said.

When asked who was hindering resource persons from mentioning certain names, Singson said, ‘Chairman [Andre] Reyes [Jr].’

However, the commission chair denied these allegations.

Meanwhile, ICI special adviser Rodolfo Azurin said no ‘ghost’ projects were found in the four flood control sites inspected by the commission and the Department of Public Works and Highways in Ilocos Norte.

‘So far, it’s okay, because we saw that in the projects we went to, at least, no ghosts were seen,’ Azurin said in Filipino.

‘As for the standard, that’s what we’re going to violate now, and what the engineers will leave behind here; they’ll look at the other projects that they say have ghosts,’ he added.

In the same forum, Singson later escalated his criticism, saying the President should resign.

‘Better for the president to resign, he has no way out here, the people are fed up now,’ he said.

‘That’s more honorable, he should not wait for the people’s wrath, ‘ he added.

Former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Elizaldy Co is surprised as to why President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. allegedly claimed that he was unable to recognize the then-proposed 2025 national budget from Congress when the insertions were supposedly the idea of the chief executive himself.

Co finally broke his silence over the budget mess and the flood control controversy through a video statement on Friday, saying that everything started after Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman called him to inform that Marcos allegedly wanted P100 billion worth of insertions in the 2025 national budget.

Ex-DPWH Usec Bernardo implicates new names in flood control mess

Former Public Works and Highways Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo implicated a new mix of senators, former senators, and a sitting secretary in the flood control mess, alleging that the individuals likewise received kickbacks from DPWH projects.

In a supplemental affidavit he presented during the Senate panel on blue ribbon’s probe into anomalous flood control projects on Friday, Bernardo came clean and enumerated one by one the people involved in the scandal.

Sara Duterte: Honestly, I’m just waiting when gov’t would put me in jail

Vice President Sara Duterte admitted that she has reached a point where she is simply waiting for the current administration to have her jailed, adding that she is prepared for whatever may come.

Duterte made the remarks on the sidelines of the Office of the Vice President’s 90th anniversary event at Makati Shangri-La on Friday, where she also expressed her office’s support for upcoming anti-corruption protests.

Pump prices poised to climb anew on Nov. 18

There will be no let-up in rising pump prices of fuel as local oil firms are expected to announce another wave of hikes next week.

In an advisory on Friday, Jetti Petroleum Leo Bellas said the per-liter prices of diesel might increase by P1 to P1.20 on Nov. 18.

Filinvest Development Corp.’s (FDC) profit in the first nine months rose by 21 percent to P11.5 billion. This, after its core businesses reported double-digit growth rates.

In a stock filing Friday, the company said its consolidated net income also hit P14.3 billion. That was up 19 percent from the year-ago P12 billion.

The group said its banking, real estate, power, hospitality and sugar enjoyed solid performances during the January to September period.

Total revenues and other income showed a modest gain of 4 percent, reaching P90.3 billion.

‘The Filinvest group delivered double-digit profit growth in the first nine months of 2025 despite challenges in some parts of our business,’ FDC president and CEO Rhoda Huang said.

‘We remain committed to delivering strong results in the full year 2025 and in the years ahead, even as the business environment continues to evolve, with the support and agility of our people,’ Huang said.

Some 80 meters of the road network that directly links Arakan town in Cotabato province to Davao City had been badly damaged by the torrential rains brought about by typhoons Tino and Uwan, prompting authorities to shut the road down to all types of vehicles, including motorcycles, since Monday.

Leonardo Reovoca, Arakan information officer, told the Inquirer that the 2nd Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) of Arakan town had to shut down the highway on Monday to prevent accidents or loss of lives.

‘This is a precautionary measure while efforts are underway to repair the damaged road network so that agricultural goods can be transported again and the people from Arakan can use the road again in going to Davao city,’ he said.

Despite the road signage and reminders, however, motorcycle drivers still attempt to cross, risking life and limb.

Torrential rains brought about by typhoon Tino and Super typhoon Uwan had loosened the soil at Sitio Pormon, a subvillage between Barangays Salasang and Katipunan of Arakan town, resulting in cracks and landslides.

The road, which spans 18 kilometers, has been the shortest route from Arakan town to Davao City, and farmers have been using it to bring their farm produce to the city.

Although the cracks were first noted on October 21, prompting DPWH to release its first warning to motorists, it was on Monday, when the cracks worsened following the rains brought by Supertyphoon Uwan.

Motorists, commuters, and traders have asked the DPWH in Cotabato province to prioritize its repair as its closure hampered the flow of goods and services in the area.

On October 21, DPWH put up signage in the area, reminding motorists to take extra care in passing through the road due to cracks on the pavement. Even then, DPWH no longer allowed cargo trucks and heavy equipment, but only motorcycles and light cars to pass through the road.

‘This is something unusual because the soil under the concrete pavement has been slowly eroding, destroying the concrete road,’ Reovoca said.

Repeated rains triggered by the prevailing low-pressure area in the province in the previous weeks and the onslaught of the two typhoons worsened the soil erosion and led to the landslides in Sitio Pormon.

Reovoca said that aside from the treacherous cracks noted on some 80-meter span of the highway, landslides also destroyed about one hectare of farm planted to banana and durian trees in nearby Sitio Sinai.

He likened the landslides in Sitio Sinai to the October 18 landslides that cut the national highway in Palacapao, Quezon town of Bukidnon.

He said that even the retaining walls along the road showed cracks as if an earthquake or major ground shaking had occurred.

Reovoca said there were two alternate routes to the Bukidnon-Davao (Buda) highway, but these alternate routes were longer by about 50 to 60 kilometers, prompting the local government of Arakan to ask DPWH to prioritize the repair of the damaged road or establish another route so that the movement of goods and people would not suffer

Contractors Cezarah ‘Sarah’ and Pacifico ‘Curelee’ Discaya were excused from Friday’s Senate panel probe so they could obtain proof that several lawmakers received kickbacks from flood control projects.

Senate blue ribbon committee chair Panfilo Lacson excused the contractor couple, but said they should be back ‘within the day.’

‘Upon the advice of my lawyers, Okay, there is no problem,’ Mr. Discaya said, adding a caveat that they could not submit everything, but Lacson said they could submit whatever’s available.

‘Your lawyers already allowed that the Senate security will accompany you, and you will return to bring the document, ledger that proves or supports your sworn statement that there are congressmen who received from you, that is clear?’ Lacson said.

‘Not only congressmen, but also Usec,’ Mr. Discaya replied.

Moments prior, Sen. Risa Hontiveros also requested the committee to order the couple to submit all of the list of projects and the joint venture agreements of all their companies including St. Gerrard and Alpha and Omega during the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

‘I just wish to reiterate that by obtaining and submitting the ledger in this committee, it should be included explicitly in the list of projects from 2016 to 2022,’ Hontiveros said.

‘I request the chair to include explicitly in his ruling regarding Ms. Discaya a reiteration of this request for them to submit the list of projects with DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways), with joint venture agreements of all their companies-St. Gerrard, Alpha and Omega, and others-from the years of 2016 to 2022,’ she continued, partly in Filipino.

It can be recalled that the Discaya couple told the Independent Commission on Infrastructure that they would no longer cooperate in the fact-finding body’s investigation, with Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla saying that they could be protecting Sen. Christopher Lawrence ‘Bong’ Go, who is also the former special assistant to the president under Duterte.

Also moments before their exit, Sen. JV Ejercito also urged the couple to submit text messages as additional evidence.

‘The news we’ve heard is, the ones Mr. Discaya identified are those who did not return – perhaps you have text messages that you can show us to our chair and members of the committee,’ Ejercito said in Filipino.

In September, Mr. Discaya named lawmakers and DPWH officials who allegedly solicited money from his firm after it won a government project bidding.

The northeast monsoon, or ‘amihan,’ and the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) are expected to bring cloudy skies and isolated showers to many parts of the country on Friday, the state weather bureau said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its early morning update that the northeast monsoon is expected to trigger light rain in extreme northern Luzon, particularly on the Batanes and Babuyan Islands.

Meanwhile, the ITCZ, or the line where winds from the northern and southern hemispheres meet, is forecast to cause cloudy skies with a high chance of rain in Palawan, the Visayas, and Mindanao.

‘So ating pinag-iingat ang ating mga kababayan especially sa mga low-lying areas o mabababang lugar sa mga posibilidad ng pagbaha,’ Pagasa weather specialist Loriedin De La Cruz-Galicia said.

(Those living in low-lying areas should watch out for possible flooding.)

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies and possible isolated rain, especially in the afternoon and evening, are expected in Metro Manila and the rest of the country.

Rough seas on Batanes, Babuyan Islands

Galicia also reported that a gale warning was raised for the Batanes and Babuyan Islands because of expected rough to very rough sea conditions caused by the ‘amihan.’

‘Hindi muna pinapayuhang pumalaot ang maliliit na sasakyang pandagat doon especially po sa araw na ito,’ said De La Cruz-Galicia.

(Small vessels are not advised to venture out to sea today.)