Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Los Angeles Clippers guard Bradley Beal is done for the NBA season. Kawhi Leonard has an ankle and a foot sprain with no timetable to return.

Beal has a hip fracture and will undergo surgery next week, the team announced Wednesday. He is expected to make a full recovery in six to nine months.

‘This is a very, very fluky injury,’ Lawrence Frank, president of basketball operations, said. ‘The surgeon said it’s almost like the equivalent of if you were in like a car accident. It’s an atypical kind of basketball injury. It’s more of an acute trauma-type injury.’

Leonard missed his fifth game of the season with a sprained right ankle Wednesday night against the Denver Nuggets.

‘It wasn’t just an ankle sprain,’ Frank said when asked for an update on Leonard. ‘He also had a significant sprain in his foot as well. He’s making really good progress.’

Leonard is receiving treatment multiple times daily and will accompany the team on its upcoming seven-game trip starting Friday at Dallas.

Beal got hurt last Saturday in the second quarter against Phoenix, his former team, at Intuit Dome. He had an MRI the next day and then a CT scan confirmed the fracture.

‘He feels like he’s let us down by being hurt. He feels horrible he’s not there for his teammates,’ Frank said. ‘He was hoping to have a really, really good year.’

The three-time All-Star played in just six games this season, averaging 8.2 points and 1.7 assists. He signed an $11 million, two-year deal with the Clippers in July after the final two years of his contract were bought out by the Suns.

The 32-year-old had already missed games because of a left knee injury that pre-dated his tenure with the Clippers, as well as lower back soreness. He was on a minutes restriction while trying to lower inflammation in his knee, Frank said.

‘It’s tough for our guys to hear about this,’ coach Tyronn Lue said, ‘especially from a guy that’s a great guy and tried everything he could to get back on the floor.’

Beal’s two seasons in Phoenix were riddled by injury. The 14-year veteran hasn’t played at least 60 games in a season since 2020-21 when he was with the Washington Wizards.

House lawmakers on Thursday honored former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, who died on Thursday afternoon at 101, for his intellect, longevity, and contributions to Philippine history-though glossing over the more controversial chapters of his long and storied public life.

Among the first to react to Enrile’s passing was lawyer and Ako Bicol Rep. Alfredo Garbin, who called Enrile a ‘stellar legal luminary and public servant with only a handful of equals.’

‘In the fields of taxation, finance, commercial law, and international law, Enrile stands taller than most. Many of the country’s foundational laws, Garbin added, are ‘products of Enrile’s uncommon legal mind,’ he said.

It’s a sentiment shared by Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano, who noted that ‘fewer still are the people who could match his mental acumen, range, and depth.’

Enrile’s legacy, he added, ‘would continue to have their consequences many decades into our collective future as a people.’

Meanwhile, Senior Citizens Rep. Rodolfo Ordanes remembered Enrile’s ‘legendary longevity’ and vitality even deep into his centenarian years.

‘It is a shock that we learned of his illness and passing. Special condolences to the senior citizens of Cagayan Province, where he is held in the highest esteem as Cagayanon’s favorite son,’ he said.

The late senator’s public service spanned more than half a century and included roles as defense minister, senator, and eventually presidential counsel to President Marcos Jr.

A consummate political survivor, Enrile’s career was marked by influence and controversy alike: from his role as architect of martial law under Ferdinand Marcos Sr. to his eventual defection during the 1986 People Power Revolution.

It’s also why few Filipinos ‘can be considered as pivotal in our nation’s history,’ said Manila Rep. Joel Chua.

‘He was, is, and will still be consequential, Chua said. ‘Our condolences to the family of former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, to our colleagues in the Senate, the other public servants he served with throughout his storied and distinguished career, and the institutions he served.

The Supreme Court has approved the 2025 Code of Judicial Conduct and Accountability (CJCA), designed to guide members of the bench on principles of independence, integrity, and impartiality, among others.

Key features of the new code are improved rules on conflict of interest, financial disclosure, and standards of propriety both in and out of court, as well as expanded accountability measures, the Office of Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh said in a statement on Thursday.

The CJCA also provides guidelines on the responsible use of technology and social media, and promotion of gender fairness, inclusivity and sensitivity in judicial behavior and communications.

The new code’s approval comes after the subcommittee chaired by Singh conducted extensive consultations with stakeholders in Lipa, Davao, Bacolod, General Santos City, and Manila last year to ensure that the provisions ‘reflect the lived experience of those who administer justice through our courts.’

Singh’s office said the CJCA completes the three-pronged integrity initiative of Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo that started with the launch of the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability for all the members of the Philippine Bar, and the Code of Conduct and Accountability for Court Officials and Personnel for all court officials and personnel.

‘The approval marks another key milestone under the Strategic Plan for Judicial Innovations 2022-2027, the SC’s blueprint for a responsive, technology-driven, and integrity-centered justice system,’ it added.

The Supreme Court will conduct a special en banc session on Nov. 18 for the nationwide oath-taking ceremony of all justices, judges, and court officials and personnel.

The CJCA will take effect 15 calendar days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in two newspapers of general circulation, and after its posting on the Supreme Court website.

Cebu-based fuel retailer Top Line Business Development Corp. reported a 21.1-percent jump in earnings for the first nine months amid robust sales and commercial fuel trading.

In a statement on Thursday, Top Line said its net income reached P109.57 million from P90.51 million in the same period last year.

‘We have already surpassed our full-year 2024 net income and we remain optimistic heading into the final quarter,’ said Eugene Erik Lim, chair, CEO and president of Top Line.

‘As we continue to renovate and integrate our newly acquired retail stations, we expect stronger and more diversified revenue,’ Lim added.

Top Line’s nine-month top line also surged by 26.9 percent to P3.09 billion from P2.44 billion.

Light Fuels Corp., its retail fuel subsidiary, reported a 168-percent surge in fuel volume.

Revenues from the group’s commercial fuel trading, meanwhile, also improved by 24.2 percent to P2.96 billion from P2.4 billion.

Ayala Corp.’s core profit in the first nine months of 2025 barely moved at P36.6 billion, following the softer financial performances of its telecommunications and power businesses.

In a disclosure on Thursday, the country’s oldest conglomerate said its net income, which includes one-off items from the revaluation of AC Ventures, had jumped by 36 percent to P46.3 billion.

Bank of the Philippine Islands continued to be its top growth driver, with its profit edging up by 5 percent to P50.5 billion on the expansion of its loan portfolio.

Real estate under Ayala Land also saw its earnings inch up to P21.4 billion, thanks to steady property development revenues, coupled with improvements in its leasing and hospitality business.

Telco giant Globe Telecom, meanwhile, realized a 12-percent drop in its core net income, reaching P15.5 billion, due to weaker gross service revenues and higher depreciation and interest expenses.

ACEN, its listed energy arm, likewise recorded a decline in core profit, hitting P4.3 billion, down 18 percent from a year ago. This, as the firm took a hit from cheaper spot market prices and the temporary shutdown of its wind facilities in Ilocos Norte.

Nine weightlifters, led by Olympian Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo, will compete in the Southeast Asian Games 2025 in Thailand next month.

Diaz-Naranjo, who delivered the country’s first gold medal (55kg) at the Tokyo Olympics, will see action in the 58kg category.

Others in the roster are Rosegie Ramos (W 48kg), Jhodie Peralta (W 53kg), Elreen Ann Ando (W 63kg), Kristel Macrohon (W 69kg), Fernando Agad Jr. (M 60kg), Dave Lloyd Pacaldo (M 65 kg), Albert Ian Delos Santos (M 71kg) and John Dexter Tabique (M 94kg).

Naranjo-Diaz won back-to-back gold medals in the SEA Games held in the Philippines (2019) and Vietnam (2021), but skipped the Cambodia edition (2023) to focus on the Asian Championships, one of the qualifying events for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Peralta pocketed two medals, a gold (snatch) and bronze (clean and jerk), at the 3rd Asian Youth Games in Bahrain last month, while Ando, a two-time Olympian, won the bronze medal at the 2025 IWF World Championships in Forde, Norway.

Macrohon, a gold medalist at the 2019 SEA Games, tallied 236 kg. (105-131) to win three bronze medals at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Zhejiang, China last May. The Philippines also secured seven silver medals – three each from Ando and Ramos, and one from Agad.

Delos Santos is optimistic about his debut in the SEA Games 2025, scheduled from Dec. 9 to 22.

‘It’s a dream to win the gold medal in the SEA Games. I will do my best to make it happen,’ the second year financial management student from Universidad de Zamboanga said in an interview Thursday.

Despite missing the podium at the World Youth and Junior Championships in Forde, Norway last Oct. 6, Delos Santos registered a world junior record of 185kgs on his third attempt in the clean and jerk, finishing eighth in the men’s 71kg category.

At the World Youth and Junior Championships in Lima, Peru last May, he pocketed the Juniors 67kg title with a total of 309kgs (134-175).

The 5-foot-8 son of former national lifters Alvin and Diwa also captured the gold (clean and jerk) and silver (total) medals in the Junior division of the 2025 Asian Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan. In 2023, he won two golds and two silvers in the Youth and Junior men’s 61kg divisions in the same tournament held in India.

‘As has always been our plan, the SEA Games and the Asian Games are just stepping stones for us. Win or lose, our goal is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, so the lifters have to prove us they are capable or they will miss the boat,’ Samahang Weightlifting ng Pilipinas (SWP) President Monico Puentevella said.

Puentevella, who was inducted into the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Hall of Fame in 2022, will also join the Thailand trip along with coaches Antonio Agustin Jr., Ramon Solis, Samuel Alegada, Diwa Delos Santos and Julius Irvin Hikaru Naranjo.

Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific has launched the latest edition of its highly anticipated Piso Sale to give travelers a chance to plan new adventures across the country and overseas.

Travelers may book flights to select domestic and international destinations for as low as P1 one-way base fare, exclusive of fees and surcharges, until Nov. 15.

The travel period runs from June 1 to October 31, 2026.

CEB operates in 37 domestic and 26 international destinations spread across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East.

CEB offers various payment options, including credit or debit cards and e-wallets, to book flights and buy add-ons.

Passengers are encouraged to add Go Flexi when booking, which lets them cancel and convert their flight into a non-expiring Travel Fund. The bundle also includes a 20kg checked baggage allowance and a Standard Seat of their choice.

There were no ‘ghost’ projects found in the four flood control sites inspected by the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Thursday.

ICI special adviser Rodolfo Azurin said this in an interview on the sidelines of the inspection with DPWH Usec. Arthur Bisnar in Ilocos Norte, the province of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

‘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 noted.

According to the ICI, the first site that the commission and DPWH inspected was located near Bongo Bridge, Nueva Era, where Azurin and Bisnar consulted two DPWH regional engineers about the project.

Azurin and Bisnar likewise evaluated a flood control project in the area of Sinigbit Creek, Nueva Era.

The third and fourth sites that the ICI and DPWH officials inspected were found in Vintar, Ilocos Norte. During this inspection, Vintar Mayor Richard Degala and District Engineer Glenn Miguel accompany Azurin and Bisnar.

The DPWH District Engineering Office said they will provide project plans and documentation of the said flood control projects to the ICI.

Bisnar likewise assured the ICI that the DPWH will provide full access to the agency’s investigation of the flood control projects.

‘This full access is not only at the central office, but also at our regional offices and then the district engineering offices,’ said Bisnar.

The ICI and DPWH are currently investigating multibillion-peso anomalous infrastructure projects across the country.

A magnitude 2.5 earthquake was recorded in parts of Marinduque island province on Thursday afternoon, with its epicenter located in Torrijos town, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

The tectonic tremor struck at 12:44 p.m., about 21 kilometers southwest of Torrijos, at a depth of only 6 km.

Phivolcs explained that tectonic earthquakes occur when rocks suddenly move along faults and plate boundaries.

The agency said no damage or aftershocks were expected from the minor quake.

Marinduque Island is located in the southern part of Luzon. It is separated from mainland Luzon by Tayabas Bay.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) held a preparatory meeting on Thursday to ensure a coordinated and proactive response to any untoward incidents that could happen during the upcoming rallies from Nov. 16 to 18.

Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon told reporters that the discussion during the meeting was about the availability of prosecutors ready to handle cases, specifically to conduct inquest proceedings, in the event of disruptions or violence similar to the Sept. 21 incident.

‘We just have to make sure that we’re prepared for any eventuality. We do not want to be complacent and just be reactive when it actually happens. We want everything to be sorted out even before it happens,’ Fadullon said.

Fadullon said key areas discussed are Manila and Quezon City, the venue for the gatherings, and where permits had reportedly been applied for.

Primarily, he said, involvement of the DOJ is through the prosecutors who would be on high alert to receive and process cases filed against individuals involved in any violence or disruption.

‘The discussion here was for the preparation needed to be done by our prosecutors in the event that there will be any disruptions or any violence that may happen, similar to what happened in [the past],’ Fadullon explained.

Aside from DOJ officials, the meeting was also attended by high-level PNP officials, specifically those from the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG). The CIDG’s presence is aimed at augmenting the work of investigators.

The scheduled three-day rally of Iglesia Ni Cristo at the EDSA Shrine and Quirino Grandstand is a call for transparency and accountability.