Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Land Transportation Office (LTO) has suspended for 90 days the license of a motorist who engaged in a road rage and allegedly physically assaulted a 60-year-old man in Quezon City, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said.

According to a show-cause order issued by the LTO and posted on Thursday, the complainant was the senior citizen’s child, who reported on a social media page that his father was involved in a road incident.

The motorist, driving a Toyota car ‘attempted to alight from his vehicle when a motorcycle driven by the complainant’s father honked to draw his attention and avert a possible collision,’ the LTO said.

‘Instead, the driver intentionally struck the complainant’s father and, after alighting, proceeded to physically assault him,’ it added.

Furthermore, the complainant alleged in a social media post that the Toyota driver had previously hit another motorcycle rider.

‘In a Facebook post, the complainant shared that the driver of a Toyota Altis honked at his father, who was driving a motorcycle, and allegedly even hit him with the car door and punched him. Before the incident, the same driver had also reportedly hit another rider,’ the DOTr said in English in an issued statement.

The Toyota driver was ordered to appear before the LTO Intelligence and Investigation Division to explain why he should not be held liable for reckless driving and why his license should not be revoked for being an improper person to operate a motor vehicle, the agency said.

His vehicle has also been placed under alarm status to prevent any transactions while the driver is under investigation.

Finance Secretary Ralph Recto has welcomed the new Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Charlito Martin ‘Charlie’ Mendoza, saying the agency remains ‘in good hands’ under his leadership.

Mendoza, who served as Finance undersecretary for the Revenue Operations Group from April 2024, succeeded Romeo Lumagui Jr.

‘We will miss Usec Charlie at the DOF, but I believe the BIR needs him more at this time. I trust that under his leadership, the BIR will meet and even exceed our revenue targets,’ Recto said.

‘Above all, I trust that he will always keep the well-being of our taxpayers at the heart of all your efforts,’ he added.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appointed Mendoza on Wednesday. As undersecretary, he had already been supervising both the BIR and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) since the start of his tenure.

A key part of his role was leading a campaign that sought to curb smuggling and illicit trade through digitalization. The initiative helped the Department of Finance exceed its revenue target in 2024.

The Baler Airport in the province of Aurora is set to be expanded to better accommodate relief and emergency response operations, especially in times of calamities, the Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Thursday.

Acting Transportation Chief Giovanni Lopez ordered the expansion after visiting the airport amid ongoing repairs due to the onslaught of Super Typhoon Uwan.

‘Aurora province is hit by typhoons almost every year, so we must ensure that the airport can accommodate larger aircraft for emergency relief and medical operations during such events. That’s why we’ll be extending and expanding the runway of Baler Airport,’ said Lopez in a statement written in Filipino.

Lopez said the expansion works include the extension and widening of the airport runway, the construction of a new passenger terminal building (PTB), and police barracks.

The project is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2026 and is anticipated to be completed by 2027.

As of writing, operations at Baler Airport have already returned to normal following the effects of Uwan.

Meanwhile, Philippine Ports Authority General Manager Jay Santiago, in the same statement, ordered the immediate repair of the passenger terminal building, port deck, and seawall of Dingalan Port to restore normal operations.

‘The port sustained severe damage due to the strong storm surge. We need to fix it quickly since it is frequently used by tourists visiting Baler,’ said Santiago in Filipino.

The DOTr said Dingalan Port’s passenger terminal building suffered extensive damage as half of the structure was buried under large rocks, while sand washed in from the sea during the storm surge. Due to this, Dingalan Port remains temporarily closed. /mr Due to this, Dingalan Port remains temporarily closed.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. mourned the passing of his chief presidential legal counsel, Juan Ponce Enrile, describing him ‘one of the most enduring and respected public servants our country has ever known.’

Enrile’s death was announced by his daughter, Katrina, in a Facebook post Thursday evening. He was 101 years old.

‘We say goodbye to one of the most enduring and respected public servants our country has ever known. For over 50 years, Juan Ponce Enrile dedicated his life to serving the Filipino people, helping guide the country through some of its most challenging and defining moments,’ the president said in a social media post.

Marcos noted that Enrile’s passing marks an end to a chapter in the country’s history.

‘But the mark he leaves behind in law, in governance, and in the hearts of those he served will never be forgotten,’ he said.’Thank you so much, Tito Johnny. Goodbye and thank you for a life you wholeheartedly offered to the nation,’ Marcos remarked.

Enrile died at 4:21 p.m. on Nov. 13. Details for public viewing are yet to be shared by his family.

This association enables InnovationOne to directly offer ad inventory and branded content integrations within VIU Philippines’ growing library of premium Asian content-ranging from top Korean dramas and variety shows to VIU Originals and regionally produced titles. With a strong footprint in the Philippines, Viu provides advertisers access to an engaged audience that is young, digital-first, and highly receptive to storytelling-led campaigns.

‘Filipinos are among the world’s biggest consumers of Korean and Asian entertainment, and VIU has become a staple platform for that audience,’ said Raphael Layosa, Managing Director of InnovationOne. ‘This engagement gives brands an unmatched opportunity: to appear alongside content that audiences are emotionally invested in-just as they’re streaming, binge-watching, and talking about it online.’

Benjamin Lim, Deputy COO of United Neon Media Group, the umbrella organization of InnovationOne, emphasized the value of the arrangement, saying: ‘This arrangement with VIU aligns with our mission to push the boundaries of modern advertising. Streaming has become the new primetime, and brands need to show up where culture is being shaped in real time. Through InnovationOne, we’re giving advertisers not just media space, but cultural access-powered by data, content, and a deep understanding of what audiences love.’

The collaboration comes at a time when Philippine viewers are rapidly shifting from traditional TV to streaming platforms. VIU’s dual model-consisting of an ad-supported free tier and a premium subscription layer-further expands advertiser reach and audience diversity.

The delegates of the 74th Miss Universe pageant continued their journey in Thailand in the coastal city of Pattaya, but the Philippines’ Ahtisa Manalo was missing in the welcome event.

The city hosted a special dinner dubbed ‘Memorable Night of Thainess’ at Baan Suan Thai on Wednesday evening, Nov. 12, with most of the candidates going onstage.

Eagle-eyed pageant fans who followed the event via a live video on social media, however, noted the absence of the Philippines’ Miss Universe bet from the entire streaming.

Inquirer Entertainment reached out to the Miss Universe Philippines Organization to clarify the matter, and it was confirmed that Manalo had indeed missed the event.

An insider from the national organization privy to the goings-on in Thailand shared that Manalo and several other delegates arrived late in Pattaya, including their luggage.

‘When they checked in at their hotel in Pattaya, their luggage still had not arrived, and they no longer had the time to glam up for the occasion, where the ladies were expected to be in formal finery.

The ladies had just come from Phuket, another coastal destination in Thailand, when they headed to Pattaya for the next leg of Miss Universe activities.

Several delegates have reportedy suffered from food poisoning, and Iceland’s Helena O’Conner had already withdrawn from the competition after falling ill for several days.

A swimsuit fashion show is set to take place at Columbia Pictures Aquaverse in Pattaya on Friday, Nov. 14. The day after, the ladies will go through a round of closed-door interviews, still in the coastal city.

The delegates will return to Bangkok for the final leg of activities, including the highly anticipated preliminary competition and national costume presentation on Nov. 19.

Reigning Miss Universe Victoria Kjær Theilvig will crown her successor at the conclusion of the competition at the Impact Challenger Hall in Nonthaburi on Nov. 21.

Authorities intercepted P21-million worth of allegedly smuggled cigarettes in waters off Zamboanga City, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Thursday.

This was the result of a police maritime patrol operation late Wednesday afternoon, according to the PNP in a statement.

‘The team spotted two motorized boats locally known as ‘Jungkung’ navigating suspiciously near Santa Cruz Island,’ the police explained.

‘Upon inspection, they discovered the vessels were loaded with 300 master cases of smuggled cigarettes. with a combined value of approximately P21,000,000.00,’ it added.

The PNP noted that it arrested seven adult male individuals aboard the boats. It did not identify them nor give details about their background.

The suspects and the confiscated cigarettes were taken to the Zamboanga City Police Station.

Mugshots shared by the PNP showed the suspects were awaiting a case for violation of Republic Act No. 12022 or the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act.

Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway proved that the heels still fit and fashion never goes out of style as they officially reprised their roles as Miranda Priestly and Andy Sachs, respectively, in the first teaser for the anticipated ‘Devil Wears Prada 2.’

Hathaway, who just celebrated her 43nd birthday, dropped a fashionable surprise on Instagram on Thursday, Nov. 13, showing her and Streep in the iconic halls of the Runway magazine office.

The 51-second teaser opens with a close-up of red stilettos walking down a hallway interspersed with clips of a glamorous red carpet, cameras flashing, and stylish outfits.

The woman walking in the ruby-red heels is revealed to be none other than the exacting Miranda Priestly as the camera pans to a wide shot of an opening elevator, showing her in a black blouse paired with a houndstooth skirt, red belt, black sunglasses, and her iconic white pixie cut.

Just as the elevator door is about to close, a more polished Andy (Hathaway) steps in to join her former boss, donning a tailored pinstripe vest and pearl necklace set. ‘Took you long enough,’ Miranda tells Andy, who then shot her a smile as she puts her big sunglasses on.

While the exact plot details are kept under wraps, early reports suggest the sequel will explore how fashion and media have transformed in the digital age, and how Miranda grapples with the decline of print media and finds her path intertwined with Andy once again.

‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ is set for a May 1, 2026, theatrical release. Aside from Streep and Hathaway, Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci will also reprise their iconic roles, with director David Frankel and screenwriter Aline Brosh McKenna also returning.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) again defended Thursday the criminal complaints it filed over violent incidents during the Sept. 21 anti-corruption rallies, saying the police unit was ‘not into curtailing freedom of expression.’

‘If there is a crime committed, whatever and whoever the personalities involved, big or small, whether you are a politician or just a farmer or a laborer, the CIDG will act on it,’ Director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II said mostly in English during a chance interview at Camp Crame on Thursday.

‘We have to respect laws, especially if we are key figures. The CIDG is not really into curtailing freedom of expression, but, you know, we have to exercise this right in accordance with the rule of law,’ he added.

Morico previously announced that the CIDG filed cases for conspiracy and proposal to commit rebellion or insurrection, sedition, and inciting to sedition against at least 97 people in connection with the riots.

The CIDG director confirmed Thursday that among the 97 people sued was Cavite 4th District Rep. Kiko Barzaga for both the violent incidents during the Sept. 21 protests and the Oct. 12 rally the lawmaker led outside the Forbes Park subdivision in Makati City.

The violence during the widespread Sept. 21 anti-corruption rallies erupted at the Ayala Bridge and the Mendiola Peace Arch.

Police arrested over 200 individuals, and at least two were reportedly killed during the riots, prompting human rights groups to condemn law enforcers and allege that they failed to exercise ‘maximum tolerance.’

Meanwhile, police said there were no ‘untoward incidents’ during the Oct. 12 rally at Forbes Park, which Barzaga led to call on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to step down.

The protests stemmed from alleged corruption in flood control and other infrastructure projects.

Cavite 4th District Rep. Kiko Barzaga is facing a criminal complaint over a rally he led outside Forbes Park in Makati City last Oct. 12, according to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.

The CIDG earlier confirmed that it lodged a case before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office against Barzaga for inciting sedition over violence during the Sept. 21 anti-corruption rallies.

‘Actually, we have another one. It’s also the one in Makati [City], Forbes [Park],’ CIDG Director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II said in a chance interview in Camp Crame on Thursday.

‘I will not comment because it is already with the [National] Prosecution Service.’

‘This is nothing personal. There was a crime committed. It was a violent one. There are police officers [who] were injured. There were government properties that were destroyed. That is the reason that we filed cases,’ Morico added.

The CIDG, however, declined to specify Barzaga’s role in the alleged sedition in both the Sept. 21 and the Oct. 12 rallies, citing that the cases are already with the prosecutor’s office.

Morico previously announced that the CIDG had filed criminal cases before the Department of Justice against at least 97 individuals over the violence during the Sept. 21 rallies.

Asked whether Barzaga was among the 97 individuals initially sued, at the chance interview, Morico answered in the affirmative.

Commenting on the case against him, in a social media post on Wednesday, Barzaga said, ‘This will not stop us. This will only make our revolution stronger!’

The violence during the widespread Sept. 21 anti-corruption rallies erupted at the foot of Ayala Bridge and the Mendiola Peace Arch.

Police arrested over 200 individuals, and at least two were reportedly killed during the riots, prompting human rights groups to condemn law enforcers and allege that they failed to exercise ‘maximum tolerance.’

Meanwhile, police said there were no ‘untoward incidents’ during the Oct. 12 rally at Forbes Park, which Barzaga led to call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to step down.

The protests stemmed from alleged corruption in flood control and other infrastructure projects.