Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Ice Seguerra and Liza Diño have reminded concertgoers that buying a ticket does not give them the right to record and upload entire performances online.

The celebrity couple made the remarks in separate Facebook posts on Monday, Aug. 24, two days after the ‘Sessionistas: The Playlist’ concert, which featured Seguerra alongside Nyoy Volante, Kean Cipriano, Duncan Ramos, Sitti, Princess Velasco, and Juris.

Seguerra said that while he appreciates fans who record short highlights from their shows, particularly when they share their reactions, he also drew the line at uploading full performances.

‘When you buy a concert ticket, you’re buying the experience of watching the show. You are not buying the right to record the whole thing and upload it to your own YouTube page or social media pages,’ Seguerra said. ‘Hindi po dahil nakabili tayo ng ticket, atin na rin ang concert.’

Seguerra pointed out that concerts involve artists, musicians, composers, producers, publishers, crew members, and other people whose work is protected.

‘That work is protected, and reposting full songs or entire portions of a concert without permission is not simply ‘sharing.’ It is unauthorized distribution of someone else’s work,’ he explained.

The OPM singer appealed to those who had uploaded full performances from their shows to take them down.

‘Please don’t upload the concert itself,’ he said. ‘Support the music. Support the artists. Please don’t turn our work into content you never had the right to distribute.’

Diño echoed her husband’s sentiments, saying the practice has become ‘increasingly disturbing.’

‘When you upload full songs, entire segments, or worse, practically the whole concert, you are reproducing and distributing material that belongs to the artists, composers, publishers, producers, and rights holders who created and paid for that show,’ she said.

‘Ang hirap intindihin kung saan nanggagaling ‘yung entitlement na dahil nakabili ka ng ticket, pwede mo nang i-upload ang buong concert online,’ she added. ‘A ticket is not a license to pirate the show.’

The theater actress expressed that while they value fans’ reactions and other posts celebrating the concert, they might also take legal action against pages uploading full-length material.

‘We will be protecting the rights of our artists and our productions, and we will take the necessary steps against unauthorized uploads when needed,’ she said. ‘Support artists by sharing the experience. Please don’t steal the work.’

The ‘Sessionistas: The Playlist’ group is set to return for ‘Love, Sessionistas: The Repeat’ on Oct. 18.

Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon on Tuesday called on the Ombudsman to delve into whether Vice President Sara Duterte and officials of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) committed malversation in their use of confidential funds.

Ridon made the pronouncement during a press conference while the 17th day of Duterte’s impeachment trial – where the vice president’s alleged misuse of confidential funds is being tackled – was on break.

‘We call on the Ombudsman to look into whether there is actual malversation committed by Miss Acosta, Mr. Lachica, Vice President Sara Duterte in using the confidential funds,’ said Ridon.

‘I think it’s clear that these confidential funds were really misused,’ he added.

This came a day after OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta testified before the Senate impeachment court where she admitted that she handed the office’s confidential funds to former head of Duterte’s security Army Col. Raymund Dante Lachica – even if she knew that the latter was not a bonded officer.

Ridon, however, clarified that the ‘original sin’ was committed not by Acosta or Lachica, but by Duterte herself.

‘Because she herself was the one who ordered the transfer of the P125 million from Gina Acosta to Mr. Lachica,’ he said.

Safe houses

Meanwhile, Ridon in the same press conference also pointed out that to this day, the confidential funds used for the supposed renting of safehouses has not yet been explained before the impeachment court.

‘It is still not explained why the money spent on safe houses is so large… P16 million every quarter,’ said Ridon.

According to Ridon, the amount used by the OVP for the safe houses basically reflect prices in exclusive villages Forbes Park and Dasmariñas Village, as well as high-end condominiums in Bonifacio Global City or that in Makati.

‘I’m quite certain that those are not the same as the ones that were given and paid for by our security sector, which has confidential funds,’ he added.

He also noted that based on the documents authenticated by OVP assistant chief-of-staff Lemuel Ortonio on Tuesday’s hearing, it was clear that they were ‘manipulating’ the records pertaining to the OVP’s use of the confidential funds.

‘We can’t let that go. P16 million every quarter [on] different days,’ said Ridon.

‘You’d be a fool to believe the explanation that we can reach that price level because the days we’re talking about are different. So we’ll chase that until the very end,’ he added.

Two public secondary schools in Catbalogan City, Samar, with a combined student population of more than 7,200, suspended in-person classes on Tuesday as a precaution following a reported online threat involving possible violence or shooting.

The affected schools are Samar National School (SNS), the biggest secondary school in Catbalogan, and the Eastern Visayas Regional Science High School (EVRSHS).

Samar National School shifted all in-person classes to synchronous online learning after a reported threat of violence or shooting was shared through a private group chat, according to a school memorandum.

The school said its administration immediately coordinated with the Philippine National Police and other concerned authorities to assess, verify, and implement appropriate security measures.

Authorities are verifying the authenticity and credibility of the reported threat, the memorandum said, stressing that no conclusion had been made regarding its validity.

As a precaution, SNS directed teachers to conduct scheduled classes through online platforms while students were advised to attend and participate in their classes remotely.

The EVRSHS suspended face-to-face classes on Tuesday as a safety measure. Its students were instructed to undertake asynchronous learning activities, while teaching and non-teaching personnel were required to report to campus for safety planning, coordination, and strengthening of security measures.

The school also said it was preparing contingency measures covering the movement and entry and exit of students, personnel and visitors.

The precautionary moves in Catbalogan came amid heightened concern over school security following two deadly school shootings in the country in less than two months.

On June 22, three students were killed, and 20 others were injured in a shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City. Two student suspects, aged 14 and 15, were arrested in connection with the attack.

The Tacloban tragedy prompted heightened security measures in schools, including a subsequent response to another online threat that forced San Jose National High School to shift to blended learning in July.

The concern was further heightened after a second deadly school shooting on Aug. 18 at a school affiliated with Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City. A Grade 9 student shot and killed a fellow student before taking his own life, resulting in two deaths. Two other people were injured.

The Zamboanga shooting, which was partially livestreamed, prompted renewed calls for stronger school security, responsible firearm ownership. and closer monitoring of online threats involving young people.

In Catbalogan, school officials urged students, parents and personnel to remain calm and refrain from sharing or amplifying unverified information that could cause fear or panic.

Authorities are expected to continue assessing the reported threat before the schools decide whether face-to-face classes can resume.

The Youth for Health Coalition sounded the alarm over the the use vape products by young students, citing the adverse health effects.

The group’s convenor, Aliyah Mae Lozari, expressed the concern at the House of Representatives ways and means committee hearing on the Department of Finance’s (DOF) proposed unified P72.9 excise tax on cigarettes and vape products on Tuesday.

‘Labis na nakakabahala ang mabilis na pagkalat ng vape sa mga schools, lalo na’t naaakit nito ang mga kabataang madaling maimpluwensyahan ng kanilang mga kaibigan, kamag-aral at pati na ang social media,’ she told lawmakers.

(The fast spread of vapes in schools is alarming, especially since it entices the youth who are easily influenced by their friends, classmates and by social media.)

‘Ang tanong namin: ilang buhay pa kaya ang hihintayin natin bago natin aksyunan ang negatibong epektong ito ng vape sa mga kabataan?’ she added.

(We ask: How many more lives should be lost before we take action on the negative effects of vapes on children?)

Lozari said that based on their group’s observation, elementary and high school students are now able to buy vapes since more stores are set up near schools while some sellers are on social media platforms.

She also explained that some vape products are designed supposedly to cater to the youth with flavors and packaging akin to milk tea.

The Youth for Health Coalition convenor cited the potential electronic cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injuries (EVALI) that may be sustained by users.

‘Bukod dito, ang paglaganap ng vape sa mga paaralan ay maaaring magresulta rin sa malaking productivity loss sa mga kabataan ngayon at sa hinaharap,’ Lozari explained.

(Apart from this, the proliferation of vapes in schools may also result in widespread productivity loss among the youth now and in the future.)

‘Dahil sa vape, maaaring maapektuhan ang aming konsentrasyon, kahusayan at sipag sa pag-aaral at sa iba naming pinagkakaabalahan,’ she added.

(Because of vapes, our concentration, our skill and our motivation in our studies and our other endeavors may be affected.)

Earlier in the hearing, DOF Fiscal Policy and Monitoring Undersecretary Karlo Fermin Adriano explained that the department sought to impose a P72.93 tax per milliliter (mL) of both salt nicotine and freebase nicotine.

Currently, freebase nicotine is taxed at P6.95 per mL and salt nicotine at P60.29 per mL.

‘Kung magkakaiba ang buwis na nakapataw dahil lamang magkaiba ang uri ng nicotine sa mga produktong ito, maaaring lumipat lamang ang mga consumer sa freebase nicotine dahil mas mura ito kumpara sa salt nicotine,’ Lozari said.

(If the tax imposed is different just because they’re different kinds of nicotine, consumers may just switch to freebase nicotine since it’s cheaper compared to salt nicotine.)

‘Higit pa dito, maaaring magsilbing unang hakbang ang vape tungo sa paggamit at pagkalulong ng mga kabataan sa tradisyonal na sigarilyo,’ she added.

(Vapes may serve as the youth’s gateway to using and being addicted to traditional cigarettes.)

At the same hearing, however, Minimal Government Thinkers researcher Bienvenido Oplas Jr. expressed opposition to having the same tax rate for tobacco products and vape products.

Oplas cited his own study which found that Indonesia, Canada, South Africa, Malaysia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and New Zealand imposed different taxes on the two product types.

Also at the hearing, Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corporation lawyer Noel de Luna cited New Zealand’s practice.

‘New Zealand has a 100-percent tax differential because a part of their tobacco control policy is to wean people away from cigarettes to vapor products. That’s why they’re not taxing vapor products in New Zealand as of the moment,’ he said.

The municipality of Abra de Ilog has been asked to declare a state of calamity after the southwest monsoon, intensified by successive weather disturbances, left an estimated P69.08 million in damage across the municipality.

The recommendation was contained in Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) Resolution No. 2026-02, Series of 2026, dated Aug. 24.

Based on the consolidated damage assessment and needs analysis, the heaviest losses were recorded in agriculture, other infrastructure, water supply systems and damaged houses.

Agricultural damage was estimated at P27,895,722.70, while damage to other infrastructure reached P25,340,000. Water supply systems sustained an estimated P7,440,000 in damage, while damage to houses cost P8,400,000.

The resolution said the agricultural sector suffered substantial losses affecting crops, livestock, fisheries and agricultural infrastructure.

Infrastructure damage was reported in the barangays of Cabacao, Balao, San Vicente and Lumangbayan, including flood protection structures, flooding control structures and river protection works.

The municipality also reported that several municipal and barangay water supply systems sustained damage from erosion, scouring, flooding and other effects of the disaster, disrupting water service delivery in various barangays.

A total of 89 houses were reported damaged-45 partially and 44 totally.

The prolonged rains also caused significant displacement of families and individuals, damaged public infrastructure and temporarily rendered several roads and bridges inaccessible or impassable.

Under the resolution, the declaration of a state of calamity is expected to facilitate the implementation of necessary disaster response, relief, early recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction measures.

Among the priority interventions identified are the provision of food and non-food assistance to affected families and vulnerable sectors; continued assistance to families with partially and totally damaged houses; restoration and rehabilitation of damaged water supply systems; repair of flood-control, flood-protection and other critical infrastructure; clearing and rehabilitation of roads affected by flooding, landslides and road cuts; and restoration of agricultural and fisheries livelihoods.

The MDRRMC also called for early recovery interventions, watershed and river management, and the development of more resilient infrastructure under the ‘Build Back Better’ approach.

The resolution said the municipality would pursue long-term recovery and strengthen its environmental management, disaster preparedness and climate adaptation measures following the widespread impacts of the weather disturbances.

FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List Rep. Brian Poe questioned on Monday the National Bureau of Investigation’s lack of funding for agents or attachés stationed abroad as he called for stronger support for the bureau as it tackles an increasing number of transnational crimes involving Filipinos.

Under Republic Act No. 10687, specifically Section 7(F), the NBI is authorized to designate attachés or representatives in Philippine embassies abroad, Poe pointed out at the House Committee on Appropriations budget briefing for the Department of Justice (DOJ).

He noted, however, that the law requires the funding for such positions to come from the NBI’s own budget,

Asked whether an allocation for this purpose was included in the current year’s budget, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said there was none.

According to Matibag, the NBI has been hoping to address the lack of funding for overseas NBI representatives, as it considers the possibility of deploying attachés to selected areas abroad to work with foreign counterparts in tackling transnational crimes.

He noted that embassies from Europe and the United States already have counterparts in the Philippines who have assisted the NBI in pursuing cases that cross national borders.

Matibag welcomed Poe’s intervention, saying he hoped funding for NBI attachés could eventually be included in the bureau’s ‘wish list.’

More agents needed

But the NBI chief also underscored another pressing problem: The bureau needs more agents as it only has around 300 agents nationwide.

If the NBI wanted to deploy agents abroad, it would need to hire more.

‘This is quite alarming,’ Poe said, as he noted that the NBI has not ‘a single centavo’ of funding for even a single international representative to be attached to Philippine embassies abroad despite the growing number of cases with international links.

Poe cited the wide range of responsibilities now being handled by the NBI, including investigations involving the following:

Philippine offshore gaming operators or POGOs

scam networks

cyber fraud

online gambling

Interpol-related cases

human trafficking

online child sexual abuse or exploitation materials

‘The list goes on,’ Poe said, adding that Congress should seriously consider the issue during Congress deliberations on the proposed DOJ budget.

Accountability and law enforcement

Poe also linked the lack of overseas NBI representation to the broader issue of accountability and law enforcement, particularly in pursuing suspects and fugitives outside Philippine jurisdiction.

The government, he said, must ask how it could effectively go after international fugitives when the NBI has no dedicated funding for representatives abroad.

The proposed expansion of the NBI’s personnel and the possible deployment of attachés overseas could strengthen the Philippines’ ability to coordinate with foreign law enforcement agencies, share intelligence, follow cross-border criminal networks, and pursue cases that do not stop at the country’s borders.

Ensuring that the NBI has enough agents, eventually including representatives in key locations abroad, is not merely a matter of expanding the bureau, he said. It’s necessary to enable it to pursue criminals abroad.

A heavy rainfall warning is on effect in Zambales and parts of Bataan on Tuesday afternoon, the state weather bureau said.

In an advisory issued at 2 p.m, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Zambales and the municipalities of Dinalupihan, Hermosa, and Morong in Bataan are under yellow rainfall warning, indicating 7.5 to 15 millimeters of rainfall is expected within the next three hours.

Meanwhile, light to moderate with occasional heavy rains may prevail over the following areas within the next three hours:

Cavite

Rizal (Rodriguez, San Mateo, Antipolo, Cainta)

Batangas (Nasugbu, Lian, Calatagan, Balayan, Tuy)

Nueva Ecija (Gabaldon, Zaragoza, San Antonio, Santa Rosa, General Tinio, Penaranda, San Leonardo, Jaen, San Isidro, Gapan, Cabiao, Laur, Palayan, Cabanatuan)

Quezon (General Nakar)

Laguna (Calamba, Cabuyao, Santa Rosa, Binan, San Pedro)

Similar conditions are being experienced over the following areas, which may persist within the next three hours.

Bataan (Abucay, Bagac, Balanga, Limay, Mariveles, Orani, Orion, Pilar, Samal)

Metro Manila (Valenzuela, Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas)

Pampanga (Angeles, Porac, Floridablanca, Lubao, Guagua, Santa Rita, Mabalacat)

Tarlac (Capas, Bamban, San Jose, Santa Ignacia, Camiling, San Clemente, Mayantoc)

Bulacan (Meycauayan, Obando, Marilao)

Pagasa said that the southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ may affect parts of Luzon on Tuesday and is expected to continue to bring rains in the next few days

The House Committee on Labor and Employment has sponsored a measure that aimed to strengthen workers’ safety against climate-related threats and hazards.

The measure is called House Bill No. 10559 under Committee Report No. 552 which seeks to strengthen the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) framework by integrating adjustments to weather.

‘Health should not be sacrificed for a livelihood. Life should not be sacrificed for a job,’ House Committee on Labor and Employment Chairperson Ramon Jolo Revilla said on Tuesday.

‘And it should never come to pass that a worker has to choose between earning for their family and protecting themselves,’ he noted.

He mentioned that the unpredictable weather has become a daily occupational risk to workers, primarily those working outdoors.

‘For construction workers exposed to intense heat and employees who must report for work amid heavy rains and severe weather, climate change is no longer an abstract issue but a danger they confront in earning their livelihood,’ he emphasized in a statement.

Revilla added that the measure also seeks to impose stiffer penalties for Occupational Safety and Health violations, which resulted in the injury or death of a worker.

He, however, clarified that the move is not intended to criminalize ‘ordinary mistakes,’ but to penalize ‘willful or grossly negligent violations that put workers in danger.’

These wrong moves include deficiencies in training or protective equipment that are disregarded by the company or employer.

Smilegate announced on Wednesday the 26th that it will carry out the first world merge for its MMORPG ?LORDNINE? (developed by NX3GAMES) and hold Gear Restoration and Trading Post fee reduction events to commemorate the occasion.

Smilegate will merge the four servers Horatio, Yvonne, Douglas, and Santiago into the Musha server, while the two servers Medea and Ricardo will be merged into the Remus server. Players can now encounter more users on a single server, creating a more competitive environment and offering a wider variety of cooperative content. The new Sven and Helena servers are excluded from this world merge.

Smilegate is holding various events to commemorate the world merge. First, through August 31, a commemorative coupon for the limited-edition Homun Rider mount will be distributed via the official social media channels and the official YouTube update preview video. Following the world merge, a series of in-game events will be held, offering various rewards including an ‘Epic Avatar Guaranteed Summon Ticket.’

The first-ever Gear Restoration Event will also run through September 9. During the event period, players can restore gear that was destroyed while attempting to enhance it. Players can request restoration for Epic and Legendary weapons destroyed at +7 enhancement or higher and armor destroyed at +5 enhancement or higher. Restored gear can be claimed from September 9 until maintenance on September 30.

The Trading Fee Reduction Event will also run through September 9. Accordingly, World Trade fees will be reduced from 13% to 10%, while Personal Trade fees will be reduced from 15% to 10%.

The police freed an 18-year-old woman from the clutches of her father, a 55-year-old laborer, who took her hostage at their home in Bugallon, Pangasinan on Monday afternoon, Aug. 24.

The suspect was armed with a bolo, said Police Col. Dennis de Leon, officer in charge of the Pangasinan Police Office.

‘In the course of the negotiation, the suspect eventually threw the bolo outside (of the house), thereby temporarily reducing the immediate threat. However, the suspect subsequently exhibited aggressive behavior and physically hurt his daughter,’ the police reported.

A team composed of de Leon, Police Maj. Rodolfo Labayo Jr., officer in charge of the Bugallon police, and the SWAT team led by Police Capt. John Ramos implemented an operational plan to safely restrain the suspect and rescue the victim.

The father was taken into police custody. His wife told police that he had been experiencing emotional distress following the deaths of their two sons in 2004 and 2018.

‘The suspect reportedly believed that someone had poisoned his sons, which allegedly caused him to become increasingly distressed and suspicious,’ the police said.

The wife said the suspect had also hurt her and her three other children and held them hostage until she found a way to escape with her children. However, the 18-year-old woman was unable to get out, prompting responding police officers to take immediate action to ensure her safety