Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The delegates of the 2025 Miss Asia Pacific International pageant did not just stop at packing relief goods in their effort to help those affected by the magnitude-6.9 earthquake that rocked the province on Sept. 30.

After volunteering to help pack goods at the Cebu Province Warehouse for two consecutive days, the ladies went to three towns in the northernmost tip of the island to deliver not just aid, but to provide cheer to the people.

Loaded in two buses, and accompanied by trucks carrying relief goods, including water and uncooked rice, 32 of the 43 delegates to this year’s competition rolled out their mission to Daanbantayan, Medellin, and San Remigio.

Miss Asia Pacific International Executive Director Jacqueline Tan-Sainz told Inquirer Entertainment in an interview at the covered court of Barangay Poblacion in San Remigio that the three towns were strategically chosen.

‘We did a research, and Bogo is really popular in terms of media, in places hit by the earthquake. But all the northern parts of Cebu were hit equally. So these are the areas not reached by help, so we really prioritized these areas,’ she explained.

At the chapel of a small community in Daanbantayan where several families are taking shelter after the earthquake, the ladies met a large group of residents.

There, they played with the children, comforted their parents and grandparents, and handed out aid. Little boys and girls flashed huge smiles as they approached the delegates for hugs.

The ladies then proceeded to the municipal hall of Medellin to deliver a truckload of goods, which still included gallons of potable water and sacks of uncooked rice.

In San Remigio, they personally handed out bags of relief goods and gallon-bottles of drinking water to the residents, most of whom still do not have access to potable water.

Belgian beauty Selena Ali, second runner-up in last year’s competition, joined the ladies, and offered assistance to her compatriot Jana Janssens, who was in crutches after sustaining a minor injury during a commotion when the earthquake struck.

‘I believe it’s the right thing to do, to start giving to the people back and helping. Pageants are not about only beauty and about competing on stage. But it is about our hearts, and showing that we care about people. So it’s great that we can do this instead of our normal activities. And it feels amazing to be helping all of the victims of the earthquake,’ she told Inquirer Entertainment.

Ali said she became emotional when she saw the devastation caused by the earthquake on the houses and other structures, and the people on the streets begging for food and water.

‘It’s something that we only see in movies. And normally I don’t go through this myself. It’s heartbreaking to know that people lost their homes. But still that’s something the Filipino mindset is all about. The people are still smiling when they see us. And it’s so amazing that there’s so much love even in these hard times,’ she shared.

The Miss Asia Pacific International organizers opted to ditch all the planned activities prior to the final competition, and realigned the pageant to serve as a vehicle for relief missions.

The earthquake halted the pageant’s benefit gala night on Sept. 30 just as the ceremonies were about to close. It happened on the delegates’ first day in the province. The coronation night will still push through at the Cebu Coliseum on Oct. 8. /ra

The construction firm cofounded by resigned Ako Bicol party list Rep. Elizaldy Co and another owned by the Discaya couple are among the companies included in complaints related to bid rigging and manipulation that were referred by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to the government’s antitrust body for the possible filing of cases.

In its referral to the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC), the DPWH claimed that St. Timothy Construction Corp., Wawao Builders, IM Construction Corp., SYMS Construction Trading, and officials and employees of the DPWH in Bulacan, as well as Sunwest Inc. and officials and employees of the DPWH regional office in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) may have violated the Philippine Competition Act (Republic Act No. 10667), which was signed into law in 2015.

The PCC was created in January 2016 to implement the national policy of prohibiting anticompetitive agreements, abuse of dominant position and anticompetitive mergers and acquisitions.

As the antitrust authority of the country, the PCC is mandated to conduct inquiry, investigate, and hear and decide on cases involving violations of the PCA, its implementing rules, and other competition laws.

Investigations on possible violations of the PCA can be triggered by a verified complaint, motu proprio or PCC’s own initiative to look into a case, or a referral by a concerned regulatory agency.

Top contractors

Co is a cofounder of Sunwest while St. Timothy is owned by the family of contractors Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya. These companies were among the top 15 construction firms that bagged the most number of flood control projects from the government from 2022 to 2025.

‘The referrals include inspection reports, bid documents, and other relevant documents that may support the PCC Competition Enforcement Office’s (CEO) ongoing preliminary inquiry into possible bid-rigging and collusion among contractors,’ the PCC said in a statement on Friday.

The DPWH said officials and employees of the agency’s Mimaropa office were also allegedly involved in the case since ‘despite irregularities surrounding flood control projects in Oriental Mindoro, regional officials failed to act and, instead, continued the projects awarded to Sunwest, Inc.’

This was on top of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure’s (IFI) move, asking the Office of the Ombudsman to study the filing of graft complaints against Co and 17 others, including DPWH officials and Sunwest, over an allegedly substandard flood control project in Oriental Mindoro worth P289.5 million.

Co, the former chair of the House appropriations committee in the 19th Congress from 2022 to 2025, was accused of getting billions of pesos in kickbacks by contractors and DPWH officials who testified in congressional inquiries into flood control projects. Co had repeatedly denied these allegations.

In a separate complaint, the DPWH cited Wawao, IM Construction, SYMS, St. Timothy and officials and employees of the DPWH Bulacan First District Engineering Office over alleged irregularities in the procurement of several flood control projects in the province unearthed during congressional hearings.

According to the agency, preliminary evidence, including the admissions of Curlee Discaya and former DPWH Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo before the Senate blue ribbon committee, ‘also suggests collusion among the involved contractors and officials’ which violates the Section 14, Chapter III of the PCA which prohibits certain anticompetitive agreements between competitors.

Fines

Christian Loren de los Santos, director of the PCC CEO, said they were gathering evidence, such as bid submissions and possible communication exchanges, to determine whether government officials and employees and the contractors violated the law.

‘The referrals follow testimonies presented during recent congressional hearings on the flood control controversies, which may likewise be used as evidence in the PCC’s investigation,’ the commission said.

Under RA 10667, entities that are found guilty of engaging in anticompetitive agreements such as bid-rigging may face administrative fines that vary based on the number of offenses committed.

A fine of up to P100 million may be imposed on the first offense. For the second offense, the fine ranges from P110 million to P275 million.

For the third and subsequent offenses, the fine increases to a range of P165 million to P275 million.

Entities that enter into any anticompetitive agreement may face imprisonment of two to seven years and pay a fine of not less than P50 million but not more than P250 million.

‘When the entities involved are juridical persons, the penalty of imprisonment shall be imposed on its officers, directors, or employees holding managerial positions, who are knowingly and willfully responsible for such violation,’ the law states.

According to the PCC, individuals or entities involved in cartel conduct, including bid-rigging, price fixing, market allocation or output restriction, may apply for its leniency program.

Through this initiative, the antitrust body offers immunity from suit or a reduction of administrative fines for voluntarily disclosing their participation in anticompetitive agreements and cooperate fully with its investigation. Full immunity, however, is granted to only one applicant per violation.

Prominent cases

PCC has handled some prominent cases in the past.

It was involved in the review of PLDT and Globe Telecom’s joint acquisition of San Miguel Corp.’s telco unit in 2016 for almost P70 billion.

However in July 2016, PLDT and Globe sued the antitrust body for launching a review and sought a temporary restraining order (TRO) or writ of preliminary injunction to stop the PCC’s investigation. The TRO was issued on Aug. 26, 2016. In February 2017, the Court of Appeals issued a rare gag order against PCC at the request of PLDT.

In May 2017, PLDT and Globe Telecom completed their acquisition of SMC’s telco assets, making their final joint payment to SMC while defying the competition watchdog’s request to hold off until the courts make a final ruling.

In August 2019, the PCC signed a memorandum of agreement with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to collaborate on investigations that involve power sector players.

The PCC was reportedly assessing whether power plant outages were valid ‘unplanned breakdowns’ that inevitably affected supply conditions or were actually ‘manipulated’ in order to raise electricity prices.

It earlier said it would look into allegations of possible collusion or abuse of dominance of certain power generators following ‘simultaneous shutdowns that may have caused an artificial supply shortage and consequently a hike in electricity prices.’

In September 2024, the PCC CEO charged a group of vegetable traders for entering into anticompetitive agreements for the supply of imported onions in the Philippines.

As the PCC’s investigative and prosecutorial arm, the CEO claimed that these vegetable traders, despite being competitors, conspired to manipulate the onion market in the Philippines from 2019 to 2023. The traders, who imported onions from China, the Netherlands, and India, allegedly worked together to control prices and limit competition. -WITH A REPORT FROM INQUIRER RESEARCH

US-based outsourcing company TaskUs Inc. has unveiled its 11th site in Las Piñas City, as it further expands its presence in the Philippines.

TaskUs said it is targeting to increase the number of ‘teammates’ or employees at its Las Piñas office to 1,500 from the current 700 by the end of this year.

The latest site is called Hiraya, named after the Filipino term for the fulfilment of hopes and dreams. It will support global customers through expertise across multiple work types, including customer service, sales, technical support, non-voice operations and content moderation.

The American firm chose Las Piñas as the location of its new site since 80 percent of workers reside in the city or its immediate vicinity. Another reason is the city’s accessibility to major highways and thoroughfares.

‘Plus, with 14 colleges and universities nearby, our investment here will provide employment opportunities to a highly educated talent pool,’ said Dean Van Ormer, senior vice president for Southeast Asia at TaskUs.

The Las Piñas site features purpose-built spaces such as a day care center, mother’s rooms, 24/7 clinic access, wellness coaching areas, a gym and a cafeteria.

Ormer said TaskUs has potential to expand its footprint in the metropolis. But he did not provide additional details about expansion plans as these are being studied.

‘I think we do have the ability to grow in the metro,’ Ormer said. ‘Now, whether it’s on the outskirts of the metro or in the provincial (areas), this is something we need to be able to look at.’ /rwd

Anti-drug operatives recovered 905 packs of ‘high-purity’ crystal meth (shabu) valued at P6.8 billion during a raid on a private property in Labrador, Pangasinan on Friday night, October 3.

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Isagani Nerez told reporters that the packs had already been loaded into two vehicles, apparently bound for Metro Manila, when these were seized by PDEA agents.

‘If one pack weighs a kilo, then the total is more than one ton,’ Nerez said in an interview uploaded on social media by the Philippine News Agency.

He noted that the supply of shabu in Metro Manila has been dwindling because of its soaring price.

Authorities did not find anyone inside the property, which was being used as a warehouse but contained no illegal drug laboratory Labrador Mayor Noel Uson said the property was purchased only two months ago, but he had no information about the buyer or the previous owner.

The raid was carried out under a search warrant issued by Judge Vincent Lamug of Regional Trial Court Branch 70 in Burgos town. Nerez credited Police Regional Office Ilocos Region director Brig. Gen. Dindo Reyes and Pangasinan Provincial Police director Col. Arbel Mercullo with securing the warrant.

According to Nerez, the raid was linked to a buy-bust operation conducted Thursday along the highway in Labrador, where authorities seized 125 packs of shabu hidden inside a van.

Two high-value targets were arrested in that operation: alias ‘Monkey,’ 40, a Chinese national residing in Paliparan 3, Cavite City; and alias ‘Gardo,’ 54, of Mampang, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur.

Nerez also disclosed that the 1.4 tons of shabu worth P10 billion intercepted in Zambales last June were bound for Pangasinan, suggesting that the suspects had a local contact in the province.

That same month, billions of pesos worth of shabu were also recovered floating off the coastal towns of western Pangasinan. /das

The opening week of NCAA Season 101 brought with it the usual mix of jitters, breakthroughs and early reality checks.

For Jose Rizal University’s Nani Epondulan, his coaching debut ended with a smile. The new tactician steered the Heavy Bombers past perennial contender Letran, 73-69, at San Juan Arena on Friday, a much-needed confidence boost for a squad that languished at the cellar last year.

He may be a rookie coach, but he’s been around the league enough to know an opening win isn’t something to get excited about.

‘This is just our first game so there are barely any scouting reports [about us],’ Epondulan said after the victory, which came after a strong performance by Justin Lozano.

‘I knew [Lozano’s] capabilities from day one,’ the former JRU star said. ‘I saw that he’ll click in my system. The good thing with him is he can shoot the long bombs, which worked to our advantage.’

Lozano backed his coach’s faith with 17 points, including three triples, while Sean Salvador added 10 to give JRU a promising start under its new leader.

Perpetual Help, meanwhile, rode the energy of a fresh face. Forward Patrick Sleat announced his arrival with a well-rounded 10-point, five-assist, four-rebound performance in the Altas’ 67-54 victory over San Sebastian.

‘I was so excited I even slept early last night because I couldn’t wait,’ Sleat admitted with a laugh. ‘Maybe in the next game, though, I’ll try to control my emotions so I can be more composed inside the court.’

Sleat, who previously played under Perpetual coach Olsen Racela at Far Eastern University, admitted the atmosphere of his NCAA debut rattled him at first.

‘The atmosphere earlier shocked me because it didn’t sink in for me that I’m already playing in the NCAA now,’ he said. Still, he steadied himself and helped Perps join Mapua atop Group A.

College of St. Benilde, meanwhile, is hoping to bounce back after a frustrating start to its season last Wednesday. Coming off a Finals appearance last season, the Blazers fell to defending champion San Beda, 96-85, at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Coach Charles Tiu didn’t hold back after the loss, calling out two of his prized recruits. ‘I think Shawn (Umali) played very bad. Four fouls in six minutes. I told him I can’t use you if you keep fouling like that,’ Tiu said. ‘SJ’s (Moore) been a work in progress. I like what he brings to the table. I just didn’t think this was a good game for him but he’ll be ready next game.’

Defending champion Mapua continued its fine start in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament following a 90-87 victory over Arellano at San Juan Arena on Saturday.

The Cardinals followed up their season-opening 90-89 win in double overtime win over Lyceum.

After struggling against the Pirates, Clint Escamis returned to form with 29 points to go along with three rebounds, three assists and three steals to overwhelm the Chiefs.

‘I really wanted to bounce back from that game,’ Escamis said, who only had eight points before fouling out in the fourth quarter against Lyceum.

‘I know my teammates got my back but I know I still needed to perform today, lead and facilitate for the team to serve as a good example.’

Helping Escamis on offense for the Cardinals were Cyrus Cuenco, Cyril Gonzales and Cyrus Nitura, who scored 14, 12 and 10 points respectively.

The Chiefs began their season with a close defeat but not without the efforts of Basti Valencia and Renzo Ablera, who scored 13 and 12.

Two persons of interest (POIs), who were linked to the disappearance of three businessmen, surrendered to the police on Thursday night, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Friday.

Couple Henry Angelo and Margie Pantollana and their business partner Richard Cadiz were last spotted in Cavite last July 6 after supposedly meeting with a certain ‘Jeff’ at his Pasig City condominium, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission previously detailed.

The two POIs-a male and a female-were caught on security footage allegedly using credit cards under the names of Henry Pantollana and his sister, Hazel, CIDG National Capital Region chief Lt. Col. John Guiagui said in an interview in Camp Crame on Friday.

Guiagui did not name the pair but said they were Manila residents who ‘knew each other’ and supposedly bought at least three credit cards under various banks from a Quezon City seller-whom police are now tracking down.

He claimed the two POIs used the credit cards to buy over 50 cellphones valued at P1 million, had coffee and withdrew P5,000 in cash at shops in Quezon City, Parañaque City, Bulacan and Cavite.

‘They were able [to] generate IDs that were presented as proof that they were Hazel Pantollana, that they were Henry Pantollana,’ Guiagui said, adding that the two POIs allegedly sold the phones for a profit of P500,000.

Asked to comment while in Camp Crame, the pair confirmed that they used the credit cards under the Pantollanas’ names and detailed that they bought the cards from ‘junk traders’ (nagbabasura) in Payatas.

But they denied any knowledge or involvement in the Pantollanas’ and Cadiz’s disappearance, stressing that they came before the CIDG to explain. ‘We had no money. We were just looking for a side hustle. I just tagged along,’ one of them said.

Card fraud

Both POIs face a case for violations of Republic Act No. 8484 or the Access Devices Regulation Act, which penalizes the fraudulent use of credit cards, according to CIDG public information chief Maj. Helen dela Cruz in the interview.

Guiagui added that the male POI allegedly has a prior case in Makati City, also for violating RA 8484, but he did not expound on the incident.

Meanwhile, the certain ‘Jeff’-whom the Pantollanas and Cadiz supposedly met with before their disappearance-already came before the CIDG earlier this week, Guiagui said.

‘Jeff’ said the three businessmen were at his Pasig City condominium at around 11:30 a.m. on July 6 and that Henry Pantollana ‘had to take phone calls’ during their visit, then ‘rushed’ to go to another meeting, according to Guiagui.

The CIDG previously said it subpoenaed at least 13 individuals-whom it did not identify-as part of the investigation into the case.

Electricity has slowly returned in Masbate province a week after it was battered by Severe Tropical Storm ‘Opong’ (international name: Bualoi).

A report from the Office of Civil Defense in Bicol (OCD 5) said that as of Saturday, October 4, power was restored to 85 percent of Masbate City, the provincial capital, but many areas in the province still have no electricity.

OCD Bicol Director Claudio Yucot said in a Viber message to the Inquirer that power restoration efforts were in full swing.

‘The Department of Energy’s Task Force Kapatid, with 30 teams, is on the ground to reinstall or erect 1,178 electric posts toppled by Opong,’ he said.

He said thousands of evacuees still staying in temporary shelters were also being assisted by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, which is providing food packs.

In a radio interview over DZRH, Governor Richard Kho said on Saturday the province’s most urgent needs are potable water and electricity, but these are now being addressed with help from various government agencies.

‘We can’t say the exact date when power will be (fully) restored, but rest assured, all efforts are being exerted to speed up the process,’ Kho said.

Yucot added that all major roads in Masbate have been cleared of debris and are now passable to all vehicles.

The province, which has a population of 908,920 (2020 census) spread in one city and 20 municipalities, was hit hard by ‘Opong,’ which made two landfalls in the province early on September 26, hours after its first landfall in Policarpio, Eastern Samar at 11:30 p.m. on September 25.

Classes in all levels remained suspended in the province since as many as 600 classrooms were destroyed by the storm, affecting some 30,000 learners, the Department of Education in Bicol region earlier said.

Local authorities were still determining the total cost of damage to properties, agriculture and government facilities and infrastructure

The European Union (EU) has released pound 800,000 or an estimated P54,380,800 in humanitarian aid to support relief operations for communities struck by recent cyclones and floods in the Philippines.

In their official statement released on Friday, October 3, the EU announced that the funds will be directed toward emergency assistance.

‘The funding will help address the most urgent needs of people in the hardest hit areas, including communities that are also affected by conflict,’ the EU said.

‘This allocation will be used to provide emergency relief in areas such as shelter, health, and water and sanitation,’ they added.

This latest contribution builds on the pound 6.5 million (an estimated P441,800,000) in humanitarian aid and disaster preparedness funding the EU has already provided to the Philippines this year.

That amount includes pound 500,000 (or almost P34,000,000) earmarked in July following an earlier string of tropical cyclones.

The EU delegation to the Philippines said it is also monitoring the aftermath of the Sept. 30 earthquake in Cebu.

‘The EU expresses its condolences to the families of the victims and stands ready to provide additional support pending on-going needs assessment,’ they said.

On Friday, October 3, the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council reported that 457,554 individuals or 128,294 families were affected by the earthquake. /das

Severe Tropical Storm Paolo (international name: Matmo) has exited the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), the state weather bureau reported on Saturday, October 4.

At 2 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) issued an erratum on their Facebook page, clarifying that Paolo was still inside PAR at that time. The storm officially exited based on the 5 a.m. bulletin.

According to Pagasa, Paolo’s location was estimated at 295 kilometers west of Sinait, Ilocos Sur. It packed maximum sustained winds of 110 km per hour near the center and gusts of up to 135 kph. Its present movement was west-northwest at 20 kph.

Despite Paolo’s exit, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 remains hoisted over the following areas:

The western portion of Abra (Danglas, Bangued, Langiden, San Quintin, Pidigan, San Isidro, Pilar, Villaviciosa, Peñarrubia, Manabo, Luba, Tayum, La Paz, Lagayan, Tubo, Bucay, Dolores, San Juan, Lagangilang)

The western portion of Benguet (Bakun, Kibungan, Kapangan, Sablan, Tuba, Mankayan, Tublay, La Trinidad, Baguio City)

The southern portion of Ilocos Norte (Nueva Era, Banna, Badoc, Pinili, City of Batac, Paoay, Marcos, Currimao)

Ilocos Sur

La Union

The western and central portions of Pangasinan (Bolinao, Bani, Agno, Burgos, Dasol, Mabini, Infanta, Bugallon, Labrador, Sual, City of Alaminos, Lingayen, Aguilar, Mangatarem, Urbiztondo, San Carlos City, Binmaley, Dagupan City, Calasiao, Basista, Bayambang, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Mangaldan, Mapandan, Santa Barbara, Malasiqui, Alcala, Bautista, Santo Tomas, Villasis, City of Urdaneta, Manaoag, Laoac, Pozorrubio, Sison)

The northern portion of Zambales (Iba, Candelaria, Palauig, Santa Cruz, Masinloc)

Pagasa said the signal is expected to be lowered once the strong winds subside and the storm’s outer rainbands move away from the area.

‘Most likely this afternoon, the effects of severe tropical storm Paolo will no longer be felt in any part of the country,’ explained Pagasa weather specialist Grace Castañeda during the press briefing.

She added that wind signals will probably be lifted in the early noon or before midday.

Storm surges reaching 1 to 2 meters are possible in low-lying or exposed coastal areas of Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union, Pangasinan and Zambales.

Sea conditions remain moderate to rough, with waves reaching up to 4 meters along the seaboards of Cagayan, the Babuyan Islands, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and La Union.

New LPA

Meanwhile, a low-pressure area (LPA) outside PAR has a medium chance of developing into a tropical depression, according to Pagasa. At 3 a.m., it was spotted at 2,320 km east of extreme Northern Luzon.

Castañeda said that the LPA could develop into a tropical depression on Sunday, October 5. But there is also a possibility that it will develop within the next 24 hours.

‘However, if the conditions or environment for the LPA become more favorable, we do not rule out the possibility that it could develop into a tropical depression within the day,’ reported Castañeda. /das