Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Miss Universe Thailand head Nawat Itsaragrisil broke down in tears, he insisted he ‘did nothing wrong’ after he publicly confronted Miss Mexico, Fatima Bosch, over a sponsored shoot, which led the latter and other delegates to walk out of a sashing ceremony.

Itsaragrisil met with the international press on Wednesday, Nov. 5, to address the mounting criticism over his actions towards Miss Mexico.

In a clip posted on Missosology’s Facebook page, Itsaragrisil stressed his apology for the past incident as he clarified that he did not call Miss Mexico a ‘dumbhead.’

‘I said that today I would come to apologize. I didn’t do anything wrong,’ he said in tears. ‘For the international press, I didn’t say ‘dumbhead’ even for one second. I said, ‘damage.”

The Miss Grand International head vowed to do better in the coming pageant events, telling the press, ‘Do not worry, by the way, I will take care very well from now until the end of the 24th with you.’

Itsaragrisil had earlier apologized for the incident through a livestream on TikTok, explaining that he has been facing ‘daily problems’ since the pageant events commenced, including several delegates allegedly refusing to film videos for pageant sponsors.

During the sashing ceremony on Nov. 4 in Thailand, a livestreamed video shared by the Miss Universe Thailand organization showed some of the delegates walking out of the venue after Nawat confronted Bosch for allegedly refusing to participate in sponsor activities.

Reigning Miss Universe, Victoria Kjær Theilvig, was among the beauty queens who walked out of the sashing event to show support for Miss Mexico.

Miss Universe titleholders Sheynnis Palacios and Andrea Meza, and resigned Miss Grand International 2024 Rachel Gupta, also voiced their support for Bosch through their social media pages.

The walkout incident happened weeks before the Miss Universe finals night on Nov. 21 in Bangkok, Thailand, where Ahtisa Manalo is vying to bring home the fifth Miss Universe crown for the Philippines.

The Philippine government’s subsidized milled rice is now available in 81 provinces across the archipelago.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said this leaves Tawi-Tawi as the last province where the initiative has yet to be launched In a statement on Thursday, the DA said they have 427 sites nationwide for selling P20 a kilo of rice. They serve a total of about 1.2 million Filipinos.

This surpassed the DA’s ‘modest target’ of 136 sites in 13 provinces when the program was launched in May. The agency is targeting to roll out the P20/kg rice program in Tawi-Tawi in December.

They also intend to offer subsidized rice for eligible beneficiaries in Aklan, Capiz, Catanduanes, Davao Oriental, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Sarangani and Sulu. /rwd

DigiPlus Interactive Corp. sustained its earnings growth in the first nine months, hitting P10.11 billion.

The 16-percent profit expansion was driven by the retail games segment, with new product offerings and operational efficiencies providing an added boost. Revenues in the January to September period also revved up by 30 percent to P66.83 billion from P51.56 billion.

However, the group saw weaker performance in the third quarter alone. Net income plunged 59 percent to P1.71 billion, following stricter policies against online gambling. ‘This period demonstrates DigiPlus’ resilience amid temporary setbacks. Throughout this period, we continue to focus on digital innovation, player protection, and good governance,’ chair Eusebio Tanco said in a disclosure Thursday.

The Philippines Stock Exchange index (PSEi) managed to recover on Thursday as investors bought cheap stocks, boosted by improving signals from the United States.

An analyst, however, warned that without positive catalysts to excite the market, the local bourse could plunge back to its pandemic low.

The PSEi inched up by 0.3 percent or 17.53 points to close at 5,835.59. The broader All Shares Index also went up by 0.26 percent or 9.05 points to 3,543.43.

Almost all sectors booked gains, with only industrial seeing a dip of 0.16 percent.

The market, however, still saw tepid trading, with investors in a wait-and-see mode as the government has yet to release the country’s third-quarter economic growth.

Net value turnover stood at P5.12 billion, still below the year-to-date average of P5.85 billion.

‘The local market bounced back as investors hunted for bargains after the preceding day’s decline,’ Philstocks financial research manager Japhet Tantiangco said. ‘The positive cues from Wall Street driven by the US Supreme Court’s skepticism over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies also helped in today’s session,’ he added.

5,700 level looms

Ron Acoba, chief investment strategist at Trading Edge Consultancy, meanwhile, said the capital index was ‘in danger of breaking lower.’

If the PSEi further drops below 5,800, the market may see its worst finish at the 5,700 level in four years.

‘That level is actually the index’s last line of support as a break below that may send it to as low as its pandemic low around 4500,’ Acoba said. Century Pacific Food was the day’s top index gainer, increasing 7.88 percent to P39. Globe Telecom, on the other hand, was the biggest loser after declining 3.22 percent to P1,445

Gladys Reyes jokingly said she would refer to herself as the ‘kontrabida ng mga magnanakaw’ as her campaign slogan should she run for a public office. She emphasized, however, that she is not harboring the thought of entering politics, when asked if she has plans to run for public office during a recent Star Magic: Spotlight press conference.

‘Iniisip [kong] slogan, public servant kontrabida? Pwede, diba? Gladys Reyes, kontrabida ng magnanakaw,’ she quipped in an apparent reference to her Primera Kontrabida title.

‘Hindi ko talaga siya pinangarap. Unang-una, ang gulo diyan! Kayo na lang. Siguro kanya-kanyang calling. Sa akin, parang hindi ko masyadong ine-entertain ‘yung thought na ‘yan. So no, hindi po,’ she added.

(The slogan I thought of as a public servant kontrabida is ‘Gladys Reyes, the kontrabida of thieves.’ I never dreamt of it. First of all, it’s so messy! I’ll leave it up to them. Perhaps it comes as one’s own calling. For me, I don’t entertain that thought too much. So no.) The topic of politics then shifted to the involved government officials, contractors, and the Department of the Public Works and Highways’ alleged corruption in the country’s flood-control projects. For Reyes, the reports upset her as a mom and a taxpayer.

‘Talagang domino effect ‘yan. May nakikita kang kalye na hindi na naman tapos. Mapapa-hay ka na lang,’ she said. ‘Siyempre, iniisip natin ano kaya pwede nating ambag para kahit papaano unti-unti nang malunasan ito kasi hindi na pwede. Masyado nang matagal ‘yung mga ganitong nangyayari. Nakakalungkot bilang magulang.’

(It is truly a domino effect. You would see unfinished roads and you can’t help but sigh. Of course, you can’t help but think what can you contribute just to solve this problem because this can’t go on. This has been going on for too long. It makes me sad as a parent.)

Staying on the topic, Reyes said she lifts up the widespread corruption in the country to God.

”Yung prayers, hindi ina-underestimate. Mahalaga ‘yan. sana unti-unti nang maibsan at sana magawan na ng solusyon itong kinakaharap natin ngayon,’ she said.

(You shouldn’t underestimate prayer. It’s important. I hope this will be solved little by little. I hope what we’re facing now will have a solution.)

The actress is one of the lead stars of the musical film ‘The Heart of Music’ and the drama ‘Cruz vs Cruz.’

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) has ordered the dismissal of a Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) instructor found guilty of grave misconduct over a sexual assault complaint filed by a cadet.

Police Major Anthony France Ramos was dismissed after the commission found him liable for grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer, Napolcom said in a decision released on Thursday.

The case arose from a July 31 incident inside Ramos’ quarters at the PNPA in Silang, Cavite, where a male cadet accused him of forcing the cadet to perform oral sex. Responding officers Police Major Jay Zamora and Police Captain Mark Daniel Maraquilla said they found the cadet visibly distressed at the scene.

The commission said Ramos abused his authority to obtain sexual gratification, violating Article 336 of the Revised Penal Code on acts of lasciviousness and breaching police ethical standards. ‘The Napolcom will never condone any act of sexual misconduct by anyone in the police force, regardless of rank,’ Napolcom Commissioner Rafael Vicente Calinisan said in a statement.

‘Major Ramos’ acts are despicable and should be strongly condemned and punished. He is unfit to continue wearing the police uniform,’ he added.

Calinisan said the ruling underscores the commission’s zero-tolerance policy for immorality and abuse of power in the police service.

The PNPA, which trains future officers of the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, and Bureau of Fire Protection, has faced scrutiny in recent years over misconduct cases involving cadets and instructors.

NAPOLCOM said it would continue enforcing strict accountability within the academy.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved Thursday the declaration of a national calamity across the Philippines due to the onslaught of Typhoon Tino (international name: Kalmaegi) and the anticipated impact of the potential Super Typhoon Uwan.

He made the announcement in brief remarks to reporters after chairing a briefing at the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) in Quezon City.

‘Because of the scope of the problem areas that have been hit by Tino and will be hit by Uwan, there was a proposal from the NDRRMC – which I approved – that we will declare a national calamity,’ he told reporters.

‘Almost 10 regions, around 10 to 12 regions, will be affected. So if that many areas are involved, with that kind of scope, then it’s a national calamity,’ he added, speaking in a mix of Filipino and English.

The proclamation of a national calamity will enable government agencies to draw from emergency funds and fast-track the procurement of essential goods and services for typhoon victims.

While government efforts are ongoing to assist those affected by Typhoon Tino, Marcos said that preparations are now underway for the impact of potential Super Typhoon Uwan.

‘Of course, we won’t leave Cebu until everything is in place. It’s the same thing – we’ll do as much as we can to anticipate. Because if we anticipate well and prepare well, we can do a lot to lessen the impact. But Tino was really heavy,’ he said mostly in Filipino.

‘We are continuing our relief support for those who were affected by Typhoon Tino. But we are also doing everything we can to anticipate and prepare well for the approaching Typhoon Uwan,’ Marcos added.

As of Thursday morning, the reported death toll from Typhoon Tino rose to 114 in Cebu province, according to Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Deputy Spokesperson Diego Mariano.

Meanwhile, the state weather bureau said that the likelihood of a super typhoon making landfall over the Philippine landmass ‘is becoming more likely.’

The weather disturbance, still classified as a tropical depression, was last spotted 1,985 kilometers east of northeastern Mindanao over the Philippine Sea. It was moving westward at 20 kph before shifting west-northwest toward the Philippine Area of Responsibility.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Thursday recommended to the Office of the Ombudsman the filing of administrative charges against former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) due to irregularities in a P95-million flood control project in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Based on the interim report submitted to the Ombudsman on Thursday, ICI chair Andres Reyes said administrative complaints, such as grave misconduct and gross dishonesty, are recommended against DPWH officials, including:

Former Secretary Manuel Bonoan

Former Usec. Roberto Bernardo

Former Usec. Maria Cabral

The commission has also recommended that the Ombudsman evaluate whether the following individuals may have violated the anti-graft, malversation and other pertinent laws:

Former DPWH Bulacan First District Engineer Henry Alcantara

Former DPWH Bulacan First District Assistant Engineer Brice Hernandez

Engr. Jaime R. Hernandez

Engr. Ernesto C. Galang

Engr. John Carlo C. Rivera

Engr. John Michael E. Marcos

Engr. Claudine Magdalene Magsakay

Engr. Ericka Justine P. Chico

The ‘ghost’ project

According to Reyes, the flood control project involves a slope protection structure and waterways in Brgy. Bambang, Bocaue, Bulacan, with Contract ID No. 24CC0149.

The exact contract price for the project was P95,040,828.16.

Meanwhile, Reyes said that based on the Commission on Audit (COA) report, ‘no work or structure at the location specified in the contract was in accordance with the approved bid plans of the Project.’

Under Bonoan’s watch

Bonoan, being the chief of the DPWH during the time when the project was contracted, was included in the ICI’s grave misconduct and gross dishonesty case recommendation to the Ombudsman.

‘Clearly, public trust was reposed on Secretary Bonoan to exercise control of DPWH as its Secretary,’ Reyes said.

The ICI chair emphasized that the ghost project was made possible because ‘Secretary Bonoan betrayed such trust reposed in him.’

‘He miserably failed to exercise simple diligence tantamount to fraud in ensuring the judicious use of public funds entrusted to DPWH. As clearly shown by DPWH documents cited herein, the plunder of public funds happened right under his nose,’ Reyes said.

‘Were it not for the President’s 2025 SONA, Secretary Bonoan’s inexcusable negligence tantamount to fraud would have resulted in further plunder of public funds,’ he added.

This is the second time that Bonoan was named as among the respondents in the ICI’s four referrals so far that were submitted to the Ombudsman.

He was also recommended to be among the respondents in administrative charges on ICI’s third referral on November 4 over potential irregularities in a P72-million flood control project in Plaridel, Bulacan.

‘More referrals to come’

Reyes said the ICI will submit more referrals to the Ombudsman in the coming weeks as they are processing a hundred of cases amid their investigation on the flood control mess.

‘There’s more to come. As I said the other day, more to come,’ he said.

According to Reyes, as the commission completes to investigation on a flood control case, they immediately file it with the Ombudsman.

‘We don’t compile the cases. When we’re done, we’ll file it. We don’t want to compile it, because, you know, compiling it is bad. People might say there’s something hidden,’ he said.

‘So once we complete it, we file right away. Because other people, they compile it for one month, then they file. It’s hard to say we’re delayed. So once we are complete in our findings, and we have the typist to do it, we file right away,’ he said.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said the new memorandum of agreement between the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and the Office of the Ombudsman is a ‘decisive enforcement tool’ to give the Ease of Doing Business law more bite to combat government red tape.

‘This partnership between the ARTA and the Ombudsman will finally speed up the disposal of cases against government actors who violate the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Act,’ said Zubiri, author and sponsor of the EODB law.

Under a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) earlier signed by Arta Secretary Ernesto Perez and Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, the Ombudsman will now give due weight to ARTA’s case files and integrate them into its investigation pipeline, instead of restarting from scratch with a separate preliminary probe.

Zubiri said that this change should translate into faster accountability at permit desks and frontline offices, where long queues often become breeding grounds for petty corruption and lost productivity.

As government watchdogs, Arta is primarily responsible for minimizing bureaucratic red tape to make the government more efficient, while the Ombudsman is responsible for investigating and prosecuting erring government officials.

Before the MOA, the Ombudsman automatically conducts its own preliminary investigation into complaints regarding red tape and ease of doing business that are forwarded to it by Arta.

Zubiri, in a statement, added that aligning investigations ‘will shorten the path from complaint to sanction and send a clear signal that government bottlenecks that choke investment and services will face real consequences.’

‘Until somebody gets imprisoned for violating the EODB Act, red tape and corruption in government continue. So we welcome this move to integrate ARTA’s findings into the Ombudsman’s investigative processes, to speed up the resolution of cases and those who should be imprisoned be imprisoned,’ he said.

Miss Universe Asia 2024 Chelsea Manalo traveled to Kalinga and got the signature three-dot tattoo from Apo Whang-Od, which she described as a ‘piece of history.’

The beauty queen visited the renowned mambabatok along with her rumored boyfriend Cole Micek and a few other companions, as seen on her Instagram page on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Manalo showed off the tattoo inked on her side rib, also giving a glimpse of the tattooing process, called ‘batok’ which is a traditional Kalinga ethnic hand-tapping tattoo practice that had been around for a thousand years.

‘I didn’t just get a tattoo. I received a piece of history,’ she said in the caption. ‘A traditional batok given by Apo Whang-Od, the last of her generation keeping this sacred art alive, and a prayer inked by her granddaughter, continuing the lineage with her own hands, it felt like a blessing for the journey ahead.’

Manalo further noted that the tattoo from Whang-od is a pride she carries in her heart and is etched on her skin.

‘To be able to sit, feel the rhythm of the tapping, and know that every dot carries a story of resilience, identity, and our people, that is something I will carry forever,’ she added.

Aside from Manalo, Whang-Od also tattooed on another Filipino Miss Universe queen, Michelle Dee, in 2024. Dee, during her Miss Universe journey in 2023, took inspiration from the legendary mambabatok when she wore a custom gown by Mark Bumgarner with details inspired by Whang-Od, a presidential merit awardee.

Meanwhile, Manalo and Micek have been making headlines with their recent public appearances, although the pair has yet to outright confirm their relationship as of this writing.