Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The night could not have come better for Kevin Alas after putting up a performance that may have signified his return to full form following a third ACL injury sustained almost two years ago.

Alas put up 26 points on top of five rebounds, three assists and two steals on Wednesday in NLEX’s 87-81 victory over Phoenix in the PBA Philippine Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. ‘Playing well is all God’s grace,’ Alas said after helping NLEX climb up to 2-1 to join three others atop the standings.

His fine play came on the same day Alas and wife Selina celebrated their wedding anniversary, making the occasion doubly special.

It was Alas’ highest scoring output since the 2022-23 season when he was in perhaps the best form of his PBA career.

But an ACL tear in his left knee in November 2023 sidelined him for a year, before spending last season undergoing an adjustment period. Prior to the Philippine Cup, Alas said there was no excuse for him not to play well this season. ‘The practices that Coach Jong [Uichico] held two months before the season helped a lot,’ said Alas, who is also setting goals other than for himself.

‘My personal goal for the team is to be a consistent playoff team and, of course, make the semifinals,’ he added. ‘We’re not as talented as the championship-contending teams, but our chance to compete with those teams is to be consistent with our system.’

Alas was a big reason why NLEX led by 15 at the half, before also knocking down crucial shots down the stretch that prevented Phoenix from completing its comeback in the fourth.

The Ombudsman has asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to investigate if arson or any other act was committed behind the fire that broke out in an office of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Quezon City on Wednesday.

The DPWH said that the Bureau of Research and Standards (BRS) building caught fire on Wednesday afternoon. Reports from the BFP said that the fire reached the third alarm before it was extinguished at 1:49 p.m.

‘The Ombudsman has directed the immediate coordination with the (NBI) and the (BFP) to determine the cause of the fire and to establish whether arson or any deliberate act was committed,’ Assistant Ombudsman and spokesperson Jose Dominic ‘Mico’ Clavano said in a statement.

In a separate statement, the DPWH said that initial findings revealed that the blaze originated from a computer unit inside the Materials Testing Division, and the device reportedly exploded.

DPWH said that ‘no documents related to the ongoing investigation into the flood control anomalies were in the Bureau of Research and Standards building.’ It noted that the BRS is responsible for conducting research, studies, pilot testing, and the formulation of policies for government infrastructure works.

The DPWH added that no personnel were harmed in the incident. /cb

Malacañang on Wednesday said there are no talks on bringing back the death penalty in the Philippines, amid the corruption scandal hounding the government.

At a briefing, Palace press officer Undersecretary Claire Castro was asked whether President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is considering reviewing the possible return of the death penalty, given the rampant corruption issues.

‘As of now, the President has not mentioned anything yet. But of course, in studying whether the suspension or lifting of the suspension of the death penalty will be implemented again, this needs to be carefully studied because it’s not something that can just be decided or declared suddenly that the death penalty should already be in place,’ she said partly in Filipino.

Castro said that the public cannot be swayed and should be freed from the influence of past incidents where people admitted they were accustomed to creating intrigues and planting evidence.

‘What if an innocent person becomes a victim of intrigue and is planted with evidence? The death penalty could be imposed. That would be very unfortunate for someone who is truly innocent. So, the reimposition of the death penalty must be studied very carefully,’ she added.

On Sept. 21, tens of thousands of people staged protests in various parts of Metro Manila-coinciding with the anniversary of the declaration of martial law under then-President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. in Sept. 1972.

The demonstrations focused on condemning the irregularities in flood-control projects and called for accountability for the personalities involved in the developing controversies. /gsg

Janine and Diego Gutierrez gave a heartfelt thanks to the Filipino Music Awards (FMA) for recognizing the legacy of the late Pilita Corrales, whom they referred to as their Mamita, as the latter was awarded the Tribute Award.

The siblings accepted the trophy on behalf of Corrales at the inaugural FMA, with the actress saying the late singer’s career started with a determination to succeed in music as a means to help her family survive.

‘On behalf of our family, maraming, maraming salamat sa Filipino Music Awards for this honor. Despite Mamita’s achievements, at the core, siya pa rin ang batang Cebuana na kinailangan kumanta kasi namatay nang maaga ang kanyang ama,’ she said.

‘That’s a very Filipino survival story, and her career is proof that if you put purpose and passion together, you will be propelled forward. And her legacy has propelled lots of young musicians and artists forward. Kahit wala na siya dito, lahat ng mga musician at fans, you keep her legacy alive,’ she added.

(On behalf of our family, thank you very much to the Filipino Music Awards for this honor. Despite Mamita’s achievements, at the core, she is still the young Cebuana girl who needed to sing because her father died early. That’s a very Filipino survival story, and her career is proof that if you put purpose and passion together, you will be propelled forward. And her legacy has propelled lots of young musicians and artists forward. Even if she’s not here anymore, you musicians and fans keep her legacy alive.) Meanwhile, Diego said Corrales set the standard for OPM and where it is today. ‘She inspired many artists and gave us so many opportunities for the local and international music scene and she worked so hard for everything she had achieved.’

‘She worked tirelessly, she gave everything [in] her craft,’ he continued. ‘And that’s why people love her. Every performance, every song she wrote, every album recorded, and that’s why she’s so loved.’

Diego said that beyond her glittery career, the veteran singer was the ‘most generous’ person to her loved ones.

‘But off the stage, she was just our Mamita, the most loving, most generous, the purest soul, and the kindest heart, and the amount of work she put in the music industry, she gave it twice as much to her loved ones and to her family. She’s looking down, and she’s happy where OPM is at right now,’ she said.

Corrales, dubbed as Asia’s Queen of Songs, died in her sleep last April at the age of 87. Her most notable songs include ‘A Million Thanks to You’ and ‘Kapantay ay Langit.’

The FMA held its first iteration of the award ceremony last Tuesday, Oct. 21, at the Mall of Asia Arena. The biggest winners of the night were SB19 and Cup of Joe, who bagged six and two plums, respectively. /ra

Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto III’s proposed Senate Bill No. 1215, which seeks to establish an Independent People’s Commission (IPC) to investigate anomalies in government infrastructure projects and beyond, has gained broad support from fellow lawmakers, former Supreme Court justices, and former Senate leaders.

Co-authored by Senators Erwin Tulfo and Risa Hontiveros, the bill aims to institutionalize a special fact-finding body empowered to probe anomalous infrastructure projects and other related irregularities, file cases before proper agencies, recommend witnesses for the Witness Protection Program (WPP), request the freezing of assets of those under investigation, allows for the immediate suspension of suspects and recommendation of hold departure orders (HDOs) to prevent flight from prosecution.

‘Because of the swift filing that I wanted, I did not realize that there were other necessities. I hope we can include provisions that ensure hearings are open to the public due to public clamor,’ Sotto said.

‘This IPC that we’d like to push for is not limited to infrastructure; it covers all sectors of government where truth and accountability must prevail,’ the Senate president added.

Sen. Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan, Chairperson of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, stressed that the measure is centered on truth and justice.

‘Truth delayed is justice denied,’ Pangilinan said, citing the urgency of passing the bill to address systemic corruption and restore faith in public institutions.

Former Senate President Franklin Drilon seconded the call to certify the measure as urgent, emphasizing that the country faces a level of corruption unseen in decades.

‘People’s faith in democracy’

‘I have never seen corruption in this magnitude in my 24 years,’ Drilon said. ‘It’s a culture of impunity and a failure of our justice system. We must restore the people’s faith in democracy by showing that it can still deliver justice.’

‘I join the call of the Chairman to certify this as urgent,’ Drilon added, expressing hope that SB 1215 will be passed before the start of the budget deliberations.

Former Public Works Secretary Babes Singson also expressed strong support for the measure, calling attention to the tedious legal processes that have hampered anti-corruption efforts.

‘I could not believe the magnitude of the corruption,’ Singson said. ‘Recognizing how long it takes before someone is jailed, we need stronger mechanisms, like the proposed IPC, to act swiftly, seize assets, and impose immediate penalties.’

The proposed Independent People’s Commission draws from the spirit of previous fact-finding bodies such as the Agrava and Feliciano Commissions, which were cited by Drilon, consistent with the Constitution and aimed at restoring public trust in governance.

Sotto formally called on Malacañang to certify SB 1215 as urgent, highlighting the people’s demand for swift, transparent, and decisive action against corruption.

‘This is not just about infrastructure – it’s about accountability across all levels of government,’ Sotto said. ‘We owe the Filipino people the truth, and we must act now.’

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said for the first time in Philippine budget history, the chamber is looking at passing a budget lower than the executive-proposed National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026.

The NEP for 2026 amounts to P6.7 trillion. Should the Senate pass a budget lower than this, it will be the first time that Congress would do so, at least according to the Senate president.

Speaking at a Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum on Wednesday, Sotto said he has yet to discuss this plan with the executive branch or President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

‘We still have a plan, but I haven’t had the chance to mention or bring it up to the Executive or to President Marcos yet. But our plan is that, as much as possible, this might be the budget that’s lower than the NEP,’ said Sotto.

‘We will reduce the NEP. That means the final budget will be even lower – so we’ll have to borrow less. That’s our target,’ he added.

Prior to this, Sotto said they are still deciding whether or not they would slash the proposed funding of the Department of Public Works and Highways, following the recommendation of finance panel head Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.

‘If we see that there’s no longer overpricing, then we might not do so. But if we feel or find out that the particular undertaking of the DPWH remains the same, then we will move to approve the proposal of the committee chairman to cut it,’ said Sotto.

Earlier, Gatchalian told reporters that the DPWH could lose approximately P340 billion in its proposed 2026 funding.

In an ambush interview following a Senate sub-panel on finance’s hearing on the proposed 2026 funding of the DPWH, Gatchalian said he deferred the approval of the agency’s budget, citing the need to justify potential red flags in it.

‘The potential amount that can be removed is P348 billion. Because the red flags already account for P271 billion. Then there’s the overpricing of around 20 percent across the board for road projects-that’s another seventy-something billion. So more or less, it’s about P340 billion,’ Gatchalian told reporters.

According to the senator, the figure has yet to be finalized and remains to be an estimate.

‘So if their budget is about over P600 billion, and you subtract the P340 billion-plus, then around P350 billion would remain,’ he said. /apl

Jerrold Tarog’s long-awaited ‘Quezon’ did not disappoint. As a matter of fact, it exceeded my already jaded vision following his ‘Heneral Luna’ (2015) and ‘Goyo: Ang Batang Heneral’ (2018). I watched the film on a Monday afternoon, the time seniors watch for free, and their reactions were priceless. When Sergio Osmeña stepped on screen, someone audibly commented that Romnick Sarmenta spoke Tagalog with a pronounced Visayan accent that I did not catch. Then, when the young former President Manuel L. Quezon was shown languishing behind bars, another senior exclaimed: ‘Ah, si Dr. Jose Rizal!’

Tarog cleverly shot flashback scenes in black and white, each framed like silent films, with text in what Gen Z might mistake for PowerPoint slides using an old font. This device works very well, separating past and present with comical movements and background music. Drawing from his previous experience, directing segments for the ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’ series, Tarog transformed actors in the flashbacks into ghouls. For example, the young Quezon, played by the beautiful Benjamin Alves, had his eyebrows and eyebags darkened such that he would not be out of place in ‘The Addams Family.’ I won’t nitpick slips in production design, simply because the film comes together so well. My pet peeve, though, was the suits worn by the cast and extras that were not in prewar cut and resembled wedding rentals or ukay finds. Fortunately, Jericho Rosales’ suits were the right cut, like the right shade of gray hair that looked natural, in contrast to Osmeña’s, which resembled a tired wig borrowed from Lola Basyang. If Tarog wanted a caricature, he surely got one.

Tarog’s trilogy has been billed as a ‘Bayaniverse’ because the main characters are mainstays in textbook history and the pantheon of Filipino heroes. However, I always tell my students that while Antonio Luna and Gregorio del Pilar are firmly positioned in my list of heroes, Quezon, whom I consider historically important, should be in a different list-that for presidents. Quezon entered the popular imagination as a hero partly through the postwar banknote series dominated by 19th-century heroes, who were joined by Quezon and Manuel Roxas. Over time, these two presidents were joined by Osmeña, Emilio Aguinaldo, Corazon Aquino, and Diosdado Macapagal. By 2011, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ new generation currency, with the exception of the three World War II heroes on the P1,000 bill, was dominated by presidents.

Quezon’s family will not look kindly at Tarog’s iconoclastic treatment. Humanizing Quezon as a flawed character makes him relatable to you and me. However, depicting him as a two-faced (chameleon was the kind word used), selfish, self-serving, and scheming person doesn’t make him relatable. It makes him detestable. Quezon, as the consummate political power player, is not lost on viewers still seething in anger for the billion-peso corruption that has blown up in the past months. Tarog’s ‘Quezon’ may not be what people expect to see. Tarog’s ‘Quezon’ is what Filipinos need to see. Too bad, Tarog diminished the power of his storytelling by starting the film with a disclaimer that the film is based on history and told with artistic license. I could tell from the amusing details that Tarog did his homework and read the same sources I have read over the years, though Juan F. Rivera’s ‘Quezon: Thoughts and anecdotes about him and his fights’ (1978) is not acknowledged in the movie tie-up book.

In Tarog’s ‘Heneral Luna,’ the villain is Aguinaldo; in ‘Quezon,’ the general is portrayed as a victim of Quezon’s ruthlessness and vindictiveness. In my book ‘Bones of Contention’ (2001), I wrote that Quezon used the powers of his office to make life difficult for Aguinaldo in the run-up to the 1935 Commonwealth presidential elections: his life pension was abruptly canceled, he was hounded for an overdue debt with the Philippine National Bank, and the government land Aguinaldo was allowed to develop was suddenly put up for public auction. In 2024, at the Bentley Historical Library at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, I found the smoking gun in three confidential Quezon memos, dated July 3, 1929, addressed to the insular treasurer, the director of the Bureau of Lands, and the PNB manager, requesting reports on Aguinaldo. Other primary source documents in Michigan were dossiers on Quezon’s activities, including a rape complaint that did not prosper.

For the past 27 years, I have been teaching an undergrad course from the prehistoric period to 1898, to outline the emergence of the Filipino nation. I taught the course on the Philippines from 1898 to the present only once, because I was so depressed by the course content. Watching ‘Quezon’ is unsettling because our present seems to read like the past. It is rooted in Quezon’s wish for ‘a government run like hell by Filipinos, rather than a government run like heaven by Americans.’ We are living in the shadow of ‘Quezon’s curse,’ the working title for my future book on the history of the Philippines.

Multiple cracks have deepened, and soil erosion has increased on a mountain slope at Camp Valdez, Barangay Mambaroto in Sipalay City.

The area has been cordoned off to ensure the public’s safety, and a warning sign has been put up, Dionilo Bogtae, Sipalay City Disaster Risk Reduction Management coordinator, said on Tuesday.

A landslide-prone area sign placed on the side of the highway warns motorists and passersby that falling soil and rocks could occur in the area, especially during heavy rain or earthquakes.

A geo-hazard assessment conducted by the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau-Negros Island Region, together with the Sipalay Rapid Damage Assessment and Needs Analysis (RDANA) team on Oct. 18, confirmed the presence of multiple large horizontal cracks at the foot of the slope.

The assessment detected an estimated 80 to 100 meters of vertical displacement with cracks measuring 3 to 9 feet deep. Signs of a recent landslide were also noted.

Bogtae said they are looking at limiting the loads of trucks passing through the area to prevent further shaking.

They are currently coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) since the highway falls under its jurisdiction, he said.

Bogtae said pre-existing cracks in the area may have been exacerbated by heavy rains and by recent earthquakes and aftershocks.

He added that pre-existing fissures in the slope may have worsened due to the continuous heavy rainfall and recent earthquakes in the region

Two unidentified male individuals were found dead after an explosion rocked a fireworks factory in Norzagaray town, Bulacan, the police said.

The blast occurred at around 11 a.m. in Barangay Partida on Wednesday, according to a police report from the Bulacan Provincial Police Office.

The fire was extinguished around 11:50 a.m.

‘Following the declaration of ‘fire out,’ two unidentified male cadavers were discovered at the scene as a result of the explosion and fire,’ the police noted.

‘Further investigation revealed that the fireworks factory was operating without the necessary permits and was deemed illegal,’ it added.

According to the police, the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Bulacan Provincial Police Office Forensic Unit were still investigating the cause of the incident.

Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Norzagaray chief, Fire Senior Inspector Francis Rosales, said his office has yet to determine if the factory’s owner is a licensed manufacturer. The month of ‘ber’ in Bulacan, signals the massive production of firecrackers and pyrotechnic products in time for the December annual Christmas and New Year sale. /mr

The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) said the erotic film ‘Dreamboi’ was given an R-18 rating after producers submitted a third version for review.

‘Dreamboi,’ an entry to the CineSilip Film Festival, made headlines after its writer-director Rodina Singh revealed the MTRCB gave the film an X-rating after its ‘prolonged sexually explicit scenes’ were deemed ‘inappropriate’ for public viewing.

On Tuesday, Oct. 21, the film’s X (formerly Twitter) page announced that it finally earned an R-18 rating from the government agency after its third review attempt.

‘Dreamboi is finally R-18. Thank you everyone for believing in the politics of our film,’ the post read. ‘Masakit na kailangan nating mag-adjust, pero sigurado tayo-hindi pwedeng hindi sinehan. Salamat sa pagsama sa aming laban (It hurts that we have to adjust, but we’re sure that it has to be seen by the public in cinemas. Thank you for joining us in this fight).’ According to the film’s creators, the original runtime of ‘Dreamboi’ was about 120 minutes long; however, the approved R-18 cut follows an 84-minute run time.

‘Direk Rodina originally thought of a 120-minute max run time. But the first submitted material for review was only 85 minutes. The approved was 84 minutes. She believes that there should only be one cut of the film. And this is the R-18 version we’re about to see tomorrow,’ they said.

In a statement sent to reporters on Wednesday, Oct. 22, the MTRCB said the film underwent an ‘objective’ assessment through a ‘separate review committee composed of three different, distinct committee members.’

”Dreamboi’ by Rodina Singh went from X to R-18. Said the review committee: ‘This is the 3rd version of the film ‘Dreamboi’ submitted for review before the Board. Previous versions were determined to be inappropriate for public viewing,” it added.

– Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) October 22, 2025

Despite the back-and-forths with the film’s creators, the MTRCB said the film is a ‘meaningful venue’ for transgender representation in Philippine cinema through the lens of Diwa.

‘The film portrays the emotional and sexual life of a trans woman with honesty and dignity, moving beyond stereotypes. Its treatment of sensuality is symbolic rather than exploitative, expressing the human longing for love, identity, and acceptance,’ it said.

‘Artistically, it uses sound, light, and intimacy to reveal the inner world of desire and isolation often unseen in mainstream narratives. While containing explicit material that warrants an R-18 classification, Dreamboi remains valuable for its authentic portrayal of marginalized experience and contribution to inclusivity in Philippine storytelling,’ it added.

Form of ‘transphobia’

The MTRCB’s controversial review of the film earned the ire of Sassa Gurl and filmmaker Antoinette Jadaone on social media, with the internet personality saying the initial X rating is a form of ‘transphobia.’

‘This is transphobia!! Free the dolls!!’ Sassa said.

This is transphobia!! Free the dolls!! https://t.co/lIFZg4lbE9

– Sassa Gurl (@Itssassagurl) October 20, 2025

Jadaone, for her part, said the film is a ‘moving, messy, beautiful exploration of trans desire.’

‘Dreamboi is not pornography. I’ve seen the scene in question. It’s a moving, messy, beautiful exploration of trans desire. It’s about longing, intimacy, what it means to be seen. It’s a story for adults, one that deserves an R18 rating, so it can reach the audience it was made for,’ she wrote.

Dreamboi is not pornography. Ibe seen the scene in question. It’s a moving, messy, beautiful exploration of trans desire. It’s about longing, intimacy,what it means to be seen. It’s a story for adults, one that deserves an R18 rating, so it can reach the audience it was made for.

– Toñet (@tonetjadaone) October 21, 2025

Singh, as well as its lead actors Tony Labrusca and EJ Jallorina, expressed their gratitude to the MTRCB for allowing the film to be screened at the CineSilip Film Festival.