Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

A 30-year-old police officer was fatally stabbed by a man whom he was able to shoot and kill during a violent altercation along a roadside in Barangay Cabaruan, Cauayan City, in the early hours of Friday. police reported.

Police Lt. Col. Avelino Canceran, chief of the Cauayan City police, explained in a phone interview that Police Corporal Jay-ar Galabay, a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team and a native of Reina Mercedes, Isabela, had been conducting covert post-event operations before the stabbing occurred.

According to investigators, Galabay and his fellow officers were on a security patrol when they encountered Jomark Molina, who was reportedly causing a disturbance in the Cabaruan area. The officers attempted to calm Molina, but he suddenly attacked Galabay, stabbing him in the armpit with a knife. Despite being seriously injured, Galabay managed to fire back at Molina, striking him multiple times.

‘After being stabbed, Corporal Galabay fell to the ground but managed to fire back while in a prone position,’ Canceran said.

Canceran also noted that Galabay had been assigned to the covert security team during the Miss Tourism Philippines 2025 Coronation Night at the Francisco L. Dy Memorial Coliseum on Thursday evening. The event concluded shortly after midnight, and Galabay, along with his colleagues, was on routine patrol when the confrontation with Molina took place.

Galabay was rushed to Isabela United Doctors Medical Center but was declared dead at 2:23 a.m.

Meanwhile, Molina, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds, was transported to Cauayan Medical Specialists Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 2:51 a.m./coa

Chezka Centeno became the second player to win the Women’s World 10-Ball Championship twice after defeating Rubilen Amit, 4-1, 2-4, 4-2, 3-4, 4-2, recently in Bali, Indonesia.

Centeno battled her way through the loser’s bracket before edging out her friend and mentor to repeat the title run she pulled off two years ago in Austria.

The 26-year-old defeated Amit, who was the first cue artist to rule the competition twice back in 2009 in Quezon City and 2013 in Paranaque City.

She also took home the top purse of $50,000 (P2.89 million) while Amit settled for $25,000 (P1.45 million).

Centeno opened the campaign by defeating Canada’s Brittany Bryant before being relegated to the loser’s bracket after bowing to Chinese-Taipei’s Chia Hua Chen.

But Centeno was unbowed as she went on to beat Savannah Easton of the United States, Chinese-Taipei’s Tzu-Chien Wei, Vietnam’s Vang Bui Xuan, Russian pool player Kristina Tkach and Chinese-Taipei’s Wan-Ling Wang.

In the semis, Centeno beat China’s Liu Shasha to set up a date with Amit, who in the other pairing prevailed over Russian Margarita Fefilova.

Amit made it to the final by winning all of her previous six matches before her tracks were stopped by Centeno.

The Philippine stock barometer again failed to climb to the 6,100 level on Friday as investors stayed on the sidelines while waiting for more leads. They are particularly looking at upcoming earnings reports of blue chips.

By the closing bell, the benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) shed 0.07 percent or 4.14 points to end at 6,089.53.

The broader All Shares Index also lost 0.19 percent or 7.12 points to close at 3,665.08.

A total of 1.33 billion shares worth P4.42 billion changed hands, stock exchange data showed.

Luis Limlingan, head of sales at stock brokerage house Regina Capital Development Corp., said the market was ‘relatively flat’ due to mixed sentiments ahead of the upcoming earnings season.

This ‘kept the index moving sideways’ as traders anticipate the onslaught of financial reports in the coming weeks, Limlingan added.

Earnings reports

So far, only Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) has disclosed its earnings in the January to September period. It netted a record P50.5 billion.

Ayala Land Inc. was the most actively traded stock. It shed 2.59 percent to close at P22.55 each.

Then came International Container Terminal Services Inc., up 0.46 percent to P542.50; BDO Unibank Inc., down 0.21 percent to P139.70; Manila Electric Co., up 1.83 percent to P557; and Synergy Grid and Development Phils Inc., down 5.06 percent to P15.38 per share.

Others were Philex Mining Corp., down 3.9 percent to P9.61; Apex Mining Co. Inc., up 0.88 percent to P11.44; BPI, up 1.11 percent to P109.20; Century Pacific Food Inc., down 0.93 percent to P37.40; and Philippine Seven Corp., up 3.81 percent to P43.55 each.

Losers outnumbered gainers, 109 to 83, while 56 companies closed flat, stock exchange data also showed. /rwd

Sonak Group, a growing force in the sports, lifestyle and fashion industries, has appointed Kabir Buxani as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the Sonak Retail Group.

Since joining Sonak, Buxani has played a pivotal role in modernizing operations, spearheading the company’s entry into e-commerce and introducing automation to streamline manual processes to support scalable, long-term growth.

His deep involvement across business functions has given him a comprehensive understanding of how to drive efficiency while staying closely aligned with Sonak’s core values.

The retail group’s brand portfolio includes ASICS, Onitsuka Tiger, ABC-MART Grand Stage, Molten, Mikasa, Donjoy and Mueller.

By opening more stores for these various brands, introducing contemporary labels to the Philippines and forging new partnerships, he aims to bring the latest in sports, fashion and lifestyle to customers, helping them stay on top of trends and elevate their everyday style.

Buxani steps into his new role following a strategic transition period under the mentorship of his father, Anil Buxani, who will continue to assume his role as chairperson of Sonak Group.

Third generation

As the third generation at the helm, he brings a forward-looking, entrepreneurial mindset to building on the family legacy and driving the business into its next phase of growth.

With a diverse background, Buxani has held leadership roles including chief technology officer, financial analyst and project manager.

His hands-on experience across operations, finance and technical oversight has equipped him with the strategic insight and cross-functional expertise needed to scale teams, optimize performance and drive sustainable growth, building on the acumen that has been instrumental to Sonak’s success for over 60 years.

Buxani expressed his gratitude and enthusiasm for his new role.

‘I am deeply honored to take the helm of Sonak Retail Group and I couldn’t have had a better way to prepare for this role than by working side-by-side with my father and continuing to benefit from his guidance,’ he said.

Founded by the visionary Kay Sham Buxani, Sonak Group was built on a foundation of integrity and foresight. INQ

Social media influencer Kate Cassidy paid tribute to her late boyfriend, Liam Payne, as she marked his first death anniversary.

Cassidy took to Instagram on Friday, Oct. 17, to share a black-and-white photo of her and Payne embracing, with the caption, ‘Today marks a full year without you here. I will forever hate goodbyes. I miss you, Liam.’

Cassidy also shared on TikTok the last video that she and Payne recorded within the last hours before his death. The video showed the One Direction star carrying his girlfriend.

Payne died on Oct. 16 last year at age 31 after falling from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

An autopsy later determined that the singer died of polytrauma, and toxicology reports revealed traces of alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants in his system.

Argentine authorities charged five people for supplying the 31-year-old star with narcotics or for criminal negligence that led to his death.

Before his passing, Payne had traveled with Cassidy to Argentina to renew his US visa. Cassidy departed the country two days before his fatal fall, citing visa delays.

Payne and Cassidy publicly confirmed their relationship in late 2022, and though rumors of a split arose in 2023, they later appeared together again, dispelling the speculation.

Cassidy was among the attendees at Payne’s funeral in England in November 2024, joined by his One Direction bandmates.

Cassidy has made several tributes to her late partner, including getting tattoos such as angel wings and a wilted rose matching a design Payne had.

A magnitude 3.9 earthquake struck Santa Cruz town in Occidental Mindoro province on Thursday night, Oct. 16, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported.

According to Phivolcs, the epicenter of the tectonic earthquake that occurred at 7:02 p.m. was located three kilometers southwest of the coastal municipality. It had a depth of focus of 10 km.

A tectonic earthquake is produced by sudden movement along faults and plate boundaries.

Instrumental Intensity II was recorded in Mamburao town, also in Occidental Mindoro, and in the municipality of Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro. Instrumental intensities are determined using an intensity scale. Phivolcs said it does not expect any damage or aftershocks from the quake.

The seismically active Lubang Fault is located between Mindoro Island and Batangas. /das

Two foreigners were arrested in Taguig City for allegedly carrying out medical procedures without a valid professional license, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Thursday.

The suspects, identified only as ‘Zhang’ (female) and ‘Cong’ (male), were arrested at a spa facility in a condominium complex along 1st Avenue last Saturday, according to the CIDG.

‘The arrested suspects were caught while allegedly performing medical treatment, particularly administering facial injection and related medical procedures to clients, without the necessary license, permits or registration from the proper Philippine authorities,’ the CIDG explained’Confiscated from the foreign suspects were assorted vials of injectable substance, cosmetic products, hair removal machine, magnetic therapy machine, and related equipment,’ the CIDG added.

The suspects were taken into the custody of the CIDG Anti-Organized Crime Unit and were charged before the National Prosecution Service for violation of Republic Act No. 2382 or the Medical Act.

In a move to transform the way Filipino students receive their daily meals, Rep. Brian Poe of the FPJ Panday Bayanihan Party-List has filed House Bill No. 2191, or the ‘National School Feeding Cloud Kitchens Act.’

The bill proposes a centralized, professionally managed system called the National School Feeding Cloud Kitchen System (NSFCKS)-to prepare and deliver safe, nutritious meals to schools nationwide, relieving teachers of non-teaching duties like cooking and procurement.

Currently, many public school teachers are burdened with food preparation, procurement, and even cooking for the School-Based Feeding Program, tasks that fall far outside their core responsibility of teaching. HB 2191 addresses this by establishing strategically located School Feeding Cloud Kitchens that will handle meal production at scale, ensuring consistent quality, food safety, and cost efficiency through economies of scale.

The bill also creates a National School Feeding Council, composed of key agencies-including the Department of Education (DepEd, Department of Health (DOH), DSWD, Department of Agriculture (DA), and DOST-FNRI, as well as local government units, parents, teachers, and private sector partners. This council will develop a national master plan, set nutrition and safety standards, and foster public-private partnerships to ensure long-term sustainability.

As Poe emphasized in his sponsorship speech: ‘Teachers will be fully relieved from food preparation and procurement. Their role will be to supervise meal distribution and integrate nutrition education into their teaching, allowing them to focus on what they do best: educating our children.’

The Cloud Kitchen System is not just about food, it’s about building a modern, efficient, and accountable national feeding program that supports both student health and teacher effectiveness. HB 2191 complements House Bill No. 1193, which expands the National Feeding Program to include secondary school students. HB1193 amends the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa sa Batang Pilipino Act to ensure that undernourished learners from kindergarten through Grade 12 receive at least one fortified meal daily for 120 days each year.

As Rep. Poe notes in his speech, ‘According to the World Bank, childhood undernutrition cost the Philippine economy around USD 4.4 billion, equivalent to 1.5% of our GDP in 2015,’ and ‘the Expanded National Nutrition Survey of the Food and Nutrition Research Institute reveals that adolescents aged 10 to 19 years old, especially those in rural areas and poor households, show higher rates of stunting and malnutrition than their urabn counterparts.’

He added, ‘This period-adolescence-is a critical stage for growth, learning, and emotional development. Yet, many of our secondary students attend class hungry, struggling to focus, and unable to perform to their full potential.’

Together, these bills ensure that ‘every Filipino learner-from kindergarten to senior high school-has access to nutritious meals that support both body and mind.’

PUMA originally debuted the H-Street in 2003, drawing inspiration from the early 2000s ‘Harambee’ running spike, blending agility and speed with a lightweight, low-profile design. Now, PUMA reintroduces this classic with the H-Street Premium, a silhouette that fuses sprinting heritage with modern street culture. Building on the success of last August’s renewed PUMA H-Street, this updated iteration reimagines the era when track and field seamlessly merged with streetwear. For its latest drop, the PUMA H-Street Premium arrives in three, versatile colorways. Starting with the Alpine Snow-Warm White-Gum a clean, minimalist blend for everyday street style. Brandy-Toasted Almond-Gum a warm brown vintage-inspired palette that pairs classic tones with modern streetwear look. Finally, the Black-Shadow Gray-Gum gives a sleek dark finish for those who prefer a laid-back cool look for any get-up. The PUMA H-Street Premium soft tones and natural finishes give the sneaker a refined, easy-to-style look while still carrying the performance-inspired DNA of its origins. The mix of premium suede uppers, rounded toe, and gum soles further showcase it as an understated but timeless aesthetic. From Track Roots to Street Culture

At its core, the Premium H-Street stays true to its sprinting heritage while evolving for everyday wear. The regular fit and lace closure provide a secure, personal feel, while the moulded footbed and cushioned EVA midsole deliver lasting comfort for hours on the move. A synthetic lining and flat heel add to the lightweight ease, making the pair as effortless on a casual day out as it is stylish on the streets. Every detail carries the original influence of a performance shoe, now refined for modern street culture.

Make Your Move with PUMA H-Street Premium

The PUMA H-Street Premium will officially drop on October 17, 2025, exclusively at Commonwealth with a retail price of ?5,500, followed by a wider release on PUMA.com starting October 24.

Learn more about the PUMA H-Street Premium. Follow PUMA Philippines’ Instagram and Facebook account for the latest updates and releases.

The Supreme Court has announced the schedule for next year’s Bar Examination.

In Bar Bulletin No. 1 dated October 16, next year’s examination will be on September 6, 9, and 13, covering six core subjects.

On the morning of Sept. 6, Political and Public International Law (15%) and Commercial Law and Taxation (20%) will be offered in the afternoon.

The second day, Sept. 9, will be about Civil Law and Land Titles and Deeds (20%) and Labor Law and Social Legislation (10%), while on the third day, Criminal Law (10%) in the morning and for the afternoon session is Remedial Law, Legal and Judicial Ethics, with Practical Exercises. The examinations will have 20 essay-type questions, with each question numbered separately. Answers shall be graded from zero percent to one hundred percent or five percent per question.

‘The examination questions shall focus on critical thinking skills essential to legal practice and responsive to the modern demands of the legal profession. The questions shall likewise integrate contemporary issues and technology-related matters,’ read the bulletin. As in previous Bar examinations since Bar 2020-21, the 2026 Bar examination will be localized and digitalized, with designated testing centers across the country.

Next year’s Bar Examination Chairperson, Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, reminded aspiring lawyers that ‘you are here, not by chance, but by choice, because you believe in the power of your purpose.

‘Let me be clear: success in the Bar Examinations is not handed out. It is forged. It is #SuccessAchievedthroughMerit -earned through hard work, dedication, unshakeable integrity, and a refusal to settle for anything less than excellence. No shortcuts. No substitutes. No free passes. Only merit,’ Gaerlan said.

‘From my end, I give you more than procedures and protocols. I offer you a process that honors your efforts and a level playing field where only your competence and character will determine the outcome. I am and will be with you every step in your journey,’ said Gaerlan who promised an #awesomebar2026.