Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The duo of Dominic Escobar and Kymani Ladi made the most of their first and last taste of the storied Ateneo-La Salle rivalry.

Bolstered by the efforts of the one-and-done cogs, the Blue Eagles escaped Green Archers, 81-74, after squandering a commanding lead in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Sunday at Mall of Asia Arena.

While Escobar and Ladi paced their early outburst, but it was Shawn Tuano who came out with the push Ateneo needed to get to the finish line after La Salle’s herculean comeback.

‘I’m not going to take away from these players, especially the new guys,’ Ateneo coach Tab Baldwin said.

‘We’ve got several guys who have never played in this rivalry before, so I’m not going to take away from them what they accomplished in the first three quarters.’ Ateneo led by as much as 31 against La Salle, and seemed headed for an easy blowout.

But Green Archers refused to fold, unloading a 19-0 run to start the fourth quarter and shaving the lead to 11, 68-57, 3:45. Tuano, though, sank back-to-back buckets for a 73-59 lead with 3:19 to go, giving the Blue Eagles enough cushion to fend off the Green Archers’ advances until the final buzzer.

Tuano finished with 15 points for Ateneo, which kept its grasp of the top seed at 4-0.

Escobar and Ladi also both finished with near double-doubles of 15 points and nine rebounds each in the victory.

La Salle dropped to the standings with a 2-2 record, tying with the University of the Philippines, which was its dance partner in last year’s Season 87 Finals.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not want Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong to step down as special adviser to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI), according to Malacañang.

In an interview on dzMM on Sunday, Palace press officer Claire Castro said the president asked for a review of Magalong’s appointment to the ICI not because of the mayor’s alleged connection to the questionable Baguio City projects linked to the contractor couple Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya, as he was insinuating.

‘The President’s directive was never meant to throw Mayor Magalong under the bus, but rather to clarify and address the issue of his dual role in the ICI,’ Castro noted.

According to Castro, Marcos originally intended Magalong to serve as both special adviser and investigator of the ICI. But since Magalong did not intend to resign as mayor, he could only serve as special adviser, as an additional role of adviser may compromise his responsibilities as the elected mayor of Baguio City.

The president also wanted to make sure that his appointment would not violate the ban on elected officials from serving in another public office, she said.

‘The concern was that if he continued to receive information or conduct investigations, his dual role at the ICI could be questioned, which may be against the Constitution and the Local Government Code,’ Castro explained.

‘That was all the legal team was supposed to review. Unfortunately, he immediately stepped down, which was not what the President intended,’ she added.

On Sept. 26, merely 13 days after he was appointed, Magalong submitted his resignation from the ICI following the press briefing of Castro, announcing that Marcos wanted his legal team to review the mayor’s role in the commission so as not to compromise the integrity of the fact-finding body.

He was replaced by another retired police general, former Philippine National Police chief Rodolfo Azurin.

At that point, he was still cordial, saying his exit was ‘not an easy choice, but necessary’ after questionable transactions in his city’s public works surfaced in the ICI ongoing probe.

According to the Baguio mayor, he would not ‘allow these doubts to weaken the ICI and its mandate,’ adding: ‘That is why I have chosen to step aside, not to abandon the fight (against corruption), but to protect the very integrity of the fight.’

Tennis court, parking building

Magalong’s name was dragged in the P110-million tennis court and parking building project awarded by the Baguio city government in 2022 to St. Gerrard Construction Company, one of the construction firms owned by the controversial Discayas.

He denied there was corruption in the bidding for the project, calling the insinuations ‘below the belt,’ and ordered a third-party audit to be conducted on all projects constructed by the Discayas in the city.

On Oct. 2, during a Senate hearing, Magalong said he was ‘eased out’ of the ICI after he ‘struck a nerve’ with his efforts to unmask those behind the multibillion-peso flood control scandal. He claimed that Castro appeared to be ‘taking orders from someone else,’ but declined to identify who that might be.

For her part, Castro maintained she was not the one who brought up the issue of the tennis court project.

‘We did not say anything negative about him, nor did we make any accusations of any anomaly. It’s up to him to respond regarding the tennis court issue, but we are not making any allegations against him,’ she said.

She also denied that the President or another official had instructed her to undermine his reputation.

‘I hope that before Mayor Magalong makes insinuations, he should be sure of his statements. He should not make claims unless he is certain and informed,’ Castro said.

Greg Slaughter expressed his desire to return to the PBA this season after entering into discussions with new team Titan Ultra, which inherited his rights from NorthPort.

‘If I’m being honest, yes. I do want to come back to play in the PBA,’ Slaughter said after attending Sunday’s Leo Awards at Novotel Manila and the opening ceremonies of the 50th season at Smart Araneta Coliseum. Slaughter has not played in the league since suiting up for NorthPort in the 2021 Philippine Cup, spending time instead in Japan and the MPBL. His most recent stint was with the Basilan Starhorse.

The 7-foot center said he has already spoken with Titan Ultra team manager Aldreine Anglim. ‘It’s just a little talk with him so far, but nothing sudden,’ he said.

A potential return could boost either the Giant Risers or other teams. It also sparks the possibility of reviving his on-court rivalry with good friend June Mar Fajardo, whom he has faced since their days in Cebu’s collegiate league Cesafi.

The 2017 Governors’ Cup Best Player of the Conference was among the guests at the PBA’s golden season opener, upon the invitation of commissioner Willie Marcial.

‘I know it’s really a big year for the PBA, so I thought it would be a nice thing to be here,’ Slaughter said.

Sen. Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson stepped down as the chairman of the Senate blue ribbon committee on Sunday following criticisms on his leadership of the Senate’s ongoing flood-control probe.

‘Rightly or wrongly, when quite a number of them have expressed disappointment over how I’m handling the flood control project anomalies, I thought it’s time for me to step aside in favor of another member who they think can handle the committee better,’ Lacson said.

‘No amount of criticisms from misinformed netizens and partisan sectors can distract or pressure me from doing my job right, but when my own peers start expressing their group or individual sentiments, maybe it is best to vacate,’ he continued.

On Sunday morning, the senator revealed his intention in an interview with dzBB, also citing the disappointment expressed by his colleagues, particularly from Sens. JV Ejercito, and Win Gatchalian.

In the same interview, Lacson said that his resignation letter may be formally submitted to the plenary session once the Senate resumes its session. Lacson also stated that there have been ‘fake news and false narratives’ from other groups accusing him of targeting some of his colleagues, while allegedly protecting some members of the House of Representatives, specifically ex-House speaker Martin Romualdez, and former Ako-Bicol partylist Rep. Elizaldy Co. Romualdez and Co are both heavily tagged by contractors as ‘masterminds’ of the anomalous flood-control projects.

However, Lacson asserted that he ‘handled the hearings well,’ but he alluded that ‘there are those trying to disrupt the hearings,’ which he said could be the reason why some believe the hearings were not being conducted properly.

‘In one instance, the hearing had barely started when someone tried to make a distraction,’ Lacson added.

Continue fighting corruption

Despite his decision to step down from the committee, the senator vowed to continue fighting corruption.

‘Nevertheless, I will continue to fight a corrupt and rotten system in the misuse and abuse of public funds as I have consistently done in the course of my long years in public service,’ he said. The blue ribbon committee hearing on the supposed flood-control anomalies for next week was cancelled ‘until further notice,’ due to affidavits and documents that have yet to be ready.

According to the senator, the hearing was initially scheduled for Wednesday to summon an ex-Department of Public Works and Highways official linked to substandard projects. However, Lacson said the affidavit of Co’s supposed ‘bagman’ has not yet been notarized, and the new affidavits of the Discayas were not yet available, and may not be ready before the scheduled hearing on Wednesday.

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Bogo City, Cebu, a few days ago reminds us of the fragility of human-made structures when tested by nature’s force. Age-old churches, modern malls-everything can collapse in seconds. We are taught, again and again, that while disasters may be natural in origin, their consequences are largely shaped by the society in which we live.

That same truth applies to our politics. The earthquake is an apt metaphor for the destructive reckoning triggered by the exposé of massive corruption in flood control projects. Reputations hastily built on tainted money and instant power crumble quickly. And the collapse rarely stops with the principal actors. It spreads, dragging with it institutions, public figures, and communities once thought unbreakable.

In the age of unvetted social media and AI-fabricated images, there is almost no limit to who or what can be tarnished. We saw this in Obando, Bulacan, where a parish council, fearful of being stigmatized, hurriedly returned a pickup truck donated by former district engineer Henry Alcantara once it became clear that the patron is at the center of the nation’s biggest plunder of public works funds. A truck is easy to give back. But what if it was an entire church built with funds from donors now facing corruption charges? How does one return a whole building?

The pursuit of legitimacy takes many forms. The other day I saw a digital card purporting to document the 25th-wedding-anniversary renewal of vows of former congressman Zaldy Co and his wife at the Vatican. The inclusion of a photo showing Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle with the couple seemed designed to smear the Cardinal and cast doubt on the Church’s moral authority by linking him to a lavish celebration. Guests were supposedly flown in from Manila and billeted at an expensive hotel, all paid for by the now disgraced Co. I found no report of this event in mainstream outlets or credible databases, so the post may well be fake. But, fake or real, such posts can target anyone of Tagle’s stature, especially since he is based in Rome and known to welcome kababayans seeking his blessing.

Pierre Bourdieu’s sociology helps us see why reputations founded primarily on money are so brittle. Unlike old wealth, which has had time to distance itself from its sometimes questionable origins, new fortunes rush to buy legitimacy. The usual route is predictable: run for office or bankroll campaigns; join elite clubs and gated enclaves; show up at high-profile weddings; send children to exclusive schools; bankroll cultural events. Over time, these investments in economic, social, and cultural capital may yield what Bourdieu calls ‘symbolic capital’-the good name, honor, and legitimacy conferred by society’s gatekeepers: the Church, the state, universities, and award-giving bodies.

But symbolic capital is perception-based. It evaporates once the public sees the money behind it is dirty. Respectability borrowed from bishops, award-giving foundations, or universities (that dispense honorary degrees in exchange for buildings or endowments) vanishes overnight when their complicity is exposed. That is why corruption scandals, especially in highly unequal societies like ours, are so destabilizing. They strip away the aura of legitimacy, laying bare the inequalities and collusions that sustain the entire rotten system.

The flood control scandal has not only sparked outrage at the plunder itself. It has unleashed a broader questioning of political power and wealth. On social media, images proliferate that mock and expose the pretensions of the powerful. What is striking is that this anger comes from all sides-not just the left. That makes its subversive power unprecedented.

This reckoning could unravel more than the corruption of government. It could expose the complicity of the banks that laundered the money, the media that muted criticism, the churches that blessed dubious donations, and the courts that looked the other way. A comprehensive crisis of institutional credibility is unfolding in front of us, even before we can clearly formulate the alternative.

Such a crisis can easily spiral into recriminations and mistrust. But it may also spawn an ethical counterculture durable enough to sustain a new social movement-one that demands an overhaul of our political and economic systems, and transforms the way we produce and distribute wealth, the way we educate the young, and the way we care for our communities and the natural environment.

Earthquakes leave behind ruins but they also open space for rebuilding. The question is whether this powerful quake in our political life will leave us trapped in the rubble of our discontent, or give us the courage and determination to build anew.

The Supreme Court has ordered a five-day suspension of work in select courts in Iloilo City, Cebu City, Bogo City, and Roxas City from October 6 to 10 to allow structural and electrical engineers to inspect the Halls of Justice following last week’s 6.9-magnitude earthquake.

Under OCA Circular No. 291-2025, issued on October 4 by Court Administrator Ma. Theresa Dolores C. Gomez-Estoesta, the suspension covers all first- and second-level courts in the affected areas. Acting Chief Justice Marvic M.V.F. Leonen authorized the measure after the tremor damaged parts of Cebu province and was felt across the Visayas.

During the suspension, courts will remain available on an on-call basis for urgent judicial action such as bail applications, release orders, petitions for habeas corpus, and marriage solemnization. Judges were also encouraged to conduct videoconferencing for time-sensitive proceedings such as arraignments and pre-trials to prevent delays. Executive and presiding judges were instructed to find alternative hearing venues and coordinate with their respective regional court managers.

Although Iloilo did not sustain major physical destruction reports comparable to Cebu, the knock-on effects-power outages, infrastructure stress, and concern over structural integrity-appear to have motivated precautionary action from the judiciary to protect court personnel and litigants.

The suspension of court work allows structural and electrical engineers to assess the safety of court buildings in Iloilo and other affected jurisdictions before normal operations resume. As of now, no reports have surfaced of major damage to court buildings in Iloilo City directly attributable to the quake. But the judicial branch’s move reflects a more conservative posture in response to regional seismic risk and the potential for latent structural vulnerabilities.

The September 30 earthquake killed at least 70 people, mostly in northern Cebu, and injured hundreds, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. Hospitals in Cebu City were forced to evacuate patients to open grounds, while widespread brownouts hit Iloilo City shortly after the tremor struck. INQ

More legal experts and human rights groups have banded together to oppose the Senate resolution that seeks house arrest for former President Rodrigo Duterte while he faces charges of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Among the signatories of the joint statement released on Friday are the Philippine Coalition for the ICC, Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity (iDefend), Ateneo Human Rights Center, Center for International Law, Philippine Human Rights Information Center, Movement Against Disinformation, Task Force Detainees of the Philippines, Coalition against Trafficking in Women-Asia Pacific, Sentro ng Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa, Medical Action Group, Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance, Alyansa para sa Karapatang Pantao, IDEALS, Network against Killings in the Philippines, Free Legal Assistance Group, Union of Peoples’ Lawyers Mindanao, and Balay Rehabilitation Center.

No basis

Among the legal experts who also signed the statement were Rep. Leila de Lima, dean Jose Mari Tirol, dean Manuel Quibod, professor Cirilo Yuro, Jr.; and lawyers Roel Dapiton, Larry Firmeza, Kchyrziahshayne Dinopol, Alyanna Cortum, Alfredo Arungayan III, Nestor Moreno, Cynthia Ng, Fitz Macalalag, John Maghopoy, and Ricardo Escanlar of the University of San Agustin College of Law.

In their statement, the groups stressed that the tribunal based in The Hague, the Netherlands is ‘insulated’ from the ‘special arrangements’ that the Senate is requesting for Duterte, who is detained at the ICC facility at the Scheveningen prison.

‘Independent of political pressure, the court operates in accordance with the Rome Statute and will determine the terms of Duterte’s detention and any interim release under articles 58 (1) and 60 (2),’ they said, referring to the provisions for the issuance of summons as well as initial proceedings in the ICC.

The group stressed that the house arrest request has no basis since Duterte, as an ICC detainee, is subject to regular health monitoring and evaluation based on international standards.

‘Principled course’

‘This includes frequent and unannounced monitoring and evaluation by the International Committee of the Red Cross, which in turn follows the framework of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules),’ they said.

The groups urged the Philippine government to instead take a ‘principled course’ that vows to cooperate with international institutions, and pressed the Senate to ‘desist from political overtures that compromise the safety and dignity of victims.’

ICC spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah told Filipino reporters on Thursday that the tribunal cannot ‘speculate’ on the outcome of Duterte’s request for temporary liberty, and that it is up to the Pre-Trial Chamber (PTC) I judges ‘to make a decision on this matter.’

For its part, Hustisya, a group made up of families and relatives of extrajudicial killings and other human rights violations, said the Senate resolution only aims to ‘shield power.’

‘It spits on the memory of the thousands of Filipinos slaughtered in Duterte’s so-called war on drugs and war against dissent, the poor dragged from their homes, the fathers executed in front of their children, the mothers and sisters who still grieve, the families who continue to search for answers,’ the group said in a statement on Thursday.

‘Instead of accountability, the Senate has chosen denial,’ it added.

For Cristina Palay, secretary general of Karapatan, the Senate resolution only proved that the upper chamber is ‘packed with Duterte lackeys and apologists.’ ‘This is a Senate bereft of integrity,’ she said.

Heavy traffic is expected around the Philippine Arena in Bulacan as K-pop group TWICE stages its ‘This Is For The World’ tour on Saturday, October 4.

According to the advisory released by the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), the event is scheduled from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. They advised motorists to load their RFID accounts and plan trips ahead of time.

NLEX advised concert attendees to use Ciudad de Victoria exit while motorists bound for Bocaue or Santa Maria are urged to take alternate routes via Marilao, Bocaue, or Tambubong exits.

Traffic personnel will be deployed along NLEX to assist and manage vehicle flow.

TWICE, formed in 2015 by JYP Entertainment, is a nine-member South Korean girl group. They last performed in the Philippines on Sept. 23 at the same venue. /das

Cebu Oversea Hardware Company Inc. (Cohci) unveiled its flagship retail hub in Cavite on Friday. The company seeks to capitalize on the expanding home improvement and construction market in Southern Luzon.

The family-owned enterprise said its latest facility is strategically positioned to provide mid-to-premium products to homeowners, builders and contractors at competitive prices.

‘Cavite’s rapid urbanization and infrastructure growth make it an ideal location for this expansion,’ Cohci CEO Michael Co said in a statement on Friday.

Cohci did not disclose the investment cost of the facility, which is situated along Centennial Road in Kawit. The store currently employs 60 workers and is expected to help stimulate local economic activity. It intends to meet the growing demand in construction and home improvement.

The 5,847 square meter facility offers a wide range of products, including tiles, sanitary wares, plumbing and kitchen fixtures. There are also lighting and electrical supplies, hand and power tools, hardware, paints, wood and flooring materials and home furniture.

For DIYers and pros

Cohci said the firm’s Cavite branch combines a do-it-yourself style shopping concept with a curated showroom. This enables Cohci to serve both consumers and professionals in construction, design and property development.

‘By merging DIY shopping with an elevated showroom experience, we’re giving customers the convenience of a one-stop shop, along with the inspiration they need for their projects,’ said Ferdinand Co, chief operating officer of Modern Trade-Manila at Cohci.

According to Cohci, the latest store reflects their commitment to innovation and expansion.

The brothers Co Tiong and Co King Ting in 1952 founded Cohci in 1952. It started as a general merchandise store and has become a diversified group of businesses.

To date, the company is branching out to big box DIY stores, malls and aquaculture. /rwd

Continuing her Asian swing, Alex Eala is set to compete in the 2025 Wuhan Open qualifiers in China.

Seeded fifth in the qualifying draw of the prestigious event, Eala faces Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima in the opening round on Saturday, no earlier than 5:30 p.m.

Eala is ranked No. 58 in the world, while the 24-year-old Uchijima sits at No. 92.

The Wuhan Open is the final WTA 1000 tournament of the 2025 calendar. It offers eight qualifier spots in the 56-player singles draw.

Eala flew to Wuhan immediately after her quarterfinal exit in the Suzhou Open WTA 125 on Friday.

In her second tournament in Asia, Eala played all three matches in Suzhou in grueling three-setters-including a round-of-16 duel that lasted more than three hours.

‘Some crazy matches this week. Back to the drawing board with a bit more experience and a lot of sweat lost,’ Eala wrote in an Instagram post.

She also competed in the Jingshan Tennis Open late last month.

The Wuhan Open marks Eala’s return to a WTA 1000 event since the Canadian Open last July.