Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Meghan Markle’s father, Thomas Markle, has denied claims made by his daughter Samantha Markle that he was left stranded and immobile in the Philippines following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Cebu Province.

Thomas, who relocated to Cebu earlier this year, told TMZ he is safe inside his hotel and was never in danger.

‘I’m safe in my hotel room, and in no way am I ‘trapped’ and ‘unable to walk,” Thomas said. ‘The epicenter was 100 miles from here. I’m currently sitting on the couch in my hotel room, with my feet kicked up and watching Charlie Chan movies. I’m quite comfortable.’

Thomas’ statement came following Samantha’s post on X, claiming that her 80-year-old father was ‘stuck on the 19th floor of a building in the Philippines after a massive earthquake and can’t walk.’ Thomas noted that he has not spoken to Samantha and is unsure why she made such claims, as he also confirmed that his estrangement from Meghan remains unchanged.

Samantha is Thomas’s daughter from his first marriage. Meghan previously said that she did not have a close relationship with her older half-sister as they did not grow up together.

Samantha’s first post also threw jabs at Meghan as she blamed her sister for being the reason why their father was trapped in the Philippines.

‘Shame on my disgusting evil fucking sister for forever putting our father in this position. I hope she is cursed,’ she said.

Samantha later set her X account to private after netizens pointed out that the screenshot of the conversations supposedly talking with her father about the earthquake was taken on Sept. 28 when the calamity struck on Sept. 30.

Thomas, a retired TV lighting director, has faced several health problems in recent years. In May 2022, he suffered a major stroke that left him hospitalized. He moved to Cebu this year with his 58-year-old son, Thomas Jr.

The earthquake struck off the coast of Bogo, Cebu, on Tuesday night, killing at least 69 people. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday said that there are efforts from the camp of Sen. Mark Villar to set up a meeting, but added that he has yet to respond, saying that his preference for all official communications and proceedings to be handled ‘transparently, officially, across the board.’

‘I still don’t have a response, as I’d rather everything be done through official channels. This ensures it’s handled transparently, officially, and consistently across the board, leaving no room for accusations,’ Remulla told reporters.

Remulla said there is a necessity to thoroughly review documents related to whatever issues the senator’s camp wants to discuss.

‘We have to get all the records.You know we have a lot of work here, and we have to deal with each one of them carefully,’ Remulla said, stressing the need to exercise due diligence.

Remulla earlier stated that a preliminary probe is being conducted into Villar’s connection to the P18 billion infrastructure contracts awarded by the government to his cousin.

Villar already denied his link to the P18 billion contract.

‘Let me be unequivocal: I have no direct or indirect ownership or controlling interest in any company participating in DPWH projects. The official record will confirm that none of my relatives acquired any contracts from 2016 to 2021, during my tenure as Secretary,’ the senator said.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) continues its investigation into the anomalous flood control projects.

On Thursday, DPWH engineer Henry Alcantara returned to the DOJ for further interview.

Five ships and 10 K9 teams have been deployed to Cebu to assist in search and rescue operations for victims still missing after the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province on Sept. 30, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said.

PCG Commandant Adm. Ronnie Gil Gavan said ships carrying doctors and medics have been dispatched to Cebu since the quake occurred.

‘We sent responders, five ships, and 10 K9 teams to assist in search operations for those who are missing. We also deployed desalinator machines to evacuation centers in Cebu,’ Gavan told reporters aboard the BRP Gabriela Silang on Thursday.

‘We also sent doctors, nurses, medics, and communication specialists to help local government units recover more quickly and provide assistance for ongoing activities,’ he added.

According to the latest data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), 72 people have died due to the magnitude 6.9 earthquake.

The agency also reported 294 injuries, although all figures remain subject to verification. No missing persons have been recorded.

The NDRRMC added that assessments of damaged infrastructure are ongoing as search and rescue operations continue.

As of 7 a.m. Thursday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded 2,613 aftershocks.

At least 34 police stations and two police headquarters in Cebu were damaged in the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck the province, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

Although the PNP could not specify all the affected stations and headquarters, PNP Community Affairs Division Chief Col. Esmeraldo Osia Jr. said in a briefing at Camp Crame on Thursday that the stations were in northern Cebu, near the quake’s epicenter.

The tremor hit 19 kilometers northeast of Bogo City on Tuesday night, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

Osia said one of the damaged headquarters was the Cebu Provincial Police Office in Cebu City.

Osia said the stations and headquarters had ‘cracks in their walls,’ while the Directorate for Police Community Relations Deputy Chief Brig. Gen. Antonio Marallag Jr. noted ‘varying degrees of damage.’

‘We are deploying teams of PNP civil engineers supported by experts from the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers to conduct a detailed and comprehensive assessment. The assessment is scheduled to begin tomorrow,’ Marallag said.

He added that six PNP mobility assets were damaged but that communication equipment remained operational.

Marallag further said 36 uniformed PNP personnel and one non-uniformed personnel from the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO 7) reported that their homes were affected by the tremor.

He added that the PNP has not received any reports of violence or looting following the earthquake and that Central Visayas police increased their deployment from 1,356 to 2,250 officers to support relief and rehabilitation efforts.

At least 72 individuals were reported dead and 294 were reported injured, according to the latest National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) situational report on Thursday morning.

However, the NDRRMC noted that these casualties have yet to be validated.

The Land Transportation Office in Western Visayas (LTO-6) has relieved two of its traffic enforcers after a viral video showed them overtaking on a double solid yellow line at a bridge in Barangay Balantang, Jaro, Iloilo City.

The video, uploaded on Facebook by radio station manager Jay Balnig, quickly spread online, drawing more than 300 reactions, 201 shares, and 110 comments as of press time. Netizens blasted the officers for violating the traffic rules they are sworn to enforce.

‘They catch violators, but they themselves are worse,’ one commenter wrote in Hiligaynon. Another said, ‘There should also be a show-cause order for the driver. If he can’t explain, his license should be revoked. That’s only fair.’

Some expressed frustration over claims that the enforcers were in a blinker vehicle.

‘If an ordinary person commits a violation, it’s considered wrong. But for them, it’s not-because they are supposedly protected by the law,’ another user commented.

According to the LTO, a double solid yellow line means that overtaking or lane changing is strictly prohibited. The markings, often placed on bridges and highways, are designed to prevent accidents and separate vehicles moving in opposite directions.

An LTO 6 vehicle veers through a no-crossing lane, prompting questions about traffic enforcement. (Photo: Jay Balnig)

LTO-6 regional director Atty. Gaudioso P. Geduspan II confirmed on Wednesday that the two officers had been relieved from their posts pending investigation.

‘Obviously, as shown in the video, there is a clear lapse of judgment when they maneuvered an illegal overtaking on roads with pavement markings such as solid yellow lines, which indicate no overtaking,’ Geduspan said.

He added that a Show-Cause Order will be issued, requiring the two to explain their actions as part of due process. The agency’s Intelligence and Investigation Unit will conduct a full probe and recommend appropriate sanctions.

‘If culpability is found, the appropriate administrative penalties will follow,’ Geduspan emphasized.

‘No one is above the law’

While withholding the officers’ identities, Geduspan underscored that the LTO will not shield erring personnel from accountability.

‘No LTO personnel are exempt from enforcement of traffic rules,’ he said. ‘Our enforcers must uphold them first before they can expect the public to comply.’

He added that internal monitoring is being tightened to prevent similar lapses, stressing that discipline within the ranks is crucial to credible law enforcement.

‘The rules apply to everyone,’ Geduspan said. ‘No one is above the law

Caloocan City has opened a new center aimed at providing services for children with special needs and their families.

The facility, called Hope and Play: A Pod for Every Ability, will be open Mondays through Fridays and will offer psychoeducational screening, language programs, behavior management, learning support, and training for parents and guardians.

Mayor Dale Gonzalo ‘Along’ Malapitan said the city government recognizes the challenges of raising children with special needs and committed to protecting the interests of children and other vulnerable members of the community.

‘Ang katotohanan ngayon, mahal ang gastusin kapag may anak ka na may espesyal na pangangailangan, at hindi lahat kayang gumastos para sa therapy at iba pang medical needs,’ Malapitan said.

‘Dito papasok ang Pamahalaang Lungsod ng Caloocan sa pamamagitan ng Hope and Play: A Pod for Every Ability upang matiyak na mabibigyan ng karampatang pag-aalaga ang mga batang may special needs,’ he added.

A Japanese government panel on Wednesday reviewed countermeasures for inflation that were included in the government’s fiscal 2024 supplementary budget and fiscal 2025 budget.

Referring to progress on measures that were compiled under his administration, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said, ‘They are being steadily implemented as a whole.’

‘We will continue to protect people’s lives and business activities from rising prices,’ he said at a meeting of the government’s Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy.

At the meeting, council members confirmed that the government’s subsidies for electricity and gas charges had worked to lower utility fees.

The members also found that rice prices have risen again, due to the distribution of newly harvested rice, after temporarily falling thanks to the release of the government’s stockpiled rice.

Looking ahead, the council said that price growth is expected to slow in the second half of this year and to hover around 2 percent in the next fiscal year starting in April 2026, due to the effects of countermeasures and a slower pace of increase in food prices.

Additionally, the council suggested that the sentiment of consumers, who were concerned that prices would keep rising, has shown signs of improvement.

Regarding US President Donald Trump’s high tariffs, a risk factor for the Japanese economy, the panel underlined the need to keep a close watch on future developments, citing negative impacts such as a decline in automobile exports to the United States and deteriorating earnings at Japanese automakers.

The police in Maguindanao del Norte and Sultan Kudarat impounded a total of P11.4 million worth of smuggled cigarettes in separate law enforcement operations on Thursday.

The first operation was in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, where the police, led by Lt. Colonel Esmael Madin, flagged down a closed-van cargo truck at about 4 a.m.

Responding to a tip that a cargo truck from Lebak, Sultan Kudarat was to pass through Barangay Dalican, Datu Odin Sinsuat town, Madin alerted his men manning several checkpoints in the town’s capital.

A cargo truck was intercepted and upon inspection, police found 266 cases of imported cigarettes from Malaysia.

‘It was estimated to cost about P9.5 million,’ Madin told reporters, adding that the contraband was supposed to be delivered to an unidentified consignee in Tacurong City.

The suspects are now detained at the Datu Odin police detention facility while appropriate charges are being prepared against them.

A few hours earlier, members of the 2nd Sultan Kudarat Mobile Force Company and Lebak municipal police station confiscated about P1.9 million worth of smuggled cigarettes at a checkpoint in Barangay Christianuevo, Lebak, at about 11:30 a.m.

Two men, the driver and the helper, were arrested and are now detained at the Lebak police detention facility.

Brig. Gen Arnold Ardiente, regional director for Police Regional Office 12, said smuggling will never prosper in the Soccsksargen region because the public has been helping the police foil all illegal activities in the region

As soon as Jonathan Kuminga shows up to rejoin the Golden State Warriors, coach Steve Kerr plans an immediate conversation with the dynamic forward to make sure they are on the same page as the NBA season begins.

Kuminga was expected to arrive in the Bay Area on Wednesday and be at Chase Center on Thursday to go through a physical and likely his first practice since signing a two-year contract Tuesday that could be worth up to $46.5 million. ‘The first thing is a great conversation with JK. To me at the heart of any good team culture is communication,’ Kerr said Wednesday, when the Warriors also signed 39-year-old center Al Horford. ‘We have to have a really good sit down.’

Kerr said he reached out several times to Kuminga over the summer, as he keeps tabs with all his players, and said that ‘he and I have always gotten along well.’ One message Kerr plans to make clear: The offense will revolve around Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, and Kuminga will have to pick his moments while focusing on the defensive end and running the floor to have a better chance of playing. Golden State’s first-round draft pick in 2021 will turn 23 on Monday.

‘Everybody progresses at a different rate. Things can click, but those are the things I’m going to continue to ask of him,’ Kerr said. ‘And I have no doubt, too, there’s going to be times this year where we’ve got to get him the ball and run the offense through him.’ With Kuminga finally signed as well as new additions Horford and Seth Curry, general manager Mike Dunleavy has Golden State’s roster intact at last – a process that took more than three months rather than a matter of days like a normal free agency period.

A restricted free agent, Kuminga received a $7.9 million qualifying offer on June 29 but weighed other multiyear options. Dunleavy hopes Kuminga will be a key contributor and said for now he wasn’t weighing a sign-and-trade scenario.

‘As far as the negotiations go, it was fair, reasonable, no issues on my end. I think just sometimes these things take time,’ Dunleavy said. ‘But by my count, I’m all good with it, feel good about the deal we’ve done and really the deal for JK. I think it’s good for both sides. . What that means for the contract structure is we feel like we have a player that can be really good, and I don’t feel like there’s a need to make a move. Now, we’ll see how the season unfolds.’

Everybody is eager to move forward with the drawn-out Kuminga situation resolved.

‘First of all, I’m happy for Jonathan. It may not be the contract he was hoping for, but that’s life-changing money and I’m really happy for him and his family,’ Kerr said.

‘The whole idea is to help him get better, help him become the player that he can become and sign a few more of those contracts. That’s what he has to focus on and that’s what I have to focus on, the getting better part and where he can help us, because that’s really been the thing that’s held him back – what we need versus what he wants to do. There’s no denying that that’s been an issue, and there’s no denying that there’s a place for him on this team. We don’t have a big athletic wing player like he represents.’

Horford, too, is ready to get going with his new team after spending the last four years in Boston, and leaving there ‘wasn’t an easy decision for me to make.’ Playing for Kerr and alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Butler to chase a championship seemed like a great fit.

‘If there was one place that I was going to leave was for this,’ Horford said.

So, during all the uncertainty in recent months he focused on his training and making sure his family was ready for the daunting cross-country transition.

Independent directors may soon be barred from seeking a longer term beyond nine years as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed a circular setting term limits.

SEC chair Francis Lim on Wednesday told reporters that setting the term limit in stone would allow opportunities for ‘true, meaningful independent directors.’

Under the draft memorandum, independent directors will be elected for a three-year fixed term, meaning they will have security of tenure.

This is to ensure that independent directors ‘with different views’ are protected from sudden removal.

‘To make the independent directors truly independent, we’re giving them a three-year security of tenure . Once voted, they are elected for three years, not just one,’ Lim said on the sidelines of the Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines’ digital library launch. There’s a way out currently

At the same time, however, the chair clarified that they may only be elected for a maximum of three consecutive terms totaling nine years.

After that, they are barred from reelection in the same company.

Current rules state that independent directors are only elected for a one-year term. They may serve as independent directors for up to nine years, although companies may apply for exemptive relief for extraordinary cases.

But once the proposed rules are approved, the term limit would be firm and the SEC would no longer grant extensions, Lim noted.

The circular will take effect immediately, meaning independent directors serving their ninth year in 2026 may not be reelected, and their term will not be extended.

Possible penalty

Companies that fail to adopt the three-year security of tenure and the nine-year term limit may be fined P1 million.

The draft circular is available for public comment until Oct. 15.

Lim earlier pointed out that independent directors whose terms have expired in one company can move to smaller firms and share their expertise while also giving opportunities to other leaders.