Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

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.

The decline in the price of palay (unmilled rice) is a serious issue faced by our farmers. Currently, the price of palay is only ?8/kg, resulting in a massive loss of income for farmers-amounting to over ?250 billion.

This is four times greater than the damage caused by the Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2012. This is not merely a market failure; it is a policy-induced disaster rooted in the structural flaws of the Rice Tariffication Law (RTL).

Enacted in 2019, RTL dismantled the National Food Authority’s (NFA) market intervention powers, liberalized rice imports, and exposed Filipino farmers to global price shocks without adequate safeguards.

Despite amendments tripling the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF) to ?30 billion, the law remains irreparable. Its design privileges importers, weakens domestic production incentives, and undermines national food sovereignty.

A new law is urgently needed-one that restores the dignity of farmers, embeds climate resilience, and reclaims rice as a pillar of Filipino self-reliance.

That law is the proposed Rice Industry Sustainable Development Act (RISDA).RISDA is not a mere policy tweak; it is a systemic overhaul.

It integrates economic, ecological, and institutional reforms to rebuild the rice sector from the ground up. At its core is a commitment to guaranteed procurement, price stabilization, and farmer empowerment.

Under RISDA, the government shall purchase a minimum of 20% of the national palay harvest at a floor price of ?25/kg-adjusted annually to ensure a 30% net return above production cost.

This procurement mandate is not symbolic; it is a strategic intervention to dismantle rice trader cartels and restore market fairness. Drawing lessons from India’s Minimum Support Price (MSP) system and Thailand’s farmer price support schemes, RISDA repositions the NFA as a proactive market stabilizer, not a passive logistics agency.

Beyond procurement, RISDA institutionalizes a robust price support mechanism. It mandates the establishment of a dynamic floor price calibrated to grain yield, inflation, and production costs.

This ensures that farmers earning 5 tons per hectare receive a net income of ?50,000 per hectare per crop-an income floor that reflects both dignity and viability. The NFA is empowered to intervene during harvest seasons, buying palay when market prices fall below the threshold, thereby shielding farmers from predatory pricing.

Moreover, RISDA introduces a rice import parity clause: importers must purchase 60% locally grown rice for every 40% of their import volume.This creates competitive demand for domestic palay and curbs speculative importation.

To prevent price manipulation and hoarding, RISDA enforces strict penalties on profiteering, price gouging, and artificial scarcity. Licensed traders must submit periodic inventory reports, and the NFA, in coordination with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), will conduct regular market surveillance.

Public price bulletins and digital reporting platforms will empower consumers to monitor rice prices and report violations, democratizing market oversight.

RISDA also revives the quedan system-a warehouse receipt mechanism that allows farmers to deposit palay in accredited warehouses and use the receipts as collateral for low-interest loans. This delays market disposal until prices improve, reducing vulnerability to post-harvest price crashes.

Cooperatives will manage community warehouses, strategically located near production zones, and participate in buffer stock programs. Blockchain-based tracking and third-party audits will ensure transparency and accountability.

Programs for farmers under RISDA go far beyond input subsidies. The proposed law mandates the construction and rehabilitation of irrigation systems, prioritizing rainfed and drought-prone areas.

Solar-powered and gravity-fed networks will be developed, especially in upland and indigenous communities. Post-harvest modernization is central: drying centers, milling facilities, and climate-controlled storage hubs will be built in strategic municipalities, with cooperatives given priority access to equipment grants.

Farm-to-market roads will be geospatially planned, with 10% of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) budget earmarked for rice-producing regions.

RISDA embeds climate resilience through agroecological transitionIncentives will be provided to farmers who regenerate soil carbon, adopt low-emission practices, and manage local seed banks.

A national hybrid rice seed independence program will be launched, targeting 50% local seed production coverage within four years. Research institutions and state universities will collaborate with farmer-led organizations to develop climate-resilient varieties, biological pest control systems, and diversified cropping models.

Innovation hubs will be established in major rice provinces to support decentralized, participatory research.

To ensure strategic foresight and policy coherence, RISDA creates the National Rice Sustainability Council (NRSC)-a multi-sectoral body composed of government agencies, farmer cooperatives, academics, civil society, and local governments.

The NRSC will develop a National Rice Industry Roadmap, harmonize efforts across stakeholders, and monitor rice production, supply, and food security status.

Subcommittees on agroecology, seed systems, market development, and data systems will provide technical depth and ensure evidence-based policymaking.

RISDA’s buffer stock policy is aligned with international best practices. A 90-day rice reserve will be maintained to safeguard against supply disruptions, price volatility, and emergencies.

Regional reserves will be established in disaster-prone areas, and replenishment will prioritize domestic procurement. Responsible importation may supplement stocks when necessary, but never at the expense of local farmers.

Funding for RISDA will be sourced from the General Appropriations Act (GAA), with a recommended allocation of 10% of the national budget for rice sufficiency, as advised by the UN FAO.

Government corporations will be mandated to buy palay at the guaranteed floor price, ensuring a minimum 30% net return above production cost.

Investments in agricultural RandD, climate-resilient infrastructure, and cooperative capacity-building will be scaled up to secure long-term food sustainability.

In sum, RISDA is a forward-looking, systems-based reform that redefines rice governance in the Philippines. It corrects the structural failures of RTL, restores the procurement mandate of the state, and embeds farmer dignity, youth empowerment, and climate resilience into national policy.

It draws lessons from Asia’s leading rice producers-Vietnam, Thailand, India, Pakistan, and China-while rooting its architecture in Filipino realities. RISDA is not just a legislative proposal; it is a moral imperative and a strategic necessity. The time to act is now.

Davao City acting Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte is continuing his legal offensive against government officials responsible for sending his father, former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

This time, Duterte, through his lawyer Israelito Torreon, filed a disbarment case against Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., Justice Undersecretary Nicholas Felix Ty and Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon.

According to Torreon, the four officials violated the Canons of Professional Responsibility and Accountability (CPRA), the rule that governs lawyers.

However, he refused to specify which canon was violated by Remulla, Teodoro, Ty, and Fadullon.

‘That, I cannot say anymore, but you know, the Canons of Professional Responsibility, Canons 1 to the rest of the Canons, and if I mention the same, I might be violating my oath,’ he explained.

The young Duterte earlier filed before the Office of the Ombudsman kidnapping, arbitrary detention, and violating the rights of persons arrested under Republic Act 7438 against the four lawyers and several other officials.

However, Remulla was already given a clearance by the Office of the Ombudsman that he no longer has a pending case which was submitted to the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).

The clearance is necessary to be considered in choosing the shortlist of applicants to the top Ombudsman post.

Torreon said they are hoping that the disbarment case will affect Remulla’s application to become the next Ombudsman.

‘Hopefully. I do not have any qualms on the matter. That is one of the aims that we, that Mayor Duterte filed this case,’ he said.

Sought for comment, Remulla said the case ‘that is already expected. They cannot hide their displeasure .I will just roll with the punches.’