Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

An unusually blazingly red sun greeted early risers in Tacurong City, Sultan Kudarat, on Wednesday morning, creating a striking sight against the grayish sky.

Elric Batilaran, who took a photo of the sunrise, said the sun appeared unusually red as it rose over the city.

His photo showed the bright red sun above palm trees and buildings in Tacurong.

Reports said that dust, smoke, haze, and other tiny particles in the air can make red and orange colors more visible.

However, authorities have not confirmed whether haze caused the unusually red sun seen over Tacurong on Wednesday.

The sight came as haze from forest fires in Indonesia has reached some parts of the Philippines.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) said smoke from forest fires in Kalimantan, Indonesia, is being carried toward the Philippines by the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat.

The haze has affected parts of Luzon and the Visayas, where several areas have recorded higher levels of fine particles in the air.

But authorities have not confirmed whether the haze from Indonesia reached Tacurong, or that the red sunrise seen in the city was a result of it.

DENR-EMB said the haze could continue to affect parts of the country from Sept. 1 to 3 as smoke from the Indonesian forest fires continues to be carried by the habagat.

The agency said rain could help clear the air by washing away smoke and other fine particles.

A thick haze has been observed in parts of Occidental Mindoro, including Calintaan town, as smoke from forest and land fires in Indonesia reached several areas of the Philippines, local disaster officials said.

The Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) of Rizal town in Occidental Mindoro warned residents about the haze after reports indicated that the southwest monsoon has carried smoke from fires in Indonesian districts of Sumatra and Kalimantan toward Southeast Asia.

Photos released by the Provincial Information Office of Occidental Mindoro on Wednesday showed murky aerial conditions in Calintaan.

According to the MDRRMO, moderate to heavy haze was headed for several areas of Luzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and the Visayas based on a 6 p.m. report on Aug. 31.

Areas experiencing moderate to heavy haze are Palawan, Occidental Mindoro, Oriental Mindoro, Marinduque, and Romblon.

Light to moderate haze was also reported in parts of Metro Manila, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Tarlac, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Batangas and Quezon.

Several provinces in Bicol and the Visayas were likewise affected, including Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Iloilo, Guimaras, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Biliran and Samar.

The MDRRMO advised residents to limit prolonged outdoor activities while haze persists, particularly in areas where smoke is visibly thick.

Those who need to go outdoors were encouraged to wear face masks to reduce exposure to smoke and fine particulate matter.

Children, older adults and people with sensitive respiratory systems were urged to take extra precautions and remain indoors when possible.

The haze comes as parts of Southeast Asia continue to deal with smoke from forest and land fires, with wind conditions carrying the pollutants across national borders.

Prosecution counsel Benjamin Tolosa Jr. received a scolding from the Senate impeachment court for engaging in ‘intramurals’ with the defense lawyer and wasting time, after he started his examination of former Education Undersecretary Michael Poa on Wednesday by asking if he is a competent lawyer.

At the resumption of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial on Wednesday, Tolosa asked Poa – also a counsel for Duterte for these proceedings – regarding his educational background, his entry into the legal profession, and eventually being appointed into various positions in the Department of Education (DepEd).

When Tolosa asked whether Poa is a trusted official of Duterte, Sheila Sison, counsel for the respondent on duty, said she is willing to stipulate or agree to that matter.

But when Tolosa asked whether the defense would also stipulate that Poa is an ‘is an experienced and highly competent lawyer,’ Sison fired back, asking if the prosecution is classifying Poa as an expert witness.

‘Before I respond to that, may I now ask the prosecutor if they are qualifying this witness as an expert, your Honor,’ Sison said.

‘Because that is the inference from that proposal to stipulate, that he is highly experienced and of high expertise, in the work that he does, your Honor, as a lawyer. So earlier, they qualified him as a hostile witness and if they qualify him now as an expert, then that will give the prosecutor some leeway to ask him on legal matters,’ she added.

Tolosa then said that the defense cannot dictate on the prosecution if they will consider Poa as an expert witness, as it falls under their discretion. However, Presiding Officer and Senator-judge Francis Escudero told Tolosa that he can just ask the questions as they are.

‘With all due respect, the defense cannot dictate on the prosecution on the nature of the testimony of the witness. That discretion falls entirely and exclusively on us, if we want to present a witness as an expert witness, or ordinary witness. He may be the most qualified lawyer, but it’s still our discretion if we want to use him as an expert witness or not,’ Tolosa said.

‘Then in that case the chair will ask counsel to simply proceed with his questions because counsel, I find it irrelevant to be asking for a stipulation if Atty. Poa is good at what he does, I believe he is, but unless you will qualify him as an expert as pointed out by Atty. Sheila, instead of going through these intramurals,’ Escudero replied.

Tolosa tried to interrupt, but Escudero firmly told him that the chair was making a ruling.

‘Atty. Tolosa, Chair is ruling, kindly proceed with your direct examination already and go direct to your points,’ Escudero said.

‘But with all due respect, his competence is highly material to this case, because it will go into the credibility of his statements, and of course your Honor please, we be given some leeway because even if this is direct, because he is a hostile witness, this is the nature of our cross-examination,’ Tolosa replied. ‘So we hope that we be allowed, we be given wider latitude in examining this witness.’

‘Counsel, you are asking for a stipulation which the opposing counsel refused to do so again […] We’ve wasted enough time on these intramurals between you and counsel for respondent, just proceed with your direct. The witness is there, the witness is smart enough to answer,’ Escudero added.

The atmosphere during Wednesday’s trial has been tense, as the impeachment court is presented with a unique situation, where a counsel for the respondent – in this case, Poa acting as Duterte’s lawyer – is asked by the prosecution to take the stand as a hostile witness.

Sison, lead counsel for Duterte, initially questioned Tolosa’s offer as he called Poa ‘abugadong walang alam’ (lawyer who knows nothing) as it appears to be a mere ‘rhetoric aimed to provide drama.’

Tolosa said that it was not his intention to insult Poa, saying that he was merely referring to Poa’s insistence during a House of Representatives hearing in 2024 that he does not have personal knowledge of the confidential fund (CF) expenditures made by the DepEd for the first three quarters of 2023.

Still, Sison asked that the statements be stricken off the record, as Tolosa could have used better phrasing. Escudero agreed with Sison, ruling that Tolosa’s remarks be removed from the records.

Poa is the tenth witness presented by the prosecution for Article I of the Articles of Impeachment, which delves into allegations of CF misuse within Duterte’s offices – DepEd and the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

Before Poa, the prosecution panel presented two Land Bank of the Philippines officials from which OVP and DepEd withdrew their CFs; Commission on Audit (COA) auditors who checked on the confidential expenditures made by Duterte’s offices; OVP staffers like former special disbursing officer Gina Acosta; and on Tuesday, two Philippine Army (PA) officials.

During the trial on Tuesday, Army Col. Maranos Boransing II and Army Col. Magtanggol Panopio testified that none of Duterte’s offices – whether it be DepEd, OVP, or even the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group – placed part of its regular allocations or CFs to their youth oriented-programs.

Boransing and Panopio were referring to the Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) and the Information Education Communication (IEC), programs funded by the PA’s annual budget, which aim to curb communist groups’ recruitment of high school and college students.

However, when the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged DepEd’s P15.54 million confidential expenditures through an audit observation memorandum (AOM), the department cited certifications from Boransing, Panopio and other PA officials regarding the conduct of the YLS and IEC to prove the use of CFs.

During the trial, Panopio also admitted being shocked that DepEd under Duterte used his certification to justify its confidential expenses.

The Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI) has approved the commercial sale of an African swine fever (ASF) vaccine from Vietnam, giving a boost to the government’s campaign against the animal disease.

On Wednesday, BAI said in a statement that AVAC Vietnam Joint Stock Co. developed the ASF-approved vaccine, a live, attenuated, gene-deleted freeze-dried vaccine designed to protect pigs against the ASF virus.

‘The availability of a commercially approved ASF vaccine is crucial to our repopulation program,’ Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said.

‘It gives hog raisers another tool to protect healthy animals as we work to rebuild the industry and secure a more stable supply of pork,’ the agriculture chief added.

Agriculture Undersecretary Constante Palabrica said a second vaccine, PROVAC from South Korea, is undergoing testing by BAI, which could provide another option for local hog raisers by next year.

Likewise, Palabrica said he has requested P1 billion in funding next year to subsidize ASF vaccination programs for backyard pig farms, potentially making the vaccine more accessible to smaller producers.

Additionally, the government approved the commercial release of the ASF vaccine after the first ASF outbreak in 2019, which caused billions in losses and significantly reduced the country’s hog production since then.

Data from BAI showed that ASF outbreaks have reached 76 of the Philippines’ 82 provinces as of writing.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said that he will pursue all available legal remedies after the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division dropped former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan as a coaccused in the plunder case.

In a statement, Estrada said he respected the decision of the anti-graft court but stressed that he still had other legal options available.

‘While I respect the decision of the Sandiganbayan, I wish to emphasize that there remain legal remedies available to me under our judicial system, which my legal team will carefully study and pursue at the appropriate time,’ Estrada said Tuesday.

‘I intend to avail myself of all remedies provided under our laws,’ he added.

Estrada said the Sandiganbayan’s decision did not end his legal recourse, adding that he would continue to rely on due process and the rule of law.

‘My faith in our judicial system remains firm. I will continue to stand by the truth and pursue every lawful means available to protect my rights and clear my name and honor,’ he said.

His statement came as the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division dropped the plunder and graft charges against Bonoan, who was accused alongside Estrada and several Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials over an alleged scheme involving P573 million in kickbacks.

Bonoan had been the subject of a bid by the Office of the Ombudsman to discharge him as an accused and turn him into a state witness in other flood control corruption cases.

He had also testified before the Sandiganbayan in the case against former Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr., where he claimed that all senators in 2024 had availed themselves of a ‘leadership fund’ allotted by the DPWH under the 2025 national budget

Solar Philippines Power Project Holdings Inc. (SPPHI), an embattled firm backed by Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste, has gained P3 billion following its move to cut its stake in Pangilinan-led SP New Energy Corp. (SPNEC).

Based on a regulatory filing on Tuesday, the solar company sold 2.4 billion shares priced at P1.25 apiece.

This led to a reduction in its interest in SPNEC to 11.51 percent.

Before the transaction, Meralco PowerGen Corp. (MGEN) of billionaire Manuel V. Pangilinan had a 57.33-percent stake in SPNEC; Leviste’s SPPHI held 16.30 percent; while Metro Pacific Investments Corp. had 3.20 percent.

The buyer of the company’s shares was not disclosed.

In February, Pangilinan, chair of Manila Electric Co., said the group did not offer to acquire Leviste’s stake in the solar firm. But he noted that the young tycoon was in talks with foreign investors for the potential disposal of the shares.

A separate disclosure stated that SPNEC’s board of directors had approved the acquisition of properties from SPPPHI subsidiaries, Provincia Investments Corp. and JJPNM Agro Industrial Corp.

MGEN previously said it would pursue the rebranding of SPNEC to MGEN Renewable Energy Holdings Inc., with analysts seeing this as an attempt to pursue a backdoor listing or move away from controversies linked to Leviste.

Leviste entered the political arena after winning as Batangas 1st District Representative in the 2025 elections. Even in less than a year, he was already embroiled in different controversies, such as his allegation that House members received a P2 million Christmas bonus each. He has also been exposing corruption activities in public infrastructure spending.

Amid these claims, the Department of Energy (DOE) also hit Leviste over SPPHI’s idle projects, drawing a hefty P24-billion fine.

The Energy Regulatory Commission previously said Solar Para Sa Bayan Corp., another firm under Leviste’s business, could face up to P150 million in penalty over alleged illegal and high power charges in Occidental Mindoro.

Just last week, the Office of the Ombudsman ordered Senator Loren Legarda and her son Leviste to answer plunder and graft complaints against them over the latter’s failure to deliver solar power committed under a congressional franchise.

Conservation officials are stepping up efforts to protect one of Samar’s rarest treasures after signs of possible illegal timber poaching and other human disturbances near areas where the endangered Samar rafflesia grows.

The Protected Area Management Office-Samar Island Natural Park (PAMO-SINP), in partnership with the local government unit of Basey, recently conducted a communication, education, and public awareness campaign to encourage residents to help protect Rafflesia manillana and its remaining habitat, which is mainly located in Barangay Guirang.

The Samar rafflesia is classified as endangered under Administrative Order No. 2026-20 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which places greater urgency on protecting both the species and the forest environment where it occurs.

The community campaign was conducted after conservation personnel saw signs of possible illegal timber poaching and other disturbances in and around areas known to support Rafflesia.

Officials explained to residents that protecting the plant is particularly challenging because the rafflesia has an unusual life cycle. Unlike ordinary plants, rafflesia has no stems, leaves, or roots, and cannot survive independently. It depends on a specific host vine for nutrients and requires an intact forest environment to complete its life cycle.

This makes the species especially vulnerable to activities that disturb or destroy its forest habitat. Even when the Rafflesia is not directly collected or damaged, removing trees and vegetation around its habitat can affect the conditions for the plant to survive and reproduce.

PAMO-SINP personnel pointed to the ecological importance of R. manillana, its endangered status, and the community’s role in protecting the forest ecosystem that supports it.

Residents were also encouraged to monitor their surroundings and report suspected illegal activities that could threaten the rafflesia or its habitat.

The orientation included discussions on Republic Act No. 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018, which covers ecosystems and biodiversity within protected areas and prohibits unauthorized activities that damage, alter, or destroy protected habitats and wildlife.

For conservation officials, protecting Samar rafflesia is not simply about preserving a rare flower. Because the species is closely tied to its host vine and forest environment, its survival indicates the health and integrity of the wider ecosystem.

The forests of Samar provide habitat for numerous plant and animal species while also supporting communities that depend on forest resources. Protecting remaining Rafflesia habitat therefore forms part of a broader effort to conserve the island’s biodiversity.

Vice President Sara Duterte’s spokesperson could emerge as a pivotal witness when the Senate impeachment trial enters its ninth week on Tuesday, as prosecutors turn to the paper trail behind the alleged misuse of P112.5 million in confidential funds at the Department of Education (DepEd).

Michael Poa, now also one of Duterte’s defense lawyers, is expected to face questions about military certifications he helped obtain for DepEd, where Duterte served as secretary for two years until June 2024.

Poa will be called to the witness stand after retired Col. Manaros Boransing II and Col. Magtangol Panopio, who are expected to shed light on certifications cited by DepEd in responding to Commission on Audit (COA) findings.

House prosecution adviser Robert Ace Barbers said prosecutors would examine certifications used to justify fund releases, including those tied to youth summits organized by DepEd.

Why Poa matters

The House prosecution team views Poa, who also served as an undersecretary and chief of staff at DepEd, as crucial because he figured in the agency’s response to the audit findings.

During a 2024 House inquiry, DepEd Undersecretary Nolasco Mempin testified that Poa requested military certifications for the agency’s response to a COA audit observation memorandum.

Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega V described Poa as a ‘central figure’ in the impeachment case, saying the Senate proceedings could clarify his earlier statements.

‘His statements to the good government [committee] when he was a resource person are still incomplete … Now we are in the impeachment court and I believe this is the proper forum to clarify the questions,’ Ortega said in Filipino.

Poa said last week he was ready to testify and did not intend to invoke attorney-client privilege unless necessary. Ortega said prosecutors were prepared for whatever Poa might say or invoke.

‘He is the mouth of the Vice President and you cannot speak, you cannot defend, you cannot honor your words if you don’t know … all the details and you don’t know the whole process. That’s how important he is to the trial,’ Ortega said.

Poa’s testimony could help establish who sought the military certifications, why they were obtained and how they were used to support the release and liquidation of confidential funds.

Fajarda sidelined

The prosecution’s original witness for the DepEd transactions, special disbursing officer Edward Fajarda, will not testify Tuesday after suffering a stroke. His appearance has been reset to Sept. 7.

Fajarda was supposed to testify on his role in disbursing and liquidating P112.5 million in confidential funds from the first to third quarters of 2023.

At least six people were killed, and several others were wounded in a road accident at midday Tuesday in Barangay Paglaum, Dumalinao town, Zamboanga del Sur.

Authorities initially reported that the road crash involved a van and a motorcycle.

The ill-fated van reportedly came from Zamboanga Sibugay before it crashed upon reaching Barangay Poblacion, Dumalinao.

Bodies were seen lying on the road covered with cartons or plastic sheets.

Clearing operations are ongoing as emergency responders continue to assist victims.

Local officials have yet to release the identities of the casualties pending notification of their families.

They also have yet to release an official report on how the accident transpired.

Agricultural damage from the enhanced southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay and Neneng nears P3 billion

In its latest bulletin, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported that the farm sector sustained P2.84 billion in losses as of Tuesday.

The figure is 22.4 percent higher than the P2.32 billion recorded by the agency on Aug. 27.

The weather disturbances affected 72,803 farmers and fishers in the regions of Cordillera, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol and Western Visayas.

Typhoons damaged 63,921 metric tons (MT) of farm produce spanning 64,234 hectares of agricultural land.

Of the total, rice accounted for nearly 50 percent or P1.42 billion. High-value crops followed with 26.8 percent (P761.43 million) and fisheries with 14.53 percent (P412.84 million).

‘Further damage and losses are expected in affected regions as assessment and validation are ongoing,’ the DA said.