Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Forensic Group of the Philippine National Police said on Monday that 50 of the 71 bodies recovered from MV June Aster, a ferry which caught fire and ran aground in Coron, Palawan, last month, have been identified and cross-matched through DNA testing.

‘So currently, the process now is in Phase 4 [which is] reconciliation at the same time our identification of the 71 cadavers. Currently, we have identified and crossmatched 50 of those cadavers,’ PNP Forensic Group director Brig. Gen. Pierre Paul Carpio said in a press briefing.

‘So we have the remaining 21 cadavers for crossmatching,’ Carpio added, saying they have all the victims’ records needed for the process.

The PNP earlier sent Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and Scene of the Crime Operatives teams to the area to help identify the deceased.

After the DVI process, the results are sent to the local government unit, which then coordinates with the relatives of the victims.

Carpio said the DNA identification process has not encountered significant difficulties, adding that they ‘clean all [laboratories] for decontamination and sterility’ after every case.

Misdeclared cargo

The MV June Aster, operated by Atienza Interisland Ferries, was on its way to Palawan from Manila when it caught fire on Sept. 9 and later ran aground off Coron. Of the 128 passengers and crew members listed on the manifest, 77 died while 43 survived. Eight more were reportedly missing.

Of the 77 fatalities, 71 were retrieved from the vessel, five from the sea while one died in the hospital.

For its part, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is looking into whether misdeclared cargo aboard the ferry may have contributed to the fire.

It earlier filed a complaint against ferry captain Roel Sarmiento for allegedly falsifying a public document certifying the ship had complied with safety regulations.

PCG investigators are still trying to establish the cause of the fire after survivors reported hearing a loud explosion from the cargo deck seconds before flames appeared. The ferry was carrying an electric vehicle (EV) at the time.

LeBron James and Joel Embiid were among the healthy inactives for the Philadelphia 76ers in their preseason opener Monday night against the NBA champion New York Knicks.

All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey also sat out. Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe were the lone regular starters in the lineup.

Brown, who was acquired by Philadelphia in a trade for Paul George, only played in the first half and led the 76ers’ 120-97 win with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field. Edgecombe added 12 points and seven assists. The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Knicks.

James signed a free-agent deal with the Sixers over the summer. He is a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP and a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team.

James, Embiid and the full healthy roster played in a public scrimmage on Saturday on the 76ers’ home court.

The Department of Education (DepEd) has expanded its Kaagapay Program nationwide to equip more parents, guardians, and caregivers with practical tools to act as co-educators – preventing bullying, fostering positive discipline, and reinforcing values among students.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. stressed the program’s significance when he and Education Secretary Sonny Angara met with participating parents during a recent Kaagapay session at Patul Elementary School in Santiago City, Isabela.

According to a DepEd statement on Monday, the program was established in January this year, guided by DepEd Memorandum No. 002, s. 2026, and harmonized with the Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) Program under Republic Act No. 11908.

The Kaagapay Program reinforces the ‘crucial partnership’ between home and school in safeguarding children and serves as DepEd’s proactive framework to trace the root causes of behavioral and emotional challenges among students before they escalate.

During his interaction with the parents, Marcos expressed deep concern over recent violent incidents in schools, emphasizing the urgent need for a unified approach involving schools, families, communities, and government agencies.

‘It’s saddening to see [these] incidents in some schools… We have to monitor these closely,’ Marcos said in Filipino.

‘We need to work together – not only the police, not only the teachers, not only the parents, not only the government. We need to unite and work together. Let’s guard our youth closely,’ he added.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted that empowering parents as co-educators at home would serve as the primary defense line against campus violence and bullying.

‘We can’t solve violence in schools if we only act inside the classroom. The home is our first defense,’ Angara said.

‘Let’s talk to our children every day. Let’s listen to what they’re going through and interact with their teachers and schools. We have to learn to notice the red flags and the changes in behavior of children before it turns into harm or bullying,’ he added.

According to Angara, stakeholders can ensure that students will remain safe, guided, and cared for by working together to make them feel supported.

Under the Kaagapay Program, parents and caregivers will participate in sessions dealing with the following concerns:

socio-emotional support

positive and nonviolent discipline

open communication

digital safety

early identification of protection concerns

appropriate reporting and referral mechanisms=

In partnership with Stairway Foundation Inc. (SFI), DepEd developed a parenting session guide and toolkit, while its partnership with Meta Philippines supports the Training of Trainers Program.

The program is being progressively rolled out across all regions, with some areas already conducting sessions with parents and caregivers – namely, the Cordillera Administrative Region, Metro Manila, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, and Bicol.

DepEd is also strengthening collaboration with parent-teacher associations and school governing councils to integrate parent education directly into broader school governance and student protection frameworks.

A 51-year-old farmer sustained a head injury after he was allegedly struck by another farmer with the assault victim’s bolo on Monday.

The altercation began after the 51-year-old farmer confronted the suspect, a 67-year-old farmer, whose employee had mistakenly harvested a part of the victim’s rice crop, police said.

The police said the confrontation turned violent because both men were armed with farming tools – the 51-year-old had a ‘tabas (bolo)’ while the 67-year-old had a ‘palot (knife).’

During the struggle, the suspect allegedly grabbed the victim’s arm and used the ‘tabas’ to hack him on the head.

Other farmers intervened and stopped the fight.

The victim was taken to the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City, where he was treated and later discharged as an outpatient

Police recovered the bolo and knife allegedly used in the incident and have detained the suspect at the Calasiao police station.

Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Atty. Ronel Buenaventura affirms that AMLC records do not show Chinese companies that remitted funds to Calle 88 Foods Corporation were acting on behalf of the Chinese government or that the Chinese government funneled money to the company.

Buenaventura’s afirmation was made after defense counsel lawyer Mark Vinluan raised the points during cross-examination.

If substantiated [and verified] by competent authorities, charges could be pressed against those who have been on China’s payroll,’ Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. told me during our conversation for my ‘View from Manila’ television show when asked about allegations against Vice President Sara Duterte and other members of the dynasty.

The allegations by former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV have reawakened long-dormant fears over a ‘Manchurian Candidate’ conspiracy. For almost a decade, the firebrand former senator alleged that the Davao-based Duterte dynasty thrived on a toxic cocktail of traditional politics (trapo) tactics, brutal iron-fist rule, and, potentially treasonously, a reliance on massive cash flows from agents of hostile foreign powers.

In particular, Trillanes alleged that the Chinese government funneled up to P319 million via proxies into the CALLE88 Foods Corp., a company linked to the Vice President’s spouse. Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Manila donated up to P150 million to the Tapang at Malasakit Alliance for the Philippines Inc., which counts the Vice President among its trustees.

Worse, the former senator also alleged that members of the Duterte dynasty were basically on the payroll of Beijing via a suspected drug lord. Businessman Sammy Uy allegedly paid P181.6 million to key members of the political family, with the largest amount going to its youngest members. The Vice President’s camp has categorically denied the explosive allegations. Her spokesman characterized Trillanes’ claims as ‘malicious fabrications’ and ‘ black propaganda.’

The Chinese Embassy was equally emphatic. ‘We strongly condemn and firmly oppose such malicious rhetoric and actions,’ Chinese Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng said in a statement. Unironically, it urged the relevant parties to refrain from ‘political manipulation’ and letting domestic political squabbles poison bilateral ties.

Nevertheless, Trillanes’ allegations merit a serious examination by our authorities, regardless of whether they will be raised directly in the impeachment trial. Lest we forget, the Alice Guo scandal shows that ‘political manipulation’ is already underway. Local offices and officials have been targeted and, in some cases, compromised by malign interference operations. According to intelligence sources, there are even attempts to manipulate survey agencies in addition to quasi-academic institutions, pop-up ‘think tanks,’ and riffraff content creators along with washed-up and compromised pseudo-journalists.

During my research fellowship in Taiwan back in 2019 and throughout regular visits to the democratic island nation in succeeding years, it became clear to me that malign interference is now the new normal in geopolitics. China’s brazen incursions into Batanes last week-just months after a so-called ‘academic’ gathering in China talked up a new shibboleth about supposed ‘ancient’ sovereign claims over our northernmost islands-is yet another proof that the West Philippine Sea and Taiwan theaters have now consolidated into a single realm of contestation between us and Beijing.

What frontline democracies confront now is hybrid warfare that has a clear potential of turning into a kinetic one in the not-so-distant future. As John Czin, who previously led the China portfolio at Biden’s national security council, warns in a recent Foreign Affairs magazine article, Beijing’s leadership is under growing pressure to ‘reunify’ with the self-ruling island nation by the end of this decade. After all, the pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party is expected to win presidential races for the foreseeable future amid hardening of exclusively ‘Taiwanese’ identity among the vast majority of the country’s residents.

United States President Donald Trump’s disastrous war in Iran, which has depleted much of America’s critical munitions and unleashed a global economic crisis, has only strengthened Beijing’s hands in our region. Worse, Iran’s successful military counterstrikes, including the ‘de-basification’ of US military facilities across the Persian Gulf, could provide a tantalizing blueprint for the well-equipped People’s Liberation Army. ‘China is deriving [numerous] valuable lessons from the Iran War,’ Czin told me in a recent interview for my ‘Deep Dive’ podcast, where we discussed the implications of the so-called ‘Second Missile Age.’ Midsized powers such as Iran have shown that ‘precise mass’ -the ability to mass-produce and rapidly deploy affordable yet high-tech missiles and drones-could severely erode the West’s conventional military edge.

Moving forward, therefore, we need a ‘whole-of-society resilience’ initiative and, crucially, systematic investment in our own ‘precise mass’ defense production capacity, which doesn’t require the traditional top-heavy, multibillion platforms. I will discuss the precise contours of a new national defense strategy under a ‘Project 2028’ comprehensive blueprint in my next column.

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is looking to secure as much as P45 billion in total funding this year to cushion farmers and fisherfolk from a looming super El Niño.

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said the P45-billion requirement would fund interventions across the agriculture sector, including fuel and fertilizer subsidies, irrigation support and other measures to sustain production as dry conditions intensify.

Tiu Laurel said El Niño, which climate experts expected to worsen to a ‘very strong event,’ might last until April 2027.

Already, the DA is moving ahead with an initial P6.2-billion El Niño aid package expected to benefit about 300,000 farmers and fisherfolk, with the largest tranche of assistance scheduled for November as the government prepares for the next planting season.

Fuel aid for fisherfolk would begin rolling out this week, while subsidies for mechanized farmers could be released before the end of October as the DA finalizes its list of beneficiaries.

Under the Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food and Transport (Uplift) framework, about 300,000 farmers and fisherfolk are expected to benefit from a P3-billion budget for a one-time P5,000 fuel subsidy that covers agricultural machinery and equipment such as tractors and motorized bancas.

Priority would be given to areas already affected by drought and other weather disturbances, including Isabela province and other major agricultural areas, Tiu Laurel said.

Apart from fuel subsidies, El Niño support is expected to cover fertilizer aid.

Among the broader interventions being considered are additional fuel subsidies for irrigation pumps and other farm machinery, more tractors and harvesters, and fertilizer support.

The Department plans to intensify planting in areas with sufficient irrigation, including by increasing rice seeding rates, while encouraging farmers in water-stressed areas to shift to drought-resistant crops such as mung beans and vegetables.

‘We are watching things very closely, actually on a day-to-day basis,’ Tiu Laurel said.

Despite the risks, Tiu Laurel said the Philippines has enough supplies of key food commodities heading into the final months of the year.

Households with unpaid electricity bills will continue to get relief as the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is set to extend the no-disconnection policy until December.

‘We’re targeting until the end of the year, then we will assess from there on what [will be our next move],’ ERC Chair Francis Saturnino Juan said on Monday on the sidelines of the Asean Ministers on Energy Meeting in Pasay City.

But he said the no-disconnection policy would be limited to smaller consumers, or residents consuming 200 kilowatt-hours or less monthly, as the measure meant to ease consumers’ financial burden has affected distribution utilities and electric cooperatives.

‘We have also received numerous requests from our utilities, including electric cooperatives, because of the no-disconnection policy that applies to all of their customers, including large commercial and industrial customers. Many of their customers are not able to pay their bills on time,’ Juan said.

‘However, the utilities still need to pay their suppliers, including NGCP (National Grid Corp. of the Philippines), on time. As a result, their cash flow is being affected. Their operations are becoming financially tight,’ he added.

‘More vulnerable’

The ERC chief said the commission was able to preserve the protection of ‘more vulnerable’ customers as they continue to suffer from elevated costs.

Power disconnections have been suspended following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s declaration of a state of national energy emergency in March amid escalating tensions in the Middle East involving the United States, Israel and Iran.

The war in the oil-producing region continues to cause volatility in fuel prices.

Based on earlier advisories, power distributors were directed to implement flexible payment options to consumers to cushion the impact of persistently high electricity rates.

Generation companies, the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp., National Power Corp., National Transmission Corp., NGCP, independent power producers, and market operators were also ordered to extend a similar payment framework to distribution utilities.

Meanwhile, the ERC has suspended the collection of the green energy auction allowance (GEA-All) in electricity bills until December.

Asked about a possible extension beyond 2026, Juan said they would still need to assess the sufficiency of the GEA-All fund, which is meant to finance renewable energy projects nationwide.

Senator-judge Robin Padilla vehemently denied on Tuesday receiving money from China after admitting involvement with the Tapang at Malasakit Foundation, which supposedly received a P150 million donation from the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines.

Padilla made the denial during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

The foundation, which lists Duterte as a member of its board of trustees, allegedly received the donation, according to former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.

‘Wala po akong natanggap na pera kahit singko sa mga Intsik,’ Padilla told the Senate Impeachment Court.

(I haven’t received money even a centavo, from the Chinese.)

He also asked that he and his colleagues not be linked to the alleged payments from China.

‘Tutal hindi naman nabanggit dito yung sa Tapang at Malasakit, hinihingi ko na huwag naman kaming madamay lahat, kasi kasama kami diyan eh. Hindi naman ‘yan nabanggit sa korte, binanggit ‘yan ni former Sen. Trillanes na hindi sa korteng ito,’ Padilla said.

(Since the Tapang and Malasakit issue was not mentioned here, I request that we not all be implicated, because we are all part of it. That was not mentioned in court; former Sen. Trillanes mentioned that, not in this court.)

Padilla did not name which of his co-lawmakers are also involved with the foundation.

Mynt Inc., the parent company of the group behind GCash, opened its approximately P53-billion initial public offering (IPO), with subscriptions available through the GCash app starting at P660.

On Tuesday, Mynt said on Tuesday that the offer runs from Oct. 6 to 12 at P6.60 per share. Through GStocks PH, offered by AB Capital Securities Inc., investors can order a minimum of 100 shares.

Orders placed on Oct. 6 and 7 will have their first 100 shares allocated in real time, while shares last.

Additional shares will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to availability. Order fulfillment begins Oct. 8.

Mynt said more than 20 global and local institutions account for 70 percent of the allocation.

These include funds and accounts managed by relevant BlackRock subsidiaries, the International Finance Corp. and the trust units of BPI and Metrobank.

Full exercise of the overallotment option would bring the offering to approximately P60.9 billion, making it the country’s largest IPO, according to Mynt.

The company is scheduled to list on the Philippine Stock Exchange’s main board on Oct. 20 under the ticker GCASH.