Philippines Daily Inquirer – Page 83 – Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Ombudsman: Courts have been ‘too forgiving’ of graft convicts

The Supreme Court should ‘police the judiciary’ and look into cases of individuals convicted of graft who have been able to post bail at the discretion of lower courts, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Saturday.

Remulla made the statement on the same day the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) announced the opening for the position of Chief Justice.

The former justice secretary was frustrated with how the Sandiganbayan and regional trial courts (RTCs) have been handling graft and corruption cases that could drag on for years, even decades.

‘The problem is courts are too forgiving that they do not imprison those that should be imprisoned,’ Remulla stressed in his weekly radio show, ‘Executive Session,’ on dzRH. ‘If you have been convicted by a lower court, convicted by the Sandiganbayan, convicted by the RTC for graft, you should already be in prison.’

‘Hopefully the Supreme Court, of course they are our friends, should police the judiciary properly. They should really monitor [the cases] and set deadlines,’ he added.

Under the Rules of Court, being admitted to bail even after conviction of graft or violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act that are not punishable by reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment is subject to the trial court’s discretion.

Remulla stressed that courts are too lenient when it comes to such cases even when those found guilty already lost ‘presumption of innocence’ and their right to bail.

Search for new chief justice

He said if they push through with the rules on allowing bail, the grant should be steep and should be set at the cost of damage committed by the convicted person.

Remulla noted that his office is already working on an inventory showing the status of individuals sentenced to prison upon conviction of graft-whether they indeed went to prison or they were able to escape serving time because they were granted bail.

But he said that it is still up to the courts, especially the Supreme Court, on how to properly implement bail rules and how to expedite resolution of cases.

The JBC said it would be accepting until Oct. 13 this year applications and recommendations for the new top magistrate who will succeed Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, who is set to retire on Nov. 6.

Gesmundo became the 27th chief justice of the Supreme Court in April 2021, a little over a year before President Rodrigo Duterte finished his term. He was a Sandiganbayan justice before Duterte appointed him to the high tribunal as associate justice in 2017.

Next to him by seniority is Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen, who was appointed to the Supreme Court in 2010 by then President Benigno Aquino III.

Of the current 15 high court justices, including Gesmundo, only Leonen and Justice Alfredo Caguioa were appointees of Aquino; and only Justice Raul Villanueva was appointed by President Marcos.

The rest were appointed by Duterte, including Justice Filomena Singh, who was appointed at the eleventh hour, just a month before the ex-President stepped down in June 2022.

Laguna de Bay breaches critical mark – LLDA

The Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) urged residents living along the shores of Laguna de Bay to remain vigilant after the lake’s water level rose above its critical high-water mark on Saturday afternoon amid persistent rains brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon, or ‘habagat.’

‘Due to persistent torrential rains brought by the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) and a Low Pressure Area (LPA), the water level of Laguna de Bay has exceeded its critical high mark of 12.50 meters, reaching 12.58 meters,’ the LLDA said in an advisory issued shortly before 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 29.

The agency said the 12.58-meter water level was recorded at 3 p.m. The LLDA considers 10.50 meters the lake’s critical low-water level and 12.50 meters its critical high-water level.

‘Residents living along the shores of Laguna de Bay are strongly advised to remain vigilant and closely monitor official public announcements,’ the agency said.

It also advised lakeshore residents to prepare for possible flooding and strictly follow local evacuation protocols if heavy rainfall persists.

The state weather bureau had earlier raised a red rainfall warning over Metro Manila and eight areas in Luzon due to heavy rains associated with the southwest monsoon.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned of potentially dangerous flooding in areas under the red warning.

According to the LLDA, Laguna de Bay had reached its critical high-water level of 12.50 meters in the past week before rising further to 12.58 meters on Saturday.

The agency noted that Laguna de Bay serves as a natural catch basin for water from watersheds in Laguna and Rizal provinces, as well as parts of Metro Manila. Rising lake levels therefore increase the risk of flooding in low-lying communities along its shores.

The LLDA urged local government units (LGUs) and residents in vulnerable areas to remain prepared and closely monitor developments.

Authorities were also advised to keep drainage systems and tributary rivers leading to the lake clear of obstructions to help minimize flood risks.

Located between Laguna province to the south and Rizal province to the north, Laguna de Bay is the Philippines’ largest lake and one of Southeast Asia’s largest freshwater lakes by surface area, covering approximately 911 to 949 square kilometers.

Employees turn entrepreneurs for a cause

For one day, doing business at Security Bank Corp. meant more than ringing up sales.

Employees behind small businesses sold their products at the Frederick Dy-led bank’s annual People’s Fair Marketplace, knowing that every booth also carried a chance to help someone stay in school.

The marketplace formed part of Security Bank’s 75th anniversary celebration, turning employee entrepreneurship into support for the Security Bank Foundation’s ‘Regalo Mo, Kinabukasan Ko (RMKK) Scholarship Program.’

Held at the SMX Convention Center Manila, the fair gathered businesses run by Security Bank employees.

Participation fees paid by exhibitors were donated to the foundation to help fund the education of deserving but underprivileged students.

For the employees who joined, it gave an ordinary marketplace a different purpose.

Kimberly Malka Soner, a relationship manager from the corporate banking group, says learning where the booth fees will go made participating even more worthwhile.

‘It’s a great opportunity to sell while giving back,’ Soner says.

That support goes to a scholarship program that is now running in its 16th year.

RMKK provides educational assistance to Security Bank’s agency-hired personnel, including janitors, security guards, messengers, drivers and other support staff, as well as their children.

For the academic year 2026 to 2027, the program is supporting 87 scholars, extending educational opportunities to families with limited financial means.

For Jan Jethro Puzon, another relationship manager from the corporate banking group, the fair also brought something personal to the table.

‘I have always believed in giving back-whether through my personal life, our church, or simply helping others when I can,’ says Puzon. ‘Joining the People’s Fair was a chance to support a cause I care about while also cheering on my wife’s baking business.’

That combination-employees becoming entrepreneurs while helping students-has made the annual marketplace an expression of generosity within the bank’s community.

Along with the Security Bank Foundation’s ‘Adopt a Scholar’ campaign, proceeds from the initiative help finance scholarships.

‘The People’s Fair gave us the chance to showcase our products, connect with the Security Bank community, and at the same time support initiatives that help students achieve their educational goals,’ shares Jose Gil Puey IV, an information technology officer.

For the scholars themselves, business banking segment officer Tristan Joseph Legaspi had a simple message: remain persistent, keep pursuing education and trust that the determination to finish their studies will eventually pay off.

‘Keep your persistence and drive for continuous education, and remain hopeful that your determination to finish your studies will eventually be rewarded,’ Legaspi enthuses.

The public can also contribute to RMKK through the foundation’s Adopt a Scholar campaign.

Established in 1951, Security Bank is marking its 75th anniversary this year. The universal bank operates across retail, corporate, commercial and business banking, among other financial services.

But at its anniversary marketplace, the currency was not limited to money changing hands.

For employees, every booth fee became something that could last beyond the fair itself-a little more help toward keeping a student in school and, perhaps, opening the door to a brighter future.

Gilas Pilipinas hopes Carl Tamayo recovers in time after ankle sprain

Coach Tim Cone is holding out hope that Carl Tamayo would be fine after suffering a sprained ankle in Gilas Pilipinas’ 82-81 overtime victory over Jordan in the fourth window of the Fiba World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.

Tamayo left with 7:58 left in the third quarter after rolling his left ankle while driving to the hoop and spent the rest of the thrilling encounter at Mall of Asia Arena playing the role of cheerleader.

While Tamayo was able to walk on his own, Cone said his status and availability for Sunday’s crucial tiff with Iran at the same venue will depend on his recovery.

‘Right now, he can walk. But beyond that, it’s swollen. It’s a sprained ankle,’ Cone said. ‘We’ll give him the treatment tonight, and tomorrow and we’ll see how he is at that point.’

That also puts Cone to ponder whether he’ll make a slight change to his 12-man roster, with RJ Abarrientos and Justin Arana part of the pool.

Abarrientos and Arana were the last two cuts for the window, but Fiba rules allow changes during the window, provided the players are in the official pool.

Cone, however, would rather stick with the status quo.

‘In the meantime, we still have RJ and Justin on the list,’ he said. ‘Those two guys could fill in for Carl, if necessary. Hopefully, it won’t be necessary.’

Before going down, Tamayo was one of the bright spots for Gilas with eight points, including a three-pointer to end the half, cutting Jordan’s lead to 44-39, a shot Cone described as uplifting.

Filipinas unfazed despite being in tough Asian Games bracket

The Philippine women’s football team believes it will be up for a daunting task of just getting out of the group stage in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, which will also serve as a preparation leg for next year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup.

Coach Mark Torcaso’s side is in Group G with China and two familiar opponents in Uzbekistan and Hong Kong, with the top two teams and possibly the third placer advancing to the quarterfinals.

‘I think all the groups are tough groups in their own individual ways. I think our group is a tough group,’ Torcaso said after the Philippine Football Federation recently released the team composition for the quadrennial meet set Sept. 14 to Oct. 2.

The Filipinas have not faced China since losing 3-0 the 2018 Asian Cup, while it was Uzbekistan that they defeated 2-0 in a play-in match in this year’s Asian Cup to secure qualification to the World Cup.

Meanwhile, the Philippines nipped Hong Kong, 1-0, in 2025 at the Asian Cup Qualifiers.

‘We’ve got Hong Kong-(who) we narrowly beat to qualify for the Asian Cup as well-who are also a very good team, and we also know how good China is,’ Torcaso said. ‘We haven’t played China ever since I’ve been here. China is a great team and it gives us a chance to play against a very, very good team.

‘But again, this Asian Games is also about preparing us for the World Cup,’ he added.

The Philippines faces Uzbekistan to open its Asian Games campaign on Sept. 14, before facing Hong Kong on Sept. 17 and China on Sept. 21.

Veterans Olivia McDaniel, Hali Long, Angela Beard, Katrina Guillou and Jaclyn Sawicki, plus Mallie Ramirez and Isabella Pasion headline the Filipinas’ roster.

In 2023, the Filipinas reached the quarterfinals of the Hangzhou Asiad led by striker Sarina Bolden, before being battered by eventual champion Japan.

Embracing the food that embraces us

One cloudy morning last year, my partner and I met the residents of the Aeta neighborhood who welcomed us to their sacred ancestral land.

After our hike, we were presented with a very simple dish for lunch: a bowl of boiled chicken, its hot broth, and unfamiliar green leaves. The Aetas call this binukaw, derived from the leaves of the binukaw tree (Scientific name: Garcinia binucao) from the forest. The young leaves and its fruits serve as souring agents, like the non-native sampalok used in typical sour Filipino dishes like sinigang. Some communities across the Philippines would use this food ingredient for the same purpose, according to the documentation of Lokalpedia.

Binukaw has only five ingredients: chicken, binukaw leaves, water, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. While it seems simple, the broth is very rich with flavor-just the right mix of savory and sour. A spoonful tastes like a warm embrace. A hot broth paired with a cup of steamed rice perfectly complemented the drizzling weather. How did they know the meal we needed at that moment?

I grew up in the city not knowing anything much about our rich food heritage from different parts of our country. Here, I realized how long I was disconnected from the simple gifts of our own forests, like the heartwarming taste of binukaw.

Perhaps today’s bias on our food heritage is a product of our colonial past. During the Spanish colonial period, large-scale monocultures replaced subsistence agriculture that dominated in our precolonial history. Non-native cash crops were introduced, such as corn, tobacco, tomatoes, and potatoes. That historic shift threatened native food biodiversity toward near-extinction and displaced our traditional foodways that had sustained the Philippines for centuries.

When the American period came, colonial mentality was further embedded in the Filipino foodways by setting Western systems above indigenous foodways, leaving lasting legacies on dietary habits and cultural attitudes toward food. The American colonial government reinforced such cultural superiority through education, policy, and advertisements, shaping how Filipinos ate and how they saw themselves. Everything Western merged at the center-front, while what was native to us was pushed to the periphery.

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’Eala-mania’ a reason why US Open ticket prices reach all-time high

Alex Eala has helped drive ticket prices to all-time high levels as the US Open gets off the ground at the Flushing Meadows in New York on Friday (Saturday in Manila), with the Filipino superstar taking the court against a yet-to-be-named qualifier on Sunday morning.

‘Price increases for the US Open this year reflect big names like Serena Williams, Carlos Alcaraz and Alex Eala, setting records in anticipation of getting to see these huge stars perform,’ Yahoo Sports’ contributing writer Shlomo Sprung quoted Michael Stock, GameTime’s director of pricing and business strategy, as saying in a report published Friday.

According to Sprung’s report, average ticket prices this year ballooned from $196 in 2022 to $346 (around P21,100) this year, where the average Armstrong ticket price is up 52 percent year-over-year.

The 21-year-old Eala, a former US Open girls’ champion, is seeded 17th in New York and belongs to the quarterfinal draw of Coco Gauff, who won the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open event, 6-2, 6-4, over Jessica Pegula last week in Ohio.

Her breakout tournament in Miami in the previous year signaled the start of a new form of madness in how live matches are being attended, as Filipino communities, wherever Eala plays, come out in droves to show support, a following that earned the name ‘Eala-mania.’

Even other WTA stars welcomed this development as something good for the sport.

Should Eala, who broke through at the WTA level by ruling the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, also against Pegula, advance to the second round anew, she will face the winner of the Oleksandra Oliynykova-Reese Brantmeier match. Brantmeier made the main draw as a wildcard.

Also on her side of the draw are No. 14 seed Iva Jovic, who takes on Magdalena Frech, and Magda Linette, who also faces a qualifier in the first round.

In the previous year, the Filipino tennis ace reached the Round of 64 after beating Clara Tauson in a breakthrough Grand Slam win.

Alcaraz, meanwhile, will be making his first tournament appearance in singles play since April. He played in the mixed doubles and was forced out of the first round with his team-up with the legendary Serena Williams.

Alcaraz is the No. 2 seed and will face Roman Safiullin. The two-time US Open champion was forced to miss the French Open and Wimbledon because of a right wrist injury.

The Spaniard looked rusty in the mixed doubles tournament. He may have to be sharper against Safiullin, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, upsetting Andrey Rublev and Joao Fonseca along the way before falling to 24-time Grand Slam singles champion Novak Djokovic in four sets.

Safiullin also upset Alcaraz, ranked No. 2 at the time, in the ATP Masters 1000 in Paris in 2023. Alcaraz avenged that loss the following year at the Paris Olympics in their lone other meeting

Olongapo hospital hits full capacity amid rise in leptospirosis cases

The James L. Gordon Memorial Hospital (JLGMH) in Olongapo City has reached full bed capacity amid a continuing increase in patients, including suspected and confirmed cases of leptospirosis.

In a public advisory on Friday, Aug. 28, the hospital said that despite the situation, its emergency room remains open and patients will continue to undergo proper triage and medical assessment.

However, with all inpatient beds occupied, patients who require admission may experience delays.

When necessary, the hospital will coordinate referrals to other appropriate health facilities based on the patient’s condition and the level of care required.

JLGMH also said pediatric patients who may require dialysis, particularly children weighing less than 30 kilograms, will be carefully assessed by doctors on a case-by-case basis.

Patients who require a higher or more specialized level of care will be referred to an appropriate facility to ensure their safety and proper management.

‘We ask for the public’s understanding and cooperation as our doctors, nurses, and hospital staff continue to do everything they can to provide safe and proper care to every patient amid the current surge,’ the hospital’s statement said in Filipino.

For non-emergency conditions, the public was encouraged to seek appropriate outpatient or primary care services to help ease congestion in the emergency room

CJ Perez embraces clutch role for Gilas Pilipinas without Brownlee

Since his call-up to Gilas Pilipinas, Justin Brownlee has always played the role of ‘Mr. Clutch’ for the Philippines.

When the Philippines found itself in overtime against Jordan in the second round of the Fiba World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, it needed someone to take on the mantle of savior with Brownlee out.

Enter CJ Perez.

‘My coaches just trusted me. They kept telling me to attack the basket and drive to the paint,’ he told reporters after their gritty 82-81 overtime win over Jordan at Mall of Asia Arena on Friday.

‘When I drive, sometimes others are open and sometimes, I can shoot it.’

FOURTH QUARTER CJ

CJ Perez talks about taking over Gilas Pilipinas in the clutch vs. Jordan. | @MeloFuertesINQ

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– INQUIRER Sports (@inquirersports) August 28, 2026

After Jordan took a 66-64 lead with 3:57 left in the fourth quarter, Perez took matters into his own hands and scored the Philippines’ final six points to send the game into overtime tied at 72-all.

He also went on to sink four of Gilas’ 10 points in the extra period.

‘When you’re in situations like those, sometimes you don’t even think about things,’ he said. ‘But, I have my confidence given by my teammates because I was shooting well. I’m proud that my teammates are proud of me.’

The San Miguel Beer star knew when to attack but also when to make the timely plays.

With the score tied at 79, Perez drove the paint once more but this time, kicked it out for a wide-open Kevin Quiambao, who sank the dagger for the Philippines with 11.7 left in the game.

‘Luckily, KQ was there, I saw him and he made the shot. He has so much confidence and I’m proud of him,’ Perez said proudly.

In the end, the four-time PBA champion recorded 16 points, four rebounds and one very important assist.

Airfares face fresh hike as fuel surcharge rises

Philippine travelers must brace for more expensive airfares in early September as the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB) has again raised the allowable fuel surcharge, which airlines charge on top of base fares to account for volatility in jet fuel prices.

In an advisory dated Aug. 27, the regulator said the fuel surcharge would revert to Level 13 from Sept. 1 to 15 after retreating to Level 12 from Aug. 16 to 31, as prices in the global jet fuel market drifted higher.

Under Level 13, airlines may collect an additional P423 to P1,237 for domestic trips, up from the P389 to P1,137 in allowable surcharges under Level 12.

That same increase will apply to international flights, with allowable fuel surcharges rising to between P1,396.74 to P10,385.42 from P1,284.40 and P9,550.13 in the previous cycle.

CAB said airlines would add these charges on top of base fares and apply a conversion rate of P61.39 per US dollar.

The increase comes amid continued volatility in the global jet fuel market as the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway through which about a fifth of the world’s oil passes, remains largely closed in the absence of a firm peace agreement between the warring United States and Iran.

Based on monitoring by the International Air Transport Association, jet fuel prices recorded two straight weekly increases-to $163.87 per barrel as of Aug. 21 from $158.91 per barrel the previous week-after declining in early August and late July.

Such volatility in fuel prices has pronounced effects on airlines, as jet fuel typically account for about 25 percent to 30 percent of their costs.

Two of the largest airlines in the Philippines-Gokongwei-led Cebu Pacific and Lucio Tan-led Philippine Airlines (PAL)-ended the first half in the red as higher fuel costs weighed on their finances, while elevated airfares also pressured travel demand.

PAL ended the first semester with a net loss of $25.1 million as fuel expenses surged to $674.5 million. Cebu Pacific, meanwhile, incurred a P5.9-billion net loss as expenses ballooned to P68.28 billion.