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Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival has urged residents to fly kites responsibly after a rising number of accidents in several barangays and along the Cebu Cordova Link Expressway (CCLEX) turned a cherished summer pastime into a growing public safety concern.

Kite flying has long been a summer tradition in the Philippines, including here in Cebu. It is enjoyed not only by children but also by adults when schools are closed and the winds are favorable.

However, incidents in Pasil, Duljo, Sawang Calero, and other parts of the city have highlighted the risks when kites are flown near busy roads and crowded neighborhoods.

A similar case was also reported along CCLEX recently, stressing how dangerous stray strings can be for motorists.

‘Mga Sugboanon, dili lang ni usa ka insidente, but several cases na ang na record sa lain laing lugar,’ Archival said in a public advisory.

He appealed to kite enthusiasts to shorten the length of their strings, especially in areas close to thoroughfares, to help prevent further accidents.

Motorists, particularly motorcycle riders, were likewise reminded to slow down and stay alert when passing through affected areas.

Kite strings, the mayor warned, can suddenly cross roadways and cause serious injury.

‘Simple actions can save lives. Magtinabangay ta,’ he stressed.

City Hall has already coordinated with CCLEX management, which has deployed personnel alongside roving teams from the city government to monitor kite flying near the bridge and remind residents of precautionary measures.

The advisory also reiterated standard precautions–avoid flying kites near highways, keep strings away from vehicles and power lines, and refrain from using metal or glass coated strings.

Archival also emphasized that community cooperation is vital to keeping the city safe.

‘This is part of our commitment to keeping Cebu City safe. Follow advisories, stay alert, ug amping kanunay, Sugboanon,’ he said.

Authorities also continue to encourage residents to fly kites only in open areas where risks to motorists and pedestrians are minimal.

The Philippine National Police has ordered a full investigation after a PNP vehicle crashed and killed five people under police custody (PUPCs) in Quezon City on April 24.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. directed the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) to prioritize the medical needs of the injured victims and aid the families of the fatalities.

‘We are saddened by this incident. Our hearts go out to the families of the victims. We are treating this with utmost seriousness and urgency,’ Nartatez said.

Initial investigation showed that a police mobile carrying six detainees and four police escorts lost control and crashed into a concrete wall along Payatas Road while heading to the Quezon City Jail.

The PUPCs were rushed to a hospital where five were declared dead on arrival. One remains in critical condition.

The four police officers, a master sergeant and three patrolmen, suffered injuries.

Nartatez ordered the QCPD to preserve evidence and submit immediate reports to determine accountability.

‘If there were lapses, we will not let them pass. Appropriate charges and sanctions will be imposed based on evidence,’ he said.

The driver of the police mobile had been arrested and is now under custody.

Brig. Gen. Glenn Silvio, director of the QCPD, said charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide, multiple physical injuries and damage to property are being prepared against the driver.

Manases Carpio, husband of Vice President Sara Duterte, is set to file today criminal complaints against Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr., Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura and House of Representatives committee on justice chairperson Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro and three other legislators for allegedly disclosing bank records.

In a statement issued yesterday, Carpio said he will file before the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), Bank Secrecy Laws and Data Privacy Act against Remolona, Buenaventura, Luistro, Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila de Lima, and Akbayan party-list Representatives Chel Diokno and Percival Cendaña.

Carpio alleged that Remolona and the others connived to illegally disclose and divulge classified confidential banking records protected under Republic Act 9160 or the AMLA as amended, RA 1405 or the Bank Secrecy Law, and RA 10173 or the Data Privacy Act.

Carpio said he is taking legal action not only to defend his wife and the Duterte family, but to also defend the banking and financial community and the general public.

He explained that under the AMLA, as amended, confidentiality and protection of bank records are absolute and without exception. This is for the security, stability and integrity of the financial and banking system.

Carpio pointed out that even ‘Congress itself enacted Section 8A of AMLA prohibiting disclosure in any manner any reports of banks submitted to AMLC.’

‘There is no exception. The prohibition is absolute. That is what Congress itself enacted to preserve full security against any disclosure of any information or record obtained by the AMLC,’ he added.

But despite the prohibition, Carpio alleged the AMLC and House justice committee leaked various private records of transactions, expanding to insurance payments, time deposits, investments and utility bill payments.

He also described the AMLC leak as ‘diabolical’ because it was reportedly being used as a tool for black propaganda and political harassment, to ruin the good reputation of his wife, Vice President Duterte, and against the Duterte family. ‘AMLA is being weaponized to the max even if illegal and contrary to law, for pure black propaganda with a view to the 2028 national election,’ Carpio said.

Carpio announced his plans to file a criminal complaint after the AMLC revealed that there were reportedly bank accounts tied to him and his wife – that were repeatedly flagged for suspicious and covered transactions from 2006 to 2025 – worth a total of P6.77 billion.

VP’s camp to appeal COA notice

The camp of the Vice President is reportedly considering on appealing before the Supreme Court the P73 million alleged confidential expenses in 2022 that was flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA).

In a recent interview over Bilyonaryo News Channel, Michael Poa, spokesperson for Duterte’s defense team, admitted that ‘I think there is no getting around that’ when asked if they would file an appeal.

He explained that under COA’s own Rule 64, the respondents have 30 days, upon receipt of the decision, to file a motion for reconsideration.

Poa said the Office of the Vice President (OVP), the law firm Fortun, Narvasa and Salazar and his own office have not yet received a copy of the COA’s decision.

If their motion is denied, and if there is still a ‘balance’ or remaining days from the 30-day period, they could still go to the high court.

It was only during the April 14 hearing of the House committee on justice when the defense team learned of COA’s decision that denied Vice President Duterte’s appeal against the Notice of Disallowance on the OVP’s 2022 confidential expenses.

The disallowance was reportedly on the confidential expenses of the OVP from Dec. 21 to 31 in 2022, specifically the P69,787,000 used for the purchase of rewards and P3,500,000 used for the purchase of tables, chairs, desktops, computers and printers.

No authority

The House justice committee didn’t have the authority to pry on the bank accounts of Duterte and her husband, Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Alfredo Garbin Jr. said after the panel allowed the AMLC to make public all their transactions.

Garbin described as ‘legally misplaced’ the interpretation of the committee that the impeachment case of Duterte was among the exemptions stipulated in the Bank Secrecy Law.

‘To characterize committee proceedings as already an ‘impeachment case’ is tantamount to saying that we are already conducting trial at the committee level, which is incorrect and procedurally unsound,’ he said.

‘In short, the committee on justice is not an impeachment court. Its role is preliminary, not adjudicative. The impeachment case, for purposes of invoking legal consequences such as exceptions under RA 1405, only begins upon transmittal to and cognizance by the Senate,’ Garbin insisted.

A more accessible training-to-jobs program is what the 3rd Visayas Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Conference is pressing for, drawing more than 200 technical-vocational leaders and stakeholders from across the Visayas.

Held on April 23-24, 2026, at the Summit Galleria Hotel in Cebu City, the conference also highlighted the need to build resilient and industry-responsive skills ecosystems in the region.

Organized by the Visayas TVET Association (VisTVET) in collaboration with the Unified TVET of the Philippines and supported by the Private Education Assistance Committee, the two-day conference gathered representatives from technical-vocational institutions (TVIs) across Regions VI, VII, VIII, and the Negros Island Region.

Carrying the theme ‘Building Resilient Skills Ecosystems in the Visayas Regions through Quality and Industry-Responsive TVET,’ the event served as a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and collaboration aimed at strengthening the quality and relevance of technical-vocational education in a rapidly evolving workforce.

Officials from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority underscored the critical role of TVIs as frontliners in delivering skills training at the community level.

TESDA Deputy Director General for Administration and Innovation Galo B. Gliño III emphasized that resilience in TVET goes beyond recovery, noting that institutions must remain adaptive and forward-looking amid digital transformation, automation, and emerging industry demands.

Gliño said that TVIs are TESDA’s frontliners, recognizing them as key partners in expanding access to skills training.

Delivering a message on behalf of TESDA Secretary Jose Francisco Benitez, Gliño also assured participants of stronger government support, particularly in the expansion of scholarship programs to make training more accessible to Filipinos.

He noted that TESDA’s 2026 budget is at a record high, with priority scholarship allocations set for sectors such as healthcare, manufacturing, electronics, creative industries, and artificial intelligence-areas aligned with national development goals and industry needs.

‘Ang TESDA po is we are building and transforming TESDA courses to become very viable pathways towards employment, towards social mobility, and towards higher income,’ he said, reiterating the agency’s push for ‘training to trabaho.’

Meanwhile, TESDA Deputy Director General Rosanna Urdaneta highlighted that the agency’s direction remains anchored in ensuring that training leads directly to employment opportunities, reinforcing the importance of industry partnerships and work-based learning.

Discussions during the conference focused on policy updates, strategies to boost employability, innovations in partnerships and resource mobilization, as well as benchmarking practices among TVIs.

Participants also underscored that the annual gathering is not merely a conference but a collaborative platform for innovation and action, aimed at ensuring that technical-vocational education remains relevant, responsive, and beneficial to Filipino learners and workers.

TESDA officials expressed gratitude to partner institutions for their continued commitment despite challenges, emphasizing that sustained collaboration between the government and training providers is essential in advancing inclusive and future-ready skills development in the Visayas.

The stage is set for a fierce showdown as the ICTSI Del Monte Junior PGT Championship blasts off Wednesday in Bukidnon, with the region’s finest young golfers and rising stars determined not just to compete – but to dominate on home soil.

Long revered as a cradle of champions that produced legends like Frankie Miñoza, Clyde Mondilla and Reymon Jaraula, Del Monte once again becomes a battlefield where emerging stars seek to carve their own legacy.

Leading the charge for the hosts are Zero Plete and Annika Mondilla in the girls’ 15-18 division. In the boys’ premier class, Alexis Nailga, Clement Ordeneza, Cody Langamin, Raphael Capin and Timothy Cabang are ready to leverage local knowledge and mount a collective bid for the titles.

Numbers do not lie. An estimated 13 million Filipinos, or 11.2% of the Philippine population, are afflicted with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

Even more alarming is the fact that one out of three of these CKD patients are already in Stages 3 to 5, which is a point where the cost of care can increase to 11 times more than when it is detected early and intervention is commenced immediately. What is most devastating about it is that a number of them do not even know it.

CKD often goes unnoticed until it reaches an advanced stage, when the kidneys have already been severely damaged and their function has significantly declined. ‘Discovery’ of the disease at this point may already require dialysis for the patients, which will surely bring substantial financial strain and emotional burden to their respective families, particularly to those who live on day-to-day subsistence.

Looking at these figures and aiming to help address this growing health challenge, pharmaceutical company Boehringer Ingelheim recently launched “Iwas Dialysis, Ligtas Kidneys: Get CheCKD Habang Maaga Pa!”

It is an initiative aimed at improving early detection and increasing kidney health awareness at the community level. The program officially kicked off with a pilot run in District 1, Quezon City, followed by a city-wide rollout in Antipolo City.

‘Iwas Dialysis, Ligtas Kidneys: Get CheCKD Habang Maaga Pa!’ falls under the company’s Sustainable Development for Generations (SD4G) commitment to improve health equity and outcomes for 50 million people in underserved communities worldwide.

By working directly with barangay health centers, the program ensures that kidney health services, such as screening and education, are accessible to all residents, providing early detection and intervention – and therefore higher chances of survival – for those found to be afflicted with it.

‘Our SD4G commitment guides us to work where the needs are greatest,’ said Dr. Bin Wang, general manager, Boehringer Ingelheim (Philippines) Inc. ‘By partnering with barangay health centers and equipping community health workers, we help bring essential kidney health services closer to families who may otherwise have limited access. Early detection can make a real difference in people’s lives, and we are proud to support these efforts.’

Key program components include kidney health screenings, community education sessions, and practical guidance to help residents better understand their health and reduce long-term risks. Patients with abnormal screening results are guided towards timely referrals to appropriate healthcare facilities.

To date, more than 1,500 Filipinos have received kidney health screening through the pharmaceutical company’s ‘Iwas Dialysis, Ligtas Kidney’ initiative.

‘Symptoms such as fatigue, nausea, or skin irritation are often overlooked or mistaken for minor concerns,’ shared Dr. Greta Cortez, head of medicine at Boehringer Ingelheim (Philippines) Inc.

‘As a result, many patients only receive a diagnosis during an emergency or when managing conditions. Early screening, especially with individuals with diabetes or hypertension, allows us to intervene and help prevent progression to end-stage renal disease,” the doctor added.

“When one family member has Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), the entire family suffers emotionally and financially. We want to break that cycle. By bringing kidney health screenings directly to our barangays, we are giving our parents and grandparents a chance to stay healthy and present for their loved ones. Alagaan natin ang ating mga bato, para sa kinabukasan ng ating pamilya (Let’s take care of our kidneys to safeguard our family’s future),’ urged Antipolo City Mayor Casimiro ‘Jun’ A. Ynares III, M.D., who recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the company officials to commence collaborative work on barangay-based kidney health services under the ‘Iwas Dialysis, Ligtas Kidneys’ program.

A central element of the program is the empowerment of Barangay Health Workers (BHWs). Through targeted training, BHWs are given not just training but also the proper tools that empower them to become community kidney health advocates.

This means equipping BHWs with the proper knowledge and necessary tools to perform initial health assessments, master effective patient communication, and assist in conducting urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR) tests. The program has trained over 200 healthcare providers, specifically doctors and barangay health workers, who represent 20 barangays.

Albumin, a specific type of protein, in the urine is an important early indicator of kidney damage. With portable and user-friendly technology, BHWs support nurses in conducting uACR tests that deliver quick results and enable earlier identification of at-risk individuals – often before symptoms appear.

While diabetes and hypertension remain to be the leading causes of CKD, additional factors such as age, smoking, obesity, and family history also increase the risk of developing the disease. Lifestyle habits, particularly high-sugar and high-sodium diets, chronic stress, and physical inactivity, further contribute to the disease burden.

‘Early detection is life-saving. We welcome efforts that strengthen early kidney screening and raise awareness across our barangays about the importance of renal health,” said Quezon City Councilor Dorothy Delarmente. “With the support of our health partners and dedicated barangay officials, more residents will now have access to free check-ups, proper medical knowledge, and essential services.’

The Northern Mindanao Police heightened the implementation of security measures across the region, ahead of the Miss Universe Philippines 2026 semi-finals in Misamis Occidental.

Maj. Joann Navarro, Northern Mindanao Police spokesperson, said additional personnel have been deployed in several areas to ensure peace and order, and to safeguard candidates, visitors and spectators during the event.

Navarro said police units have been stationed along major thoroughfares, transport terminals, seaports and other key areas expected to draw large crowds.

She added that police visibility have been intensified in coordination with local government units.

President Marcos will not be spared from the Senate’s probe into the multibillion-peso flood control scandal if the evidence points to him, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson said yesterday, though noting unsworn allegations made against the President on social media currently hold no legal weight.

‘If the evidence points to the President, we can’t do anything about that,’ Lacson said in Filipino in an interview on dzBB.

However, the panel chairman dismissed former congressman Zaldy Co’s recent social media claims that kickbacks were delivered directly to the presidential residence.

The former lawmaker made the accusations on Facebook rather than under oath, Lacson pointed out, thus the committee cannot legally adopt them.

‘Zaldy Co’s story has no evidentiary value because it was not said under oath,’ the senator said.

‘What he did was post a story on Facebook. How can we use his story if it is not within the power or jurisdiction of the Blue Ribbon Committee?’ he added.

Lacson recalled previously suggesting for Co to visit a consulate wherever he was hiding to formally authenticate his affidavit, but was scrapped when Sen. Ronald dela Rosa raised concerns about the Senate’s inability to cite Co for contempt if he lied from overseas.

Lacson said he applied the same standard to former military whistleblower Orly Guteza, who also implicated the President.

‘It was the same with Guteza. He implicated Marcos, but I said if there is no corroboration and Guteza never came back, how will that be explained?’ he said.

Lacson readies ‘progress report’

To break the current deadlock in the investigation, Lacson announced he is preparing a ‘Chairman’s Progress Report’ on the flood control scandal, which aims to pave the way for the resumption of hearings and provide crucial case build-up material for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Office of the Ombudsman.

The strategy bypasses the need to wait for the required nine signatures to sponsor the panel’s official partial report on the Senate floor.

‘We have drafted a Chairman’s Progress Report. I cannot report out the partial committee report on the Senate floor due to the lack of needed signatures. So, to get it over with, I have thought of drafting the Chairman’s Progress Report, which has a precedent,’ Lacson said.

‘We owe it to the Filipino people. The Blue Ribbon Committee has conducted eight hearings on the matter, but has yet to come up with even a partial report,’ he said.

The upcoming progress report will contain the findings of the pending partial report, complete with visual aids and documentary evidence gathered during the hearings as attachments.

‘Rendering the chairman’s progress report is as good as sponsoring the partial report. We can resume hearings once the chairman’s progress report is rendered because the contents of the partial report become a matter of public record,’ Lacson said.

He noted that the ombudsman has informally requested a copy of the committee’s findings.

Once hearings resume, Lacson is keen on summoning former speaker Martin Romualdez back to the Senate.

Police arrested five people and recovered hundreds of tampered liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders at a sales center in Mariveles, Bataan on Friday.

In reports to Central Luzon police director Brig. Gen. Jess Mendez operatives said a sting operation was conducted after they received reports of unauthorized selling and distribution of tampered and counterfeit LPG cylinders in Barangay Alasasin.

The police operatives said hundreds of LPG cylinders, a delivery truck loaded with tampered gas tanks, refilling equipment and materials used for resealing and repainting – all valued at P4.5 million – were recovered from the site.

Charges were filed against the five suspects for violations of Republic Act 623, which regulates the use of registered and marked containers, and Batas Pambansa Blg. 33, which prohibits acts inimical to the public interest and national security.

Mendez appealed to the public to remain vigilant and report suspicious LPG-related activities.

‘We will sustain aggressive and intelligence-driven operations against these illegal practices. This is part of our commitment to keep communities safe and to hold accountable those who put lives at risk for profit,’ Mendez said.

The most important news for us Filipinos last week was the news that wasn’t: former vice president and now Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo’s announcement that she was not going to run for president in 2028, and that she would be happy to seek another term in Naga’s city hall.

She went on to provide a list of alternative contenders for the presidency – younger and also progressive political leaders whose principles and vision aligned with hers. The names included the usual suspects – chiefly Senators Risa Hontiveros, Kiko Pangilinan and Bam Aquino, as well as, down the road, Mayors Joy Belmonte and Vico Sotto (when he comes of constitutional age). They’re all worthy and credible candidates, of course, all of whom I hold in high esteem; their only problem is, well, they’re not named Leni Robredo.

Leni’s announcement was predictably met with profound dismay by her supporters, none louder than her former running mate Kiko Pangilinan, who said that ‘I believe Leni is in the best position to build the broadest and strongest unity.’ Both Kiko and Liberal Party stalwart Leila de Lima voiced the hope that Leni would change her mind between now and 2028.

It’s a hope and a prayer that I – among many millions of others – certainly share. While I’d met her only a couple of times during the 2022 campaign, I came away much impressed by her leadership qualities and her sincerity. I was deeply disappointed when she lost the election, feeling that, once again, our people had voted against their own best interests, manipulated by falsehood, fear and desperation.

Leni’s midterm decision to run for mayor instead of senator also seemed a letdown for many. But now it clearly was, in hindsight, a brilliant one, insulating her from the toxicity of national politics while building up her credibility at and with the grassroots. National figures – including no less than her chief adversary, President Bongbong Marcos – have made pilgrimages to Naga to seek her out. She has lost nothing in terms of visibility and appeal.

This is why – watching this drama play out in what could be the third of five acts – I remain convinced that despite her pronouncements, Leni Robredo cannot and should not shut the door for good on another presidential campaign, because as Kiko Pangilinan himself emphasizes, literally no one is in a better position to unify and to lead the country out of the moral and economic morass we find ourselves in today. Her abilities are established, her reputation unsullied. Our nation and people need her more than she needs the presidency, which is probably the most persuasive argument that can be raised in favor of her candidacy that even she cannot deny.

The corrupt acts for which her successor and likely opponent, VP Sara Duterte, now faces impeachment are the best subsidiary reasons for her running. There can be no sharper contrast in terms of personal morality and executive capability than the performance of these two vice presidents, one just after the other, under similar circumstances, including virtual isolation within an antagonistic bureaucracy.

Certainly any one of those named by Leni as capable alternatives will be better at managing the country than Sara, and will deserve our support. But this unfolding scenario calls for a head-to-head confrontation and comparison between the two leading protagonists – not just for the theatrics of it, but so that the paying audience – our people – can see and appreciate the difference with stark clarity: two women, two former VPs, two lawyers, two local executives, to which we can add two moral and ethical frameworks, two leadership and management styles, two visions of what makes for a just and progressive society. Can you just imagine the presidential debates? What could be more educational for the Filipino?

The cynics among us could opine that Leni just might be playing it coy, waiting for an inexorable tsunami of support to build up and raise her beyond all protestations. Hele hele bago quiere, as we often put it, or in a word, pakipot.

In the history of performative and traditional politics, that would of course be entirely possible. There is, in fact, something we can learn from the ancient Romans in this respect. There was a Roman political practice of recusatio – of an expressed reluctance to assume high office, which made its professor seem worthier in the public eye than one with the self-explanatory ambitio, an obvious lust for power. Recusatio could have been a show of genuine modesty (George Washington and Pope Francis famously did not expect or want to lead, but accepted the high responsibilities thrust upon them) or political theater (Julius Caesar had Mark Antony offer him the crown three times, refusing it to rising applause).

The difference is that Leni Robredo is no traditional politician – or is very good at acting at not being one. She speaks sincerely – which, in this case of her rejection of national office, we wish for once that she would not. In her statement, Leni also warned against the Filipino’s tendency to find and repose their faith in a ‘savior’ to cure the nation’s ills – a clear and instructive reference to our experience with strongman rule. We can understand that, and it’s a reminder worth keeping in mind. Leni’s election alone will not guarantee a better Filipino future.

But there again is why Leni should run, despite herself. Beyond her abounding individual qualifications and experience, beyond her as a person, Leni Robredo has become the embodiment of what we want to see in government: ability, yes, but also integrity, accountability, selflessness and devotion to public duty and the national interest. We will be voting not just for her but for the best versions of ourselves that we can yet become. She and younger examples like Vico make us believe that goodness and hope can yet win over evil and despair – and translate them into tangible and sustainable progress, beyond airy abstractions.

I believe myself that the Leni wave will happen – but not too soon; it should grow and crest at the right time, closer to 2028, perhaps both by design and desperation. The longer that the Sara saga plays out, amid our mounting economic woes and the apparent ineffectuality of the Marcos administration in dealing with the corruption issues it released from the Pandora’s box it opened, the stronger the need for Leni will become.

The classic Roman model of the reluctant leader was Cincinnatus (519-430 BC), said to be a gentleman farmer whom the Senate called upon to leave his plow and to save the Roman army from a tribal assault – which he did, before returning to his farm after serving for 15 days as dictator. Leni Robredo might well consider giving us those two weeks (all right, those six years); her farm in Naga will always be there.