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The president of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has called on the House to explain the nearly 7,000 infrastructure projects worth P190 billion that were added to the proposed 2027 national budget without publicly available supporting documents.

In a statement on Monday, Oct. 26, CBCP president Bishop Pablo Virgilio David cited the preliminary findings of the People’s Budget Coalition (PBC), presented by its co-convenor Ken Abante before the Senate, on the House-approved version of the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget.

Questionable allocations

The findings raised concerns about the possible recurrence of questionable spending practices following the flood control corruption scandal, for which the country has yet to see full accountability, David said.

PBC flagged nearly 7,000 infrastructure projects worth P190 billion, including public works projects, new health facilities, farm-to-market roads and irrigation systems.

Some road projects had coordinates pointing to the sea, while some irrigation projects had questionable cost estimates, according to the coalition’s preliminary analysis.

The coalition also identified several congressional districts with large allocations, led by Ilocos Norte’s First District with P4.375 billion.

The figures refer to allocations associated with Department of Public Works and Highways district engineering offices. They do not establish that lawmakers personally proposed the projects or that corruption occurred.

Full accountability needed

David said the House leadership owed the public an explanation for the questioned allocations and should ensure that the projects were properly justified and documented.

‘Has the House of Representatives learned nothing from the flood control corruption scandal? The country has yet to see full accountability for that scandal, and already we are being warned about the possible repetition of the same questionable practices in other government agencies!’

David also emphasized that not all budget insertions were necessarily corrupt, noting that communities need roads, health facilities, irrigation systems and other public infrastructure.

However, he questioned why projects involving billions of pesos in public funds could be approved without documentation necessary for public scrutiny.

He then urged the Senate to fulfill its constitutional duty to scrutinize the proposed budget and remove unjustified insertions.

‘The ball is now in the Senate’s court. It must exercise its constitutional responsibility to scrutinize and remove insertions that cannot be properly justified and documented.’

He also called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to exercise his veto power over questionable allocations that survive congressional deliberations.

Citizens keeping watch

David said Abante and his fellow ‘Angry Nerds’ gave him reason to hope in democratic institutions, praising the citizen volunteers for using data and technology to scrutinize the national budget.

‘Together with thousands of citizen volunteers, popularly called the ‘Angry Nerds,’ they are doing something remarkable: scrutinizing our national budget, line by line, project by project, using data and technology to expose questionable allocations of taxpayers’ money,’ he said in a social media post.

What was supposed to be a night of tributes and prayers for a departed friend became a moment that Filipino artist Joscephine Gomez would remember for the rest of her life.

The year was 2024, and Gomez was with a group of fellow poets paying their last respects to a friend and fellow poet who had died. As they were in a huddle during the wake, a notable figure who was seated with her in the front pew uttered an off-color joke for all to hear:

‘Kung bata-bata lang itong si Joscephine, ni-rape ko na ‘to e!’

That person was none other than a revered National Artist whom Gomez chose not to name.

Like other women who have experienced unwanted attention, she was taken aback. However, her restraint was more borne of her training as a Buddhist, which taught her not to react impulsively to anything.

‘If I reply to him, I would create a scene with my theater and operatic voice and thereby disrespect the occasion. I’m a Buddhist, and a true Buddhist does not react easily. We are trained to just note first, ‘ she told INQUIRER Entertainment in an exclusive phone interview on Monday following her Facebook post on October 24.

‘At inulit pa nya, exactly the same words, in the same instance,’ she said. Gomez said nobody in their small huddle called him out, seemingly out of shock that someone they so revered could be so crass as to speak such distateful words.

Gomez said that the National Artist appeared to be expressing himself mindlessly, but she still felt objectified.

‘Feeling nya, wala siyang masamang sinabi. Mindless. Pwede naman na sinasadya nya,’ she said. ‘Nag aassume lng siya na pwede nya akong sabihan ng ganoon. Hindi ako mababa, hindi ako matitinag sa ganoon,’

Minutes after her Facebook post was published, it quickly took a life of its own, with many commenters urging her to name her transgressor and sympathizing with her predicament, among them National Artist Patis Patis Tesoro, theater director JN Nombres, actor and director Bodjie Pascua, author Cecilia Brainard, renowned artist Ofelia Gelvezon-Téqui, theater director Edna Mae Landicho, PR bigwigs Charisse Chuidian and Dynes Regner included, even if they could only guess who it was.

Others, however, were seemingly blaming her for what happened.

But Gomez took all these in stride. She said she has no intention of naming the National Artist involved. However, she said that she felt compelled to speak up on social media in the wake of recent reports of sexual harassment in the workplace, and the entertainment industry, particularly in the writers’ circles, is not an exception.

‘Hindi ko papalampasin. Yan ang gusto kong ituro sa ibang babae, to speak up,’ she said. ‘Had the setting been different, if it wasnt a solemn ceremony, or a place or one that is not quiet or subdued, one must speak up. Sasabihan ko sya, bahala na kung sino makarinig. Imagine, with your wide vocabulary, you’ve reduced yourself to using those words?’

Besides, Gomez said it was not in her nature to stir up a scandal; she just wanted to speak her truth.

The conferment of the title of National Artist falls on the jurisdiction of National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

Who is Joscephine Gomez

Gomez herself is a heavyweight in the same artists’ circles that she moves in. She has made a name for herself as the ‘renaissance woman’ of the Philippines, apart from being one of the country’s leading sopranos. She is also a theater actor, broadcast journalist, filmmaker and poet, rubbing elbows with the country’s top cultural figures.

The multidisciplinary creative is also a voice rehab specialist, often called by her colleagues as the Vicky Belo for voice.

She makes a distinguished figure with her distinctive eyepatch, a souvenir from her being the Philippines’ longest living cancer survivor. At two years old, she was diagnosed with retino blastoma which affected her right eye. She would later found, together with a group of doctors, the Retinoblastoma Foundation of the Philippines and launched the National Awareness Campaign on Retinoblastoma.

Cancer did not prevent Gomez from living life to the fullest.

As a solo classical concert singer singing in ten languages, she has given around fifty solo concerts and around 500 performances locally and internationally. She is the first Filipino classical singer to give solo performances in Russia, Brunei Darussalam and in Israel.

She also represented the Philippines in the First International Music Festival in Krasnoyarsk, Russia, after passing auditions for the lead role of Susanna in the opera Le Nozze di Figaro. She performed in three concerts in the city.

After she slowed down from doing musical and theater work, she assumed another profession – that of being a voice rahab doctor. The title does not give her any medical entitlements, but she is nonetheless credited for being a pioneer as an allied medical practitioner in her field.

The Joscephine Gomez Method is being used for vocal behavior modification to treat certain voice disorders

In November 2022, she founded the international groups POETS and Writers Unite (first named PRINCIPLED WRITERS’ GROUP ) and the World Fine Arts Society, which she actively runs as president and chief administrator.

Supreme Court Associate Justice Rodil Zalameda, a contender for the chief justice post, said public officials responsible for increasing unprogrammed appropriations under the national budget should be presumed to have acted in good faith.

During his interview Monday before the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), Zalameda said unprogrammed appropriations are constitutional and that official acts are presumed regular unless a competent court rules otherwise.

‘When you say it is constitutional, I don’t think the public officers may be held liable for such an act, for an act which is declared constitutional,’ said Zalameda, one of five candidates seeking to replace Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, who is set to retire on Nov. 6.

Zalameda clarified that the SC did not rule on the possible liability of public officials involved in the case because the petitioners did not raise the issue.

In its ruling, the SC said Congress committed grave abuse of discretion by increasing the Executive Branch’s recommended budget for unprogrammed funds.

The SC declared unconstitutional Congress’ P449.5-billion increase in unprogrammed appropriations under Republic Act (RA) 11975, or the 2024 General Appropriations Act, which raised the amount in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) from P281.9 billion to P731.4 billion.

The SC also nullified the P17.992-billion increase in the Special Road Fund under RA 12116, or the 2025 GAA, as well as Special Provisions 1(a) and (b) under the 2026 GAA.

Zalameda explained that there is a need to distinguish between a constitutional violation and grave abuse of discretion.

He said the SC has the authority to review acts of Congress and the executive branch but should not interfere with every government decision simply because another course of action might be preferable.

‘Each branch of government is bound by its own constitutional mandate. Respect for these boundaries is one of the foundations of a constitutional government,’ Zalameda said in his opening statement before the JBC.

In his concurring and dissenting opinion, Zalameda cited Article VI, Section 25(1) of the Constitution, which prohibits Congress from increasing the appropriations recommended by the president.

He explained that the restriction was intended to prevent Congress from increasing government spending beyond available funding sources.

However, Zalameda argued that unprogrammed appropriations differ from regular budget allocations because they serve as standby funds that may be released only when additional financing becomes available.

He also maintained that only specific provisions found unconstitutional should be struck down, rather than an entire law, when those provisions can be separated from the rest. The other applicants interviewed by the JBC for the chief justice position were Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen and Associate Justices Benjamin Caguioa, Japar Dimaampao, and Jose Midas Marquez.

The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) on Tuesday issued guidelines requiring delivery platforms to implement safety measures as heat levels rise, including limiting or suspending deliveries under dangerous conditions.

Labor Advisory No. 20, Series of 2026, signed by Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino on Oct. 27, sets safety protocols for employers and workers in the private sector and on project sites where employees face actual or expected heat stress due to El Niño.

Under the guidelines, platforms must provide drinking water, shaded or ventilated rest areas, and hydration reminders when the heat index reaches 27°C to 32°C.

At 33°C to 41°C, they must enforce regular rest and hydration breaks, provide cooling areas and appropriate protective equipment, and ensure access to trained first-aiders.

When the heat index reaches 42°C to 51°C, platforms must limit riders’ heat exposure through flexible work arrangements.

At 52°C or higher, employers must halt, reschedule or relocate work if the risks cannot be safely controlled or pose an immediate threat.

For essential deliveries involving medicines, food and emergency supplies, only the necessary number of riders should be deployed, on a voluntary basis.

Platforms must also provide measures such as shorter exposure periods, rider rotation, hydration, cooling facilities, and access to first aid and emergency transport.

The guidelines state that maintaining services should not come at the expense of workers’ safety.

Dole: No penalties for heat-related delays

Before the advisory was issued, Tolentino said platforms should not penalize riders for protecting themselves from extreme heat.

Companies should also inform riders and customers when conditions could delay deliveries.

‘Their app will indicate when the heat is at a level where riders may opt not to make deliveries. Customers will also be notified that their deliveries may be delayed due to extreme heat,’ Tolentino said during an ambush interview on Oct. 23.

Broader workplace protections

The advisory also requires employers to assess and document heat-related workplace risks, monitor El Niño advisories and heat index forecasts from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), and incorporate appropriate contingencies into their occupational safety and health programs and emergency plans.

Employers must maintain safe and accessible workplace welfare facilities, ensure workers’ Social Security System coverage, and record work-related heat illnesses in medical logs and annual medical reports.

Dole also issued an advisory on Oct. 23 expanding compensation coverage for work-related heat illnesses.

The Employees’ Compensation Commission added five heat-related conditions that may qualify workers for benefits under the Employees’ Compensation Program, including fainting, heat rash and kidney injury. The guidelines form part of Dole’s broader preparations for El Niño, which Pagasa has warned could persist into the first half of 2027 and potentially peak before the end of 2026.

Karen Davila recounted facing backlash after she moderated the 2016 presidential debate, admitting it ‘traumatized’ her and prompted her to take a break from social media.

The veteran broadcast journalist spoke about this during an interview on ‘Beyond the Exchange with Rico Hizon,’ which aired last Saturday, Oct. 24. The topic was brought up after she was asked how she deals with negative comments online.

‘So I think my first trauma with the comment section, and I’d like to share it was during the presidential elections of 2016, when troll farms were born,’ she recalled. ‘So I moderated the presidential debate, and a friend called me and said, ‘Do not open Facebook. Don’t open Instagram.’ Why? ‘Oh my God, Karen, you’re hated.’ So I read all of it, and that time in 2016, it petrified me.’

At the time, Davila was accused of being ‘biased’ after asking then-presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte hard-hitting questions.

During the interview, Davila further lamented receiving threats and remarks dragging her family members including her son in the autism spectrum.

‘Actually, in 2016, I turned off my comment section, my social media for one week,’ she noted. ‘You know, people think it doesn’t traumatize you. Today, no more because it’s been a while; it’s 2026 now. But in the start of the troll farms in 2016, that was so engineered.’

‘I ended up double – I’m questioning myself for a while there, you know. And I think journalists all over the world. I mean, in the Trump administration today, you can imagine what journalists go through in that same breath,’ she continued. ‘So today, though, I read the comment sections, yes, but I don’t engage at all.’

Aside from Davila, also featured in the ‘Beyond the Exchange with Rico Hizon’ interview were fellow journalists Jeff Canoy and Karmina Constantino, who also spoke against the derogatory remarks and accusations they faced for doing their job.

Meanwhile, just recently, Davila also became a topic of discussions among netizens after her statement about empowered women back in June resurfaced on social media.

‘I believe many women work hard. But I would advise young women listening to me today, you cannot be an empowered woman kung umaasa ka ng pera sa boyfriend mo o sa asawa mo,’ she said during a vlog featuring actress Aiko Melendez.

‘Masakit po ito pakinggan, but a truly empowered woman is a financially independent woman,’ she noted. ‘Baka magalit ang ibang housewives, ‘wag po kayo magalit but that’s the truth.’

While there were those who agreed with the broadcast journalist, some criticized her statement and argued how it is supposedly dismissive of the different circumstances women face.

While Davila did not address outright the mixed reactions over her resurfaced remark, she appeared to have stood by her statement by sharing a quote on her X page.

Economic empowerment is a part of women empowerment. When the woman has the ability to earn her own income, own property, access capital, build a business and make financial decisions, she gains something fundamental: The power to make choices about her own life.

‘Economic empowerment is a part of women empowerment. When the woman has the ability to earn her own income, own property, access capital, build a business and make financial decisions, she gains something fundamental: the power to make choices about her own life,’ she said. /ra

Newly appointed Public Works and Highways Secretary Giovanni Lopez on Tuesday vowed to continue and strengthen the reforms in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Lopez made the commitment a day after the latest Cabinet revamp, where he was appointed to lead the DPWH, replacing Secretary Vince Dizon in turn took over Lopez’ post as transportation secretary.

Lopez emphasized that since reforms have already been made inside the DPWH amid the corruption issues it faces, it is important to make them last, regardless of who sits as the president and secretary of the agency.

Lopez pointed out his experience as a former secretary of the DOTr where institutional change is composed of two aspects: systems change and cultural change.

He noted that since Dizon had already prioritized system change during his stint as DPWH secretary, cultural change needs to be upheld across the agency.

‘Itong cultural change na sinasabi ko po ay hindi lang para sa kalihim, ito ay mas importante sa mga tao, kawani ng kagawaran na matagal nang nagtrabaho sa DPWH. Sana magtulungan tayo na manumbalik yung pagtitiwala ng taumbayan sa DPWH at ayun po ang gagawin natin,’ Lopez said in a press conference.

(This cultural change is not just for the secretary, but more importantly, for the personnel and officials that have been working for so long in the DPWH. I hope you will help us in regaining the trust of the people in DPWH, and that is what we will do.)

Lopez said trust must be regained by improving the agency’s budget, procurement, and project implementation.

‘Ang mga reporma, andyan na po, ang kailangang gawin ngayon ay araw araw na gagawin nating tama ang proseso,’ he added.

(The reforms are already there, what we need to do is to do the process properly everyday.)

‘No delay in reforms’

When asked if the Cabinet shakeup will delay DPWH’s implementing reforms, Dizon answered in the negative.

‘Bibilis pa, mas magaling pa si [Secretary Giovanni] kaysa sa akin. He understands systems,’ Dizon said in the same press conference.

(It will be faster, [Secretary Giovanni] is better than me. He understands systems.)

As Dizon expressed his confidence in Lopez’ leadership, he said there is still a lot to be done in the DPWH.

‘I’m not going to tell you right now that this is going to be easy; it’s not going to be easy. It’s a huge department. While the reforms are in place, they are still unfinished,’ he added.

Dizon also turned over to Lopez a thick pile of documents containing names of DPWH officials and personnel who may soon be removed from their posts over their alleged involvement in irregularities.

The flag-draped coffin of 1st Lt. Angeleo Adrian Peñaflor, who perished along with three other pilots in the October 23 Lipa City midair collision in Batangas, arrived in a Philippine Air Force C-130 transport plane at the Tuguegarao Airport on Tuesday, with family and friends waiting at the tarmac in abject grief.

Peñaflor was in one of the two Philippine Air Force (PAF) Aermacchi SF-260 trainer aircraft that collided above the Fernando Air Base in Lipa City.

Relatives described Peñaflor, a native of Iguig town in Cagayan, as a ‘hero’ and a ‘good provider.’

His body will be brought to the Ortiz Memorial Chapel on Diversion Road in Tuguegarao for a public wake.

His widow, Bernadette Baua Peñaflor, earlier wrote on Facebook: ‘When you take away my greatest love, you might as well take my soul with you.’

‘They say it’s all part and parcel of the job. But no one ever prepares you for the pain of losing the person who means the world to you,’ she also said.

Mrs. Peñaflor wrapped up her post with this message: ‘Hanggang sa muli, my love. You will forever be my greatest love, my HERO, and a part of my soul.’

Peñaflor had been a consistent dean’s lister. He graduated in 2018 as class valedictorian and magna cum laude from the Bachelor of Science in Information Technology program of the College of Information and Computing Sciences (CICS) at Cagayan State University (CSU).

What are the value and extent of Vice President Sara Duterte’s business interests, and did she disclose all of these in her statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth?

Former Rep. Robert Ace Barbers asked this question in a press conference on Tuesday, pointing out that the records presented during Duterte’s impeachment trial showed interests in Metro City Chow Foods, GenCorp, and Cale88, but did not have the acquisition costs and the extent of ownership as listed in Duterte’s asset declarations.

‘What’s the capital in those businesses? And what is the percentage of her ownership in them?’ Barbers said in Filipino.

Citing records and testimony from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Barbers said these details were not clear in the vice president’s SALN declarations.

He also raised questions about the constitutional restrictions on business participation by the president, vice president, and Cabinet members while holding office.

He noted that Article VII, Section 13 of the Constitution prohibits these officials from participating in business or holding certain financial interests while in office.

Barbers said the prosecution would want Duterte to explain whether her business interests complied with these restrictions and were accurately reflected in her SALNs.

The business records form part of the prosecution’s evidence under the second impeachment article, which concerns allegations of unexplained wealth and inaccurate asset declarations.

The defense is expected to present its evidence when the impeachment trial resumes on Nov. 9.

Tennis great Venus Williams fell to 0-13 in singles matches this year at age 46 after losing 6-2, 6-2 to teenager Lilli Tagger in the Guangzhou Open first round on Tuesday.

Their 28-year age gap was reportedly a record difference between opponents in a WTA Tour match.

The 18-year-old Austrian Tagger was born in 2008, the year Williams won the last of her seven Grand Slam singles titles at Wimbledon.

Now ranked No. 599, Williams was playing her first singles match for two months since the U.S. Open, where she lost in the first round to Sofia Kenin.

Williams now has lost 16 straight singles matches on tour going back to July last year.

She matched the 53rd-ranked Tagger with each landing 63% of their first serves, though Williams won just 60% of those points and her opponent won all of hers.

Williams created no break-point chances and Tagger took four of the 16 she had.

Kenin also lost her round of 32 match, beaten 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 by Kaitlin Quevedo.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) warned the public against individuals posing as priests to solicit money for religious services during All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day (Undas).

The NCRPO issued the advisory as thousands of families are expected to visit cemeteries, memorial parks and columbaria across Metro Manila for the observance.

‘Undas is a sacred and meaningful occasion for our families to remember and honor our departed loved ones,’ said NCRPO Officer-in-Charge Brig. Gen. Christopher Abrahano in a statement on Tuesday.

‘We appeal to everyone not to allow their emotions to be exploited by individuals who may use religious representation as a means to obtain money,’ Abrahano pointed out.

He urged the public to verify the identity of anyone claiming to be a priest through cemetery administrators or the parish or diocese concerned.

The public was also advised to be vigilant of individuals who insist on immediate payments, a fixed amount, or persons who become aggressive when questioned.

‘When in doubt, do not hand over money or personal information,’ Abrahano said.

Legitimate religious services are generally coordinated through established parishes, dioceses, churches or cemetery administrators, the NCRPO said.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) earlier announced that it is set to go on full alert on Oct. 30 for the observance of Undas.

The NCRPO urged cemetery visitors to report suspicious individuals to the nearest police personnel, Police Assistance Desks, or cemetery security personnel.

Cemetery visitors were also advised to take note of identifying individuals that may assist authorities in verifying reports and conducting investigations.

The advisory aims to prevent possible deception during the solemn religious observance of Undas.

In a separate statement on Tuesday, the PNP said it is stepping up road safety operations ahead of Undas to prevent road accidents.

‘I have directed our police commanders to strengthen coordination with local government units and traffic authorities, increase police visibility along major travel routes and accident-prone areas, and ensure prompt assistance to motorists,’ said PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr.