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Alleged sex offender Apollo Quiboloy has been in the hospital since Sept. 11 after being diagnosed with pneumonia, said the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) on Tuesday.

According to the BJMP in a message to Inquirer, Quiboloy-who was detained at the Pasig City jail-was rushed to a public hospital on Sept. 11 after experiencing difficulty in breathing.

‘He was later diagnosed with community-acquired pneumonia (moderate risk),’ BJMP spokesperson Jail Supt. Jayrex Bustinera said.

Bustinera then said that the court handling his case has already issued an order authorizing his hospitalization after being informed of Quiboloy’s situation.

‘As of 30 September 2025, he is stable and recovering in a public hospital, in line with BJMP policies on medical care for PDL (persons deprived of liberty),’ the spokesperson said.

The televangelist leader and founder of the KJC is currently facing child abuse and human trafficking cases before the Quezon City and Pasig City courts, respectively.

Apart from his cases within the country, Quiboloy is also facing several criminal charges in the United States, including conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion, and sex trafficking of children, sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion; conspiracy; and bulk cash smuggling. /das

Gani Stevens and Rey Remogat couldn’t have exploded at a better time for the University of the Philippines in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament.

The Fighting Maroons finally got over the hump after a 0-2 start after trouncing University of the East, 92-75, at Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.

Interestingly, Stevens and Remogat throttled to a different gear against their former team.

The two said they didn’t have an ax to grind against UE.

‘He (Remogat) talked to me before the game but nothing like, ‘let’s go out there and show UE what we got.’ It was more of him telling us to play our game and execute. We know about the chemistry we have,’ Stevens told the Inquirer.

‘I have a lot of love for that school and community. They treated me so well in my first season with the UAAP. Moving on, it was a great team win and we knew we had to get a win today.’

Stevens, after struggling in the first two games, gave the defending champions a shot in the arm with a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Remogat also regained his shooting touch, finishing with 21 points on top of seven rebounds and 11 assists after averaging just 2.5 points per game in the team’s first two outings.

Much like Stevens, though, Remogat also downplayed his duel with his former team.

‘There’s no added ‘gigil.’ We came from two straight losses. ‘Gigil,’ can bring good or bad things so I just focused on what I should do as a point guard,’ he said.

‘I didn’t use UE as a basis for me to play well because we believe that, as a champion team, everything starts in practice. We already have all the basis we need in practice.’ he added.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday led the reopening of the newly renovated Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

The reopening is also ahead of the PICC’s 50th anniversary and the country’s hosting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in 2026.

As we open the newly renovated Philippine International Convention Center, we are revisiting a chapter of our nation’s history. We are gathered in a place where history was written, lives were celebrated, and where the future will once again be shaped,’ Marcos said.

‘Every brick, every beam, every hall of this building carries with it nearly five decades of stories,’ he added.

The First Couple was guided on a tour of the repaired and refurbished facilities of the PICC.

Among its notable new works are the repair of marble tiles in the lobby, repainting of the ceiling, laser cleaning of concrete walls, and restoration of pieces of furniture that date back to 1976.

‘The damaged tiles were all replaced, then all the new marble slabs were restored,’ PICC General Manager Nicolette Ann P. Cruz told reporters in an interview. ‘And now, it is what you see ngayon; there is just the right amount of shine, polish, reflection, and grandeur. It’s not enough para maging hazard,’ she also said.

The lawn was also restored to its original 1976 design, with 3,068 restored shining droplights that will welcome visitors in the lobby.

One of the major changes in the PICC was the revival of the courtyard’s original pebble wash flooring, the restoration of ponds, and improved landscaping.

There are also new infinity waterfalls, modern lighting, and a 30-speaker audio system.

The PICC is owned by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Constructed in 1976, the PICC is Asia’s first international convention center, famous for showcasing Filipino culture and excellence in every event it brings to life. It was designed by renowned Filipino National Artist, Leandro V. Locsin and is home to works of Filipino painters and sculptors.

The Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) has urged Congress to reallocate funds for the completion of the long-delayed Edsa busway system in the 2026 national budget.

‘The government’s commitment to ease the plight of bus commuters must be met,’ MAP president Alfredo Panlilio and MAP Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Eduardo Yap said in a letter dated Sept. 24.

In their letter addressed to acting Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, Senate Committee on Public Affairs chair Raffy Tulfo and House committee on transportation Chair Franz Pumaren, MAP said Congress now had the opportunity to reallocate funds to complete this project within a year.

‘Since the government is not inclined to appropriate funds for flood control projects, funds there can be more ideally reallocated to the Busway System,’ Panlilio said.

Panlilio said ‘no meaningful budget allocation’ had been provided for this project, except for a few hundred million pesos.

Almost 100,000 bus commuters depend on the busway for their daily commute, causing severe congestion in Manila Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT 3) used as makeshift points for five years now, the group said.

‘While this interim arrangement has been acceptable during the initial test period, severe congestion has been a daily grind for both MRT-3 and Busway commuters in the already over-crowded MRT-3 stations,’ the letter added.

Slow progress

MAP said only four out of more than 20 busway-dedicated stations have been completed: Guadalupe, Buendia, Taft Avenue and Roxas Boulevard stations. Two others, North Edsa and Ortigas stations, are being built through private sector donations.

It said the busway stations could be ‘easily completed’ next year if the projects would be auctioned off in batches to large and reputable contractors.

These are Kamuning, Cubao/Araneta, Santolan, Camp Aguinaldo, Corinthian Gardens, Highway Hills, Estrella St. (Rockwell), Ayala/Edsa, Magallanes, Malibay, F.B. Harrison, MOA/J. Diokno, Aseana/Macapagal and Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange.

‘In addition to other ancillary facilities, this system must be equipped with overhead bridgeway to the station platforms along the road median beside the MRT3 trackway, and provided with convenient access for the physically-challenged commuters,’ the letter read.

The group proposed finalizing a schematic busway system plan to connect, at least, Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City and other major routes.

It also recommended developing a comprehensive Metro Manila Busway System to complement rail systems that are existing or under construction.

The ‘heart’ sign of contractor Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya on her recent appearance at the Department of Justice (DOJ) was ‘misinterpreted.’

Her lawyer, Atty. Cornelio Samaniego III, said this in an ambush interview at the office of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) on Tuesday.

Samaniego emphasized that her client Sarah, along with her husband Pacifico ‘Curlee’ Discaya, was sincere about wanting to be state witnesses in the investigation on flood control anomalies across the country.

The contractor couple attended for the first time the hearing of the ICI on the flood control anomalies investigation this Tuesday.

‘Maybe we just misinterpreted that. Actually, it (finger heart) means a lot – peace, love,’ Samaniego clarified.

The lawyer argued that Sarah’s finger heart was given a ‘not-good meaning’ by the media and the public.

When specifically asked what the contractor meant when she made the sign at the DOJ, Samaniego said, ‘love and peace.’

According to Samaniego, the recently mentioned action of Sarah does not manifest ‘insincerity,’ saying that they are very sincere in participating in the investigation.

‘The mere fact that we appeared before the Senate, House, DOJ, and then ICI – we’re very sincere. That’s why we are all tell-all,’ the lawyer of the contractor couple said.

‘What sincerity are you asking from the couple? We’ve already given it all,’ he added.

Earlier, DOJ spokesperson Jose Dominic Clavano IV said Sarah’s heart sign was ‘a sign of insincerity and complacency.’ ‘The heart sign and the remarks of Ms. Sarah Discaya are all taken into account in the assessment and evaluation of the persons involved,’ Clavano said.

The Discayas are included among the contractors that are under investigation for alleged involvement in anomalies in flood control projects. /apl

The Department of Agriculture (DA) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Regional Office in the Bicol region have imposed a price freeze on all basic agricultural commodities across Masbate province after extensive damage caused by Typhoon Opong (international name: Bualoi ).

In a phone interview on Tuesday, DA Bicol information officer Lovella Guarin said the price freeze aims to ease the burden on affected communities after the storm ravaged major agricultural areas in the island province last Friday.

She said that a total of 1,394 farmers and fisherfolk were affected, with over 1,000 hectares of farmland devastated.

According to the initial assessment, 781 hectares were damaged, while 219 hectares were destroyed. The combined production loss amounted to 1,236 metric tons.

Guarin noted that the rice sector was heavily impacted, with 637 farmers affected and losses totaling nearly 394 metric tons, valued at P5.64 million. The hardest-hit area for rice was Masbate, where 487 farmers reported losses of 256 metric tons, valued at P3.84 million. Other affected provinces include Albay, Camarines Sur, and Camarines Norte.

‘Based on initial reports collected from the ground, about P42.85 million worth of agricultural crops have been lost across the Bicol region so far due to Opong,’ Guarin said

Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon are expected to experience cloudy skies with chances of rain on Tuesday due to the effect of the easterlies, according to the state weather bureau.

Based on its morning forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the easterlies, or the warm winds coming from the Pacific Ocean, are forecast to bring cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms to the following areas:

Metro Manila

Bicol Region

Bulacan

Rizal

Quezon

Partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms may persist in the rest of the country, also due to the easterlies.

Meanwhile, Pagasa weather specialist Obet Badrina said they are monitoring a cloud cluster outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) but noted that it currently does not have any direct effect on any part of the country.

‘We are monitoring it to see if it could possibly become a low-pressure area (LPA) in the next few days,’ Badrina said.

Aside from the cloud cluster, no cyclones or LPAs are currently being monitored inside or outside the PAR. /das

The validity of motor vehicle registration and driver’s licenses expiring on September 30 will be extended to October 3, in consideration of those affected by inclement weather, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) announced on Tuesday.

‘The validity of all motor vehicle registration expiring on 30 September 2025 and driver’s license due for renewal on 30 September 2025 shall be extended and no penalties shall be collected until 03 October 2025,’ the memorandum signed by LTO Chief Vigor Mendoza II read.

The LTO also scrapped penalties for delayed renewals of vehicle registration and driver’s licenses.

Similarly, those with traffic apprehension cases will also be given an extension to settle their matters.

‘The 15-day period for the settlement of traffic apprehension cases, effective 26 September 2025, shall be extended until 03 October 2025,’ the memorandum continued.

According to Mendoza, the aforementioned extensions were also due to cancellation of government work in Metro Manila and other areas affected by the past few cyclones and other weather systems.

‘Aside from Typhoon Opong that hit Bicol Region, Visayas and southern part of Luzon, heavy rains due to southwest monsoons, and tropical cyclones Mirasol and Nando resulted in cancellation of government works,’ the LTO said. /das

The House of Representatives needs to inform the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on the seat vacancy of Zaldy Co following his resignation as a representative of Ako Bicol Party-list, according to Comelec Chairperson George Garcia on Tuesday.

Garcia said that while the poll body is aware that the office of House Speaker Faustino Dy III received the resignation on Monday, the lower chamber still needs to officially inform the Comelec of Co’s resignation.

Garcia noted the process is similar to when a member of a House of Representatives dies and there needs to be a declaration of seat vacancy.

‘If a member resigns, there needs to be a declaration to trigger vacancy from the member of the House of Representatives,’ Garcia, speaking in Filipino, told reporters during an online interview.

Co has resigned from his post as the representative of Ako Bicol Party-list amid allegations of his involvement in the anomalous flood control projects. In his letter to Dy, Co cited ‘the real, direct, grave and imminent threat’ to him and to ‘the lives of my family members.’

With this, Garcia said that the poll body is yet to receive the letter from the lower chamber. He added that it is usually the secretary general informing the poll body of the acceptance of the resignation.

Garcia also said that it is also the secretary general who asks who would replace the seat vacated.

‘Comelec can’t just issue a certificate of proclamation or acknowledgment of the resignation of the member of House of Representatives without the lower chamber’s acknowledgement,’ Garcia stressed in Filipino.

‘It should also be noted that the issue of membership is purely a matter under the discretion of the House of Representatives and cannot be interfered with by the Comelec,’ Garcia added in Filipino.

Garcia noted that as Co resigned, the second nominee will automatically assume the party-list’s first seat while the third nominee will get the second seat.

He explained that this is because the Ako Bicol Party-list secured two seats in the May 2025 midterm elections, garnering a total of 1,072,171 votes. The certificates of nomination of the party-list showed that aside from Co being the first nominee, Alfred Garbin and Jan Franz Chan were named the second and third nominees, respectively.