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The US government began shutting down after midnight Wednesday as lawmakers and President Donald Trump failed to break a budget impasse during acrimonious talks that hinged on Democratic demands for health care funding.

It is the first shutdown since the longest in history – lasting 35 days – almost seven years ago, and will stop work at multiple federal departments and agencies, affecting hundreds of thousands of government workers.

Trump blamed Democrats over the stalled talks and threatened to punish the party and its voters during the stoppage by targeting progressive priorities and forcing mass public sector job cuts.

‘So we’d be laying off a lot of people that are going to be very affected. And they’re Democrats, they’re going to be Democrats,’ Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

He said a ‘lot of good can come down from shutdowns,’ and suggested he would use the pause to ‘get rid of a lot of things we didn’t want, and they’d be Democrat things.’

Government operations began grinding to a halt at 12:01 am (0401 GMT), after a frenetic but ultimately failed bid in the Senate to rubber-stamp a short-term funding resolution already approved by the House of Representatives. No breakthrough

Hopes of a compromise had been hanging by a thread since Monday, when a last-gasp meeting at the White House yielded no progress.

The gridlocked Congress regularly runs into deadlines to agree on spending plans, and the negotiations are invariably fraught. But Congress usually avoids them ending in shutdowns.

Democrats, in the minority in both chambers of Congress, have been seeking to flex their rare leverage over the federal government eight months into Trump’s barnstorming second presidency that has seen entire government agencies dismantled.

Trump’s threat of new job cuts added to anxieties in the federal workforce sparked by large-scale firings orchestrated by tycoon Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency earlier this year. Health care under threat

The 100-member Senate requires government funding bills to receive 60 votes – seven more than the Republicans control.

Republicans had proposed to extend current funding until late November, pending negotiations on a longer-term spending plan.

But Democrats wanted to see hundreds of billions of dollars in health care spending restored, particularly in the Obamacare health insurance program for low-income households, which the Trump administration is likely to eliminate.

Almost all Senate Democrats voted against a House-passed, seven-week stop-gap funding measure hours ahead of the midnight deadline.

It remains unclear how long the shutdown will last. Past shutdowns

The federal government has shuttered 21 times since 1976, when Congress enacted the modern-day budget process.

Some stoppages have lasted only a few hours – not long enough to affect government operations.

The longest began on December 22, 2018 when Democrats and Trump found themselves at an impasse over $5.7 billion the president was demanding for a border wall during his first term.

Around 380,000 federal employees were furloughed and another 420,000 worked without pay.

Senators can move quickly when inclined by waiving the normal procedures that tend to hold up legislation.

Recess

The upper chamber was due back in session on Wednesday, but a House recess lasting all week means it will not be able to rubber stamp any quick deal agreed by the Senate.

The Senate will be out on Thursday for the Jewish holiday Yom Kippur, but will be back on Friday and possibly in session through the weekend.

The shutdown will not affect vital functions like the Postal Service, the military and welfare programs like Social Security and food stamps.

Here is a quote from the science fiction novel ‘Ender’s Game’ that I’ve used for years to describe the 36-year restoration campaign from 1986 to 2022: ‘I am your enemy, the first one you’ve ever had who was smarter than you. There is no teacher, but the enemy. No one but the enemy will tell you what the enemy is going to do. No one but the enemy will ever teach you how to destroy and conquer. Only the enemy shows you where you are weak. Only the enemy tells you where he is strong. And the only rules of the game are what you can do to him and what you can stop him from doing to you.’

Since he ran for the vice presidency in 2016, I’ve asked people active in Edsa one constant question: In 1986, one of those considered the most hawkish in President Marcos’ inner circle was his son. Yet today, this is hardly his reputation. So, what happened? No one has ever given me a straight answer to this basic question.

Recently, a friend of the President finally gave me one when he recounted how Ferdinand Jr. reminisced about how the late President Ferdinand Sr., on his good days, spent his exile systematically and thoroughly, passing down to his son and heir a lifetime’s worth of lessons learned in politics (and much else besides). That was a time, incidentally, when the President’s elder sister was in exile, elsewhere in Morocco.

Salvador P. Lopez, former president of UP, once described Marcos Sr. to the American historian Theodore Friend in this manner: Lopez said Marcos Sr. was ‘obscure, manipulative, calculating (he pointed to his head while frowning and narrowing his eyes).’ The term his contemporaries used to compare his political dexterity was jujitsu-something swift, nearly surgical, and lethal. Marcos Sr. himself once advised Time Magazine that you should never make a decision when you are angry, hungry, or sleepy.

The President’s man in London, Ambassador Teodoro Locsin Jr., posted something on Sept. 18, which suggests the hawk of 1986 is still there: ‘My President grew up in England and admires all things British. He said to me that the English will fight with their bare hands if they must. Let’s learn from them.’ The learning, not the fighting or the daring-it goes without saying if you are in the eat-or-be-eaten world of high-stakes politics-is the thing.

The public persona of the President today-amiable, imperturbable, and thus, astounding when ruthless-departs from the well-accustomed boastfulness and bluster that passes, most of the time, for political showmanship among the President’s peers. Just because he doesn’t conform to the hyperactivity or the ‘hyperloquaciousness’ that passes for dynamism in these parts doesn’t mean that there is a strategy and not just tactics.

What, then, is the strategy? To appear so relaxed as to make whatever ensues seem to be an inevitability. If, as Lao Tzu famously warned, there is no greater danger than to underestimate an enemy, those dismissing the President as mere ‘nepo’ ought to consider Franklin D. Roosevelt’s cunning corollary to the warning: ‘Never underestimate a man who overestimates himself.’

Since time immemorial, the best defense when the going gets tough has been to run out the clock. And so you have the Bart Simpson defense: I didn’t do it, nobody saw me do it, you can’t prove anything. Similarly, senators implicated in cash-for-contracts crow they will sign waivers and disclose their bank accounts-maybe, someday; it depends.

Do what it takes to fight another day. Then, the day of the announcements about the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) came.

The announcements came two days apart, first concerning Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, Sen. Joel Villanueva, and assorted other suspects. Then, covering former senator, now Mayor Nancy Binay and former Senate President Francis Escudero.

The AMLC announcements came days after Filipinos from all walks of life rallied at Luneta and the Edsa Shrine to express anger while debating what to do about it. And here I want to bring up something few have noticed, and to which all of us should be paying attention.

In 2023, the President signed a budget that took out the Vice President’s intelligence funds. This was significant because the budget passed in 2023 was for 2024, and that was the actual midterm election budget. In 2024, the President complained about over P100 billion in insertions that he vetoed, because it was the budget for 2025, half of which was after elections. In 2025, after the midterms, where he did worse than expected, he confronted both chambers of Congress and kicked off an offensive still unfolding before our eyes.

Days after his State of the Nation Address, the Palace released a list of the biggest contractors, and this got the public furiously digging into the lifestyles of those named. All sorts of allegations, followed by investigations, took place; but it was the Department of Justice that actually started filing cases, and now, the momentum remains with the Palace, as first the Senate president, then the speaker, has fallen.

When the President pointed fingers at some of his own people, the floodgates opened. Like a demolition, even a flood can be controlled.

The aftershocks from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that jolted Cebu province could persist for days and weeks as authorities urged the affected residents to exercise caution when returning to visibly-damaged buildings.

At least 69 fatalities have so far been reported, while 147 others were injured due to the temblor, which caused massive damage to infrastructure and widespread power outages in the province.

The earthquake struck off Cebu province at 9:59 p.m. Tuesday, with the epicenter located 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Since then, at least 990 aftershocks have been detected, the Phivolcs said in its 7:30 p.m. report on Wednesday.

However, only seven of these aftershocks were felt, the strongest of which was measured at magnitude 4.8.

‘These aftershocks could persist for several days to weeks, and some may be felt in nearby provinces,’ the Phivolcs said on Wednesday.

Office of Civil Defense Deputy Administrator Bernardo Rafaelito Alejandro IV said it may not be safe for some affected residents to return home.

‘Aftershocks could still occur so if it is still not safe to return to your dwellings, offices, then let’s not do that until it’s declared to be safe,’ Alejandro said in a PTV-4 interview.

Some residents of Bogo City-the hardest-hit area where almost half of reported fatalities were recorded at 30-take this warning to heart.

Joan Ylanan, resident of Polambato village, said her family would be spending another night on a field even if their residence did not sustain any damage.

‘We’re still afraid because of the many aftershocks,’ Ylanan, 25, said in Cebuano in a Cebu Daily Inquirer interview.

Ylanan, who said her family has not had a wink of sleep since the earthquake, has only one wish: ‘I hope it does not rain.’

Cebu and neighboring provinces are situated in one of the seismically active regions in the country.

Among the earthquake sources there are the Bogo Fault, Daanbantayan Lineament, and the Cebu Fault System, as well as local inland and offshore faults.

Tuesday’s earthquake was traced to an ‘offshore active fault NE (northeast) of Cebu Island,’ according to Phivolcs.

A kilogram of suspected shabu (crystal meth) was confiscated and four suspects were arrested in separate operations in Manila and Quezon City, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said.

The Manila drug bust took place on Tuesday afternoon along Moret Street in Barangay 458, according to the PDEA in a statement on Wednesday.

‘Arrested during the operation were alias ‘JP,’ 19, male; and alias ‘Esmayti,’ 27-year-old male suspect, both residents of Manila,’ the agency detailed.

The two suspects were caught allegedly in possession of five knot-tied plastic bags of suspected shabu weighing 500 grams.

Meanwhile, in another statement on Wednesday, PDEA said the Quezon City drug bust took place on Tuesday night along Annapolis Street in Barangay E. Rodriguez.

‘Arrested during the operation were alias ‘Leo,’ 57, male, a painter, and his live-in partner, alias ‘Aila,’ 38, female,’ the agency noted.

‘Confiscated from the suspects [was] one green eco-bag containing a plastic sachet of suspected shabu weighing approximately 500 grams,’ it added.

Based on the Dangerous Drug Board’s standard drug price for shabu, the combined confiscated shabu is valued at P6.8 million.

PDEA further said the drugs were turned over to the agency’s Laboratory Service for examination.

It added that the four arrested suspects were taken into custody by their respective city police offices, awaiting charges for violating Republic Act No. 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday called on Filipinos to support and nurture the country’s artists as he officially reopened the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) after six months of renovation.

‘As we reopen the doors of the PICC, let us also open ourselves to a greater challenge: to create, to imagine, and to contribute,’ Marcos said in his speech.

‘Support our artists-our painters, our musicians, our performers. For in their creativity, we find not only beauty, but the very soul of our nation. And beyond appreciation, let us take part in that creation ourselves,’ he added.

Marcos urged Filipinos to ensure that the PICC would remain ‘a testament to the artistry, ingenuity, and passion of the Filipino people.’

‘Let it inspire us to carry forward our heritage, so that decades from now, our children, our grandchildren will still look at this place with pride, saying: This is who we are. This is what we can achieve,’ he said. The President was accompanied by First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos and former First Lady Imelda Marcos, as well as other officials, during the reopening.

In encouraging Filipinos to embrace creativity, Marcos said artistic expression can be found in many forms, including ‘a short reflection written in a notebook, a song hummed at the end of a long day, a painting done by a child, or even a simple story shared with the family.’

‘Every act of creation-no matter how small-is an act of courage. It is an act of hope,’ he said.

Marcos also highlighted the role of the PICC as a cultural venue that embodies the resilience of creativity.

‘If the PICC has shown us anything, it is this: That creativity, when nurtured, endures. That artistry, when given space, inspires. And that every Filipino, no matter who or where they are, can bring light, meaning, and beauty to the world,’ the President said.

The Bureau of Customs BOC may auction 13 luxury cars owned by the Discaya couple if they fail to prove the legitimacy of the purchases, according to BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno on Wednesday.

Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya have been linked to anomalous flood control projects.

In a previous Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the flood control mess, Sarah admitted to owning 28 luxury vehicles.

The luxury cars are inside the compound of the BOC after the agency issued a warrant of seizure and detention covering the 13 vehicles after finding sufficient grounds for seizure due to improper documentation of purchases.

‘It means that it is a formal process where the cars will be forfeited and will become properties of the government if they fail to prove for one last time that they have proper documentation and payments,’ Nepomuceno told reporters in an interview. Nepomuceno said that the Discayas, Pacifico and Sarah, will be given an opportunity to prove the legitimacy of importation and documentation.

He said that hearings will start on October 9.

Nepomuceno gave three options once the vehicles are forfeited: auction; complete destruction of the vehicles; and donation to other agencies.

He, however, said that the agency will neither destroy the vehicles nor donate to other agencies.

‘These can be auctioned. We will ensure that once we do it, the auction will be transparent and the bidding will be competitive so the money collected from it will be used for programs of the government,’ Nepomuceno said.

He noted that all of the 13 vehicles may be sold at around P220 million in total.

He also explained that of the 13 cars, the seven cars were found to have no import entry records and certificate of payments (COP):

Toyota Tundra

Toyota Sequoia

Rolls Royce Cullinan

Mercedes-Benz AMG G83 AMG SUV

Mercedes-Benz G 500

Lincoln Navigator 2021

Bentley Bentayga

Meanwhile, the remaining six vehicles have import entry records but dubious COPs or no payment documentations at all:

Lincoln Navigator 2024

GMC Yukon Denali

Cadillac Escalade 2021

Maserati Levante Modena

GMC Yukon XL Denale

Cadillac Escalade ESV Last September 10, the BOC announced that as part of its initial investigation, eight cars were classified as smuggled for having no import entry records and COP while another seven had import entry documents but no payment certificates.

Nepomuceno previously announced that if the Discayas fail to prove the legitimacy of the purchases, the agency would issue a warrant of seizure and detention.

‘They complied with providing documents but when we looked at those, we were not convinced that the documents were proper,’ they said.

Nepomuceno also said that upon validation, two of the 15 cars initially found to have missing documents have been proven to have legitimate papers.

The BOC previously secured 30 luxury vehicles of the family to undergo verification of importation records and assessment of duties and taxes.

Nepomuceno also shared that 17 of these cars were purchased from car dealers with good track records of documentation and payment.

However, he said that they will still undergo post-audit clearance.

Who are the BOC personnel responsible for this?

Nepomuceno said that the BOC issued show cause orders to more than 10 of its personnel to explain how the cars entered ports under their authority.

‘At this point, it’s still a show cause order. If it elevates into a case, then we will have the opportunity to disclose. At this point, we are protecting their privacy once we find out that their explanations may be accurate,’ he said.

Three teams are still unbeaten in Season 88 of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament, and none of them has made more heads turn than University of Santo Tomas.

After bringing down two heavyweights in the young tournament, the Growling Tigers will be facing another formidable program and another undefeated side in National U on Wednesday, with both looking for a share of the lead at UST Quadricentennial Pavilion Arena.

But for Santo Tomas, this game is more than just staying on track. It’s a way to further validate how far they have gone from an average team last season to one of the most feared here-something that wasn’t the case in the previous decade, maybe even longer.

‘For me and the team, we are happy because we have made the Santo Tomas community happy,’ coach Pido Jarencio told the Inquirer over the phone on the eve of their 4:30 p.m. collision with the equally rejuvenated Bulldogs. ‘What we promise is to keep laying everything on the floor for them (community) and give them something to keep celebrating.’

The Bulldogs, meanwhile, have also been on a tear with a healthy roster. And that is something that coach Jeff Napa believes will be crucial for them to again go deep this season, along with another thing that’s purely mental.

‘No. 1 for us is consistency,’ Napa said in Filipino. ‘Day in and day out, our approach has to be all about effort-how much we put in and how we sustain that effort every single day.

Containing Akowe

‘We need to be ready, and most importantly, we need to stay healthy if we want to achieve our goals,’ Napa went on.

Collins Akowe comes into the game with averages of 24.5 points and 18 rebounds, and the Santo Tomas rookie will be up against his high school alma mater for the first time with National U having Omar John trying to take care of the burly, 6-foot-10 Tiger.

Forthsky Padrigao opened his collegiate farewell tour with a bang against La Salle in a 93-83 win over the weekend, as he continues to quarterback the Santo Tomas offense that has Nic Cabañero as one of its top guns.

Padrigao, Cabañero and Akowe formed a three-sided battering ram that took down the Archers as Santo Tomas has beaten the champions and finalists of the last two years.

Meanwhile, the Green Archers seek to pick themselves up from that loss when they battle Far Eastern in the 2 p.m. game of a heavy six-game sked that will also have the women’s teams of Santo Tomas and National U squaring off at 7 p.m. in their first collision since the Lady Bulldogs won the title last year.

New Lady Bulldogs coach DA Olan will be facing his first acid test in the seasoned Haydee Ong and the Tigresses.

‘For me, it’s not really feasible to bring in a new system,’ Olan said after their 89-64 rout of Far Eastern last week. ‘Considering I got my knowledge of the game from (resigned) coach Aris (Dimaunahan), It’s gonna be the same concepts and principles.

The national government will be extending more than P100 million in additional assistance to Masbate to help in the rehabilitation of the province worst hit by Typhoon Opong (international name: Bualoi) last week.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos on Wednesday ordered the Department of Budget and Management to release P100 million in Local Government Support Fund to the local government, upon the request of Masbate Governor Richard Kho.

During the distribution of assistance to the affected families in Masbate City on Wednesday, Marcos said the government would provide continued support to them including food, medicine, and cash assistance, until necessary.

‘Do not worry, the government’s support will continue for as long as you need it. Even if it takes some time because your homes are not yet repaired, we are already here extending our support,’ the President said in his remarks at Nursery Elementary School in Masbate City.

‘No one will be left behind. Even after the typhoon has passed, your government will still be here. We will not leave until all evacuees and everyone affected by the typhoon are back on their feet and have recovered,’ he added.

The President told Masbate residents not to hesitate in asking for help from the government-either from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), or their city and provincial government. During his visit, the President led distribution of family food packs, hygiene kits, 10-meter laminated sacks, water filtration kits and the P10,000 cash assistance each to 600 families through the DSWD’s Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situation (AICS), amounting to P264.96 million. Marcos also announced the P28 million worth of aid released by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to the provincial government of Masbate intended for livelihood assistance and Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa ating Disadvantaged Workers (Tupad) beneficiaries.

Marcos also ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) to rehabilitate the 806 damaged classrooms in the province within a month.

Aside from the distribution of aid, he also visited Masbate Provincial Hospital to personally inspect its damaged facilities.

Marcos turned over a facsimile check worth P3 million from the Department of Health (DOH) to the provincial government for repair works.

The Social Security System (SSS) officially launched the MySSS Card that has a dual function–an official ID and a debit card.

SSS President and CEO Robert Joseph De Claro said the MySSS Card acts would replace the long-standing Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) card.

It would also operate as a fully functional debit card linked to a savings account.

De Claro noted that the card is equipped with an EMV chip. It is integrated with the Philippine Identification System, or PhilSys, eVerify and biometric authentication.

SSS will accept applications for the MySSS Card starting Oct. 1.

RCBC, through its digital arm DiskarTech, will be the card’s first implementer. /dda

So many people have come to be aware of the ongoing Miss Asia Pacific International here because of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that jolted one of the pageant’s events. And the delegates recalled the moments that happened that fateful evening.

The Philippine-based international pageant was holding its gala night at the ballroom of Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu City on Sept. 30, to raise funds for Operation Smile. But the massive tremor with the epicenter traced to Bogo City north of the province disrupted the festivities.

Videos from the event showed Australia’s Deborah Madriaga among the last ladies walking down the runway, exhibiting a calmer demeanor than the others.

‘I’ve never experienced an earthquake, so that was the first time. Growing up, I was into a lot of action movies and stuff, so seeing all of that, it was just natural instinct for me, firstly being calm, and then also looking for my sisters as well,’ she told Inquirer Entertainment.

‘I saw Belgium jump off, so I followed her, and I saw Brazil onstage, so I ran to her. And the crown also jumped in front of me. So I was like, this is real, this is actually happening. The first thing I thought was get the girls to safety,’ she shared.

Reigning queen Janelis Leyba, the finale model of the show, was seen in videos taking her crown off her head and dropping it on the floor. ‘After it all calmed down, that’s when I picked it up and that’s when I gave it back to our leaders. I panicked. I felt so bad for Janelis, like she was so scared. I wish that I could be there for her. She ran off,’ Madriaga said.

The Philippines’ Anita Rose Gomez also said it was her first time experiencing an earthquake. ‘I was just about to get off the stage when it happened. And I just felt that I’m dizzy. I’m not so sure what’s happening, and I just saw people running around me,’ she said.

‘And I saw Miss Taiwan, she’s so shocked, and she cannot move. I grabbed her hands and I told her to go with me under the table. I just kept on praying, that everything will be okay after the earthquake,’ Gomez continued.

‘Kudos to Radisson Hotel, and of course the Miss Asia Pacific International, the staff, they were so calm and prepared, and they made sure that everything was okay, that everything was fine. And I just want to take this opportunity to say to everybody that we are all well taken care of,’ the Zambaleña beauty said. Gomez said she saw online the extent of devastation that the earthquake caused, even claiming lives. ‘I just want everyone to pray, hold on to our faith. And of course, let’s help one another. Let’s look out for one another. And at the same time, let’s help Cebu recoup from what happened last night,’ she said.

Cambodia’s Mealyann Nita Saing shared that she had also experienced a quake while in Bangkok, Thailand doing modeling a few years back. She recalled this incident with people who took cover under the same table as hers during the commotion.

Gomez, meanwhile, said her experience taught her to be quick on her feet. ‘Have the presence of mind that we need. At the same time, don’t panic. It’s something that is instilled in me, that in times of problems, in times of catastrophes, you have to be more relaxed, composed,’ she said.

The earthquake has prompted the Miss Asia Pacific International pageant to cancel the press presentation at the provincial capital scheduled on the day after the earthquake struck. It has also released a statement of solidarity with Cebuanos affected by the tremor.

‘Pageantry is not only about celebrating grace, talent, and advocacy-it is also about embodying the true essence of service,’ the pageant organization said, adding that the candidates will devote their time and influence for relief and fundraising events and initiatives, awareness and empowerment, and solidarity events and programs.

The Miss Asia Pacific International delegates have volunteered in the packing of relief goods at the Cebu Province Warehouse on Wednesday afternoon, Oct. 1. The call to action was made the last minute, and the ladies readily heeded it. Miss Asia Pacific International President Eva Patalinjug-Lim said all the other activities scheduled for the ladies around the province have been cancelled, but the coronation night will push through on Oct. 8 at the Cebu Coliseum.