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Gleer Codilla, a former Manila Arena security guard who was charged in 2022 in a Manila court over the missing ‘sabungeros’ (cockfighting enthusiasts), submitted an affidavit to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday in support of the police complaint against businessman Charlie ‘Atong’ Ang and several others.

Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Charlie Guhit said Codilla, who is considered a witness in the DOJ proceedings, filed the affidavit backing the complaint submitted by the Philippine National Police against Ang and company last month to the justice department.

‘With respect to the submission of the other affidavits, they are witnesses. Particularly, I remember Gleer Codilla,’ Guhit said in an ambush interview after the second preliminary investigation conducted by the DOJ.

The PNP complaint accuses Ang, celebrity Gretchen Barretto, and more than 50 other respondents of multiple counts of murder, kidnapping, and serious illegal detention, among other charges.

Separate case

Codilla, along with whistleblower Julie Patidongan, is a respondent in the kidnapping and serious illegal detention case filed with a Manila court in 2022 over the alleged abduction of sabungeros John Claude Inonog, James Baccay, Marlon Baccay, Rondel Cristorum, Mark Joseph Velasco, and Rowel Gomez.

One of the witnesses in that case, Denmark Sinfuego, alleged that he saw Codilla with the victims as they were being moved from their designated cockhouse to the arena’s basement, where they were forced to board a gray van.

Sinfuego further testified that he saw Patindongan, Codilla, and fellow Arena guard Mark Zabala with victims Velasco, Gomez and Cristorum. Behind them, other Arena guards identified as Johnry Consolacion, Roberto Matillano, and Virgilio Bayog carried the victims’ personal belongings.

According to Guhit, the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group submitted copies of flash drives containing evidence to the panel of prosecutors on Monday, which were viewed by the parties during the hearing.

‘I will not anymore disclose what are the contents of the USB because that will be part of the resolution of the case of this preliminary investigation,’ Guhit said.

The preliminary investigation will continue on Nov. 3, with prosecutors requiring Ang to personally appear and swear to his counter-affidavit. INQ

CIBI Information Inc., the Philippines’ first credit reporting agency, warned of a rise in hiring fraud that could expose companies to steep losses unless they adopt more rigorous verification systems.

The firm pointed to a mix of economic pressures, intensifying competition and the easy availability of online tools as factors that have made it simpler for job seekers to misstate or embellish their qualifications.

Common tactics include falsifying academic records, inflating work experience, inventing technical skills and, in some cases, manipulating personal identities to secure an advantage in the hiring process, CIBI said.

It added that companies risk hiring underqualified employees, which could lead to productivity setbacks, wasted recruitment investments, compliance issues and even reputational damage if third parties are affected.

‘Growth is important, but it must go hand in hand with integrity,’ Pia Arellano, president and CEO of CIBI, said in a statement on Monday.

‘By embedding proactive verification into hiring, businesses protect themselves, their people, and ultimately the strength of the country’s labor market. Integrity in hiring is more than just a business process; it’s a public service,’ Arellano added.

Steep losses

Citing a global study by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, CIBI said organizations could lose an estimated 5 percent of annual revenue to fraud. In a fast-moving labor market like the Philippines, the credit agency said such losses could increase costs and disrupt daily operations.

These risks, CIBI said, highlighted the need for stronger and more proactive safeguards in the hiring process, adding that traditional background checks and interviews alone no longer suffice as validation for applicant information.

‘Employers require more reliable ways to ensure that new hires truly possess the qualifications and integrity their applications suggest,’ it said.

‘Beyond protecting businesses, stronger verification systems also safeguard honest candidates who may otherwise be disadvantaged in a hiring market clouded by fraudulent claims,’ it added.

MREIT Inc. plans to double its portfolio to one million square meters (sq m) of gross leasable area (GLA) by 2027 by targeting the retail assets of its sponsor, Megaworld Corp.

MREIT disclosed on Monday they wanted to take advantage of continued growth in consumer spending and strong momentum in mall leasing.

‘Our goal is to diversify our portfolio and expand our revenue base,’ MREIT chair Kevin Tan said in a statement. ‘So while the country is experiencing an impressive growth in consumer activities, we want to tap into these opportunities.’

Megaworld currently has 500,000 sq m of retail GLA that may potentially be infused into MREIT. Once these assets are injected into MREIT, its portfolio would reach one million sq m.

According to MREIT, foot traffic at Megaworld Lifestyle Malls has already surpassed prepandemic levels. This was mainly due to strong leasing activities from both local and international brands.

Mall occupancy reached a record-high 93 percent in the first semester. This helps make the retail sector an attractive investment opportunity.

MREIT’s portfolio is spread across Megaworld’s townships. These include Eastwood City, McKinley Hill, McKinley West, Iloilo Business Park and Davao Park District.

In the first six months of the year, MREIT’s distributable income surged by 26 percent to P1.86 billion. This was driven by gains from six newly acquired properties and better occupancy levels.

Its revenues likewise swelled by 28 percent to P2.7 billion.

3 million square meters

At the same time, Megaworld plans to grow its office GLA to 2 million sq m and its retail GLA to one million sq m by 2030. This would bring its total leasing portfolio to 3 million sq m.

Megaworld also recently sold P2.24 billion worth of its shares in MREIT. This makes room for possible asset infusions in the future.

This raised MREIT’s public ownership level to 40 percent. It is above the 33.33-percent minimum requirement for real estate investment trusts.

According to MREIT, Mactan Newtown in Cebu will get P830 million of the total proceeds. Paragua Coastown in Palawan will be allocated P845 million, while the Bacolod township will be allocated P537.92 million. INQ

‘There is no turning back here.’

This was what the lawyer of Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Discaya said after the contractor couple attended the hearing of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) in connection with the flood control anomalies on Tuesday, September 30.

The Discaya couple separately arrived at the ICI office in Taguig City on Tuesday morning at around 9 a.m. to attend the investigation, which lasted until around 2:30 p.m.

The contractor couple refused to give any statement to the media. Instead, their lawyer, Atty. Cornelio Samaniego III, was the one who answered questions in an ambush interview.

According to Samaniego, just like before the Department of Justice, the Discayas also told everything to the commission during its proceeding on Tuesday.

‘About money, about the particular persons mentioned in the affidavit, what the transaction is, what the history is.. we were ‘tell-all’ [during the probe],’ the counsel said.

‘There is no turning back here,’ he emphasized.

When asked for the names that the Discayas mentioned at the ICI hearing, Samaniego refused to answer, saying instead that ‘it’s already in the affidavit.’

He said the Discaya couple decided to reveal everything they know on the flood control anomalies after flood survivors and environmental groups threw mud and rocks, and wrote ‘magnanakaw’ (thief) and ‘ikulong’ (jail them), on the gates of their residence in Pasig City earlier in September.

The Discayas are currently under investigation for alleged involvement in anomalies in flood control projects. /apl

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has issued an advisory for possible minor sea-level disturbances following a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that struck Cebu Tuesday evening. In its advisory, Phivolcs urged the public to be on alert for unusual waves, noting that people should ‘stay away from the beach and not go to the coast’ of the following provinces until the advisory is lifted:

Leyte

Cebu

Biliran

‘People whose houses are located very near the shoreline of these provinces are advised to move father inland,’ the Phivolcs said.

‘Owners of boats in harbors, estuaries, or shallow coastal water of the above-mentioned provinces should secure their boats and move away from the waterfront. Boats already at sea during this period should stay offshore in deep waters until further advised,’ it added.

The Phivolcs earlier said that the center of the magnitude 6.9 quake, which occurred at 9:59 p.m. and was initially reported as magnitude 6.7, was located 21 kilometers northeast of the City of Bogo, Cebu, at a depth of 5 kilometers.

The agency added that aftershocks are expected and property damage may occur./mcm

Justin Arana knows that he and Converge can’t take their tuneup victory over San Miguel Beer over the weekend at face value, saying that the real measure will be known once real games are played in the season-opening of the PBA Philippine Cup.

‘We do take this as a win, but we’re not satisfied,’ Arana told the Inquirer in Filipino after the 114-99 mangling of the powerhouse Beermen at Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City.

Preseason games are used primarily as a dress rehearsal, with coaches spreading the minutes while also tinkering with things to be executed before the season tips off this Sunday. That was exactly the case in this anticipated exhibition between both teams.

Converge is seen as a potential spoiler to the dominance of the usual contenders in San Miguel, TNT and Barangay Ginebra, especially after the selection of Juan Gomez de Liaño created a talented five-man combo with Arana, Justine Baltazar, Alec Stockton and Schonny Winston.

The FiberXers showed their quality against the Beermen, breaking away from a 51-all tie at halftime behind that core, along with rugged big man Pao Javillonar, to pull off another win, the fourth straight since Gomez de Liaño began to suit up in the preseason.

But then, San Miguel didn’t go into the contest like the usual San Miguel, as June Mar Fajardo played sparring minutes, CJ Perez and Chris Ross opted to be spectators and coach Leo Austria opted to give his 34-year-old PBA rookie Chris Miller much exposure as he could.

And those are things that Arana and the FiberXers acknowledged.

‘June Mar didn’t play like the June Mar that we know and CJ didn’t play,’ said Arana. ‘Tuneup games are more about scouting and adjustments. Like I said, we won, but we’re not satisfied because the goal is to get wins during the season.’

San Miguel, meanwhile, is going into the Philippine Cup as defending champion after denying TNT’s quest for a historic Grand Slam last July.

Fajardo is expected to be in his best form once the conference starts, while Jericho Cruz could take some of the confidence from his Finals Most Valuable Player award and role in Guam’s entry to the qualification for the quarterfinals game of the Fiba Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia.

Perez, however, could be doubtful for the start of the conference due to an ankle injury sustained with Gilas Pilipinas in the same continental competition.

But there might be some optimism toward Miller, picked ninth in the Draft, as he showed some promise on offense during the tuneup contest. While he’s a PBA greenhorn, Miller has been playing overseas for the past decade, most notably in Europe. INQ

A new low-pressure area (LPA) has entered the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), the state weather bureau said Tuesday night.

According to the 10 p.m. update from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa), the LPA entered the PAR around 8 p.m. Tuesday. It was last located 1,095 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon.

Pagasa said the LPA still has a ‘medium’ potential of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, the weather bureau earlier reported that the easterlies-warm winds coming from the Pacific Ocean-are expected to continue bringing scattered rains to Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

Korean actor Lee Chae-min, star of the hit Netflix series ‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty’ is set to visit the Philippines, as well as other countries, for a fan meeting.

Details of his fan meet are yet to be announced, but Lee, who stars as the titular King Lee Heon in the series took to Instagram on Monday, Sept. 29, to express his gratitude to the viewers who supported the drama.

Lee also shared behind-the-scenes photos of himself with leading lady Im Yoon-ah.

‘I would like to thank everyone who has loved ‘Tyrant’s Chef.’ I am happy to see that everyone’s hard work has been receiving so much love. I hope this will remain in your memories forever,’ he wrote in Korean. Lee thanked his co-actors, director, and production team for putting the drama together. He also hoped that his character and Yeon-Ji-young (Im) would stay happy.

‘Once again, thank you very much to everyone who loved ‘Tyrant’s Chef’ and Lee Heon. And thank you to all the actors, staff, directors, writers, and those who brought this together,’ he said.

‘Lee Heon and Ji-young, please be happy forever. Ji-young, your cooking skills are the best. I will now make you bibimbap every morning,’ he added.

Achieving a double-digit rating in South Korea, ‘Bon Appetit, Your Majesty’ is currently the highest-rated K-drama on cable network tvN in 2025. A special episode is scheduled to be released on October 4, according to reports.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will file criminal complaints against public officials and contractors allegedly involved in flood control anomalies who are found to have committed tax violations.

BIR Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. said this in an ambush interview with reporters after meeting with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) at its office in Taguig City on Tuesday. According to Lumagui, the BIR is coordinating with the ICI and other government agencies to investigate the government officials and contractors named in the flood control probe for possible tax evasion.

‘As far as the BIR is concerned, we are looking at the tax angle here, which includes possible tax deficiencies and tax evasion as a criminal case. So for this particular criminal case, we will be the ones to file it. That’s why we will gather all the information involved in the ongoing investigations,’ Lumagui said in Filipino.

According to the BIR commissioner, the first criminal complaint may be filed this week or next, as the agency continues compiling comprehensive evidence on certain personalities.

‘Maybe this week or next, we will file some initial criminal cases. But again, these are not yet complete; we will only be filing cases on specific issues for now,’ he said. Lumagui also mentioned that there are already certain personalities who could serve as complainants in the cases they plan to file. ‘Even before, we had already checked the tax compliances, other information, and reported revenues. We are also conducting lifestyle checks on the contractors and other personalities being mentioned,’ he explained.

‘Billions of taxes being chased’

When asked how much in taxes the BIR is pursuing from personalities allegedly involved in flood control anomalies, Lumagui said, ‘Definitely in the billions.’

‘Because in a particular case, in just one taxable year for a single taxpayer, we already found a billion in tax evasion,’ the BIR commissioner noted.

‘As for the total amount, we still don’t know yet because our examination and collation of information and data from other government agencies are still ongoing,’ he added.

‘Pay for deficiency tax, be rotten to jail’

According to Lumagui, those found liable for tax evasion will face penalties, including payment of deficiency taxes, and may also face imprisonment depending on the amount evaded.

‘First, we will collect the deficiency tax-the amount they were supposed to pay,’ Lumagui said in Filipino. ‘Second, if it is found that there was criminal intent, such as fraud, a criminal case for tax evasion will also be filed. So they will pay the deficiency tax and face a criminal complaint.’ ‘If the Department of Justice prosecutes the case, the penalty could include imprisonment,’ he added, noting that those who evade billions in taxes may face more than 10 years in jail.

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday called on Congress to prioritize several measures, including amendments to school-based feeding programs and the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) Act.

DepEd made the call during a meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council, which was presided over by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ‘In the New Philippines, we must ensure that every student has adequate nutrition, quality teachers, safe schools, and equal opportunities-whether they study in public or private institutions. These proposals are concrete steps to make sure that not a single learner is left behind,’ Education Sec. Sonny Angara said in Filipino in a statement.

The priority education bills endorsed to Congress include:

Amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act (RA 11037): Expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program to 160 feeding days and universal feeding for Kindergarten to Grade 3; inclusion of marginalized groups such as indigenous learners and adolescent mothers; allowance of milk-based substitutes for the Milk Feeding Program; weekly micronutrient supplementation for female learners; and establishment of Central Kitchens in every School Division Office, among others.

Amendments to the E-GASTPE Act (RA 8545): Institutionalization of anti-fraud mechanisms through centralized verification, audits, whistleblower protection, and data- sharing with other agencies; expansion of voucher coverage to Kindergarten through Senior High School learners and teachers, among others.

Amendments to the Teacher Professionalization Act (RA 7836): Flexibility in creating distinct licensure examinations per teacher education program, diversification of the Board for Professional Teachers, and additional graduate quality assurance measures such as portfolio assessment and literacy and numeracy testing, among others.

Amendments to the Local Government Code – Special Education Fund (SEF): Raising the SEF levy from 1% to 2% of assessed property value and expanding allowable uses to cover operations of special education, IP and madrasah classes, open high schools, flexible learning, school site acquisition, and school building maintenance, among others.

Meanwhile, Angara also noted DepEd’s support of the Classroom Building Acceleration Bill to fast-track the construction of classrooms nationwide by providing flexibility and engaging more partners in the implementation.

According to Angara, strengthening these programs is essential to deliver better learning outcomes and to give every Filipino learner a fair chance at success.