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Malacañang on Friday urged the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate the ‘secret decision’ reversing the 2016 dismissal order against Sen. Joel Villanueva.

At a press briefing, Palace press officer Claire Castro said that such a decision, if proven true, could erode public trust in the country’s justice system.

‘We have faith and trust in the capability of Ombudsman Boying Remulla, and even though they are an independent body, we should still tell them-through us-that this matter truly needs to be thoroughly investigated so that whatever mistakes were made, or whatever laws may have been violated, can be properly addressed and corrected by the Office of the Ombudsman,’ she said.

Castro added that it is too early to determine whether former Ombudsman Samuel Martires could be held liable for the matter.

‘That depends on the situation, and indeed, there is a provision in the rules of procedure of the Office of the Ombudsman which, if we are not mistaken, was mentioned in news reports back in 2016-that a motion for reconsideration may be filed,’ she said.

Castro also noted that if a motion for reconsideration was indeed filed in 2016, it should not have taken until 2019 – or two years – for the motion to be resolved.

On Thursday, Remulla stated that he would no longer request the Senate to implement the 2016 dismissal order against Villanueva.

After declaring his intent to pursue the dismissal, Remulla said a decision signed by Martirez in July 2019 suddenly surfaced, reversing the 2016 order.

‘So I was surprised by that decision. It only came out when I said the ombudsman would do something about that. So it’s a surprise secret decision that came out,’ Remulla told reporters.

According to Remulla, no one knew about the Martirez’s decision reversing the 2016 order, including people close to the ombudsman’s office. ‘Even [Senate President] Tito Sotto didn’t know about it. They released it now. So don’t you call that a secret decision?’ the ombudsman asked.

Remulla said he will study the reversal and why it only surfaced now.

The Sandiganbayan has acquitted former Senate President and current Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Juan Ponce Enrile of his remaining graft charges in the alleged diversion of P172.8 million in public funds linked to the pork barrel scam.

The anti-graft court’s Special Third Division also cleared Enrile’s former chief of staff, Jessica Lucila ‘Gigi’ Reyes, and the businesswoman at the center of the controversy, Janet Lim Napoles, of 15 graft counts during the case’s promulgation on Friday, Oct. 24.

The Sandiganbayan concluded that ‘the prosecution failed to prove their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.’

According to the decision penned by Special Third Division Chairperson Justice Ronald Moreno, the Sandiganbayan ordered Napoles and several co-accused to jointly pay the government amounts ranging from P8 million to P40 million, with six percent annual interest from the finality of the decision until full payment, for each count of graft.

However, the court ruled that no civil liability would be imposed on Enrile, Reyes, the senator’s former deputy chief of staff, Jose Antonio Evangelista II, and other co-accused.

The Sandiganbayan also noted that the graft cases against private individuals Eulogio Dimailig Rodriguez, officials of defunct National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR) Romulo Magahis Relevo, and former director of National Livelihood and Development Corp. (NLDC) Alexis Gagni Sevidal were dismissed due to their deaths, while the case against private individual Hernani Ditchon was likewise terminated on the same ground.

Charges against private individual Fernando Balbaira Ramirez were dismissed due to lack of probable cause.

Meanwhile, former Budget Undersecretary Mario Relampagos has been declared a fugitive, while former Technology Resource Center (TRC) Director General Antonio Ortiz, private individuals Ronald John Lim, Amparo L. Fernando, Aileen Palama, John Raymund De Asis, Noel V. Macha, and Margarita P. Guadinez, as well as former president NABCOR Alan Alunan Javellana, and NABCOR official Maria Julie Asor Villaralvo-Johnson, have yet to be arraigned and remain at large.

Enrile was only able to attend the promulgation via Zoom. The 101-year-old former senator appeared briefly on-screen during the reading of the decision on his remaining graft charges, looking frail and confined to a hospital bed.

Similarly, Napoles also attended both hearings virtually – one involving Enrile’s remaining graft cases and another concerning the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of former Senator Gregorio Honasan II.

Reyes, for her part, personally attended the promulgation. When asked for her reaction to the anti-graft court’s verdict, she said she was ‘thankful’ and ‘grateful.’

The charges against Enrile and others stemmed from the PDAF, or pork barrel, scandal that surfaced in 2013 after the Inquirer exposed the misuse of lawmakers’ discretionary funds for ghost projects.

Under the scheme, PDAF allocations were funneled into a network of bogus nongovernmental organizations run by Napoles.

Enrile, Reyes, and Napoles were indicted in 2014 for plunder, accused of pocketing P172.8 million in kickbacks from Enrile’s PDAF from 2004 to 2010.

Napoles was separately convicted of plunder in 2018 in connection with former Senator Ramon Revilla Jr.’s pork barrel funds.

On October 4, 2024, the Sandiganbayan acquitted Enrile of plunder, ruling that the prosecution failed to prove he received at least P50 million in kickbacks-the threshold for plunder.

Aside from Enrile, Revilla, and Senator Jinggoy Estrada were also charged with plunder over the PDAF scam but were later acquitted.

Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. (RRHI) saw its core profit in the first nine months inch up to P4.2 billion this year from P4 billion last year on higher gross margin.

Net income attributable to equity holders of the parent company, however, dropped by 60 percent to P3.1 billion from P7.8 billion. This was amid the absence of a one-time gain from the Bank of the Philippines Islands and Robinsons Bank merger.

Net sales during the January to September period improved by 4.8 percent to P149.2 billion.

‘The strength of our core businesses and our continued focus on operational efficiency have enabled the company to deliver sustained revenue growth and profitability,’ said Stanley Co, president and chief executive officer of RRHI.

‘As we enter the peak retail season, we are optimistic that consumer demand across our banners will pick up. This should allow us to end the year strong, with healthy sales and earnings momentum,’ Co said.

Jose Rizal University lost one of its key cogs Justin Lozano late in the fourth quarter of its game against defending champion Mapua in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament on Friday.

Lozano was rushed to the hospital after a bad fall but the Heavy Bombers used his absence as extra motivation to eke out an emotional win over the Cardinals.

UPDATE: JRU coach Nani Epondulan says Justin Lozano is already awake and conscious after their 66-63 win over Mapua. #NCAASeason101 | @MeloFuertesINQ pic.twitter.com/GvseqTdTFM

– INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) October 24, 2025

‘Earlier, while we were singing our hymn, they told us that he’s already awake while he was in the ambulance. He’s with our medical team,’ said JRU coach Nani Epondulan, whose squad improved to 4-4 in Group B.

‘Losing him earlier made me teary-eyed because when I saw him, it’s like I was the one who got hurt so I told them to get the win for Justin,’ he added. ‘I told them to get this game and win for Justin because he was with us from the very start of the season.’

Lozano hit his head on the floor after chasing down Mapua guard Cyrus Nitura on a fastbreak attempt at the 2:08 mark of the final frame. He had 13 points, three rebounds and two steals before being stretchered off the floor.

A total of 31,298 police officers will be deployed nationwide between Oct. 29 and Nov. 3 as part of the Philippine National Police’s security and safety plan for this year’s observance of ‘Undas,’ or All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.

Philippine National Police spokesperson Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said in a press briefing at Camp Crame on Thursday that police officers would be assigned to cemeteries and major transport terminals.

They will be reinforced by 11,707 personnel from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine Coast Guard, along with nearly 30,000 ‘force multipliers,’ including barangay security personnel, radio groups, and volunteers.

‘This nationwide effort is part of our commitment to guarantee a peaceful, orderly, and safe Undas for all Filipinos,’ PNP acting chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a separate statement.

Millions of Filipinos are expected to travel home to their home provinces and visit the graves of their departed loved ones on Nov. 1 and Nov. 2.

Ready to assist

In line with this, the PNP has also set up 5,169 Police Assistance Desks across 5,065 cemeteries and memorial parks to assist visitors and respond to emergencies.

Checkpoints near cemeteries are being reviewed for practicality and manpower efficiency, while 24-hour patrols in residential and commercial areas will continue to deter burglars, Tuaño said.

According to him, while the PNP has not received any specific security threats for Undas 2025, it continues to conduct intelligence monitoring and coordinate with local government units.

‘We encourage everyone to keep an eye on their belongings and immediately report any suspicious activity,’ Tuaño said. ‘For assistance, the public may contact the unified 911 hotline, which accepts all emergency and nonemergency calls.’

He added that cemetery rules will be enforced nationwide, including restrictions on bringing liquor, bladed weapons, and gambling paraphernalia inside memorial parks.

Investigate the timeline of events that led to retired Ombudsman Samuel Martires’ ‘secret’ 2019 reversal of the dismissal order against Sen. Joel Villanueva, a lawmaker urged Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Friday.

In a statement, House infra committee chair and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said the ‘most important question’ regarding the reversal was when Villanueva appealed for the reversal of former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales’ 2016 order dismissing him from public office.

The senator allegedly misused his pork barrel funds when he was a representative of an anti-corruption party list group in the House.

In June 2008, then CIBAC party-list Rep. Villanueva requested the release of P10 million from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) for what was later deemed a non-existent project.

Ridon cited records and reporting that suggested inconsistencies in the handling of Villanueva’s appeal.

He urged Remulla to ‘look deeper into these timelines, in order to finally settle the questions surrounding Senator Villanueva’s Ombudsman case.’

For one, Ridon said, there were news reports in 2016 quoting Villanueva as saying he had already filed his motion for reconsideration (MR) in November 2016, and had left the enforcement request to the discretion of the then Senate President Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel.

The Dec. 5, 2016 Senate Journal likewise recorded Villanueva’s filing of the MR within the ten-day period prescribed under Ombudsman rules.

Then Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales also acknowledged the MR’s existence in a Dec. 14, 2016 report, saying: ‘They said they are waiting for the resolution of the motion for reconsideration. So, we’ll cross the bridge when we get to it.’

‘However, the supposed Motion for Reconsideration was never resolved by Ombudsman Morales within the prescribed five-day period from its submission,’ Ridon noted. ‘If the MR was indeed filed in November 2016, it should have been resolved by December 2016.’

Ridon pointed out that Morales had until her retirement on July 26, 2018 – one year and eight months later – to act on the motion.

‘Had Ombudsman Morales resolved it within that extended timeframe, Ombudsman Martires would not have had the opportunity to act on it much later, on July 31, 2019,’ he said.

‘On the other hand, if the MR was filed out of time, then Ombudsman Martires had absolutely no discretion to entertain or resolve it in 2019, as the dismissal would have already been final and executory as early as 2016,’ Ridon explained.

Villanueva is accused of benefiting from flood control projects, particularly from the Bulacan first district engineering office – allegations that first surfaced during the now-suspended House infra-committee hearings last September.

This prompted Carpio-Morales to comment in an ANC interview that the Philippines was the ‘laughing stock’ of other countries because it could not even enforce its own laws, referring to her now-scuttled dismissal order against Villanueva. Remulla on Thursday said he would write a letter to Senate President Vicente ‘Tito’ Sotto to try to enforce Morales’ order but he was surprised to learn that Martires, a Duterte appointee, had already reversed it.

ZUS Coffee and Farm Fresh have been making waves in the PVL Reinforced Conference so far.

The Thunderbelles stunned the Creamline Cool Smashers on Thursday with a 25-27, 25-17, 25-20, 25-22 conquest behind Anna DeBeer’s 37 points for a 3-0 lead in Pool B.

On Tuesday, the Foxies extended their best franchise start and remained as the lone unbeaten squad in Pool A after Eli Rousseaux dropped 36 to beat Capital1, 25-22, 22-25, 25-21, 25-22.

ZUS Coffee coach Jerry Yee, who also had a coaching stint with Farm Fresh, doesn’t seem surprised by the performance of the two rising clubs after investing on recruitment that included signing prolific reinforcements in DeBeer and Rousseaux. DeBeer and Rousseaux have merged as the tournament’s Best Scorers with 92 and 91 points, respectively. ‘We have to [win]. Because the management gives us great support, so we need to give back. They provide everything we need, so there’s no excuse not to step up,’ said Yee, whose squad was coming off breakthrough playoff appearances in the All-Filipino and PVL on Tour.

Yee sees DeBeer as a perfect fit for ZUS with locals led by rookie AC Miner, setter Clo Mondoñedo, Thea Gagate, Riza Nogales, veterans Jov Gonzaga, Fiola Ceballos, and Alyssa Eroa.

‘It’s Anna. We’re lucky to have someone we can really rely on. Having a teammate like her builds our confidence, and it helps everyone play better. Everybody’s stepping up, especially Anna,’ he said.

Farm Fresh, meanwhile, appears to have found the right man at the helm in Italian Alessandro Lodi after several coaching changes.

Lodi continued to bring out the best in three-time Best Opposite Spiker Trisha Tubu and tapped rookie but seasoned setter Alohi Robins-Hardy while adding another reliable scorer in Ces Molina to create a potent offensive combo with Rousseaux.

‘[The growth is] tremendous. That was the plan and the project to work really for five months. As we talked about during the summer, it was for many people kind of learning the game from scratch, making a lot of changes. And that was the process that was needed in order to try to become contenders at the higher level,’ said Lodi.

‘It was not easy. We went through ups and downs because, of course, these processes take time and one day you do well and the next day it looks like you never played volleyball before. But the players always understood that. They bought in right away. That’s one thing.’

Former President Benigno Aquino III’s famous quote and campaign slogan – that there will be no poor Filipinos if corruption is eradicated – is more important than ever as a moral compass for the Liberal Party (LP).

LP President Erin Tañada on Friday recalled the former chief executive’s slogan at a fellowship with a theme ‘Kung Walang Korap, Walang Mahirap’ (if there’s no corrupt, no one is poor) – which is an ode to Aquino’s anti-corruption maxim.

Tañada said the corruption scandals that have rocked the country only signal the need for liberals to show that the LP is ready for nation-building and the pursuit of transparency.

‘Every volunteer, every organizer, every young Liberal who takes the oath today joins a tradition that has defended democracy through the darkest of times [.],’ he said.

‘Let our voices reach communities tired of deceit and disillusionment. Let them see that the Liberal Party stands ready once more, united and prepared for the hard work of nation-building,’ he told the members.

”Kung Walang Korap, Walang Mahirap’ remains our compass. It points us toward integrity, transparency and genuine service. It reminds us that the path to progress begins with honesty and ends with dignity,’ he added.

According to Tañada, the fellowship, which coincides with the oath-taking of over 200 new LP members, is a chance to ‘renew’ the discipline that Aquino’s words and vision for governance instilled.

‘Fourteen years ago, President Noynoy Aquino spoke words that carried the promise of a different kind of politics: ‘Kung walang korap, walang mahirap.’ Those words shaped a generation,’ he said.

‘They reminded us that clean governance is not a dream but a discipline, a daily struggle that demands honesty, courage and love of country,’ he added.

LP has seen several setbacks since Aquino III stepped down from office in June 2016.

While former Vice President Leni Robredo, along with several other members of the LP senatorial slate won in the 2016 national elections, the party suffered a mass exodus after most officials jumped to PDP-Laban, the party of Aquino’s successor, former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Then in 2019, none of the eight senatorial candidates from the Otso Diretso slate – a coalition where LP is part of after fielding four of the eight bets – made it to the Magic 12.

LP suffered another crushing defeat in 2022 as Robredo and former Senator Francis Pangilinan’s tandem lost in the presidential and vice presidential race, with only three senatorial candidates of the slate winning.

However, there are bright spots for LP after 2022: Aquino’s cousin, Senator Bam Aquino, ranked second during the senatorial race for the 2025 midterm polls, while LP chairperson and Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan got the fifth slot – despite both not ranking high in pre-election surveys.

Aquino’s former Justice secretary Leila de Lima also won in the recent elections, getting a seat as Mamamayang Liberal party-list’s representative.

Akbayan party-list, considered an LP ally, also won three seats in the party-list race, paving the way for Robredo ally and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to enter the 20th Congress.

Calls for greater transparency and the publication of SALNs came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in late August 2025 gave the directive to do a lifestyle check – starting with officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) who are currently on the hot seat due to the issue of anomalous flood control projects.

Palace press officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro said Marcos’ directive covers the entire executive department, beginning with the DPWH, the agency that implements and oversees the multibillion-peso projects he wanted investigated for alleged irregularities. But Malacañang also asked other agencies, particularly the Office of the Ombudsman, the Commission on Audit, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Bureau of Customs, as well as local government units, to conduct parallel checks.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) conducted an ocular inspection of the newly completed detention facility in the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas, Quezon City, designated for individuals who may be indicted in connection with the anomalous flood.

ICI Chair Andres Reyes, DILG Sec. Jonvic Remulla and ICI Commissioner Babes Singson led the inspection this Friday afternoon.

According to Remulla, the facility has 108 cells, with each room able to accommodate up to 10 individuals.

The ICI is currently investigating the alleged multi-billion corruption in flood control anomalies across the country.