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Any move to revive the death penalty must undergo a comprehensive study, Malacañang said yesterday.

This was Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro’s response when asked to comment on calls to impose capital punishment on corrupt politicians and public officials.

Castro said the reimposition of the death penalty should not be rushed, underscoring the importance of first ensuring that the five pillars of the justice system are working effectively and fairly.

Castro also warned against the risk of wrongful convictions in a flawed system, citing past instances wherein people admitted to planting evidence or fabricating accusations.

‘What if the person is innocent and was framed and evidence was just planted? He can face the death penalty. It would be unfortunate for those who are innocent,’ she said.

The Philippines abolished the death penalty in 1987, becoming the first country in Asia to eliminate capital punishment.

It was reinstated in 1993 through Republic Act 7659 under then President Fidel Ramos, in response to rising criminality.

In 1996, Republic Act 8177 was enacted, designating lethal injection as the method of execution.

A moratorium on the death penalty was declared in 2000 by then president Joseph Estrada. His successor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, maintained the moratorium and signed Republic Act 9346 in 2006, which once again abolished the death penalty.

This Halloween, horrors lurk in every corner. Some would decorate their house with different kinds of ghosts, ghouls, skeletons, and other supernatural creatures, along with friendly Jack o’ Lanterns. There are others who might be streaming scary movies as early as now to really bring in the spooky vibe.

Your TikTok feed also isn’t safe from jump scares. As everyone prepares for the Halloween season with their favorite snacks and creative costumes, you can have your own interactive experience with ‘Livestream ng Lagim,’ the third run of Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) ‘Dead Selling’ activity, starting today, October 23.

This three-episode online live selling event will feature spooky ghost stories and must-grab deals which includes up to 30% discount on select URC goodies. Starring in each episode are popular TikTok creators with ghost characters waiting to curse them throughout the stream. Livestream ng Lagim will let you play as the co-director who decides if the streamers get saved or plunged deeper into the darkness.

With every purchase of popular URC products, like C2 Cool and Clean, Great Taste White, Jack ‘n Jill Presto Creams and Nips, before each flash sale ends, viewers get to choose what happens next in the stream. The streamers’ fate is in your hands, so choose carefully.

Horrors aside, this is also the perfect time to stock up on the Halloween treats to give away to kids and friends with URC’s delightful range of snacks and drinks. These are also great for your horror movie marathons with loved ones. Keep an eye out for 24 flash deals with up to 30% off, and free shipping and discount vouchers. The more you buy, the more you can save.

URC’s Dead Selling is an award-winning initiative that bagged the Bronze prize in Creative Commerce at the 2024 Kidlat Awards. Just like its first two runs, the upcoming Livestream ng Lagim will be an experiential shopping activity that will make you add to cart or add to the scares.

Be part of this interactive horror experience! Catch the three Livestream ng Lagim episodes on URC’s TikTok on October 23 (from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.), 28 (from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.), and 30 (from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight). See how these modern-day ghost stories will end.

The chaos surrounding the issue of systemic corruption in the Philippines looms large as a private sector delegation prepares for the country’s chairmanship of ASEAN in 2026.

ASEAN Business Advisory Council Philippines chair and incoming ASEAN-BAC chair Jose Ma. ‘Joey’ Concepcion III expressed this concern in his speech during the 51st Philippine Business Conference and Expo last Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025.

This comes as he and members of ASEAN-BAC Philippines, including George Barcelon and Michael Tan, prepare to leave for Kuala Lumpur for the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit and the turnover of the ASEAN chairmanship from Malaysia to the Philippines.

Speaking at a plenary session of the event organized by the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI), Concepcion called the corruption scandal ‘a big setback.’

‘It reflects so poorly on the Philippines,’ he said. ‘I know that the private sector plays a huge role in economic growth, but it is also important that our legislators understand that we cannot do this alone,’ he added.

Concepcion pointed out that ASEAN 2026 will be the biggest event of its scale under President Marcos’ administration. ‘As we host ASEAN in 2026, we have to project that the Philippines has a great future,’ he said.

‘We have to project that this country is an honest country – that we do not steal from our people,’ he said.

At the same time, he thanked government agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Office of the First Lady for supporting efforts to help the country’s micro, small and medium enterprises through collaborations with Go Negosyo, the non-profit he founded in 2005 to advocate for small entrepreneurs. He also thanked the PCCI, whose members regularly volunteer to become mentors to MSMEs through Go Negosyo’s public entrepreneurship mentoring events across the country.

MSMEs will be a priority agenda for the ASEAN-BAC chairmanship, along with agriculture and food security, the creative industries, digital technologies and human capital development, specifically the economic empowerment of women and youth.

‘If we want this country to be more inclusive, it cannot be just the few who are enjoying prosperity… The key is to bring about greater prosperity for every Filipino,’ he said.

Concepcion was a panelist in a session on ‘Scaling Local Enterprises for Global Impact.’ The session was opened by DTI Secretary Cristina Roque, who presented the government’s key initiatives and programs that empower MSMEs to embrace digital transformation.

Six is turning out to be a resonant number in the Golden Anniversary celebration of the ‘Thrilla In Manila’ at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Oct. 29. That’s because there are six world-rated and six unbeaten fighters in the boxing card featuring 106 rounds in 13 bouts. Additionally, there are six foreign countries represented in the all-star cast.

The six world-rated fighters are WBA No. 2/IBF No. 10 middleweight Vadim Tukov of Russia, WBC No. 2/WBO No. 3/IBF No 4 superbantamweight Marlon Tapales, WBO No. 2/IBF No 8 superbantamweight Carl Jammes Martin, WBO No. 10/WBC No. 11/IBF No. 12 lightflyweight Arvin Magramo, WBC No. 2 minimumweight Siyakholwa Kuse of South Africa and WBC minimumweight champion Melvin Jerusalem.

The six unbeaten fighters are middleweight Eumir Marcial (6-0, 4 KOs), Martin (26-0, 20 KOs), lightflyweight Berlan Robles (12-0-1, 5 KOs), Tukov (16-0, 7 KOs), lightweight Eman Bacosa (6-0-1, 4 KOs) and lightweight Roderick Ballesteros (5-0-1, 4 KOs).

The six foreign countries are Russia (Tukov and heavyweight Georgiy Yunovidov), Venezuela (middleweight Eddy Colmenares and superbantamweight Fernando Toro), Ghana (middleweight Sena Agbeko), South Africa (Kuse and heavyweight Chris Thompson), Thailand (middleweight Kittisak Kilnson and superbantamweight Aran Dipaen) and US (Nico Ali Walsh).

The card is made up of one 12-rounder, two tenners, seven eight-rounders and three sixers. There will be one heavyweight fight, three each in the middleweight and superbantamweight divisions, two lightweight bouts and one each in the flyweight, superflyweight, lightflyweight and minimumweight classes. Of the 26 fighters on the card, 17 are making their ‘Blow By Blow’ debut.

The Araneta gates will open at 10 a.m. with the first fight starting at 12 noon. Tickets are now on sale at popular prices, including P50 for general admission, P75 for upper box and P100 for lower box. The main event pits Jerusalem making the third defense of his WBC 105-pound title against Kuse. Other championship matches are Marcial against Colmenares for the vacant WBC International middleweight throne, Magramo staking his WBC International Silver lightflyweight belt against Robles and Philippine titleholder Albert Francisco disputing the vacant WBC International Silver flyweight diadem with Ramel Macado Jr.

Maynilad Water Services Inc., the Philippines’ largest private water concessionaire, opened its initial public offering (IPO) on Thursday, October 23, aiming to raise as much as P34.3 billion in what would be the country’s biggest market debut in four years.

The offering, priced at P15 a share, runs until October 29 ahead of a planned listing on the Philippine Stock Exchange on November 7, the company said. The deal follows approval from regulators earlier this month.

Maynilad, with trading symbol MYNLD, is offering 1.66 billion common shares and 24.9 million primary shares to First Pacific Co. Ltd., with an overallotment option of up to 249 million shares and an upsize option of 354.7 million secondary shares.

The transaction values the firm at about P151 billion if all options are exercised.

Proceeds from the IPO will go toward capital expenditures and general corporate purposes, the company said in a statement.

Maynilad, which supplies water to western Metro Manila and nearby provinces, counts Metro Pacific Investments Corp. and DMCI Holdings Inc. among its major shareholders.

The utility said the funds would support system expansion and infrastructure upgrades to meet growing demand in its service areas. The firm serves more than 10 million customers across its franchise area.

The International Finance Corp. and the Asian Development Bank have joined as cornerstone investors, alongside domestic and international institutions such as BDO Capital, BPI Asset Management, abrdn Malaysia, and Maybank Asset Management Singapore.

BPI Capital is the domestic lead underwriter, while HSBC, Morgan Stanley, and UBS serve as joint global coordinators.

Largest listing since 2021. The share sale is the largest since Monde Nissin Corp.’s IPO in 2021 and is expected to test investor appetite.

If successful, the offering will mark a milestone for Manila’s capital markets, which have seen relatively few large listings since the pandemic.

A Pasig court has denied the request of doomsday preacher Apollo Quiboloy to be placed under hospital arrest.

In an order dated September 22, the Pasig Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 159 rejected the preacher’s plea, saying he has no compelling reason to be placed under hospital arrest.

The same Pasig court previously denied a similar plea by Quiboloy in 2024, marking the second time it has turned down such a request.

According to the RTC, Quiboloy experienced persistent shortness of breath, accompanied by intermittent fever, muscle pain, and cough while in detention.

Following this, he requested to be held under hospital arrest either at the Philippine Heart Center or The Medical City.

Why was it denied? The Pasig RTC, citing the findings of Quiboloy’s physician at the Pasig City Medical Center, indicated that his vital signs had improved.

It said that Quiboloy had not expressed any health complaints since Sept. 24, 2025.

The court also noted that the medical services – pulmonary, cardiology and nephrology – had cleared Quiboloy for discharge on September 25 and 26, respectively.

“In view of the foregoing, the Court finds no compelling reason to place accused Quiboloy under hospital arrest at either the Philippine Heart Center or Medical City,” the court’s order read.

“The records clearly establish that his medical needs are being adequately and consistently attended to while in the custody of the Pasig City Jail, and that he continues to receive appropriate, timely, and sufficient medical care at the Pasig City General Hospital, under the supervision of competent medical professionals,” it added.

The Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 159 is currently presiding over the non-bailable charge of qualified human trafficking.

Additionally, charges of sex and child trafficking against the preacher are being heard at a Quezon City RTC.

Just days after watching a sure victory slip painfully through her fingers, Chanelle Avaricio rose from heartbreak to glory in emphatic fashion.

The ace shotmaker transformed disappointment into dominance at the ICTSI Apo Golf Classic, claiming the crown with a commanding seven-stroke victory over Mafy Singson despite a 73 here on Thursday.

It wasn’t just a win – it was a statement.

Coming off a crushing defeat at Del Monte, where she faltered down the stretch and lost to Sarah Ababa in sudden death, Avaricio arrived at the Apo Golf and Country Club carrying the sting of that collapse. The memories lingered and the questions about her ability to close out a lead hovered in the air.

But as she teed off with an eight-shot advantage after 36 holes, Avaricio showed no trace of hesitation – only resolve.

‘It feels great,’ said Avaricio, visibly exhaling a sigh of relief after bouncing back from a confidence-testing setback just a week ago – the kind that could have easily shattered the spirit of lesser mortals. ‘Last week, I really fought but came up short. But I’m happy that I did well enough to win this one.’

For Avaricio, who finished with a three-under 213 and pocketed the top purse of P117,000, the triumph was not merely about reclaiming a title, but about regaining her rhythm, confidence and composure. Coming off a tough loss, she turned her disappointment into motivation, channeling the lessons from that experience into renewed focus and determination.

She, however, refused to place this victory above any of her previous achievements, choosing instead to view it as part of her continuing journey as an athlete.

‘This win means a lot, the same as all my other wins in the past. It feels great,’ she said, smiling as she reflected on her consistent drive to improve.

With an opening-round 72 giving her a narrow one-shot edge over Singson, Avaricio shifted into high gear in Round 2. Her clinical 68 widened the gap to eight strokes over Princess Superal, setting the stage for what would become a coronation rather than a contest.

Singson, who stumbled with a second-round 79 that left her 10 strokes behind, mounted an early charge in the final round with two birdies in the first three holes. threatening to stir memories of Del Monte. But this time, Avaricio held sway.

Avaricio extended her lead with a birdie on the sixth but faltered with bogeys on Nos. 9, 11 and 12. Singson, meanwhile, failed to capitalize on her hot start, settling for 12 straight pars before rediscovering her touch with birdies on Nos. 16 and 18 to card a solid 68. Her late surge earned her a runner-up finish at 220, worth P82,000.

Superal also struggled to find her rhythm, bogeying Nos. 3 and 4 before trading two birdies with two more bogeys the rest of the way for a 74. She finished third at 222 and took home P65,000.

Florence Bisera and Daniella Uy matched 74s to share fourth place at 223, while Harmie Constantino turned in a second straight 72 to tie for sixth with Marvi Monsalve, who shot a 74, at 225. Pamela Mariano faltered with a 76 and wound up eighth at 226.

Martina Miñoza put in a 74 for ninth at 227, while Ababa – last year’s champion and fresh off a come-from-behind victory at Del Monte – struggled with a 76 to finish a disappointing 10th at 228 in the P1-million championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.

The Department of Education plans to set a standard cost for constructing new classrooms in a bid to curb overpricing and speed up school building amid a 148,000-classroom backlog.

DepEd Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Aurelio Paulo Bartolome said the department will form a joint task force with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local governments to establish a “unified” classroom cost nationwide.

“Ipapako na talaga natin ang cost ng classroom (We will put a fixed cost for classrooms),” the DepEd assistant secretary said in an interview with Radyo DZBB on Thursday, October 23. “[This is] to minimize corruption, increase transparency, and to at least ensure we’re all working off the same page.”

Tackling bottlenecks

DepEd’s push for a uniform classroom price comes as the department presses Congress to loosen rules that have made DPWH the sole agency with the power to build classrooms since 2018 – a change that Education Secretary Sonny Angara says is needed given bottlenecks and corruption at DPWH.

Besides the private sector, DepEd has also been looking to local governments to help accelerate classroom construction, Bartolome said.

He noted that many LGUs have the capacity – and often the greater incentive – to put up school buildings faster.

‘There are many local governments that have the capacity and know-how to build classrooms,’ Bartolome said. ‘The advantage is that these classrooms will serve their own communities – and no one cares more for their people than their local leaders.’

To ensure transparency and prevent price manipulation, Bartolome said the task force will ‘lock in’ agreed cost estimates for standard school buildings, depending on size and structure type.

Currently, Bartolome estimates a complete classroom – including chairs, blackboards, whiteboards, and electrical fixtures – to cost between P2.5 and 3 million.

The price varies depending on whether the structure is single-story or multi-story, the DepEd official added.

“It has to be the right size, disaster-ready. It has to be PWD-friendly and to have other features in our minimum specific requirements,” Bartolome said.

DepEd plans to share the unified classroom cost at a summit on November 20 in Clark, Pampanga, where it will also present the extent and location of the classroom shortage, display a mock-up classroom, and outline its minimum requirements and standards.

900-classroom backlog. While the national shortage sits at around 148,000, DepEd is currently facing a 900-classroom backlog under the 2025 Basic Education Facilities Fund, purportedly due to the DPWH’s slow pace, having completed only 22 out of 1,000 classrooms targeted for this year.

Malacañang said Wednesday that DepEd, DPWH, and LGUs have agreed to build 2,370 classrooms through 2026, though only 200 are expected to be finished by year’s end.

Petro Gazz went to Lindsey Vander Weide when it needed her most as it repulsed Akari, 29-27, 25-22, 19-25, 17-25, 15-11, on Thursday to continue its uphill climb in Pool B in the PVL Reinforced Conference at the Filoil EcoOil Arena.

Vander Weide detonated a 22-point bomb she laced with a pair of powerful kills late in the fifth and deciding set that fended off the Chargers’ uprising and sealed the Angels’ second win in a row and third overall in four outings.

‘We worked really hard in the beginning and even though it went to the fifth set, we set a standard to just reach 15 points that really helped us,’ said Vander Weide.

It sent the Chargers reeling to their first defeat after a strong start that saw them pulling the rug from under the Creamline Cool Smashers and the Chery Tiggo Crossovers in a pair of epic five-set squeakers.

Brooke Van Sickle provided the needed support with 19 hits while MJ Phillips and Myla Pablo chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively.

It was a heartbreaking setback for Akari, which drew strength from Annie Mitchem’s 30-point eruption in erasing an early 2-0 deficit and forcing the decider where the franchise hoped it could pull off a miracle.

It just couldn’t.

Earlier, Chery Tiggo woke up in a deep slumber after smashing Galeries Tower, 25-9, 25-16, 25-23, to claim its first win in four assignments.

The Highrisers sank deeper at 0-4.

More student leaders are being issued subpoenas by the police over recent anti-corruption protests, including the widely attended September 21 rally that drew thousands of concerned civilians to the streets.

At a press conference on Thursday, October 23, UP Diliman University Student Council Chairperson Joaquin Buenaflor said police officers arrived at his home the day before to deliver a subpoena, warning that he could be arrested if he failed to appear before investigators.

Buenaflor said this makes him the fourth such student who has been served a subpoena by the Philippine National Police (PNP) in connection to the anti-corruption protests in September and last week.

Police also earlier subpoenaed Tiffany Brillante, president of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) student council, Jacob Baluyod, chairperson of PUP’s alliance of student journalists, and Aldrin Kitsun, Kabataan Kontra Korapsyon member.

Earlier this week, the PUP student council condemned what it described as continued ‘state surveillance, red-tagging, and harassment’ of student activists, after the PNP’s criminal investigation and detection (CIDG) operatives handed Brillante a subpoena.

According to the council, the document orders her to appear before police to ‘determine the facts and circumstances’ surrounding the September 21 ‘Trillion Peso March’ and ‘related incidents.’

Buenaflor said the subpoenas have only hardened students’ resolve to continue the protests. “Our anger against thieves, against corruption, has only intensified,” he said Thursday.

The student leader also accused police of acting swiftly to intimidate young activists while ignoring powerful officials accused of looting government coffers.

“The PNP moves swiftly when it comes to intimidating young people, but when it comes to the massive thieves in our country, the PNP seems deaf, blind, and silent, slow and cowardly,” the student leader said in mixed English and Filipino.

“Show your toughness to the thieves,” Buenaflor said, addressing the police directly. “If our police are truly brave and strong, go to the homes of corrupt politicians. Subpoena, charge, and arrest the politicians and contractors who stole billions from the people’s funds – that’s where the real criminals are.”

Student councils from UP, PUP, and several universities in Intramuros, Taft, and other parts of Metro Manila have led campus walkouts since early September to protest corruption in government, culminating in the mass demonstrations on September 21.

The youth groups also organized follow-up walkouts last week in what they described as a continuing campaign for accountability.

The youth were also the main proponents behind the campus walkouts last week that were seen as a follow-up to the September 21 demonstrations.

In a statement, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) reminded those who received subpoenas that they are under no obligation to explain themselves to investigators and are protected by constitutional rights against self-incrimination.

The group also warned that the PNP’s subpoena powers ‘may not be used to harass, intimidate, or threaten anyone for exercising their right to free expression.’