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Two rookie policemen are earning praise from various sectors after intercepting P9.5 million worth of undocumented imported cigarettes at an anti-smuggling checkpoint in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, before dawn on Thursday, October 2.

Brig. Gen. Jaysen De Guzman, director of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region, and Datu Odin Sinsuat municipal police chief Lt. Col. Esmael Madin separately told reporters on Thursday morning that the 266 boxes of Indonesian-made cigarettes are now in police custody and will be turned over to the Bureau of Customs for proper disposition.

Two policemen guarding the anti-smuggling checkpoint along a highway in the town center of Datu Odin Sinsuat, Patrolman Ruel Cañete and Patrolman Michael Laoto, together flagged down the Isuzu van-type truck carrying the contraband only for a routine inspection, but immediately detained its driver and his helper when they found out that the unit was loaded with cigarettes made in Indonesia.

‘To these two rookie policemen, we are thankful,’ said the entrepreneur-lawyer Ronald Hallid Torres, chairman of the Bangsamoro Business Council in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which is actively supporting the campaign of the Bangsamoro regional police against the circulation of smuggled cigarettes in all of BARMM’s five provinces and three cities.

De Guzman and Madin separately lauded both policemen through the radio stations in Cotabato City.

Personnel of the Datu Odin Sinsuat Municipal Police also immediately impounded the van-type truck, bearing license plates MAZ 7538, that was set to transport its illegal cargo to buyers in different towns in Maguindanao del Norte and nearby provinces.

The driver of the truck and his helper were also detained for procedural interrogation. Both assured municipal police officials that they would identify the suppliers of the seized imported cigarettes for prosecution.

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Determined to bounce back from a disappointing outing in Taiwan, Miguel Tabuena came out swinging with a sizzling five-under 65 in the opening round of the Jakarta International Championship at the Damai Indah Golf PIK Course on Thursday.

Displaying renewed focus and confidence, Tabuena navigated the par-70 layout with precision, stalking early clubhouse leader Suteepat Prateeptienchai of Thailand, who surged ahead with a stunning 64.

Tabuena stood just two strokes behind in a tie for fifth, part of a tightly packed leaderboard chasing the lead heading into Friday’s second round.

Starting his round on the back nine, Tabuena made an early charge with birdies on three of his first eight holes. A bogey on the par-4 18th briefly stalled his momentum, but the two-time Philippine Open winner steadied the ship with a string of pars across the front nine.

He had a chance to move closer to the lead but dropped another shot on the par-4 eighth, settling for a 65.

Despite the missed opportunity, Tabuena’s round was marked by solid ball-striking and a sharp short game. He hit 12 fairways and 13 greens in regulation, while needing just 26 putts – including three scrambling pars – to keep him in the early hunt.

It was a promising start for Tabuena, who is looking to regain consistency after missing the cut at last week’s Taiwan Masters. That followed a strong joint fifth-place finish at the Yeangder TPC, also in Taiwan.

Meanwhile, Suteepat Prateeptienchai took advantage of near-perfect scoring conditions to post the early lead with a scorching 63. The Thai golfer carded eight birdies, five of which came on the front nine, to offset a lone bogey on the par-4 15th.

He grabbed a one-stroke clubhouse lead over Roberto Lebrija, Chang Wei Lun, and Wade Ormsby, who posted identical 64s

For his part, Justin Quiban also looked poised for a hot start after opening with three birdies in his first five holes. However, inconsistency crept in on the back nine, as he surrendered three bogeys and managed only one birdie to sign for a one-under 69 – leaving him trailing the early frontrunners.

Young prospect Sean Ramos was also making waves in the afternoon wave. He birdied two of his first five holes after starting on the back nine as posting time, and looked to build momentum as the round progressed.

Acting Davao City Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte has filed a disbarment complaint against Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, and two other officials from the Department of Justice over their role in the handover of his father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The complaint, prepared by lawyer Israelito Torreon, was filed at the Supreme Court on Thursday, October 2.

Torreon, who also represents detained preacher Apollo Quiboloy, said the case was prompted by the officials’ participation in serving the ICC arrest warrant against Duterte when he was arrested at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on March 11 after arriving from Hong Kong.

Also named in the complaint were Prosecutor General Anthony Fadullon and DOJ Undersecretary Nicholas Ty, both of whom were present when the warrant was enforced.

Officials respond. Remulla dismissed the disbarment complaint as unsurprising.

‘It is expected… They can’t hide their displeasure with what we’ve done, or what we have sought to do in the furtherance of justice,’ he told reporters Thursday.

Fadullon said he has yet to receive the complaint.

‘I have not formally received a copy of the disbarment complaint for me to give any comment on the basis thereof. I have to see the allegations first before I can intelligently comment on the same,’ he told Philstar.com.

Earlier complaints. On September 15, Sebastian Duterte, through Torreon, also filed criminal and administrative charges against Remulla and other officials before the Office of the Ombudsman, again citing the former president’s arrest.

The case comes despite Remulla’s recent clearance from the Ombudsman, which allowed his inclusion in the shortlist for the position of Ombudsman.

Pope Leo XIV has expressed sympathy for the victims of the Cebu earthquake, relayed through the Apostolic Nuncio following the magnitude 6.9 tremor that claimed dozens of lives.

‘The Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines, Archbishop Charles John Brown, called me to convey the Holy Father’s heartfelt sympathies for all the survivors of the earthquake, and his prayers for the eternal repose of the victims,’ newly-installed Cebu Archbishop Alberto Uy said in a Facebook post. The magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck at 9:59 p.m. on Monday, September 30, with the epicenter located five kilometers deep and about 21 kilometers northeast of Bogo City, Cebu.

In response, Uy on Tuesday, October 1, ordered a structural assessment of all churches and rectories in the affected areas.

He also instructed parishes in the northern part of Cebu that were severely affected by the seismic activity to refrain from using their church buildings until safety assessments are completed.

As of writing, the death toll has risen to 72.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) has recorded at least 3,036 aftershocks following the initial tremor.

Another man has passed away following the violent Mendiola-Recto riots on September 21, forensic authorities confirmed.

Eric Saber, 35, died of a ‘perforated gunshot wound to the neck,’ according to a death certificate issued by forensic pathologist Dr. Raquel Fortun.

Fortun said Saber’s immediate cause of death was ‘probable pneumonia,’ while the antecedent cause was a ‘spinal cord injury C6.’ She told Philstar.com that no bullet was recovered from Saber’s body.

Saber was struck by a bullet during the clashes along Recto Avenue in Manila. It remains unclear where the shot came from, though human rights group Karapatan alleged he was hit during ‘violent dispersals’ by police.

But Rep. Arnie Fuentebella (Camarines Sur, 4th District), budget sponsor for the Department of the Interior and Local Government, denied that police fired their weapons, echoing the Philippine National Police’s account.

‘For the record, Madam Speaker, chineck po natin, wala pong nagpaputok sa aming mga SWAT during that incident,’ Fuentebella said in Thursday’s plenary debates. (For the record, Madam Speaker, we checked, and none of our SWAT personnel discharged a firearm during that incident.)

The Department of Health earlier confirmed one man was dead on arrival from stab wounds during the riots.

Manila Police District spokesperson Police Major Philip Ines said 216 people were arrested following the unrest, which broke out near Mendiola and Recto and coincided with larger anti-corruption protests in Luneta and EDSA.

The Philippine flag and the Bangsamoro banner are both raised half-mast in the Bangsamoro capitol in honor of the speaker of the 80-seat regional parliament who died from an illness early Thursday, October 2.

Members of the regional lawmaking body and the chief minister of the Bangsamoro region, Abdulrauf Macacua, told reporters on Thursday morning that the 85-year-old Pangalian Ali Balindong, a lawyer, died from an illness at St. Luke’s Hospital in Quezon City.

‘We are saddened by the demise of the speaker of our regional parliament,’ Bangsamoro Labor and Employment Minister Muslimin Sema, chairman of the Moro National Liberation Front, said.

Balindong was a scion of a large, politically influential clan whose members are scattered in Malabang and in nearby towns in the second district of Lanao del Sur, one of the five provinces of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. His ancestors fought the Spaniards, the Americans and the Japanese during World War II.

Balindong, born on January 1, 1940, in what is now the municipality of Pualas, Lanao del Sur, earned his Bachelor of Laws degree from Manuel L. Quezon University and passed the Bar in 1967.

He was a legal counsel of the MNLF during the crafting of the Dec. 23, 1976 Tripoli Agreement between the front and the Philippine government.

The compact was supposed to be a key reference in peace negotiations between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and subsequently, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Both groups eventually signed separate peace agreements with the national government and are now jointly involved in governing the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), with representatives in various regional agencies and in the Bangsamoro Parliament.

‘We ought to thank him (Balindong) a lot for his contributions to the Mindanao peace process,’ BARMM’s health minister, the physician-ophthalmologist Kadil Sinolinding, Jr., who is also a member of the BARMM parliament, said.

Balindong had served, during the early 1990s, as speaker of the Regional Assembly of the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which was replaced in 2019 with a more empowered BARMM, a product of 22 years of peace talks between the national government and the MILF.

He was also thrice elected as congressional representative of the 2nd district of Lanao del Sur, before his appointment as a member of the interim Bangsamoro parliament in 2019.

‘His involvement in the Mindanao peace process is one for the books,’ Macacua, the figurehead of the BARMM parliament, said, referring to Balindong.

A member of the BARMM parliament, Naguib Sinarimbo, also a lawyer, said they are saddened by the death of Balindong.

‘Speaker Balindong was a staunch supporter of the Mindanao peace process, both in his private life and as a public servant,’ said Sinarimbo, who was Bangsamoro local government minister before he was appointed as a member of the regional parliament last March by President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

Balindong was also popular for being close to BARMM’s Christian and non-Moro indigenous communities.

Cebuana actress Kim Chiu was spotted shopping for construction materials for her fellow Cebuanos who were affected by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu.

Kim was seen personally buying construction materials at a hardware store, as shown on her official Facebook page, to support relief efforts for victims of the deadly earthquake in Cebu.

The materials will be donated to residents in San Remigio and Bogo City, the latter being the quake’s epicenter.

The powerful tremor struck on the night of September 30, leaving 72 people dead and damaging infrastructure, including homes and heritage churches. As of October 2, aftershocks continue to be felt across affected areas.

Bianca Pagdanganan launched her return to LPGA Tour action with flashes of brilliance, carding a 69 in the opening round of the Lotte Championship at the Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii, on Thursday.

Though she stumbled at the finish, a dynamic start and steady play kept Pagdanganan well within reach of the leaders in the $3-million event.

The long-hitting Filipina, backed by ICTSI, teed off on the back nine and immediately caught fire, stringing together four consecutive birdies from No. 17 through No. 2 to surge up the leaderboard. Her momentum, however, slowed down as she settled for pars over her next five holes before bogeying the par-4 No. 8, her penultimate hole of the round, to finish with a 34-35 card.

While that dropped her to a tie for 25th at the end of the day, the power-hitter remains just five shots off the pace set by Japan’s Akie Iwai, who fired a sparkling eight-under 64 to grab the early lead.

Also in the mix are Peiyun Chien, Gabriella Ruffels and Nasa Hataoka, who matched 65s, while Pornanong Phatlum, Patty Tavatanakit, and A Lim Kim carded 66s to create a tightly packed leaderboard.

Despite hitting only six fairways and reaching 12 greens in regulation, Pagdanganan’s sharp putting – just 28 putts on the day – and resilience showed her readiness to contend again. With her immense power off the tee – averaging 293 yards – and growing maturity in course management, Pagdanganan remains a compelling contender heading into the weekend, especially if she can tighten up her long game and capitalize on scoring opportunities.

The 27-year-old has been knocking on the door of a breakthrough win, and her current form suggests it may only be a matter of time before she breaks through. Her recent performances have consistently placed her within striking distance going into moving day – a testament to both her raw talent and evolving consistency.

In contrast, fellow ICTSI-backed star and two-time US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso continued to search for form, enduring a difficult opening round of 77 (+5) that put her at serious risk of missing the cut.

Saso, who started with promise by birdying her first two holes, quickly lost her rhythm. After making two pars, she dropped five shots over her next seven holes, including a double bogey on the par-3 ninth. Her back nine wasn’t kinder, as she managed just one birdie while surrendering two more bogeys and another double bogey to finish with a 39-37 effort.

The stats told the story: just seven fairways hit, eight missed greens, and three failed sand saves, despite registering 28 putts. For a player of Saso’s caliber, a major champion known for her calm under pressure and ball-striking prowess, the round was uncharacteristically erratic.

Saso’s recent struggles raise questions about confidence and rhythm, both of which have eluded her for much of the season. A bright start showed she still has the tools, but regaining trust in her swing and consistency in execution will be key if she hopes to climb back into contention and avoid another early exit.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered the creation of a ‘tent city’ that would serve as temporary shelter for citizens affected by the fatal 6.9 earthquake that struck the province.

Marcos visited Bogo City in Cebu, one of the worst hit areas in the province. During his visit to the province, Marcos viewed damaged buildings and observed aid distribution efforts.

Speaking to the media, Marcos said the earthquake has made it dangerous to stay indoors, even in evacuation centers.

‘Kukuha tayo ng mga tent na malalaki at itatayo natin, kagaya ng sinabi ko sa ating mga LGU (local government units) executives, ito ‘yung mga tent ng Red Cross na ginamit noong COVID. At ito ay mabilis itayo at kahit umulan hindi problema. Kaya ‘yun ang dadalhin namin dito sa ngayon,’ Marcos said.

(We will get large tents and we will set them up, like what I told the LGU executives, these are the tents that were used during COVID. These are quick to set up and even if it rains, there is no problem. This is what we will bring here.)

There will be adequate food and water supplies, as well as energy, he vowed.

Funds allocated. A total of P375 million has been benchmarked for the rehabilitation efforts in Cebu, according to the Department of Budget and Management.

Around P150 million of this will be released through the Local Government Support Fund, while P75 million is allocated for Bogo City specifically.

The Cebu earthquake has killed at least 72 people, with hundreds more injured and displaced. The entire province has been placed under a state of calamity.