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Claiming that the charges of murder, illegal detention, kidnapping, direct bribery and tampering of passport filed by the families of the missing cockfight enthusiasts did not undergo proper case build-up, businessman Atong Ang yesterday asked the Department of Justice to remand the case to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Accompanied by lawyer Gabriel Villareal, Ang filed his counter-affidavit and asked the panel of prosecutors to remand the cases ‘for proper and impartial investigation.’

‘Because as I said, if the case would just be dismissed at Mr. Ang’s request, that would make him happy, that would be fine for him. However, there would still be doubt and suspicion in people’s minds about who is truly responsible for the missing cockfighting enthusiasts and where they truly are,’ Villareal said.

‘We are asking for a proper case build-up, a fair, impartial investigation. Otherwise, it will always be the talk of the town that Mr. Ang is behind this. So it’s better that it is properly investigated so that once and for all, it can be shown who is really responsible for these missing sabungeros,’ Villareal said.

He added there are universal serial bus or USBs, which contain the ‘strongest evidence’ against whistleblower Julie ‘Don-Don’ Patidongan.

‘One of the USBs submitted by CIDG shows Don-Don undeniably – although he was denying it – manhandling one of the missing sabungeros, who was handcuffed. It was caught on video by the media,’ Villareal said in a mix of English and Filipino.

Former socioeconomic planning secretary Cielito Habito warned that the Philippine economy is being weighed down by both internal weaknesses and external shocks stemming from US President Donald Trump’s trade policies.

Speaking at the Security Bank Economic Forum, Habito said that while inflation and unemployment remain relatively stable, deeper structural issues from job quality and governance to weak productivity and protectionist trade policies continue to hold the country back.

‘Our inflation rate is down to 1.7 percent, unemployment is at record lows of around 3.1 percent, but the quality of jobs and the mismatch in skills are our real challenges,’ Habito said.

‘The biggest chunk of our jobless now are college graduates, people who have studied all the way to find out they don’t fit in the workplace,’ he said.

The former National Economic and Development Authority chief noted that the Philippines grew by 5.4 percent in the first half, slower than last year’s 5.6 percent, with agriculture surprisingly becoming the fastest-growing sector at seven percent in the second quarter.

Government spending, particularly on consumption rather than infrastructure, has kept the economy afloat amid slowing private investments and exports. This is at a time when Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) peers are grappling with similar global headwinds but showing stronger investment and export momentum.

‘The good news is we’re still the second fastest-growing economy in ASEAN. The bad news is that private investments and exports are slowing down,’ Habito said. ‘And we all know why – persistent hurdles in doing business, bureaucratic constraints, corruption scandals and weak governance.’

According to Habito, foreign direct investments in the Philippines remain among the lowest in the region, with the country being ‘second to the worst’ in ASEAN.

Goods exports, at around $70 billion annually, pale in comparison to Indonesia’s $201 billion, he said.

‘Our country is too inward-looking,’ Habito stressed. ‘We have been too defensive in our trade stance, trying to protect domestic producers but ending up uncompetitive and missing huge opportunities in global markets.’

Turning to global risks, Habito warned that Trump’s renewed tariff measures could once again disrupt global supply chains and hurt ASEAN economies.

‘Trump’s mode of economic policy is to raise import tariffs, reduce income taxes and rely on import duties to fund the government,’ he said. ‘That will lead to higher inflation in the US, wider inequality and a slowdown in global trade that will ripple across Asia.’

He said that while the Philippines may only have ‘moderate exposure’ to Trump’s trade wars, the resulting flood of cheap Chinese goods into Asia could threaten domestic manufacturers.

‘If Chinese goods can’t enter the US, they will flood Southeast Asia,’ he said. ‘That’s already happening. In Thailand, about a hundred factories have been closing every month over the past two years because of cheap Chinese imports.’

The first resident Ambassador of Ukraine to the Philippines, Yuliia Fediv, made her inaugural visit to Cebu this week as part of efforts to build deeper bilateral and regional partnerships between the two nations, with plans to establish sister-city relationships between Ukrainian and Cebuano cities and expand cooperation in trade, digital innovation, and creative industries.

The visit facilitated by Ukraine’s partner in Cebu, Curtis Vincent Go, marks an important step in Ukraine’s new diplomatic presence in Southeast Asia following the opening of its Manila embassy in December 2024.

Fediv, who assumed her post in March 2025, said her mission in Cebu underscores Ukraine’s strategy to promote ‘decentralized diplomacy’ and foster people-to-people and local government cooperation across the Philippines.

‘Regional diplomacy is a priority for us,’ Fediv said in an interview during her two-day engagement with local government and business leaders.

‘We are here to introduce Ukrainian cities to their potential partners in Cebu and the Visayas, and to plant the seeds for lasting city-to-city, business-to-business, and people-to-people cooperation,’ the lady Ambassador said.

Among the key initiatives discussed were proposed sister-city partnerships between Cebu City and Chernivtsi City, and between Cebu Province and the Chernivtsi Region-areas in Ukraine that share similar strengths in tourism, smart city development, and creative industries.

Talks were also held with Cordova and Lapu-Lapu City officials on potential linkages with other Ukrainian localities.

The ambassador also met with Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro and representatives of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) and the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines (ECCP) to explore trade and investment opportunities in agriculture, information technology, and digital services.

Ukraine, long regarded as the breadbasket of Europe, is seeking to expand exports of wheat, sunflower oil, meat, and confectionery products to the Philippines.

‘We already export agricultural goods to the Philippines, but the volumes remain small,’ Fediv said. ‘Our businesses are keen to enter new markets in Southeast Asia, particularly in the Visayas.’

She also cited Ukraine’s growing IT and digitalization sector as a promising area for collaboration.

‘Ukraine is home to globally recognized fintech, healthtech, and govtech developers. With Cebu’s strong base of digital talent and its focus on STEM education, we see potential in tech partnerships,’ Fediv added.

Beyond commerce, Fediv emphasized the importance of cultural and creative exchanges, highlighting Ukraine’s emerging ‘Made in Ukraine’ brand that spans fashion, gastronomy, and design.

She noted Cebu’s thriving crafts and culinary scene as fertile ground for cross-cultural cooperation, even hinting at the possibility of Ukrainian restaurants opening in Cebu.

The ambassador also expressed plans to organize a Ukrainian business mission to Cebu in June 2026, coinciding with the province’s annual Cebu Business Month, to facilitate matchmaking between Ukrainian and Filipino enterprises.

‘Diplomacy today must go beyond capitals. Building partnerships from the ground up-from communities and cities-creates a stronger, more resilient foundation,’ she told reporters in an interview.

‘This visit to Cebu is just the beginning of a long-term partnership between our peoples,’ she said.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa denied that there is a flu outbreak in the country, saying that the illness is common during the rainy season.

Herbosa also debunked claims that a lockdown is imminent due to the surge in flu cases.

Classes in different parts of the country have shifted online for days now to allow school authorities to conduct disinfection and sanitation of buildings.

‘We do not have a flu outbreak,’ Herbosa said yesterday as he appeared before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure for an inter-agency meeting with the education and agriculture departments.

The health chief said influenza-like illnesses like cough, cold and fever ‘spread very fast during the rainy season.’

‘We don’t have an outbreak from a single virus,’ Herbosa stressed.

Lockdown fears emerged after the previous one, during the COVID-19 pandemic, forced people to be cloistered inside their residences for a year or so.

This time, Herbosa said, ‘there is no planned lockdown. That is fake news.’

As of Oct. 4, the Department of Health has reported 127,749 cases of influenza-like illness. This is down six percent from the same period last year.

Herbosa reminded the public to practice health precautions, such as covering the mouth when coughing or sneezing, wearing a face mask and staying at home if sick.

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has decided to postpone the requirement for online sellers to register for a trustmark, making registration voluntary until the end of the year.

In a statement, Trade Secretary Cristina Roque said the decision was made after considering feedback from various sectors.

The announcement was made during a town hall meeting, where online business operators, consumer groups and digital trade advocates shared insights and suggestions on the program’s implementation.

‘We used this discussion to hear straight from our stakeholders and learn about their daily concerns. Taking their feedback into account means we can improve the trustmark system to be more useful, fair and helpful for both businesses and consumers,’ Roque said.

Through the trustmark, she said the goal is to make e-commerce in the Philippines safer and more trustworthy for everyone.

The trustmark is a digital badge issued by the DTI to online sellers who demonstrate good e-commerce practices and comply with Philippine laws.

While the DTI has deferred the mandatory registration for the trustmark until the end of the year, the agency will review it by early next year to determine if it should remain voluntary.

Initially voluntary, the DTI announced in September that it would make registration for the trustmark mandatory for online sellers, following numerous complaints related to online transactions.

The DTI received over 13,000 complaints related to online transactions from January to August of this year.

At present, the DTI is finalizing the program’s supplemental guidelines for voluntary registration.

The guidelines include the fees that would apply depending on the size or type of business.

While the guidelines are being finalized, online businesses can still proceed with their trustmark application through https://trustmark.dti.gov.ph/.

After speaking for more than two hours on Thursday with President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump said he planned to meet with the Russian leader in Hungary in ‘two weeks or so’ to discuss ways to bring an end to Moscow’s three-year invasion of Ukraine.

Trump held what he termed a ‘productive’ call with his Russian counterpart a day before he was set to meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, who is expected to make the case that the United States should give Kyiv weapons capable of striking deep inside Russia.

But after days of suggesting he would allow the sale of Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, Trump abruptly expressed trepidation over further arming Ukraine, signaling that he might back off if Putin proves willing to negotiate a diplomatic end to the conflict.

The decision to hold the call with Putin, after days of expressing his increasing frustration over the Russian leader’s unwillingness to take substantive steps toward peace, and on the eve of meeting with Zelensky, signaled a familiar pattern for Trump’s handling of the war.

On multiple occasions this year, Trump has come right to the edge of imposing penalties on Russia or giving powerful new military aid to Ukraine, only to speak with Putin and raise hopes for a diplomatic solution – so far with little to show for it.

Trump’s critics said he was again falling into a trap of rewarding Putin with a summit meeting without being assured of getting anything in return, allowing Russia to keep delaying and fighting the war on its terms.

‘After walking away from his Alaska summit with Putin empty-handed, President Trump has now decided to reward Putin again by rolling out the red carpet in Hungary,’ said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

After his meeting with Zelensky at the White House on Friday, Trump said, he will send his senior advisers, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to meet with Putin’s senior officials.

Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Putin, told Russian news agencies that envoys from the two countries would meet ‘without delay’ to lay the groundwork for the summit.

Trump then is expected to meet with Putin in Budapest, in a summit hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Minimum wage earners and domestic workers or kasambahay in Soccsksargen will receive a salary increase starting next month following the issuance of a new wage order by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board.

The RTWPB granted an increase of P30 in the daily wage of workers in the non-agriculture as well as retail and service sectors. Those in the agriculture sector will receive an increase of P33.

The adjustment will bring the minimum daily wage in the non-agriculture, retail and service sectors to P460 and P443 in the agriculture sector.

The increase will bring to P11,998 the monthly rate of workers in the non-agriculture, and retail and service sectors, and to P11,555 for those in agriculture.

Up to 21,000 minimum wage earners in Soccsksargen will benefit from the new wage order.

Those earning above the minimum wage are also expected to indirectly benefit from the adjustment due to wage distortion.

Domestic workers employed in cities and first class municipalities will receive an increase ranging from P1,000 to P1,500, bringing their minimum monthly pay to P6,000.

The wage order will take effect on Nov. 2, the RTWPB said.

Queen of All Media Kris Aquino called out a post wishing for her demise as she continues being in isolation to recover from several autoimmune diseases.

Last October 17, Kris posted a rare update on Instagram where she shared being showed for the nth time a “wishing KRIS dead post” by an “a**hole playing with her life.”

“FROM THE PERSO[N] in that sick post YOU ARE A LIAR!,” Kris said, explaining the post involved an AI-generated photo of her laughing at family gathering, then collapsing and fighting for her life.

The host-actress said she’s been seeing her Cojuangco cousins individually but her very low immunity requires her staying in isolation.

Her sons Josh and Bimb keep her company only if they haven’t been out and about, have showered, and taken a series of tests including for COVID, RSV and the flu.

Kris clarified she isn’t complaining about isolation as she’s able to read more, explaining further the benefits of Rituxan, a drug for autoimmune diseases.

“My doctors (a team of 7 for this infusion) kept asking me if I was sure because while doing my test dose, my body reacted weird to the steroid I needed to take with Rituxan,” Kris shared.

Four of Kris’s autoimmune issues affect her lungs while six affect her heart, but two specialists gave Kris the go-signal for the doses, much to Kris’ gratitude.

“I’m not yet in full remission but the red flares that felt like my face was BURNING and my all night dry cough have lessened. Let’s keep praying. God is listening,” Kris ended.

Eight areas in Luzon and Visayas are now under Signal No. 2 as Tropical Storm Ramil (international name: Fengshen) slightly intensified while moving closer to Northern Samar on Saturday morning, October 18, the state weather bureau PAGASA said.

As of 10 a.m., the center of Ramil was spotted over the coastal waters of Palapag, Northern Samar with maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour near the center and gusts of up to 90 kph.

It was moving west-southwestward at 20 kph.

Strong to gale-force winds extend outward up to 400 kilometers from its center, PAGASA said.

Wind signals

The following areas are under tropical cyclone wind signals:

Signal No. 2

Luzon

northern portion of Aurora (Casiguran, Dilasag, Dinalungan)

Polillo Islands

Camarines Norte

Catanduanes

northern portion of Camarines Sur (Tinambac, Siruma, Goa, San Jose, Lagonoy, Garchitorena, Caramoan, Presentacion)

extreme eastern portion of Albay (Rapu-Rapu)

northeastern portion of Sorsogon (Prieto Diaz)

Visayas

northeastern portion of Northern Samar (Laoang, Palapag, Mapanas, Pambujan, San Roque, Mondragon, Gamay)

Residents may experience gale-force winds of 62 to 88 kph, posing a minor to moderate threat to life and property.

Signal No. 1

Luzon

Cagayan including Babuyan Islands

Isabela

Quirino

Nueva Vizcaya

Apayao

Abra

Kalinga

Mountain Province

Ifugao

Benguet

Ilocos Norte

Ilocos Sur

La Union

Pangasinan

rest of Aurora

Nueva Ecija

eastern portion of Bulacan (Doña Remedios Trinidad, Norzagaray, San Miguel, San Ildefonso, San Rafael, Angat)

eastern portion of Tarlac (Camiling, San Clemente, Santa Ignacia, Paniqui, Moncada, San Manuel, Anao, Ramos, Pura, Victoria, City of Tarlac, La Paz, Concepcion, Gerona)

eastern portion of Pampanga (Magalang, Arayat, Candaba)

northern and eastern portions of Quezon (Tagkawayan, Perez, Alabat, Quezon, Atimonan, Padre Burgos, Unisan, Gumaca, Plaridel, Agdangan, Pagbilao, Mauban, Calauag, Guinayangan, Lopez, Pitogo, Macalelon, General Luna, Catanauan, San Narciso, Buenavista, San Francisco, San Andres, Mulanay, General Nakar, Infanta, Real, Sampaloc)

rest of Camarines Sur

rest of Albay

rest of Sorsogon

Burias Island

Ticao Island

Visayas

Northern Samar,

northern portion of Eastern Samar (San Policarpo, Arteche, Oras, Dolores, Maslog, Jipapad, Taft, Can-Avid)

northern portion of Samar (Matuguinao, San Jose de Buan, Calbayog City, Gandara, Santa Margarita, Pagsanghan, San Jorge, Tagapul-An, Almagro, Santo Niño, Tarangnan, Paranas, City of Catbalogan, Jiabong, Motiong)

Storm surge, strong winds

PAGASA warned that storm surges up to 2 meters may occur within 48 hours along low-lying and exposed coastal areas of Isabela, Aurora, Quezon, Marinduque, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Catanduanes, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Romblon, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar and parts of Ilocos provinces.

The trough and outer rainbands of Ramil and the easterlies are also expected to bring strong to gale-force gusts over Cagayan Valley, CALABARZON, Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Marinduque, Mindoro provinces, Masbate and Samar on Saturday, extending to Central Luzon and nearby regions by Sunday, October 19.

Sea conditions

A gale warning remains in effect over the eastern seaboard of Southern Luzon, where seas could reach up to 5 meters off Isabela and 4.5 meters off the coasts of Camarines Norte and Catanduanes.

PAGASA said that sea travel is risky for all types of vessels, advising small boats and motorbancas to remain in port or seek shelter until sea conditions improve.

Track and intensity outlook

Ramil is expected to move generally west-northwestward or northwestward toward Central and Southern Luzon.

On its forecast track, the storm’s center may make landfall or pass close to Northern Samar at noon or early afternoon, then near Catanduanes by Saturday evening. The possibility of landfall over Albay or Sorsogon has also increased, PAGASA said.

By Sunday morning or afternoon, Ramil may make another landfall over Aurora, before crossing the mountainous terrain of Northern and Central Luzon and emerging over the West Philippine Sea by Sunday evening.

It is expected to exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by Monday morning, October 20.

Ramil may still intensify into a severe tropical storm before landfall, slightly weaken over land and re-intensify once over open waters.

PAGASA warned that heavy rains, strong winds, and storm surges may still be felt outside the storm’s direct path, and that a northward or southward shift in its track could alter its potential landfall area.

After an ethics probe, Manila Councilor Ryan Ponce has been ordered suspended for 60 days by the City Council. This was upon the recommendation of the council’s committee on ethics, which investigated a complaint of sexual harassment hurled against Ponce by his fellow neophyte Councilor Eunice Castro.

Ponce, a councilor of the city’s fourth district, was accused by Castro of making lewd remarks, including about her clothing, and suggesting a massage focusing on the female genitalia. She said some of the random digital messages sent to her were deleted by Ponce.

The case is noteworthy not only because it involves two councilors, but also because Castro openly complained of sexual harassment, detailing several instances, in a privilege speech that she delivered before the city council, with Ponce in attendance.

Ponce at least publicly apologized immediately. It did not spare him, however, from the ethics probe, which was backed by Vice Mayor Kim Atienza. The vice mayor encouraged women facing similar harassment and other forms of abuse to follow Castro’s lead and speak out against their tormentors.

The council’s order, issued yesterday, takes effect 15 days after Ponce receives the formal notice. Apart from his suspension, however, the council must be reminded that Ponce’s acts may constitute violations of Republic Act 11313, the Safe Spaces Act.

RA 11313, enacted in April 2019, seeks to stop gender-based sexual harassment in streets, public spaces, online, workplaces and educational or training institutions. Popularly known as the ‘Bawal Bastos’ law, it penalizes even making catcalls and wolf whistles.

For the repeated offensive acts detailed by Castro, RA 11313 imposes a fine of P10,000 and imprisonment of 11 to 30 days. A lewd gesture in touching her hand is punishable with imprisonment ranging from 11 days to six months and fines ranging from P30,000 to P100,000, depending on how many times the offense was committed.

This incident is a test of RA 11313. The law gives local government units the primary responsibility for enforcing RA 11313. When the violator is an official of the LGU, the penalty should be heavier.

Penalizing violators of the law calls for complainants to speak up. Castro deserves praise for going public with her complaints. Victims need not suffer in silence.