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President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has appointed Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin ‘Boying’ Remulla as the new ombudsman, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) announced on Tuesday.

Remulla replaces Samuel Martires, whose seven-year term expired in July.

‘The administration remains firm in its commitment to fight corruption wherever it exists. As Ombudsman, Remulla is expected to uphold transparency, strengthen anti-corruption measures, and ensure that justice is administered fairly and efficiently,’ the PCO said in a statement.

‘There will be no sacred cows, no exemptions, and no excuses. Public office is a public trust, and those who betray it will be held accountable,’ the PCO added.

The PCO also said that Marcos reaffirms ‘transparency, fairness, and the rule of law’ as the core principles of his administration’s pursuit of a Bagong Pilipinas that truly serves the Filipino people.

From a total of 17 applicants, Remulla and six others were shortlisted by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) for the ombudsman post.

Other shortlisted candidates were former Commission on Audit Chair Michael Aguinaldo, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Stephen Cruz, Supreme Court Associate Justice Samuel Gaerlan, Office of the President Deputy Executive Secretary Anna Liza Logan, retired Supreme Court Justice Mario Lopez, and Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Michael Musngi.

The voting members of the JBC were acting Chief Justice Marvic Leonen, Sen. Francis Pangilinan, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro, representing Congress, and former Supreme Court Associate Justice Jose Catral Mendoza, representing retired justices.

Also included in the signatories were JBC members Nesauro Firme (academe), Erlinda Piñera Uy (Integrated Bar of the Philippines), and lawyer Jose Mejia (private sector).

Remulla’s bid as chief graftbuster did not go smoothly, as he first had to secure clearance from the Office of the Ombudsman due to his pending cases – a requirement set by the JBC.

On September 12, the office announced that it had dismissed the cases filed against Remulla and others in connection with the supposed turnover of former President Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands.

The cases stemmed from Sen. Imee Marcos’ allegations in May that the former president’s arrest involved graft, arbitrary detention, usurpation of authority and judicial functions, grave threats, false testimony, perjury, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interests of the service.

Remulla secured his clearance from the Office of the Ombudsman on September 25.

The new Ombudsman has served as the 59th Secretary of Justice since June 2022.

Under his tenure, the Department of Justice has implemented significant reforms aimed at modernizing the justice system, reducing prison congestion, expediting case resolution, and broadening access to legal services.

He was re-elected as the representative of the 7th District of Cavite before accepting Marcos’ offer to head the Department of Justice.

Palace confident with Remulla’s appointment

In a Palace briefing, Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez said they have the ‘highest confidence’ that Remulla will perform well in his new position.

‘He will be very impartial when he assumes his new role as the Ombudsman,’ he said.

Gomez noted that there had been a stringent process in selecting the new Ombudsman.

Asked why Remulla stood out among the seven shortlisted applicants, he said, ‘At the end of the day, after the president receives the recommendation of the JBC, it is still the decision of the president after he receives the shortlist.’ /jpv /gsg

Jane Goodall, the world’s most famous primatologist, died last Oct. 1 and has been eulogized as one of the world’s greatest scientists, especially for changing the way we look at ourselves, at animals, and at the environment.

It seems that Netflix had to rush a series called ‘Last Words,’ consisting of interviews with famous people while they are still alive (obviously) and promising not to release the episodes until after they die. It seems, too, that they had to rush the production of an episode that would center on Goodall, which is the first one to have been released, just last Friday, two days after her death. The release was international, which meant this one about Goodall is also available now in the Philippines.

I strongly suggest ‘Last Words’ to all of you and your friends. It is not all technical stuff concentrating on primates (apes, monkeys, and humans); in fact, it’s actually very anthropological because Goodall talks about how her work has given her so many insights (and, for us, wisdom) about what it means to be human. It ends up quite philosophical and emotional.

The Netflix episode is actually a dialogue between Goodall and the producer Ben Falchuk, a take-off from a Danish TV series recording last words from the living, to be shown posthumously. Clever idea, literally allowing the dead to speak to us from beyond for an hour.

That’s something for Goodall, who died aged 91, a life well lived. She’s best known for her work with apes, especially chimpanzees, particularly in the Gombe forest in Tanzania. Chimpanzees are humans’ closest relatives, with us sharing 98.8 percent of our DNA with these cousins.

Goodall, who was British, grew up always interested in and loving animals and dreamed of going to Africa to work. She did find a job as a secretary to Richard Leakey, one of the early paleontologists who studied human evolution. She faced many odds pursuing her interests, including British colonial authorities refusing to give her permission to work in the Gombe because they felt it was too dangerous for women. Plus, she didn’t actually have a university degree yet for the work she intended to do. She finally got permission when her mother volunteered to go with her.

Goodall quickly became known for the way she observed apes, the Gombe, and humans; in other words, she set the example for pursuing science. She is best known for discovering, through a chimpanzee she had named David Greybeard, that it is not just humans who can make tools. Greybeard was fishing termites out of a river using a twig.

Goodall was to make many more discoveries about apes, including their social relationships, their forms of communication, and most importantly, their feelings and emotions.

In the Netflix documentary, Goodall talks about Flint, a male chimpanzee coming to terms with the death of his mother, Flo, including how he finally came to accept that she had died, which had him ‘fasting’ for a while.

Goodall’s use of human names for the apes was considered revolutionary; other scientists used numbers to identify the animals. By using human names, she rightly placed them closer to humanity and helped her in her advocacy not just to protect animals but also to give them due recognition as having intelligence, too.

In the Netflix interview, she also talked about humans whom she didn’t quite like, almost suggesting they had much to learn from apes. She said there were some people she would love to see put into a spaceship together with Elon Musk and sent off into space: Trump, China’s Xi, Russia’s Putin, and Israel’s Netanyahu. She believes aggression is innate in apes and humans, but that one could still ‘cure ignorance’ in humans.

Asked who she hoped to see in the next life, she mentioned her chimp friends and her childhood pet dog. Husbands (she had two)? ‘They wouldn’t matter so much,’ but she acknowledged that with husbands, it is a ‘different kind of love.’

The scientist in Goodall alternates with a ‘magic’ (her interviewer’s term) to be able to reach people’s hearts. I don’t want my column to be a spoiler-there is a story she shares about how a CEO in Singapore found his heart melted by an eight-year-old daughter, to be kinder to the planet. Look up the articles about Goodall and her work, and watch the Netflix feature to understand how, as the New Scientist magazine puts it, it took a woman to redefine man (in its most inclusive definition).

Emirates, the world’s largest international and most profitable airline, is scouting for top-tier aircraft engineering and technical talent from around the world and the search has brought it to the Philippines.

Emirates is hosting information sessions in Manila on Oct. 14 and 15 in a bid to recruit aircraft technicians who will be based in the airline’s hub in Dubai.

The roadshows come on the back of the Emirates Group’s global recruitment drive to onboard 17,300 professionals across 350 roles this financial year, the group said in a statement.

This strategic move underscores Emirates’ commitment to expanding its technical operations and elevating maintenance standards across its international fleet.

The recruitment initiative taps into the Philippines’ strong and growing aviation talent pool.

Both experienced and aspiring aircraft technicians are welcome to attend the roadshow, where Emirates recruiters will share information about the roles, salary, benefits, and life in Dubai. Emirates Philippines Country Manager, Saeed Abdulla Miran, said: ‘Our engineers enjoy a rewarding career in Dubai, working on the world’s largest fleet of widebody aircraft as part of a dynamic, multicultural team of talented professionals. We’ve invested of US$950 million to build a new ultra-modern engineering facility at Dubai World Central.’

‘Those who come onboard Emirates will have the opportunity to work, learn, and push the boundaries of engineering and innovation at this new facility, which will be one of the largest and most advanced in commercial aviation. It will also be equipped to handle the full gamut of specialist aircraft engineering services. We are building a future-ready workforce capable of supporting our global operations with precision and excellence,’ Miran added.

Emirates Engineering

Emirates Engineering is among the world’s most technologically advanced aircraft maintenance facilities.

It supports the airline’s fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft, which are the world’s largest. and the fleet of 30 other airlines through third-party maintenance contracts.

An Emirates engineering aircraft technician carries out maintenance on the airline’s and third-party aircraft under the guidance of licensed aircraft engineers. An approved apprenticeship in commercial aircraft maintenance or any equivalent, and at least five years of experience are required for the role

LA Tenorio wasn’t letting one win, even a meaningful one, get to his head.

The rookie coach made a strong debut in the PBA, steering Magnolia to an 80-73 win over Barangay Ginebra on Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. The victory came at the expense of his former team and long-time mentor Tim Cone, but Tenorio was quick to downplay any celebration.

‘I cannot be complacent just because we won this game,’ he said after the Hotshots capped the league’s golden season opener with a gritty win. ‘Yes, we got this win out of our chest, but this is just the start of our journey.’

Tenorio is barely two months into his coaching career, appointed by San Miguel Corp. (SMC) to take over a Magnolia squad determined to end a seven-year title drought. The role still feels new, but the win over the Gin Kings is a promising start.

Magnolia’s defense looked like its old, aggressive self-once a trademark under Chito Victolero. Zavier Lucero picked up where he left off last season, while newcomer Javi Gomez de Liaño made an immediate impact in his first game in a Hotshots uniform.

Tenorio received congratulatory pats on the back postgame, including one from SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua. But his message remained grounded.

‘I told the players that we have to get better every day. We have to be disciplined, we have to be focused on the things we need to do and not worry about the other team,’ Tenorio said. ‘The important thing is that we worry about what we want to do on the court.’

That mindset applies to himself as well.

‘I want to learn every day, I want to get better and I want as much as possible to stay disciplined in teaching and guiding my players in what I want to do for this team. So I can’t be comfortable. I’ll probably take a breather in a day or two, then we’ll focus on our next games.’

Magnolia’s next assignments come on Oct. 17 against the Titan Ultra Giant Risers at the Big Dome and Oct. 19 versus Meralco at Ynares Center in Montalban, Rizal-two tough challenges in their all-Filipino campaign.

For Cone and Ginebra, it was a rough night.

The Gin Kings fell behind early, trailing 10-0 and later 15-3, and committed 21 turnovers. Scottie Thompson was held scoreless, while Japeth Aguilar managed just five points. Rookie Stephen Holt posted a double-double and Sonny Estil impressed in his debut, but their efforts weren’t enough.

‘I’m happy for LA, sad for myself,’ Cone said.

Ginebra now faces a quick turnaround as it prepares to face TNT, which is coming off a championship season and has retooled with key additions, including pesky guard Jio Jalalon.

The Tropang 5G will enter that game refreshed and motivated after meeting their fans on Monday.

TNT and PLDT High Speed Hitters, celebrated with their fans in an event dubbed ‘Champions Together’ at One Ayala Mall Activity Center in Makati City.

The southwest monsoon or ‘habagat’ season this year has officially ended, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) announced Tuesday afternoon.

In an advisory, Pagasa said the country is now transitioning to the northeast monsoon or ‘amihan’ season, which it revealed will be observed and declared in the coming weeks.

The state weather bureau explained that ‘habagat’ brings warm, moist air with rain from the ocean, while the ‘amihan’ carries cool, and dry weather with slight rainfall.

‘Recent observations indicate that the southwest monsoon (habagat) has been weakening during the past few weeks,’ the state weather bureau further disclosed.

‘Forecast models also show this trend in the coming days. With these developments, the habagat season has officially ended. Likewise, this marks the termination of the rainy season over the western sections of Luzon and Visayas,’ it added.

A gradual change in the country’s weather pattern, Pagasa added, has been observed ‘due to the strengthening of the high-pressure system over East Asia and the southward migration of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ).’

Based on Pagasa’s latest weather report, cloudy skies and rain are prevailing nationwide due to the combined effects of the northeasterly wind flow and the ITCZ. /gsg

Cloudy skies and rain are expected nationwide due to the combined effects of the northeasterly wind flow and the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), the weather bureau said Tuesday, Oct. 7.

The northeasterly wind flow is a seasonal air current from the northeast that brings cooler winds and moisture and usually signifies the start of the northeast monsoon (amihan) season.

On the other hand, the ITCZ refers to a belt of converging winds near the equator where the winds from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet. It usually produces heavy rainfall and thunderstorms due to rising air and moisture convergence.

In its 5 a.m. update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that cloudy skies with rain are expected in the Bicol Region and Quezon, caused by the northeasterly wind flow.

These conditions may lead to flash floods or landslides due to moderate to heavy rainfall at times.

The same weather system is also causing partly cloudy skies with isolated rain over Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Norte, Apayao, and Aurora. These showers are not expected to cause a significant impact.

Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, cloudy skies with scattered rains and thunderstorms caused by the ITCZ are expected in Palawan, Visayas, and Mindanao. Pagasa warned that moderate to heavy rains at times in these areas could result in flooding or landslides.

Typhoon Halong, new LPA

Pagasa is also monitoring Typhoon Halong, which remains outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and is not expected to directly affect the country.

Halong was last located 1,875 kilometers east-northeast of extreme northern Luzon. It had maximum sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gusts of up to 160 kph, moving west-northwestward at 15 kph.

Meanwhile, a new low-pressure area (LPA) was monitored outside PAR and now has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours.

However, like Halong, it is unlikely to enter the PAR and affect the country. It was last spotted 2,285 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas./abc

Contractors Pacifico ‘Curlee’ and Cezarah ‘Sarah’ Sarah requested Tuesday to postpone their hearing with the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to allow them more time to collect certain documents, the commission’s Executive Director Brian Hosaka said.

ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka disclosed the development after the ICI concluded its hearing with the Discayas.

‘With regard to the Discayas, they asked for a reset of seven days. The next hearing would be set on Oct. 15 at 2 pm,’ ICI Executive Director Brian Hosaka told reporters in a chance interview.

‘They were asking for time for them to retrieve certain documents [that] the commission requested,’ he added.

Hosaka, however, declined to divulge what these documents were.

Asked about the current stage of the ICI’s hearings, Hosaka responded that it is still ‘an ongoing process.’

‘As long as we complete the case build-up, then we will file the necessary recommendation and filings before the Office of the Omb or any other government agency, for that matter,’ he said.

Tuesday’s hearing marks the second time the Discayas appeared before the ICI. They were first invited as resource persons on Sept. 30.

The Discayas are linked to controversial infrastructure projects plagued by graft across the country-an allegation they themselves confirmed, stating that several lawmakers and government officials had demanded money from them in return for awarding government projects. /jpv/abc

Only one of four ‘resource persons’ appeared on Monday before the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), which is trying to determine if they played any role in the violence that broke out after the anticorruption rallies on September 21.

‘They were subpoenaed this morning. Of the four, only one came,’ CIDG public information chief Maj. Helen dela Cruz said in a press briefing at the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame.

‘They are invited to appear to shed light on the facts and circumstances surrounding the violent incidents that occurred,’ she added.

The subpoenaed individual who appeared before the CIDG identified himself as Park Alamada Pangawilan, also known as Kuya Park on social media.

In a phone interview with reporters, Pangawilan denied involvement in any of the riots, saying that violence had already erupted at both Ayala Bridge and the Mendiola Peace Arch when he and his group got there after attending a program held at Liwasang Bonifacio.

He also maintained that the lighters they were carrying were for a candle-lighting vigil originally scheduled at Mendiola.

‘There was no intention to burn anything. There was no intention to cause chaos. I was even scolding the young people who were causing trouble. I told them the police and the military were not our enemies,’ Pangawilan stressed.

Main players

Dela Cruz, meanwhile, declined to name the other individuals who were subpoenaed, saying only that they were male ‘leaders with large followings’ as she referred to them as ‘resource persons.’

How did the CIDG determine whom to subpoena? ‘We captured some of the main players. We were able to associate them with their leaders. In the course of the investigation, we were able to determine who their leaders were,’ she said.

According to dela Cruz, Republic Act No. 10973 gave the CIDG the power to issue subpoenas in relation to its investigations.

Should the three other subpoenaed individuals fail to appear before the police, she said that RA 10973 also gives the CIDG the right to file a case against them in a regional trial court for indirect contempt.

The three may also face a fine of P30,000 and six months in prison if they do not comply with the CIDG subpoena, PNP public information chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said in the same briefing.

More expected

‘In the coming days ., they will invite over 20 individuals,’ Tuaño added, citing information from CIDG director Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II.

Riots erupted on Ayala Bridge and the Mendiola Peace Arch – which leads to Malacañang Palace – after the ‘Baha Sa Luneta’ anticorruption protest in Rizal Park on Sept. 21.

Some of the protesters, who wore black shirts and black masks to cover their faces, set fire to a trailer, threw rocks and Molotov bombs at antiriot police and destroyed public and private property.

Police later arrested over 200 individuals – including more than 80 minors – amid the chaos, prompting human rights groups to condemn law enforcement for not exercising maximum tolerance.

The Baha Sa Luneta rally in Manila and the Trillion Peso March on Edsa were all part of a series of protests condemning corruption in the government amid investigations into alleged anomalies in flood control projects.

American health-care giant Bon Secours Mercy Health (BSMH) has opened a global business processing hub in BGC Taguig, which will employ 250 Filipinos to provide essential human resources, finance, supply chain and site support functions.

In a statement on Monday, BSMH said the new global business services (GBS) center located at Park Triangle Corporate Center would serve its associates and operations in the United States and Ireland.

‘By investing in Filipino talent and expertise, we are building a strong foundation to support our worldwide operations, enhance efficiency and foster seamless collaboration across borders,’ GBS-Manila country head Sam Padilla said.

‘The opening of our new GBS office in the Philippines marks an important milestone in strengthening our ministry globally,’ Padilla said.

BSMH said its new center plays a vital role in enhancing operational efficiency, boosting the ministry’s capabilities and ensuring seamless collaboration across geographies.

It also allows the company to expand its international health-care footprint to improve patient access and optimize care delivery.

BSMH unveiled its new office in BGC after announcing a $500-million investment to develop a premium tertiary hospital in the Philippines and the expansion of its existing GBS operations in the country.

Expansion mode

The US firm previously said it aimed to scale up its Manila operations to have 1,200 professionals from the current workforce of around 170.

‘If realized, it would mark one of the largest private-sector health-care investments by a US-based system in the Philippines,’ the Office of the Special Assistant to the President for Investment and Economic Affairs of the Philippines said in July.

Since 2013, BSMH has established its presence in the Philippines through its Global Ministries arm.

BSMH, one of the 20 largest health systems and the fifth-largest Catholic health system in the US, boasts of a network of more than 1,200 care sites and 50 hospitals.

It also invests in programs that address chronic illness, affordable housing, access to healthy food, education and wellness programs, transportation, workforce development and other social determinants of health. INQ

ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio has accused Vice President Sara Duterte’s office and her supporters of using the Cebu earthquake to justify her absence during House of Representatives budget debates, claiming that she really had no intention of showing up.

Tinio, in an ambush interview on Tuesday, said that while it is true that Duterte was in Cebu for supposed relief operations after the Cebu earthquake, she was intent on evading the discussions as she laid down conditions for her appearance – conditions that the House cannot fulfill on its own.

Plenary debates on the Office of the Vice President (OVP) were originally scheduled for September 30, but discussions did not push through because Duterte did not send an undersecretary-level official to assist the budget sponsor. On the same night, northeastern Cebu was hit by a Magnitude 6.9 earthquake.

‘Her office and her supporters are spreading the narrative that she did not attend the budget hearing because she went to Cebu to give assistance to earthquake victims. That is true, she is in Cebu, but she really had no intention of showing up for OVP’s budget hearings because she laid down several conditions,’ Tinio told reporters in Filipino.

‘She said I will be there only, for example, if the Immigration look-out bulletin order against her staff involved in the issue of unexplained confidential fund usage will be lifted. So she is making it seem that there’s a valid reason not to attend debates here, she is using the earthquake in Cebu as a padding. But in actuality, she will not attend because she has raised conditions which are not up to Congress to fulfill,’ he added.

INQUIRER has asked the OVP for its response regarding Tinio’s allegations, but Duterte’s office has yet to respond as of posting time.

After not showing up on September 30 and October 1, the proposed OVP budget for 2026 was supposed to be tackled again on October 2, but Duterte was neither present nor did she send an undersecretary-level official to assist the budget sponsor and Palawan 2nd District Rep. Jose Alvarez.

Instead, Alvarez read three letters from Duterte – first, assigning staffers like Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio and others to attend in her behalf; second, notifying the House committee on appropriations that Ortonio has been designated as officer-in-charge due to the leave of absence of Undersecretary Zuleika Lopez; and a set of demands for her appearance at the House plenary.

Part of Duterte’s demands is for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to also show up at the House to defend the Office of the President budget, and the lifting of Immigration lookout bulletin orders against her staffers.

This forced the House to move forward and end the period of sponsorship and debate on House Bill (HB) No. 4058, also known as the 2026 General Appropriations Bill (GAB), without addressing the OVP budget in the plenary.

Tinio said it is unusual for a sitting official to demand things before showing up and defending their agency’s proposed budget.

‘And in the first place, who does that, to put conditions first before approaching Congress to explain to the people how they intend to use their budget?’ he asked in Filipino.

After Duterte’s absence at the plenary debates, Tinio vowed to push for a significant reduction of the agency’s budget – from P902 million to just P198 million, or the OVP’s proposed personal services (PS).

PS is the allocation of an agency for its employees’ salaries.

Tinio, in his manifestation during Thursday’s session, said that Duterte’s insistence on not showing up or sending an undersecretary-level official to assist the budget sponsor is an indication that the OVP is not interested in defending their proposed allocation for 2026.

Mamamayang Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said that because of Duterte’s actions, she initially thought of proposing to cut OVP’s budget to zero, but she said thinking of the employees prompted her to just push for a budget cut.

During the same interview earlier, de Lima said they may pick from the OVP’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) to include in the proposed budget – but they will be proposing an allocation that will not be equal to P902 million in the 2026 National Expenditures Program, or the P733 million in the approved 2025 General Appropriations Act.

‘We will pick from the MOOE. We will pick which among the items inside the MOOE can be retained,’ de Lima noted. /jpv