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The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued a show cause order directing Senator Francis Escudero to explain the P30-million donation he received from a government contractor for his 2022 campaign.

It is a potential case of election code violation against the former Senate president, one that has surfaced as an offshoot of the ongoing inquiries into public works anomalies.

Comelec Chair George Erwin Garcia on Saturday confirmed that the order was already served to Escudero, who was asked to appear in a hearing of the poll body’s Political Finance and Affairs Department on Oct. 13. But Garcia said the senator can either make a personal appearance or submit an affidavit through a lawyer.

In a statement on Saturday, Escudero welcomed the show cause order.

‘We welcome the opportunity to prove that-like the others who are similarly situated in the PCIJ (Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism) report on the 2022 elections-no law has been violated,’ he said.

Prohibited contributions

Escudero was referring to the PCIJ report last month which also revealed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte, among others, received millions of pesos in campaign contributions in 2022.

The Comelec hearing will determine whether the funds donated to Escudero by Lawrence Lubiano, president of Centerways Construction and Development Inc., violated Section 95 of the Omnibus Election Code. The provision prohibits contributions from any public or private institutions, including contractors, to any political candidate or political party.

The distinction between personal donation and corporate contribution will determine the Comelec’s decision, Garcia said.

‘The purpose of Section 95 [of the Omnibus Election Code] was to prohibit all contractors of the government from abusing the donation [to candidates and parties] so that they can secure more contracts from the government,’ he said in Filipino in an interview with dzBB radio.

The Comelec earlier issued an order against Lubiano to explain the P30 million donation. Garcia said Lubiano recently replied which prompted the poll body to issue another order to Escudero.

Complaint

Lubiano admitted during a hearing of the House of Representatives tri-committee, which probed anomalies surrounding the faulty infrastructure projects nationwide, that he donated to Escudero for his senatorial campaign in 2022.

Escudero himself confirmed that Centerways Construction donated P30 million, but insisted that the company did not secure any flood control projects with the government.

He was slapped with a complaint at the Senate ethics committee filed by private lawyer Marvin Aceron over this donation.

This issue was also seen as the tipping point for Escudero to step down as Senate president, with the majority of senators voting for Sen. Vicente Sotto III to replace him.

Aside from Escudero’s case, Garcia said the Comelec’s political finance and affairs department will also look into 55 other contractors that gave donations to various candidates.

Confirmation

He disclosed that the Comelec had sought confirmation from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on whether these contractors have existing contracts with the government.

The 55 contractors, Garcia revealed, donated to the President, Vice President, six senators, five district representatives, three party list representatives, two governors and two vice governors.

He, however, declined to provide names.

Fan favorite Alex Pereira dethroned Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320, taking the light heavyweight championship with a first-round stoppage Saturday night.

Pereira (13-3-0) floored Ankalaev (21-2-1) after hurting him with a huge right hand and quickly went to work using thunderous elbows during a ground-and-pound before referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the bout at the 1:20 mark. Pereira brought an end to Ankalaev’s 14-match unbeaten streak, while exacting revenge for a loss in the fighters’ first meeting in March.

‘I wasn’t well that night, but tonight I was very well,’ Pereira said through his translator.

Pereira lost to Ankalaev by unanimous decision on March 8, when the judges graded the fight on aggressiveness. This time, Pereira wasted no time in attacking Ankalaev with relentless pressure.

The 38-year-old Brazilian landed 28 of the 45 significant strike attempts, while Ankalaev, 33, was only able to land four of his nine attempts.

Pereira closed +200 at BetMGM Sportsbook, which means a $100 wager would have won $200. A Pereira by KO or TKO in under 2.5 rounds was +475. While Pereira entered the arena with the sold-out crowd standing and roaring in approval, Ankalaev was greeted by a chorus of boos.

The 19,081 in attendance, which included Golden State Warriors stars Draymond Green and Jimmy Butler and Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, went into a frenzy the moment Dean stepped in to stop the fight.

Earlier in the night, in what some might have considered a title eliminator bout in the light heavyweight division for the right to face Pereira, second-ranked contender Jiri Prochazka (32-5-1) delivered a brutal left hand at the 3:04 mark of the third round to knock out No. 4 Khalil Rountree Jr. (15-7-0) in what earned the fight of the night. Pereira had beaten Prochazka twice already, second-round knockouts at UFC 295 and 303.

After his victory, Pereira used his spotlight during the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan to call for a moment of silence in honor of Jon Jones’ older brother, Arthur, who died unexpectedly earlier this week. ‘He was such a great guy,’ UFC president Dana White said. ‘When somebody passes away so young in their sleep, it’s brutal. The conversations I’ve had with Jon, he’s handling it well.’

In the co-main event, champion Merab Dvalishvili (21-4-0) successfully defended his bantamweight title with a unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-46) over Cory Sandhagen (18-6-0). Dvalishvili, who strengthened his argument a Fighter of the Year contender, registered a UFC record for takedowns landed (20) with 37 attempts. His victory extended the division’s longest-ever win streak at 14 fights.

In their scheduled three-round featherweight bout, the stunned crowd watched No. 9 contender Youssef Zalal (18-5-1) top No. 8 Josh Emmett (19-6-0) by way of verbal submission at 1:38 of the first round with a wicked arm bar.

The University of the Philippines showed its trademark grit on Saturday-none more than Harold Alarcon.

Playing under the weather, Alarcon powered through sickness to help the Fighting Maroons gut out a 66-59 victory over National University at the Quadricentennial Pavilion, handing the Bulldogs their first loss of UAAP Season 88.

It wasn’t Alarcon’s scoring that stood out-he had only eight points-but he was all over the court during his short stints, finishing with four rebounds, three assists and two steals.

‘I want to commend Harold because I know he only had a few points, but he played 20 minutes and every time he had the ball, he was just big time,’ said assistant coach Christian Luanzon. ‘For him to fight through what he was feeling, that was big for us.’

After trailing by one at the end of the third, the Maroons clamped down on defense, holding NU to just 10 points in the final quarter. UP’s communication and collective effort on switches and coverages proved decisive.

‘What’s important was that everyone was involved in communication,’ Luanzon added. ‘Everybody was on the same page.’

Gani Stevens and Francis Nnoruka anchored the attack with 10 and 14 points, respectively, but Stevens said Alarcon’s toughness set the tone.

‘Harold’s one of the veterans in our team and he came through for us even if he was sick,’ Stevens said.

Austin Reaves scored 20 points and Bronny James added eight while the Los Angeles Lakers lost their preseason opener 103-81 to the Phoenix Suns on Friday night with LeBron James and Luka Doncic sitting out.

James is progressing deliberately in his return from a minor nerve injury to begin his record 23rd NBA season, while Doncic is also ramping up with caution after his busy summer playing for Slovenia at EuroBasket. Both superstars watched from courtside while the rest of the Lakers lost to the new-look Suns, who jumped to a 27-point lead in the third quarter.

Lakers coach JJ Redick said before the game that Doncic will play at some point in the preseason, and he is hopeful LeBron James also will get at least one preseason game. Redick wants one preseason game with what he called ‘a dress rehearsal’ for the regular season with the Lakers’ full roster.

Bronny James hit a 3-pointer late in the third quarter for his only field goal. He went 1 for 7 on 3-point attempts.

Devin Booker scored 24 points and Dillon Brooks added 10 in his first game for Phoenix, which acquired the veteran agitator from Houston in the seven-team trade of Kevin Durant in July.

The Lakers opened their preseason in the same Coachella Valley arena where Bronny James first played alongside his famous father in Los Angeles’ two preseason games here one year ago. With 40-year-old LeBron watching from courtside this time, Bronny was in the Lakers’ first substitution group, and he played nearly 23 minutes. Bronny, who turns 21 years old on Monday, didn’t make a shot in the first half and occasionally got beat on defense, but he hit five free throws and worked to run the Lakers’ offense.

Teoscar Hernandez rallied the Dodgers with a three-run homer in the seventh inning that bailed out Shohei Ohtani, both on the mound and at the plate, and led Los Angeles to a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 1 of their NL Division Series on Saturday night.

Ohtani struck out four straight times at the plate, the final time in the seventh with no outs and two runners on against Matt Strahm. No worries, at least for the reigning World Series champions.

Following a Mookie Betts popout, Hernández silenced a roaring Phillies crowd with an opposite-field drive to right off Strahm for a 5-3 lead. The veteran slugger gestured in wild celebration in his trot around the bases.

His hat off, Ohtani rose from his dugout seat to join in the fun, and exhale once he was on track for the win.

A three-time MVP, Ohtani recovered from a three-run second in his first career playoff pitching start to shut down the Phillies and finish with nine strikeouts over six innings.

Alex Vesia retired pinch-hitter Edmundo Sosa with the bases loaded in the eighth to preserve the lead. Roki Sasaki worked the ninth for his first career save. Ohtani had admitted to nerves about playing in front of a crowd that voraciously tried to live up to its four hours of hell moniker – he was jeered as he stepped on the field during warmups – and he never found his footing at the plate.

Ohtani walked in the ninth.

Phillies starter Cristopher Sánchez struck out Ohtani three times, included a called strike three in the fifth inning that sent a towel-waving crowd into delirium.

Sánchez was even fired up on that one, and punched his fist in the air as he left the mound.

The Oh-4 became but a mere footnote – though Ohtani is the first player to strike out four times as a batter and strike out nine batters as a pitcher in the same postseason game – in an exhilarating comeback for a Dodgers team riding high after thumping the Reds in two games in the Wild Card Series. Sánchez was thrust into the ace role when Zack Wheeler was ruled out for the season in August with complications from a blood clot. Wheeler was in full uniform and received a roaring ovation in the pregame introductions.

Sánchez pitched early like a No. 1 starter.

He fanned Ohtani on three pitches to start the game and breezed through five scoreless innings.

Kiké Hernandez chased Sánchez in the sixth when he ripped a two-out, two-run double down the left-field line that made it 3-2. David Robertson retired pinch-hitter Max Muncy to end the threat.

Robertson, the 40-year-old late-season pickup, allowed a single and hit Will Smith with a pitch to open the seventh before yielding to Strahm.

While disaster struck late for the Phillies bullpen, Vesia saved Tyler Glasnow in the eighth. Glasnow, pitching out of the bullpen in a short series, loaded the bases before he got the hook. Vesia got Sosa, who hit three home runs in a game last month, to fly out to center field. The Phillies had only two hits after they scored three times in the third on J.T. Realmuto’s two-run triple and Harrison Bader’s sacrifice fly.

Up next

Jesús Luzardo will start for the Phillies on Monday in Game 2. Luzardo went 15-7 with a 3.92 ERA with a career-high 216 strikeouts in his first season with the Phillies after he was acquired from the Miami Marlins in an offseason trade. The Dodgers already had announced that two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell was expected to start Game 2, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the bump in Game 3.

At Sitio Galang in Mansalay’s Panaytayan village, sexagenarian Nayhan Using engages in a regular activity: weaving the traditional Hanunuo Mangyan textile ramit, a skill she learned from her mother when she was 15 years old.

The craft of weaving is actually more of a passion for her, to ensure that such intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is sustained and transferred to the young generation of the Hanunuo, one of eight distinct ethnolinguistic groups in the island of Mindoro that are collectively called Mangyan.

Apart from textile weaving, she also does beadwork, creating pieces such as necklaces, earrings, and bracelets adorned with the traditional cross-form design ‘pakudos.’

She said she learned everything by observation, with her mother helping and teaching her master the craft’s refinements and technicalities.

Using, the oldest weaver in her community, teaches young members of the Hanunuo in Mansalay, mostly girls on how to do weaving using the backstrap loom, and making bracelets and necklaces using beads purchased outside of their domain.

Traditionally, the beads used came from trading with foreign visitors such as the Chinese and those harvested from the seeds of a banana species called ‘tigbi.’

The tigbi seeds, said Using, were used to make a bracelet called ‘tibak’ that needed to be worn always for it to acquire a shiny appearance.

Hanunuo identity

The craft of weaving is generally called ‘paghabul,’ while textile weaving and beadwork are called ‘pagbuwat ramit’ and ‘pagbuwat uno,’ respectively.

In terms of textile weaving, which could take two weeks to finish a piece, Using is an expert in the ‘sinupnap’ or x-shaped design-the hardest to execute, she said.

Apart from this, she also creates textiles with two designs: the ‘binanalyo’ (composed of lines) and the ‘minatahan’ (composed of dots).

The textiles are more varied now in terms of color, but traditionally, the colors were just white and black, with ‘tagum’ (indigo) as dye.

In a recent interview at the Oriental Mindoro Heritage and Cultural Center in Mansalay, Using said their traditional crafts should be taught to the younger members of their community because it is part of their identity and culture.

‘We inherited these from our ancestors,’ she said in Hanunuo. ‘Buhay namin ito (this is our life).’

Their textiles and beads also need to be brought outside the province and become known elsewhere, she said, ‘so others [can] experience using these, not only the Mangyan.’

For her invaluable contribution to the safeguarding, preservation, and promotion of her community’s intangible cultural heritage assets, the provincial government of Oriental Mindoro led by Gov. Humerlito ‘Bonz’ Dolor bestowed on Using on Sept. 19 the Gawad Pamana sa Sining at Kultura, the highest award given by the province to its arts and culture practitioners.

Alangan chanter

Aside from Using, another culture bearer, 70-year-old Cristina Malayawan from Paitan village, Naujan, was also given the award, the first time it was conferred on a chanter.

Just like Using, Malayawan is a culture bearer from the Alangan Mangyan who, for decades, perfected the art of ‘banggi,’ ‘panggiseden,’ and ‘baren.’

Banggi could be a song sung during feasts-like the ‘agpamago’ which is done for a bountiful harvest as well as during kaingin, farming, and fishing-or a poetic joust between courtship, while panggiseden pertains to rhythmic conversations and baren is the community’s form of lullaby.

Educator Emmanuel Guarde, the first recorded Mangyan to obtain a doctorate degree, said that the banggi, panggiseden, and baren ‘have no definite lyrics since their contents depend on the occasion, feelings, and experiences of the singer.’

Malayawan, he said, serves as a bridge of knowledge and a bearer of culture through various activities she is involved in, such as teaching these ICH assets to the young generations of her ethnic group, being a partner of the Department of Education in the crafting of a curriculum for the Alangan Mangyan, and as a resource person for the Indigenous Peoples Education program and the exclusive school for the Alangan called Tugdaan.

‘Her joy in sharing her knowledge is a testament to her belief that culture must be lived, taught, and transferred to the generations to come,’ Guarde said.

During the awarding held at the Jolly Waves Waterpark and Resort in Calapan, Malayawan did not prepare an acceptance speech but extemporaneously performed a heartwarming banggi, thanking everyone for the recognition.

‘Queen of wraps’

Completing the triumvirate of awardees this year is famed fashion designer-visual artist Ditta Sandico of Bulalacao town.

Sandico is known for her use of traditional Philippine textiles, including the ‘ramit,’ in her modernized creations that have graced many events and collections locally and abroad.

Nominations are now open for the 3rd KMC Startup Awards, which will honor visionary entrepreneurs and groundbreaking businesses that are shaping the future of Philippine business and technology landscape.

Copresented by OneCFO in partnership with Uniquecorn Strategies, Ideaspace QBO, MAINPH, Founders Launchpad and Kaya Founders, this year’s awards introduce the Culture and Community Excellence Award category.

This will recognize startups that integrate social responsibility and sustainability into their business models while delivering measurable benefits to people, communities and the environment.

Winners will be selected from eight business categories, including the coveted Startup of the Year, Tech Innovator of the Year, Growth Champion, Innovation in Marketing and Customer Experience Excellence Award. The awards will also recognize outstanding leaders in the startup space with the Breakthrough Leader Award and FutureTech Leadership Award.

Winners will be announced in a gala on Nov. 13.

Notable past winners include GoTyme Bank, Packworks, UNO Digital Bank, Kindred, Sprout Solutions, Mober and Mylo Speech Buddy.

‘Every startup recognized here represents more than a company-it’s a signal of where our industries are heading. As the KMC Startup Awards enters its third year, we’re doubling down on a simple truth: when we invest in innovation and give founders the right platforms, we accelerate the Philippines into a future where we’re not just catching up, but leading,’ KMC Solutions CEO Michael McCullough says.

Nominations are open until Oct. 13. Eligible startups must have been operational for at least one year and no more than 10 years. For more information, visit kmc.solutions/startup-awards-2025 or the KMC Solutions Facebook page.

Oscar Reyes, a veteran in the Philippine power sector who led the growth of major firms, died at the age of 79.

The local energy sector is grieving the loss of Reyes, whose decades-long service helped shape the growth of the market.

The country’s biggest power distributor, Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), highlights Reyes’ ‘steadfast and humble leadership’ in driving efforts to expand electricity access to every home, even beyond the group’s franchise area. Reyes served as Meralco’s president and chief executive officer from 2012 to 2019.

Maximizing value

‘With strategic foresight and prudence, he guided Meralco, laid the groundwork for modernization while ensuring regulatory compliance, operational integrity and execution excellence,’ Meralco says.

‘True to his philosophy of sweating the assets, he maximized value for customers and stakeholders alike,’ it adds.

Shell Pilipinas likewise expresses its grief, saying Reyes will be remembered for his ‘lasting impact through his visionary leadership.’

He was the country chair of Shell companies in the Philippines and president of Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. from 1997 to 2001.

‘We extend our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones. May we honor his remarkable legacy and be inspired by the life he lived,’ the firm says.

Ateneo

Before Reyes’ death, he also served on the board of several companies.

Reyes received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from the Ateneo de Manila University. He also had a diploma in business administration and a certificate in export promotion from the Waterloo Lutheran University and a master’s degree in business administration program from the Ateneo Graduate School of Business.

The number of individuals who reportedly died from the magnitude 6.9 earthquake in Cebu rose to 71, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Sunday.

In its latest report, the NDRRMC said that the 71 deaths, along with 559 injuries are up for validation. Meanwhile, no individuals were reported missing.

Aside from this, the NDRRMC said that the earthquake affected a total of 128,464 families or 455,631 individuals. Of this figure, 405 families or 1,205 individuals were served inside four evacuation centers while 7,942 families or 25,291 persons were served outside the temporary shelters. Bogo City recorded the highest number of those affected, with a total of 27,967 families or 90,187 individuals. The city was the epicenter of the earthquake that occurred last September 30.

The agency also said that the earthquake damaged a total of 18,154 houses. Of this figure, San Remigio tallied the most number of damaged houses at 12,644.

As of Saturday, 8 p.m., the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said that the strong earthquake generated 5,540 aftershocks, with magnitude ranging from 1.0 to 5.1. Of these, 24 were felt while 1,083 were plotted. The Phivolcs has also found the fault that caused the earthquake, with its quick response team locating the inland extension of the newly named Bogo Bay Fault in Sitio Looc, Barangay Nailon, Bogo City.

The Phivolcs said that ‘the team observed fault scraps, open cracks, and small pressure mounds within a 2-meter-wide deformation zone.’

Ramon Fernandez, Atoy Co and Vergel Meneses led a collection of former personalities who graced the opening of the PBA’s 50th anniversary season on Sunday.

The PBA said about 40 to 50 ex-players, coaches and officials attended a busy day that started with the Leo Awards at Novotel Manila followed by the opening ceremonies at nearby Smart Araneta Coliseum.