Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

The families left behind by eight victims of former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs vowed on Saturday not to be cowed into silence or abandon their long struggle for justice.

But during the inurnment rites of the 11th batch of victims whose remains were placed at the Dambana ng Paghilom (Shrine of Healing) in Caloocan City, the families chose to honor them not as victims, but as people who may have been flawed but loved by many.

They were Adrian Romero, 18; Darwin Dacillo, 24; Regie Boy Jaranilla, 24; Ronnel Obenita, 30; Vicente Rufino, 24; Alex Bigonte, Jr., 47; Marlon Ballonico, 50; and Artemio Lusadio, 61.

They are part of Program Paghilom, started by Father Flaviano ‘Flavie’ Villanueva, who seeks to exhume victims of extrajudicial killings (EJK), have the bodies autopsied before they are finally cremated, so their loved ones can finally mourn for them at their final resting place. Diorenda Ballonico, the sibling of Marlon, who was gunned down by men in a motorcycle in 2020, said: ‘We will not allow him to be just a name in a long list of [deaths] soon to be forgotten. We will not stop calling for the truth. We will not stop looking for justice, not only for my brother but for all of us who are victims of this violence.’

‘We lost him without a trial, without an opportunity to explain, without respect for his character. This is the reality of EJK victims. A system that kills not just the person, but also the family and the hope for justice and trust in the system that should be protecting us,’ she said.

Nimfa, a sister of Alex who was shot dead multiple times in 2020 by unidentified men who barged into his house, said she has been finding it difficult to adjust to the loss of her closest sibling.

Her only partner

‘He was my only partner in taking care of one of our siblings who is a PWD (person with disability). He was actually the one who did most of the work,’ she said in an interview, breaking into tears.

She could not accept that he was not given his day in court. ‘I wish they just followed the law [and gave him due process].’

The partner of Darwin Dacillo, a victim at the height of the drug war in 2016, said she was enraged by the developments in Duterte’s murder charges in the ICC.

‘It’s like they come up with stories just to delay the hearings,’ she told the Inquirer.

A dozen armed men who were said to be police officers broke into their house and chased Dacillo, who hid in the gap of their ceiling. The killers then shot him dead in various parts of his body and tortured him after, peeling his tattoo off, strangling him with a belt and beating him up.

Dacillo was with Romero, who was only a teenager when they were gunned by alleged police officers the day after Christmas. Romero’s mother said that his son begged for his life, but the next day, he found out that his son was already dead.

Jaranilla, another victim, was picking vegetables from their backyard in the wee hours of May 4, 2020, in Caloocan City, when masked men came up to him to shoot him. He tried to jump off a nearby river, but the bullet still caught his body.

Rufino, who was held in Quezon City Jail on drug charges before he was freed due to lack of evidence, was not exonerated in the eyes of the killers. Unidentified men still went after him and gunned him down in his house in January 2020.

Also in the same month, policemen, who were with a barangay watchman, stormed the house of Obenita and ruthlessly killed him and two others.

More than 100 urns

An elderly, Lusadio was playing chess when he was killed by a gunshot by unknown suspects. He was rushed to the hospital, but he died 10 days later due to gunshot wounds in his liver, diaphragm and stomach.

More than 100 urns of EJK victims, many of whom died by gunshot wounds either by police or unidentified armed men, under the program are now kept at the shrine in La Loma Catholic Cemetery.

Despite the pain and grief that the families are reeling from, Villanueva reminded them that they gained a family in Program Paghilom. He also urged them to continue the fight not only for their loved ones, but for the country.

Perpetual Help extended its winning start in Group A of the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament, defeating winless Lyceum, 73-61, on Sunday at Filoil EcoOil Centre.

The Altas, coming off a win over San Sebastian two days earlier, leaned on sophomore guard Mark Gojo Cruz, who finished with 18 points, four rebounds, four assists, and three steals. ‘I just prepared myself and my mind that even though I’m a sophomore, I need to lead,’ said Cruz. ‘My goal is to do good on defense and offense is just a bonus.

Jearico Nuñez added 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Royce Orgo and Jhan Sleat chipped in nine apiece for the Altas, who improved to 2-0.

Renz Villegas led the Pirates with 18 points as Lyceum dropped to 0-2.

Perpetual will face fellow unbeaten Mapua (2-0) on Wednesday for Group A leadership at the same venue.

In August 2024, President Marcos signed Executive Order (EO) No. 64, which mandates a four-tranche salary increase for civilian government workers to be implemented every January from 2024 to 2027.

This raised the salary of teachers as compared to the Salary Standardization Law (SSL) of 2019.

Under the first tranche, the entry-level Teacher I (SG 11, Step 1) saw an increase from P27,000 to P28,512, while Teacher II (SG 12, Step 1) increased from P27,608 to P30,705 monthly and Teacher III (SG 12, Step 1) from P29,798 to P32,870.

The monthly salary for Master Teacher I (SG 19, Step 1) increased from P46,725 to P49,015, while Master Teacher II (SG 20, Step 1) and Master Teacher III (SG 21, Step 1) saw an adjustment from P51,357 to P53,873 and P51,357 to 60,157, respectively.

The highest teaching rank, Master Teacher IV-SG 21, Step 1-rose from P63,997 to P67,005.

By the final tranche in 2027, public school teachers’ salaries are projected to range from around P33,000 for Teacher I to nearly P84,000 for the Master Teacher IV rank, depending on step increments.

For private school teachers, the Department of Education (DepEd) announced in August 2025 an increase in the Teachers’ Salary Subsidy (TSS) from P18,000 to P24,000 annually, starting School Year 2025-2026.

The TSS is a component of the Gastpe program, created under the Republic Act No. 8545, or the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act.

Despite the region’s rugged mountain terrain and limited signal coverage, most Cordillera residents now own smartphones, which they use not only for communication and entertainment but increasingly for education and livelihood, according to the latest National ICT Household Survey.

In 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, 61.9 percent of Cordillera households used smartphones. That figure rose sharply to 89.1 percent in 2024, said Aldrin Federico Bahit Jr., Cordillera chief statistician at the Philippine Statistics Authority.

‘Smartphones have become part of a household’s livelihood in the highlands, not just another device for watching Netflix or uploading videos to Instagram or TikTok,’ Bahit said during the Sept. 25 presentation of the survey. While 98.7 percent of Cordillera internet users in 2024 accessed social media-up from 94.6 percent in 2019-and 90.1 percent used the internet to download entertainment (up from 33.8 percent), the survey also noted that more residents were using the internet for productive purposes. The percentage of users relying on the internet for school-related research grew from 46.3 percent in 2019 to 57.7 percent in 2024. Use of the internet for work increased slightly from 29.5 to 30.5 percent, and usage for business or trade also grew from 29.5 percent to 30.5 percent over the same period.

The 2020 national census recorded Cordillera household internet access at 62.8 percent, largely due to inconsistent telecommunications signals in remote areas of Ifugao, Apayao, Abra, Kalinga, Benguet and Mountain Province.

Budget reallocation

However, improvements under the National Broadband Plan have helped increase coverage. Fiber-optic cables have now reached urban centers like Baguio City, where residents have reliable Wi-Fi access.

The rest of the region may soon benefit from broadband redistributed via wireless signals to meet the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT)five-year goal of region-wide coverage.

DICT Cordillera Director Jimmicio Daoaten said the agency may benefit from over P200 billion reallocated from flood control projects removed from the proposed 2026 General Appropriations Act, which could support continued expansion of free Wi-Fi sites across the region.

‘Our five-year target is to expand Cordillera internet access to all provinces,’ Daoaten said. One of the most notable findings of the 2024 survey was that 24.6 percent of internet users in Cordillera now sell goods online to earn a living.

According to Adamae Joy Simeon-Estong, senior trade development specialist of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)-Cordillera, ‘clothing, footwear, sporting goods and accessories’ were the most frequently bought and sold items online, followed by cosmetics and consumer electronics.

Simeon-Estong noted that e-commerce is growing rapidly and is expected to reach a gross merchandise value of $150 billion by 2030. She said the DTI may step in to help increase the online visibility of entrepreneurs in the upland provinces.

Although this was not part of the 2024 ICT survey, Bahit had earlier cited in a different forum a 2022 report from the 49th Annual Survey of Philippine Business and Industry that found home-based businesses and small enterprises earned P355 million after reopening online during the pandemic in 2020.

This trend may help explain the widespread adoption of smartphones and other internet-capable devices in the region.

In-person shopping

However, the survey also revealed continued reluctance to adopt electronic payment methods. Most respondents still preferred cash-on-delivery for online transactions, citing security concerns. In fact, 59.1 percent said they avoided e-payments due to fear of fraud or data breaches.

Interestingly, the number of Cordillerans who preferred to shop in-person rather than online rose sharply, from 38.9 percent in 2019 to 80 percent in 2024.

MANILA, Philippines-San Beda turned back rival Letran, 68-58, to stay unbeaten in the NCAA Season 101 men’s basketball tournament Sunday at San Juan Arena.

The Red Lions followed up their opening-day win over College of St. Benilde for a 2-0 start in Group B.

‘There’s really no extra motivation, but every time you play Letran, you know they’re a strong team you have to prepare for,’ said coach Yuri Escueta.

‘I even look at them as an all-star team, so I tip my hat off to my guys for playing defense and sticking to our targets.’

Agjanti Miller impressed in his first San Beda-Letran duel with 22 points and five rebounds, while Bryan Sajonia stepped up in Yukien Andrada’s absence with 11 points.

Jonathan Manalili paced the Knights with 13 points, six assists, two rebounds and two steals, while Deo Cuajao added 10 as Letran fell to 0-2.

Tropical Storm Halong, spotted far from the country, may soon enter the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR), according to the state weather bureau.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Halong’s last location was recorded around 2,150 kilometers east-northeast of extreme northern Luzon, slowly moving northwestward.

Pagasa also recorded that Halong carries maximum sustained winds of 75 kilometers per hour (kph) with gusts of up to 90 kph. While there’s a chance that a high-pressure area may pull Halong to avoid entering the PAR, Pagasa reported that another high-pressure area near Mainland China may also cause Halong to move westward and into the periphery of the PAR.

According to the state weather bureau, should it enter the PAR, the cyclone will be named Quedan.

Meanwhile, Typhoon Matmo, formerly Paolo, was reported to be strengthening the southwest monsoon, or ‘habagat,’ that is causing rains in the western section of southern Luzon. Paolo was last seen approximately 1,190 kilometers west of extreme northern Luzon as it continues to move west-northwestward at 20 kph, Pagasa said.

It has maximum sustained winds of 150 kph, and gusts of up to 205 kph.

At 7:05 p.m., Pagasa warned of ‘moderate to heavy rain showers with lightning and strong winds’ in parts of Zambales and Bulacan.

The same weather conditions are already being experienced in Pampanga, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija.

What’s the best way to demystify the stock market for the next generation of Filipinos? Maybe gamification is the way to go.

The Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) will launch next year a stock trading game for college students, aiming to jumpstart investor interest in schools and encourage participation in the local bourse.

PSE president and CEO Ramon Monzon tells the Inquirer in a chance interview on the sidelines of the Philippine Tax Academy Convention that they will first offer the training program at the De la Salle College of Saint Benilde and the Ateneo de Manila University in the first quarter of 2026 Both schools are currently offering PSE’s Certified Securities Specialist course. This is a 124-hour, 14-module education program on financial and securities market theories, valuation techniques and analysis, investment portfolio management and ‘real-world’ applications of financial principles.

PSE Academy

Participants in the stock trading game will be given virtual money to ‘invest’ in stocks using actual market data, according to Monzon. They will access the game through a website developed by PSE Academy, the market education platform of the local bourse.

Every three, six and 12 months, the PSE will reward the student with the highest portfolio, Monzon explains. He did not elaborate on the specific prize to be given.

For OFWs too

‘We’re testing it on our employees . it’s really a stock investing competition,’ he says. Eventually, the game will be offered to Filipinos abroad.

‘We want schools, OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) to have the real-life experience of trading,’ Monzon added.

This comes amid a challenging time for the stock market, which recently suffered some heavy bleeding because of corruption allegations involving high-ranking government officials.

The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange Index (PSEi) has so far tumbled by 6.74 percent to 6,108.86 on Friday from 6,550.39 at the beginning of the year. It also dipped to a six-month low by the end of September, erasing its recent gains brought by improving macroeconomic conditions.

Confidence

While analysts were initially optimistic, the current political environment has not been promising for the index.

Monzon himself tells reporters that only ‘very positive results’ from the government’s investigation into anomalous flood control projects could revive the market.

Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Sunday denied that there is another looming change in the Senate leadership.

Only less than a month ago, Sen. Francis Escudero was replaced by Senate President Vicente Sotto III. ‘Not true. It’s the same old rehashed psywar tactic all over again intended to confuse and sow intrigue among members of the majority,’ Lacson said.

He was commenting on talks circulating that some senators are eyeing switch sides and support Senate Minority Leader Alan Cayetano to become the next senate president.

After a flurry of offseason moves and a reshaping of the NBA Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks are poised to be a factor this year.

And while four-time All-Star Trae Young is still the team’s fulcrum, a second All-Star will need to emerge if the Hawks are to fulfill expectations. Enter Jalen Johnson. The Hawks’ 6-foot-9 forward is entering his fifth season out of Duke coming off a torn labrum in his left shoulder that required surgery last January and ended his season. He lasted only 36 games, but he continued his ascent with career-highs in points (18.9), rebounds (10.0), steals (1.6), blocks (1.0) and minutes (35.7).

‘I’m just excited for a basketball game,’ Johnson said at the team’s practice facility Thursday. ‘It’s been a long time since January, so I’m excited to get out on the court, preseason, training camp. I’m excited to be full go and fully healthy going into the season.’

Johnson spent part of his summer training with LeBron James after he was cleared to resume basketball activities. He said his conditioning is up to par and he has worked most on his shooting in the offseason. The first few days of training camp have been spent getting acclimated to the new rotational pieces the Hawks have acquired, such as Kristaps Porzingas, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Luke Kennard.

And while Johnson is trying to fit in with them, Hawks coach Quin Snyder feels the newcomers will fit in nicely with Johnson.

‘Other guys on the team benefit from Jalen because of his play-making ability,’ Snyder said. ‘Jalen is such a good passer and willing passer that he’s ready to play-make even more. . (With the new lineup), he will be in spacing situations where he can just catch and shoot. We want him to do that, just to let it fly. We trust him in that regard.’ Johnson shot 35.5% from 3-point range in 2023-24, but that number dipped to 31.2% last season. Should his outside shooting become more reliable, it will open up his ability to drive. Johnson is one of the Hawks’ best at getting out and finishing in transition, and has been since he came into the league.

Snyder said he has noticed in the early part of training camp that Johnson has been more focused on defensive details, which shows his maturation as a player. Johnson hasn’t been able to experience a full season in his two years as a starter. He played 56 games in 2023-24 because of ankle and wrist injuries, and then missed 46 games last season.

‘The key for any young player in getting better is to embrace the things they need to work on, just to be painfully honest with yourself about how can I get better and then to work,’ Snyder said. ‘He’s done a real good job in the portions of the season, early in the season that he did play, I think he’s been able to take that and really work on things and apply them.’

Snyder described Johnson as hungry to play and has hopes he will continue to progress and be a key component of the team this season.

‘I will study hard so when I finish school, I can be with my mother again someday,’ Mary (not her real name) said as she finished a second cup of ice cream.

Sept. 11 was a busy afternoon at the Kalipay Negrense Foundation in Bacolod, where she and other children welcomed guests, including representatives of the US Embassy in Manila and journalists who were also there to attend a seminar on human trafficking.

Mary told the Inquirer she did not want to return to her father who, she said, had physically abused her and her siblings while their mother worked abroad.

‘Beg and steal’

Now a Grade 7 student, she lives at Recovered Treasures, a residential care facility run by Kalipay that shelters survivors of child trafficking, child labor, abuse, abandonment, neglect, malnourishment and orphanhood.

She cannot recall much about how she and her siblings ended up there, but this she knows-she is good at math, loves to sing and dance, and dreams of becoming a painter.

At the height of the pandemic in 2020, Kalipay rescued another minor-Cedrick, a 9-year-old boy from Leyte who was trafficked with other children and forced to beg for money at fiestas.

Cedrick stopped going home because he had nothing to eat there, recalled Kalipay executive director Mhel Sillador.

Instead, he joined a group that brought children from one fiesta to another until they reached Bacolod, where they were abandoned by the syndicate.

Hard realities

‘They beg and steal. So what they do is they gather at the end of the day and [count their earnings] while an the adult cooks their food,’ Sillador said.

Three years later, Kalipay reunited Cedrick with his family-an emotional moment, Sillador said, because the boy felt abandoned and even asked them, ‘Why didn’t you look for me?’

Mary’s and Cedrick’s stories are just two of many exposing the hard realities Filipino children face-the abuse and trafficking that remain widespread despite the government’s crackdown, with minors forced into labor or online sexual exploitation, or sold under the guise of adoption and recruitment.

Nongovernmental organizations like Kalipay play a vital role in complementing government efforts to combat trafficking-rescuing children, providing safe spaces, helping survivors recover and rebuild their lives.

Advocacy programs for children in Negros have made substantial progress, according to Sillador. But he also noted the still prevalent reality that ‘no matter how educated and civilized our community seem to be, . sexual abuse, child labor and child trafficking still exist in the island.’

He also pointed out that Kalipay does not follow the usual routine of simply feeding, bathing and clothing rescued children.

‘Horrible beginnings’ Sillador emphasized the value of education, as he cited a 14-year-old girl among the many children rescued by Kalipay who did not know how to read or write-not because of special needs but because they were never introduced to schooling.

Treasures, the nonprofit’s care facility, currently houses 106 children, with more than 38 of them under protective custody-meaning they have pending cases in court.

‘[Regarding] a significant number of them, the perpetrators are at large and the cases involve certain syndicates,’ he said.

Sillador recalled the ‘horrible beginnings’ of the foundation, when its education program meant sending children to the nearest public school.

‘A lot of our kids feared going out because of the trauma they underwent. In 2016, we were able to put up our very own school and we eventually partnered with UST (University of Santo Tomas) Angelicum College.’

He said this partnership was particularly beneficial to the children, since they could ‘graduate with a UST diploma, which is very good for them when they apply for college.’

Alternatives

Kalipay’s ultimate goal is to reintegrate the children with the community, Sillador said, because ‘no matter how much love and care we give these children, no matter how nice, probably,.our facility is, there’s no substitute for the love and care that can be given by their own family.’

When that is not possible, the foundation works to provide alternative family placement through adoption or foster care, or to prepare children for independent living by giving them access to college or vocational education.

Apart from Kalipay, other nongovernmental organizations, such as the International Justice Mission (IJM) are also working with the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking, an agency of the Department of Justice, in fighting child trafficking, especially illegal acts online. In its campaign against online sexual exploitation of children, IJM monitors such activities as livestreaming of child sexual abuse-with its considerable market of sex offenders.

Despite the collective efforts by the government and groups, such as Kalipay and IJM, formidable challenges remain in prosecuting sex trafficking, especially as it involves child victims.