Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Motorcycle-riding assailants shot dead a barangay kagawad in Alaminos town in this province on Thursday night.

Darwin Tolentino, 55, was tending his shop in Barangay Poblacion when two men on a motorcycle pulled over at past 6 p.m.

Probers said one of the riders barged into the shop and shot Tolentino at close range.

Relatives rushed Tolentino to the San Pablo Medical Center where he was declared dead on arrival.

Witnesses said the gunman was wearing a red shirt, white shorts pants and a black cap.

Probers have yet to determine the motive for the killing.

I’m putting the finishing touches on my updated four-volume book, One Day at a Time. This time it will be offered as a set of four books and will not be sold individually.

Each volume follows a season: Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall.

However, our country has a different kind of four seasons. What we have is: Hot. Hotter. Hottest. Flood.

While our weather is basically a sweat-and-splash festival, our lives still pass through all four classic seasons. We don’t live in a permanent spring and summer. We also have our fall and winter phases.

It’s a full calendar on rotation. Some days you’re blossoms and birdsong; other days you’re a windchill with opinions. That’s not a bug – it’s the operating system.

We forget this because spring is such a persuasive salesperson: Hope! Buds! Fresh starts! Spring is the motivational poster of seasons. But trying to keep life in permanent spring is like trying to keep a balloon perfectly helium-ed forever: adorable for six minutes, wilted by afternoon.

The philosopher George Santayana nailed the mindset: ‘To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.’

There’s your fork in the road. One lane is attachment and nostalgia. The other is curiosity and growth.

There is no such thing as ‘forever spring.’

When we replay ‘the good old days,’ the struggle gets cropped out. There’s a Russian quip that ‘the past is more unpredictable than the future’ because memory is a sneaky editor – it knows how the story ends. As writer Morgan Housel puts it, ‘It’s hard to remember how you felt when you know how the story ends.’ We survived, so the brain slaps on a warm filter and calls it vintage.

New seasons ask for faith, experiments, and occasionally, some reading of the instructions along the way.

Life is a river. Whether you splash, float, or attempt the heroic backstroke to yesterday, and either way, the current moves on. Refusing to move with it is how we miss the prime-time moments of later seasons:

The quiet flex of growing old with your favorite person and discovering attraction has more chapters than you thought.

Dancing at your children’s weddings.

Discovering new muscles: patience, perspective, the ability to order soup without checking your phone.

Feeling grief – and with it the reminder that love was here, real and luminous.

These aren’t consolation prizes. They’re headline acts – if you’re willing to show up.

A greenhouse environment with constant spring weather sounds appealing at first, but it becomes a humid, controlled space that leads to mental exhaustion. The absence of contrast makes joy lose its vibrant colors and become dull and uninteresting. The hot summer weather helps people understand the value of finding cool spots to rest. The cool temperatures of autumn help people become more alert. The cold winter weather forces people to engage in meaningful conversations because they cannot escape or hide from the chill.

I learned from business philosopher Jim Rohn many years ago how to live through the different seasons of our lives.

Label your season. Are you planting (spring), compounding (summer), harvesting/ curating (autumn), or recovering/ retooling (winter)? Naming it kills the panic that comes with trying to do everything at once.

Match the metric to the season. Spring isn’t for perfect outcomes – it’s for reps. Summer celebrates momentum. Autumn measures quality over quantity. Winter tracks rest, repair, and relationships=wrong metric, wrong misery.

Update your identity like software. Versions are allowed. ‘Who I was at 25’ doesn’t have to run your 45-year-old hardware. Retire features. Keep the essentials.

Curate your companions. Spring needs cheerleaders. Summer needs collaborators. Autumn needs editors. Winter needs friends who bring soup and unhurried questions.

Schedule nostalgia; don’t live in it. I refuse to join the group chat of old friends from high school days that post nothing but songs from the ’60s and ’70s, harping on the ‘Good old days’ and how bad the world has become today. Be excited about today and the possibilities tomorrow brings. Letting go of past seasons doesn’t mean they weren’t beautiful. Keep the lessons; retire the costume. Mourn (briefly) what won’t return and still be thrilled about what’s next.

So, let’s meet whatever knocks next – with gratitude for what was, courage for what is, and curiosity for what’s coming.

Pack light: keep the lessons, ditch the costumes. Dress for the weather – umbrella and boots for rain and flood, sunscreen for the heat, a sweater for the soul.

Step into the day you’ve been given, one day at a time.

Choose interest over nostalgia, growth over comfort, faith over fear.

Open the door, smile at the season waiting there, and make it beautiful.

While 31 players were cut from last season’s PBA Philippine Cup rosters with no room to relocate, 27 veterans found new teams as the 50th anniversary season reels off tonight.

Among the players struck out from season-opening lineups were Jvee Casio, Mark Borboran, Terrence Romeo, Justin Chua, Jackson Corpuz and Allyn Bulanadi. The list includes Arvin Tolentino, William Navarro and Jamie Malonzo who’ve gone abroad. Some moved to MPBL while others are still waiting for a call or retired.

Veterans who’ve switched teams are Ginebra’s Norbert Torres, Blackwater’s David Murrell, Paul Zamar and Jed Mendoza, Converge’s Rafi Reavis, Magnolia’s Paolo Taha, Javi Gomez de Liaño, Raffy Verano and LA Tenorio (as playing coach), Phoenix’ James Kwekuteye, Francis Escandor, Evan Nelle, Prince Caperal, Bryan Santos and Yousef Taha, Rain or Shine’s Stanley Pringle, Terrafirma’s Jerrick Ahanmisi, Paul Garcia and Prince Rivero, Titan’s Ato Ular, Aljun Melecio, Jeo Ambohot, Von Pessumal and James Martinez and TNT’s Kevin Ferrer and Tyrus Hill.

So far, 14 rookies are on lineups with more expected to join when the MPBL season ends. The signed rookies are Ginebra’s Sonny Estil, Blackwater’s Dalph Panopio and Jack Dumont, Converge’s Juan Gomez de Liaño, Kobe Monje and Mark Omega, Magnolia’s Gab Gomez, Phoenix’ Dave Ando, San Miguel Beer’s Chris Miller and Royce Mantua, Terrafirma’s Ira Bataller and JM Bravo and Titan’s Chris Koon and Mario Barasi. Coming from MPBL include Terrafirma’s Geo Chiu, NLEX’ LJay Gonzales, Meralco’s Jason Brickman, Phoenix’ Will Gozum and Rain or Shine’s Christian Manaytay.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS), is the government agency that is charged with the responsibility for Seismology, or the science that deals with earthquakes. It was established thru Executive Order No. 984, on September 17, 1984.

In the United States of America, the primary government agency that studies earthquakes is the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This American government office conducts research on earthquake causes and effects, monitors and reports on seismic activity, and assesses earthquake hazards.

An earthquake happens because there is a tectonic shifting of the earth’s crust and the apparent movement that takes place underneath. It is the PHIVOLCS that is our source of such information as the epicenter of the tremor. I understand that the epicenter is the very place on top of the rupture point. It was, however, from the report of the USGS that I got the information that the epicenter of the quake last Tuesday evening, September 30, was about nine kilometers southeast off the shore of Barangay Calape in the town of Daanbantayan. The USGS reported that a fault could be found there. With a depth of the rupture to have taken place only 10 kilometers, it was considered shallow such that the first vibration called in seismic science as the P wave, reportedly the strongest and fastest vibration travelling 5-12 kilometers per second, hit Daanbantayan first. The destruction that followed in Bogo City, Medellin, and other towns, is graphically carried in various social media platforms.

So much for that. This article is not about the unpredictability of earthquakes and other natural disasters. When I had the chance to visit the USGS in California, an official informed me that notwithstanding the advances of science and technology, they are nowhere near predicting when an earthquake is to happen. They expect the so-called ‘Big One’ anytime but they cannot say, for certain, when. He talked about the Great San Francisco Earthquake that occurred on April 18, 1906, registering magnitude 7.9. He further said that the tremor hit near the center of the city. Accordingly, the devastating fires that followed destroyed much of the city, killed an estimated 3,000 people and left hundreds of thousands homeless.

True to the off-tangent nature of this column, this article today is a kind of revision of the few of my earlier writeups. I am talking about sanctuaries which I suggested to our leaders to construct years ago.

I said then, as I say it now, there is a need for the government to build structures in anticipation of calamities like typhoons, floods and fires. I failed to include earthquakes in the enumeration of cataclysmic disasters because of their rarity. But with the devastation of some localities in the northern part of our province caused by the shaking of the earth, the idea of establishing sanctuaries is now an inescapable need. Government planners have a lot to do to meet such emergencies.

The structure that I suggested in my previous articles must be a place to function as a command center from where to respond to emergencies. It has to house identified first responders like firemen, policemen, relief and rescue personnel, and doctors and nurses in comfortable accommodations that do not neglect the demands of privacy rights. Putting them safe and secure under one roof makes communication fast and coordination of needed actions efficient.

In the building, there must be maintained radio and other forms of communications that connect to barangays, firefighting equipment, rescue implements, relief goods, and adequate medical needs and kits. In my earlier articles, I also cited the necessity of providing immediate housing to victims of calamities. The ‘sanctuary’ will answer this. People must not be brought to the schools because these structures are designed for entirely different purpose. Really, education must not be compromised.

Years have passed since my first article calling for the construction of sanctuaries. The havoc wrought by last Tuesday’s earthquake makes it imperative for our leaders to act.

The Cebu Greats gave their earthquake-hit townmates something to cheer about during this tough time.

Facing no tomorrow, the Greats pulled off a vengeful 65-57 victory over their former tormentor Davao Occidental Tigers in the knockout play-in to keep their playoff hopes alive in the Manny Pacquiao presents 1xBet-Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) 2025 Season on Saturday, September 4, at the Pola Gymnasium in Oriental Mindoro.

‘Among gihatag ang tanan para sa kapwa namo mga Cebuano. Despite sa nahitabo, makapalipay mi nila,’ said star guard Paul Desiderio, who led Cebu with 15 points, five rebounds, and six assists.

‘Una sa tanan, nagpasalamat mi sa Ginoo nga safe among pagbiyahe dire,’ said big man JR Quinahan, who cashed in seven points, nine rebounds, one assist, and one block in a triumphant return from injury.

‘Naninguha gyud mi nga modaog kay amo ning gi-dedicate ning duwaa para sa tanang taga-Cebu labi na sa mga naigo sa grabing linog,’ added the former PBA cager from Mandaue City.’Naa pami isa ka knockout game ug ihatag gihapon namo ang among best para makahatag og kalipay sa mga Cebuano.’

Jun Manzo also tallied 15 points with three assists and a steal for Cebu, which will next face either the Mindoro Tamaraws or the Zamboanga Sikat in another sudden-death duel for the eighth and last spot in the South Division playoffs.

Imagine you’re the president. You’ve decided to open a Pandora’s Box, and all these scandals and atrocities and vile deeds have engulfed the nation. It was a good idea at that time. Typhoons were buffeting the nation, and floods had overwhelmed the system and stoked public anger. Let’s go after those crooked engineers and their conspirator-contractors in the Department of Public Works (DPWH), shall we?

Along the way, minor corrupt officials, then bigger crocodiles, and finally, mammoth crooks who would have helped you chomp away at the coffers of the nation were exposed, reviled, and then disposed of.

But that’s not all. The uproar has engulfed political allies. Perhaps, they were only ever expedient to begin with. But they have been sacrificed at the altar of purity, and now you have less-friendly faces to surround yourself with.

It doesn’t stop just there though. Steadfast alliances are also being shaken, until eventually, those who held the helm of the Senate and the House of Representatives (your cousin!) are swiftly dispatched by events that were, for sure, unpredicted. That’s not even taking into consideration the alliance that propelled you to the presidency –the Duterte family– which left the chat group a long time ago.

What would you be thinking now? What would you be strategizing about? What’s the next move going to be?

Is the only agenda at this point ‘damage control’? Or did you bring us to this point which you had planned all along, ever since you gave that State of the Nation address and opened the corruption-gate?

Did you really intend to sacrifice these allies and friends and cronies (and cousin)? Or do you now find yourself along a slippery slope, trying to find brakes to hit?

What would be the next strategic move for a president who purports to be with the people and for the people in condemning corruption, and declaiming that he will root it out? His attack dogs from the Justice and DPWH departments are producing fantastic television sound bites, and the general sense is that they are sincere and doing their jobs. Would these two be enough to stave off the rage and frustration from bubbling over to the very top? Or is something or someone else needed?

Already, former Senate president Chiz Escudero is facing, in an age when Senatorial campaigns reach the billions, an ethics complaint for a measly ?30-million donation. Who would have thought that a frontal assault could ever be brought against the mild-mannered legislator with the popular celebrity-wife?

In the same vein, former speaker Martin Romualdez, whose negative publicity has thus-far been limited to the sporadic attacks by Vice President Sara Duterte (hence making the negativity disputable) has suddenly been in the papers pretty much every day for his control over the budget insertions that enabled the ghost project schemes. That quickly descended to very public exposés on his mansions, complete with addresses, and details on the Swiss private boarding schools where his sons went.

Were all these intended consequences? And what are those two thinking now?

Oh, newsflash. Chiz just threw a punch at Martin. Martin ducked, and has yet to throw a counter-punch. But something from his quarter must surely be in the works.

Et tu, Mr. President? What next after the hastily-convened Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI)? That might have appeased critics –but then they decided to hold closed-door sessions. That’s not going to do you any good. Was the plan then for the ICI to hold aloft some sacrificial cows (bigger than lambs) and then wrap it up and move on to the next scandal?

Political theater at its finest. But let’s check back in 10 years and see what developments were actually made. Politicians know how to dribble, and boy, right now, they need to play for their very lives. Are we going to get played? Or are all the bit players, all the nameless victims numbering in the millions, who have suffered and are suffering from the plunder of their national wealth, walking out and staging their own spectacle?

The stage is set.

Brandishing its bold new identity, BYS Fashion Week is seamlessly morphing into Manila Fashion Week (MNLFW). The new shows, happening on October 16 to October 19, will have a single location – SM Aura Premier, Bonifacio Global City.

Founded by the stylist John Lozano, MNLFW fancies itself as the ‘Philippines’ premier fashion event uniting designers, brands and cultural leaders to celebrate creativity, diversity, and innovation.”

‘If you guys didn’t know, BYS Fashion Week started out as an anniversary party for BYS Philippines. It was supposed to be a celebration of the 10 years of the cosmetics brand BYS. So, it was supposed to be a one-time thing where, you know, we do it, we celebrate, and then that’s it,’ shared Lozano at the media launch held at KMC Solutions in Makati City.

‘But because of the success, here’s a short glimpse of 2022. Because of the success of that year, we decided to do it again in 2023 and again in 2024. What we’ve always kept in mind when we were doing BYS Fashion Week, and of course, with the support of our boss, Ms. Angie Goyena, was always to push for excellence,’ said Lozano.

Lozano, the stylist for Gary Valenciano, Donny Pangilinan, James Reid, Sitti and Lea Salonga, always wanted for the shows to be as spectacular and as amazing as possible.

‘And I always say this because the Filipino designers deserve better. The Filipino designers that we have in this country, they deserve a platform where they can share their story, where they can share their vision,’ he said.

‘And now, after three years of BYS Fashion Week, I guess it’s high time we transition and convert it to a fashion week that we can all be proud of locally. And in the same breath as New York, Paris, Milan, Kuala Lumpur, Seoul, Bangkok, we now have Manila Fashion Week. And we’re very, very proud,’ said Lozano.

This year, MNLFW presents a dynamic and diverse roster of visionary Filipino designers, such as Andrea Tetangco, Don’t Blame The Kids (DBTK), Chris Nick, Viña Romero, OXGN, Íñigo, Randolf, and Viktor.

‘It has always been, I guess, my calling or my mantra in life. It’s to really honor and celebrate the Filipino designers. Because as a stylist, I won’t be where I am without these designers, right? So yeah, I guess, you know, BYS Fashion Week reached what it reached because I guess the people really felt the passion in the heart of the people behind it,’ Lozano noted.

A Malacañang official on Friday maintained that the Marcos administration has nothing to do with the crimes against humanity case filed against former president Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

‘We have nothing to do with the ICC case,’ Palace press officer Claire Castro said in an interview with ‘Storycon’ on One News.

Castro clarified that her earlier remarks were misrepresented by Duterte’s defense counsel, Nicholas Kaufman, who claimed that the Philippine government would not object to the former president’s request for interim release.

‘That’s twisting of facts. I did not say that. What I said is, whatever the decision of the ICC, that is a legal process. The government will. respect it,’ she said.

Castro noted that this was not the first time Kaufman distorted statements, citing his earlier claim that the ICC prosecutor would also not object to Duterte’s release.

Disciplinary action

Following the controversy, civil society groups and human rights organizations urged the ICC to impose disciplinary sanctions on Kaufman for allegedly engaging in disinformation.

‘On at least two separate occasions, Mr. Kaufman has distorted the factual record before the Court in order to advance the defendant’s application for interim release,’ the groups said in a joint statement.

They added that Kaufman also misrepresented the remarks of the Palace official, twisting ‘the meaning and implication of Castro’s statement.’

‘Such an assertion is widely removed from the actual position contemporaneously conveyed and subsequently clarified by the Philippine government and transforms its clear deference to the Court into an acquiescence to the Defense,’ they said.

The statement was signed by the Philippine Coalition for the ICC, Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity, Duterte Panagutin Network, Center for International Law, Rise Up for Life and for Rights, Philippine Human Rights Information Center, Karapatan and the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers.

Also among the signatories were Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima; Akbayan Representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña and Dadah Ismula; Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao; Kalookan Bishop Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David and 2025 Ramon Magsaysay awardee Flavie Villanueva.

The groups said Kaufman’s ‘deliberate misrepresentation is not harmless or victimless,’ describing it as ‘a pattern of deliberately professing deceptiveness, which misleads claims akin to conveying direct disinformation.’

They urged the ICC Presidency and the Pre-Trial Chamber I, which handles the case against Duterte, to sanction Kaufman for ‘repeated misrepresentation of facts in official filings before the Court and for ultimately engaging in disinformation that undermines the integrity of and public faith in ICC proceedings.’

The signatories also called on the Philippine government to officially disavow Kaufman’s claims and impose disciplinary measures against him, saying his conduct ‘directly undermines the confidence of the global and Filipino public in the Court and dangerously erodes the trust of victims in this independent judicial process as capable of delivering truth-telling and accountability.’

Political motive

Meanwhile, a human rights group claimed that Vice President Sara Duterte is pushing for the interim release of detained former president Rodrigo Duterte for political reasons, not humanitarian ones, saying she needs her father for the 2028 polls.

In Defense of Human Rights and Dignity Movement (iDEFEND) made the statement following the defense team’s petition before the ICC seeking Duterte’s interim release.

‘Sara Duterte needs her father Rodrigo Duterte to be in the Philippines to ensure her win in 2028. This is not about bringing a sick old man home, but a political strategy towards the presidency,’ iDEFEND said.

The group, along with other civil society organizations, also opposed the Senate-approved resolution urging the ICC to consider placing Duterte under house arrest on humanitarian grounds.

The measure, a shortened version of a resolution filed by Duterte allies, was passed 15-3-2.

‘Without the UniTeam, Sara Duterte’s ambitions for a smooth transition of power is gone. not with the impeachment trial, possible cases before the ombudsman and the ongoing corruption probe into infrastructure projects involving their contractors and allies in the government,’ iDEFEND said.

The group further cited the Vice President’s poor record in office and said she could only hope to revive her father’s political influence by ensuring his presence in the country.

‘Otherwise, assuming the court follows its schedule, Duterte would be in the middle of a trial while his daughter could be in the middle of a presidential campaign period,’ iDEFEND said.

‘This is the reason why the Duterte family is not focused on the suspect’s legal defense… They only have a political agenda. Let us not be side-tracked by all the noise. iDEFEND calls for the wheels of justice to turn without delay,’ it added.

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake shook coastal Currimao, Ilocos Norte, at 9:45 a.m. on Sunday, October 5.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology reported that the epicenter of the tremor was located in Currimao, Ilocos Norte, at coordinates 18.24°North, 119.93°East 69 kilometers North 70° West of Currimao, Ilocos Norte. It has a depth of 17 kilometers.

The quake was tectonic in origin, and Instrumental Intensity I was recorded in San Nicolas and the City of Laoag in Ilocos Norte, as well as Sinait in Ilocos Sur.

These intensities indicate very weak shaking, typically felt only by a few people under favorable conditions.

Despite the relatively moderate magnitude, residents of Ilocos Norte took to social media, using hashtags like #iFelt_IlocosNorteEarthquake, to report mild swaying and ground vibrations.

Many mentioned that the shaking lasted only a few seconds and did not cause panic.

According to Currimao town mayor Edward Quilala, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office immediately conducted roving and monitoring operations, particularly in coastal areas, to ensure the safety of residents and assess any potential damage.

Phivolcs said no aftershocks or damage are expected from the quake.

As of this report, there are no confirmed reports of damage to infrastructure or injuries.

The Land Transportation Office will reshuffle all its LTO district chiefs following reports of underperformance, particularly in license plate distribution and enforcement of regulations against unregistered and colorum vehicles.

LTO chief Vigor Mendoza II said he has directed all regional directors to recommend the reassignment of underperforming district officers as part of efforts to improve efficiency and service delivery.

The directive came after the review of monthly accomplishment reports showed slow plate distribution, fewer apprehensions of vehicles with expired registration and declining operations against colorum vehicles.

‘While most of the district offices are doing well, a number of district officers are becoming complacent in their positions, especially those who have been holding the same office since the beginning of this administration,’ Mendoza said.

The LTO noted that the reorganization seeks to improve the performance of district offices and enhance the implementation of key programs, such as the faster distribution of license plates and release of vehicle registration documents within three days from purchase.

Mendoza reiterated his push for the same-day release of license plates and official receipt/certificate of registration or OR/CR of newly bought vehicles to reduce backlogs and improve customer service.

He noted that some district offices have failed to sustain outreach activities for licensing and vehicle registration, resulting in reduced public access to LTO services.

An LTO review also showed weaker enforcement against colorum vehicles, which legitimate transport groups say continue to affect their daily income by as much as 30 percent.