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The Sandiganbayan has rejected for lack of merit the plea of Senator Jinggoy Estrada to dismiss the graft charges filed against him over his alleged misuse of P200 million in pork barrel funds in 2014.

The resolution means that his graft trial will push through even though the court had already acquitted him and convicted businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles for plunder over the same case, an argument he raised before the court.

In a 22-page resolution dated Oct. 1, the antigraft court’s Special Fifth Division said there was ‘no cogent reason’ to reverse its Mar. 26 resolution that denied Estrada’s demurrer to evidence because the senator was arguing for cases that differed substantially.

Estrada, in his motion for reconsideration cited by the Sandiganbayan, had argued that there should not be any prosecution for graft since he was already prosecuted for plunder based on the ‘same set of facts and the same set of transactions.’

His motion also took note of the ‘similarity’ between the two sets of indictments wherein the prosecution in both cases ‘presented essentially the same set of exhibits and the same set of witness testimonies to prove the same theory, albeit to prosecute separate sets of crimes.’

But the court rejected his argument, saying there was nothing in the Rules of Court or the laws that required the court to dismiss a separate graft case ‘on account of the charge being a predicate act in a prior case for plunder.’

Double jeopardy

‘The only reason to sustain such an argument would be if the same places the accused in double jeopardy, which is not the case herein, as shall be discussed by the court later,’ read the resolution signed by Associate Justice Zaldy Trespeses, the division chair; and Associate Justices Maryann Corpus-Mañalac and Maria Theresa Mendoza-Arcega.

The case stemmed from the claim of socialite Ruby Tuason, former social secretary to Estrada’s father, former President Joseph Estrada, that she personally delivered cash to the senator from Napoles, who has had numerous convictions for masterminding the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.

Senator Estrada is accused of receiving millions of pesos in kickbacks from Napoles, who connived with some lawmakers and government officials to divert billions of pesos of PDAF funds to nonexistent or flawed livelihood projects supposedly carried out by her nongovernment organizations.

The court also rejected Estrada’s argument that the prosecution failed to prove the element of scienter, or the intent or knowledge to commit wrongdoing, because he did not know of Napoles’s criminal scheme.

The Sandiganbayan noted that Tuason had testified that she informed him of Napoles’ scheme as early as 2004 and that she personally ‘delivered amounts to him on various occasions’ at the Senate and his residence.

September marked the last month for boat rides in Burnham Lake, the century-old centerpiece of the city’s premier public park, before the local government closed it on Wednesday to begin long-delayed upgrades put on hold for five years by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The closure has disappointed local families who spend weekends on the lake and left boat concessionaires unable to operate until summer next year.

Still, lawyer Rhenan Diwas, chief of the City Environment and Parks Management office, said the shutdown meant that the long-awaited redevelopment of the city was finally moving forward.

At a briefing on Wednesday, Diwas reiterated that Burnham Park was overdue for a makeover.

Boat docks began to be dismantled as early as Sept. 21, and on Sept. 30, a tilapia and carp fishing competition played out while concessionaires packed up.

Colonial roots

Designed in 1903 by Chicago architect Daniel Burnham for the American colonial government, Burnham Park was envisioned as the ‘lungs’ of the mountain city. Baguio, like the hill stations of British India, was developed as a cool refuge from the tropical heat.

As one of the country’s top tourist draws, Baguio was paired with Boracay in 2013 for a Malacañang-led redevelopment program. While Boracay closed for six months in 2018 for a massive overhaul of its drainage and waste systems, Baguio’s plans languished.

In 2019, a modern perspective of Burnham Park was drafted by architects Mylen Yaranon and the late Joseph Alabanza, along with the University of the Cordilleras, as part of a P480-million rehabilitation program under the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (Tieza).

But when the pandemic struck in 2020, funds were diverted to COVID-19 response, and Tieza-dependent on travel fees-was forced to rebuild its finances.

First phase

This year, the city was informed that the Burnham project was back on track. Tieza earmarked P100 million for the first phase, which covers new retaining walls, four 12-meter boat decks to serve nine concessionaires, lakeside benches and a new fountain.

Diwas said the plan also took into account the lake’s role as a natural spring,

Three more phases, each with P100 million in funding, will modernize the children’s playground, rose garden and skating rink. City officials are also weighing whether to remove two elephant statues that became fixtures of the children’s playground in the 1970s.

‘They don’t belong there,’ Diwas said, stressing that they have ‘sentimental and not historical value.’

Meanwhile, the Melvin Jones football ground is being lined up for a public-private partnership to elevate the playing field and install rainwater harvesting and underground parking facilities.

Council petition

Landscaping is ongoing at the Ibaloy garden beside the Orchidarium, funded by Sen. Robinhood Padilla, while other sections of the park like the Athletic Bowl have been upgraded through joint efforts of the city and national agencies.

Not everyone welcomed the closure. Four of the nine boat operators petitioned the city council on Monday to reschedule the project, citing losses during the peak tourism season.

‘September to February is the most crucial period for tourism-related businesses, which affects not just our livelihood but the city’s economy as a whole,’ said concessionaires Vevian Celso Vincoy, Anthony Agustin Balana, Germain Saroltimango and Osorio Celso.

They added: ‘This seasonal influx of tourists provides the income needed to sustain our families and provide for our financial obligations.’

But Diwas said delays would disrupt the timetable for the rest of the park’s modernization. He assured that concessionaires and their 119 workers would receive cash assistance during the shutdown.

Beyond Burnham Park, Tieza had supported Baguio’s bid for a $46-million (P2-billion) Asian Development Bank loan to rehabilitate the city’s wastewater system and a Japanese-built sewage treatment plant.

But that loan was later removed from the government’s priority list due to delays and is now ‘on 2026 standby (awaiting) further confirmation,’ said Jose Dado, Cordillera assistant regional director of the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development.

Aiko Melendez confirmed that she and Zambales 1st District Rep. Jay Khonghun have ended their relationship after almost eight years together.

In a statement posted on her Facebook page on Friday, Oct. 3, Melendez said the decision was reached ‘after four months of reflection and careful consideration.’

‘Congressman Jay Khonghun and I, Councilor Aiko Melendez, have mutually decided to part ways and go our separate directions. This decision was not made lightly but comes from a place of respect and understanding of what is best for both of us at this time,’ she wrote.

Melendez, who serves as Quezon City 5th district councilor, clarified that no third party was involved in the breakup.

‘We want to make it clear that no third party was involved in this decision. We remain grateful for the memories we shared and for the support many of you have shown throughout our journey together,’ she said.

The actress, stressing that their priority is to focus on their public service roles, noted that the separation was mutual.

‘He in his continued public service, and I in mine, always guided by the values of respect, kindness, and dedication to the people we serve,’ she continued.

‘We ask for your understanding and privacy as we go through this transition. Thank you for your support and prayers,’ Melendez concluded.

The couple first went public with their relationship in 2018. Melendez had previously described Khonghun as her ‘answered prayer.’

Melendez was previously married to actor Jomari Yllana in 2000, but they separated after a year. They have a son named Andrei. Their marriage was annulled in 2005.

The same year, Melendez married Martin Jickain, with whom she has a daughter named Marthena.

There is nowhere to go but up for the ZUS Coffee Thunderbelles after back-to-back playoff appearances, and the addition of Anna DeBeer is expected to strengthen their young but promising roster in the PVL Reinforced Conference starting Tuesday at Ynares Center in Montalban.

From being pushovers last year, ZUS Coffee became instant playoff contenders after drafting Thea Gagate and signing Jovelyn Gonzaga and other key players in Chinnie Arroyo, Chai Troncoso, and Kate Santiago to reach the quarterfinals of the 2024-25 All-Filipino Conference and PVL on Tour.

The 5-foot-11 DeBeer, who played for the University of Louisville in the US NCAA Division I and for Indy Ignite in the Major Volleyball League, brings additional firepower for coach Jerry Yee’s side. But Yee emphasized that the team will continue to lean on its locals in the import-laden conference. ‘We just want to keep improving, no steps back. That’s really what we’re watching closely-just progress,’ said Yee in Filipino. ‘Hopefully, we keep getting better. We’ll continue to depend more on our local players, especially our middles.’

Gagate returns to ZUS Coffee after the national team season with Alas Pilipinas, teaming up with No. 5 pick AC Miner, and Invitational Best Middle Blocker Riza Nogales.

‘She’s been training for a few weeks now. At first, she was slowly integrated, but she’s been able to catch up well so far.’

So far, Yee is pleased with the team’s progress with DeBeer connecting well with Gagate and Co.

‘Anna’s really kind, very simple, and still young-same age as most of our team. The team chemistry with her is good so far, and we’re hoping that translates into good games and strong connection on the court,’ he said.

The Philippine National Police Highway Patrol Group (PNP HPG) said it recorded over 56,000 traffic violations in September 2025.

In a statement on Friday, the PNP said its traffic unit caught 14,111 motorcycle riders for not wearing a helmet; 7,063 for not wearing a seatbelt; 187 for driving a car without an import commodity clearance sticker; and 34,681 for other traffic violations.

The HPG also conducted 17,353 operations from Sept. 1 to 30, 2025, resulting in the recovery of 94 vehicles and 37 motorcycles, the PNP added.

Police also said, during the same period, the HPG arrested 44 individuals for alleged carnapping.

While food and water remain urgent needs, victims of Thursday’s fire in Barangay 17 here are also appealing for housing materials so they can begin to rebuild their homes.

The blaze displaced 121 families, who are now staying in green tents set up under Marcos Bridge.

According to data from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), 78 houses were damaged in the fire.

Residents recalled the fire started around 12:50 p.m.

‘The police patrol arrived after about 10 minutes, then the firefighters followed,’ said Wendylyn Victoria, one of the displaced.

Victoria said two houses were initially engulfed, but the flames spread as the firetruck struggled with weak water pressure. By the time the supply was stabilized, five houses had already been consumed.

Now left with only what they managed to carry, residents say rebuilding will be the hardest part.

‘What we really need are materials to rebuild our houses,’ Victoria said. ‘Even if we can manage our daily needs, it’s the house that’s hardest to rebuild.’

Victoria, who has lived in Barangay 17 since 2003 with her mother, nieces, and nephews, said this was already the third fire in their area.

Asked if she had thought of moving, she replied: ‘If it’s just about safety, we’re eager to relocate.’

But relocation is not easy, she added, citing livelihood and children’s schooling.

‘Some of our neighbors moved to Mambuaya, but it’s hard to make a living there,’ she said, referring to a relocation site in Mambuaya village established by the city government.

Victoria works as a janitor at the Northern Mindanao Medical Center, a kilometer away, making their current location practical for her job.

Likewise, her nieces and nephews attend school in Barangay Consolacion, just a seven-minute walk from their home.

Already, civic groups have launched a fundraising drive to aid the fire victims. News organizations such as RMN News, i-FM, and Mindanao Gold Star Daily also called for donations./coa

Families displaced by the fire on Thursday, October 2, 2025, temporarily stay in tents, bringing with them salvaged belongings and essentials

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the government is studying ways to improve local milk production.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Farm Fresh Milk Plant at the Global Aseana Business Park 2 in San Simon, Pampanga, Marcos also said the government is coordinating with the private sector to provide support to farmers.

‘We are currently studying ways to increase local milk production and how to attract more investments in the dairy industry,’ he said in Filipino.

He added that the dairy plant would bring opportunities to farm workers and boost the health of children.

‘This will also provide opportunities for our farmers and farm workers here in the community to earn a livelihood,’ the president said in Filipino.

‘Apart from more efficient production, this will also offer a better future for our youth,’ he added.

During the event, Marcos led the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the facility and toured the production plant at Building 3.

He also inspected the mixing, pasteurization, bottle labeling, filling, and packaging areas.

Farm Fresh Milk, Inc. is the Philippine subsidiary of Farm Fresh Berhad, a Malaysian dairy company.

Its manufacturing operations in San Simon, Pampanga began in August last year, producing a range of milk, yogurt, and plant-based products./mcm

The Ayala conglomerate will let go of its Honda dealership business after more than three decades as it shifts focus toward the rapidly growing electric vehicle (EV) market.

Ayala Corp. and Honda Cars Philippines Inc. jointly announced on Thursday the transfer of ACMobility’s operations of Honda dealerships across the country to ‘new dealer principals’ by Jan. 1.

ACMobility, through Iconic Dealership Inc., will continue operating Honda Cars Makati, Pasig, Shaw, Bacoor, Cebu, Mandaue, Iloilo, Negros and Cagayan de Oro until Dec. 31.

‘This transition reflects our ongoing effort to optimize our portfolio and focus on new growth areas,’ ACMobility CEO Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala said in a statement.

‘Among these are our initiatives in advancing sustainable mobility and electrification, where we continue to build solutions that benefit communities, businesses and the environment,’ Zobel added.

of an era

This is a pivotal move for ACMobility, which first partnered with Honda in 1990 with the opening of Honda Cars Makati.

Since then, ACMobility has sold over 220,000 Honda vehicles through the dealerships it operates.

In exiting the business after 35 years, Ayala said this would also allow Honda to pursue its own ‘growth and innovation strategies.’

The country’s oldest conglomerate clarified that the affected dealerships would directly contact customers with active reservations to guarantee deliveries. Scheduled service appointments will ‘proceed as planned.’

Remaining assets

Apart from Honda, ACMobility’s vehicle dealership portfolio is composed of Isuzu, BYD and Kia.

EVs have been Ayala’s new focus in recent years as the official distributor of the Chinese brand BYD in the Philippines, aiming to capture growing demand for modern cars.

Data from the Chamber of Automotive Manufacturers of the Philippines Inc. and Truck Manufacturers Association show that car sales in the country increased by 1.6 percent to 269,207 units this year as of July.

EV unit sales totaled 16,195 during the period. Hybrid electric vehicles accounted for the biggest market share at 82 percent, representing 13,290 units.

Gig work, symbolized by on demand work and freelancing, has expanded rapidly worldwide. The convenience of being able to accept work with just a smartphone has provided many with flexible working arrangements.

Behind the surface, lurk issues such as unstable working conditions and exclusion from social security for gig workers. Gig workers are usually denied rights as regular employees. Consequently, they have been pushed outside the scope of basic protection offered by labor laws, including minimum wages, medical insurance, compensation for illness, and injury at the job.

A landmark development for such workers came on Sept. 9 when Malaysia’s Gig Workers Bill 2025 passed the country’s Senate (Dewan Negara). As the world’s first comprehensive protection bill directly targeting gig workers, it will impact over 1.2 million workers in Malaysia.

A move to significantly transform the state of gig work started in the United States and Europe. In the US, California Assembly Bill 5, effective from Jan. 1, 2020, made it easier for gig workers to be recognized as employees. Spain enacted a specific law: the ‘Rider Law’ (Royal Decree-Law 9/2021), effective from Aug. 12, 2021, made a legal presumption that food delivery riders are employees rather than self-employed.

Singapore’s Platform Workers Act, which came into force on Jan. 1, mandates gig workers to split social security contributions equally with the platform company, while expanding access to workers’ compensation and medical insurance.

Platform operators now bear responsibility for workplace safety. Systems for income protection and accident compensation have also been established. This formally incorporated gig workers into the mainstream labor protection mechanisms for the first time, having previously been excluded as self-employed individuals.

The approval of Malaysia’s Gig Workers Bill 2025 marks the beginning of substantive institutionalization of gig worker protection in Asia.

The provisions within this bill can be organized into four categories.

Firstly, provisions concerning service contracts. To enhance contract transparency, it is mandatory for contracts to clearly state the parties involved, duration, scope of work, remuneration, payment method, and rights and obligations.

Second, provisions concerning the rights of gig workers. Just cause is required for dismissal, and they are guaranteed the freedom to work across multiple platforms, the right to form, or join trade unions, as well as the provision of remuneration statements and mechanisms to prevent nonpayment.

Third, provisions concerning dispute resolution and tribunals. A three-tier structure is established: internal company grievance mechanisms, mediation, and swift, low-cost adjudication by the newly established Gig Workers Tribunal.

Fourth, provisions concerning councils, social security, and health and safety. The establishment of councils with equal employer and worker representation grants them the ability to propose minimum remuneration and system reforms.

Additionally, platform companies are obligated to contribute to the Social Security Organization, clearly ensuring their responsibility for occupational safety and health.

These provisions can be viewed as the ‘Malaysian hybrid model,’ positioned between the European Union’s Platform Work Directive and the employment reclassification model exemplified by the United Kingdom and Singapore’s social security extension model. However, this bill does not represent a complete victory for gig workers.

Major platform companies did not actively show their support for the bill, and the government, balancing economic growth with worker protection, accepted a compromise solution. While contract transparency and basic social security were achieved, official collective bargaining rights and full employment status were not included.

Nevertheless, there is no doubt that the initiatives in Singapore and Malaysia have opened new horizons for protecting gig workers in Asia. While imperfect and fluid, Malaysia’s model presents a realistic scenario for emerging economies to regulate platform labor.

Together with Singapore’s reform, Malaysia’s experience positions Asia as an active arena of regulatory experimentation, offering a hybrid approach that is neither a wholesale reclassification of employment nor a simple extension of social security.

As similar debates unfold in countries such as Thailand and Indonesia, these cases provide crucial comparative material and underscore the importance for policymakers in other emerging economies of combining worker mobilization, public discourse, and expert input to craft protections suited to local contexts. The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network

Yosuke Uchiyama is a research fellow at the Transportation Institute, Chulalongkorn University.

Authorities seized some P850 million worth of suspected shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) from a Chinese national and his Filipino driver during a buy-bust operation in Bugallon, Pangasinan, on Thursday afternoon.

The illegal drugs, weighing about 125 kilos, were packed in plastic tea bags and loaded inside a van.

In a statement, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said combined operatives from its Intelligence Service, PDEA Regional Office I-Pangasinan Provincial Office, and other law enforcement units staged the entrapment along Olongapo-Bugallon Road shortly after noon.

Arrested were high-value targets identified only as alias ‘Monkey,’ 40, a Chinese national from Paliparan 3, Cavite City, and alias ‘Gardo,’ 54, a resident of Mampang, Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur.

Confiscated from the suspects were the Hyundai Starex van used in the operation, a mobile phone, and the marked buy-bust money.

The two will be charged with violating Section 5 (Sale of Dangerous Drugs) and Section 11 (Possession of Dangerous Drugs) under Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. If convicted, they face life imprisonment and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million.

The Pangasinan operation was conducted with the support of the Philippine National Police-Drug Enforcement Group (PNP-DEG), the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Counterintelligence Group.

On the same day, a separate buy-bust in Barangay San Lorenzo, Bangui, Ilocos Norte, led to the arrest of another high-value drug target and her cohort.

PDEA Regional Office I director Atty. Benjamin G. Gaspi identified the suspects as alias ‘Jennifer,’ tagged as a high-value target, and alias ‘Edith,’ both residents of Barangay San Lorenzo.

Recovered from them were four sachets of suspected shabu weighing 1.02 grams, a coin purse, a sealing device, three mobile phones, two belt bags, a motorcycle with a sidecar, and the marked buy-bust money.

The Ilocos Norte operation was carried out by the PDEA Provincial Office and Bangui Municipal Police Station, with support from the Ilocos Norte Provincial Police Office-Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit, the Regional Intelligence Division PRO-1, and the Regional Intelligence Unit 1-Provincial Intelligence Team./coa