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Typhoon Champi, which is monitored outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), maintained its strength on Monday morning ahead of its expected entry into the country, according to the state weather bureau.

In its 11 a.m. weather bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that Champi was last located 1,600 kilometers east of Southeastern Luzon as of 10 a.m.

Champi was still carrying a maximum wind speed of 175 kilometers per hour (kph), with gusts up to 215 kph. It slightly accelerated as it moved west-northwestward at 20 kph.

Pagasa said Champi is forecast to re-intensify starting Monday evening and may once again reach the super typhoon category. The tropical cyclone weakened into a typhoon on Sunday night.

Pagasa also said that Champi will continue moving west westward until it enters the PAR on Tuesday morning or early afternoon. It will be given a local name Rosal upon its entry.

The weather bureau added that tropical cyclone wind signals may already be raised over northern and eastern portions of northern Luzon and Bicol region as early as Monday evening or Tuesday morning ‘in anticipation of strong winds or higher associated with the upcoming TC [tropical cyclone].’

The tropical cyclone is expected to bring heavy rains over extreme northern Luzon while the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon and eastern seaboards of Visayas and Mindanao may experience moderate to rough sea conditions by Tuesday.

Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima on Monday honored late former Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza by recalling his ‘reassuring presence’ when she was imprisoned, noting how the latter was once subject of persecution.

De Lima made these remarks during the necrological service of the House of Representatives for Daza, who once served at the lower chamber for seven terms between 1969 and 2019 and was a member of the Liberal Party for 61 years. Daza passed away at the age of 91 last October 12.

De Lima first recounted how Daza conducted her direct examination when she testified during the impeachment trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona. She remembered how Daza was ‘calm, composed, and razor-sharp’ and how he made her ‘feel protected and assured.’

‘Years later, when I faced trials of a very different kind, I would come to appreciate that same reassuring presence,’ De Lima said in her eulogy.

When De Lima was arrested and jailed in 2017 over criminal cases filed by the past administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, including three illegal drug trade cases, she said that Daza visited her in 2018 and 2019 and even sent her books, letters, and rosaries.

‘To someone who has never experienced imprisonment, these might seem like simple gestures. But when you are deprived of your freedom, you come to understand how much a familiar voice, a thoughtful letter, or a visit from an old friend can mean,’ she added.

De Lima also emphasized that Daza ‘had known persecution himself,’ as she recalled the time when Daza questioned the Martial Law declaration and went into exile in the United States after the late former dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr. issued arrest orders for him and other lawmakers.

‘I believe that experience gave him a particular understanding of what it meant to stand by someone during difficult times. And I will always be grateful that he stood by me,’ she added.

Even in exile, Daza continued to oppose the Marcos dictatorship. He then returned to the Philippines in 1985 and served as Deputy Minister of the Presidential Commission on Good Government and Commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Constitutional Reforms.

As she ended her solemn eulogy, De Lima once again thanked Daza for his kindness towards her, as well as the friendship they formed throughout the years.

The National Police Commission (Napolcom) introduced new questions in its nationwide Philippine National Police (PNP) entrance and promotional examinations as part of its effort to weed out diploma-mill graduates from the police service.

A total of 41,566 civilians and police examinees took the tests from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sunday across designated test centers nationwide.

Commission officials and personnel from its central and regional offices conducted the tests to ensure an orderly, secure, and credible testing process.

Napolcom Commissioner Rafael Vicente Calinisan said all questions in the recent examination cycle are new, as the commission strives to ensure that recruitment and promotion within the police service are competence- and merit-based.

‘This is part of our process to make sure that those who enter the police force, and stay in the force, are the best of the best,’ Calinisan said in a statement on Sunday.

He added that the revised questions are intended to weed out graduates of diploma mill schools.

Calinisan also urged criminology schools to revisit their curricula and called for greater focus on cybercriminology amid the rise of cybercrime.

‘We are no longer living in an archaic world. Everyone in the world is interconnected,’ Calinisan said.Our police force must also be able to adapt to this changing landscape,’ he added.

Calinisan further stressed that entering or advancing in the police organization entails greater public responsibility and requires competence, integrity, and a commitment to public service.

The official results are expected to be released within 45 days.

Passers will qualify for inclusion in the pool of eligibles for PNP recruitment or promotion, as applicable.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has approved special permits for 1,131 buses ahead of this year’s Undas travel rush, while applications covering about 90 more buses remain under review.

The LTFRB on Monday said it had approved 384 special permit applications covering the 1,131 buses to accommodate the expected increase in passengers traveling for All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Another 28 applications covering around 90 buses were still being reviewed.

Acting LTFRB Chair Greg Pua Jr. said the agency was checking the safety of buses applying for special permits before allowing them to operate on long-distance routes.

‘Our approval mechanisms include stringent review of the units that will be given special permits are indeed safe for long travels. The safety of passengers and other road users must not be compromised,’ Pua said.

The Parañaque Integrated Terminal Exchange (PITX) earlier projected more than 1.9 million passengers for the Undas exodus, including travelers heading between Metro Manila and Luzon, as well as those bound for provinces in the Visayas and Mindanao.

LTFRB Executive Director John Paul Allen Victa, who heads the office that reviews and approves special permits, said 1,080 of the approved buses have Metro Manila as their point of origin.

The agency approved 402 buses for Metro Manila-Northern Luzon routes, 290 for Central Luzon, 185 for Southern Luzon and 61 for the Bicol region. It also approved permits for 19 buses bound for Eastern Visayas, 13 for Western Visayas and 10 for Mindanao.

Other approved units, according to Victa, will serve routes in Northern Luzon, Central Luzon and Bicol that do not pass through Metro Manila.

The agenct said the approvals follow President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to ensure sufficient public transportation during Undas, under the guidance of Transportation Secretary Giovanni Z. Lopez.

Pua said the LTFRB had directed its regional franchising and regulatory offices to monitor passenger conditions in their respective areas to help prevent commuters from being stranded.

‘All our efforts are intended to ensure a safe and comfortable travel experience to all our kababayan to and from their hometowns for this important annual religious activity to honor our departed loved ones,’ Pua said.

From a supertyphoon, Champi has weakened into a typhoon, but may regain supertyphoon strength before entering the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) on Tuesday, Oct. 20, according to the weather bureau.

In its 11 p.m. Sunday tropical cyclone advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Champi was last spotted 1,830 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon, outside the PAR, moving west-northwestward at 15 km per hour (kph).

It was packing maximum sustained winds of 175 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 215 kph.

Strong to typhoon-force winds extending up to 680 kilometers from the typhoon’s center could affect areas far from its eye.

According to Pagasa, Champi will move west-northwestward until it enters PAR by Tuesday morning or early afternoon. Once inside the PAR, Champi will be given the domestic name Rosal.

Champi is expected to maintain its strength over the next 12 hours before potentially intensifying again into a super typhoon beginning Monday evening or Tuesday.

It may further gain strength as it moves over the Philippine Sea.

A gradual weakening trend is expected to begin on Wednesday, Oct. 21, after the cyclone reaches its peak intensity.

Despite its current weakening, Pagasa warned that Champi could bring strong winds, heavy rain and dangerous sea conditions to parts of the country.

Signal No. 3 or 4

Tropical cyclone wind signals could be raised over the northern and eastern sections of northern Luzon and the eastern portion of the Bicol Region, particularly Catanduanes, as early as Monday evening or early Tuesday morning.

Under the current forecast scenario, the highest possible wind signal is Signal No. 3 or 4.

Gusty conditions are also likely across most of Luzon and the Visayas, as well as parts of Mindanao, beginning Wednesday.

Pagasa also warned of heavy rainfall in extreme northern Luzon, with its effects expected to peak on Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, moderate to rough seas may develop along the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon and the eastern seaboards of the Visayas and Mindanao by Tuesday.

Heading toward Taiwan

Very rough to very high seas could affect the northern and eastern seaboards of Luzon from Wednesday onward.

Pagasa cautioned that Champi’s forecast track could still shift, including toward a more southerly path that could bring the cyclone closer to mainland Northern Luzon.

Northern Mindanao police seized nearly half a million pesos’ worth of suspected smuggled cigarettes during operations in Iligan City and Misamis Occidental on Sunday night, Oct. 18.

The Police Regional Office-10 (PRO-10) reported confiscating a total of 597 reams of illicit cigarettes valued at P477,600.

In Iligan City, authorities flagged down an orange Toyota Hilux at a checkpoint in Barangay Dalipuga. Police seized 250 reams of ‘Modern’ brand cigarettes worth P200,000 after the driver failed to present the required importation and tax documents. The cargo was reportedly in transit from Baloi, Lanao del Norte, and bound for Cagayan de Oro City.

Meanwhile, an intelligence-driven sweep in Calamba, Misamis Occidental, yielded another 347 reams of assorted cigarette brands worth P277,600, which were discovered near an abandoned house in Barangay Magcamiguing.

Brig. Gen. Nestor Babagay Jr., PRO-10 director, said in a statement that the confiscated contraband was being documented for turnover to the Bureau of Customs.

The individuals involved in the transport were temporarily released pending further verification and appropriate proceedings.

A concerned citizen helped foil an attempted bank robbery in Rosario, Batangas, on Sunday, with the arrest of an armed man who allegedly broke into a branch of the Philippine National Bank (PNB).

In a report on Monday, the Batangas Police Provincial Office (BPPO) said police were tipped off about a man allegedly attempting to force open the bank’s glass door in Barangay Poblacion C at 5:15 p.m.

Patrolling police officers responded, found the door lock broken, and the suspect inside the bank.

The police report did not specify whether security guards were on duty at the time of the incident.

The suspect, a 30-year-old unemployed man from Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro, was arrested at the scene. Police said he was allegedly carrying a .45-caliber pistol loaded with five bullets.

‘The swift response of our police personnel, coupled with the vigilance of concerned citizens, is crucial in preventing criminal incidents and ensuring that those who violate the law are held accountable,’ said BPPO director Col. Oliver Ebora.

An Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) diagnosis should not excuse a person from making insensitive remarks about persons with disabilities (PWDs), 1PWD Party-list Rep. JD Castro said Monday.

This came after Machong Chismisan podcast host Tito P said he has ADHD, which can affect impulse control and filtering thoughts, following his ‘walang kuwenta (useless)’ remark about Kris Aquino’s son, Josh, who is on the autism spectrum.

‘He said he has ADHD, but as someone with a disability, you also have no right to mock someone with a disability. So it’s not really an excuse,’ Castro said in a chance interview with reporters at the NBI.

Castro arrived at the NBI on Monday morning to submit a complaint-referral against the Machong Chismisan hosts and producers for alleged violations of the Magna Carta for Persons with Disability and the Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012.

LOOK: 1PWD party-list Rep. JD Castro arrives at the NBI’s headquarters in Pasay City to file a complaint-referral against hosts and producers of ‘Machong Chismisan’ podcast following insensitive remarks directed at Kris Aquino’s firstborn son, Josh, who is on the autism https://t.co/VnxTcj1GxR

– MJ Salcedo (@MJSalcedoINQ) October 19, 2026

In an earlier statement, Tito P admitted that he made ‘disparaging’ remarks about Josh, which ‘hurt’ many people who relate to his condition.

‘I can relate to him and to those affected as someone who has also been diagnosed as neurodivergent. While this does not excuse my hurtful words or the laughter that followed, I hope people will consider that I was not coming from a place of malice or hurtful intent,’ he earlier said.

‘As someone with ADHD, impulse control can make filtering thoughts difficult. An edgy joke might pop into my head, and before my executive functioning can evaluate the social risk, it has already been said aloud. I share this not to excuse my behavior, but to provide context,’ he added.

The podcast hosts also apologized through their official social media account.

But Castro pointed out that the apology was not enough. He also said they would pursue the complaint until it proceeded to court as ‘the damage has been done.’

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said last week that the bureau had issued subpoenas to Tito P and four other hosts of the Machong Chismisan podcast, requiring them to appear before the bureau on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

The five male hosts faced backlash after making comments about Josh in an episode that aired on Oct. 5.

A man suspected of killing a woman and wounding three others in separate incidents in Lala, Lanao del Norte, died after he was allegedly hit by a truck while crossing a road, police said.

A police report identified the suspect as Mario Polinar, married, a resident of Purok 4A, Barangay Cabasagan in Lala town.

At around 10 p.m. on Sunday, Polinar allegedly killed Rose Cahuba, a resident of Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte, by hitting her with a piece of hardwood in Barangay Cabasagan. Her live-in partner, Julio Pantoñal, 64, was injured in the attack.

Initial police investigation showed the victims were walking from their hut toward a disco party when Polinar allegedly attacked them.

Pantoñal was reportedly hit with a piece of wood and ran to seek help, leaving Cahuba behind. When he returned with members of the Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team, they found Cahuba lifeless in a canal beside a waiting shed in a rice field.

Before dawn on Monday, Polinar also allegedly attacked Rosalinda Manulat, 41, and Jenny Manulat, 20, using a piece of hardwood.

The two injured women were taken to the Baroy Provincial Hospital for treatment.

Police said they received a phone call from a concerned citizen about a road crash involving a truck and a pedestrian, who was identified as Polinar.

Initial investigation showed that the truck was traveling from Kapatagan toward Tubod, Lanao del Norte when it hit Polinar, who allegedly crossed the road.

Polinar was brought to the Kapatagan Provincial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

The truck driver voluntarily surrendered and was detained at the Lala police station.

Manila has recorded more than 4,000 dengue cases since the start of 2026, with 31 new cases reported on Oct. 19, according to the latest disease surveillance report from the Manila Health Department (MHD).

The city recorded 4,048 dengue cases from Jan. 1 to Oct. 19, based on data from the Epidemiology and Disease Surveillance System (EDCS-IS).

Aside from dengue, the city logged 28 new cases of influenza-like illness (ILI), two cases of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) and one case of leptospirosis on Oct. 19, according to the report.

No new cases of cholera, typhoid fever, or confirmed COVID-19 were recorded.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Mayor Isko Moreno urged residents not to wait for their symptoms to worsen before seeking medical attention.

‘Manila residents, let us not wait for the symptoms to worsen. If you are feeling unwell, seek medical attention immediately at the nearest health facility,’ Moreno said.

From Jan. 1 to Oct. 19, Manila recorded 2,508 cases of ILI, 1,648 cases of leptospirosis and 525 cases of SARI. The city also logged 106 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 85 typhoid fever cases, and four cholera cases during the same period.

The figures were extracted from EDCS-IS at 6 a.m. on Oct. 19, according to the daily W.I.L.D. disease report.