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The Philippine National Police in the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon) region arrested a total of 46 suspected drug traffickers between Friday to Saturday, or from October 3 to 4, seizing more than P4.4 million worth of shabu (crystal meth) and marijuana.

Police Brigadier General Paul Kenneth Lucas, Region 4A police chief, in a report issued on October 4, said anti-illegal drug operatives across the region conducted 33 operations from 6 a.m. on Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, and confiscated a total of 648.73 grams of shabu and 21.04 grams of dried marijuana leaves.

The confiscated illegal drugs were worth about P4,414,228, the report said.

On top of the operations was the successful arrest of two alleged big-time traffickers identified as ‘Mart’ and ‘Fighter’ after selling P500 worth of shabu to an undercover cop in Barangay (village) Sampaloc 4 in Dasmariñas City, Cavite at around 6 p.m. on Friday.

The operatives recovered four heat-sealed plastic sachets containing suspected shabu weighing 250 grams worth P1.7 million based on the Dangerous Drugs Board valuation at P6,800 per gram.

The suspects are classified as high-value individuals (HVI) in the illegal drug trade. HVI is a designation given to financiers, traffickers, manufacturers, importers, or members and leaders of drug syndicates.

Last month, the Calabarzon police nabbed 892 suspected drug traffickers and seized P9,991,819 worth of shabu and marijuana.

All arrested suspects are now under police custody and will face charges for violating the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002

Storm damage and an import freeze on rice may have pushed up inflation to a seven-month high in September, though price growth likely stayed within the central bank’s target.

The consumer price index may have sped up to 2 percent based on the median estimate of 14 economists polled by the Inquirer this week. That would outpace August’s 1.5 percent increase and mark the fastest pace since February, when inflation hit 2.1 percent.

Even so, the estimate fell within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) forecast range of 1.5 to 2.3 percent for September. Both the consensus and the central bank’s projections suggested inflation would remain within the official 2 to 4 percent target band.

Nicholas Mapa, chief economist at Metrobank, said heavy rains and crop damage from recent storms appear to have nudged inflation to 2.5 percent last month, the highest estimate among the analysts in the survey.

‘We expect a pickup in inflation. Upside pressure: vegetables and fish post the spate of storms. Downside pressure: electricity prices,’ Mapa said.

‘Pump prices also could be a source of downside pressure but to a lesser extent as gasoline and diesel costs increased on a m-o-m (month-on-month) basis, tracking global markets,’ he added.

Jun Neri, lead economist at Bank of the Philippine Islands, estimated September inflation at 1.9 percent. He flagged ‘rising rice costs’ as a major driver, citing the government’s suspension of grain imports.

Still, he noted that ‘lower electricity rates, relatively cheaper vegetables and softer oil prices’ were helping offset pressures. He also pointed to an influx of inexpensive Chinese exports avoiding higher US tariffs, which may continue to temper prices in the months ahead.

May be higher than forecast

‘Looking ahead, inflation risks are skewed to the upside as favorable rice base effects fade, with the extension of the import suspension through year-end adding pressure,’ Neri said.

‘Nonetheless, we still project inflation to staying at 2 percent level through December, but could climb above 3 percent in the first half of next year due to base effects and potential supply shocks from possible supply-chain disruptions linked to Trump’s tariffs,’ he added.

The stretch of subdued price gains could influence the central bank’s next policy steps. Last August, the BSP trimmed its benchmark rate by a quarter point to 5 percent-a level Governor Eli Remolona Jr. described as ‘Goldilocks’, neither too low to fuel inflation nor too high to choke economic growth.

Market observers said the BSP’s easing cycle was close to running its course. But Remolona kept options open, signaling the Monetary Board could consider another reduction at its October or December meetings if demand shows signs of weakening.

Sarah Tan, economist at Moody’s, said the BSP may hit the pause button at its meeting on Oct. 9, citing the need to assess how the earlier rate cuts have flowed through the economy, particularly their impact on domestic demand and lending activity. INQ

Local responders rescued three men from a boat that capsized due to a strong river current that occurred after Magat Dam released water, sweeping them away while sailing near Palattao Bridge along Cagayan River in Enrile town of Cagayan province on Saturday, October 4.

Mayor Miguel Decena said the three men had loaded their boat with eight sacks of corn harvest when they were being swept by floods.

One of them was slightly injured and received treatment, Decena added.

In Tuguegarao City, Mayor Maila Ting-Que prodded villagers near low-lying areas to evacuate to higher grounds as floodwaters submerged Pinacanauan Bridge and nearby roads on Saturday afternoon.

At least 500 villagers have initially trooped to the evacuation centers in the city. The water level of the Cagayan River along Buntun Bridge was recorded on Saturday afternoon at nine meters high, a critical level.

In Isabela province, six overflow bridges were submerged in floodwaters on Saturday, as the Magat Dam continuously releases water from its reservoir with 2,258.83-cubic-meter-per-second from its six gates to prevent an overflow amid heavy rains.

The Disaster Risk Reduction Management Offices in Isabela have issued advisories that the flooded overflow bridges closed to traffic were the Annafunan, Gucab, and Fugu in Echague town; Baculud and Cabiseria 8 in the City of Ilagan; and the Cabagan-Santa Maria Bridge.

The Alicaocao bridge in Tuguegarao City remained open to light cars while Turod-Banquero was closed due to repair. The Magat Dam has reached 184.99 meters high as of noon on Saturday, as its water level has been pegged with inflow at 1,573.85 cubic meters per second.

Magat Dam, a source of irrigation water and provider of hydroelectric power, is located on Magat River, a tributary of Cagayan River, at the boundary between the towns of Alfonso Lista in Ifugao and Ramon in Isabela.

In Tuguegarao City, about 500 villagers in low-lying areas along the flooded Pinacanauan overflow bridge and impassable roads along Bonifacio Street in Centro 1, Pinacanauan Avenue, Aguinaldo extension, and Macapagal crossing have evacuated to higher grounds

The opening week of NCAA Season 101 brought with it the usual mix of jitters, breakthroughs and early reality checks.

For Jose Rizal University’s Nani Epondulan, his coaching debut ended with a smile. The new tactician steered the Heavy Bombers past perennial contender Letran, 73-69, at San Juan Arena on Friday, a much-needed confidence boost for a squad that languished at the cellar last year.

He may be a rookie coach, but he’s been around the league enough to know an opening win isn’t something to get excited about.

‘This is just our first game so there are barely any scouting reports [about us],’ Epondulan said after the victory, which came after a strong performance by Justin Lozano.

‘I knew [Lozano’s] capabilities from day one,’ the former JRU star said. ‘I saw that he’ll click in my system. The good thing with him is he can shoot the long bombs, which worked to our advantage.’

Lozano backed his coach’s faith with 17 points, including three triples, while Sean Salvador added 10 to give JRU a promising start under its new leader.

Perpetual Help, meanwhile, rode the energy of a fresh face. Forward Patrick Sleat announced his arrival with a well-rounded 10-point, five-assist, four-rebound performance in the Altas’ 67-54 victory over San Sebastian.

‘I was so excited I even slept early last night because I couldn’t wait,’ Sleat admitted with a laugh. ‘Maybe in the next game, though, I’ll try to control my emotions so I can be more composed inside the court.’

Sleat, who previously played under Perpetual coach Olsen Racela at Far Eastern University, admitted the atmosphere of his NCAA debut rattled him at first.

‘The atmosphere earlier shocked me because it didn’t sink in for me that I’m already playing in the NCAA now,’ he said. Still, he steadied himself and helped Perps join Mapua atop Group A.

College of St. Benilde, meanwhile, is hoping to bounce back after a frustrating start to its season last Wednesday. Coming off a Finals appearance last season, the Blazers fell to defending champion San Beda, 96-85, at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Coach Charles Tiu didn’t hold back after the loss, calling out two of his prized recruits. ‘I think Shawn (Umali) played very bad. Four fouls in six minutes. I told him I can’t use you if you keep fouling like that,’ Tiu said. ‘SJ’s (Moore) been a work in progress. I like what he brings to the table. I just didn’t think this was a good game for him but he’ll be ready next game.’

The Department of Health (DOH) opened its two-day ‘PinaSigla: Isang Flex para sa Masiglang Pilipinas!’ health fair at Burnham Green in Luneta on Saturday, October 4.

The national event aims to bring healthcare and wellness closer to Filipinos by offering free health services, interactive learning, and disease prevention activities.

Health Secretary Ted Herbosa led the launch, joined by Assistant Secretary Albert Francis Domingo and Health Promotion Bureau Director Maria Kristina Marasigan.

‘Today and tomorrow, we have booths here that you can visit,’ said Herbosa.

Among the highlights are free consultation services on-site, such as medical check-ups, vaccinations, lab screenings, and HIV testing. Nutrition and mental health counseling are also available.

Participants can also join interactive activities such as Zumba dances and Health Circ8 Challenge – a circuit of eight zones focusing on nutrition, physical activity, mental health, reproductive health, immunization, and more.

Practical demonstrations on road safety, handwashing, stress management, disaster preparedness and family planning are also being held on-site.

The fair runs until Sunday, Oct. 5, with programs starting at 8 a.m. /das

Through her outreach initiative Aiahdvocacy, Aiah Arceta of P-pop girl group BINI started a donation drive and has already raised more than P440,000 for her fellow Cebuanos who were affected by the 6.9-magnitude earthquake.

The initiative earlier shared a call for donations through its Instagram page on Thursday, Oct. 2

‘In light of the recent earthquake in Cebu, we are opening our donation channels to provide direct assistance to the victims,’ it said. ‘Together, let us extend help and compassion in these trying times.’

It noted that monetary donations will be accepted until Sunday, Oct. 5.

Arceta, through her Instagram Stories on Friday, Oct. 3, gave an update on the fundraising by sharing the art card from the outreach initiative. She also expressed her gratitude to those who extended help.

‘Funds raised as of Oct. 3, 2025, 3:45 p.m.: P444,232.87,’ it said. ‘Proceeds will go directly to initiatives supporting our countrymen affected by the earthquake in Cebu. A transparency report will be published on our social media accounts after our relief operations.’

Arceta captioned the post, ‘Thank you to everyone who sent their donations!’ In a separate post, she gave an update on the goods that they will be giving out.

‘We now have four different groups of volunteers working simultaneously to gather all the needed supplies for repacking. Working together as one!’ she said, adding blue heart emoji.

Arceta also reportedly pledged a part of the sales of her cap brand to help Cebuanos in need. Aside from Arceta, several other celebrities including Kim Chiu and Zsa Zsa Padilla have also extended help to earthquake victims through donations. /ra

Almost 6,000 people across four regions have been affected by Tropical Cyclone Paolo, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

In its situational report issued Saturday, Oct. 4, NDRRMC said 5,979 individuals or 1,833 families were affected across 10 provinces.

A total of 3,368 residents from Regions 1 and 3 were preemptively evacuated before the typhoon intensified, while 4,4317 people remain displaced. Of this number, many are staying in 74 evacuation centers, while others are sheltering outside designated facilities.

As of this writing, there are no records of dead, injured, or missing.

Paolo, which developed into a typhoon earlier this week, brought rains and strong winds over parts of Northern and Central Luzon. The cyclone has since exited the Philippine landmass after crossing the country’s northern areas.

The NDRRMC continues to monitor affected communities for damage assessment and assistance to displaced families. /das

As June Mar Fajardo is set to claim a record-extending ninth PBA Most Valuable Player award, he was once again counting his blessings.

‘Who would have thought?’ Fajardo said in Filipino. ‘I was never a huge basketball fan at the beginning, but here I am possibly winning another MVP.’

Barring the unexpected, Fajardo will be named as the best of Season 49 on Sunday afternoon when the league holds its Leo Awards at Novotel Manila in Cubao, Quezon City.

The awarding will serve as a kickoff to a busy day for the league, with the 50th season opening ceremonies to follow and the Barangay Ginebra-Magnolia faceoff at nearby Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Fajardo topped the statistical points category with 42.1 followed by NLEX’s Robert Bolick with 36.7 and Arvin Tolentino, who had 35.3 during his time with NorthPort before jumping ship to the Korean Basketball League for the Seoul SK Knights.

The stats are also backed by his two Best Player of the Conference awards in the Governors’ Cup and Philippine Cup, which saw San Miguel win the crown after denying TNT’s Grand Slam bid.

Fajardo has won the last two MVPs, almost all in convincing manner, and it seems that voters will likely give their nod to him once more.

Members of the media have 30 percent of the criteria while players have 25 percent. The remaining 45 percent are from the statistics.

Fajardo played 58 games and produced 19.2 points, 15.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.0 blocks during a season of ups and downs for San Miguel. Before defeating TNT, San Miguel was eliminated in the semifinals of the Governors’ Cup by Barangay Ginebra before missing the quarterfinals of the Commissioner’s Cup which was marred by multiple import changes and the transition from Jorge Gallent back to Leo Austria as coach.

Victims of financial fraud will have to be extra careful when transacting with people or organizations claiming to offer help, as they can potentially be scammed the second time around, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warned.

The corporate watchdog on Friday said these ‘recovery’ and ‘advance-fee recovery’ schemes had been proliferating on social media platforms.

These accounts are not authorized by the SEC to provide fund recovery services, the regulator clarified.

In an advisory, the SEC said perpetrators typically offered to retrieve funds previously lost to scams or other fraudulent schemes in exchange for advance fees or personal information.

Some will claim to be affiliated with government agencies or law enforcement authorities without any lawful basis. They will also likely fabricate testimonials, documents or credentials to appear credible and legitimate, the commission pointed out.

At the same time, these individuals or entities may employ ‘high-pressure tactics’ to force victims to make immediate payments or disclose sensitive personal or financial information.

‘The commission warns the public not to transact with, remit any sum to or disclose personal information to such individuals or groups,’ the SEC said in its advisory.

‘Victims of scams are strongly urged to lodge their complaints directly with the proper authorities for appropriate action,’ it added.

Intensified crackdown

This comes as the regulator intensifies its crackdown on individuals and entities potentially defrauding the public, including unauthorized online lending platforms (OLPs).

Separately, the SEC Financing and Lending Companies Department ordered Microdot Lending Corp. to stop its operations, saying that the company had supposedly been operating two undisclosed OLPs, Credit Peso and MF Cash.

Under SEC Memorandum Circular No. 19, Series of 2019, all financing and lending companies are required to disclose the OLPs they operate.

The SEC has also been receiving complaints about Microdot for alleged unfair debt collection practices, violating the Financial Products and Services Consumer Protection Act of 2022. INQ

University of Santo Tomas became the first team to breach the 100-point mark in the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday at its own Quadricentennial Pavilion.

The Growling Tigers dismantled University of the East, 111-99, with Nic Cabañero leading the way on offense as usual.

The graduating guard, though, deflected the credit and said his teammates pushed him to headline the highest-scoring output of a UAAP team in recent years.

‘It’s my fifth year here in the UAAP, I already know our approaches with different teams and I just stick to the system given to me,’ he said after UST improved to 3-1.

‘Without my teammates, I wouldn’t score this much. They just give me confidence,’ he added.

Cabañero tallied a team-high 22 points to go along with eight assists, three rebounds and two steals in the squad’s third win of the season.

The Growling Tigers’ victory is also the second-highest scoring output of any team in the post-pandemic era, just behind La Salle’s 112-83 win over-coincidentally-UST in 2022.

Cabañero had plenty of help as Forthsky Padrigao and Collins Akowe also posted 18 points apiece in the win.

UST looks to unload more high-powered offense when it faces Ateneo next Saturday at Blue Eagle Gym.