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Alex Eala is closing in on two goals.

The tennis gold medalist at the Asian Games gets an automatic berth into the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. A two-for-one deal.

The Philippines’ Eala reached the semifinals on Wednesday after defeating Joanna Garland of Taiwan 7-5, 6-0. Eala will next face Wang Xiyu of China on Thursday. The winner advances to Friday’s final.

‘The Olympics is a dream for me to be able to compete there, to represent my country,’ Eala said. ‘So, yeah, let’s see how it goes.’

She took bronze medals in singles and mixed doubles with Francis Alcantara at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and is a favorite for gold this time.

In order to compete in the Asian Games, Eala had to withdraw from the China Open in Beijing – a mandatory WTA 1000 event. She could be fined $10,000.

She said she’s not aware of any official notice from the WTA.

‘I want to say that it’s easy for people to relate to wanting to represent their country and wanting to play these types of Olympic Games,’ Eala said. She indicated other players have recognized the conflict and supported her.

One seems to be Zhang Shuai of China, No. 57 on the WTA rankings. Eala is No. 18.

‘It is incredible that the two competitions are in the same weeks,’ Zhang said. ‘Some of the previous competitions have been like this. Last week, the Billie Jean King Cup was in the same week as the Singapore and Seoul competitions.

‘That’s life,’ Zhang added. ‘If two things are very important to you, or if they’re both very important tournaments, you can choose one of them.

Former Speaker Lord Allan Velasco and his wife have been out of the country for days since Aug. 30, or days before his former security aide linked them to alleged cash deliveries, worth more than P3 billion, that he made to members of the Duterte family.

National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag, in a Viber message to the Inquirer on Tuesday, said the Bureau of Immigration (BI) had confirmed to the NBI that Velasco left for Nagoya, Japan, on Aug. 30. The former House official was scheduled to return on Sept. 14 but BI records showed that he did not make that trip.

Velasco’s wife, Rowena, along with two others, traveled to Hong Kong on Sept. 24 but has yet to return as scheduled on Sept. 27, Matibag said.

He confirmed the couple’s departure after Velasco’s former security aide, dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., appeared at the NBI on Monday for questioning regarding his allegations that he delivered more than P2 billion to Vice President Sara Duterte; P1 billion to her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte; and P100 million to her brother, Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte, in tranches starting 2018.

Gracioso, who was dismissed from the police service on Sept. 11 over an administrative case, said these deliveries of cash packed in suitcases were made on the former Speaker’s instructions.

Velasco, through a spokesperson, earlier issued a statement denying Gracioso’s allegation, calling it ‘fabricated.’

Vice President Duterte had also denied Gracioso’s allegations, stressing she did not know him and calling his statements a mere ‘media stunt [meant to] breathe life into a faltering impeachment case.’

In a statement, the BI said there was ‘no existing’ hold departure order or any derogatory alert issued against Velasco to stop him from leaving the country.

BI spokesperson Anisha Hassan withheld further details on the ex-Speaker’s departure, citing data privacy.

Matibag said the NBI would invite all individuals named by Gracioso, including the Dutertes and the Velascos, as the bureau starts looking into the allegations.

Probe to proceed

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Monday said the police would also check Gracioso’s background, acknowledging the political sensitivity of the allegations.

‘[Gracioso] has gone under the witness protection program, right? The DOJ (Department of Justice) will assess whether he is worthy or not of witness protection,’ Remulla said.

The Philippine National Police on Tuesday said the investigation would proceed regardless of the administrative cases filed against Gracioso during his years in police service.

‘Based on our latest records, he had five cases,’ said PNP public information office chief Col. Allen Rae Co. ‘We will treat his (Gracioso’s) statement, as stated by our Secretary [and] as directed by our chief PNP, on its own merit.’

Co noted that most of Gracioso’s cases appeared to have been filed after his security assignment with Velasco ended in March 2022, including cases from 2023 and 2025.

Gracioso, 36, a native of Northern Samar and formerly assigned to the Calabarzon regional police, served as one of Velasco’s security aides from November 2020 to March 2022, according to Co.

But in his affidavit sent to the NBI, Gracioso said he served Velasco from 2017 to 2024 and that he met Vice President Duterte for the first time in 2018.

He was dismissed from the service early this month for alleged grave misconduct and conduct unbecoming of a police officer. Co said Gracioso had filed an appeal.

NBI appearance

In an interview with reporters after appearing at the NBI office on Monday, Gracioso presented what he described as ‘evidence,’ including photos of himself with the Vice President that he submitted to the bureau.

Gracioso was accompanied by Catholic priest Flavie Villanueva, whom he asked for help in exposing the supposed cash deliveries.Villanueva, who has been helping the families of drug war victims, said Gracioso went to his house in Metro Manila on the night of March 26 to ask for help in exposing the alleged cash deliveries to the Dutertes.

‘Prior to that, he consulted with his two godfathers, who are also priests, on how to reach me,’

He said the former police officer also showed him photographs of his supposed evidence.

‘Human as I am, there were some doubts. But when I listened to him and saw some photos, the first thing I established was that there was truth because they were friends; their proximity, as shown in the photos of him and his principals, was not by chance. So that’s where the journey began,’ he said.

Villanueva, in a separate interview with the Inquirer, said that Gracioso first went to the NBI to seek help around June this year.

The cast members of the upcoming satirical comedy ‘Red Crown’ said the film aims to present a different picture of women in pageantry – one that emphasizes healthy competition, sisterhood and individuality rather than rivalry and stereotypes.

The film, directed by Dominic Zapata and written by Kit Villanueva and Ken de Leon, explores the competitive world of beauty pageants through a fictional ‘Queen of the Islands’ competition.

Asked what healthy competition looks like in an environment where women are often pitted against one another, cast member Faith da Silva said it should not be about comparing oneself with others.

”Yung healthy competition dapat hindi ka nagko-compare sa ibang tao. The success of other people doesn’t take away your own,’ she said during the grand media conference on Tuesday, Sept. 29.

Da Silva noted that each woman has her own strengths, weaknesses, character and background, adding that healthy competition begins with ‘support and love for one another.’

Ashley Ortega, who competed as a figure skater before entering show biz, said having strong competitors pushed her to improve rather than bring others down.

‘When I have a strong competitor, I actually challenge myself to become better,’ she said. ‘If there’s a comparison of jealousy, I feel like you have lost to competition already.’

Ortega emphasized that competition should involve ‘growth, respect and sisterhood,’ and it’s important to handle defeat with grace.

‘I’ve lost so many times before, but I didn’t take my failure as a way that I should not continue my dreams. It actually helped me to become better,’ she said.

Shuvee Etrata, meanwhile, acknowledged how women are often deliberately pitted against each other.

‘Uso ‘yon ngayon. They pit women against each other,’ Etrata said. ‘But I believe the only competition that is allowed for women is healthy competition.’

She added that women can support one another because ‘there’s always more room for another woman to shine.’

Sanya Lopez shared a similar view, saying women can remain determined to win while still treating their competitors with kindness and respect.

‘You can be competitive even if you’re in a competition. But you’re still respectful. You’re still kind. You have a good heart,’ Lopez said.

The other cast members said ‘Red Crown’ also seeks to challenge assumptions about what beauty queens are supposed to be like.

For former beauty queen Ariella Arida, one of the stereotypes the film addresses is the idea that beauty queens must always appear polished and composed.

‘This movie, actually, if you’ve got to watch it, at least this would make people realize that beauty queens are humans as well,’ Arida said.

She pointed out that beauty queens can also be sad, humorous and capable of making mistakes.

‘We can make mistakes. And what’s important is we know how to handle it and we know how to stand up with every mistake we make,’ she said.

Alethea Ambrosio, meanwhile, said the film also touches on the expectation that beauty queens should be fluent in English.

Ambrosio recalled being criticized after competing in a pageant in 2024 because of her English and diction, despite speaking Tagalog and eventually winning.

‘Why? Is English the only language that can transcend the message of beauty queens to inspire and to uplift?’ she said.

Aside from the aforementioned, ‘Red Crown’ features a large ensemble of real-life beauty queens and Sparkle stars, including Ahtisa Manalo, Michelle Dee, Yllana Aduana, Herlene Budol, Gazini Ganados, MJ Lastimosa and Bianca Manalo, among others.

Justin delos Santos fired a two-under-par 68 and Bianca Pagdanganan returned a 67 as the Filipino aces put themselves in the individual mix while towing the Philippine men’s and women’s squads well into the heat of the team battle as golf action in the Asian Games got off the ground at Kasugai Golf Club’s East course in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday.

Delos Santos overcame some tournament jitters once he was on the course, shooting four birdies against two bogeys to be three shots behind joint leaders Wang Wei-hsuan of Chinese Taipei and hometown star Kazuki Higa.

And counting the 69 of Carl Corpus that make up their opening 137, the Filipino men will start the second round just six shots off the leading Japanese, who counted the 66 of Keita Nakajima, with China and South Korea just two shots off the team lead after Mun Do-yeob fired a 66 and world No. 31 Tom Kim accounted for a 67.

Miguel Tabuena, one of the big stars in the men’s field, fired a steady 70 and failed to count for the Philippines, but is well within the individual battle being just five shots down entering the second round.

‘Once I got out of the clubhouse and got rid of all the Asian Games talk, I kind of got comfortable. The jitters were gone,’ the 31-year-old Delos Santos told the Inquirer over the phone as he plays for his country for the first time.

‘It’s not that big of a gap,’ Delos Santos said when asked of the six-stroke team deficit. ‘With two scores counting, we can make that up easily. We’re really not in a bad spot.’

Pagdanganan, meanwhile, ended the first 18 holes four shots out of the lead being held by Singapore’s world-rated Shannon Tan. Rianne Malixi, one of seven amateurs ranked in the world’s top 50 seeing action in Nagoya, submitting a level 70 as the Filipinas tallied a first round 137.

That is a good five shots behind the leading team score of the Singaporeans, who got a 69 from 17-year-old wonder Xingtong Chen as they will start the second round holding a four-shot edge on the South Koreans, the Taiwanese, Thailand and China, which drew a 67 from former world No. 1 Ruoning Yin.

Delos Santos, Corpus and Tabuena are searching for the first men’s golf gold since Ramon Brobio won in the 1986 edition in Seoul, South Korea, while the country is shooting for a first team gold since Yuka Saso-three years before switching nationalities to Japanese-led a women’s gold sweep in Jakarta in 2018.

Pagdanganan won the individual bronze that year and is motivated to improve on that.

The 2026 Miss Grand International pageant has not concluded yet, but the organizers are already gearing up for the 15 edition happening next year, with Thailand as the host country yet again.

Reigning queen Emma Tiglao made the announcement during the pre-final swimsuit competition of this year’s pageant held at Lebua State Tower in Bangkok on Tuesday morning, Sept. 29.

Although technically not yet its 15th anniversary, the Miss Grand International pageant has dubbed next year’s competition as its ’15th Grandniversary’ celebration. The pageant was founded by Thai businessman Nawat Itsaragrisil in 2013, with its first edition held in Nonthaburi, north of Bangkok.

‘We are getting bigger and grander as we celebrate here in Thailand for the MGI 2027, the 15th ‘Grandniversary.’ Are you excited?’ Tiglao said after the video announcement was played. The competition was streamed live on the pageant’s official YouTube channel.

The same video may now be seen on the Miss Grand International social media pages. ‘THAILAND is officially the host country of Miss Grand International 2027, as we return to where the journey began for a milestone unlike any other,’ the caption read.

‘Fifteen years of history have led us to this moment. Now, something extraordinary awaits, new possibilities, new experiences, and a celebration created for this once-in-a-generation milestone,’ the post continued.

The competition was held outside Thailand for four straight years starting in its fourth edition in 2016 which took place in the United States. In 2017, Vietnam hosted the pageant.

In 2018, the international pageant stayed in Southeast Asia when Myanmar hosted the sixth edition, followed by Venezuela’s hosting in 2019, the first time the competition was held in South America.

The COVID-19 pandemic pushed the staging of the 2020 pageant to March 2021, with the competition taking place in the Miss Grand International pageant’s home country, Thailand.

It was staged outside Thailand again in 2022 and 2023, with Indonesia and Vietnam hosting the Miss Grand International pageant, respectively. India was supposed to host the competition this year, but the organizers decided to move it back to Thailand just weeks before the delegates were expected to arrive in New Delhi.

The 2026 Miss Grand International pageant’s ‘Grand Final’ will be held at MGI Hall in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct. 10. Seventy-six delegates are competing for the ‘golden crown,’ including Reina Filipinas Angelica Lopez.

Observing tradition and parliamentary courtesy accorded to a coequal branch of government, the Senate committee on finance swiftly approved on Wednesday the proposed P10.15-billion budget for the Office of the President (OP) for 2027, marking it ‘deemed submitted’ for plenary consideration.

The committee also approved the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) budget in less than 20 minutes.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian cited ‘inter-senator courtesy’ since Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, who presented the OP’s proposed budget, was a former senator.

‘Typically we give interparliamentary courtesy to the Office of the President, but it is not just interparliamentary courtesy, we also have inter-senator courtesy because the head is a former inter-colleague,’ Gatchalian explained.

Sen. Joel Villanueva shared Gatchalian’s view.

‘It’s so weird to see our former colleague on the other side of the table,’ Villanueva said.

According to Recto, the OP’s proposed spending plan for next year represents only a small portion of the P7.2-trillion national budget and is 64 percent lower than the 2026 budget.

‘Rest assured, we crafted this proposed budget strictly within the parameters and processes established by the Department of Budget and Management. We sought no special treatment. We submit this proposal to Congress’ constitutional authority and with readiness to answer any and all of your questions,’ he said.

In an interview with reporters, Recto said that despite the fast approval of the proposed allocation, it is still expected to be deliberated in the Senate plenary.

Hostilities between rival Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao del Sur, erupted anew before dawn Wednesday, uprooting civilians from their homes, officials said.

Shariff Aguak Vice Mayor Hadji Oping Ampatuan said the infighting among MILF members broke out in Barangay Bialong but was immediately defused on Tuesday by the peace mechanisms of the government and the MILF.

‘However, fighting between the same groups erupted anew at about 1 a.m. Wednesday,’ Ampatuan said.

Montassir Saliao, head of the Shariff Aguak Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said at least 65 families, or about 325 individuals from the villages of Bialong, Malingao and Lapok fled to adjacent Barangay Takepan for safety.

‘The number of affected families may increase if our assessment and evaluation is completed,’ Saliao told the Inquirer on Wednesday.

He noted they are verifying information about a child being killed by a stray bullet.

Several civilians, bringing their valuables, fled Sitio Kuta, Barangay Bialong starting past noon Tuesday for fear they would be caught in the crossfire.

‘There was a security threat; we need to move out because we don’t want to be trapped between warring armed groups,’ Sabpan Adil Mulong said in the vernacular in her Facebook post.

‘A ‘rido’ (clan feud) exists between armed groups, so we are evacuees again,’ Mulong said, adding that when situations like these occur in remote communities, the best thing to do is to move out quickly.

Lt. Colonel Ronald Suscano, 6th Infantry Division spokesperson, said the long-standing territorial dispute between MILF warring groups was recently ‘settled’ by Shariff Aguak Mayor Akmad ‘Mitra’ Ampatuan.

Vice Mayor Ampatuan appealed to Shariff Aguak residents, particularly in Barangay Bialong, to remain calm ‘because the police and the military, as well as the government-MILF ceasefire panels, are addressing the situation.’

The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) on Wednesday said the additional P25 daily wage increase for Metro Manila workers can still be implemented if the courts will ultimately uphold the wage order.

Dole Acting Secretary Francis Tolentino made the statement during a Senate finance committee hearing on the 2027 budget of Dole and its attached agencies.The secretary is referring to Wage Order No. 27, which, he said, is facing five court cases.

Tolentino said the other and recently-implemented Wage Order No. 28 does not supersede the earlier wage order.

‘For the record… Wage Order 28 is a separate and independent wage relief,’ he noted.

‘Wage Order 27 remains defended in pending judicial proceedings. Wage Order 28 does not fully adjudicate whatever rights or legal consequences may arise under 27,’ he told the senators.

He made the distinction when asked by Sens. Bong Go and Joel Villanueva about the status of Wage Order No. 27.

Under Wage Order No. 27, approved in July, workers in the National Capital Region were supposed to receive an P85 daily wage increase in two tranches: P60 upon effectivity, and another P25 on Jan. 20, 2027.

Its implementation, however, was halted by a court injunction.

The new Wage Order No. 28, meanwhile, took effect on Sept. 26.

It granted a P60 daily increase, raising the amount of minimum wage for non-agricultural workers in Metro Manila from P695 to P755.

Villanueva then asked whether the P25 second tranche under Wage Order 27 will remain payable on top of the P60 increase under Wage Order 28, if the earlier wage order is eventually upheld.

Tolentino said Dole will follow whatever ruling the courts will issue.

‘If the court will order that we give the P25 next year, we will comply,’ he answered.

He explained that Wage Order 28 was issued while Wage Order 27 remained suspended because workers could not be made to wait for the resolution of the pending cases.

‘The fate, or outcome, of Wage Order No. 27 is now left to the courts,’ Tolentino repeated.

Former Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III expressed that the Supreme Court’s (SC) decision to dismiss the three petitions challenging the Impeachment court’s ruling on the voting threshold to convict Vice President Sara Duterte was understandable given the timing.

‘I completely understand if the Supreme Court refused to take cognizance of petitions questioning the new ruling on the impeachment voting threshold, kasi actually, sa ngayon, parang konsulta lang siya,’ he said when asked about the SC’s dismissal on the petitions against the impeachment court’s voting rule during an ambush interview after the Alpina Lounge and Wellness opening ceremony.

(I completely understand if the Supreme Court refused to take cognizance of petitions questioning the new ruling on the impeachment voting threshold, because right now, it’s essentially just a matter of consultation.)

Pimentel previously expressed that strict standards should be applied before excluding a senator from the two-thirds conviction vote.

The senator-judges last Sept. 23 voted 13-1, with six abstaining, that the ‘two-thirds of all the Members of Senate’ in Article XI, Section 3(6) of the Constitution refers to those ‘capable of participating.’

The SC earlier junked the separate petitions filed by former Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez and lawyer Ernesto Francisco Jr. on procedural grounds, including ‘lack of standing and prematurity.’

‘Bawal konsultahin ang Supreme Court kasi presyo-presyo ang timing nila,’ he argued. ‘Mayroon na bang government official na natanggal sa kanyang posisyon because of a 14-voting threshold? Wala pa. So, that explains it na medyo premature pa,’ he added.

(You can’t consult the Supreme Court because their timing is varying,’ he added. ‘Has any government official ever been removed from their position because of a 14-vote threshold? None so far. So, that explains why it is still somewhat premature.)

Pimentel, moreover, commended the Senate impeachment court’s way of handling Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial led by presiding officer, senator-judge Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero.

‘Ako, bilib na bilib sa kanyang handling. He has been fair, and then kitang-kita na nag-update siya sa mga rules of court, kaya alam niya ‘yong mga procedural matters,’ he expressed, referring to Escudero, when asked about his thoughts on the Senate impeachment proceedings.

(I am very impressed with how he handles things. He has been fair, and it is evident that he keeps up to date with the Rules of Court, so he is well-versed in procedural matters.)

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) may use blockchain and other emerging technologies to strengthen the government’s online system for monitoring public spending, even as a proposed measure seeking to expand citizen access to government expenditure data remains pending in Congress.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. institutionalized the Centralized Open Monitoring Platform for Appropriations and Spending Statistics (Compass) through Executive Order (EO) No. 126, which was signed on Sept. 28, but was published on the Official Gazette website the next day.

The EO makes Compass the government’s unified, publicly accessible platform for budget, expenditure, procurement and program performance information.

It allows Compass to utilize ‘distributed ledger technology, including but not limited to blockchain or other emerging technologies, for the disclosure, consolidation, and publication of budget, expenditure, procurement, and other transparency-related information.’

The move comes as Congress considers the proposed Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (Cadena) Act, which seeks to strengthen public access to information on government spending.

The Senate approved its version of the Cadena bill in December last year and sent it to the House of Representatives for its concurrence.

Counterpart bills filed by House lawmakers remain pending at the committee level despite the measure being one of the priority legislations by the Marcos administration for 20th Congress.

The DBM launched Compass on June 26 as a searchable platform where the public can track government expenditures by agency, funding source, purpose and fiscal year.

Under EO 126, Compass will be expanded beyond tracking how much the government allocates and spends.

It will also provide information on the actual implementation of programs and projects, including their financial performance, implementation and completion status, procurement information, and other transparency-related data generated throughout the national budget cycle.

‘Transparency and accountability should not be complicated. The Filipino people have the right to know how their money is being used, and whether that spending is delivering results,’ Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said in a statement on Wednesday.

‘Every peso comes from the people. They should be able to see where it goes, what it pays for, and what the government delivers in return,’ he added.

LGUs urged to use platform

The platform may also be linked to existing government financial, procurement, monitoring and digital systems, including the Integrated Financial Management Information System, Budget and Treasury Management System, Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System, Digital Information for Monitoring and Evaluation, and the E-Gov PH App.

The order directs national government agencies and instrumentalities, including government-owned and -controlled corporations and government financial institutions, to submit and regularly update information required by the DBM.

Local government units are also encouraged to use the platform.

Compass may also include information on programs and projects financed through public-private partnerships and foreign-assisted programs, as long as these involve public funds coursed through national government agencies or other relevant government mechanisms.

The EO, however, excludes information prohibited from public disclosure under existing laws, including data that could compromise national defense and security or violate the Data Privacy Act.

The DBM will lead the implementation and management of Compass, with support from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and Department of Finance (DOF).

Compass Council

EO 126 also creates a Compass Council that will oversee the platform’s implementation and continued development.

Among the council’s responsibilities are setting data standards and disclosure timelines, coordinating participating agencies, monitoring compliance and recommending emerging technologies to keep the system secure and responsive to public needs.

The council shall also develop policies to ensure that information made available through Compass is timely, reliable and accessible to the public.

According to the EO, failure by public officers or employees to comply may constitute grounds for administrative and disciplinary sanctions.

The EO Council, together with concerned government agencies and representatives from civil society, academe, media and relevant industries, must issue implementing guidelines within 60 days from the order’s effectivity.