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Defending champion Adamson battles upset-conscious University of the East in one of two semifinal matchups in the V-League Collegiate Challenge starting Wednesday, with the Lady Red Warriors knowing exactly the mammoth task they are facing.

‘It’s our fault that we are up against the defending champions,’ graduating captain-libero Angge Reyes said in Filipino, referring to their previous losses that made them qualify last and draw the top-seeded Lady Falcons in the Final Four.

‘But we are not satisfied [just making the semifinals],’ added Reyes. ‘We want to improve on our past performances every time. We can’t be satisfied.’

Game 1 of their best-of-three series will be at 10 a.m. at FilOil EcoOil Centre, before University of Santo Tomas and Arellano battle in the other semifinal at noon.

UE is making its third V-League semifinals appearance and is hoping to return to the podium after winning bronze in 2023 and 2024.

Van Bangayan, who erupted for 34 points against the Lady Chiefs, will lead the Lady Warriors alongside rookie Janessa Buhay, while Reyes provides the stability the team needs. Bangayan has scored at least 30 points in two games in the tournament.

Nigerian standout Frances Mordi, Joy Aseo and Third Tuddao have been solid for the Lady Falcons, who topped the preliminary round with a 6-1 record despite playing without ace Shai Nitura.

An appearance by Nitura, who suited up for Alas Pilipinas in the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, at this stage remains possible.

The Tigresses, who are seeking to reclaim the title they won in 2024, lost to the Lady Chiefs in five sets during the preliminary round.

After finishing second in classification to draw the Tigresses, Arellano, the only team to beat Adamson in the tournament, is looking to improve on its fourth-place finish last year.

Reigning men’s champion Far Eastern University, which completed a seven-match sweep of the preliminary round, begins its best-of-three semifinal duel with NCAA champion College of Saint Benilde at 3 p.m.

UAAP powerhouse National University faces this year’s revelation, Letran, in the other men’s semifinal opener at 5 p.m.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division has dismissed the second motion of former Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr. for its chair, Associate Justice Karl Miranda-the sole judge who denied his bail petition-to inhibit himself from his malversation case.

In a resolution dated Sept. 24, the antigraft court said it denied the motion for lack of merit. The case against Revilla and six others stemmed from an alleged ‘ghost’ project in Pandi, Bulacan, worth P92.8 million.

All the accused supposedly conspired to release at least P76 million for the project that was awarded to a private contractor in March 2025, according to the Office of the Ombudsman.

Court’s arguments

Revilla had argued in his motion that Miranda was related to the counsel of state witness and former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo.

The former senator claimed the justice relied heavily on Bernardo’s testimony and showed prejudgment before voting to deny him bail.

‘The relationship between Justice Miranda and Atty. [Buenaventura] Miranda does not suffice as clear and convincing evidence of Justice Miranda’s bias or prejudice against Revilla which would warrant his inhibition,’ the court said.

It added that ‘adverse rulings, without more, do not prove bias or partiality warranting inhibition.’

Revilla is currently out on bail after the Third Division voted 2-1 to grant him provisional liberty, with Miranda dissenting.

Agot Isidro credited her curiosity and her longstanding relationship with manager Shirley Kuan for helping sustain her 34-year career in show business.

Isidro marked her 34th year in the entertainment industry with a thanksgiving press conference on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Despite her decades-long career, the singer-actress said she remains curious about things related to her work.

‘Hindi resilience. I think curiosity,’ Isidro told reporters when asked to name the secret to her longevity. ‘Gusto ko i-approach each project with curious eyes. Para iba-iba ‘yung flavor.’

Isidro has kept a busy schedule this year, appearing in five films: ‘Ganito, Ganiyan, Ganoon,’ ‘Mag-iina,’ ‘Filipiñana,’ ‘Patay Gutom’ and the short film ‘Elaine Elenita Elena.’ She is also set to appear in the upcoming Netflix series ‘Balaraw.’

In July, the singer-actress staged her two-night comeback birthday concert. Dubbed as the Julia Roberts of the Philippines in the 1990s, Isidro is known for the hits ‘Everyday,’ ‘Sa Isip Ko’ and ‘Love You Honey,’ among others.

Asked if she sees herself slowing down, Isidro said she intends to continue working for as long as she still finds fulfillment in her work.

‘Hanggang gusto ko pa. Because now it makes me happy,’ she said. ‘Doing films or doing mga series, acting in front of stage, singing live. Gusto ko pa siyang gawin.’

‘If, at a certain point, siguro hindi na, physically, hindi ko na kaya. Or may nagbabago na. Or hindi ko na siya gusto. E di hindi ko na siya gagawin,’ she added.

20 years with her manager

Isidro was accompanied at the press conference by Kuan, who has managed her career for 20 years. The seasoned actress said trust and communication have been key to maintaining their professional relationship.

‘She’s not only my manager, she’s also my friend,’ she said, emphasizing that Kuan respects the boundaries between her personal and professional life.

‘Hindi siya nakikialam, promise,’ she continued, citing her separation as an example. ‘So kung ano ‘yung comfortable ako, doon siya.’

‘Kasi hindi niya pwede i-impose yung gusto niya talaga sa akin. Kailangan ‘yung communication lines are always open. Especially pag ganyan na nagko-cross na ‘yung personal and the professional,’ added the singer-actress.

Kuan recently made headlines following her resignation as Bea Alonzo’s manager in August. Kuan said she stepped down after a series of issues with the actress.

Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the country’s biggest power distributor, is seeking bids for its 900-megawatt (MW) baseload supply needs, with delivery eyed to start by 2031.

This came as the Pangilinan-led group secured from the Department of Energy a certificate of conformity on the terms of reference for the planned power supply agreements (PSAs).

The utility giant said power generation firms wanting to participate in the auction may formally express their interest by Oct. 15.

The prebid conference is set for Nov. 6, while the bid submission deadline is on Dec. 9.

The 15-year PSAs would cover the delivery of 600-MW supply by Feb. 26, 2031, and an additional 300 MW by Feb. 26, 2032.

‘Through the CSP (competitive selection process), Meralco continues to secure sufficient and reliable power supply to meet the growing electricity needs of its customers,’ the firm said.

Earlier this month, Meralco said the subsidiaries of energy giants San Miguel Corp. (SMC) and AboitizPower had provided the best bids for its 600-MW supply requirement. They were Mariveles Power Gen Corp and Sual Power Inc, both under SMC’s power arm San Miguel Global Power Holdings Corp. Aboitiz Power’s GNPower Mariveles Energy Center likewise hoped to secure its win.

This round, which also sought 15-year power supply deals, would still be up for review and awaiting green light from power regulators.

Meralco seeks to have the initial 300-MW baseload supply by Feb. 26, 2028. The remaining capacity is aimed for Feb. 26, 2029.

Under its approved power supply procurement plan, Meralco plans to conduct a series of CSPs to procure a total of 3,100 MW of baseload and intermediate capacity for its electricity needs from 2028 to 2049.

Police said all students and personnel of Isulan National High School (INHS) in Sultan Kudarat were safe, and no injuries were reported in the incident that caused panic there Wednesday morning.

Col. Marvin Fontalva, acting director of the Sultan Kudarat Police Provincial Office (SKPPO), said police personnel were coordinating with the school administration and other authorities as they continue to investigate what really happened in what was reported as an ‘alleged shooting incident.’

‘Based on the latest report received by this office, all teachers and students are safe, and no injuries have been reported,’ he added.

Sultan Kudarat Gov. Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu belied the alleged shooting incident inside the school, noting the supposed gunshots heard were likely due to ‘faulty electrical wiring.’

Fontalva said police were verifying the circumstances surrounding the incident while security measures remained in place within and around the school premises.

He urged parents, teachers, students, and the public to remain calm and avoid sharing unverified information that could cause fear or panic.

The police official advised the public to rely on official information from the proper authorities.

‘The safety of students, teachers, and school personnel remains our top priority,’ Fontalva said.

He said appropriate police measures were being undertaken as authorities continued to monitor the situation and investigate the incident.

Jhonnel Ababa has been playing as well as he could the past few weeks, and Tuesday in Iloilo wasn’t any different.

‘I’m just swinging it well, hitting it pure,’ Ababa told the Inquirer over the phone in Filipino after gutting out a three-under-par 67 for a one-shot lead over a formidable quintet led by Clyde Mondilla in the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge at the age-old layout formerly known as Sta. Barbara.

It was the only bogey-free round for the 42-year-old father of two, who is playing for the memory of wife, Mailyn, as he shoots to rebound from a costly final-round collapse last week in Bacolod where Art Arbole broke through.

‘I was also playing very well that week, until I got the cough and colds in the final two rounds,’ Ababa, who finished two strokes behind Arbole, explained. ‘I still don’t feel 100 percent, but I am much better now.’

The big-hitting Mondilla gunned down five birdies that went with three bogeys over the tree-lined layout and was in the company of Reymon Jaraula, Rupert Zaragosa, Japan’s Miki Ryoma and long shot Paul Echavez, who birdied his final two holes.

The conditions weren’t that forgiving in the first round, as scorching heat and blustery gusts made for tough play.

There were only 12 sub-par rounds, and big guns like Angelo Que and Justin Quiban returned 72s as Que struggled with five bogeys and Quiban only had four birdies in a round littered by four bogeys and a double bogey 5 on the 15th.

Zannie Boy Gialon, the 2024 champion, got slowed down by a front side 40 on the way to a 74, as he needs a low second round to make the final two rounds.

‘The course was extremely tough, especially when the wind picked up on the back nine,’ Ababa said. ‘I just focused on hitting greens in regulation, and whenever a birdie opportunity came up, I made the putt. I just got a bit lucky today.’

Mondilla looked poised for the solo lead as he came into his final four holes working on a four-under card. But Mondilla missed the sixth and eighth greens and couldn’t rescue pars.

‘My par putts were from a long distance [on those holes],’ said Mondilla in Filipino.

Arbole, meanwhile, returned a level 70 to be in a six-man group that includes Antonio Lascuña, even as Jeff Lumbo, who was second last week at Marapara, shot a 69 to be in a six-man pack that trails Ababa by two heading into the second round on Wednesday.

The remaining members of Team Philippines in Aichi-Nagoya look to advance their campaigns Thursday, October 1, as the Asian Games 2026 enter their final three full days of competition.

Alex Eala and the Alas Pilipinas women eye spots in the gold medal matches of tennis and beach volleyball, respectively, as they see action in the semifinals.

Filipino bets also begin their campaigns in jiu-jitsu, rugby sevens and taekwondo on Thursday.

Team Philippines schedule for October 1, Thursday at Aichi Nagoya Asian Games 2026

Archery

8:51am – Amaya Cojuangco vs Bita Asheghzadeh Oskouei (Iran) – compound women’s quarterfinals

Softball

10am – Philippines vs China – preliminary round

Jiu-jitsu

8:25 am – Marc Alexander Lim vs Choijamts Tuvdentarvaa (Mongolia) – men’s -69kg Round of 32

Golf

5:30am – women’s individual stroke play/team – round 2 – Pauline Del Rosario, Rianne Malixi, Bianca Pagdanganan

9:40am – men’s individual stroke play/team – round 2 – Carl Jano Corpus, Justin Delos Santos, Miguel Tabuena

Rhythmic Gymnastics

10am/2:30pm – women’s individual all-around qualification – hoop and ball – Breanna Labadan, Jasmine Ramilo

11:51am/4:13pm – women’s individual all-around qualification – clubs and ribbons – Breanna Labadan, Jasmine Ramilo

Judo

~10am onwards

Joemari Heart Rafael vs Mimi Huh (South Korea) – women’s -57kg elimination Round of 16

Gabriel Quitain vs Masayuki Terada (Thailand) – men’s -73kg elimination Round of 16

Khrizzie Pabulayan vs Adina Marsbekovna Kochkonbaeva (Kyrgyzstan) – women’s -63kg elimination Round of 16

Padel

~9am onwards

Danna Abad / Joshea Malazarte vs Iran – women’s pairs quarterfinals

Jason Lapidus / Argil Canizares vs Malaysia – men’s pairs quarterfinals

Rugby Sevens

10:05am – Philippines vs Sri Lanka – men’s pool phase

3:55pm – Philippines vs UAE – men’s pool phase

Sepak Takraw

8am – Philippines vs Thailand – women’s quadrant – preliminary

1pm – Philippines vs Vietnam – women’s quadrant – preliminary

Taekwondo

9:04am – women’s individual poomsae semifinals – Juliana Candelaria

10:30am – men’s individual poomsae semifinals – Jeus Gabriel Yape

Tennis

~not before 1pm at Center Court – Alex Eala vs Wang Xiyu (China) – women’s singles semifinals

Volleyball

6pm – Alas Pilipinas vs Indonesia – men’s classification round

Beach volleyball

With the Philippines and Malaysia emerging as central nodes in Asia Pacific’s transnational illicit tobacco trade, Japan Tobacco International (JTI) has urged Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) countries to establish a regional body to combat these illicit transactions.

Valentin Dinca, regional director at JTI Anti-Illicit Trade Operations, said the dedicated regional body should, among others, oversee customs collaboration, swift intelligence exchange and cargo verification along maritime routes as well as utilize artificial intelligence, or AI tools.

Dinca said that despite ongoing efforts to curb illegal tobacco trade across the region, dismantling organized crimes involves collective action among Southeast Asian countries.

‘But if you talk about [illegal tobacco] trade, it’s not just a method that requires acting within one jurisdiction simply because it is cross-border by nature. The next victory against organized criminality will come from connecting this type of action across the entire Southeast Asia region,’ Dinca said in a press briefing.

‘Maybe the only thing that is missing is the regional actual coordination that would definitely support, to track all these shipments rather than doing in an isolated way,’ Dinca told visiting Filipino journalists.

Shaiful Mahpar, director for corporate affairs and communications at JTI Philippines, said the Philippines, for instance, is one of the few Asean countries with strict compliance laws.

Mahpar said under Philippine law, manufacturers are prohibited from exporting cigarettes without verifying compliance with the destination country’s regulations and health warnings.

No shooting took place at a high school in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat, after a ‘loud sound’ was reported on the premises, the province’s governor said Wednesday.

According to Sultan Kudarat Governor Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu, the loud sound reported was likely caused by faulty wiring, and not by a firearm.

‘There was no shooting incident at Isulan National High School,’ said Mangudadatu in a statement.

‘The reported loud sound was not caused by a firearm and was likely due to faulty electrical wiring. No ammunition was found in the area during the investigation,’ he added, citing a report by the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Police Office.

Mangudadatu said no casualties nor injuries were also recorded, with the Bureau of Fire Protection now conducting its assessment regarding the possible electrical wiring issue.

Meanwhile, the governor said the province is already in coordination with the peace and security authorities, and is securing and maintaining the area while the assessment continues.

He then assured parents, as well as the public, that the situation is already under control.

‘Please remain calm and rely only on official and verified information from the concerned authorities,’ said Mangudadatu.

‘The safety and well-being of our students and teachers remain our utmost concern,’ he added.

Police are in control of the situation inside the INHS campus, Isulan Mayor Bai Rihan Mangudadatu Sakaluran said.

Sakaluran urged residents to remain calm and refrain from spreading false or unverified information as the investigation continues.

Following the incident, some schools in Isulan immediately suspended classes and students and teachers were told to wait for official announcements.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education Schools Division of Sultan Kudarat said in a statement that it is ‘closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with concerned authorities.’

Malacañang on Wednesday expressed concern over Davao City Mayor Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte’s claim that he was unaware of his sister, Vice President Sara Duterte’s, financial interest in Gencorp Industries Inc.

The Palace made the statement after Mayor Duterte said during the resumption of the impeachment trial on Tuesday that he had no prior knowledge of the company and only learned about it when it was raised before the Senate Impeachment Court.

Gencorp secured at least P34 million worth of contracts from Davao City between 2022 and 2025, raising a potential conflict of interest since Vice President Duterte is prohibited from directly or indirectly participating in any business during her term.

She has declared stock ownership in Gencorp in her sworn Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth since 2013.

At a briefing, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said a mayor, or any leader, cannot simply claim to have no knowledge of what is happening under their jurisdiction.

Officials also cannot simply turn a blind eye to unusual activities taking place under their jurisdiction, she added.

‘Some siblings may tell the truth, while others may lie to cover up for and defend their own sibling. There are also siblings who may lie to discredit their own sibling,’ Castro said.

‘So in such circumstances, we cannot really say because it is what is in a person’s heart and mind that determines whether they are lying or not. But a mayor, or any leader or official, when you have authority over an agency or an organization, even over areas or entire countries, you cannot simply say that you had no knowledge, that you did not look into it, or that you did not care,’ she added.

Castro clarified that she was not determining whether Mayor Duterte was covering up for his sister or whether he had any liability over the alleged conflict of interest involving Gencorp.

‘What he showed yesterday was simply that he had no knowledge. He did not know, he did not look into it, and it seemed as though he did not care,’ she said.

‘If Mayor Baste Duterte has any liability, we are not the ones who should judge that. Perhaps it is the people who should decide, because a leader should not be allowed to remain in a position of authority while constantly claiming to have no knowledge or no concern,’ she added.

During the impeachment trial, Senator-Judge Panfilo Lacson asked Mayor Duterte whether his lawyers had briefed him on the Arias v. Sandiganbayan doctrine before he testified.

Mayor Duterte said they had not.

The doctrine recognizes that heads of government offices may reasonably rely on their subordinates in performing official duties, particularly in the processing of documents and transactions.

According to Castro, an official may invoke the doctrine if he or she acted in good faith. However, if officials see irregularities and there are already signs that something is improper, they can no longer invoke the doctrine to cover up their own shortcomings or protect an ally or sibling.

‘Maybe, as we said, one year could still be considered good faith; one and a half years, perhaps, could still be understandable. But when it goes on for a longer period, and you still fail to notice it, even though you continue to transact with the same company, then perhaps it is time to start thinking about it,’ she explained.