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A deputy police chief in Cavite province – whom authorities did not name – was put into restrictive custody for allegedly raping a detainee in their station, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.

In a press briefing in Camp Crame on Wednesday, PNP public information chief Brig. Gen. Randulf Tuaño said the relieved deputy police chief was taken into custody last Sept. 19 and charged last Sept. 23 for violating Republic Act No. 8353 or the Anti-Rape Law, Tuaño noted.

‘This deputy chief of police, our suspect is currently in restrictive custody at the Cavite Police Provincial Office. Our victim is being considered to be moved to another custodial facility,’ he detailed.

The PNP public information chief did not name the deputy police chief but said he had the rank of police lieutenant and was stationed at the Noveleta police station.

According to Tuaño, the rape incident allegedly occurred in the station early Sept. 4 morning.

The victim – a 34-year-old woman detained in Noveleta for drug-related charges – reported the incident to the police on Sept. 18, Tuaño added.

‘BAs part of our zero-tolerance policy, that the Philippine National Police leadership will not tolerate these violations by their men, their police chief was replaced last Sept. 19,’ Tuaño further noted.

Additionally, Tuaño said the PNP was looking to file administrative cases against the relieved deputy police chief and his superior over the alleged rape incident. /mr

A study commissioned by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) identified cultural and religious norms, poverty, and weak enforcement of child protection laws as primary drivers of child marriages in the provinces of Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

In a report, ‘Understanding Factors Driving Child, Early, and Forced Marriage and Unions (CEFMU),’ focused on the two provinces and launched on Tuesday, Unicef said that child marriage continued to jeopardize the future of thousands of children in Jolo, the capital of Sulu, and in Bongao, the capital of Tawi-Tawi.

It also said the Philippines ranked 12th in the world in terms of the absolute number of child marriages, with 1 in every 6 girls married before they turned 18.

Patricia Lim Ah Ken, child protection chief of Unicef Philippines, said the international body commissioned the study, with support from the Australian government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, to identify gaps in understanding child marriage in Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, and to inform targeted interventions and policies that foster a protective environment for all vulnerable children.

‘Several studies showed that child marriage remains a deep-rooted issue in the Philippines, depriving thousands of girls of their childhood, of their education, and of their futures,’ Ken said during the study’s virtual launch on Tuesday.

She cited the National Demographic and Health Survey, which showed that nine percent of girls marry at the age of 18, some as young as 13; and that in 2023, more than 12,000 adolescent girls entered marriage, a statistic that is four times greater than boys.

Among the contributing factors were poverty, limited education, cultural norms, and legal ambiguity, she said.

‘While the national poverty incidence rate from 2021 to 2023 has been reduced overall, BARMM (Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) still has the highest rate at 40.1 per cent. This compounds the risk for girls to marry or enter into a union, cutting short their education and limiting their ability to participate in civic life and leadership,’ she said.

The study highlighted how these drivers persisted despite the passage of Republic Act 11596, or the Act Prohibiting the Practice of Child Marriage in 2022; legislation alone was not enough to end the practice.

In 2021, the Bangsamoro Women Commission estimated that 88,600 girls had been married before they turned 18. A survey conducted by Plan International and the Women’s Refugee Commission revealed that for every 100 girls in BARMM, 15 are married before age 18, two are married before age 15 – figures significantly higher than the national average.

The study found that in many cases, early marriage is seen as a way to avoid what is considered haram, a term in the Muslim faith referring to actions forbidden by Islamic law, such as premarital relationships or pregnancies outside marriage.

Families facing economic hardship may also view marriage as an escape from financial difficulties.

These factors place children, especially young girls, at risk of losing their right to education, being forced into adult responsibilities before they are ready, according to Unicef. At the same time, early pregnancy among girls further compounds their risk to health, safety, and overall well-being.

Among Unicef’s key recommendations is to keep girls in school by expanding scholarships and alternative learning systems for those at risk of dropping out, supporting families economically through livelihood and women’s empowerment programs so that early marriage would not be seen as the only option to end or minimize poverty; and working with religious and community leaders to challenge harmful norms and promote child rights.

‘Every girl deserves the chance to grow into adulthood with dignity, health, and hope. Child marriage and early unions can interrupt education, compromise health, and place girls in roles they are not yet ready for, including motherhood. UNICEF stands with communities of every faith and tradition to protect girls and uphold their right to choose their future,’ said Ken./coa

The Philippines needs to strengthen sustainability standards in major infrastructure projects to attract discerning foreign investors and donors, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said.

In a report released on Tuesday, the OECD said the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 had already laid out specific strategies and measurable actions that signal a commitment to integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations.

Still, the group said, more could be done to embed sustainability more deeply into infrastructure investments to meet the expectations of global investors.

The report noted that ESG criteria have expanded beyond environmental safeguards to include climate risk assessments.

Projects now face rigorous compliance checks at the feasibility stage. Emphasis is growing on sustainable technologies-from electric vehicles in urban centers to solar power integration and energy-efficient airport operations.

Supply chains

Companies operating in economic zones are also aligning their practices with the ESG standards of tenants and partners, reflecting a broader shift toward sustainability across supply chains.

‘Further integrating ESG factors should be discussed by the government to ensure alignment with the various factors necessary to attract both ODA and foreign capital,’ the OECD said.

ESG considerations in Philippine public-private partnerships, or PPP, are still evolving, the report noted.

With limited local regulations in place, private companies often take the lead in incorporating international standards into contract negotiations.

Bankers’ push

The country’s banking sector has also emerged as a driver of change, enforcing stricter ESG requirements for project financing.

The OECD said this shift has led to ‘more favorable capital requirements for sustainable finance,’ encouraging companies to prioritize sustainability and pushing both public and private players toward stronger compliance even in the absence of comprehensive legislation at home.

‘Banks and investors are increasingly adopting ESG-focused sustainable finance frameworks, driven by regulations and market demand,’ the OECD noted.

‘This trend has expanded funding opportunities for companies . with some banks offering more favorable terms for sustainable projects. However, implementation varies among institutions, with some conducting internal due diligence while others require third-party evaluations, influencing project financing decisions,’ it added. -INQ

Rain will continue across the Philippines as the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ), northeasterly windflow, and localized thunderstorms persist, the state weather bureau said on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

The ITCZ is a belt of low pressure near the equator where the trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres meet.

A northeasterly windflow, on the other hand, is a current of air blowing from the northeast, associated with the early stages of the Northeast Monsoon, or Amihan, in the Philippines.

In its latest update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said the ITCZ will bring cloudy skies with scattered rain and thunderstorms over Visayas, Mindanao, and Palawan.

The northeasterly windflow will affect Quezon and Camarines Norte, bringing cloudy skies with rain. Cagayan Valley, Ilocos Norte, Apayao, and Aurora will experience partly cloudy skies with isolated light rain due to the same system.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated showers caused by localized thunderstorms.

Tropical depression

As of 2 a.m. Wednesday, a tropical depression is still being monitored outside of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

It was last located 1,985 kilometers east of Luzon, packing maximum winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 70 kph. Its movement was northwestward at 15 kph.

‘It will slightly or somewhat graze our area of responsibility. We are also not ruling out that it may enter our PAR briefly or momentarily and then move away again,’ said Pagasa Weather Specialist Loriedin De La Cruz during the 5 a.m. weather forecast.

She added that the tropical depression is not expected to directly affect the country.

Lifting the rice import ban while retaining the 15-percent tariff rate on imported rice is crucial to protect consumers from rising food prices and keeping inflation in check.

This is according to advocacy group Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), which called on the government to ‘immediately’ lift the rice import freeze and reconsider the plan of the Department of Agriculture (DA) to raise the import tax to 35 percent from the current 15 percent.

‘These measures represent a significant setback to economic liberalization, consumer welfare and overall national competitiveness,’ said the FEF, whose members include some of the country’s most prominent economists and sociopolitical thinkers.

‘FEF believes that a liberalized trade, guided by market signals, is the most effective way to ensure food security and affordable prices for Filipino consumers,’ it said.

‘Scourge of the poor’

The group warned that raising the import tax on rice could drive inflation higher, noting that rice accounted for about 20 percent of food inflation.

‘Inflation is a scourge of the poorest of the poor (bottom 30 percent of the income quintile) Filipinos as an increase in food prices will hurt them most due to limited and alternative income sources,’ it added.

The FEF said any plans to hike the import duty on rice would only penalize 95 percent of Filipino rice consumers, adding that higher rice prices would jack up food and overall inflation.

‘Dismal’ precedent

Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said last month the moratorium would be extended for at least 30 days, hinting it could remain in place until the end of this year.

Tiu Laurel earlier said Cabinet members were discussing the possibility of raising the rice tariff to help shore up ‘palay’ or unmilled rice prices.

However, the FEF said the two-month import ban was a ‘failure’ as farm-gate prices of palay were still ranging between P8 and P10 per kilogram, way below the production cost of P14.53 per kg recorded by the Philippine Statistics Authority in 2024.

The last time that the government intervened in the rice market likewise had the same ‘dismal’ result when retail prices almost tripled after President Marcos had imposed a rice price cap in September 2023.

The FEF said rice prices significantly declined after Mr. Marcos had lifted the price ceiling on the food staple.

Alternatives

Instead of implementing such measures, the FEF proposed improving the productivity and competitiveness of the local rice industry. It called for investments in public goods services, such as research and development, irrigation, infrastructure and extension services.

Such interventions will ultimately protect the local industry against the influx of rice imports, according to the group.

It also recommended providing cash assistance to farmers instead of defending a floor price for their palay, which the FEF warned would be costlier and more inefficient.

‘Providing direct assistance to farmers will plug in fund flow leakages and directly benefit the affected farmers,’ the FEF said.

Buffer stocks

The group also proposed assigning rice buffer stocking to the proper institutions.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development, with the National Food Authority’s support, should ensure access to affordable rice for the poorest of the poor, the group added.

The group also suggested that the private sector should take the lead in stabilizing rice supply, with the government intervening only when necessary. INQ

A subsidiary of Lucio Tan-led MacroAsia Corp. has begun construction of a P2-billion water supply project in Iloilo.

New Earth Water System (NEWS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Boracay Tubi System Inc. (BTSI) is working on the project dubbed New Earth Iloilo Water Supply.

MacroAsia, through its unit MacroAsia Properties Development Corp., holds a majority interest in BTSI.

NEWS said on Tuesday that the project is designed to boost the potable water supply, given the population growth and rising economic activity in the province.

NEWS has water rights and permits to supply, treat and distribute potable water to Iloilo City and the towns of Sta. Barbara, Pavia, Oton, Leganes, Cabatuan, Maasin and San Miguel.

Phased development

The first phase of the project includes the development of a water treatment facility in Barangay Bongo, Pototan. This will have an initial capacity of 37.5 million liters per day (MLD). This may be expanded to as much as 50 MLD.

Water transmission lines and a distribution network of pipelines will also be built.

MacroAsia intends to complete the project in two years. It is expected to ease the current water supply woes in Iloilo.

‘Water is the lifeblood of Iloilo’s growth, and shortages must not become a barrier to progress,’ said Eduardo Luis Luy, chair of both NEWS and BTSI.

‘This facility will not only close the immediate supply gap, but will also provide Iloilo with resilient and sustainable water infrastructure for the future,’ Luy said.

Expansion plans

MacroAsia Properties Development has investments in economic zones and several water ventures outside Metro Manila.

The group’s core investments span aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul; airline and institutional catering; ground handling; property development and leasing; and water utility services.

In the first half of 2025, the group reported a 15-percent growth in consolidated net income. This reached P771.10 million.

Consolidated revenues also jumped 9 percent to P4.81 billion. This was driven by stronger demand across aviation services, institutional food accounts and water concessions. INQ

‘Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,’ starring Lim Yoo-na and Lee Chae-min, recently emerged as tvN’s breakout hit of 2025.

But this should not have been surprising at all. Bring together a successful 21st century chef, an antique recipe book that probably belongs in a museum, and a tyrant king from Joseon era that causes the death of many – who changes for the love of his life, by the way – and you have one clear formula for success. Turn it all into a romance and drama-filled survival cooking show and suddenly you’re shipping Jeonha (honorific for king in Korean) and Yeon Seoksu.

Not only will it have your mouth watering; it will also get you hooked on historical K-dramas once again.

Bring your hanbok out and prepare to bow to the kings. Here are five other historical K-dramas to binge-watch after ‘Bon Appétit, Your Majesty’.

Mr. Queen

Starring Shin Hye-sun and Kim Jung-hyun, ‘Mr. Queen’ takes its viewers on a comedic journey to South Korea’s Joseon dynasty. This K-drama features Choi Jin-hyuk as Jang Bong-hwan, a womanizer head chef at the Blue House – the residence of the President.

Trying to escape the police, Bong-hwan jumps and drowns in a pool, but magically swapping souls with Kim So-yong (Shin), who is soon to be wed to King Cheoljong (Kim Jung-hyun).

Like ‘Bon Appetit,’ the series makes use of Joseon’s cuisine as a prominent element of the story. If you enjoy Joseon palace politics mixed with lots of comedic relief scenes, this drama is for you.

The King’s Affection

If you like ‘The Parent Trap’ and ‘It Takes Two,’ then add this drama to your list. Rowoon makes hearts swoon as the king’s tutor, while Park Eun-bin of ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ fame proves she’s one Korea’s best actresses.

In a time when twins were considered bad omen, and only males were allowed to lead, the Crown Princess decides to keep her son in the palace so that he may inherit the throne, and send her daughter away to save her life.

This compelling 20-episode series will let you feel the ‘impostor syndrome’ of a woman, raised as a lowly citizen then pretended to be a royal man. The romance between the two leads, Dam-yi (Park) and Jung Ji-woon (Rowoon) was carefully built – a perfect slow-burn set in the Joseon era.

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

You either love it or you haven’t watched it yet.

This 2016 K-drama brings big-named cast members, an unforgettable soundtrack, and a heartbreaking story to the table. This is a series that balanced reality and fantasy so well, it becomes immersive and pulls you into Korea’s past.

Hae Soo, who is played by singer-actress IU, falls into a lake during an eclipse. When she emerges, she’s in the Goryeo Dynasty, not knowing anyone, or anything about what had happened.

She meets eight of Goryeo’s founder, King Taejo’s sons who are played by Kim San-hi, Hong Jong-hyub, Lee Joon-gi, Kang Ha-neul, Yoon Sun-woo, Byeon Baek-hyun (EXO), Nam Joo-hyuk, and Ji-soo.

Hae-soo gets stuck in an era where sitting on the throne means to betray or be betrayed, and the more she tries to keep the brothers close, the more she gets dragged along a treacherous and mortifying path.

If you’re looking for a historical drama to cry, laugh, and get attached to, this is definitely the one for you.

Hwarang

Now that we’re talking star-studded dramas, ‘Hwarang’ checks all categories.

With prominent actors Park Seo-jun, Park Hyung-sik, and Go A-ra taking main leads, to K-Pop idol-actors V of BTS and Choi Min-ho of SHINee, this series ticks all boxes of star-studded casting.

The drama shows a group of men banded together to create a group of ‘flowering knights’ meant to protect the Queen and defend her royal family. Unbeknownst to them, the King himself joins the group, masking his identity.

This drama will make you smile wide with cutesy bromance scenes, a wonderful kilig chemistry between the male and female leads, and gripping your chair with action, and betrayal.

If you’re looking for a family-type of drama, you should check this out.

The Emperor: Owner if the Mask

If you like it, you like it.

This drama received mixed reviews from many, the deep and heavily political themes and the whopping 40 episodes making it an acquired taste type of drama.

It starts with a Crown Prince who grew up wearing a mask to hide his identity from a group of powerful tyrants that seek to control the throne. Crown Prince Lee Sun played by Yoo Seung-ho (I’m Not A Robot), becomes a beacon of hope for his people amid a water drought caused by the same group that controls the King.

Gretchen Ho said Philippine ambassador to Norway was ‘surprised’ after she informed him of her family member’s experience of being denied service at a foreign exchange counter at Oslo Gardermoen Airport.

The broadcast journalist earlier said that a foreign exchange counter personnel at the airport refused to exchange her unnamed family member’s money ‘because of the corruption and money laundering in the Philippines.’

As per Ho’s Facebook page on Tuesday, Oct. 7, she received a call from ambassador Enrico T. Fos after she sent an official incident report on the matter.

‘I have already spoken with the Philippine Ambassador to Norway. The Ambassador was surprised,’ she said.

‘As far as he knows, these incidents shouldn’t be happening. He says he’ll be meeting with the Norwegian foreign ministry to address the issue,’ she added.

Ho then underscored the need to clarify the policy on foreign exchange in Oslo, as she pointed out that the Philippines has already been taken out of the ‘grey list’ of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF).

The list includes the ‘jurisdictions under increased monitoring and that are working closely with FATF to address strategic deficiencies in their regimes to counter money laundering, terrorist financing and proliferation financing.’

Ho further noted in her post that her effort to seek clarity on the matter is not only for her family.

‘I believe getting some clarity would help not just our family, but other Filipinos who have shared similar experiences at the same airport in Oslo, saying they have been declined foreign exchange services upon knowing their country of origin is the Philippines,’ she stated.

Pinky Amador threw shade at radio host Anthony Taberna after visiting his restaurant to buy ‘fake news,’ following his claims that Senator Risa Hontiveros, too, made insertions or amendments to the 2025 national budget.

On her social media pages, the screen veteran drew laughs among her followers when she shared a video of her visit at one of Taberna’s restaurant branches, in which she could be seen walking toward the store’s cake shelf where a variety of goodies are displayed.

Amador then told the person taking the video, ‘Bibili sana ako ng fake news.’ (I was planning to buy fake news.)

The camera then panned to the restaurant’s signboard before focusing again on Amador who flashed a smile and a V hand sign.

She added in the caption, ‘Ingat po tayong lahat sa mga papapakin natin. Maging mapanuri sa mga balita, iwasan ang pagpapakalat ng maling impormasyon.’

(Let us all be careful with what we consume. Be critical of the news and avoid spreading false information.)

While Amador did not expound on her remark, it noticeably came after Taberna claimed on his radio program that Hontiveros made insertions in the 2025 budget. Taberna made the claims amid the corruption allegations now hounding other members of the Senate.

Taberna later on claimed in his program there was ‘nothing wrong’ with amendment insertion, unless a lawmaker received a kickback for pipelined projects.

Hontiveros vehemently denied making insertions, saying she even opposed the passage of the controversial 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA). As part of the minority, she and former Sen. Koko Pimentel were the only ones who did not sign the national budget.

Amador’s video has so far garnered over 46,000 Facebook reactions and more than 4,400 comments-most of them were from netizens who apparently approved of the actress’ remark.

Taberna has yet to respond to Amador’s post. He has limited commenting on his platforms.

Consumers might pay more for electricity this month as power generation charges could rise, utility firm Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) said.

‘This is due to the depreciation of the peso, which affects costs of our suppliers that are mostly dollar-denominated,’ Joe Zaldarriaga said in a statement on Tuesday. He is vice president and head of corporate communications at Meralco.

The generation charge accounts for more than half of the monthly electricity bill.

With the US dollar gaining more ground against the local currency, this means that costs related to power producers and supply deals that are dollar-denominated could become more expensive.

But Zaldarriaga remained optimistic that the possible hike could be softened by the reduction in prices at the spot market.

Spot prices down 34%

On Monday, the Independent Electricity Market Operator of the Philippines (IEMOP) said the prices of electricity traded at the spot market dropped by 33.8 percent in September. This settled to its lowest in the last seven months.

IEMOP operates the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market. It is a platform where power is traded between producers and distributors to boost their supply.

The systemwide power rates covering the September supply declined to P3.04 per kilowatt hour (kWh) from the previous month’s P4.59 per kWh. This will reflect in consumers’ October bills.

This, as the supply volume slightly rose to 20,712 megawatts (MW). Meanwhile, demand fell by 2.9 percent to 13,640 MW.

All three major island groups booked lower prices amid weaker demand. Both the Visayas and Mindanao grids saw a 37-percent drop in prices. – INQ