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Former Energy chief Alfonso Cusi on Monday asked the Sandiganbayan Third Division for permission to travel to China and Japan starting Oct. 31.

Cusi is facing a graft case over alleged involvement in facilitating the 2019 sale of a 45-percent stake Malampaya gas project which special prosecutors said has led to loss of millions of dollars in government revenue.

Jezreel Zapanta of the Office of the Special Prosecutor did not specify the duration of Cusi’s stay or his return date, although he noted that the trip would last less than 30 days.

Zapanta opposed the request, noting that Cusi planned to attend an import-export fair in China and a food fair in Japan.

‘This is not an emergency, your honor,’ Zapanta said, adding that there is no absolute necessity for the former secretary to travel.

Cusi’s lawyer, Joey Rose De Leon countered that his client was not a flight risk, citing, among other reasons, that his family would remain in the Philippines.

According to Cusi, he last left the country in July 2025.

Associate Justice Karl Miranda, Third Division chair, said Cusi’s motion is submitted for resolution.

Cusi’s graft charges stemmed from his alleged involvement in facilitating the 2019 sale of a 45-percent stake of Chevron in the Malampaya gas project to UC Malampaya, a subsidiary of Udenna Corporation owned by Davao businessman Dennis Uy.

Special prosecutors noted that in 2018 and 2019, the Malampaya consortium’s gas proceeds were US$1.225 billion and US$1.295 billion, respectively. However, they said UC Malampaya produced $338 million less than its actual production in 2018.

However, they said UC Malampaya produced $338 million less than its actual production in 2018 when Udenna took over in 2019.

From 2020 to 2024, the said proceeds of UC Malampaya only ranged from US$1.097 billion to US$680 million.

Furthermore, special prosecutors said the government suffered undue injuries and damages when Cusi and other co-accused allowed UC Malampaya to take control of the 45 percent stake of Chevron, which they said was valued at US$565 million at that time. They said the accused allowed UC Malampaya to purchase the stake for a price of only around US$387 million, which resulted in a loss of almost US$177.4 million to the government.

A landmark tree that produced vibrant yellow blooms along the national highway each summer was uprooted Monday afternoon after heavy rains and strong winds from localized thunderstorms battered the city.

Personnel from the Malaybalay City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) responded to a distress call at around 2:55 p.m. about the fallen tree.

The golden trumpet tree (Handroanthus chrysanthus) stood near Bukidnon National High School, the city’s largest public secondary school.

Responders used chainsaws to clear the fallen branches and trunk, causing temporary traffic congestion along the busy thoroughfare.

No injuries were reported.

The CDRRMO said Malaybalay had been experiencing moderate to heavy rainfall over the past few weeks due to the intertropical convergence zone, compounded by a localized thunderstorm Monday that left the surrounding soil heavily saturated.

The iconic tree had stood along the highway for nearly two decades.

Julius Parian, a forester with the Valencia City Environment and Natural Resources Office, told the Inquirer that the golden trumpet tree was planted around 2007 under the ‘Green Philippine Highway’ program launched by the late Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes.

Parian explained that the introduced tree species, which is native to Brazil and sheds its foliage before blooming in late spring, is a softwood tree with a relatively short lifespan.

The tree is susceptible to uprooting when the soil becomes overly saturated, he added.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo expressed sadness on Monday after three minority senators reportedly voted in favor of reconsidering a petition to oust him in the upper chamber.

This came a few days after the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) dismissed the motion for reconsideration filed by disbarred lawyer Berteni Causing to unseat Tulfo due to allegedly retaining his American citizenship, his membership in a political dynasty, and lack of academic qualifications.

The SET is composed of three Supreme Court associate justices, Sens. Bam Aquino, Kiko Pangilinan and Lito Lapid from the majority bloc; and Sens. Pia Cayetano, Camille Villar, and Robin Padilla.

Causing’s motion was denied, 6-3, as it was filed beyond the deadline, and the amended version of his petition was found insufficient in form once again.

‘May nagsabi lang na bumoto yung tatlo [from the minority] na ‘hindi, guilty itong tao na ito,’ Tulfo said in an interview at the Senate, citing social media reports.

(Someone just said that the three [from the minority] voted no, this person is guilty.)

‘Masama lang ho ang loob natin kasi nakikita niyo naman siguro na nagyayakapan ho, kausap pa, nagkakamayan, then suddenly- Medyo malungkot lang naman, pero karapatan naman nila eh. What can we do? Hindi naman natin pwedeng pwersahin,’ he added.

(We’re just hurt because, as you’ve probably seen, we were hugging, talking, and shaking hands with each other, and then suddenly… It’s just a little sad, but it’s their right. What can we do? We can’t force them.)

Asked whether he anticipated such an outcome, Tulfo admitted he expected it from one of the two lady senators, but he was surprised the other two voted the same.

‘Yung isa po talagang normal na, talagang hindi naman kami nagbabatian nung isang senadora. Pero yung dalawa po naguusap ho kami… Lalo pa’t yung isa kasama ko sa Congress, tapos yung isa ho halos magkamaganak na ho kami. ‘insan’ ang tawagan namin. I didn’t expect,’ Tulfo shared.

(One of them is someone I don’t normally exchange greetings with; we really don’t greet each other. But I talkto the other two. One ofthem was my colleague in Congress, while the other and I are practically relatives-we call each other ‘insan’ [cousin]. I didn’t expect.)

Tulfo and Villar were both members of the House of Representatives during the 19th Congress prior to their election as senators in 2025.

But the senator reiterated that it is within his colleagues’ right to vote for his disqualification in office.

‘Karapatan naman po nila yun eh. So hindi naman natin pwedeng pigilin. That’s their right. Kung tingin ho nila at ayaw nila sa atin dito sa Senado, bumoto po sila. Pero yung six naniniwala na mali po in the very first place yung reklamo, medyo may problema na agad,’ Tulfo further stated.

Wind signals may be raised in parts of Cagayan and Isabela starting Wednesday as Super Typhoon Champi approaches the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR), with its closest approach to Northern Luzon expected later this week, the state weather bureau said Monday.

In its 5 p.m. public weather forecast, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Champi was still outside PAR as of 3 p.m. Monday, located 1,525 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon.

The super typhoon was packing maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 230 kph, moving west-northwestward at 15 kph.

Pagasa weather specialist Charmagne Varilla said Champi could enter PAR on Tuesday morning or afternoon, when it would be given the local name Rosal.

‘As of now, it has no direct effect on any part of the country,’ Varilla said.

The storm is expected to remain a super typhoon as it moves over the waters east of Northern Luzon before possibly weakening to typhoon strength by Thursday.

The storm’s forecast track has been shifting away from extreme Northern Luzon, according to Varilla. ‘If its track continues to shift farther north, the chance of it making landfall in any part of the country may decrease,’ she said.

Despite the absence of a direct impact from Champi, its trough is expected to bring rain to parts of the country in the coming days.

Pagasa said Catanduanes, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar may experience cloudy skies with scattered rain and thunderstorms, with possible flash floods and landslides due to moderate to occasionally heavy rainfall.

The Bicol region may also experience worsening weather from Wednesday through Thursday, while much of the Visayas could see rain from Wednesday to Friday. Parts of the Zamboanga Peninsula and Northern Mindanao, including Cagayan de Oro, may also experience rainfall.

Pagasa said wind signals may be issued in parts of Cagayan and Isabela starting Wednesday as the storm approaches.

While welcoming the economic promise of a modern transshipment hub at their doorsteps, coastal residents facing displacement by the multi-billion-peso Butuan Logistical Seaport (BLS) project in Butuan City are seeking clear relocation plans and government guarantees.

For Marife Monteroso, 44, a resident of Purok 12 in Barangay Lumbocan, she welcomes the prospect of local employment and regional progress, provided her family is not left without a secure roof over their heads.

‘Our main concern really is where exactly we will be relocated. In the meeting earlier, there were clarifications on where we might go,’ Monteroso said in a report from the Butuan City Public Information Office on Sunday.

Monteroso was among dozens of coastal settlers who attended the Butuan City government’s initial social preparation dialogue on Oct. 17 at the Lumbocan gym.

City officials briefed residents on the valuation process for affected structures, available support packages, and the planned transition timeline to designated, disaster-resilient resettlement sites away from coastal hazard zones.

The coastal village of Lumbocan, located near the mouth of the Agusan River facing Butuan Bay, sits at the heart of the city’s ambitious drive to transform it into the primary logistics and agro-industrial gateway of northeastern Mindanao.

According to the city government, civil works for Phases 1 and 2 of the port have already concluded, paving the way for succeeding phases that include extensive rock causeways, container marshalling yards, breakwaters, and deep-water berthing terminals designed to handle larger domestic and regional commercial vessels.

Records from the Bureau of Local Government Finance (BLGF) show the seaport undertaking is funded by a P6.1 billion loan facility from the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

City planners designed the deep-water port to ease heavy reliance on the congested Port of Nasipit and the shallow, heavily silted Masao River port.

By offering direct sea routes to major trading hubs in the Visayas and Luzon, the facility is projected to cut hauling and demurrage costs for Caraga’s agricultural, wood-processing, and mineral exporters, while generating downstream logistics and stevedoring jobs.

Former city councilor and civil engineer Sergio ‘Serge’ Pascual criticized the project, arguing that pouring billions of pesos into a new seaport in Lumbocan faces severe engineering and environmental headwinds, including siltation from the Agusan River delta.

He maintained that upgrading or collaborating with the existing, established deep-water harbor at the Port of Nasipit, or rehabilitating the existing Masao Port, would have been a far more prudent and cost-effective approach for public coffers. The city government has consistently defended the project, emphasizing that Butuan must achieve long-term economic independence by capturing port handling, customs dues, and commercial revenues within its own territory, rather than perpetually surrendering logistics growth to neighboring localities.

Agusan del Sur 2nd District Rep. Adolph Edward ‘Eddiebong’ Plaza scored Monday morning the ‘systematic breakdown’ of the government to improve agricultural productivity through proper laboratory-tested soil application methods.

In his keynote speech during the Capacity Building on Soil Health and Local Diagnostics attended by participants from different regions, Plaza claimed there was an institutional disconnect between national government offices and their rural counterparts.

Plaza cautioned that unless state agencies connect central bureaus to actual field offices, billions in agricultural spending will continue yielding dismal harvests.

He criticized the leadership of the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) for ‘elevating politics over grassroots impact.’

‘Once we get down to the municipal level, there is already a disconnect,’ Plaza said. ‘Most of the employees of the municipal agricultural office do not have a soil science discipline in terms of agriculture. So what happens? Pagpasa ng regional soil science going down to the municipal level, hirap intindihin ‘yung mga agriculturist (when the regional data reaches the municipal level, the agriculturists struggle to understand it).’

Plaza also cited alleged severe procurement waste, asking delegates why several state-acquired mobile soil laboratories remain either ‘mothballed or still unboxed.’

‘Mayroon tayong laboratory, hindi naman nakikinabang ang farmer, tama? (We have a laboratory, but the farmer doesn’t benefit, right?) So hinahanap ko talaga ‘yung disconnect na ‘yon (I am hunting down that disconnect).’

Sought for comment, Engr. Ricardo Oñate Jr., DA-Caraga regional executive director, disputed allegations that the agency’s diagnostic assets are left unused.

In a mobile phone interview, Oñate clarified that the regional office’s Mobile Soils Laboratory has been actively deployed on the ground this year, conducting 1,309 chemical analyses, 74 physical tests, and nine biological analyses of soil samples, alongside six diagnostic training sessions across Caraga.

Addressing the situation in Plaza’s home province, Oñate explained that DA-Caraga ceased deployments there because the Agusan del Sur provincial government had already built and operationalized its own high-end soils testing facility.

With local diagnostic infrastructure already well-established in the area, the regional office prioritized other localities lacking advanced diagnostic gear, Oñate said.

Agusan del Sur has established an Applied Research Department tasked with translating raw soil test results directly onto community farm parcels.

The model is already delivering measurable gains. On rain-fed test plots outside the provincial laboratory, applying tailored soil chemistry elevated rice yields from 3.6 metric tons to over 6 metric tons per hectare over four years.

To secure future technical capacity, the provincial government is underwriting 60 undergraduate agriculture scholarships at Agusan del Sur State University (ADSU)-prioritizing children of farmers and indigenous youth-alongside 10 master’s fellowships in soil science at Central Mindanao University. ‘A laboratory may produce technically correct results, but those results must be properly interpreted and translated into practical recommendations,’ Plaza said. ‘Our farmers must be able to understand them, and ultimately, we must see whether they lead to better output in the field.’

Recognizing the heightened vulnerability of schools in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas during disasters, the Pisompongan Integrated School (PIS) in Midsalip town, Zamboanga del Sur, conducted over the weekend a two-day emergency response training, transforming teachers, students, and community volunteers into first responders.

Pisompongan Integrated School is 20 kilometers away from the Midsalip town center.

Located far from the town center where emergency services and communication are often delayed, the remote school hosted the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management training to ensure local residents can manage life-threatening incidents on their own when help is out of reach.

‘For us at Pisompongan Integrated School, preparedness goes beyond conducting drills. It means preparing our teachers and learners to act when help is far away and every second matters,’ school principal Gideon Goc-ong said.

‘In our community, where access and communication can be challenging, being prepared is not just a responsibility; it is a commitment to protect life,’ Goc-ong added. ‘Because at PIS, we prepare not only to survive, but to help others survive, too.’

The two-day workshop, which wrapped up on Saturday, Oct. 17, equipped participants – representing five neighboring barangays- with practical skills in emergency response, mass incident management, and basic life support and cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

The initiative was organized in partnership with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the municipal local government, the Reservist Army, and the barangay local government unit.

Following their accreditation, the newly-certified community responders will undergo frequent unannounced and simultaneous mass-incident drills to test their readiness in real-time emergency scenarios.

Church and youth groups in Oriental Mindoro are urging young people to take a more active role in political reform, including efforts to end political dynasties.

The call is part of the ‘Dapat Isa Lang’ people’s initiative campaign, which seeks to raise awareness about political dynasties and encourage Filipinos to turn their political concerns into concrete action.

As part of the campaign, the Diocese of Calapan Youth Commission and the Diocesan Social Action Center will hold a forum on political dynasties on Oct. 20 at 1 p.m. at the Divine Word College of Calapan Basic Education Gymnasium in Barangay Pachoca, Calapan City.

Dubbed ‘Paanyaya sa Lahat: Forum on Political Dynasty,’ the gathering aims to encourage young people to make informed voting decisions and participate in collective efforts to address political dynasties and other governance concerns.

‘Marami na sa atin ang pagod sa paulit-ulit na usapin ng korapsyon. Ngunit bilang Simbahan, hindi tayo nauubusan ng pag-asa (We have become fatigued by the barrage of stories about corruption but the Church will not lose hope) ,’ the campaign poster said, stressing the importance of truth, peaceful dialogue and collective action in pursuing change.

It added that young people should move beyond simply knowing what is happening and take part in efforts to promote reform and the common good.

Former Finance Undersecretary Cielo Magno is positioning herself as an alternative to traditional politicians in the next general elections, proposing fiscal reforms to jump-start a slowing economy.

Magno, 48, made public last week her intent to run for the Senate in the 2028 polls, embarking on an uphill bid to build name recognition for a shot in the chamber where those elected are often from entrenched and popular political families backed by formidable campaign machinery and deep funding.

Her bold pitch is seen as a test to the appetite for change of a graft-weary public frustrated by endemic corruption and rising living costs.

‘Enough with the political antics and tricking the public,’ Magno told the Inquirer on Sunday. ‘I see the national campaign as an opportunity to elevate the discussion on issues related to healthcare, education, agriculture, industrial policy and corruption.’

200,000 followers

Magno has emerged as a key anticorruption advocate in the wake of a multibillion-peso flood control scandal, with a wide reach in social media platforms where she has more than 200,000 followers.

A self-styled ‘good governance advocate,’ she is currently a professor at the University of the Philippines School of Economics, teaching institutional economics and public finance, among other subjects.

She previously led the Department of Finance’s Fiscal Policy and Monitoring Group, overseeing tax reform and legislative policy until her termination in 2023 over a Facebook post illustrating market supply and demand that implicitly criticized President Marcos’ price-cap policy on rice.

Magno understands that her academic credentials and policy expertise alone will not be enough to cut through the political noise as she mounts a senatorial campaign for the 2028 polls.

‘I am not from a dynastic family nor a celebrity. To have a fair chase in 2028, I need to introduce myself and subject myself to public scrutiny,’ she said. ‘No surprises. There is ample time to examine and scrutinize who Cielo Magno is.’

Economist candidate

She said she can help address an economy rife with structural weaknesses.

‘The economy is the problem,’ she said, pointing to the country’s import dependence and weak investor confidence. ‘[There’s] no energy security, high poverty incidence relative to other countries in the region, high percentage of the informal sector, weak protection programs [and] deficient human capital.’

‘As an economist, I can help formulate policies that can address these problems,’ she added.

She vowed to focus on expanding healthcare access, ensuring the responsible management of natural resources, and crafting targeted industrial policies to foster job creation, improve food security, and programs that could make the government be ‘more transparent and accountable.’

‘My policy proposals will revolve around that,’ she said. ‘Taxation and the budget are tools to address these issues.’

She could also bring to the Senate ‘not just technical expertise but knowledge of grassroots concerns and global trends,’ touting her deep engagements with national and global civil society groups.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan over his remarks that China ‘may easily win’ in a confrontation in the West Philippine Sea.

Marcos prefers diplomacy over declaring Chinese envoy persona non grata

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. does not want to declare any foreign diplomat persona non grata, including Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan, as the country remains keen on resolving issues through diplomatic means, Palace press officer Claire Castro said Monday.

Sandiganbayan suspends Marcoleta as senator

The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Monday suspended Sen. Rodante Marcoleta for 90 days due to his plunder case, for allegedly accepting a P75-million donation while serving as a party-list lawmaker./atm