Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

After making history as the first Filipino and first male Asian winner of ‘The Voice’ Season 26, Sofronio Vasquez is lending his voice to a song celebrating unity among Southeast Asian nations.

Vasquez recently performed ‘Seas Unbroken’ for the first time alongside the Young Voices of the Philippines (YVP) aboard the Wish 107.5 Bus.

The collaboration brings together Vasquez, whose victory on the US singing competition catapulted him to the international spotlight, and the young choral artists of YVP, one of the scholar choirs of the Treble Choir Association of the Philippines.

Written by Von de Guzman, ‘Seas Unbroken’ was created in support of the 2026 Asean Philippine Chairship. The song draws inspiration from the seas and islands connecting Southeast Asian countries, with its central message summed up in the line, ‘Seas unbroken, we are one.’

The performance serves as another showcase of the vocal power and emotional range that helped Vasquez win the ‘The Voice’ title. YVP, meanwhile, provides the song with youthful energy.

The Treble Choir Association of the Philippines provides aspiring young performers with opportunities to develop their musical talents through rehearsals, performances and festivals.

‘Seas Unbroken’ also highlights the Philippines’ identity as an archipelagic nation while reflecting the shared geography, history, culture and aspirations of Asean member states.

The song was unveiled under the Philippines’ 2026 Asean Chairship theme, ‘Navigating Our Future, Together,’ which focuses on peace and security, prosperity and people empowerment.

The Philippines formally assumed the Asean chairship on Jan. 1, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia.

Now that Rabin Angeles and Angela Muji have wrapped up the finale episode of their Viva One series ‘Dating Alys Perez,’ things are coming up roses for the onscreen sweethearts.

The 16-episode ‘Dating Alys Perez’ (DAP) is the sequel to the hugely popular series adaptation of ‘Seducing Drake Palma’ with Angeles and Muji – dubbed RabGel by fans – playing the lead roles.

At the recent finale screening in Quezon City, Muji revealed that after DAP, she will again team up with Angeles, this time for a romcom (romantic comedy).

‘For me, I think I’m going to be dabbling in my musicality for a bit because medyo may break kami before our next project together. Pero this time, it’s romcom,’ she told the audience that includes members of the entertainment press and fans. The actress-singer is a former member of P-pop Generation.

‘Happy na sya,’ Angeles teased the fans, as they obliged with shrieks of excitement. ‘Wala pa nga e! Di na kayo masyadong iiyak,’ he further said, alluding to DAP’s heavy scenes.

‘Masaya ‘to, exciting. So I hope you guys will look forward to it,’ said Muji.

Viva One, which produced the series adaptation of DAP and its prequel ‘Seducing Drake Palma’ (SDP) from the wattpad novel authored by Atty. Ariesa Domingo, has not yet announced what project that RabGel will be starring in next.

Directed by Crisanto B. Aquino, ‘Dating Alys Perez’ stars Muji in the eponymous role, who finds herself torn between her current boyfriend Tripp Palma (Zeke Polina) and her former love Drake Palma (Angeles), who reenters her life determined to win her back.

Kiss by the numbers

The finale episode showed Alys coming face-to-face with Tripp after he woke up from a coma, before realizing that she needed to return to Drake, who had never stopped loving her. The scene proved particularly appealing to fans, as it showed the two lovers reuniting with a kiss.

‘One take, two cameras, 360 (degrees). Pero syempre before mag 360, meron munang hindi naka 300, so parang 2 or 3 times siguro nilang inulit. So apat. Pero yung pinaka mahaba yung naka 360, more than a minute ata yun,’ the director said when asked how long Angeles and Muji shot their kiss scene.

Showrunners then tied up the loose ends with an emotional wedding scene, interspersed with replays of past scenes as the couple exchanged their vows.

Tripp, who provided the challenge between Drake and Alys, is also given his own happy ending as he is seen getting excited about dating another girl.

Beyond grateful

As they wrap up the shoot for the sequel of ‘Seducing Drake Palma’ (SDP), Angeles, Muji, and Polina are grateful for the opportunity entrusted to them to give life to their characters.

Looking back at the start of DAP, Muji said she felt a feeling of nostalgia sweep over her as she recalled the challenges she went through in terms of honing her drama acting, especially coming from SDP which did not require much acting-wise. She said Aquino and their acting coach Anna Feleo helped them a lot overcome their nervousness when it comes to heavy acting.

‘Dito sa season na to, ‘di na sya bubbly-bubbly, pa-cute, in love rom-com. It’s more of a heavy drama na. Syempre we want to give justice to our characters na Hindi naman madani gawin yung naranasan nila. So hindi ko alam kung pano ko iko-convey na sobrang realistic. So kailangan lang super focus ka sa character mo… tulungan kami sa mga heavy scenes. We just motivate one another,’ said Muji.

‘It’s the perfect bookend, and I’m just so grateful for everything. Di pa nga siya nag si sink in, sa totoo lang. It’s just so surreal,’ she added.

A Change.Org petition has been launched seeking improved mobile phone signal and internet connectivity at the Batangas Passenger Terminal, citing passengers’ growing reliance on digital services while traveling.

The petition, titled ‘Improve Mobile Signal and Internet Connectivity at Batangas Passenger Terminal,’ calls on the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), terminal operator Asian Terminals Inc. (ATI), Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and telecommunications companies Globe Telecom, Smart Communications, and DITO Telecommunity to coordinate efforts to address weak and unreliable connectivity inside the terminal.

The campaign was initiated by Romblomanon commuter and NGO leader Rodne R. Galicha, who said this sprung from his personal experience and concerns raised by passengers using Batangas Port as a major gateway to Romblon and other island destinations.

‘Most passengers already pay for their own mobile data, but inside a major transport terminal, the service can still become weak or unreliable,’ Galicha said.

‘Reliable connectivity now affects how we pay, access travel information, and communicate with our families while in transit. We hope the concerned agencies, the terminal operator, and telcos can sit down and work on practical solutions,’ the petition says.

According to the petition, passengers have difficulty accessing mobile data in parts of the terminal, while free Wi-Fi may also become limited during periods of heavy passenger traffic.

Poor connectivity can affect access to electronic tickets, booking confirmations, vessel schedules, weather advisories, banking applications, e-wallets, transportation arrangements, and communication with family members.

It can also disrupt cashless transactions at stores and restaurants inside the terminal, including payments through GCash, Maya, QR-based systems, and online banking.

The petition noted that many passengers already maintain prepaid data packages or postpaid subscriptions and are seeking better indoor network coverage so they can use the mobile services they are paying for while inside the transport hub.

The campaign also cited increases in the Batangas Passenger Terminal fee, from P30 to P60 in January 2026 and to P90 beginning July 2026.

While recognizing the costs of operating and maintaining a modern passenger facility, the petition said digital connectivity should keep pace with improvements in passenger services.

It proposed measures including a comprehensive assessment of mobile signal and internet capacity, a radio-frequency survey, stronger indoor cellular coverage, higher-capacity public Wi-Fi and reliable connectivity for establishments operating inside the terminal.

The petition also recommends evaluating technologies such as distributed antenna systems, neutral-host DAS, small cells and enterprise-grade Wi-Fi, subject to technical assessments and safeguards for port communications, security and operational systems.

It said potential concerns over radio-frequency interference could be addressed through engineering measures such as frequency coordination, filtering, controlled transmission power, appropriate antenna placement and separation of public, merchant and operational networks.

The campaign cited previous efforts to improve passenger services at Batangas Port. In 2024, passenger concerns were raised through the Mimaropa Regional Development Council Executive Committee Technical Working Group on Seamless Intermodal Access of Passengers and Ships in Batangas Port.

The group brought together government agencies and other stakeholders and contributed to subsequent improvements in passenger access and drop-off arrangements, according to the petition.

A gold medal for two South Korean golfers at the Asian Games would mean more than a chunk of metal to dangle around their necks.

For Kim Joo-hyung and Kim Seong-hyeon, winning gold at the Asian Games – in the men’s individual or team event – would excuse them from mandatory military service at home.

Kim Joo-hyung goes by Tom Kim when he plays on the PGA Tour, and Kim Seong-hyeon goes by S.H. Kim.

Under any name, they got a good start in the first round on Wednesday toward landing the exemption. The final round is Saturday.

‘I am 100% nervous,’ S.H. Kim said. ‘A lot of pressure.’ He added he’s struggling with knee and back injuries and was not optimistic about his chances in the individual event.

‘Team gold is easier,’ he said. Japan led the men’s team competition after the first round, with South Korea and China two strokes behind.

In the individual event, Wang Wei-hsuan of Taiwan and Kazuki Higa of Japan were tied at 5-under 65 atop the leaderboard at Kasugi Country Club.

Mun Do-yeob, the third member of the South Korea team, was tied with four others at 4-under 66.

Unlike his teammates, 35-year-old Mun doesn’t need the exemption. In South Korea most men serve 18-21 months of military service.

‘I already finished my military service so I don’t really think about the military (exemption)’, Mun said. ‘But I want to play good, so we make our team get a gold medal … to make sure they don’t go to the military.’

The format is 72 holes of stroke play. The teams are made up of three players, but only the best two scores count each day toward the team total.

Mun led South Korea with a 66 and Tom Kim shot 67. S.H. Kim shot a 68, so his score was excluded from the team total of 133.

Japan was in at 131 with Higa’s 65 and a 66 by Keita Nakajima.

‘I went to the military really early,’ Mun said. ‘It gave me a lot of experience, but I was lucky that I could play a little bit of golf at the army. Maybe three times a week.

Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) engineer Brice Hernandez, along with six others pleaded not guilty in their graft case before the Sandiganbayan fifth division on Wednesday.

They were accused of violating Section 3 of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, over their involvement in the alleged non-existent flood control project worth P77 million in Balagtas, Bulacan.

Aside from Hernandez, former DPWH officials Jaypee Mendoza, Arjay Domasig, Niño Lawrence Morales, Juanito Mendoza, Floralyn Simbulan and Cristina Mae Pineda also pleaded not guilty during their arraignment before the court.

Three others who were also accused in the case, former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co and his staffer, John Paul Estrada and Mark Tecsay, remain at large and were not present during the arraignment.

Last August, the Office of the Ombudsman filed a second malversation case against Co before the Sandiganbayan over an alleged nonexistent project in Balagtas, Bulacan. The case also included Hernandez and six other former DPWH officials.

According to the Ombudsman, the project was a riverbank protection structure along the Balagtas River in Purok 4, Barangay San Juan, which was awarded to SYMS Construction Trading with a revised contract amount of approximately P77.2 million.

Construction supposedly began on Feb. 24, 2025, and was declared completed on May 2 of the same year. However, it was discovered to be ‘nonexistent’ following inspection.

Co was earlier charged with one count of malversation and two counts of graft before the Sandiganbayan last November 2025. The case stemmed from an alleged substandard project worth P289.4-million in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, under Sunwest Inc., which is linked to Co.

The former lawmaker was believed to be seeking asylum in France amid his charges.

No ticket won the jackpots in the Grand Lotto 6/55 and MegaLotto 6/45 draws Wednesday, Sept. 30, according to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.

The Grand Lotto 6/55 winning combination was 44-28-48-38-23-42 for a jackpot of ?236.62 million. PCSO said there was no jackpot winner. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office

The MegaLotto 6/45 winning combination was 41-35-29-23-20-06 for a jackpot of ?83.37 million. No ticket matched all six numbers. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office

Minor games

4D Lotto: 0-5-2-9 – ?10,000

3D Lotto 2 p.m.: 4-1-6 – ?4,500

3D Lotto 5 p.m.: 7-1-9 – ?4,500

3D Lotto 9 p.m.: 9-2-5 – ?4,500

2D Lotto 2 p.m.: 09-29 – ?4,000

2D Lotto 5 p.m.: 07-15 – ?4,000

2D Lotto 9 p.m.: 02-01 – ?4,000 Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office

Draw schedule

Grand Lotto 6/55 draws are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, while MegaLotto 6/45 draws take place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office

A bitter family dispute turned violent Wednesday morning after a 45-year-old man allegedly stabbed his younger brother during a heated argument at Purok 4, Sitio Guan, Barangay Batangan here.

The 40-year-old male victim sustained a stab wound on the left side of his armpit during the altercation.Responding personnel from the Valencia City Police Station (CPS), who received a telephone call about the incident at around 2:40 a.m., discovered that the victim had already been rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.

A government armed auxiliary member was killed, and two soldiers were wounded after an armed group attacked military personnel in Escalante City, Negros Occidental, on Tuesday afternoon, the Army reported Wednesday.

Members of the 79th Infantry Battalion’s Mobile Community Support and Sustainment Program (MCSSP) were conducting a security patrol in Sitio Bautista, Barangay Malasibog, when the attack occurred.

The ensuing firefight lasted about 10 minutes.

The slain militia was identified as a member of the CAFGU Active Auxiliary (CAA).

The two wounded soldiers were transported to a nearby hospital and are currently in stable condition.

Maj. Gen. Joey A. Escanillas, commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division, condemned the attack and stated that military operations in the area will continue.

‘This attack shows the stark contrast between those working with communities toward peace and development and those who continue to resort to violence,’ Escanillas said.

‘Violence will not stop us from working with our partners to bring security, government services, and opportunities closer to the people,’ he said.

Escanillas offered condolences to the fallen auxiliary’s family, assured full support from the Philippine Army, and urged residents to report suspicious activity to authorities.

The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division has suspended Tarlac Rep. Noel Rivera from holding public office for 90 days amid his pending graft case over his alleged ties to a construction company that entered into contracts with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

In a resolution dated Sept. 29, the court said it issued the order because the requisites for suspension provided under Section 13 of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, have been met.

According to the provision, public officials facing criminal prosecution ‘under a valid information under this Act or under Title 7, Book II of the Revised Penal Code or for any offense involving fraud upon government or public funds or property’ shall be suspended from office.

‘[A]s long as the requisites for suspension under the said provision are met, the Court has the duty to order the suspension of the accused,’ the court said in the resolution.

‘The Court has neither the discretion nor the duty to determine whether suspension is necessary to prevent the accused from intimidating witnesses, tampering with evidence, or committing further acts of malfeasance,’ it added.

If Rivera is eventually acquitted, he ‘shall be entitled to reinstatement and to the salaries and benefits which he failed to receive during suspension, unless in the meantime administrative proceedings have been filed against him,’ according to RA 3019.

Based on the resolution, Rivera is currently charged with two counts of violation of Section 3(h) of RA 3019.

The section states that public officials are prohibited from ‘directly or indirectly having financial or pecuniary interest in any business, contract or transaction in connection with which he intervenes or takes part in his official capacity, or in which he is prohibited by the Constitution or by any law from having any interest.’

In a separate resolution on Sept. 29, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division denied Rivera’s motions to quash the information in his two criminal cases due to lack of merit.

A motion to quash is where an accused assails the validity of a criminal complaint or information ‘for insufficiency on its face in point of law, or for defect apparent on the face of the information.’

The Fifth Division noted that the charges against Rivera stemmed from two government infrastructure contracts entered into by the DPWH and Tarlac 3-G Construction and Development Corp. during his term as representative of the third district of Tarlac.

One of the contracts involved the construction of a library in a university, and was worth P71.29 million. The other contract was for the construction of a road segment worth P141.49 million. Both were located in Tarlac.

Despite being a member of the House of Representatives, Rivera allegedly owned and maintained 54.84 percent of the total stock shares of Tarlac 3-G, while his wife owned another 45.09 percent, when it entered into government contracts.

In denying Rivera’s motion, the Fifth Division said the informations of the two cases sufficiently allege the elements of a violation of Section 3(h) under RA 3019.

Malacañang on Wednesday said former Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, who has been out of the country since August, should clear his name following allegations linking him to cash deliveries to members of the Duterte family.

On Thursday, National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag told Inquirer that Velasco left for Nagoya, Japan, on Aug. 30 and was scheduled to return Sept. 14. Bureau of Immigration records showed that he did not return as scheduled.

His wife, Rowena, along with two others, traveled to Hong Kong on Sept. 24 but has yet to return from the trip, as scheduled, on Sept. 27.

At a briefing, Palace press officer Claire Castro said there is no need for the couple to leave the country.

When asked whether the couple’s departure is a cause for concern, Castro said, ‘We cannot say for certain what he was feeling – whether he was afraid or simply going on vacation.’

She noted that ‘given his name is being linked to the millions of pesos allegedly transported in suitcases’ to Vice President Sara Duterte, former President Rodrigo Duterte, and Davao City Rep. Paolo Duterte.

‘It would be best for him to provide an explanation – especially if there is a need to clear his name and that of his wife,’ Castro said.

She added: ‘It would be better for them to simply face the investigation instead of going abroad and staying out of the country.’

Matibag 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 Duterte, P1 billion to her father, former President Duterte, and P100 million to her brother, Rep. Duterte, in installments starting in 2018.

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

Velasco has already issued a statement denying Gracioso’s allegations, calling them ‘fabricated.’