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SEPTEMBER 4 - 10, 2026 Volume 20 - No.36 • 16 Pages 611 North Brand Blvd., Suite 1300, Glendale, CA 91203 • Tel: (818) 9379981 • (818) 937-9982 • (213) 250-9797 • info@asianjournalinc.com
DATELINE USA
Also published in LOS ANGELES, ORANGE COUNTY/INLAND EMPIRE, LAS VEGAS, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
Deadly floods force rethink of Philippine flood strategy Marcos orders long-term plans reviewed as widespread flooding, bridge failures and billions in damage expose persistent gaps in flood protection by AJPress
FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
FBI investigates dark-web trove of U.S., Canadian driver’s-license scans Service claimed more than 153 million license records; authorities have not established the source or number of people affected
MANILA – Weeks of destructive flooding across Luzon are forcing the national government to reassess how the Philippines prepares for and manages major floods, after swollen rivers damaged bridges and roads, submerged communities and disrupted the lives of millions. The combined effects of the southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Luis, Maymay and
Neneng had affected about 9.4 million people as of Sept. 2, according to the Office of Civil Defense. Authorities reported 39 deaths and flooding in more than 700 areas, while 178 cities and municipalities were under states of calamity. Agricultural losses had risen to about P3.62 billion by Sept. 3, affecting more than 86,000 farmers and fishers, according to the Department of Agriculture. Government assessments placed combined infrastructure and agricultural
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Sandiganbayan orders Manuel Bonoan released as Ombudsman moves to use him as government witness by AJPress MANILA - The Sandiganbayan has ordered former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan released from hospital detention after removing him as an accused in plunder and graft cases tied to an alleged P573.75 million kickback scheme involving government infrastructure projects. The anti-graft court’s Fifth Division re-
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President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., with DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, conducts an aerial inspection of flood-hit areas and damaged bridges in Tarlac following recent typhoons and southwest monsoon. PCO photo
Financial records come under scrutiny in Sara Duterte impeachment trial
Army officers narrow the meaning of certifications submitted to auditors as prosecutors prepare to move into the vice president’s alleged unexplained wealth by AJPress
MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial moved toward a new phase this week as testimony over Department of Education confidential funds neared completion and House prosecutors obtained subpoenaed bank and tax records. Proceedings from Aug. 31 through Sept. 3 remained focused on Article I, which accuses Duterte of misuse, misappropriation and
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Major flood-control cases proceed without former public works chief
by AJPress WASHINGTON — The FBI is investigating reports that a dark-web service offered access to a vast collection of U.S. and Canadian driver’s-license scans and other identity documents, raising concerns about identity theft, fraud and the security of information routinely collected for identification checks. The bureau told Reuters on Sept. 2 that it was “looking into the incident” but could not comment further because the investigation was continuing. Federal authorities have not publicly identified the source of the records, explained how they were obtained or determined how many people may have been affected. The investigation followed reporting by cybersecurity journalist Brian Krebs, who said a service called Nexus claimed to hold more than 153 million driver’s-license records from the United States and Canada, along with millions
damage at nearly P10.8 billion. The scale of the damage has revived a larger question that has confronted successive administrations: why does severe flooding remain a recurring national emergency despite decades of flood-control spending and planning? Bridges fail, communities inundated Central Luzon provided some of the starkest evidence of the latest disaster.
irregular liquidation of P612.5 million in confidential funds: P500 million released to the Office of the Vice President and P112.5 million to DepEd while she was education secretary. Duterte has denied wrongdoing. The Senate impeachment court has made no finding of guilt. Army officers narrow scope of certifications On Sept. 1, Army officers
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Senate presses for clarity on Pax Silica commitments
Environmental, agricultural and legal questions remain under review as officials clarify the scope of the New Clark City project by AJPress
MANILA — The proposed Pax Silica industrial development in New Clark City remains without a final Philippine-U.S. framework as lawmakers and government agencies examine its environmental, agricultural, legal and infrastructure implications. Among the immediate concerns are the project's potential demands on electricity and water, the status of environmental
reviews, possible effects on agricultural and Indigenous communities, and whether any final agreement with the United States would require Senate concurrence. Malacañang said Sept. 1 that no artificial-intelligence data centers are currently proposed inside the Clark Advanced Manufacturing Park, clarifying earlier descriptions that had raised questions about poten-
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Control of U.S. congress hangs over widening midterm fight
Democrats expand into Republicanleaning districts while GOP leaders point to redistricting, resources and incumbency advantages two months before Election Day by AJPress
WASHINGTON — The battle for control of the U.S. House is widening beyond the relatively small group of districts long expected to decide the majority, as Democrats invest in traditionally Republican territory and GOP leaders argue that favorable district lines and campaign resources could help them retain control. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said Republicans can expand their majority in the Nov. 3 elections, while Democrats are pointing to national polling and several shifting district
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Deadly floods force rethink... PAGE 1 In Tarlac City, portions of the Aquino and Agana bridges collapsed after prolonged rainfall and strong currents in the Tarlac River. The Agana Bridge failure sent a vehicle into the river and prompted search operations. Pampanga was among the provinces hardest hit by persistent flooding. Floodwaters also disrupted traffic along portions of the North Luzon Expressway near San Simon. Communities in Bulacan and Pangasinan faced widespread inundation and evacuations, while damaged infrastructure complicated access in parts of Zambales. Inspecting the damaged Tarlac bridges on Sept. 2, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. turned from emergency repairs to the broader shortcomings of the country’s flood-management system. “We already have a master plan. It’s just never been executed,” Marcos said, referring to flood-control planning that he said had existed for decades. Decades of plans, uneven execution The historical record is more complicated than the existence of a single plan that was never implemented. Successive Philippine administrations have developed multiple flood-management programs, and portions of those plans have produced major infrastructure projects. Implementation, however, has often been prolonged, fragmented or divided among separate river basins, metropolitan drainage systems and local projects. Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon acknowledged during congressional budget deliberations in August that the country does not have one consolidated national flood-control master plan. The Department of Public Works and Highways has instead relied heavily on individual master plans for major river basins, supplemented by metropolitan and regional programs. Malacañang said Thursday that Dizon is considering another review of flood-management planning undertaken during the administration of former President Benigno Aquino III, when Rogelio Singson was public works secretary. That effort included the
Metro Manila Flood Management Master Plan approved by the NEDA Board in September 2012, three years after Tropical Storm Ondoy caused catastrophic flooding across the capital region and nearby provinces. Developed with World Bank assistance, the plan envisioned a 20- to 25-year program then estimated at as much as P352 billion. It addressed river flooding, drainage networks, pumping stations, communities around Laguna de Bay and other structural and nonstructural measures. Parts of that program were implemented. The $500-million Metro Manila Flood Management Project, approved for financing in 2017 with World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank support and Philippine government participation, has financed pumping-station rehabilitation and construction as well as improvements to drainage systems and waterways. Flood-control works along the Pasig-Marikina river system have also proceeded through several phases with Japanese assistance. Japan International Cooperation Agency records show that planning for the river system stretches back decades, including a comprehensive framework completed in 1990. The issue confronting the government, therefore, is less whether plans ever existed than whether their implementation kept pace with urban growth, environmental change, infrastructure deterioration and increasingly complex flood risks. River-basin plans under review The Marcos administration is now moving to update the planning framework. Malacañang said Sept. 2 that updated master plans and feasibility studies had been completed for 16 of the country’s 18 major river basins as of May 31. Updates for the Cagayan and Pasig-Marikina-Laguna de Bay systems are targeted for completion by the end of 2026. An earlier Palace statement on Aug. 27 described 14 of the 18 basin plans as still being updated and said completion was expected by 2027. The government has not publicly reconciled the differing descriptions. Officials say older plans must also account for present-day development patterns, updated hydrologic information, cli-
From the Front Page
mate risks and changes in the areas surrounding waterways. The 2026 General Appropriations Act already directs DPWH to use hydrologic and geospatial studies, vulnerability assessments and environmental analyses in planning flood-control and water infrastructure. It also calls for geospatial validation of projects and coordination among agencies on river-basin and flood-management data. Metro Manila looks underground A separate strategy is taking shape in Metro Manila. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has identified 39 potential “sponge city” sites after reviewing an initial 107 locations. The concept calls for temporarily storing stormwater close to where it falls instead of allowing intense rainfall to immediately overwhelm drainage networks. Five priority projects cover six locations: Miriam College, Camp Aguinaldo and the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City, and Rizal Memorial Sports Complex, Rajah Sulayman Park and Remedios Circle in Manila. The Rajah Sulayman and Remedios locations are being treated as one combined project. The projects could include underground cisterns, detention facilities and other systems designed to capture water before releasing it gradually into the drainage network. MMDA has said the initial projects could be completed by June 2027 if financing proceeds. Potential financing of as much as $200 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank has been discussed, although the amount and terms have not been finalized. The projects are intended to supplement, not replace, river improvements, pumping stations and conventional drainage infrastructure. Flood spending under scrutiny The policy reassessment is unfolding as flood-control spending remains under intense government and congressional scrutiny. Following allegations involving ghost, defective and substandard flood-control projects, Marcos last year ordered new locally funded flood-control items removed from the proposed 2026 budget while allowing continuing obligations and foreign-assisted projects to proceed.
HONORING HEROES. The Philippine flag is flown at half-mast to honor fallen heroes at Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Monday (Aug. 31, 2026). The last Monday of August is observed annually as National Heroes Day. PNA photo by Avito Dalan
Major flood-control cases proceed... PAGE 1 called the commitment orders against Bonoan and directed the Philippine National Police Health Service General Hospital in Camp Crame to release him unless he was being held for another lawful reason. The order did not immediately result in his departure from custody. PNP spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co said Thursday night that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group was checking for any outstanding warrant or legal basis to hold him. The release followed the Fifth Division’s Sept. 1 decision, by a 2-1 vote, allowing prosecutors to amend the criminal informations and exclude Bonoan from the cases. The Office of the Ombudsman had sought his removal after securing his cooperation as a government witness in cases arising from the investigation into alleged irregularities in flood-control and infrastructure projects. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has said Bonoan’s
knowledge of the Department of Public Works and Highways could help prosecutors establish how the alleged scheme operated. Bonoan’s removal from the Fifth Division cases does not end all criminal proceedings against him. A separate graft charge remains pending before the Sandiganbayan Second Division over an alleged P213.75 million in kickbacks connected to P855 million in Bulacan projects. That division rejected prosecutors’ effort to remove Bonoan after Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada had been arraigned, ruling that the amendment would prejudice Estrada’s rights. Bonoan posted P90,000 bail in that case in May. The Ombudsman’s May cases accused Estrada, Bonoan and three former DPWH engineering officials of participating in an alleged arrangement involving infrastructure allocations in the 2025 national budget. Prosecutors allege Estrada received P573.75 million in commissions or “commit-
ments,” including P360 million tied to projects in Metro Manila and Occidental Mindoro and P213.75 million linked to Bulacan projects. Those allegations have not been proven at trial. Estrada has denied wrongdoing and said he will pursue legal remedies. At his arraignment before the Fifth Division on Thursday, he declined to enter a plea, prompting the court to enter a not guilty plea on his behalf. Associate Justice Gener Gito dissented from Bonoan’s exclusion, questioning the procedure and arguing that the Ombudsman’s prosecutorial discretion is not absolute. The majority held that deciding whom to prosecute and whom to use as a government witness falls within the Ombudsman’s prosecutorial authority. Bonoan had been under hospital detention since June after the court allowed confinement at the PNP General Hospital on medical grounds. Police said earlier this week he was clinically stable and remained on medication. n
The Commission on Audit has said fraud audits covered nearly 50 flood-control projects and that findings had been forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman. Audit findings and continuing investigations do not by themselves establish criminal liability. Criminal responsibility, where warranted, must be determined through the appropriate prosecutorial and judicial proceedings. Congress will confront the spending issue again as it considers the 2027 national budget. The administration has proposed about P107.4 billion for flood-control work, including continuing projects, rehabilitation and maintenance and foreign-assisted programs.
Senate finance committee chairman JV Ejercito has said lawmakers are seeking information from COA to distinguish projects that should be completed from those flagged for serious deficiencies or suspected irregularities. From emergency response to long-term test DPWH is simultaneously dealing with immediate infrastructure failures from the latest flooding, including temporary connections and repairs in affected areas. Marcos said the national government would provide P300 million toward repairs of the two damaged bridges in Tarlac City. But replacing bridges and clearing flooded roads address only the immediate conse-
quences. The larger challenge is whether the government can turn decades of separate plans into a coordinated flood-management system, direct public money toward projects supported by engineering and risk data, maintain existing infrastructure and identify interventions that provide the greatest protection to communities. The latest floods have made that question harder to defer. With millions affected and billions of pesos in damage from another cycle of storms and monsoon rains, the next test is no longer whether the Philippines has enough flood-control plans on paper, but whether government can make those plans work together before the next major flood arrives.n
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 4 - 10, 2026
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Federal judge blocks Trump’s renewed bid AFP says foreign influence campaigns are to restrict birthright citizenship moving deeper into Philippine political debate by AJPress WASHINGTON — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from applying its latest effort to narrow birthright citizenship to a nationwide class of U.S.-born children, ruling that the Supreme Court had already established their constitutional right to citizenship. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman of Maryland issued a preliminary injunction Sept. 2 against key provisions of Executive Order 14418, which President Donald Trump signed Aug. 6. The ruling prevents federal agencies from denying or refusing to recognize the citizenship of children covered by an existing class-action lawsuit while the case proceeds. Boardman wrote that the order was “almost certainly unconstitutional” as applied to the class because the Supreme Court ruled June 30 in Trump v. Barbara that children born in the United States to parents who are unlawfully or tempo-
rarily present are citizens at birth under the 14th Amendment. Trump’s Aug. 6 order was a narrower successor to the broader directive he issued in January 2025. It sought to withhold federal recognition of citizenship in several circumstances when neither parent is a U.S. citizen, including cases involving certain foreign-government employees, people classified by the administration as “alien enemies,” and alleged fraud or commercial arrangements intended to obtain U.S. citizenship for a child. The administration argued that the new order fit within recognized exceptions to birthright citizenship and that the challenge was premature because agencies had not completed implementation guidance. Boardman rejected that argument, finding that the executive order itself directed agencies to withhold citizenship documents from specified children. Her injunction is not a final
ruling striking down every part of the Aug. 6 policy. It applies to the certified class, leaves one territorial provision untouched and allows agencies to continue preparing implementation guidance. The ruling also does not invalidate a separate Aug. 6 executive order targeting what the administration calls “birth tourism.” That measure directs the State and Homeland Security departments to tighten scrutiny of nonimmigrant visa applicants believed to be seeking entry primarily to give birth in the United States. The constitutional dispute centers on the 14th Amendment’s Citizenship Clause, which grants citizenship to people born or naturalized in the United States and “subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” The Supreme Court’s June ruling reaffirmed that protection for U.S.-born children of undocumented or temporarily present parents, while preserving narrow historical exceptions such as children of accredited foreign diplomats. n
FBI investigates dark-web trove of... PAGE 1
of other identification and travel documents. That figure remains a claim by Nexus and has not been independently verified by the FBI. It also should not be read as a count of 153 million individual victims because one person may have generated more than one scan or record. Krebs said he searched the service for licenses belonging to people who gave him permission and found records for nine of them. Those individuals confirmed circumstances that corresponded with timestamps attached to the images, providing evidence that at least some of the material was authentic. Some records included infrared and ultraviolet images associated with document-authentication procedures. Krebs also reported that the number of driver’s-license records dis-
played by Nexus increased by nearly 400,000 over about 24 hours, suggesting new material was continuing to enter the database. Krebs’ investigation pointed toward IDScan.net, a New Orleans identity-verification company whose technology is used to scan and authenticate identification documents. He linked timestamps and characteristics of several images to situations in which licenses had been scanned. Reuters, however, said it could not independently establish the source of the data. IDScan.net told Krebs it was investigating. As of Sept. 3, the company had not publicly established whether unauthorized access occurred, which systems or customers may have been involved, or how many people were affected. The company says its tech-
nology performs more than 21 million identity verifications a month at more than 20,000 locations worldwide. For consumers, the concern is that digital copies of a driver’s license can contain a name, address, birth date, photograph and license number that could be used to impersonate someone. The Federal Trade Commission advises people whose driver’s-license information may have been exposed to check and monitor their credit, consider a free credit freeze, and contact their state motor-vehicle agency. Anyone who discovers identity theft can report it through IdentityTheft.gov. Nexus went offline shortly after Krebs published his findings. Its disappearance does not establish that copies of the information were destroyed or are no longer circulating. n
Control of U.S. congress hangs over... PAGE 1 ratings as evidence that the political environment has become more favorable to them. Neither outcome is assured. Republicans won 220 House seats in 2024 to Democrats' 215. The composition
of the current House has since changed because of vacancies, special elections and California Rep. Kevin Kiley's departure from the Republican Party. The chamber now has 218 Republicans, 214 Democrats, Kiley as an independent and two vacancies. Kiley con-
tinues to affiliate with Republicans for committee purposes. Polling versus the congressional map Recent national surveys have given Democrats an advantage on the generic congressional ballot and shown higher enthusiasm among
MANILA — Philippine security officials are warning that suspected foreign influence operations are becoming harder to distinguish from ordinary domestic political debate as online campaigns increasingly use Filipino language, local controversies and familiar partisan arguments. Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson on West Philippine Sea matters, said the military has observed what it calls a more “street-level” form of foreign malign influence. The term refers to localized messaging, not the physical deployment of foreign operatives. According to Trinidad, campaigns that once focused heavily on maritime disputes and overtly pro-China narratives are increasingly attaching themselves to divisive Philippine issues, including Vice President Sara Duterte’s
impeachment trial, flood-control controversies and the May law-enforcement operation at Philippine Sanjia Steel Corp. in Misamis Oriental. The AFP has not publicly released the full technical evidence behind its latest attribution. Its findings therefore remain an official national-security assessment, not independent proof that every account or narrative it has identified is controlled by Beijing. China has repeatedly denied interfering in Philippine internal affairs and has disputed Philippine allegations connected with the Sanjia Steel case. Independent research, however, has documented organized China-linked influence activity in Philippine political discourse. A Reuters investigation in 2025 reported that Manila-based InfinitUs Marketing Solutions operated fake social-media accounts as part of an embassy-funded cam-
paign, based on company records, account analysis and interviews. InfinitUs denied involvement in illicit digital activity, while China’s Foreign Ministry denied interference. In June, the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab identified a Chinese Spamouflage network using inauthentic Facebook accounts to promote anti-Marcos messages and material favorable to Duterte. The Philippine government has expanded its response. In April, the National Bureau of Investigation created a specialized unit covering disinformation, cyber manipulation and covert foreign interference. A month earlier, the National Security Council said authorities had uncovered China-linked espionage and foreign-directed malign activities involving Filipino nationals. During an August budget hearing, Defense Secretary
Democratic voters. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released Aug. 31 placed President Donald Trump's approval rating at 33 percent and found 46 percent of Democrats highly enthusiastic about voting, compared with 31 percent of Republicans. An earlier survey found Democrats leading Republicans 42 percent to 37 percent when voters were asked which party they would support for Congress. Generic-ballot surveys measure the national political environment, however, and do not predict individual House races. District boundaries, candidate quality, turnout and local issues can produce results that differ significantly from national polling. That distinction is particularly important in 2026 because mid-decade redistricting has altered the congressional landscape. Republican-controlled states, including Texas and Missouri, adopted maps that improved GOP prospects in several districts, while Democrats pursued countermeasures elsewhere. Cook Political Report has estimated that the changes could provide Republicans with a net advantage of roughly five seats. Cook nevertheless has described Democrats as favored overall to gain House control while maintaining that Republicans have a viable path to
keeping their majority. Democrats test Republican territory The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has expanded its offensive battlefield to 58 districts, compared with 35 on its initial target list. The designation does not mean all 58 seats are considered competitive by independent analysts. Republicans are also targeting Democratic-held districts, with the National Republican Congressional Committee identifying 36 seats as offensive opportunities. Among the more difficult districts Democrats are now contesting are Nebraska's 1st, Kentucky's 6th, Nevada's 2nd, South Carolina's 1st and Texas' newly drawn 35th. Several have historically favored Republicans. In Nevada's 2nd District, Democrat Teresa Benitez-Thompson and Republican David Flippo are competing for the seat being vacated by retiring Rep. Mark Amodei. Kentucky's 6th is open because Republican Rep. Andy Barr is running for the Senate, while South Carolina's 1st is also an open-seat contest. In Texas' redrawn 35th District, Democrat Johnny Garcia, a Bexar County sheriff's deputy, faces Republican Carlos De La Cruz. The district was reconfigured into territory that Donald Trump would have
carried by about 10 percentage points in 2024. Independent analysts still rate these races as Republican-leaning rather than tossups, although some have moved toward greater competitiveness. Cook's latest ratings identify 21 House contests as toss-ups. Inside Elections has projected Democratic gains of between two and 10 seats, a range broad enough to encompass either a Republican hold or a Democratic takeover. Both parties remain well funded Federal Election Commission filings through July show the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had raised about $210 million during the election cycle, compared with roughly $208 million for the Republican committee. Republicans, however, entered August with more cash on hand, approximately $92 million compared with about $80 million for Democrats. Both parties are expanding field operations and directing resources toward districts where late movement could determine control of the chamber. With the majority threshold at 218 seats, even small shifts in a handful of districts could decide which party controls the House when the next Congress convenes in January. n
by AJPress
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Prosecutors weigh dropping bribery Missing Filipino doctor may have been in article in Sara Duterte impeachment trial Timure when flood struck House panel considers narrowing case to shorten Senate proceedings by AJPress MANILA — House prosecutors are considering dropping the bribery article in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment case as they seek to shorten the Senate trial and move more quickly to the remaining charges. Lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville “Jinky Bitrics” Luistro said Thursday that no final decision had been made on Article III, which alleges bribery and related misconduct involving Department of Education procurement officials during Duterte’s tenure
as education secretary. Luistro said prosecutors were assessing whether presenting the article would add enough to the case to justify the additional trial time. She rejected suggestions that Article III was being set aside because prosecutors considered it weak, saying the panel remained confident in the allegation while reviewing its witness list and overall trial strategy. Manila Rep. Joel Chua separately said the article remained under consideration. Prosecutors are targeting Sept. 9 to complete their presentation under Article I. If
Article III is not pursued, they could move directly to Article II, which alleges unexplained wealth. Article III remains one of four Articles of Impeachment transmitted by the House to the Senate. Any decision not to pursue it would still have to be addressed by the impeachment court. There is precedent for narrowing an impeachment case. In the 2012 trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, House prosecutors withdrew five of eight articles and proceeded on three. Duterte has denied the allegations. n
Financial records come under scrutiny... PAGE 1 Manaros Boransing II and Magtanggol Panopio testified about certifications DepEd later used in responding to Commission on Audit questions involving P15.54 million reported as confidential-fund payments for rewards or information. The officers said the certifications covered Army Youth Leadership Summits involving DepEd, but did not certify the propriety of DepEd’s confidential-fund expenditures. Boransing said his unit received no DepEd confidential funds for those activities and had no personal knowledge of how DepEd spent confidential funds. Panopio said he did not know his certification would be connected to DepEd’s accounting for confidential expenditures. Their testimony did not establish that the Army programs were fictitious. Instead, it limited what the certifications could demonstrate about how DepEd’s confidential funds were spent. Duterte’s defense challenged efforts to connect weaknesses in documents directly to the vice president. Presiding Officer Francis Escudero reiterated that the burden of proof remains with the prosecution. Former DepEd official questioned The focus shifted Sept. 2 to Michael Wesley Poa, Duterte’s former DepEd chief of staff and spokesperson, who had also been part of her impeachment defense team. The court declared Poa a
hostile prosecution witness, a procedural designation allowing prosecutors to ask leading questions, not a finding of wrongdoing. Poa had signed DepEd’s responses to COA questions about the confidential funds but testified that he had no personal knowledge of how the money was operationally disbursed. He confirmed that DepEd confidential funds had not been given to the Armed Forces for the youth programs cited in the certifications and said Duterte had not instructed him to obtain the documents. Poa said information in DepEd’s COA response came from officials involved in confidential-fund operations. Prosecutors aim to complete their Article I presentation by Sept. 9, although that is not a court-imposed deadline. Bank and tax records arrive Attention is also shifting to Article II, which accuses Duterte of accumulating wealth allegedly disproportionate to lawful income and failing to make required disclosures. On Sept. 3, House prosecutor Terry Ridon said the impeachment court had furnished prosecutors with subpoenaed bank and tax records involving Duterte, her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, and companies associated with them. Six banks submitted records, while the Bureau of Internal Revenue produced tax
documents. The court earlier authorized the subpoenas after finding the records sufficiently definite and relevant to Article II. Production of the records does not establish the allegations. Prosecutors must still present evidence connecting the documents to the charges, while Duterte’s lawyers may challenge their interpretation and evidentiary weight. The House prosecution panel is also considering whether to forgo Article III, which accuses Duterte of bribery involving payments to DepEd officials, and proceed directly to Article II. No final decision has been announced. Conviction threshold questioned A separate procedural issue emerged Sept. 3 when Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri said some senator-judges want the impeachment court to revisit the number of votes required for conviction. Escudero ruled in July that conviction requires 16 affirmative votes under the Constitution’s two-thirds requirement for the Senate. Zubiri said some senators raised the issue because several members are unavailable, but the court has not modified the ruling. No further impeachment trial sessions are scheduled this week. Proceedings are expected to resume next week, with prosecutors seeking to complete Article I by Sept. 9.n
by AJPress MANILA — Filipino physician Juan Carlos Manalo remained missing Thursday, more than a week after catastrophic flooding struck Nepal’s border region with Tibet, as his family pursued new information suggesting he may have been in Timure, Nepal, rather than at Gyirong Port when the disaster hit. Manalo, 30, last contacted his family Aug. 25. His sister, Chiara Manalo, said
clarification from the Isha Foundation indicated he may have been waiting at a hotel in Timure with two Nepali volunteers before the Aug. 26 flood. The family also said information gathered by helpers placed his phone in the Timure area shortly before communications were lost. The Philippine Embassy in New Delhi has been assisting the family and advised against travel to Timure because damaged roads and power outages continue to make access hazardous. Nepal’s disaster authori-
ty said Thursday that 1,252 bodies had been recovered and 4,216 people remained unaccounted for, including 583 foreign nationals. Nepal Police has begun DNA profiling to identify unidentified remains and established procedures allowing relatives abroad to submit profiles for comparison. Only 95 recovered bodies have so far been formally identified, underscoring the difficulty facing families seeking definitive information through the country's expanding forensic identification system. n
Senate presses for clarity on... PAGE 1 tially heavy power and water consumption. BCDA nevertheless estimates that the industrial district, at full development, could require about three gigawatts of electricity and 65 million to 90 million liters of water daily. The agency says it plans to rely on surface-water harvesting, treatment and recycling rather than groundwater. BCDA has also projected $40 billion to $70 billion in potential investment and roughly 130,000 to 190,000 jobs over the project's longterm development. Those figures remain government projections rather than committed investments or guaranteed employment. Environmental review remains incomplete. Environment officials told lawmakers Aug. 26 that no project-specific environmental impact assessment had been processed because regulators had not received a sufficiently defined project description. An environmental compliance certificate exists for BCDA's broader New Clark City development plan, but specific facilities would still be subject to applicable regulatory requirements. Agricultural and land-use questions also remain unresolved. Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr. said Sept. 1 that his department was still assessing possi-
ble effects on farming. Two days later, the Department of Agrarian Reform said it had received no land-conversion application related to the project. Aeta residents in Capas, Tarlac, where New Clark City is located, have raised concerns about possible effects on homes, livelihoods and ancestral claims. BCDA says the proposed site is on government-controlled land designated for development and does not overlap titled ancestral domains. The Senate has begun examining the project. Resolutions filed by Sens. Imee Marcos and Risa Hontiveros seek inquiries into its environmental, energy and socioeconomic implications. A separate legal debate concerns whether any final Philippine-U.S. agreement must be submitted to the Senate. Retired University of the Philippines Los Baños scientist Teodoro Mendoza argues that an undertaking of this scale should require Senate concurrence. His position remains a legal argument, not an established ruling. The Constitution requires two-thirds Senate concurrence for treaties and international agreements covered by Article VII, Section 21, while Philippine jurisprudence also recognizes executive agreements that may take effect without such concurrence under appropriate legal authority.
At an Aug. 14 Senate hearing, Trade Undersecretary Ceferino Rodolfo said the document then under review was a discussion paper rather than a formal negotiating instrument. He said the government would not accept provisions inconsistent with Philippine law. Pax Silica is a U.S.-led international initiative aimed at building more secure supply chains for technologies behind semiconductors and artificial intelligence. It links partner countries in areas including critical minerals, chipmaking, advanced manufacturing, energy infrastructure and AI-related hardware. The name combines pax, Latin for peace, with silica, the material from which silicon used in semiconductor chips is derived. The Philippines joined the initiative on April 16 as its 13th signatory. A related plan envisions an approximately 1,620-hectare industrial development within New Clark City, which Philippine officials now describe primarily as an advanced-manufacturing park for semiconductors, electronic components and equipment supporting AI-related industries. BCDA has outlined an initial development of about 500 hectares, with construction previously projected to begin as early as 2028 if planning, agreements and regulatory requirements are completed. n
AFP says foreign influence campaigns... PAGE 3 Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said some elected officials might be receiving Chinese support
to advance pro-Beijing narratives, but acknowledged that credible evidence was difficult to establish. No elected
official was identified, and Malacañang said any such allegation would require thorough investigation. n
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NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 4 - 10, 2026
Estrada pleads not guilty in P573.75million flood-control cases
Senator declines to plead as Sandiganbayan prepares for bail proceedings by AJPress
MANILA — The Sandiganbayan entered a not-guilty plea for Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada on Thursday, Sept. 3, after he declined to plead during his arraignment on plunder and graft charges tied to alleged kickbacks from government infrastructure and flood-control projects. Estrada appeared before the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division, which is handling one plunder case and one graft case against him. His lawyer, Laurence Arroyo, waived the reading of the amended Informations, and Estrada confirmed that he understood the consequences. When Estrada declined to enter a plea, the court entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf, as required under Philippine criminal procedure when an accused refuses to plead. The Office of the Ombudsman alleges that Estrada received P573.75 million in
commissions or kickbacks connected with projects included in the 2025 national budget. According to the prosecution’s Information, the amount consisted of P360 million linked to projects in the National Capital Region and Occidental Mindoro and P213.75 million tied to Bulacan. The accusations have not been proved at trial. Estrada has denied wrongdoing and challenged the prosecution’s evidence. The Fifth Division also affirmed its earlier refusal to immediately set bail in the plunder case, ruling that an evidentiary hearing must first determine whether the evidence of guilt is strong. Estrada has separately petitioned for bail. He has been detained at the New Quezon City Jail in Payatas since surrendering June 1 after the court issued a warrant in the plunder case. Three former Department of Public Works and Hig-
hways officials, Manny Bulusan, Arturo Gonzales Jr. and Denryl Caesar Cortuna, are also accused with Estrada before the Fifth Division and previously entered not-guilty pleas. Former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, who had also been named in the Fifth Division cases, was removed as an accused after the Ombudsman sought to use him as a government witness. That development is the subject of a separate court proceeding and remains contested by Estrada’s defense. Estrada also faces a separate graft case before the Sandiganbayan Second Division involving alleged Bulacan transactions. Under Philippine law, plunder requires proof that a public officer amassed at least P50 million in ill-gotten wealth through a combination or series of acts specified by law. The prosecution must prove the charges beyond reasonable doubt. n
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Legarda’s Senate return uncertain as treatment continues Zubiri cites serious lung illness; prolonged absence begins to affect budget work
by AJPress MANILA – Sen. Loren Legarda remains overseas undergoing treatment and further medical tests for what Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri described as a serious lung illness. Her exact location has not been publicly disclosed, and the timing of her return to the Senate remains uncertain as deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget intensify. Zubiri said Legarda wants to return to the Philippines as soon as possible but still has medical tests to complete. He gave no timetable and said her condition requires continuing care. The description came from Zubiri rather than from a medical statement issued by Legarda or her doctors. Legarda’s latest publicly confirmed medical-leave notice covered Aug. 24 to 26 and Sept. 1 to 2, following
several earlier absences in August. The prolonged leave is beginning to affect Senate work. Finance Committee chair Sen. JV Ejercito said agencies assigned to Legarda for budget hearings could be redistributed among other vice chairpersons if she remains unavailable. He said Legarda had acknowledged receiving her assignments but had not indicated when she could return. Her office has continued legislative work during her absence. On Sept. 2, it announced that Legarda had filed a bill seeking stronger government monitoring of fuel inventories and prices and the establishment of a strategic petroleum reserve for severe supply disruptions. Her absence comes as the Office of the Ombudsman continues a preliminary investigation involving Legarda, her son Batangas Rep.
Leandro Leviste and former Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi over allegations tied to solar-energy projects. The Ombudsman has ordered Legarda and Leviste to submit counter-affidavits, allowing them to answer the complaints and present evidence. The order is not a finding of wrongdoing, and Legarda has denied the allegations. Leviste’s current whereabouts have not been publicly confirmed. Immigration authorities said he left the Philippines on Aug. 2, while the Ombudsman later said his House travel authority runs from July 26 to Sept. 24 and covers travel to several countries. If Legarda remains unavailable as budget hearings accelerate, the Finance Committee may have to shift some of her assigned agencies to other senators so deliberations can proceed on schedule. n
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Opinion
The Philippines must rethink what it means to grow old
Features
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Part 1 of 2 : Work, dignity and the rights of older Filipinos The Philippines is entering a demographic transition that requires a broader understanding of what senior-citizen policy should accomplish. The Philippine Statistics Authority counted 11.42 million people age 60 and older in the 2024 census, representing 10.2 percent of the household population. In 2020, there were 9.22 million, or 8.5 percent. Congress is confronting two immediate consequences of that shift. One is whether to broaden social pension coverage. The other is how to build a health system better equipped for an aging population. More than one million signatures supporting a universal social pension were formally turned over to House leaders in May. The existing Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens remains targeted: Republic Act No. 11916 pro-
vides qualified indigent seniors at least ₱1,000 a month. The Department of Social Welfare and Development reported that 4,112,895 indigent senior citizens received the benefit in 2025. Proposals for universal coverage remain before Congress. The proposed Philippine Geriatric Center Act is further along. The Senate approved Senate Bill No. 1509, but differences with the House version still must be reconciled through the bicameral process. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. identified a national geriatric health center as a priority when he called Congress into special session in June. Pensions and geriatric care are essential, but they should not define the entire national response to aging. A serious policy for older Filipinos must also
Editorial
The long view Manuel L. Quezon III
I have become convinced that among the many defects of our rulers is the absence of imagination. I am referring to a specific kind of affliction, the inability to view one’s institution and its place among other institutions, from a perspective broad enough to include the past, and wide enough to consider the reasons for the institution’s being, besides what it actually
Judicial firepower does. A case in point is what might seem a minor decision by the House some years back to ape the executive by having people in marching band uniforms serve as a kind of interior ceremonial guard in the premises during one State of the Nation Address. I remarked to a then-legislator that this contravened the deepest-held principles of parliaments, going back to the so-called Mother of Parliaments, the House of Commons, which jealously guarded its prerogatives to be free from physical intimida-
tion ever since King Charles I tried to arrest some MPs, helping to ignite the English Civil War. It is symbolically respected by the executive in our case, with military honors being rendered by the military to the president, outside the Batasan, since soldiers, however high their rank, can only enter upon invitation. The legislator’s eyes glazed over, of course, and I recall some sort of nonsensical but expected rejoinder to the effect that we’re not British, which is beside the
PAGE 8
address dignity, independence and equal opportunity. That includes the right to work.
ManilaTimes.net photo
The same Congress considering how to provide greater security to older Filipinos is
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Himalayan landslide can very well happen to us
babe’s eye view Babe Romualdez
THE horrific videos from the Himalayan border of Nepal and Tibet were harrowing. A wall of ice, mud and rock came crashing into a mountain river, unleashing a flash flood that swallowed homes, roads, bridges and communities. Hundreds have been reported dead, with many more missing as rescuers confront broken roads, unstable slopes and the threat of further flood-
ing. For Filipinos, the disaster should not be treated as a distant tragedy in a faraway mountain range – it is a warning. Scientists are still examining the precise chain of events. Early assessments indicate a massive ice-and-rock avalanche collapsing into a river, generating the destructive surge. Experts have cautioned against attributing any single disaster solely to climate change but aver that rising
temperatures are destabilizing high-mountain environments. Glaciers are retreating, freezeand-thaw patterns are changing and slopes once held together by ice are becoming more vulnerable. The Philippines has no Himalayan glaciers, but the basic lesson applies directly to us: when extreme weather meets weakened terrain, the result can be catastrophic. Our country is one of the
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The Philippines must rethink... PAGE 6 also considering measures to expand employment opportunities for senior citizens. On Aug. 11, the House Committee on Senior Citizens acted on a consolidated proposal seeking additional employment opportunities for older workers and greater incentives for private employers. Yet the Philippines does not have to begin by writing a new prohibition against age discrimination. It enacted one a decade ago. Republic Act No. 10911, the Anti-Age Discrimination in Employment Act, declares that employment should be based on abilities, knowledge, skills and qualifications rather than age. Except where a lawful exception applies, employers may not publish job advertisements containing age preferences or limitations, require applicants to declare their age or birth date during the application process, reject applicants because of age, deny promotion or training on that basis, or force workers out simply because they have grown older. The prohibition extends to employment advertisements published online. Violations may carry fines of P50,000 to P500,000, imprisonment of three months to two years, or both. The central policy problem, therefore, is not the absence of a legal right. It is whether that right is sufficiently visible, accessible and enforceable in the labor market. A job advertisement requiring an applicant to be “below 35,” for example, is not merely a matter of preference when age has no legitimate relationship to the work. Where no statutory exception applies, an arbitrary age ceiling can conflict directly with
RA 10911. The principle behind the law is straightforward: an applicant should be judged on the ability to perform the job. A birth date is not a measure of competence. That principle goes to dignity as much as employment. Work can provide income, but it can also provide independence, professional identity, social participation and a continuing sense of contribution. For an older person who remains willing and capable, exclusion from employment solely because of age can amount to exclusion from a significant part of economic life. Digital hiring should make compliance easier to monitor, not easier to evade. The Department of Labor and Employment should make age-discrimination compliance a more visible part of labor enforcement. Government should publish regular data on complaints, investigations, dispositions and penalties so workers, employers and policymakers can assess how effectively the law is operating. Recruitment platforms and publishers should likewise have clear procedures for identifying advertisements containing unlawful age restrictions. Congress should examine whether RA 10911 would benefit from more accessible administrative remedies, explicit safeguards against retaliation and provisions suited to automated or algorithmic hiring. A criminal penalty may deter violations. It is less useful if an applicant has no practical way to challenge discrimination promptly. The United States provides a useful comparison, although Philippine law should not be regarded as inherently weaker. The U.S. Age Discrimina-
tion in Employment Act protects workers and applicants age 40 and older at covered employers and generally prohibits age preferences in job advertisements, subject to limited exceptions. Philippine law is more explicit in one significant respect. RA 10911 generally prohibits requiring applicants to disclose their age or birth date during the application process. U.S. federal law does not categorically prohibit an employer from asking, although such inquiries can attract scrutiny when they suggest discriminatory intent. The lesson is not that the Philippines lacks modern legal standards. In important respects, those standards are already in place. The more pressing task is to make them meaningful. Age should neither qualify nor disqualify a person by itself. The relevant inquiry is whether an individual possesses the competence, qualifications and capacity required for the work. That principle becomes more important as the country's older population grows. A credible national policy on aging must protect people when work is no longer possible or desired. It must provide adequate income security and health care in later life. But it must also protect those who still want to participate. Older Filipinos should not have to choose between being treated as people who need protection and people who still have something to contribute. They can be both rights-holders and productive members of society. Pension security and geriatric care address vulnerability. Equal opportunity protects dignity and independence. An aging Philippines needs both. (AJPress) n
Himalayan landslide can very well... PAGE 6
most disaster-prone in the world. An average of 20 tropical cyclones enter the Philippine area of responsibility every year. PAGASA’s latest climate projections indicate heavy daily rainfall becoming more frequent, with extreme rainfall increasing in parts of Luzon and the Visayas. We don’t have to imagine what rain-induced landslides and flash floods look like. We have witnessed them in Leyte, Ben-
guet, Cebu, Davao de Oro and many other provinces. But too often, we describe these events as natural disasters when it is human actions that have made them deadlier. Illegal logging strips mountains of roots that help hold soil together and absorb rainfall. Kaingin and uncontrolled land conversion expose slopes to erosion. Mining and quarrying can destabilize terrain when laws, engineering standards and en-
vironmental safeguards are ignored. Roads and settlements are built in areas classified by geohazard maps as highly susceptible. Rivers are narrowed or clogged, while watersheds lose their capacity to slow and store water. Then the rains come – and government officials act surprised. The connection is not complicated. Forests cannot prevent every landslide, especially those driven by earthquakes or immense geological forces.
MARINE CARE. Environmental artist AG Saño leads fellow artists and animal welfare advocates in creating a mural calling for an end to dolphin captivity and protection for marine mammals at the University of the Philippines Diliman in Quezon City on Tuesday (Sept. 1, 2026). The activity was organized by Earth Island Institute Asia-Pacific. PNA photo by Joan Bondoc
Neither can every flood be blamed on logging or mining. Healthy forests and watersheds are among our strongest natural defenses. When they are destroyed, rain runs off faster, soil erodes more easily, rivers fill with sediment and communities downstream face greater danger. A DENR-supported assessment of the Laguna de Bay basin, for example, warned that rapid deforestation in the watershed is causing soil erosion and sedimentation, reducing the lake’s storage capacity and increasing flood risk for Metro Manila. This is precisely why environmental protection is not an abstract concern for activists. It is public safety, economic security and national survival. We already possess much of the information needed to reduce the danger. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau has geohazard maps identifying areas susceptible to floods and landslides. Local governments know which families live below unstable slopes, beside swollen rivers or in places where evacuation routes can quickly become impassable. The real question is whether we act before the disaster – not after it. Enforcement must be relentless against illegal logging, illegal mining and irresponsible quarrying. Financiers and protectors of these operations must be prosecuted, not just poor workers caught onsite. Mining permits and environmental compliance certificates must never become shields for
destructive practices. Local officials who ignore hazard warnings or allow construction in no-build zones must be held accountable. At the same time, legal and responsible mining should be distinguished from operations that disregard science and the law. The Philippines needs minerals for industry, energy transition and national development. But no investment can justify endangering communities or sacrificing watersheds that took generations to form. Responsible development means rigorous assessment, transparent monitoring, proper use of rehabilitation funds (if they exist) and swift suspension when safety standards are violated. Reforestation should be more than ceremonial tree planting, with the right native species, planted in the right places, protected long enough to mature. Critical watersheds and remaining old-growth forests should be defended as national infrastructure. A forested mountain is as essential to flood control as a concrete dike, and often more enduring. Barangays in high-risk areas should have practical evacuation plans that residents understand. Warning systems must reach people quickly, including those without smartphones. Roads, bridges, schools and evacuation centers should be designed according to hazards shown on government maps. Families in highly dangerous areas must be given realistic relocation
options, not simply ordered to leave without livelihood, transport or basic services. Climate change is no longer a prediction for the next generation – it is an amplifier of dangers we already face. Stronger rainfall on denuded mountains, silted rivers and poorly planned communities are a formula for tragedy. The heartbreaking scenes from the Himalayas show how quickly a familiar landscape can be transformed into a field of mud and debris. Homes disappeared, roads were erased and families were separated in just minutes. Geography offered no mercy, and there was hardly any time for escape. We cannot stop every typhoon, earthquake or landslide, but we can stop people from cutting protected forests, tearing into unstable slopes and building where danger is already identified. We can enforce the law before lives are lost. We can treat warnings as instructions, not suggestions. The Himalayan catastrophe can very well happen to us – not in exactly the same way, but with the same terrifying speed and human cost. If that happens, we can no longer say that nature gave us no warning – it is already before our eyes. (Philstar.com) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Email: babeseyeview@gmail.com n
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Philippines weighs holding back U.S. sugar exports as domestic output weakens SRA awaits harvest data as pest outbreak and El Niño pressure supplies by AJPress MANILA - The Philippines is weighing whether to hold back raw sugar exports to the United States as weaker production, a spreading crop pest and El Niño pressure domestic supply. Sugar Regulatory Administration Administrator Pablo Luis Azcona said the agency has not decided whether to use the next U.S. allocation and will assess yields once milling resumes in October. For U.S. fiscal 2027, the Philippines was allocated 145,235 metric tons raw value under the tariff-rate quota
system, the second-largest allocation after the Dominican Republic. The quota runs from Oct. 1, 2026, through Sept. 30, 2027 and provides preferential market access, but does not require Manila to ship the amount. The caution marks a reversal from earlier this year, when the government approved exports of up to 100,000 metric tons after production left inventories elevated and farmgate prices under pressure. About 99,000 metric tons had been shipped by early August. Production has since weakened. SRA data for Aug. 2 placed raw sugar output at
about 1.85 million metric tons, roughly 11 percent below a year earlier. The supply picture has also been complicated by the red-striped soft scale insect, which can reduce sugarcane yields, and by El Niño. By late July, infestations had been reported across nearly 94,000 hectares, while PAGASA said a moderate to strong El Niño could persist into the first half of 2027. The SRA has classified sugar from the coming crop year for the domestic market, signaling that local supply will take priority while regulators await harvest data. n
Judicial firepower... PAGE 6 point. I was reminded of this narrow-minded lack of imagination upon seeing that Congress had enacted the law, the President had signed it, and the Supreme Court even issued implementing rules and regulations (IRRs), establishing judicial marshals. We are, perhaps, more familiar with court sheriffs who have existed since the American colonial era: they execute writs, serve processes, and implement judgments. They operate under judicial control and are authorized to use reasonable force and can request police assistance but have never been, and are not, a dedicated, armed, law-enforcement service. On April 8, 2022, then President Rodrigo Duterte signed Republic Act No. 11691, creating judicial marshals; on Aug. 20, 2024, the Supreme Court approved the IRRs for the law, which came into effect on Dec. 11 of that year. The law itself had first been proposed by Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta to address killings not just of lawyers but of judges. What’s interesting—and troubling—is both the logic and the provisions of the law. The logic of the law is supposedly to assert judicial independence and achieve security for the courts. The assassination of judges and court personnel, the sponsors of the law argued, was continuing unabated and, worse, remained unsolved. To continue to depend on the Philippine National Po-
lice, the proponents further argued, would keep the judiciary vulnerable to violence and political pressure. Since the Constitution granted administrative supervision over all courts to the Supreme Court, it seemed logical for Congress to create an organic security force under the supervision and control of the Supremes, who would be freed of having to rely on another branch for their own safety. Judicial marshals would thus provide armed security, undertake threat investigations, and render limited assistance to court processes. Sheriffs would continue to execute civil judgments and processes. Here, our lawmakers deviated from what had, from the start, been the model for the proposed marshals in the first place: the system of United States Marshals. That system retains the entire chain of command for the marshal service in the executive department, where all police and military power lies. What Congress and the presidency agreed to do, by contrast, was create a separate, independent, armed force, answerable only to unelected judges. No one then, and now, with the sole (self-interested, to be sure, but he still had a point) exception of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who abstained from approving the law, seems to have cared that the judiciary now has a private army. Because this is the point: finding the police feeble, or corrupt, or incompetent,
or all of the above, Congress’ solution was to create a private army for a judiciary never before (here, and never before, anywhere else, for that matter) expected to wield armed might. “When the guns speak, the law falls silent,” how often have lawyers and judges both repeated this, ad infinitum and ad nauseam? So what happens when the guns speak on the orders of an unelected judge? With incredibly broad powers: a national force covering the entire judiciary; command that does not pass through the interior or justice departments or even the police; concurrent jurisdiction to investigate crimes against judges, staff, or court property; the power to arrest, conduct searches, carry firearms, issue mission orders, and even run its own academy. The US, South Korea, and Ukraine have internal police-type units reporting directly to their Supreme Courts, but their powers are far more limited, their ability to operate much more circumscribed: mostly, they only cover the Supreme Court, not all courts; in Korea they cannot even conduct arrests. (Inquirer.net) *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff *** Email: mlquezon3@gmail.com; X: @mlq3n
The lawyers behind Sara Duterte’s impeachment defense What better way to keep the tradition alive than to cook it? Make kakanin. Enjoy it. Share the recipe. Pass it on by AJPress MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte entered her impeachment trial with a 16-lawyer defense team drawn largely from Fortun, Narvasa & Salazar, a Makati-based law firm with a broad litigation practice. Leading the group is Sheila C. Sison, who delivered Duterte’s opening statement and has directed the defense before the Senate impeachment court. The July roster includes Sison; Philip Sigfrid Fortun; Gregorio Y. Narvasa II; Kristine R. Ferrer; Michael Wesley T. Poa; Carlo Joaquin T. Narvasa; Justin Nicol B. Gular; David Ronell M. Golla VII; Lindon Miguel C. Bacquel; Karol Grace G. Oroceo; Clarlaine F. Radoc; Francesca Marie V. Flores; Miguel Carlos A. Fernandez; Mark C. Vinluan; Ralph B. Bodota; and Roberto N. Batungbacal. Most are affiliated with Fortun, Narvasa & Salazar. Sison, admitted to the Philippine Bar in 2014, graduated as class valedictorian from San Sebastian College of Law. Her practice includes criminal and civil litigation, appellate work. Fortun and Narvasa bring decades of litigation experience. Ferrer, a certified public accountant and lawyer, heads her firm’s tax practice and works in taxation, corporate law and litigation. She has also examined witnesses during the proceedings. That mix is relevant to a case centered partly on confidential funds, financial records and the procedures used to authorize, release and liquidate government expenditures. The House of Representatives voted 257-25-9 on May 11 to impeach Duterte and transmitted four articles to the Senate. Article I alleges misuse and misappropriation of confidential funds. Article II concerns alleged unexplained wealth and issues involving statements of assets, liabilities and net worth and business interests. Article III alleges bribery and corruption within the Department of Edu-
Photos from Poa Himala Virtucio; Fortun Narvasa & Salazar Law, and Bodota & Batungbacal Law websites
cation. Article IV contains allegations involving threats and an alleged assassination plot directed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and others. Duterte has denied wrongdoing and described the proceedings as politically motivated. The allegations remain unproven, and the prosecution bears the burden of establishing its case before the senator-judges. Poa occupies an unusual position in the proceedings. He served as a Department of Education undersecretary, chief of staff and spokesperson while Duterte was education secretary, then joined her impeachment defense. Because of that former role, prosecutors called Poa to testify about matters connected to Article I and the department’s P112.5 million in confidential funds. He temporarily stepped aside from his duties as defense counsel and spokesperson before taking the witness stand, with Gular assuming communications duties. On Sept. 2, the Senate impeachment court declared Poa a hostile witness for the prosecution, allowing prosecutors to ask leading questions. The designa-
tion is procedural and does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing. Prosecutors questioned Poa about the handling and documentation of confidential funds at the Education Department. Defense lawyers objected at several points, and the court ordered one characterization by a private prosecutor stricken from the record. Duterte’s defense roster has also changed over time. Her 2025 legal team included Maria Selena Golda Fortun and Reynold Munsayac. After the Supreme Court declared those proceedings unconstitutional and new complaints were filed in 2026, the lineup shifted. By July, Ferrer and Oroceo were in the trial roster, while Munsayac and Maria Selena Golda Fortun were not. The changes explain why earlier published lists do not always match the team associated with the current trial. The Senate will ultimately determine whether the prosecution has established any of the four articles. Until then, the accusations remain matters for adjudication, and Duterte’s lawyers may continue to challenge the evidence. n
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Senate panel advances P7.23-billion Ombudsman budget for 2027 Anti-graft office seeks added resources for staffing, enforcement and investigations by AJPress MANILA — The Senate Committee on Finance has advanced the Office of the Ombudsman’s proposed P7.23-billion budget for 2027, moving the spending plan to plenary deliberations as the anti-graft agency seeks additional resources for investigators, enforcement operations and staffing. The amount reflects the Department of Budget and Management’s recommendation for the Ombudsman in the proposed 2027 national budget. The agency had sought about P12.797 billion, but that larger figure was an agency proposal rather than an enacted appropriation. Among the Ombudsman’s priorities is a proposed Marshal Service, for which officials sought about P168 million and 100 positions. The unit would support the serving of warrants, protection of investigators, securing of evidence and enforcement of Ombudsman orders. Sen. Panfilo Lacson has separately proposed legis-
lation creating such a service. The budget hearing also examined confidential expenses. The DBM-recommended spending plan contains P51.468 million for confidential expenses. During an earlier House hearing, an Ombudsman finance official said the agency was seeking an additional P148.532 million for that purpose. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said confidential funds would support sensitive investigations and security requirements. Senators indicated they could consider additional funding but made no commitment to provide the full amount sought. Staffing remains another challenge. The Ombudsman has 1,247 vacant plantilla positions and has sought funding to fill more of them. Remulla said the office had hired 60 lawyers this year and expected to add 40 more by November. The personnel shortage comes as the agency handles a substantial caseload, including investigations involving questioned flood-control
projects. Remulla told senators that 35 such cases had reached the courts, including 31 before the Sandiganbayan and four before regional trial courts. Another 166 cases were undergoing preliminary investigation, while the office was conducting 107 lifestyle checks. Those proceedings do not by themselves establish criminal liability. Individuals charged in criminal cases retain the presumption of innocence unless convicted by a court. The Ombudsman is also seeking resources for office facilities and vehicles, while Remulla has announced plans to assign an assistant ombudsman specifically for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Lacson has proposed broader fiscal autonomy for the Ombudsman and suggested that Congress consider allowing part of funds recovered for the government in corruption cases to support the agency’s operations. Both proposals would require legislative action. n
Mayors, treasurers emerge as strongest pairing in Sandiganbayan case study Analysis highlights recurring links between political authority and financial administration by AJPress MANILA — Mayors and local treasurers emerged as the strongest recurring pairing in a network analysis of more than 400 Sandiganbayan cases from 2016 through 2025, highlighting where political authority and financial administration frequently intersect in local government. The analysis by University of the Philippines Diliman political scientist Rogelio Alicor Panao covered more than 1,800 public officials included in cases before the anti-graft court. The mayor-treasurer relationship registered a network weight of 83, the highest among the pairings examined. Accountants and mayors followed at 72, while
accountants and treasurers registered 63. The figures measure relationships within the case network. They are not conviction rates and do not establish wrongdoing merely because officials held particular positions or appeared in the same case. The pattern broadly reflects the structure of local government finance. Under the Local Government Code, treasurers have custody and management of LGU funds and responsibility for disbursements. Accountants oversee accounting and internal-audit functions, review supporting documents and maintain financial records, while budget officers coordinate with treasurers and accountants in preparing and administering local budgets. Under the New Govern-
ment Procurement Act, Republic Act No. 12009, the local chief executive serves as Head of the Procuring Entity, while procurement decisions are also subject to procedures involving Bids and Awards Committees and other designated officials. Those overlapping duties mean several officials may lawfully participate in different stages of the same government transaction. Their appearance together in a Sandiganbayan proceeding does not by itself establish conspiracy or criminal liability. The study comes as procurement authorities strengthen monitoring and compliance systems under RA 12009, including more data-driven tools intended to improve oversight across national agencies and local governments. n
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Part One of Three You Built an Empire. But Did You Build a Family? Prof. Enrique Soriano On the difference between a successful business and an enduring legacy. There is a moment that visits almost every successful founder. The business is running well. The children are grown and working in the company. Money flows. And yet, quietly, in the back of the mind, a question begins to take shape — one that no spreadsheet can answer: What happens to all of this when I am gone? This question is not about money. You have already solved the money problem. This question is about family — whether the love, the trust, and the unity that you worked your whole life to build will survive the transfer of what you built. The painful truth that family business advisors see again and again, across Asia and around the world, is this: the business often survives the founder. The family does not always. This old proverb is not destiny. It is a warning. And the families who have broken this cycle have done so not by working harder, but by thinking differently — about what they are really building. Money Is a Love Language In many Asian families, love is expressed through provision. Founders who grew up with very little poured everything into making sure their children would never go without. They worked seven days a week. They sacrificed holidays, rest, and sometimes their own health. The business was not just a business — it was an act of love, expressed in the only language the founder knew. And so money became the family's love language. The measure of care was financial security. The measure of success was profit. The measure of a good parent was a child who wanted for nothing. This is not wrong. But it is incomplete. Because money, without governance, without structure, without shared values and clear roles, can become the very thing that tears a family apart. We have seen it happen.
The founder passes away. The will is read. And suddenly, children who have sat together at every family dinner for forty years are looking at each other across a boardroom table as strangers — or worse, as rivals. What Is Family Governance? Family governance is the set of structures, agreements, and practices that help a family manage the intersection of two very different worlds — the family and the business. In the family, decisions are made from love. Authority comes from age and relationship. Disagreements are resolved over meals. There are no job descriptions for being a son or a daughter. In the business, decisions should be made from strategy. Authority comes from role and responsibility. Disagreements have procedures. There are job descriptions, performance reviews, and accountability. Without governance, these two worlds collide. Promotions are given out of loyalty rather than merit. Salaries become a reflection of favoritism rather than contribution. Meetings become family arguments in disguise. And the eldest child, simply by virtue of being born first, is assumed to be the next leader — whether or not they have the skills, the desire, or the calling for it. Family governance creates the bridge between these two worlds. It answers the questions that love alone cannot answer: Who makes decisions when the founders are no longer here? How do we resolve disagreements without destroying relationships? What are the rules for family members joining the business? Who owns what — and how? Legacy Is a Choice, Not an
Accident The founders who have built great businesses have done so through discipline. They planned. They set goals. They made hard decisions. They held people accountable. Legacy works the same way. A family that will remain united across generations does not arrive at that unity by accident. It gets there because someone — usually the founder, in their wisest years — made the deliberate choice to build not just a business, but a family institution. This series is written for you, the founders, and for your children who love you enough to want to get this right. In the articles that follow, we will explore what it means to move from an informal family business to a structured one, how to define roles and responsibilities honestly, and how to begin the most important transition of your life — from owner to steward. Because the greatest gift you can give your children is not just the business you built. It is a family that still loves each other after the estate is settled. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff *** Professor Enrique M. Soriano is the Chair and Professor of Global Marketing at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business. He has held key positions in a number of Asia – based corporations such as Group CEO of the Belo Medical Group, CEO of Intelligent Skin Care, Inc., Chairman of publicly listed Empire East Suntrust Developers, and Country President and CEO of Singapore based Electronic Realty Associates, Inc.n
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NEW YORK / NEW JERSEY SEPTEMBER 4, 2026
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people events arts culture entertainment
ON BOARD THE EALA EXPRESS Filipino Fans in Frenzy at the US Open Fan Week by: Momar G. Visaya
We are witnessing the rise and rise of Alex Eala. Tens of thousands of Filipino fans trooped to the Billie Jean King Tennis Center in Queens to get a glimpse of the 21-year-old Pinay tennis phenom. From the mixed doubles match with Felix Auger-Aliassime to the Stars of the Open to practice courts, the fans followed. Eala Mania After Eala broke out at the 2025 Miami Open last year, her stardom continued to consistently and exponentially grow. In a series of historic firsts, she became the first Filipino player to claim a Grand Slam win in a main singles draw when she won over number 14 Clara Tauson at the Grandstand of the US Open last year. She also became the first Filipino at Wimbledon early this year to reach a record fourth round. Then last month, she won her first WTA 500 title at the Mubadala DC Open earning her a Top 20 appearance for the first time as well. In an extraordinary feat, she beat tennis champions along the way. From Olympic gold medalist Qinwen Zheng to defending champion Leyla Fernandez, top players Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka, and eventually Jessica Pegula. The mania continues at the US Open as major mainstream media outlets like Forbes, The New Yorker, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, The Economist have profiled the movement extensively, noting how it has turned her into a cultural symbol and marketable star. Andy Roddick has publicly supported “Eala Mania,” calling it great for the sport and has expressed support and admiration to the Filipina youngster. Her first-round match this week is scheduled for a Louis
Armstrong Stadium night session due to demand, and US Open Tournament Director Eric Butorac has publicly welcomed the energy. In an interview with Tennis Channel, Butorac discussed placing Eala’s first-round match on the Louis Armstrong Stadium night session citing the strong fan demand and energy around the Filipino star. “We knew it had to be on a major stadium, we thought that’s a great place to start but I’ve already monitored some of the secondary pricing and that session is blowing up,” he said. “It’s amazing to see, I can’t wait to have her out there late at night and see all of the Filipino crowd behind her, it’s going to be really special. Prior to the official start of the tournament, the United States Tennis Association staged a few events catered for
Photos from Momar Visaya and X/@WTA
Fil-Am actor JB Tadena joins ‘The Pitt’ for Season 3
Former satellite engineer will play Dr. Reed Thomas in HBO Max medical drama by AJPress
Photos from Momar Visaya and X/@WTA
the fans. Except for some ticketed events at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, everything else was free. There were product activations from sponsors such as Chase, Amex, Dove, Cadillac, Fage, Lavazza, among others. Eala Among Stars of the Open Eala was one of the tennis stars who took centerstage at the Stars of the Open. What was initially planned as a mixed doubles event featuring American stars Learner Tien and Iva Jovic against non-Americans Joao Fonseca who was paired with Eala. The event evolved into four singles matches, Fonseca was replaced by Flavio Cobolli because the former had to withdraw due to an abdomen injury. The Stars of the Open drew a sold-out audience, majority of whom were Filipinos. Eala against her friend Iva Jovic were the third match, which ran for about an hour. After the one set match, majority of the Filipinos left, leaving Alex Michelsen and recent Cincinnati champion Arthur Fils finishing in less than an hour.
Amanda Anisimova battled it out with Martha Kostyuk in the evening’s first match, revealing in the post-match interview that they have been friends since their junior days. Among the evening’s fun moments was when Eala and Jovic brought out their dads onto to the court to play mixed doubles with them. Official US Open coverage highlighted the electric atmosphere under the lights and the mix of competitive play with entertainment. Full matches and highlight clips, including walk-ons, big points, and celebrations were posted on the tournament’s site and YouTube channel, with strong viewership—especially for the Eala-Jovic match. This was the fourth year of the signature event, showcasing rising young stars in entertaining and high-energy singles exhibition matches. That wave of national pride, enthusiastic support, and commercial buzz has made the 21-year-old one of the most watched and celebrated young players in women’s tennis right now. n
LOS ANGELES — Filipino American actor JB Tadena has joined the recurring cast of HBO Max’s “The Pitt” for its third season, playing Dr. Reed Thomas, a physician at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Center. Tadena is among seven recurring guest stars added for the new season, alongside Stephen Chang, Barry Clifton, Chris Diamantopoulos, Lawrence Kao, Brent Sexton and Hannah Ware. His casting adds another performer of Filipino heritage to the Emmy-winning medical drama. Isa Briones plays Dr. Trinity Santos, while Kristin Villanueva and Amielynn Abellera portray nurses Princess Dela Cruz and Perlah Alawi. Their characters have also spoken Tagalog on the series. Born in Los Angeles and raised in the Washington, D.C.,
area, Tadena studied computer engineering at Penn State University and worked as a satellite engineer before pursuing acting. His television credits include “Kung Fu,” “The Cleaning Lady,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Westworld” and “SEAL Team.” Created by R. Scott Gemmill and starring Noah Wyle as Dr. Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, “The Pitt” follows doctors, nurses and patients during a single emergency-room shift, with each episode advancing the story roughly one hour. Season 3 is scheduled to premiere in January 2027 and is set on Nov. 12, 2026. The series won five Emmys in 2025, including outstanding drama series. Tadena is also part of the cast of David Fincher’s “The Further Mis-Adventures of Cliff Booth,” starring Brad Pitt and written by Quentin Tarantino. n
Photo from Instagram/@jaybeetadena
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Jose Mari Chan, a man for all seasons
The “ber” months may have made him the enduring face of Philippine Christmas, but at 81, the singer-songwriter’s life continues well beyond the holidays by AJPress MANILA — Every September, Jose Mari Chan seems to reappear almost on cue. As the Philippines enters the “ber” months and Christmas songs return to radio, television and public spaces, Chan’s voice once again becomes part of the national soundtrack. His 1990 classic “Christmas in Our Hearts” has become so closely identified with the season that he has often been playfully described in media and popular culture as the “Father of Philippine Christmas.” But Christmas tells only part of the Jose Mari Chan story. At 81, Chan remains a working singer-songwriter and businessman whose professional life has never been confined to the final four months of the year. While his Christmas recordings bring him renewed attention each September, he continues to divide his time between music and the sugar business in Negros that has been part of his family for decades. His connection to the industry dates to his father, Antonio Chan, who established a sugar trading business in Bacolod in 1960. Chan later became involved in the family enterprise while pursuing music, a path his father initially regarded as less dependable than business. Chan managed to make room for both. His entertainment career reaches back to the 1960s, when he appeared as a host
Filipino American singer’s inaugural Irvine festival raises $10 million, followed by an equal commitment from Melinda French Gates’ Pivotal by AJPress
Photo Courtesy Jose Mari Chan/Jojo Guingona
and singer on ABS-CBN’s 9 Teeners. Over the decades that followed, he built a catalog that included “Beautiful Girl,” “Please Be Careful With My Heart” and “Can We Just Stop and Talk a While.” Then came Christmas in Our Hearts. Released in 1990, the album and its title song took on a life far beyond that of an ordinary seasonal recording. Over time, Chan became inseparable from the Filipino Christmas season, his music returning with remarkable regularity as soon as September arrived. The association has survived generational change. Filipinos who were not yet born when the album was released have encountered Chan through the annual return of his songs, television appearances, advertising campaigns and social media memes. Yet his career has continued on a parallel track. Chan has remained involved in the sugar business
in Negros and has said he still travels regularly to Bacolod, particularly during the milling season. Music, meanwhile, remains an active part of his life. Earlier this year, he said he had no plans to retire from performing as long as audiences continued to want to hear his songs. That longevity has given Chan an unusual place in Philippine popular culture. His recordings belong to several generations, but he has never been reduced entirely to nostalgia. The annual return of “Christmas in Our Hearts” may be the most visible part of Chan’s public life, but it is only one part of a career that has continued to evolve with the years. At 81, he remains active in the work that has defined much of his adult life, moving between music and business with the same steadiness that has carried him across generations. n
Cecile Azarcon honored with new tribute song
‘The Songs Came Home’ celebrates the veteran songwriter behind enduring OPM favorites by AJPress Azarcon and was later shared Veteran Filipino songwriter Cecile Azarcon-Inocentes is the subject of a new tribute song honoring a career that has produced some of Original Pilipino Music’s enduring compositions. “The Songs Came Home,” released by TrueStoriesSung Creative Studio, features lyrics by Cheska CK and music by Jun Mirasol. According to the studio, the song was written after Cheska met
Olivia Rodrigo’s Daisy Chain Fields generates $20 million for groups supporting women and girls
with her; Azarcon agreed to its release and permitted use of her photograph in connection with the project. Azarcon began playing piano at age 3 and composing at 6, according to her official biography. Her professional songwriting career took off at 19 with “Lift Up Your Hands,” recorded by Basil Valdez. Her catalog includes “Sana Ay Ikaw Na Nga,” also recorded by Valdez; “Ikaw ang
Cheska CK with Cecile Azarcon Photo from Facebook/@BaleKuCafe
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IRVINE — Olivia Rodrigo’s inaugural Daisy Chain Fields music festival generated $20 million in announced support for 10 nonprofit organizations working on issues affecting women and girls. The Aug. 29 festival at Great Park in Irvine had raised $10 million for its nonprofit partners when Melinda French Gates joined Rodrigo onstage and announced that Pivotal, the organization she founded, would commit an additional $10 million. Pivotal said the $20 million will be divided equally among Baby2Baby, Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Center for Reproductive Rights, FreeFrom, Jhpiego, Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National Institute for Reproductive Health, National Women’s Law Center and Planned Parenthood. Daisy Chain Fields was founded by Rodrigo and produced by C3 Presents. The sold-out event drew about 45,000 people, according to independent reporting. Organizers said participating artists waived their performance fees, allowing all net proceeds to support the nonprofit partners. The festival also included a designated
Photo from Intagram/@oliviarodrigo
area where attendees could meet representatives of participating organizations and learn about their work. Performers included Rodrigo, Chappell Roan, Doechii, Mitski, Garbage, Bikini Kill, Santigold, Rachel Chinouriri and The Breeders. Special guests included Sarah McLachlan and Stevie Nicks. The festival drew inspiration from Lilith Fair, the women-centered touring festival founded by McLachlan in the 1990s. Rodrigo, 23, has also spoken publicly about her Filipino
American heritage. In a 2018 interview with the Center for Asian American Media, she said her great-grandfather immigrated to the United States from the Philippines as a teenager and described Filipino traditions passed down through her father’s family. Daisy Chain Fields marks a significant expansion of Rodrigo’s philanthropic work, pairing her musical platform with direct financial support for organizations focused on health, legal rights, economic security and family assistance. n
Mike Talplacido’s ‘In This Moment’ continues U.S. festival run
by AJPress
Filipino American filmmaker Mike Talplacido’s feature directorial debut, In This Moment, is continuing its U.S. festival run after premiering Aug. 23 at the Roxie Theater during the San Francisco Queer Film Festival. The 82-minute independent drama is scheduled to screen Sept. 18 at Cinema Diverse, the Palm Springs LGBTQ+ Film Festival, followed by a Sept. 25 appearance at the OUT at the Movies International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Set in North Carolina, the film follows Luis, a Fil-
Photos from Instagram/@kissmymike_official
ipino American writer, and his husband, David, as their marriage is tested by infidelity, grief and caregiving. Zeus Oira plays Luis, with
John Wilkins III as David and Ellen B. Williams among the principal cast. Talplacido, who wrote and
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Sampaguita Pictures actress Jean Lopez dies at 86 Veteran performer worked alongside many of Philippine cinema’s leading stars during the 1960s
Photo from Instagram/@ barbicastelvi
by AJPress Veteran Sampaguita Pictures actress Jean Lopez, who appeared alongside some of Philippine cinema’s leading stars during the 1960s, died Sept. 1, her family said. She was 86. Her daughter Barbi Castelvi announced the death on social media, describing it as sudden and unexpected. Another daughter, Billie Jean, said Lopez had been praying with her husband, former actor Romano Castellvi, shortly before she died. The family has not publicly disclosed a cause of death. Lopez emerged during the
period when major studios helped define Philippine popular cinema. She appeared in films including Ang Magkakapitbahay, Tanzan the Mighty, Susanang Daldal, Mga Batang Iskwater, Mga Batang Turista, The Sound of Buwisit, Together Again and Ayos na Darling. Her screen colleagues included Dolphy, Susan Roces, Amalia Fuentes and Eddie Gutierrez. Her career extended beyond film. Family accounts described her as a singer, model, dancer and television producer, while historical records place her on the late-1960s program Tayo’y Maghapi-hapi.
Lopez and Castellvi, an actor known for action and spy films, married in 1969. They also appeared together onscreen, including in Together Again in 1967 and Ayos na Darling in 1968. The couple later left the Philippine entertainment industry and moved with their family to Canada. Older Philippine Star accounts said they subsequently relocated to the United States. Castellvi survives Lopez, according to the family’s account of her final moments. Billie Jean said her father was beside Lopez as she prayed shortly before her death. n
Elijah Canlas confirms split from Miles Ocampo, denies cheating allegations by AJPress MANILA — Elijah Canlas has confirmed that he and actress and television host Miles Ocampo have ended their relationship again, while denying allegations that infidelity or another person caused the breakup. Canlas addressed the separation in a Sept. 1 interview with entertainment personality Ogie Diaz while promoting his upcoming film “Edjop.” He described the breakup as mutual and amicable, said they had tried to make the relationship work after reconciling, and declined to discuss the reasons in detail. He also denied cheating on Ocampo and said there was no third party involved. His comments represented his account of the breakup. Canlas also addressed online speculation involving
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Eight Philippine films compete for country’s 2027 Oscar submission by AJPress MANILA — Eight Philippine films are under consideration to become the country’s official submission for Best International Feature Film at the 99th Academy Awards, the Film Academy of the Philippines said. The contenders are Carl Joseph Papa’s 58th, Jade Castro’s All the Things I Leave You (Patawid), Rafael Manuel’s Filipiñana, Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s I’mPerfect, Raymond Red’s Manila’s Finest, Jerrold Tarog’s Quezon, Lawrence Fajardo’s Silenced Nights and Jun Robles Lana’s Sisa. The FAP is expected to announce its selection Sept. 4 during the opening of Philippine Film Industry Month. The Film Development Council of the Philippines is organizing the industry program, while the FAP oversees the country’s Oscar selection process. The field includes films that have received festival recognition at home and abroad. Papa’s animated 58th examines the continuing search for recognition of photojournalist Reynaldo Momay, who disappeared during the 2009 Maguindanao massacre. The film won the Facing the Edge category at New Zealand’s Doc Edge festival. Filipiñana, set inside an exclusive country club, explores class, labor and power and received a World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Award
Photo from Film Academy of the Philippines
at Sundance. I’mPerfect, about two young adults with Down syndrome seeking greater independence, won Best Picture at the 51st Metro Manila Film Festival. Red’s Manila’s Finest, starring Piolo Pascual, is a crime drama set in 1969 Manila, while Tarog’s Quezon stars Jericho Rosales as Commonwealth President Manuel L. Quezon. Castro’s Ilocano-language Patawid follows a cross-gen-
erational story of love, migration and inheritance. Lana’s Sisa, starring Hilda Koronel, is set during the Philippine-American War. Fajardo’s Silenced Nights follows a laborer who witnesses the killing of a teenager and is scheduled to premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. The Academy’s international-feature shortlist will be announced Dec. 15, with nominations set for Jan. 21, 2027. n
Cecile Azarcon honored with new... PAGE 12 Lahat sa Akin,” recorded by Martin Nievera; “So, It’s You,” by Raymond Lauchengco; “Special Memory,” by Iwi Laurel; and “Even If,” by Jam Morales. Kuh Ledesma recorded “I Think I’m in Love” and “One More Try,” while Photo from Facebook/@notelijahcanlas
singer-actress Thea Astley after the two were seen together during a trip to La Union. He said Astley was a longtime friend and that others were with them. Astley separately said they had been friends for years and denied being a third party. Canlas and Ocampo began dating privately around 2021,
confirmed their relationship publicly in 2022, separated in 2023 and later reconciled. Canlas, represented by Cornerstone Entertainment, is promoting “Edjop,” in which he portrays activist Edgar “Edjop” Jopson. The film is scheduled to open in Philippine theaters nationwide this month. n
Gary Valenciano recorded “Reaching Out” and later “How Did You Know.” Azarcon’s body of work was celebrated in May 2024 with two performances of “The Music of Cecile Azarcon” at The Theatre at Solaire, billed as marking her 45th anniversary in the
music industry. Performers included Nievera, Ledesma, Zsa Zsa Padilla and Regine Velasquez. Azarcon currently resides in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she serves as music director at Faith Bible Church of Vallejo and teaches music privately. n
Mike Talplacido’s ‘In This Moment’ ... PAGE 12 directed the film, has described the story as personal but not autobiographical. He said the caregiving storyline drew partly from his experience helping care for his fa-
ther-in-law. Born in the Philippines, Talplacido moved to North Carolina in 2008 to pursue an MBA at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and lived in the state for
about 17 years. The project received support through the 2025 Filmed in NC Fund, and Talplacido was a 2025 Lambda Literary Writers Retreat fellow. n
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Health @Heart Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS There are about 589 million (1.31 billion by 2050) adults with Type 2 diabetes around the world, 40 million (projection: 76-100 million by 2050) in the United States, and 4.7 million (projected to be 8.6 million by 2050) in the Philippines. There are almost 43 percent globally who are still undiagnosed, walking around with this metabolic disease, unaware, while the disease and its complications get worse. Among those who are 20 years old and younger, there are 1.2-1.8 million globally who have Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, and 352-364 thousand in the USA; no available statistics for the Philippines. Serious complications Type 2 Diabetes can result in acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) complications, basically damaging blood vessels and nerves all over the body, damaging various organs by narrowing/ blocking tiny blood vessels, like in the eyes (blindness), brain (stroke), kidney failure needing dialysis, foot ulcer/gangrene (amputation), bladder and sexual dysfunction. T2D can be prevented T2 Diabetes is a horrible, devastating disease if not treated early before complications start. If diagnosed early, one can look (appear totally) healthy and live a basically normal life, some by simply taking a pill, like Metformin, daily; others with insulin. With proper diet, discipline, and healthy behavior (no alcohol, no tobacco, consciously/consistently minimizing carbohydrates, like rice and wonderful sweets, unfortunately, and poisonous soft drinks, walking exercise daily), a diabetic can be fully active, successful in their career, travel, and enjoy life like normal. But it requires personal discipline and sacrifices. But the gains in health are worth the effort, hard work, and pain. Best foods for diabetics “Many different foods can help control or lower your blood sugar when you have diabetes. Consider adding these wholesome picks (in reasonable portion sizes) to your plate: · non-starchy vegetables: asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, cucumbers, egg-
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Silent killer called diabetes plant, leafy greens, mushrooms, peppers, summer squash, tomatoes, and zucchini · lean protein: beans, eggs, fish and shellfish, lean poultry, lean red meat (like sirloin or flank steak), lentils, reduced-fat cheese, and soy foods (like tofu and tempeh) · fresh fruit: apples, apricots, bananas, berries, melon, oranges, peaches, and pears · whole grains and starchy vegetables: whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, quinoa, sweet potatoes, skinon white potatoes, winter squash, peas, and corn · Greek yogurt, cottage cheese · healthy fats: olive oil and olives, avocado, nuts, and seeds · water and unsweetened drinks.” Complex carbs vs. refined carbs “The type of carbohydrates you eat can have a big effect on your blood sugar. Refined or simple carbs get broken down into glucose quickly. They cause a rapid spike in blood glucose levels, which can make it harder to control your diabetes. Foods high in refined carbs include white bread, white pasta, white rice, soda, fruit juice, baked goods, candy, and other foods high in added sugars. “Complex carbohydrates help control your blood sugar. They contain fiber, so they’re broken down at a slower rate. As a result, they have less of an effect on your blood glucose. Foods high in complex carbs include whole grains such as whole-wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, and quinoa, as well as beans and other legumes, and starchy vegetables (like corn, sweet potatoes, and peas).” Sample diabetes meal plan “The best diabetes eating plan is one that you enjoy, and that fits with your lifestyle. Consider choosing from options like the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, or another plant-based or low-carbohydrate diet. “You can find helpful meal planning guides and sample recipes at the American Diabetes Association’s Diabetes Food Hub. Many of these meals use the Diabetes Plate method, in which you divide your plate into three bal-
anced sections: · non-starchy vegetables on 50% of your plate · complex carbohydrates on 25% of your plate · lean protein on 25% of your plate. “Here are some examples of combinations that you might prepare under the Diabetes Plate method: · turkey meatloaf with a mixed green salad and quinoa · baked salmon with sautéed garlicky greens and a sweet potato · tofu and bell pepper stirfry with brown rice · roasted skinless chicken with air-fried baby potatoes and cauliflower florets · lentil soup with kale, diced tomatoes, and chopped sweet potato. – Medpage Wonder drug SGLP-1 Thanks to brilliant scientists and trailblazers, a wonderful friend of those who are struggling with weight and T2 diabetes, SGLP-1 class drug was discovered. GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide) acts by mimicking a natural gut hormone that stimulates insulin secretion, slows down stomach emptying, and curbs the appetite/ signal fullness (satiety) to the brain so we stop eating. Those actions help treat diabetes and overweight. SGLP-1 was first in clinical use in April 2019 in Europe, and on May 26 (my birthday!) 2023, it was introduced in the United States. Since then, 100 million people are on GLP-1 drugs, with great clinical results. More than those two avenues of benefit from this class of drugs, clinicians have found added health and wellness benefits to various organs (brain, heart, liver, kidneys, etc.) from these drugs. Complications from GLP1 There is no drug in the world, including aspirin, our 129-year-old friend since August 10, 1897, that does not have potential side effects. For GLP-1, some of the common side effects are: nausea, vomiting, bloating, stomach pains, diarrhea, and constipation, which happen when starting the drug or when increasing the dose. Some of the more serious complications, which are reported as rare, with an incidence of less than 1- 2 percent, include gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), acute pan-
Philippine tourism department partners with DreamWorks’‘Forgotten Island,’ offers Philippines trip DreamWorks Forgotten Island © DWA LLC / Courtesy of Philippine Department of Tourism–North America by AJPress LOS ANGELES — The Philippine Department of Tourism-North America has partnered with DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island, tying the upcoming Filipino-inspired animated feature to a campaign promoting travel to the Philippines. The collaboration includes a North American sweepstakes whose grand prize combines airfare to Manila with hotel stays in Tagaytay and El Nido. Forgotten Island, which opens in U.S. theaters Sept. 25, centers on Jo and Raissa, longtime friends preparing to go their separate ways after high school. Their final night together takes an unexpected turn when they enter a portal leading to Nakali, a fantastical island populated by beings drawn from stories they heard from their Filipino families. H.E.R. voices Jo and Liza Soberano plays Raissa. The cast also includes Dave Franco, Jenny Slate, Manny Jacinto, Dolly de Leon, Jo Koy, Ronny Chieng and Lea Salonga. Joel Crawford and Filipino American filmmaker Januel Mercado wrote and directed the movie, with Mark Swift serving as producer. The three previously worked together on DreamWorks’ Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Universal Pictures is distributing the film. Under the tourism promotion, one grand-prize winner will receive one round-trip economy-class ticket to the Philippines provided by United Airlines. The package also includes a
three-day, two-night stay in a Deluxe Room at Escala Tagaytay and a four-day, three-night stay in a one-bedroom Premium Villa at Lihim Resorts in El Nido. Both hotel prizes include daily breakfast for two. The sweepstakes runs through Oct. 15 and is open to eligible legal residents of the United States and Canada who are at least 18 years old. No purchase is required, and entries are limited to one per person. A winner is scheduled to be chosen at random on or around Oct. 16 from eligible entries received during the promotion period. Airfare and hotel stays are
subject to the conditions specified in the official rules, including availability, validity periods and certain hotel blackout dates. Expenses not expressly included in the prize remain the winner’s responsibility. The sweepstakes is administered by Industry’s Finest LLC on behalf of the Philippine Department of Tourism-North America. United Airlines, Escala Tagaytay and Lihim Resorts in El Nido are providing the prize components. Complete eligibility requirements, entry instructions and prize conditions are available at philippinetourismusa.com/ forgotten-island/. n
creatitis, bowel obstruction, inflammation of the gallbladder, kidney injuries, worsening retinopathy, and thyroid cancer (extremely rare). The benefits from SGLP-1 drugs massively outweigh the side effects and possible complications from them. Metaphorically, T2 Diabetes Mellitus is like a man-eating tiger, but when detected early and handled properly, it can be tamed like a pet, to allow diabetics and those overweight (to trim down safely) to enjoy this fabulous
world and a wonderful life.. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Philip S. Chua, MD, FACS, FPCS, a Cardiac Surgeon Emeritus based in Northwest Indiana and Las Vegas, Nevada, is an international medical lecturer/author, Health Advocate, medical missionary, newspaper columnist, and Chairman of the Filipino United Network-USA, a 501(c)3 hu-
manitarian foundation in the United States. He is a decorated recipient of the Indiana Sagamore of the Wabash Award in 1995, presented by then Indiana Governor, US senator, and later a presidential candidate, Evan Bayh. Other Sagamore past awardees include President Harry S. Truman, President George HW Bush, Astronaut Gus Grissom, pugilist Muhammad Ali, distinguished educators, renowned scientists, etc. (Wikipedia). Websites: FUN8888. com, Today.SPSAtoday.com, and philipSchua.com. On Amazon.com, search for “Where is My America?” Email: scalpelpen@gmail.com n
(818) 937-9981 • http://www.asianjournal.com
My P.E.P. (People, Events,Places)
Rogelio Constantino Medina Eduard Bañez is a former Filipino actor and television host and a current U.S.-based educator and digital entrepreneur who identifies as a historian and philanthropist. After a diverse career in the Philippine entertainment industry, he joined his parents, Eduardo and Zarina Bañez of Baliuag, Bulacan, in Los Angeles, California, where he expanded his life’s focus toward education, community service, and global history. Bañez has a deep appreciation for heritage and history. After migrating to the United States, he pursued advanced studies in political arts and media history at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He prominently lists “historian” as a core part of his personal and professional identity. He also actively funds and supports charitable initiatives in the Philippines. His philanthropic work includes financing local church programs, assisting underprivileged children in areas such as Tondo, Manila, and sending financial relief to communities recovering from devastating
faith & finance kathy current September is Suicide Prevention Month, and I want to share a part of my story that I once wanted to keep hidden. Grief does not always look like grief. Someone can appear to be living fully—traveling, smiling and collecting extraordinary experiences— while privately struggling to keep going. When my marriage of 24 years ended, my world as I knew it fell apart. Along with the heartbreak came debt, uncertainty and a future I no longer recognized. I slipped into a darkness so deep that I began struggling with suicidal thoughts. When all I had left was my faith, I asked God to rebuild my life. But first, I ran. I traveled to escape the noise, the work and the pain because, at the time, it felt like the prescription that might take away my misery.
NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL • SEPTEMBER 4 - 10, 2026
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Singer-Actor Eduard Bañez Reconnects With His Motherland floods and typhoons. He works as a media producer, content creator, and platform founder, shifting his focus to production and digital entrepreneurship. In Los Angeles, he leverages his background in the entertainment industry to build, manage, and produce content across a variety of self-started digital ventures. Operating as an independent producer in the “new generation of entertainment,” he designs digital media campaigns and targeted content tailored to niche markets. As a co-founder of lifestyle platforms, including a dedicated dating app, he directs the technical and media production pipelines for new applications. Bañez began pursuing his professional musical ambitions by reviving Sharon Cuneta’s classic ballad “Kahit Maputi Na ang Buhok Ko.” Written by legendary composer Rey Valera, Bañez’s emotional rendition gained significant traction early in his career, garnering more than 120,000 views on YouTube. The milestone became a turning point, motivating him to take his singing career seriously. Shortly afterward, he was launched into the
Singer-host-actor Eduard Bañez.
local entertainment industry as part of Star Magic Batch 15 in 2006, training alongside batchmates such as former Miss World Megan Young, Bela Padilla, and Jessy Mendiola. Over the years, he worked as an MTV Asia host, a newscaster for Net25, and a news anchor for TV5’s Aksyon TV. He also broke into international media as a host for Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.
More solo photos of Eduard Bañez.
He has also worked on international production sets alongside global icons such as Justin Bieber, Ed Sheeran, and Sia. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** rogeliocmedina@yahoo.com n
THE PAIN NO ONE COULD SEE For several seasons, it helped. Every mountain I climbed, desert I crossed and unfamiliar place I explored reminded me that beauty still existed—even when I could no longer see it in my own future. Travel gave my overwhelmed heart room to breathe and helped carry me through my grief. But eventually, I learned that although distance could offer relief, it could not do the deeper work of healing for me. Lasting healing began when I stopped concealing my pain and allowed faith, honesty and support to become part of my recovery. There is healing in transparency. Revealing our pain can be far more freeing than concealing the story we never wanted anyone to know. Financial distress can also affect far more than a bank account. Debt, divorce, job loss and housing uncertainty can touch our identity, security and hope. Behind the numbers, people may be carrying rejection, grief, fear or
shame that no spreadsheet can reveal. Looking back, I can see how God took me to places I could never have reached on my own—literally, figuratively and spiritually. He met me in the desert, steadied me on the mountains and reminded me through every sunrise that darkness does not last forever. I asked God to rebuild my life. First, He rebuilt me. I could not have imagined then that God would use those very wounds to shape the work and ministry through which I now help others restore more than their finances—their hope, confidence and belief that life can be rebuilt. I share this not for sympathy, but because someone reading these words may be quietly carrying more than anyone knows. If you are in a place of darkness, please tell someone. Seeking professional help is not weakness or a failure of
faith. God’s help may reach us through a trusted friend, pastor, doctor or crisis professional. What you feel today is not the end of your story. There is hope beyond what you can see right now. Please stay long enough to discover it. If you are in the United States and need emotional support, call or text 988 or visit 988lifeline.org to speak with a trained counselor.. *** The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Asian Journal, its management, editorial board and staff. *** Kathy Current is a financial coach, mortgage advisor, and author of Heal Your Money Wounds God’s Way, where she combines over three decades of financial experience with timeless biblical wisdom. Kathy addresses real-life questions about God and money, helping readers find freedom and purpose in their financial lives.n
Eduard Bañez with his beloved mom Zarina Bañez.
Eduard Bañez with his dad Eduardo Bañez.
Eduard Bañez on the cover of Brixton U.K.
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SEPTEMBER 4 - 10, 2026 • NEW YORK AND NEW JERSEY ASIAN JOURNAL
http://www.asianjournal.com • (818) 937-9981
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