Manila Standard - 2026 February 4 - Wednesday

By Maricel V. Cruz and Pot Chavez

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By Maricel Cruz and Charles Dantes

PBBM hands o on SALN release concerns, ICI future

By Charles Dantes

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is taking a hands off stance on two issues -- the future of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure and the protest lodged by the Ombudsman over the slow release of the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of lawmakers allegedly involved in anomalous flood control projects.

Mr. Marcos will allow the ICI to decide whether to continue its operations or conclude its mandate, Malacañang said Tuesday.

“The fate of the ICI rests on the decision of the ICI itself,” Palace Press Officer Claire said.

She said the President would base any response on whatever decision the ICI formally makes, including whether it chooses to continue its work, seek additional support from the executive branch, or conclude its mandate.

“Whatever decision the ICI arrives at, that is what the President will respond to. If they need help from the executive, it will be given. But their destiny and next actions are being left to the ICI itself,” Castro added.

Castro said Malacañang has yet to receive a complete report from the ICI

Sandro Marcos pushes for ‘no work, no pay’ for lawmakers

By Maricel V. Cruz

HOUSE Majority Leader Ferdinand Alexander A. Marcos has filed a bill seeking to impose a strict “no work, no pay” scheme for members of Congress to address absenteeism, strengthen accountability and protect public funds.

House Bill (HB) 7432, titled the “No Work, No Pay for Members

Word war on Chinese embassy issue spreads to both Houses

This developed as the Senate also experienced a tense exchange of words between Senators Francis

na” in his privilege speech.

Pangilinan and Rodante Marcoleta during interpellations on a resolution condemning recent statements by the Chinese embassy against Philippine officials and institutions. In his privilege speech, House Minority Leader Rep. Marcelino Libanan called for discipline and professionalism among government officials when addressing

By Vince Lopez

and her eight-year-old son, Ysmael, is considered “case closed” after the four suspects linked to the crime are now under police custody. Remulla said the primary suspects, a married couple consisting of a dismissed police officer and a car sales agent, planned to

sensitive foreign policies, including the WPS controversy. Libanan did not mention Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Jay Tarriela’s name in his privilege speech, but later confirmed that he was indeed referring to him. Following Libanan’s privilege speech, Cagayan de Oro 2nd District Next page

By Charles Dantes

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday met with the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to discuss measures aimed at easing the daily commute for Filipinos, including faster train services, shorter queues, additional trains, and extended operating hours.

During the meeting at Malacañang Palace, DOTr Acting Secretary Giovanni Lopez briefed the President on recent improvements to the country’s railway system. President Marcos directed Lopez to prioritize commuter welfare, maintain clean and well-lit facilities, and ensure trains run reliably and on time.

DILG offers P1m for info on cop killer

By Vince Lopez

DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla on Tuesday offered a P1 million reward for information leading to the arrest of Julian Salamat, the alleged gunman in the killing of Staff Sgt. Renato Casauay Jr., a member of the Police Drug Enforcement Group (PDEG) in Central Luzon.

Casauay, assigned to the PDEG-Special Operations Unit 3, was found dead inside a septic tank in Malolos City, Bulacan. He was allegedly shot by Salamat. Four suspects, including Cpl. Viven-

cio Abalos, have been arrested, while seven others, including Salamat, remain at large. CCTV footage showed Casauay with Salamat before the killing. “In my opinion, this case is over.

on the status of its work, noting only that the tasks handled by former Commissioners Rogelio Singson and Rossana Fajardo were already completed.

As this developed, Castro said Mr. Marcos wants to avoid “executive overreach” following the complaints made by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on the SALN release process of the House of Representatives.

She said Mr. Marcos’ commitment to transparency and accountability does not extend to interfering with

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haustive discussions on the second impeachment complaint filed against the President.

As this developed, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Mr. Marcos has not ordered any legal preparations amid the impeachment bids against him.

“The President’s view is that there is a process in place, and whatever that process is, he will respect it,” Castro said in a press briefing.

“There are no legal preparations at this point. We will first see what happens in the process,” she added.

Tuesday’s meeting of the committee tackled only the first impeachment complaint filed by lawyer Andre de Jesus and endorsed by Pusong Pinoy party-list Rep. Jett Nisay.

“We had an exhaustive discussion on the first complaint, and we want to give the committee members time to recharge and look at the complaint with a fresh mind,” Luistro said.

The committee members agreed

The DILG is putting a P1 million reward on information leading to the arrest of Salamat and his group,” Remulla said in a press briefing at Camp Crame.

Remulla said CCTV footage captured events before and after the killing, while audio recordings indicated at least five gunshots, although the actual shooting was not shown.

Casauay sustained at least three gunshot wounds, including one to the head and two to the arms.

He stressed that while police syndicate groups have been dismantled, questionable transactions persist.

the internal rules of Congress, underscoring the importance of respecting the separation of powers.

“The President wants to avoid what you call executive overreach,” the Palace official said.

Castro said the President is mindful that pressing for access to the documents beyond existing procedures could be interpreted as executive overreach.

She said the President is intentionally steering clear of actions that could be viewed as an intrusion into the authority of the legislative branch.

“We have what we call separation of powers, and whatever the rules of the House of Representatives or Congress are regarding this, the President respects them,” Castro said.

with Luistro’s manifestation.

Earlier in the hearing, Luistro called on panel members to apply a strict constitutional standard as they began determining the sufficiency in substance of impeachment complaints filed against the President. In her opening statement, Luistro reminded lawmakers that the Constitution requires more than hearing accusations, saying the panel must examine whether the allegations themselves rise to the level of an impeachable offense.

“Not every alleged irregularity in government is impeachable. Not every claim of corruption automatically implicates the official. And not every disagreement with the exercise of discretion rises to the level of a grave abuse of constitutional power,” she said.

Luistro emphasized the committee’s task is to assess the substance of the complaints under Article 11 of the Constitution, not the political weight or public resonance of the accusations.

“Significantly, the Constitution

Rep. Rufus Rodriguez accused him of defending China after all the reported aggressions it has done to PCG vessels and fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.

“I am insulted that a member of this Congress will stand up in favor of China. Jay Tarriela is doing his job as spokesman of the Philippine Coast Guard! The very reason why (Tarriela) has to move and act is because China has been violating the sovereign rights of the Filipino people for so many years,” Rodriguez said.

“At this point, I cannot understand why we are protecting China who has been the cause of all this aggression... I’d like to ask again

official legislative duties.

“The principle of ‘no work, no pay’ is a general labor standard applied to workers across the country. However, Members of Congress, who are entrusted with the responsibility of crafting laws and representing the people, are currently compensated regardless of attendance or participation,” Marcos said in the bill’s explanatory note. This practice, according to Marcos, has fueled public concern “over absenteeism, lack of accountability and wastage of taxpayer funds.” The measure seeks to correct this by ensuring “that public funds are spent only when these elected officials fulfill their duties,” Marcos said, adding that tying compensation to actual work “promotes transparency, accountability and integrity in governance.” Under the measure, lawmakers will be paid only for days when they are present and performing official legislative work, including attendance in plenary sessions, participation in committee hearings where they are listed members, and engagement in authorized official activities.

“Every police officer’s life is important to us. We cannot allow this kind of incident to happen,” Remulla said.

Central Luzon police chief Brig. Gen. Ponce Rogelio Peñones Jr. said Salamat is a member of a local drug group and was the police asset whom Casauay intended to meet on January 24, his birthday. The officer‚’s body was recovered days later.

Peñones said Casauay’s earlier anti-illegal drugs operation in December, which led to the seizure of about 50 grams of shabu and the arrest of a group member, triggered

Remulla on Monday said he will protest the manner by which the House Secretary General has been giving his team a hard time in getting the SALN of lawmakers being investigated for their alleged involvement in questionable flood control projects.

“I don’t understand the stonewalling. Probably there is a conflict of interest. I am harboring suspicions they are protecting people. Hopefully they stop,” Remulla said.

Remulla said he will write a letter to Speaker Bojie Dy III to protest the additional requirement of plenary approval set by House Secretary General Cheloy Garafil.

requires us to do more than listen to accusations. It requires us to examine the substance of the allegations themselves to ask whether they constitute an impeachable offense under Article 11 of the Philippine Constitution,” she said.

Sufficiency in substance is not measured by how forcefully allegations are made, Luistro said, adding it “is not about whether allegations are loudly made, repeatedly asserted, passionately believed, or politically resonant.”

Instead, she said the panel must determine “whether the complaints allege ultimate facts, not mere conclusions, whether they show a personal culpable act or omission by the impeachable official, and whether those acts as pleaded amount to culpable violation of the Constitution, prison, bribery, draft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust, as the Constitution strictly enumerates.”

Later in the hearing, the Justice Committee voted 24–21 to reject a bid to exclude the authenticity of

(the) Minority Leader if our PCG spokesman has violated the Code of Conduct of public officials. Because I would like you to read each one of what you have cited and I will show that he has complied with all the laws of our country in his heart and mind,” Rodriguez added.

Libanan countered by saying that even though the country is receiving these aggressions from China, government officials should deal with it professionally.

“I am not defending China as I said in my speech. What I am saying is that we have to act with professionalism, discipline, and manage our international relations properly,” Libanan said.

He also said that his privilege speech aims to know if the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) authorized Tarriela in speaking out for the country.

Unexcused absences will result in forfeiture of compensation, while valid absences are recognized, including illness certified by a licensed physician, authorized official representation, official travel or mission approved by chamber leadership, and approved leaves of absence.

The bill also deems lawmakers present when attending authorized committee meetings, sessions of the Commission on Appointments (CA), the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET), bicameral conference committees, and official missions approved by the Speaker. To boost transparency, the measure mandates daily attendance monitoring by the secretariats of both chambers and requires that attendance records be made publicly accessible, with compensation released only on the basis of verified presence. Marcos addressed constitutional concerns, noting that “no less than the 1987 Philippine Constitution itself provides for the statutory regulation of the official compensation for Members of Congress,” which states that their salaries “shall be determined by law.”

The bill penalizes falsification of attendance records or claims for compensation without performing official duties, classifying such acts as misconduct subject to disciplinary action under existing congressional rules.

Killing...

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documents attached to the two impeachment complaints against the President, keeping the annexes part of its review of whether the cases have enough factual basis to proceed.

The ruling means the panel will consider the attached records as it determines the sufficiency in substance of the complaints, rather than setting them aside at this stage.

The motion to exclude document authenticity was raised by Mamamayang Liberal party-list Rep. Leila De Lima, who argued that the standard at this point is “allegational sufficiency,” not the credibility or truth of the documents. However, the proposal was objected to and voted down.

Justice committee vice chairperson Mauricio Domogan of Baguio City and House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor of Iloilo said sufficiency in substance requires a narration of facts supported by references, noting that allegations alone are not evidence and that the committee must actively determine facts, not merely accept accusations.

At the Senate, the debate between Pangilinan and Marcoleta unfolded as the Upper Chamber discussed Senate Resolution No. 256, which seeks to formally denounce the embassy’s remarks and reaffirm the country’s sovereign rights over the WPS.

Marcoleta raised concerns about the absence of specific coordinates defining the extent of the WPS being asserted by the Philippines, saying clarity was necessary to determine the scope of the country’s claims.

Pangilinan countered that the country’s rights in the disputed waters had already been affirmed by an international arbitral tribunal and did not require redefinition.

“There’s nothing to defend. It has been resolved in our favor. What we have to now is to defend and uphold the ruling,” he argued.

slam dunk case,” Remulla said in a press briefing held at Camp Crame.

Police are also probing the possible involvement of Mollenido’s husband, John, who allegedly ordered the immediate cremation of her body and supposedly showed no emotion or remorse following the incident.

The husband, also a Police Senior Master Sergeant, remains under the custody of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO).

“The Police Regional Office 3 (Central Luzon) filed charges against him (John) as he agreed to cremate the remains of his wife together with vital evidences without the body examined for autopsy,” NCRPO chief Maj. Gen. Anthony Aberin said.

Meanwhile, lawyer Cristobal Rimando, who serves as John’s legal counsel, said that as publicly conveyed by Remulla, the evidence gathered during the investigation does not establish that John had any participation in the commission of the alleged offense.

“While our client’s emotional condition in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy was observed, such reaction is a natural human response to profound grief and cannot, in law or reason, be considered evidence of guilt. Emotional distress does not substitute for proof of participation in the alleged offense,” Rimando said in a statement sent to reporters.

“In view of the foregoing, Mr. John Mollenido continues to enjoy the constitutional presumption of innocence. He reserves all rights under existing laws to seek appropriate legal remedies against those who have maliciously and without basis imputed wrongdoing upon him,” he added.

the plan to kill him. According to Peñones, Salamat repeatedly shot Casauay on orders of their group leader. He added that Salamat and another suspect later confessed to a police corporal, who failed to act due to fear and personal ties. The corporal and three others are now in custody as the manhunt continues.

Police said Casauay’s body was recovered from a septic tank in the Mauricio compound on January 31 after witnesses came forward. The victim was reported missing by his wife on January 25 after he failed to return home.

Updates included the rehabilitation of the MRT Quezon Avenue Station, the ongoing rollout of cashless payment on MRT-3, the planned introduction of cashless payment on LRT-1 and LRT-2 later this year, and the refurbishment of remaining MRT-3 trains to benefit commuters.

Lopez also reported on major transportation infrastructure projects. Partial operations of the North-South Commuter Railway are expected to begin in 2027 from Valenzuela to Malolos, Bulacan, and in 2028 from Malolos to Clark.

The MRT-7, connecting Quezon City and Bulacan, is also targeted for partial operations in 2027. Meanwhile, the Metro Manila Subway is slated to start demo runs in 2028, with full operations projected by 2033. In the same meeting, Lopez proposed extending the validity of new vehicle registrations to five years to ease motorists‚Äô burden, a measure that President Marcos initially approved upon the DOTr’s recommendation.

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Meanwhile, Co filed a petition at the Sandiganbayan contesting the cancellation of his passport.

Co’s lawyer said his client would come home only if his safety is guaranteed.

Counsel Ruy Alberto Rondain disclosed that he recently spoke with Co who has been declared a fugitive amid his alleged complicity in the massive flood control scandal.

Rondain also denied that emissaries were sent to talk to concerned government officials on his client’s behalf.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier said Co has sent feelers through intermediaries.

Remulla emphasized however that Co should first return billions of pesos stolen from the government before negotiations for his return to the country could be arranged.

At the forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Remulla said he has talked to a friend of some priests who are friends of Co. He said he told the friend that restitution or returning stolen money is non-negotiable.

“Restitution comes first. If you are willing to talk, return the money,” Remulla said in Filipino.

Meanwhile, t he Sandiganbayan has denied Co’s motion for reconsideration of the order cancelling his passport thereby making him a fugitive from justice.

“It is undisputed that accused Co remains beyond the reach of the court. He has not voluntarily surrendered or submitted to arrest. Thus, the court maintains that accused Co lacks the requisite legal standing to invoke the court’s processes as long as he remains a fugitive,” the Sandigan said in a resolution dated Jan. 8. In upholding its resolution declaring Co as fugitive from justice, the anti-graft court said his status “renders him disentitled to seek affirmative relief, including the instant Urgent Motion for Reconsideration.” It added: “In fine, accused Co’s claimed denial of due process cannot be entertained. Being a fugitive from justice, accused Co is without standing to seek affirmative relief from this court. His Urgent Motion for Reconsideration, and the ancillary reliefs prayed for therein, must therefore fail.”

Blacklisting firms won’t disrupt infra

By Charles Dantes, Vito Barcelo, and Ram Superable

THE blacklisting of contractors linked to anomalous flood control and other infrastructure projects will not disrupt the Marcos administration’s infrastructure program, Malacañang said Tuesday, citing sufficient capacity among compliant builders.

Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said 16 contractors are undergoing blacklisting proceedings based on data from the Philippine Contractors Accreditation Board, with four firms already stripped of their licenses.

“Even if some contractors are blacklisted, the continuous implementation of infrastructure projects nationwide will not be affected,” Castro said, noting that many capable and compliant contractors remain.

She said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the prompt payment of contractors who deliver quality work to encourage honest participation in government projects.

Separately, the Department of Public Works and Highways urged the Catholic Church, civil society groups, and the public to help monitor infrastructure projects.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the participation of the Church, particularly the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)–Caritas, civil society organizations (CSOs), and local communities is crucial in ensuring that infrastructure projects are properly implemented and felt by ordinary Filipinos.

AFP insists nonpartisan stance

By Rex Espiritu and Maricel V. Cruz

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday reiterated its nonpartisan stance following questions on an impeachment complaint filed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., stressing that the military remains focused on its constitutional mandate.

AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said the armed forces do not take part in political issues and will continue to function as a professional organization regardless of ongoing legal or political developments.

“In issues like this, the Armed Forces of the Philippines remains nonpartisan. We remain a professional organization, and we continue with our

mandate,” Padilla said during a briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

She added that matters involving complaints are best addressed by appropriate civilian authorities, noting that the AFP does not intervene in such processes.

“Since we do not engage in political issues, we leave this to the concerned agencies and trust our democratic processes to take their due course,” Padilla said, stressing that the AFP’s priority remains national security and the defense of the Constitution.

Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto

SCHOOL INSPECTION. DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon and Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla inspect an unfinished building at Revilla High School in Bacoor City, Cavite. The project, currently stalled by funding shortages, awaits additional financing for completion. Norman Cruz

AFP confirms two-month West Philippine Sea exercises

By Rex Espiritu

THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday confirmed it has designated an exercise area in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) for military activities with partner countries from January to March.

Adiong on Tuesday meanwhile said the latest OCTA Research survey points to stability, not panic, for the administration of President Marcos despite a slight easing in trust ratings in the fourth quarter of 2025. Adiong cited OCTA figures showing trust in President Marcos declined to 48 percent in the fourth quarter from 57 percent in the third quarter, while approval of his performance remained above the majority threshold at 51 percent in December 2025, down from 54 percent in October.

IN BRIEF

Supreme Court updates rules on virtual hearings

THE Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday announced the approval of amendments to the Guidelines on the Conduct of Videoconferencing to strengthen rules on virtual court hearings and remote appearances of parties and witnesses.

In a resolution dated November 4, 2025, the High Tribunal introduced key reforms aimed at expanding access to videoconferencing, particularly for digitally disadvantaged individuals and those residing abroad.

The amendments will take effect on February 16, following their posting on the websites of the SC and the Office of the Court Administrator (OCA).

The guidelines apply to videoconferencing proceedings before first- and second-level courts, the Court of Appeals, the Sandiganbayan, and the Court of Tax Appeals.

The SC said videoconferencing remains the preferred mode for cases involving persons deprived of liberty and children in conflict with the law, with courts directed to protect confidentiality and sensitive information in compliance with data privacy laws. Pot Chavez

Nartatez hails top-performing cops in international program

PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Tuesday recognized two Filipino police officers who earned top honors in an international police exchange program in the Middle East.

“These exercises are well within our sovereign rights and jurisdiction,” Trinidad said.

“They are more than 600 nautical miles from mainland China, and no provision of international law supports their claim.”

He dismissed China’s accusation that the Philip-

Philippine Navy spokesperson Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said the exercise areas are covered by notices to airmen and mariners and are well within the country’s exclusive economic zone, including Bajo de Masinloc.

Cebu gov’t adopts waste management program

By Minerva Newman

CEBU CITY — Cebu Governor Pamela Baricuatro

signed Executive Order 3 adopting a province-wide cleanliness and waste management plan and creating a Provincial Solid Waste Management Board to oversee its implementation.

“Within six to 12 months, the province and its component cities and municipalities are expected to achieve visible reductions in litter along major roads, public markets, waterways, coastal areas, and tourism zones,” Baricuatro said.

She said all local government offices are required to enforce waste segregation at source, while cities and municipalities must activate cleanliness and waste management task forces.

pines is deliberately stoking tensions as baseless.

“Historically, we have been on the receiving end of coercive and aggressive actions,” Trinidad said. “Facts will show that we are not the source of aggression in the West Philippine Sea.”

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines confirmed the issuance of a Notice to Airmen from January 22 to March 31 to ensure flight safety during the exercises.

Police Major Florece Inar Vic Florece of the Camarines Sur Police Provincial Office ranked first among 51 participants from 35 countries in the program hosted by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Interior and the Abu Dhabi Police College.

Another Filipino officer, Police Captain Joseph G. Pelobello, placed fifth overall, drawing praise from the PNP leadership.

Nartatez described their achievements as a source of pride for the PNP and the Filipino people, citing them as proof of the strength of police training institutions and ongoing reforms toward professionalism and global standards.

The awards were conferred on January 29 in a ceremony attended by senior UAE leaders, as the PNP chief urged other officers to emulate the honorees’ discipline, integrity, and commitment to excellence. Vince Lopez

Pope Leo appoints Filipino auxiliary bishop in Australia

POPE Leo XIV has appointed Filipino priest Nelson Po as auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Perth in Western Australia, according to the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

Bishop-elect Po, 57, will assist Archbishop Timothy John Costelloe in the pastoral care of the archdiocese, working alongside Auxiliary Bishop Donald George Sproxton.

Po said his appointment came as a “big surprise,” describing it as overwhelming and surreal, while expressing trust that God’s strength would guide him in his new role. Archbishop Costelloe praised Po for his pastoral sensitivity, love for the Church and its liturgy, and generosity in taking on responsibilities beyond parish duties. Vito Barcelo

REMEMBERING

and

ICI ramps up asset recovery

By Joel E. Zurbano

THE Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) and several government agencies were scheduled to hold their 8th Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting on Asset Recovery on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

“The Technical Working Group (TWG) for Asset Recovery, chaired by lawyer Renato Paraiso as acting executive director of the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center, will conduct its eighth meeting to discuss ongoing inter-agency coordination efforts,” the ICI stated in its advisory.

Army gets kudos over Fil-Am girl’s safe return to US

By Rex Espiritu

THE family of rescued Filipina-American Chantal Anicoche has expressed gratitude to the Philippine military for her safe return to the United States.

The message of thanks was conveyed by Chantal’s mother Maria Liza Anicoche to Col. Michael Aquino, spokesman of the Army’s 2nd Infantry “Jungle Fighter” Division.

In her message, Mrs. Anicoche stated that they were deeply grateful for the “professionalism, compassion, and humanitarian care” extended to her daughter from the time of her rescue through her medical recovery.

The mother cited the swift actions taken by the soldiers to ensure Chantal’s safety, careful coordination among concerned authorities, and the continuous medical attention provided during her stay at the Army Station Hospital.

She also thanked the 2nd ID for the “respect, dignity, and discretion” shown during what she described as a difficult and emotional period for her daughter.

“Our family feels an immense sense of gratitude, not only for her successful rescue but also for the respect, dignity, and discretion shown during such a difficult and emotional time. We deeply appreciate the unwavering commitment of your personnel to their duty and to protecting innocent human lives,” Anicoche said.

Member agencies possessing registration, regulatory, and supervisory authority over monetary, real estate, and movable assets will provide updates on the piece of property that have been identified and tagged within their respective jurisdictions.

The ICI is tasked with investigating irregularities in flood control projects

involving lawmakers, public works officials, and private contractors.

Participants consisted of representatives from the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Justice, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, the Land Registration Authority, the Land Transportation Office, the Maritime Industry Authority, the Construction Industry Authority of the Philippines, the Office of the Ombudsman, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Bureau of Customs, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police, and the Department of Public Works and Highways, among others.

ICI chairman Andres Reyes Jr. said the TWG was focused on strategies to prosecute all parties implicated in the corruption scheme associated with the flood control projects.

On Monday, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced another public auction of luxury vehicles seized from Pacifico Discaya and his wife Sarah who were among the private contractors under investigation for their role in a flood control scandal.

The auction, set Wednesday at 10 a.m., will involve ten vehicles, including two rare 2017 and 2019 Bugatti Chirons. Previously, five vehicles were auctioned for a total of P47.762 million.

TOWN FIESTA. Townsfolk of Silang, Cavite, joined by youngsters, put their best foot forward in celebrating the timehonored Feast of Nuestra Señora de Candelaria. Dennis Abrina

IN BRIEF

Biñan observes three historical milestones

BINAN City in Laguna celebrated three historical milestones with a chain of exciting cultural and community-centered activities. The events marked Biñan’s 16th year as a city, 81st Liberation Day, and 279th foundation jubilee rolled up into what was termed as “Araw ng Biñan.”

The festivities began with a grand people’s parade involving city officials led by Mayor Angelo Alonte, Vice Mayor Jonalina Reyes, and congressman Arman Dimaguila, as well as members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

The event was graced by Laguna Gov. Sol Aragones, Vice Gov. JM Carait, and councilors Bong Bejasa and Jigcy Pecaña.

Other highlights of the commemorative rites included a cultural night, recognition of outstanding citizens of the city, ceremonial march from Carmona to Biñan in remembrance of the city’s historic struggle for freedom, Arts Month Exhibition, drum and bugle competition, and a folk dance festival. Roy Tomandao

JCI Senate rolls out 5 major projects in Cebu

CEBU City—JCI Senate Philippines launched here on Jan. 30 its five flagship projects for 2026 in conjunction with its 58th National Convention and joint induction and turnover ceremonies at the Seda Ayala Center Cebu.

The affair was attended by JCI senators and members of the JCI community across the country who gamely immersed themselves in a day of fellowship, leadership, and celebration.

“The launching of the flagship project in Cebu is very significant for me because I am from Cebu and I’m leading the JCI Senate Philippines and its community this year, as its president. We gathered more than 200-300 delegates, guests, members and partners to celebrate the gains we had and to continue with JCI’s various program advocacies hence, we launch it here,” JCI Senate Philippines president Robert Go said. Minerva Newman Taguig cops seize P1-m shabu, nab two suspects

THE Taguig City police seized more than P1 million worth of shabu and arrested two suspected drug traffickers in a buy-bust operation conducted Friday evening in barangay Napindan.

Taguig police chief Col. Julius Añonuevo said the operation underscored the value of intelligence-led operations and tight coordination.

Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano cited the police accomplishment, saying stronger law enforcement is attuned to the city’s broader goal of a safe and peaceful citizenry.

“Peace and order allows communities to thrive and services to reach our people faster. We commend our police officers and partner agencies for their vigilance and teamwork as we build a Transformative, Lively, and Caring City,” Cayetano said. Vince Lopez

Customs overshoots January revenue target by P513m or 100.6%

By Vito Barcelo

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) has exceeded its January 2026 revenue target and seized nearly P887 million worth of smuggled goods in nationwide enforcement operations.

or 1.9 percent, compared with the P79.254 billion collected in January 2025.

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno said the performance reflected the collective efforts of Customs personnel and stakeholders in line with the administration’s push for economic stability and public safety.

ing its January revenue target by P513 million, or 100.6 cooperation of the trade community,” Nepomuceno said.

He added that the bureau aims to sustain efficiency to support the President’s economic agenda and deliver reliable public service.

The BOC collected P80.744 billion in January, surpassing its monthly revenue target by P513 million, or 100.6 percent of the goal.

The figure represented an increase of P1.490 billion,

“Exceeding our January target is a strong affirmation of the hard work of our Customs personnel and the growing

The BOC collected P80.744 billion in January, overshoot-

The BOC also said that the intensified enforcement operations throughout January had resulted in 66 successful apprehensions with an estimated total value of P886.8 million in seized contraband.

Another Manila cop faces criminal raps

By Vince Lopez

JUST days after six Manila policemen were arrested in Makati City for alleged holdup-robbery, another Manila law enforcer is facing multiple charges including carnapping, kidnapping, theft, and grave coercion.

The suspect, whose identity was withheld, was arrested along with seven others for alleged theft of a delivery vehicle last week in Manila. Investigation showed that the offense took place after the complainant received a booking order from person who claimed he needed a closed van.

The complainant narrated that when he arrived at the appointed place, he was met by a motorcycleriding man who directed him to park in a dark portion of a street in Tondo and wait for the items that would be loaded into the van.

He said to his surprise, 20 other men showed up and got into his van without saying a word.

However, two of the suspects introduced themselves as policemen. It was subsequently established that one of the suspects was a staff sergeant assigned at the District Headquarters Support Unit of the Manila Police District (MPD)-Forensic division.

Two more vehicles arrived which the group boarded, along with the victim’s van, including the driver.

The convoy proceeded to Imus, Cavite where they loaded copper cables into the vehicles, then went to Muntinlupa City where the cables were cut into smaller pieces prior to loading them into another vehicle that returned to Manila.

The victim then proceeded to the Manila Police District -Station 6 to file his complaint. Subsequently, one of the suspects was apprehended.

OPINION

Economic downturn

THE bad news is that the Philippine economy experienced a marked slowdown in 2025, with GDP growth slumping to 3 percent in the fourth quarter.

This is the weakest performance since the pandemic, and it is largely due to the flood control corruption scandal and adverse weather conditions.

The sharp deceleration led to full-year growth of just 4.4 percent, falling short of the government’s 5.5 to 6.5 percent target for the third consecutive year, despite attempts to restart infrastructure projects under stricter anti-corruption rules.

The economic downturn underscores how governance failures and climaterelated shocks combined to produce the Philippines’ weakest post-pandemic economic performance, exposing vulnerabilities that extend well beyond a normal slowdown.

Rather than a temporary slump, the 2025 outcome suggests deeper institutional and capacity constraints on growth.

The numbers are worrisome. Fourthquarter GDP growth of 3 percent, a level last seen when the economy was still recovering from Covid-19, significantly affected momentum.

The resulting 4.4 percent full-year expansion represents a clear deceleration from earlier post-pandemic rebounds and reinforces concerns about the credibility of official growth projections.

Missing the target for three straight years means that optimistic assumptions about public spending execution, climate resilience, and governance reform have not translated to meaningful results on the ground.

Two major factors have been already been cited for the slump: adverse weather and the flood control corruption scandal.

Weather-related disruptions are not new to the Philippine economy, but their economic impact has intensified in recent years.

Stronger typhoons, prolonged flooding, and erratic rainfall increasingly affect agricultural output, supply chains, transport networks, and power generation. These disruptions translate to higher food prices, logistical bottlenecks, and production losses, complicating both growth and inflation management. Climate vulnerability, therefore, is no longer a peripheral environmental concern but a central macroeconomic constraint.

Without large-scale, well-executed investments in climate adaptation and disaster-resilient infrastructure, growth will remain fragile in the years ahead. More damaging in the short term, however, is governance failure.

The nearly 42 percent contraction in government infrastructure spending is extraordinary, particularly since public works have been a cornerstone of growth since the previous administration’s “Build, Build, Build” program.

High infrastructure spending stimulates employment, attracts private investment, and supports regional development. Its abrupt collapse generated depressed construction activity and

weakened manufacturing and services sectors tied to public works, according to keen observers.

More importantly, the flood control corruption scandal did not merely suspend a handful of tainted projects. It triggered a significant drop in public spending as agencies grew wary of risks amid investigations and public scrutiny.

This reflects a reality in the country today: anti-corruption drives, while necessary and politically unavoidable, often lead to widespread delays because institutions lack robust, rules-based systems that distinguish between legitimate enforcement and indiscriminate spending freezes.

—“—

Unless these structural issues are addressed in a careful manner, the country risks settling into a lower growth trajectory

Accountability mechanisms tend to be reactive rather than preventive, leading to heavy economic costs, particularly when external and environmental problems are already staring us in the face.

Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan’s explanation implicitly acknowledged this situation.

The Marcos administration’s emphasis on investigations and stricter safeguards is sound, but it also exposes a failure to design governance rules that allow public spending to proceed even as wrongdoing is prosecuted. In this sense, corruption risk has evolved into an economic risk, capable of undermining growth, employment, and investor confidence.

The government objective of resuming and accelerating public works while enforcing tougher anti-corruption measures may be a step in the right direction, but it is execution that will be decisive.

Stronger project planning, transparent and standardized procurement, digital tracking of fund releases, and clearer lines of individual accountability could prevent entire spending programs from grinding to a halt when scandals emerge.

Just as important is strengthening the absorptive capacity of the Department of Public Works and Highways so that funds can be deployed quickly.

The 2025 economic slowdown was not unexpected. It should serve to remind us that weak absorptive capacity, governance bottlenecks, and acute climate vulnerability serve as hindrances to the economy’s ability to sustain growth of 6 percent or higher.

Unless these structural issues are addressed in a careful manner, the country risks settling into a lower growth trajectory that can only undermine job creation, slow poverty reduction, and weaken the administration’s long-term economic development agenda.

(Email: ernhil@yahoo.com)

Are we ready for the truth

THE numbers shook the room. From 421 ghost or substandard flood control projects to just 14. From 5.26 percent to a mere 0.175 percent. It was Senator Panfilo Lacson who broke the news at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. Apparently, a significant chunk of those “ghost projects” were flagged because of faulty coordinates. The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials admitted it. Former Secretary Manuel Bonoan explained that those coordinates were just for planning, and on-ground realities often forced shifts in implementation. Not corruption. Not disappearance. Just adjustments. And suddenly, it seemed like a a nation’s anger had to recalibrate. I wonder what people felt at that moment.

Embarrassed?

Confused?

Quietly resentful?

After weeks of outrage, Facebook rants, fiery speeches, and public judgment, we now hear that the numbers were off. Did it feel like betrayal? Or were we too invested in being angry to care whether it was all true?

Don’t get me wrong. Stealing public funds is never okay. Even one ghost project is one too many. Even one act of corruption is an insult to the public trust. That kind of betrayal deserves outrage. But here’s the question I’m wrestling with: What happens when we discover that the truth isn’t what we thought it was?

—“—

Be for the truth. Speak it with consistency. Uphold it with conviction. And carry it with charity

Are we ready to accept it, even if it’s less dramatic, less viral, less convenient?

Because truth isn’t just a weapon we wield. It’s a responsibility we carry. I keep going back to Saint Thomas More in A Man for All Seasons. He stood for truth not because it was

FEDITORIAL

The non-champions

IFTEEN senators signed a resolution condemning the public statements of the Chinese embassy in the Philippines made against our officials and institutions and affirmed the right of the republic to assert its sovereign rights in accordance with international law.

In Resolution 256, the senators decried the public statements made by an official of the embassy. The language used, they said, was “inconsistent with restraint, courtesy, and responsibility expected in diplomatic communication.”

The resolution asked the Foreign Affairs department to take necessary diplomatic measures to uphold the dignity of the republic, ensure that relations with other states adhere to international law, and, if needed, “place [the country’s] objections on record and elevate the matter to relevant international fora.”

Those who signed were characterized as “having crossed party lines” to assert the Philippines’ interest beyond their political affiliations, which in the country is tenuous and fleeting anyway.

But equally important as knowing who signed this resolution is identifying those who did not.

These nine senators are Alan Peter

Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Christopher Lawrence Go, Ronald Dela Rosa, Francis Escudero, Joel Villanueva, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta, and Robinhood Padilla.

What could be more fundamental and transcendental than defending what is ours?

We wonder what kept them from lending support to a legislative initiative that completely and rationally supports the Philippines which has, for years, been fending off the bullying tactics of our giant neighbor to the West. Then again, gleaning from their previous positions, we think we may have a clue. That their 15 colleagues banded

together despite their political differences should have sent a powerful message about the importance and supremacy of the West Philippine Sea issue. What else could be more important than speaking out against a foreign country that encroaches into what is legally ours? What could be of a higher order than defending our own waters?

It appears that for the unfortunate nine, some loyalties are more sacred than that to the country.

It would be a deep transgression of our sense of nationhood if we simply fell quiet and took the bullying acts as a normal occurrence. Perhaps the idea is to wear us down or normalize it so that we would no longer take issue with China’s acts.

As elected representatives of the people, our lawmakers have the obligation to express not only their own sentiment but to act for and on behalf of their constituents. What ever happened to this representation function?

The battle of wit and word with China will not likely end soon, just as its bullying is not likely to stop in the immediate future. The 15 who took a stand give us hope that some lawmakers remain aware of who they are truly serving.

The rest seem confused about who their masters are.

Faced with Trump, Pope Leo opts for indirect diplomacy

VATICAN CITY – Faced with a highly polarized US political landscape, Leo XIV, the first American pope, has opted for discreet and indirect criticism while also keeping channels of communication open.

Since he was elected in May, the Chicago-born pontiff has taken a clear stand against some decisions by US President Donald Trump’s administration.

He has denounced the “inhuman” treatment of migrants, urged dialogue in Venezuela and lamented a “diplomacy of force”.

But, in recent weeks, Leo has favored restraint.

He has made no reference to a possible US intervention in Iran, nor to Trump’s designs on Greenland, nor to the volatile situation in Minneapolis after two protesters were shot by federal agents.

His weekly statements carefully avoid these subjects, while his Tuesday evening comments to the press outside his Castel Gandolfo country residence have become increasingly rare.

He briefly broke his silence on Sunday to voice “great concern” about rising tensions between Cuba and the United States, calling on all sides to “avoid violence.”

“Leo is very cautious. He knows his voice is universal. As an American, he is somewhat the natural opponent of Trumpism,” a Vatican source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“On the United States, he’s walking on eggshells.

“He understands that the American Church is also targeted by ICE, people are afraid,” the source said, referring to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency currently in the spotlight for its immigration crackdown.

The pope is operating in a context that is “hyper-polarized, where the Church

popular, not even because he was certain others would agree, but because he could not betray his conscience.

To him, truth wasn’t about winning an argument. It was about not losing himself. These days, that kind of integrity feels rare. We say we want truth. But more often, we want truth that agrees with us, favors our side, proves our point. Truth that trends. Truth that confirms.

So maybe the real challenge is how we speak the truth.

First, we must speak truth with consistency.

Truth shouldn’t change depending on who we’re talking to or what team we’re on. It should be true on a Monday morning and a Friday night.

True in private and true in a Senate hearing. But we live in a time where facts get twisted to fit our bias.

Sometimes, we choose to believe something just because it embarrasses someone we dislike. And when we treat truth as something to serve our feelings, we stop being its servant.

is also targeted through the populations it helps, like migrants or the Hispanic community”, the source added.

Bishops on the front line

But despite increasing concerns within the corridors of the Holy See at the Trump administration’s actions, the pope prefers to rely on the American Catholic hierarchy rather than wade into the fray himself.

“I think he thinks the first response should come from the country’s bishops themselves,” Christopher White of Georgetown University in Washington and author of the book “Pope Leo XIV: Inside the Conclave and the Dawn of a New Papacy,” told AFP.

—“—

Since he was elected in May, the Chicagoborn pontiff has taken a clear stand against some decisions by US President Donald Trump’s administration

Last week, Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the US bishops’ conference, reacted forcefully to the “killing” of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, denouncing “failures in our society to respect the dignity of every human life”.

Bishop Anthony Taylor (Little Rock, Arkansas) pointed to “obvious parallels” between the United States now and Nazi Germany, although he said that “Trump is no Hitler.”

“We are doomed to repeat failures of the past if we are not willing to re-

Second, we must speak truth with conviction. We must speak truth not for the applause, but from the core of who we are. Yet we see so many using facts for clout, not conscience. We rush to share unverified claims because they are sensational, because they go viral.

But conviction means we don’t say something unless we’ve wrestled with it ourselves. It’s not about what sells. It’s about what’s real and what we’re willing to stand by even when it’s no longer popular. Third, we must speak truth with charity. Because truth isn’t supposed to destroy. It is meant to build. These days, we throw truth like stones, brutal and unforgiving. We forget that behind every issue is a human being. And when we speak truth without compassion, it becomes cruelty in disguise. Charity doesn’t mean sugarcoating. It means saying what’s right, in the right way, for the right reasons.

member them and learn from them,” he wrote.

The same approach applies on the international stage: in a joint statement, three leading cardinals -- Blase Cupich (Chicago), Robert McElroy (Washington) and Joseph Tobin (Newark) -- condemned America’s interventionist drift, the erosion of the multilateral framework and the risks to world peace.

According to several Vatican sources, the text received Leo XIV’s quiet approval.

‘Reputation’ At the end of December, the Vatican Secretary of State, Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin, tried in vain to dissuade Washington from launching a military operation in Venezuela during a meeting with the US ambassador.

“The aim was to avoid a bloodbath and bring the actors back to reason,” a senior Vatican source said.

Invited to Trump’s new “Board of Peace” on Gaza, the Vatican is biding its time, saying it is “reflecting” on its response -- another sign of an increasingly deliberate caution.

Leo has yet to meet Trump, although he received Vice President JD Vance two weeks after his election in May 2025. The challenge is to avoid exacerbating the divisions of an already split American Church and to prevent his words from being read through a partisan lens. For the Vatican, the broader goal is “to prevent historians from writing in five, 10, or 20 years that the American Church was tied to Trumpism,” said Italian historian Massimo Faggioli, a professor at Trinity College Dublin and author of the book “From God to Trump: Catholic Crisis and American Politics.”

“The risk is a disintegration, even a collapse, of the reputation and historical role of the American Church,” he said. AFP

Yes, something may be factual. But if it lacks consistency, conviction, and charity, then maybe it’s not yet truth in its fullness. Maybe it becomes a version of truth that divides more than it heals. That hardens rather than humbles. That’s what unsettles me most about this flood control controversy. Not just the confusion over the numbers, but how quickly we jumped to conclusions. How fast we became judge, jury, and mob before the facts were fully in. And how hard it is now to walk that outrage back and say we may have gotten some things wrong.

So here’s the call, not just to lawmakers or public officials or people in power, but to each of us. Be for the truth. Speak it with consistency. Uphold it with conviction. And carry it with charity. Because in the end, truth isn’t just about being right. It’s about being real. And staying true.

Death toll from heavy Japan snow hits 30

– Unusually heavy snow killed

TOKYO

at least 30 people in Japan in the past two weeks, officials said on Tuesday, as the government deployed troops to help clear huge drifts that left residents in the country’s north struggling to leave home. Authorities recorded up to 4.5 metres (14 feet) of snowfall in parts of the worsthit northern region of Aomori where many of the deaths took place, including a 91-year old woman whose body was found beneath a three-metre pile of snow outside her house.

A major weather system has dumped huge volumes of snow along the Sea of Japan coast in recent weeks, with some central and northern areas of the main Honshu island seeing more than twice the usual amounts. The central government has deployed troops to help local authorities cope and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi hosted a special cabinet meeting on Tuesday to instruct her ministers to do all they could to

Iran orders nuclear talks with US

PARIS – Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has ordered the start of nuclear talks with the United States, local media said, as his counterpart Donald Trump threatened “bad things” if no deal with the Islamic republic was struck.

Following the Iranian authorities’ deadly response to anti-government protests that peaked last month, the US president has threatened military action and ordered the dispatch of an aircraft carrier group to the Middle East.

Trump has maintained he is hopeful that Washington will “work something out” with Iran but also warned on Monday that “bad things would happen” if no deal is reached.

city, the regional capital, told local broadcaster RAB on Tuesday after he helped to extract a stuck van.

“They must block traffic from the morning and clear snow. Otherwise, there is no solution to this,” the unnamed man told RAB. AFP

IN BRIEF

Venezuela, US talk ‘transition’ post-Maduro

CARACAS – Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez solidified her new government Monday, appointing several cabinet members and meeting with Washington’s new top diplomat in Caracas to address the country’s “transition” after the ouster of Nicolas Maduro.

Laura Dogu, Washington’s charge d’affaires in Venezuela, said on X she spoke with Rodriguez about US plans for “stabilization, economic recovery, reconciliation and transition.”

It was not immediately clear what Dogu meant by a “transition.” Maduro had been in power since 2013 until US forces raided the country and captured him, but much of his government remains in place.

Venezuela’s Foreign Minister Yvan Gil said after the meeting the diplomatic focus going forward would involve “addressing the differences and historical controversies between the United States and Venezuela.”

“We reviewed the common agenda, especially on energy, trade, and politics,” he added. AFP

Mother of top US news anchor likely ‘abducted’

WASHINGTON, DC – Police in Arizona said Monday (Tuesday, Manila time) they believe the mother of top US news anchor Savannah Guthrie has been kidnapped, after the elderly woman went missing over the weekend under suspicious circumstances.

Nancy Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Sunday from her home in Pima County, local sheriff Chris Nanos told a press conference.

“She did not leave on her own, we know that,” Nanos said Monday, describing the home as a “crime scene.”

Later in the day, the sheriff told CBS News: “I believe she was abducted, yes. She didn’t walk from there. She didn’t go willingly.” He also said there were no suspects yet in the case, and that there was nothing to indicate that Savannah Guthrie’s job as a prominent broadcast reporter had anything to do with the crime. AFP

in the face of “unilateral bullying”, in an apparent jab at the United States.

Xi was speaking during talks in Beijing with Uruguayan President Yamandu Orsi, the first South American leader to visit China since US special forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro last month -- an operation that Beijing condemned as a violation of sovereignty. Orsi follows a slew of leaders to have visited China in recent months, seeking to boost ties with the world’s second-largest economy to hedge against US President Donald Trump’s increasingly unpredictable administration.

“The international situation is fraught with intertwined turmoil, and unilateral bullying is intensifying,” Xi told Orsi, according to state broadcaster CCTV. AFP

Tehran has insisted it wants diplomacy, while vowing an unbridled response to any aggression.

“President Pezeshkian has ordered the opening of talks with the United States” on Iran’s nuclear program, the Fars news agency reported on Monday, citing an unnamed government source. The report was also carried by the government newspaper Iran and the reformist daily Shargh.

A meeting is likely to take place in Tur-

key on Friday, following interventions by Egypt, Qatar, Turkey and Oman, an Arab official told AFP on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. US news site Axios cited two unnamed sources as saying Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was expected to meet with US envoy Steve Witkoff in Istanbul to discuss a possible deal on the nuclear issue. Trump had warned “time is running out” for Iran to reach a deal on its nuclear program, which the West believes is aimed at making an atomic bomb, a claim Tehran has repeatedly denied.

In an interview with CNN on Sunday, Araghchi said: “President Trump said no nuclear weapons, and we fully agree. We fully agree with that. That could be a

aircraft carrier, with the US president threatening to intervene militarily after a deadly crackdown by Iranian authorities on two weeks of anti-government protests. AFP

Clintons to testify in US House Epstein probe

WASHINGTON, DC – Bill and Hillary Clinton will testify in a US House investigation surrounding deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a spokesman for the ex-president said, heading off a potential vote to hold the couple in contempt. They had originally refused to appear before lawmakers examining how authorities handled earlier investigations into the disgraced financier, who had connections and correspondence with the world’s business and political elite.

“The former President and former Secretary of State will be there. They look forward to setting a precedent that applies to everyone,” Clinton spokesman Angel Urena said on X.

The House Rules Committee had advanced resolutions accusing the Clintons of defying subpoenas to appear in person to explain their links to Epstein, who died in custody in 2019.

The Epstein affair continues to cast a long shadow over Washington, entangling some of the most prominent names in US politics and highlighting the sharp

Trial opens for Norway crown princess’ son on rape charges

OSLO – The son of Norway’s crown princess went on trial Tuesday accused of raping four women and assaulting several ex-girlfriends in a scandal that has tarnished the royal family’s image.

Marius Borg Hoiby, Crown Princess

Mette-Marit’s 29-year-old son from a relationship prior to her marriage to Crown Prince Haakon, is facing 38 charges, some dating back to 2018.

He was arrested again on Sunday evening on suspicion of assault, making threats with a knife and violating a restraining order.

He was remanded in custody for four weeks on Monday after police warned of a “risk of reoffending”.

Hoiby, who faces up to 16 years in prison if found guilty, has admitted to some of the more minor offences but denies the most serious charges. It comes as his mother was drawn

into the Jeffrey Epstein scandal at the weekend, after unsealed US documents revealed her apparently close friendship with the convicted sex offender, who killed himself in prison in 2019.

Hoiby’s trial in Oslo, which opens at 9:30 am (0830 GMT), is scheduled to last until March 19 and is expected to attract intense media coverage.

Prosecutor Sturla Henriksbo told AFP that Hoiby would “neither be treated more leniently nor more severely because of his family”.

The defence has not made a public statement ahead of the trial. Hoiby will enter pleas for all of the charges on Tuesday and is expected to take the stand for the first time on Wednesday.

A tall strapping blond with slickedback hair, earrings and tattoos, Hoiby was arrested on August 4, 2024 suspected of assaulting his girlfriend the night

very good deal,” adding that, “in

partisan battles that have shaped the scandal.

Democrats say the probe is being weaponized to attack political opponents of President Donald Trump -- himself a longtime Epstein associate who has not been called to testify -- rather than to conduct legitimate oversight.

Trump spent months trying to block the disclosure of investigative files linked to Epstein, who moved in elite circles for years, cultivating ties with billionaires, politicians, academics and celebrities. AFP

MINNEAPOLIS – Like many Latinos who voted in the 2024 US presidential election, Edgar Hernandez cast his ballot for Donald Trump. But faced with Trump’s harsh immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, where two US citizens were killed by federal agents last month, the Protestant pastor is remorseful.

“I don’t agree with what’s happening, it’s too violent,” he said, knowing he was part of the so-called Latino wave that helped reelect the Republican billionaire.

Roving raids across the Midwestern city -- where masked, armed federal agents continue to lurk outside hardware stores, gas stations and on neighborhood sidewalks -- have emptied out his church.

For the past two months, only a quarter of his congregants have dared attend Sunday service.

“All Latinos agree that if someone is here illegally and they’re committing crimes, thefts, murders, they must be arrested and deported,” Hernandez said. “But I don’t agree with deporting people who are here out of necessity and haven’t done anything.”

At 45, this American of Mexican origin is dismayed by the US political landscape, which leaves him feeling forced to choose between “the far right and the far left.”

Democratic candidate Kamala Harris was out of the question for Hernandez, who laments the “moral and spiritual decay” of a left that, for example, defends abortion or children’s events hosted by drag queens.

Hernandez remains critical of former Democratic president Joe Biden for failing to slow inflation, and “deporter-in-chief” Barack Obama for expelling millions of immigrants -though without the shock-and-awe tactics of the Trump administration. AFP

residents to stay in shelters, and said in a later post that two people had been wounded. In the eastern city of Kharkiv, two people were wounded by Russian

walk

Miado battles Van Rooyen in Fight Night 41

FILIPINO knockout artist Jeremy

“The Jaguar” Miado seeks to open 2026 with a bang against South African contender Willie “White Lion” van Rooyen at ONE Fight Night 41 on Prime Video. The flyweight MMA bout takes place at Lumpinee Stadium in

Winter Olympics to showcase Italian venues, global tensions

MILAN—The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics open on Friday as the Games return to their traditional heartland of the European Alps for the first time in 20 years, while organisers are praying skiing great Lindsey Vonn is fit to compete.

These Games will use a host of existing venues, meaning they will stretch for 350 kilometres (217 miles) across northern Italy from Cortina— one of the world’s iconic skiing locations—to Milan, with other “clusters” spread through the Alps.

Organizers say that avoiding new construction meets the sustainable brief for an event often accused of creating white elephants, but they admit it has added complexity too.

The first Olympics since the reelection of US President Donald Trump are set to be buffeted by global turbulence.

Italy has maintained that it will retain control of all security operations after it emerged that a branch of the

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be sent to Italy in an “advisory” role, sparking anger in the host nation.

Olympic power Russia’s team of just 13 must compete as neutrals, a sanction imposed by the International Olympic Committee after Moscow invaded Ukraine weeks after the last Winter Games in Beijing in 2022.

The sports programme begins on Wednesday, but the Games officially start two days later with a spectacular opening ceremony at the San Siro stadium in Milan featuring performances from US singer Mariah Carey and Italian opera star Andrea Bocelli.

US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to attend.

When the full programme of sport gets under way, all eyes will be on Vonn, whose comeback at 41 could be the storyline of this Olympics, provided she can recover from the hard fall she suffered in a World Cup race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Friday.

Following the crash, Vonn said she had injured her left knee, the joint that was fortified with titanium in surgery which allowed her to return to the circuit last year after retiring in 2019.

Vonn insisted “my Olympic dream is not over” and she is due to give an update on Tuesday.

Also eagerly awaited is the men’s ice hockey competition, with stars from the National Hockey League (NHL) in the US and Canada -- the world’s strongest -- taking part for the first time since 2014.

- ‘Additional complexities’ -

Kirsty Coventry, the new IOC president, is also under scrutiny as she oversees her first Games since her election as the movement’s first woman leader in March.

Coventry admitted that the approach of using existing venues, which are often long distances apart, has complicated the task for organisers.

“I think initially we all thought, ‘oh, well, we’ll just have it be a little bit more dispersed because that’s more sustainable’. Yes, that is very true, but it has added additional complexities in the delivery of the Games,” the Zimbabwean said.

Two of the new venues, the sliding centre in Cortina for the bobsleigh, skeleton and luge events and the main ice hockey arena in Milan have caused the most headaches.

The location of the sliding centre became a political hot potato after the IOC initially said those events would have to be held at existing sites in Switzerland or Austria. AFP

NFL chief expects Bad Bunny to unite Super Bowl audience

SANTA CLARA—National Football League chief Roger Goodell on Monday said he expects Bad Bunny to deliver a unifying performance at this weekend’s highly anticipated Super Bowl half-time show.

The Puerto Rican singer has been a vocal critic of President Donald Trump, and is expected to perform the first-ever Super Bowl set entirely in Spanish. He used the Grammys stage this past weekend to protest against the White House’s hardline immigration crackdown.

But Goodell told reporters that he believes Bad Bunny, one of the world’s most popular artists, will emulate previous Super Bowl performers in using the NFL’s biggest platform next Sunday to bring people together.

“Bad Bunny demonstrated last

Aurora

night that he is one of the great artists of the world and that’s one of the reasons we chose him,” said Goodell, referring to Bad Bunny’s Album of the Year win at the Grammys.

“But the other reason is he understood the platform he was on and that this platform is used to unite people,” said the NFL commissioner.

Bad Bunny has been Spotify’s most-streamed artist in the world four separate times, including in 2025, beating out the likes of titans like Taylor Swift and Drake.

He is wildly popular both stateside and

abroad, a commercial golden goose who is critically acclaimed and commands legions of ardent fans.

Yet the selection of Bad Bunny to perform at this Sunday’s Super Bowl LX in Santa Clara, California, drew immediate criticism from the Trump administration when it was announced in November.

Trump, who attended the Super Bowl last year but is staying away this year, called this year’s entertainment lineup “a terrible choice” that will “sow hatred.”

Gaming PH silences doubters with M7 conquest

By Caezar Julius Cortez

ONCE labeled as perennial “chokers” by fans and critics, Aurora Gaming Philippines finally shed that tag by ruling the global stage, emerging as M7 champions after a dominant 4-0 sweep of Indonesia’s Alter Ego to claim the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang world title. At the center of Aurora’s breakthrough was roamer Dylan “Light” Catipon, who capped his first-ever M-series appearance by winning the M7 Finals MVP award.

Now on a brief break from competition, the MPL PH Season 16 Regular Season MVP reflected on Aurora’s long-awaited redemption in an exclusive interview with Manila Standard Sports.

Despite returning to Indonesia for the

first time since July, Catipon said he never felt overwhelmed by the moment.

“Marami na rin naman akong international tournaments na napuntahan and I’ve been to MSC,” he said.

“Pinagkaibahan lang siguro ngayon sa M7, mas mahirap kasi hindi kami nag-champion sa MPL PH, so iba rin sana ‘yung confidence boost.”

Asked about his toughest matchups, Catipon pointed to Muhammad “Yums” Suhairi and Jaypee Dela Cruz.

“Pareho nilang kayang i-maximize

‘yung Hilda. Parang na-ne-negate

‘yung mga heroes at gameplay na kayang gawin ng mga teammates ko,” he said.

Light ultimately rose to the occasion in the Finals, anchoring Aurora’s sweep of Alter Ego. Still, the Finals MVP admitted the

achievement has yet to fully register.

“Parang sunod-sunod lahat, kaya parang hindi pa siya nag-si-sink in sa akin,” he said with a laugh.

Beyond the title, M7 was a moment of vindication for Aurora, long burdened by near-misses. “Hindi na para sa ibang tao, kundi para sa sarili na namin,” Catipon said. He also dedicated the triumph to his girlfriend, adding: “Noong nasa lowest point ako, nandiyan siya. Gusto kong suklian lahat ‘yun by winning an international title.”

With the season over, Catipon is spending time with family, but remains hungry.

“Yung pag-champion namin, isang araw lang naman ‘yun,” he said. “After that, challenger ulit kami sa upcoming MPL—and hopefully, EWC.”

Also featuring in the opening ceremony of Super Bowl LX -- in which the New England Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks -- will be rock band Green Day, who have been vocal critics of Trump for years.

Right-wing political organization Turning Point USA has organized an alternative “All-American Halftime Show” featuring artists including Kid Rock.

With the killing of two US citizens by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis last month, speculation has risen further that Bad Bunny could also use the Super Bowl platform to rebuke Trump’s policies.

But Goodell said he was confident that Bad Bunny “understands” that the Super Bowl space is an opportunity to “bring people together with their creativity, with their talents, and to be able to use this moment to do that.” AFP

A four-fight finishing streak previously positioned the Alpha Fitness and P’Chai Muay Thai & MMA representative for strawweight title contention before setbacks temporarily halted his rise. Miado looks to reignite his championship aspirations by moving to flyweight, where he secured a unanimous decision victory over Gilbert Nakatani at ONE Fight Night 28 in February last year. At 135 pounds, “The Jaguar” showcased the speed and power that defined his early promotional success. However, Miado succumbed to a submission loss to Avazbek Kholmirzaev at ONE Fight Night 38 last December, despite a strong start. Meanwhile, his opponent Van Rooyen enters as the 23-year-old former two-time EFC Flyweight Champion from South Africa.

“White Lion” carried a perfect 7-0 record with five finishes in his promotional debut before falling short against Kholmirzaev at ONE Fight Night 37 last November.

Sengun leads Rockets past Pacers, Ball leads Hornets

LOS ANGELES—Alperen Sengun finished with 39 points and 16 rebounds as the Houston Rockets bagged their third consecutive victory with a 118-114 defeat of the Indiana Pacers on Monday.

Turkish international Sengun, who was one of the most notable omissions from this month’s NBA All-Star Game, dominated at both ends of the court as the Rockets squeezed home. Jabari Smith Jr. backed Sengun with 19 points while Amen Thompson added 16 points as Houston improved to 31-17 to remain fourth in the Western Conference.

Elsewhere, the Minnesota Timberwolves (31-20) saw their four-game unbeaten streak halted by the Memphis Grizzlies in a 137-128 defeat. Memphis, missing the injured Ja Morant, improved to 19-29 thanks to 30 points from Jaren Jackson Jr. Seven Memphis players finished in double figures, with Ty Jerome scoring 19 points and Jaylen Wells 18 points. Cam Spencer and Vince Williams added 16 points each. The Charlotte Hornets edged closer to the playoff places with a 102-95 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, extending their win streak to seven games. LaMelo Ball was the hero for Charlotte, recovering from an accidental clash of heads with Hornets head coach Charles Lee to finish with 24 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Ball needed treatment for a gash near his eye after colliding with Lee as he scrambled to grab a loose pass in the first quarter. AFP

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2026

RIERA U. MALLARI, Editor

RANDY M. CALUAG, Asst. Editor

EDGARD HILARIO, Asst. Editor

Eala set to rise to career-high no. 43 in WTA

By Peter Atencio

ALEXANDRA Eala’s steady rise in the WTA rankings continues, with the Filipina standout set to reach a career-high world No. 43 following a composed opening-round victory at the WTA 500 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open early Tuesday morning (Manila time).

The 20-year-old Eala opened her campaign with a 6-4, 6-3 win over close friend Zeynep Sonmez of Turkey, world No. 79, in what she described as a “friendly” but fiercely contested match that lasted 89 minutes.

With the win, Eala’s live ranking is expected to climb two spots.

“In the end, we both want the best for each other,” Eala said in an online statement. “But we know that when we’re on court, we’re going to do our best, both of us, to do what we can.”

Eala was efficient on serve, winning 27 of 42 points off her first serve, compared to Sonmez’s 20 of 42. She seized control in the second set with two aces and a quick 3-0 lead before closing out the match, despite a brief late push from Sonmez.

“It’s definitely something you have to get used to,” Eala said of facing close friends on tour. “Maybe it’s harder in the juniors, but as a professional you learn to disassociate.”

The victory marked Eala’s third straight win over Sonmez, following previous triumphs at the Eastbourne International on grass last June, 6-1, 6-3, and at a W80 ITF tournament in Nantes in 2023, where she prevailed 7-6(5), 6-4.

Up next for Eala is a stern test against lucky loser Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus, who stunned No. 8 seed Paula Badosa, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

At 39, Sasnovich brings experience and momentum as Eala looks to continue her ascent in Abu Dhabi and in the world rankings.

Bacolod sprinter Bejoy breaks

12-year 800-meter PH record

A12-YEAR-OLD Philippine national record fell on Sunday as Bacolod sprinter Bernalyn Bejoy ruled the women’s 800-meter run at the 2026 Inland NW Invitational in Spokane, Washington.

The 25-year-old Bejoy clocked 2 minutes and 08.36 seconds, according to results posted on the event’s official website. She finished ahead of Emma Stolte of Portland State (2:08.51) and Northwest’s Hazel Kunkel (2:16.59).

Bejoy’s performance eclipsed the Philippine indoor mark of 2:13.44 set by Jessica Barnard in 2014.

Once ratified by the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA), Bejoy’s time will stand as the new national indoor record in the event.

The Spokane victory marked Bejoy’s third podium finish since beginning her U.S. training stint on January 20.

Earlier in the year, Bejoy swept the 400- and 800-meter races at the Pacific Reno Indoor Track – Martin Luther King Meet. She also topped the women’s 800 meters at the Reno Indoor Track MLK Invite at the Reno-Sparks

Convention Center in Nevada, clocking 2:13.51 to beat Rhonda Yaeger (3:01.19).

Bejoy is currently in the middle of a month-long training camp in the United States with coach Jeoffrey Chua, working under the guidance of Brazilian 800-meter legend Joaquim Cruz.

Cruz, who owns a personal best of 1:41.77, won Olympic gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games and silver at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. He has been assisting in Bejoy’s preparation at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center since her arrival in the U.S., made possible through FilAm Sports with the support of Ed Lasquete and Bo Navarro. Bejoy’s overseas training follows her bronze-medal finish at the most recent Southeast Asian Games, as she continues to build momentum on the international stage. Randy Caluag , Peter Atencio

Chameleons escape as Foxies fade in 5-set classic

NXLED leaned heavily on championship nerve to survive, not dominate. Flashing brilliance but flirting with collapse, the Chameleons rode the late-game composure of their seasoned Petro Gazz recruits to outlast a relentless Farm Fresh side, 25-23, 1325, 21-25, 25-15, 15-12, and snatch a share of the early lead in the Premier Volleyball League All-Filipino Conference Tuesday at the FilOil Playtime Centre in San Juan.

It was a win fueled more by resilience than rhythm, as Nxled repeatedly had to dig itself out of danger before finally repelling the Foxies in a twohour and 12-minute grind. Myla Pablo

The Nxled Chameleons celebrate a point.

delivered in the clutch, complementing Brooke Van Sickle’s stretch-run brilliance as the Chameleons clawed back from a 1-2 set deficit against a Farm Fresh squad that refused to go quietly. Yet even the finish carried tension.

Nxled’s breakthrough came in anticlimactic fashion, with Louie Romero serving long on match point after Royse Tubino had earlier kept Farm Fresh alive and Pablo briefly faltered on a mishit that cut the deficit to 12-14 in the fifth.

Wide-open battle looms as ICTSI

LIPA City, Batangas—A fast start will be crucial as the ICTSI Philippine Ladies Masters fires off today (Wednesday, Feb. 4), launching a wideopen battle among Taiwan’s top guns, a deep Thai and Korean contingent, seasoned international campaigners and a determined Filipino cast eager to defend home turf. The $200,000, 54-hole championship – offering a winner’s purse of $30,000 – also serves as the opening leg of the Taiwan LPGA Tour and unfolds at Summit Point Golf and Country Club, a course known for its shifting winds, demanding greens and ability to quickly expose mistakes. With only three rounds to decide a 123-player field, contenders could surface early, leaving little margin for those who stumble out of the gate. Leading the early favorites is Taiwan’s Min Lee, No. 2 in the Taiwan LPGA Order of Merit and a former LPGA Tour campaigner. Known for her composure and shot-making, Lee anchors a powerful Taiwanese lineup that also includes No. 4 Chih-Min Chen, fifth-ranked Ching Huang – a former Ladies Philippine Golf Tour Midlands winner – and No. 7 Han-Hsuan Yu, all seeking to finally break through after near-misses in recent LPGT and TLPGA-sanc-

tioned events.

Nxled head coach Ettore Guidetti quickly called for time, both to reset his offense and ice the Foxies’ momentum. The pause proved decisive.

Romero wavered behind the line and pushed her serve long, triggering muted relief more than celebration from the Chameleons, who had stared at defeat after narrowly escaping the opening set and surrendering the next two in lopsided fashion.

“If that’s how the season begins, it was certainly a fearsome match,” Guidetti said in reflecting on the victory. “In my opinion, Farm Fresh played very well, especially considering it was everyone’s first game. It was difficult for us, but in the last two sets I was fortunate to find the right players at the right moments. That’s why we’re happy to say the first step went in the right direction.”

PH Ladies Masters unfolds

Still, the course offers no guarantees.

Summit Point changes character by the hour, with elevation shifts and slick greens turning even solid shots into difficult recoveries – a great

equalizer that has humbled even the most experienced players.

“The course looks great and I really like the layout,” Lee said, pointing to the wind and the unfamiliar grass as key challenges. “It’s quite windy here, and the type of grass is something we don’t see very often, so it takes a bit of time to adjust the shots and calculations.”

Playing in the country for the first time, Lee is aiming to make a strong impression. “I’m very excited about this week’s tournament,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Thai challenge is again deep and dangerous, led by Nook Sukapan, who arrives with unfinished business after missing last year’s title by a single stroke to Korea’s Kim Kayoung.

“It was a great experience,” said Sukapan after a practice round. “The course is challenging, especially the greens, and it really tests your focus. I enjoyed playing Summit Point, and I feel I’m ready this time.”

Backing Sukapan is a strong Thai cast that includes Kan Bunnabodee, Chonlada Chayanun, Pakin Kawinpakorn, Supamas Sangchan, Sherman Santiwiwattahanaphong, Ornnicha Konsunthea and Pimnipa Panthong – all capable of making a run if momentum swings their way.

Bencic, Svitolina make history as mothers inside tennis’ top 10

MELBOURNE—Belinda Bencic and Elina Svitolina have made history as the first mothers ranked inside the WTA Tour’s top 10 at the same time, with the governing body hailing it as “an incredible moment for women’s sport”.

Switzerland’s Bencic returned to the top 10 in January for the first time since stepping away from the court in September 2023 to give birth to daughter Bella.

In the latest rankings released Monday she was joined by Svitolina, mother of Skai, after the Ukrainian’s run to the semi-finals at the Australian Open last week.

The WTA has made efforts in recent years to help players maintain their professional careers and become parents with its Family Focus Program.

It includes ranking protection during pregnancy, postpartum support with a return to play and paid maternity leave.

“Two mothers ranked inside the WTA’s Top 10 rankings for the first time is an incredible moment for tennis and for women’s sport,” said WTA chief executive Portia Archer.

“Not only does this highlight the exceptional achievements of Belinda and Elina, it reaffirms the WTA’s commitment to creating an environment where mothers can continue to compete and succeed, at the very highest level of sport -or any profession.”

Bencic and Svitolina both took advantage of the Special Ranking Rule for returning mothers.

“Coming back to the WTA Top 10 one year after returning to competition after maternity leave is something I am incredibly proud of,” said Bencic, ranked nine. AFP

BUSINESS

ERC probes alleged violations, permits of Solar Para

Sa Bayan

By Alena Mae S. Flores

THE Energy Regulatory Commis-

sion (ERC) on Tuesday warned power companies against operating and charging consumers without regulatory approval after issuing showcause orders to Solar Para Sa Bayan Corp. (SPSB) for alleged violations.

The regulator said it is investigating reports that SPSB operated without the necessary permits and charged rates as high as P18 per kilowatt-hour. The allegations followed consumer complaints on alleged unauthorized operations in off-grid areas including Paluan, Occidental Mindoro.

ERC chairperson Francis Saturnino Juan said in a television interview that the commission would pursue the case even if the company has lost its franchise.

“This is not only for Solar Para Sa Bayan. We also want to show the entire industry, and other electric companies, that they cannot simply ignore the commission and impose and collect from consumers without the approval of the ERC,” Juan said.

Commission records showed that SPSB failed to secure an authority to operate or certificates of compliance for its generation facilities. The company did not obtain approved cost recovery measures, the ERC said.

Juan said the P18-per-kWh rate allegedly collected by SPSB exceeded prices charged by other electric cooperatives in the same region.

Energy companies are required to submit formal applications for tariffs and prices to ensure consumer protection against overcharging. Power generation firms and distribution utilities must also file for certificates of public convenience or compliance.

“This is a mortal sin because the company ignored the ERC. They just implemented what they wanted and the consumers were not protected,” Juan said.

By Thony Rose Lesaca

THE Philippine government’s outstanding debt reached P17.71 trillion at the end of December 2025, up 10.32 percent from P16.05 trillion in 2024, the Bureau of the Treasury said Tuesday.

The P1.66-trillion surge was led by the strategic issuance of debt instruments to fund development programs and the valuation effects of a weaker peso against the US dollar and other currencies.

It was also higher than the P17.65 trillion debt registered in November 2025, data showed.

Despite the higher nominal figure, the Treasury maintained that the debt portfolio remains resilient because 68.4 percent of borrowings were sourced from the domestic market.

By prioritizing pesodenominated financing, the

government aims to reduce exposure to exchange rate volatility and keep interest payments within the local economy.

Domestic debt climbed 10.85 percent year-to-date to P12.12 trillion, fueled by regular government security auctions and the offering of Retail Treasury Bond Tranche 31.

External debt rose to P5.59 trillion due to new global bond issuances, the availment of official development assistance and the upward revaluation of foreign-denominated debt. The government raised P1.18 trillion

Alternergy starts commercial operations of P1.4-b Balsik solar project in Bataan

ALTERNERGY Holdings Corp.’s subsidiary Solana Solar Alpha Inc (SSAI) has launched commercial operations of its P1.4-billion Balsik Solar Power Plant in Bataan province, as the company nears its 500-megawatt capacity goal for 2026.

The 28-megawatt-peak facility in Hermosa began delivering power following the issuance of a final certificate of authority to connect by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines. The project is one of four Alternergy developments scheduled to come online this year, alongside the 4.6 megawatt Dupinga hydro project and the Alabat and Tanay wind farms.

The Balsik plant is expected to generate 45,000 megawatt-hours of renewable energy annually and to support the sustainability goals of industrial customers while avoiding approximately 31,000 metric tons of carbon emissions.

in net domestic financing and P317.02 billion in net external financing to support infrastructure, social reform, agriculture and industry sectors.

“The increase is due to the government’s strategic net issuance of debt instruments to fund development programs, as well as the valuation effects of peso depreciation against the US dollar and third currencies,” the Treasury said.

National government guaranteed obligations fell to P344.57 billion, down 0.60 percent from the previous year. The reduction was attributed to the net repayment of both domestic and external guarantees.

Guaranteed debt now stands at about 1.2 percent of gross domestic product, which officials say indicates minimal contingent debt risks.

Gov’t debt as of December 2025

Gov’t debt as of November 2025

P17.71 trillion P17.65 trillion P16.05 trillion

Gov’t debt as of December 2024

The facility features 45,600 bifacial solar modules and 6 inverter stations spread across 30 hectares. It connects to the national grid through a 300 meter transmission line.

Alternergy operates 10 solar farms including rooftop and battery storage installations. The company is also moving forward with three projects won under the Green Energy Auction 4, including the Liberty floating solar projects and the Kalandagan solar-plusstorage system which have a combined capacity of 240 megawatt-peak.

“This is a pivotal and busy year for the Alternergy Group. During 2026, we are inaugurating four (4) projects across our Triple Play portfolio of solar, wind and hydro resource technologies, with a total combined capacity of 225 MW,” Magbanua said.

The executive said the company’s core strength lies in managing power projects from pre-development to the commercial phase. He said the four projects coming online would provide a steady flow of revenue starting this year.

Alena Mae S. Flores

“Following the completion of the testing and commissioning and the issuance of the Final Certificate of Authority to Connect (FCATC) by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), the Balsik Solar Power Plant will start delivering clean and renewable power,” Alternergy president and SSAI director Gerry Magbanua said.

LOCAL shares rebounded strongly Tuesday to close above the 6,400 level as the government plans to accelerate spending during the first quarter to boost the do-mestic economy.

The 30-company Philippine Stock Exchange index surged 104.88 points, or 1.67 percent, to close at 6,401.96, while the broader all-shares index rose 38.92 points, or 1.11 percent, to end at 3,548.44.

The peso remained steady against the US dollar, closing at 58.89 Tuesday compared with 58.899 Monday.

Philstocks Financial Inc. research head Japhet Tantiangco said the local market bounced back on hopes that the Philippine economy will regain its growth momentum.

“This comes amid the government’s

By Jenniffer B. Austria

Vplan to spend P1.44 trillion this first quarter to re-accelerate the economy,” Tantiangco said.

Adding to the market’s renewed optimism is a potential rate cut by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

All sectors ended in the green, led by mining and oil, which rallied 4.62 percent fol-lowing the previous day’s slump. Property advanced 2.97 percent, while services rose 1.73 percent. Trading was active as value turnover reached P6.58 billion.

Foreign investors turned net buyers with inflows reaching P236.4 million.

SM Prime Holdings Inc. was the day’s top index gainer, rising 4.72 percent to P22, while Emperador Inc. was the main index laggard, declining 1.65 percent to P15.46.

Jenniffer B. Austria

ILLAR Land Holdings Inc. chairman Manuel Villar on Tuesday denied any wrongdoing after the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a criminal complaint with the Department of Justice over alleged market manipulation and insider trading.

to a massive discrepancy in the company’s 2024 financial reporting, where initial disclosures claimed total assets of P1.33 trillion and a net income of P999.72 billion.

The SEC last week filed the complaint against Villar Land and its officers and shareholders, claiming the company’s disclosures misled investors and distorted market prices. The regulator pointed

When the audited financial statements were later submitted, the company reported total assets of only P35.7 billion. The SEC alleged these inflated figures were released to the public before the completion of an external audit.

Villar said in a statement that he has never engaged in illegal practices intended to defraud customers or investors or to improperly benefit himself or the companies he owns. He said neither he nor the company has received a formal copy of the complaint.

“In all my years as an entrepreneur, from the time I helped my mother sell shrimps and fish in Divisoria to leading one of the most successful businesses in the country, I have never engaged

in illegal practices designed to defraud customers and investors, or unduly benefit myself or the companies I own,” Villar said.

The complaint named several highprofile respondents, including Villar Land chairman Villar and former Senator Cynthia Villar. Also named were Villar Land directors Cynthia Javarez, Manuel Paolo Villar, Camille Villar and Mark Villar, along with Villar Land independent directors Ana Marie Pagsibigan and Garth Castañeda.

Villar Land said it would respond to the allegations in the proper forum and cooperate with any investigation conducted with due process.

“I assure the public that Villar Land will respond to all these allegations in the proper forum, and that we will fully cooperate with an impartial investigation that fosters due process, protects the public’s welfare, and ferrets out the truth,” Villar said.

Series of 2026. (MS-FEB. 4/11/18, 2026)

NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that the Estate of the late SPOUSES VICENTE DATO and MARGARITA DATO who died on April 3, 1990 and December 17,

SM INVESTMENTS Corp., the parent company of the SM Group, in partnership with the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seis-mology, marked a milestone as the first conglomerate to complete training on the use of GeoRiskPH.

The suite of online tools is designed to identify location specific vulnerabilities and strengthen resilience against climate change and natural hazards.

The two-day training provided workshops guiding participants through the GeoRiskPH platform, fostering a shared understanding of how science-based tools can help safeguard communities, employees and stakeholders from seismic, volcanic and other hy-dro-meteorological hazards. The platform enables users to determine at risk areas and displays the percentage of land prone to hazards in terms of demography and infrastructure.

Nearly 60 executives and representatives from across the SM Group participated, in-cluding teams from SM Prime Holdings Inc., SM Retail Inc., SM Markets, BDO Unibank Inc., China Banking Corp., 2GO Group Inc. and Philippine Geothermal Production Co. Inc.

“As a group, we welcome this

partnership as an important step in harnessing science-based tools to deepen our understanding of disaster and climate risks and in demonstrating how the public and private sectors can work together to protect our communities,” said Koleen Davila Palaganas, head of the SM Group Sustainability Office. Palaganas noted that the effective use of GeoRiskPH can also contribute to the safety of employees and communities while enabling faster and more informed disaster re-sponse and relief operations. GeoRiskPH serves as the central source of information for accurate reportage on environmental hazards and risk assessment, allowing the public to perform assessments for free.

Since the program’s approval in 2019, the platform has developed several integrated tools, including HazardHunterPH for multi-hazard assessment services and GeoMapperPH, a multi-user platform for data collection and the development of a national exposure database. The suite also includes GeoAnalyticsPH, a web platform that presents maps and analyses for decision-making, and PlanSmart, a digital planning plat-form that supports automated disaster rehabilitation and

PH regains rank as second-largest banana exporter

By Othel V. Campos

THE Philippines has reclaimed its position as the world’s second-largest banana exporter, the Department of Agriculture said Tuesday, citing an update from the Food and Agriculture Organization.

“Many thought the banana industry was in decline. This proves that the right interventions can reverse the trend,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said. Laurel noted the Department of Agriculture plans to apply this approach to other highvalue crops.

The FAO report credited the rebound to a surge in Philippine supplies following a re-covery from weather- and disease-related setbacks. It highlighted major investments in banana production in the Cagayan Valley, backed by government supplies of organic fertilizers and other inputs.

The Philippine cardaba banana, or saba, is driving export growth through products such as banana chips, steamed saba and banana catsup.

Under the 2025 High Value Crops Development Program, the banana sector received 106,000 planting materials,

120,000 units of organic fertilizer and more than 215,000 biological control agents, such as Trichoderma, to increase plant resilience and reduce postharvest losses.

The sector’s recovery comes despite the continuing threat of Fusarium wilt tropical race 4, also known as Panama disease. The disease has affected about 15,500 hectares in the Davao Region, stripping production from the Cavendish plantations that drive the majority of exports.

Officials said controlling the disease is key to sustaining recent gains.

The DA is also grooming 10 additional high-value crops for export promotion: aspara-gus, avocado, cacao, calamansi, coffee, dragon fruit, durian, okra, pomelo and rambu-tan.

Fruits and peels are the country’s second-largest agricultural export. The sector saw a 33 percent year-on-year increase to $244.4 million in November 2025 alone.

BFAR reports steady growth in fry, fingerling production

THE Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources reported steady growth in fry and fingerling production, which reached 335.3 million in 2025. This is an increase of nearly 10 million, or 2.88 percent, from 325.9 million in 2024.

The agency said the increase directly benefits fish farmers by improving access to quality stocking materials and supporting higher aquaculture productivity nationwide.

BFAR credited the growth to the use of sustainable aquaculture technologies and proper broodstock management under its National Broodstock Development Program, which ensures a steady supply of high-quality fish seeds for the industry.

During the agency’s recent planning and assessment activities, BFAR national director Elizer Salilig stressed the need to scale up service delivery to the fisheries sector. Salilig instructed regional offices and national technology centers to focus on lead fish commodities in their areas, intensify field visits and strengthen community-based legis-lated hatcheries to better support local fish farmers.

He also encouraged private sector investment by showcasing fisheries harvests and productivity.

“With strengthened hatchery operations, targeted regional strategies and stronger private sector partnerships, we can accelerate the growth of aquaculture and improve the livelihoods of our fish farmers, supporting President Marcos’ food security goals,” Salilig said. Othel V. Campos

WEDNESDAY,

Green Lane investments hit P6.14t

By Othel V. Campos

THE Board of Investments (BOI) has endorsed P6.14 trillion worth of projects under its Green Lane for Strategic Investments program, bringing the official tally to 233 projects as of Jan. 31, 2026.

By Thony Rose Lesaca

DUMAGUETE CITY—The Philippines faces a risk of returning to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list despite its recent exit in 2025, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Eli Remolona Jr. said.

“To be honest, there’s a risk. We have a risk of returning to the grey list, although we’re doing what we can to prevent that,” Remolona told reporters during a media information session Sunday.

The warning follows a third national risk assessment from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) which found the country continues to face a “high money laundering” threat.

The council attributed the persistent risk to the scale and profitability of predicate crimes including illegal drug trafficking, fraud, swindling, and cyber-enabled scams.

The AMLC also identified environmental crimes, tax evasion, corruption and securities-related violations as primary drivers of illicit financial flows.

The FATF, a global dirty money watchdog, placed the Philippines on its grey list in June 2021 because of perceived weaknesses in the implementation of anti-money laundering laws. Inclusion on the list signifies that a jurisdiction is under increased monitoring and must commit to resolving strategic deficiencies within a set timeframe.

The country successfully exited the list in February 2025 after completing an action plan to strengthen its regulatory regime. However, Remolona noted that addressing the comprehensive risks identified by global monitors is a long-term challenge.

“This is going to be a long process, so we have time to do what we need to do to show the FATF that we’re doing everything we can,” Remolona said, adding that he remains optimistic the country has sufficient time to bolster its defenses.

Data from the One-Stop Action Center for Strategic Investments show the certified projects are projected to generate about 399,667 jobs for the Filipino workforce.

The milestone follows a productive

2025, which saw P1.96 trillion in new endorsements, representing about 32 percent of the program’s total value and including P86.92 billion in foreign direct investments.

The program’s momentum

continued in the first month of 2026 with the endorsement of the 300-megawatt San Jose Onshore Wind Power Project in Nueva Ecija, valued at P30.92 billion.

The efficiency of the framework was highlighted during the Jan. 25 groundbreaking of the 49.9-megawatt Mabini Solar Power Project in Pangasinan.

The solar project transitioned from pre-development to the groundbreaking stage in just 11 months, faster than the traditional two-year timeline for large-scale

DEPARTMENT of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco denied allegations of self-promotion on Tuesday, saying her high public visibility is a result of intensive on-the-ground work rather than a search for personal exposure.

Frasco, in a statement, thanked Senator Raffy Tulfo for raising the issue, noting it offered a chance to clarify facts.

She said that since taking office, she has visited all regions of the Philippines and 56 out of 82 provinces to oversee recovery efforts, infrastructure and workforce development following the pandemic.

developments. The investment center is overseeing a robust pipeline at various levels of implementation. The majority of the portfolio remains in the predevelopment stage, with 162 projects valued at about P5.51 trillion. These initiatives are primarily led by the renewable energy sector and major infrastructure and water projects. In the construction phase, 47 projects totaling P366.26 billion are underway across renewable energy, food security, manufacturing and digital infrastructure.

DEEPER COOPERATION.

The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. (PDIC) and the Deposit Insurance Corp. of Mongolia (DICoM) sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance the effectiveness of their respective deposit insurance systems through bilateral cooperation, knowledge sharing and collaborative research.

Signing the MOU are PDIC president and chief executive Roberto Tan (right) and Amar Lkhagvasuren, board member of the National Deposit Insurance Committee of Mongolia in November 2025, on the sidelines of the International Association of Deposit Insurers (IADI) Annual Conference held in Lisbon, Portugal.

“I chose to show up where help is needed, where policies are implemented, and where Filipinos depend on government action. This is not self-promotion; it is the essence of the job entrusted to me,” Frasco said.

She addressed a photograph taken in Lake Sebu, explaining it was part of the Philippine Experience Program. The flagship initiative promotes destinations through immersive engagement with stakeholders to support inclusive development in areas like South Cotabato.

Frasco said the Department of Tourism had no role in producing Philippine Topics magazine, describing it as an independent editorial publication.

She said the photographer who originally raised the allegation later reversed his statements, which she said called the credibility of the claims into question. Othel V. Campos

ATI wants to exit PSE on April 3 after tender offer

By Darwin G. Amojelar

ASIAN Terminals Inc. (ATI) plans to exit the Philippine Stock Exchange by April 3, 2026 following a capital infusion and tender offer from the state-owned Maharlika Investment Corp. (MIC).

“The proposed effective date of the voluntary delisting, which is on April 3, is at least 60 days after the filing of this petition, in accordance with the PSE [Philippine Stock Exchange] Rules,” ATI said in a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE).

The delisting received approval from stockholders representing 1.75 billion common shares, or 90.34 percent of the company’s outstanding capital. Only 3.27 percent, or 63.35 million shares, voted against the proposal.

The transition was prompted by a tender offer from MIC, the Philippine sovereign wealth fund manager, to acquire ATI’s minority public float. MIC and ATI will purchase these shares at P36 each, a price intended to support the fund’s mandate of generating sustainable wealth for national economic growth.

The P36 offer price carries a 49-percent premium over the company’s 1-year volume weighted average price of P24.15. Independent fairness valuator MBI Capital Corp., a PSE-accredited financial advisor, issued a fairness opinion supporting the valuation. ATI enters the transition on the back of strong financial growth. The company reported a net income of P4.25 billion in the first nine months of 2025, a 34.4-percent increase from P3.16 billion during the same period in 2024.

SPOTLIGHT

Stories beneath the city

SOME people say that photography is one of the arts that tells a story—one that can make someone pause and turn their head in recognition.

In public spaces where people move quickly and rarely stop to look around, photography has the power to interrupt routine and invite connection. This is the experience offered by Fotomoto Underground, an exhibition featured in ArtWalk by Ayala Land and currently on view at the Paseo Underpass in Ayala, Makati from January 30 to February 8, 2026.

Rooted in FotomotoPH’s Open Call program, Fotomoto Underground presents photographs that reflect everyday Filipino life as lived within communities. The images explore relationships between people and places across the archipelago, highlighting stories shaped by memory and environment. Rather than relying on spectacle, the works focus on moments that feel familiar—

Youth, city offices unite for greener Tagaytay

By Bernadette Araño

TAGAYTAY CITY — A shared commitment to environmental stewardship took root as city offices and youth leaders came together for a tree planting activity at the Tagaytay City Concert Grounds, turning collective action into a meaningful step toward a greener and more resilient city.

Held on January 30, the activity gathered representatives from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, City Agriculture Office, Mayor’s Office, Tourism and Cultural Development Office, Public Information Office, Local Youth Development Office, and the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation of Tagaytay City. The initiative highlighted the power of collaboration in addressing environmental sustainability at the local level. Participants planted young trees across designated areas of the concert

grounds, reinforcing the city’s efforts to protect its natural landscape while promoting climate-conscious practices. Beyond improving green spaces, the activity underscored the long-term benefits of urban tree planting, including soil protection, improved air quality, and ecological balance—key concerns for a tourism-driven city like Tagaytay.

Youth volunteers played a central role in the initiative which shows how environmental advocacy can be both hands-on and community-driven. Their involvement reflects the growing role of young leaders in shaping sustainable development and inspiring environmental responsibility among residents.

City officials emphasized that initiatives such as this are not one-time efforts but part of a broader vision to preserve Tagaytay’s natural charm while ensuring a healthier environment for future generations.

streets people walk daily, homes filled with meaning, and faces shaped by shared experience. For many commuters who regularly pass through the underpass, the exhibition has transformed a routine walkway into a space for reflection. A 46-year-old commuter, who has walked through the Paseo Underpass for years, shared his appreciation for the display. “Nakakatuwa makakita ng ganito kagagandang mga litrato. Ang gagaling ng mga Pinoy talaga,” he said, noting how the photographs caught his attention and made his daily commute more meaningful.

Younger viewers also found resonance in the exhibition. A 22-year-old student expressed how seeing the works

in a public space made the experience more impactful. “I’m really into arts, and seeing this is so fulfilling. This photography deserves to be seen,” the student said. For audiences like them, Fotomoto Underground becomes more than an art exhibit—it is a shared encounter between creators and the community.

As a collection, the photographs form a portrait of contemporary Filipino communities. They reflect lives that are personal and grounded, shaped by interaction and place. Viewers are encouraged to linger and recognize fragments of their own stories, reinforcing how identity is built through everyday connections. The choice of the Paseo Underpass

as a venue strengthens this community focus. Situated along a busy pedestrian route, the exhibition reaches workers, students, and residents alike. As part of 10 Days of Art 2026, ArtWalk by Ayala Land turns ordinary pathways into shared cultural spaces, making art accessible beyond gallery walls. Organized by FotomotoPH, a collective of photographers, artists, curators, and writers dedicated to promoting Philippine photography, Fotomoto Underground reflects a continuing effort to bring stories closer to the public. Beneath the city’s surface, the exhibition reminds passersby that communities are built through stories—quietly seen, widely shared, and deeply felt.

Potato flood in Berlin — send some our way!

By Robert Harland

LIKE Germans, many Filipinos love their potatoes. But here in the Philippines, the humble spud is no everyday staple — they’re pricey.

So when Berlin farmers found themselves with a record-breaking glut, dubbed the Kartoffel-Flut (potato flood), one can’t help but wish a few sacks might sail across the seas to us.

In Germany, the average person eats 63 kilos of potatoes a year. Yet even the most devoted fans have been overwhelmed by the bumper harvest — the highest yield in

THE Direct Selling Association of the Philippines (DSAP), the national trade association of companies legitimately engaged in direct selling, capped off its 2025 initiatives with a meaningful corporate social responsibility (CSR) activity, bringing hope and holiday cheer to families affected by Typhoon Tinong in Cebu.

On December 20, 2025, DSAP conducted a Christmas gift-giving activity at a tent city evacuation area in Talisay City, Cebu, in coordination with the Talisay local government unit (LGU). The initiative benefitted over 200 families who were heavily affected by the typhoon, providing them with essential goods and Noche Buena packages during the holiday season.

“This activity reflects DSAP’s commitment not only to ethical entrepreneurship but also to nation-building and community care,” said Joey Sarmiento, DSAP Chairman and Vice President for Asia of Max International. “As we wrap up our 2025 activities,

25 years. Farmers and volunteers staged “potato dumps” across Berlin, inviting residents to collect the surplus gratis — completely free. Soup kitchens, schools, churches and even the Berlin Zoo joined the rescue mission, while two truckloads were sent to Ukraine. Ordinary Berliners, feeling the squeeze of rising costs, queued at more than 170 distribution points, stuffing sacks, buckets, and even rucksacks with spuds. One woman cheerfully reported she had gathered 150 potatoes — enough to feed her neighbors until year’s end. The operation, called 4000 Tonnes, has turned into a citywide potato party. People swap recipes, share loads, and revive old tales of Frederick the Great’s 18th-century “potato decree.” Celebrity chefs are giving the tuber Michelin-star treatment, while Angela Merkel’s famous Kartoffelsuppe recipe is making the rounds again. For Berlin, the glut is a quirky blessing. For the Philippines, it’s a reminder of how costly this beloved ingredient can be. Perhaps, with all those free spuds, a few could find their way to our kitchens — where mashed, fried or roasted, they’d be warmly welcomed.

distributes essential goods to families in Cebu

we wanted to end the year by extending compassion and support to families who need it most.” The outreach was led by Beth Añana, DSAP Board of Director and Head of the CSR Committee, and General Manager of Xyngular Philippines. She was joined by fellow DSAP leaders, in-

cluding Maricar Sandalo, DSAP Board of Director and Regional Senior Human Resources Manager, North APAC of Young Living Philippines; Marie Baylosis, DSAP Secretariat; and Leizel Rodil, CSR Committee Member and Human Resources Manager of Xyngular Philippines.

THE Tribal Communities Association of the Philippines (TRICAP) formally inducted the officers of its Bukidnon Chapter at the BAFF-DARU, P-5, Casisang, Malaybalay City, Province of Bukidnon, marking the province as the first chapter established under the organization’s new national administration. The induction signals a renewed national direction for TRICAP, focused on strengthening indigenous leadership, accountable governance, and the protection of the rights of Indigenous Peoples. Leading the Bukidnon Chapter is Henry S. Binahon (Datu Mansalalang) as President, with Atty. Perlie Jane Q. Binahon as President’s Secretary. Other officers include Emmanuel G. Rubio (Datu Man-ayon) as Vice President for External Affairs; Atty. Ophelia Pilar E. Rubio as Secretary to the VP for External Affairs; Datu Roland R. Eugenio as Secretary; Francis Dongogan (Datu Pan-ipunan) as Treasurer; Lucilo Noko Tilanduca (Datu Pansapsap) as Auditor; and CPA Lucille Tilanduca as Assistant Auditor. The oath-taking was officiated by Bai Limpayen Jennifer Pua Sibug-Las, TRICAP National President, who said the Bukidnon Chapter sets the standard for the organization’s renewed national leadership.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 16, 2025 lifeandshow.manilastandard@gmail.com

ANGELICA Writer

NICKIE WANG, Editor ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer FEBRUARY 4, 2026

Late actress Barbie Hsu honored with a memorial statue

By Angelica Villanueva

SOUTH Korean entertainer DJ Koo marked the first anniversary of his wife, Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu’s death, with the unveiling of a memorial statue dedicated to her.

On Wednesday, Feb. 2, the tribute was revealed at Chin Pao San Cemetery, where Koo attended a private ceremony with Hsu’s family, including her mother, Huang Chun-mei, and sister, Hsu

Photos showed Koo walking quietly in the rain, holding an umbrella as he accompanied his mother-in-law toward the memorial site.

Several close friends from the entertainment industry were also present to pay their respects, among them Christine Fan, Blackie Chen, Kevin Tsai, Pace Wu, Show Lo, Rainie Yang, Janet Chia, Jerry Yan, and Vic Chou

Koo designed the statue to show Hsu as calm and gentle, with folded hands and a soft smile. A bow represents her youthful charm, and her flowing dress suggests a sense of movement and peace.

The memorial also includes meaningful design details. The path leading to the statue curves in an S-shape, and the number nine appears several times in the structure. The “S” stands for Barbie Hsu, and the number nine is linked to Koo Jun-yup’s surname, which sounds like “nine” in Korean.

SHOWBIZ

‘Wonderful Nightmare’ star Kim Molina on missing ‘Miss Saigon’ and f inding love

Very Wang Nickie Wang

WHAT counts as a nightmare in show business often reveals itself years later, when the moment has already passed.

At a press conference Tuesday for the film Wonderful Nightmare

Kim Molina shared a long-held story about a missed opportunity that still lingers. Asked about any “nightmare experience” in her career, she tied the question to the film’s title and recalled how she once came close to auditioning for Miss Saigon, only to lose the chance because of a scheduling conflict.

Molina said only broadcaster Kim Atienza had previously heard the story.

She was taping an episode of Maalaala Mo Kaya for ABS-CBN at the time, appearing in a supporting role alongside comedian Pokwang. Coming from theater, Molina explained that she had been trained to commit fully to one job at a time. She had spent the entire day shooting and was waiting for just one remaining scene when her phone rang.

On the line was the production team of Miss Saigon, which had returned to the Philippines and was searching for another actress to play Gigi. Molina was asked to audition and sing that evening. She

theater artist Red Concepcion. She later learned that the next audition would already be in the United States and would be final.

“It was my dream. It was a musical,” Molina said, laughing as she added that she was named Kim after Miss Saigon, even joking that her body type suited Gigi more.

That night, she stayed on set. Her scene was taped past midnight. When the episode aired, she barely appeared onscreen, the camera passing by her quickly.

THE GMA Kapuso Foundation will mark 30 years of its blood donation initiative, Sagip Dugtong Buhay, with its first bloodletting activity for 2026 on Feb. 7. The program, run by the socio-civic arm of GMA Network, is held twice a year and promotes voluntary blood donation to support hospitals and patients nationwide. Over three decades, Sagip Dugtong Buhay has collected 78,491 blood units and benefited 235,473 patients, based on data from the Philippine Red Cross. The upcoming bloodletting activity will be held at Ever Commonwealth Mall from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Feb. 7. It is organized in partnership with the Philippine Red Cross and the mall management.

Sagip Dugtong Buhay is one of several humanitarian programs led by the GMA Kapuso Foundation aimed at assisting Filipinos in need.

STREAMING giant Netflix will exclusively livestream K-pop supergroup BTS ’s comeback performance in Seoul.

On Wednesday, Feb. 3, the streaming platform announced that it has partnered with HYBE to present The Comeback Live | Arirang, will air on Netflix at 7:00 p.m. PST. The show marks the group’s first full reunion on a global stage after completing mandatory military service.

The performance will take place at Gwanghwamun, a historic public square in central Seoul, a day after the release of BTS’s fifth studio album, Arirang, scheduled for March 20.

Composed of RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jungkook members are set to reunite on stage for the first time.

Netflix also announced that it will stream BTS: The Return, a featurelength documentary film, on March 27. Directed by Bao Nguyen, the documentary follows the K-pop powerhouse as they regroup in Los Angeles to create new music and reflect on their time apart, offering behindthe-scenes access to their comeback preparations.

Molina said she eventually made peace with it. Not long after, she was cast in the films Momol Nights and Jowables, projects that shifted her career. Looking back, she said that had she gotten the Miss Saigon, her life would have gone in a very different

Wala ako dito at hindi si Je ang mapapangasawa ko,” she said. She stopped short of calling the experience a nightmare.

“It’s not really a nightmare,” she said. “It’s just one of those dreams you were meant to dream.”

Napoles shared his own early-career hardship during the press conference. He recalled traveling to Batangas with very little money and waiting two days on location before his scene could be shot. Eventually, the crew filmed him out of pity, he joked, but only the following day at 5:00 p.m. Director RC delos Reyes, who helmed the local adaptation of Wonderful Nightmare, praised the couple’s professionalism. He said Molina and Napoles kept personal matters off the set and showed no signs of conflict during production.

“They don’t bring their issues to work,” the director shared. “There was no hint that they ever fought. And apart from this being a local adaptation, it’s really them who make the film feel very Filipino.”

The film, produced by Viva Films, is based on the 2015 South Korean movie of the same title. It centers on a careerdriven woman who dies in an accident due to a clerical error in heaven and is sent back to Earth to live as another woman for a month.

Molina plays Ma. Luisa “Lui” Manuel, a successful but emotionally guarded lawyer shaped by loss early in life. After the accident, she wakes up as the wife of Julian Alcantara, played by Napoles, a municipal employee living with their two children in a cramped apartment. Forced into a life she once avoided, Lui gradually adjusts, forming bonds with her temporary family and a new circle of friends. Wonderful Nightmare opens in cinemas on Feb. 25.

Following the album release, BTS will start the Arirang World Tour from 2026 to 2027. The tour will span 34 cities and include 82 performances in North and Latin America, Europe, the

Middle East, and Asia, including a twonight show in Manila. BTS last released a full-group album in 2022 before pausing activities for military service.

By Jasper Valdez

FOR many Filipino artists, sustaining a creative career depends on what happens after exhibitions end and performances conclude. One annual auction has helped keep that momentum going— funding opportunities that allow artists to work abroad, gain new perspectives, and return home with new experiences in tow.

How one annual auction sustains Filipino artists beyond the gallery

primary source of funding for grants that support Filipino artists, scholars, and arts practitioners.

According to ACC Philippines, proceeds from the annual sale directly fund fellowships that allow grantees to pursue research, creative work, and participate in cultural exchange programs overseas.

“We let them fly wherever, especially during their program. We just ask that they come home and share what they learned,” the council said. Over time, artists remain connected to the organization beyond their fellowship period. “So once they’re ACC grantees, they’re part of the ACC family,” the group added.

Now in its 11th year, the partnership between ACC Philippines and León Gallery has supported nearly 300 alumni since 2000. Many have gone on to influence cultural practice locally and abroad, shaped by the experiences made possible through the fellowship program.

This year’s auction reflects that same sense of continuity through works shaped by collaboration and history. Among the highlights is Paglaom Padayon, a mural-sized painting by the Sanggawa collective— composed of Elmer Borlongan, Mark Justiniani, Joy Mallari, Karen Flores, and Federico Sievert

Also featured is a rare collaborative piece by the late Mauro Malang Santos and his sons, Soler and Steve Several works in the auction also draw from Philippine art history. Among them are paintings by Patricio Gaston O’Farrell, a known student of Juan Luna, alongside works by Fernando Amorsolo and Anita Magsaysay-Ho that reflect different periods of Filipino life and artistic practice. The selection also includes a surviving piece from Danilo Dalena’s unfinished Port Authority series and a mixed-media work by Manuel Ocampo

A festival powered by volunteerism

WHILE the vibrant programming of CCP Pasinaya: The Open House Festival draws crowds and headlines, what often goes unseen is the quiet but indispensable force that keeps it all running—the spirit of volunteerism. Behind the stages, galleries, and bustling crowds is a community of volunteers who freely give their time, energy, and skills to support its ambitious operations.

On Feb. 7 and 8, over 50 stage managers, with Rafa Lubigan as head stage manager, will oversee the operations of the country’s largest multi-arts festival across multiple venues. They are responsible for facilitating the smooth flow of performances by coordinating with artists, technical crews, and venue staff. They will be cueing performers, managing stage transitions, monitoring sound and lighting requirements, and addressing last-minute concerns during the live shows.

Working largely behind the scenes, these volunteer stage managers play a vital role in ensuring that CCP Pasinaya’s performances and workshops run efficiently and seamlessly.

Aside from the stage managers, there will also be about 200 volunteers from diverse backgrounds—students, artists, educators, and cultural workers—united by a shared passion for the arts and a desire to contribute to a meaningful national event.

These volunteers are assigned to assist performers, guide audiences, and manage venues and logistics. Some are

also assigned to serve as tour guides for Paseo Museo, the hop-on, hop-off curated tour component of the festival. Others are tasked with video and photo documentation of the different activities across the various venues.

Adding to this culture of service, the participating artists and performing groups take part voluntarily. While some may raise concerns about artists not receiving performance fees, it is important to understand that CCP Pasinaya has long been designed as a platform for exposure rather than a commercial engagement. The festival functions as a marketing opportunity for performers and groups to showcase their work, offering audiences

a patikim or preview of their upcoming productions, tours, and projects. By providing a highly visible venue, built-in audiences—expecting over 50,000 attendees—and extensive media and public exposure, CCP Pasinaya allows artists to connect with new viewers and expand their reach. For many participants, the festival serves as a strategic opportunity to promote their work, build networks, and generate interest in future, ticketed performances. Within this framework, participation in CCP Pasinaya is understood as voluntary, with the festival supporting artists through meals, performance spaces, and technical assistance. This model has remained

Serving patriarchy

The film’s exploration of privilege and rights resonates with audiences, making it a standout adaptation of the bestselling novel (AIgenerated image)

The Housemaid asks you to be patient for its satisfying and macabre payoff because it really pushes these tired tropes on their head. It may be mostly about one woman fighting another, but this is a placeholder for who the real enemy is: patriarchy and its stringent hold over women’s bodies through expectation and deception.

Amanda Seyfried is perfect in this role as a mix of Stepford Wives and Psycho. Sydney Sweeney can stand against the powerhouse that is Seyfried. Sweeney is an uneven actress who was strong and compelling in Immaculate (2024, directed by Michael Mohan) but has been relegated to curves for gratuitous body shots of marketability, like in The Housemaid. Yet, as this movie progresses, she can snarl as mightily as Seyfried.

If there is an underlying theme in this movie, it is how much women’s bodies are subject to violence and how women’s minds are subject to gaslighting. These are actual horrors faced daily by women. Yet, in this movie, it asks the questions, “What is privilege? What is a right?” Control is an aphrodisiac, yes. Hell, some even find suffocation kinky. These are all traces of a flesh which, if you think about it, quivers the same, be it through pleasure or pain. The Housemaid offers both in spades. In fact, the ultimate kink here is recovery. I mean, the movie is great enough for a reader and fan, an adult nonetheless, of the book to actually take the time to pose next to its standee.

Glazing Life

central to the festival’s identity as an open, inclusive celebration of the arts, one that emphasizes access, collaboration, and community over commercial exchange.

The spirit of volunteerism also reflects the inclusive philosophy of CCP Pasinaya itself. True to its name, which means inauguration or teaser, the festival has always thrived on bayanihan and the belief that culture is best experienced when shared.

As CCP Pasinaya continues to grow each year, its reliance on volunteerism remains constant—a reminder that beyond the stages, lights, and applause, the festival is powered by ordinary individuals offering extraordinary dedication and generosity.

* * * WITH the theme “Paglikha sa Kinabukasan,” CCP Pasinaya aims to bring the festival closer to communities across the country, encourage wider participation, and inspire future generations to support Philippine arts and culture.

“Guided by this year’s theme, CCP Pasinaya seeks to go beyond presenting art. It aims to foster a culture of active artmaking where Filipinos, especially the youth, are not just spectators but co-creators in our creative landscape,” shared CCP artistic director and Pasinaya Festival director Dennis N. Marasigan

For its 20th edition, CCP Pasinaya expands to Roxas City, Capiz, adds Rizal Park Luneta as a new venue partner, includes Calle Wright in Paseo Museo, and introduces a new component, Paligsahan.

On Feb. 7, Palihan offers a full day of hands-on workshops open to all. On February 8, Palabas features performances by more than 170 groups, including the National Performing Arts Companies, professional ensembles, and individual artists.

Paseo Museo partners with 17 museums and galleries in Metro Manila, with selected venues hosting special performances and workshops. It also launches a walking tour of the CCP Complex led by the Heritage Collective, with free shuttle services provided in partnership with the Museum Foundation of the Philippines.

The festival also includes Palitan, a business-to-business platform connecting performing groups with embassies, arts programmers, and other stakeholders, and Pamilihan, a marketplace featuring food, crafts, and local products.

Expected to draw over 50,000 attendees, CCP Pasinaya will be held simultaneously at the Circuit Performing Arts Theater, Aliw Theater at the CCP Complex, Rizal Park Luneta, and the Metropolitan Theater. Regional partners, Iloilo Museum of Contemporary Arts and Tagum City, also return. CCP Pasinaya follows a “pay-what-youcan, workshop-all-you-can, watch-all-youcan” model. Registration is available online through the official CCP Facebook page.

NICKIE WANG, Editor

ANGELICA VILLANUEVA, Writer

JASPER VALDEZ, Writer

Art Walk brings galleries to Makati streets and everyday spaces

By Angelica Villanueva

AYALA Land is expanding its public art program in Makati with the return of Art Walk, a free, city-spanning initiative that brings installations and performances into office towers, malls, underpasses, and open spaces in the lead-up to Art Fair Philippines.

Speaking at the media briefing, Ayala Land’s creative director Paloma Urquijo Zobel de Ayala framed the program as part of how places are shaped and remembered.

“I’ve always believed that art plays a fundamental role in this. Not as decoration, but as something more essential. A catalyst for thought, pause, and conversation,” she said.

Now in its third year, Art Walk complements Art Fair Philippines’ broader “10 Days of Art” push by extending the festival atmosphere into everyday routes.

Urquijo Zobel de Ayala said the concept was driven by the idea that art “should belong to everyone, be accessible to everyone, and free,” adding that the goal is to “bring creativity closer to people, weaving moments of beauty, reflection, and joy into the routines of daily life.”

This year’s route stretches from the Makati central business district to Circuit Makati, positioned as a convergence point for exhibitions and live programming. To make the experience feel continuous rather than scattered, organizers introduced an Art Walk map and complimentary shuttle services connecting key stops, including Ayala Triangle Gardens and Circuit Makati.

For Art Fair Philippines founder Trickie Lopa, the public art program has long been a way to widen access beyond traditional venues.

“We started ‘10 Days of Art’ as an

AT Hiblatech’s Jan. 22 showcase, pineapple leaf waste—typically burned or discarded after harvest—was the starting point of many new possibilities. Designers were given felt, yarn, and fibers made from the leaves and were asked a simple question: “What can this become?”

initiative in 2017 to really get the whole city, the whole metropolis involved in art,” she said.

Lopa described Art Walk as one of the most successful components of that effort, noting that many of the works were first shown in other settings before being adapted for public spaces through discussions with artists and Ayala Land’s team.

The roster includes works by Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan, Ronald Ventura, Mich Dulce, Joel Wihangco, Fotomoto, Isaiah Cacnio, and AR Manalo, with installations placed in locations designed for passersby rather than dedicated museum audiences.

Alongside the outdoor trail, Jorrel Legaspi said Ayala Foundation is contributing multidisciplinary projects under “Mothering/ Unmothering,” developed with Triangulum and staged in and around

Ayala Museum and nearby public spaces.

The series, he said, treats mothering “not as a single story, but as a spectrum of lived experiences shaped by culture, migration, and agency,” using performance, video, and sitespecific work to surface themes of care, memory, and labor.

The program also leans into performing arts and creative activations, with Christopher Mohnani emphasizing that live work changes how audiences engage. “Art is not only something you look at, but it’s also

Organizers said the

What can waste become?

Pineapple leaves get a second life through design

waste as something to preserve.

the whole speaker filter the sound,” he said. Industrial designer Selena Placino turned the pineapple felt into a divider that moves, not a fixed panel. She said she wanted to show that felt can hold its own structurally.

“I wanted to highlight the material strength of felt,” Selena explained. “You can rotate it… and… play around.”

Fashion designer Marc Carcillar turned the material into resin buttons, treating pineapple leaf

“How can I use the waste that they have,” Marc said, describing how the collaboration pushed him “outside the box… outside the fashion.”

According to Hiblatech co-founder Tina Sabarre, the company intentionally stepped back.

“What we released initially is just the felt… the yarn, the fibers,” she said. “And it was up to them to really imagine what it can become.”

Tina explained that new materials often create friction because they don’t move or behave the way designers expect. “For us in Hiblatech, we feel that this is the point of innovation.”

That freedom resulted in works that spanned multiple disciplines—fashion, furnishings, sound, and art—each revealing a distinct aspect of the same material.

Furniture designer Ed Sibunga made a speaker piece built around pineapple felt. Instead of treating the material as a simple cover, he used it “as the base of the speakers to produce the sound.”

Ed said he started from a common use of felt—sound absorption—then flipped it. “Instead of just absorbing the sound, we think of how we could produce sound,” he explained. In his test, the felt also helped soften the output. “So, the piña helps

THREE decades after its last restoration, a deep cleaning has begun of Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement, the Italian master’s spectacular fresco in the Sistine Chapel, the Vatican said Monday. Scaffolding is going up in front of the 180-square-meter (1,938-square-foot) artwork, a depiction of God’s final judgement of humanity painted between 1536 and 1541, at the start of a project expected to take three months. Experts have been cleaning and conserving parts of the chapel at night for years, but the Last Judgement needs more intense work, the Vatican said.

Chief restorer Paolo Violini said the fresco—centered around the figure of Christ— was covered by “a widespread whitish haze.” This was “caused by the deposition of

He worked with Hiblatech’s materials in multiple states—“purified… the raw… staple fibers”—then tied them all together. “It would be best to encapsulate. And to create textures.”

Artist Razel Mari presented pineapple fiber as a material that people can shape with their own hands. His DIY kit invites visitors to build a charm, with the fiber taking the role usually played by wool in needle felting.

“So, this craft is already existing,” Razel said, “but usually using different fibers.” His twist was applying the same process to Hiblatech’s pineapple fibers. “What I did is I used them like how we would use wool in needle felting,” he said.

The kit is intentionally open-ended. “Do

microparticles of foreign substances carried by air movements, which over time has diminished the ‘chiaroscuro’ (light-dark) contrasts and rendered uniform the original colors,” he said in the Vatican statement.

The statement added that the cleanup “will allow the removal of these deposits and therefore the recovery of the chromatic and luminous quality intended by Michelangelo, fully restoring the work’s formal and expressive complexity.”

The 15th-century chapel, located inside the Apostolic Palace, will remain open throughout the restoration works. As well as being a place of worship and tourism, the Sistine Chapel is the central location of the conclave, the secret gathering of Catholic cardinals to choose a new pope. AFP

whatever you like,” he said. “Play around with the fibers.”

For Razel, that hands-on step is the point. Once people work directly with the material, the idea of waste becomes less abstract and more like something that can be made, remade, and taken home.

Furniture designer Jasser Aguila used heat as a design tool for Kabu, his lamp made from the pineapple-based textile. After experimenting with different ways of working with the material, he chose to shape its texture with flame.

“I used fire to add texture,” Jasser said, describing the result as something that shows what the material went through. “When it’s turned on, you can see the process behind it,” he added.

Behind the display pieces, manufacturer Chuck Lazaro described the textile as something still being tuned.

“We want to make the felt perform,” Chuck said, explaining that part of why he showed up at the showcase was to see how designers handled it and what that reveals about the process.

“Because I wanted to see how these designers are using it. And maybe on my side, I could do a lot of adjustments as well. On my processing,” he said.

He also stressed that the materials provided to the designers were sourced and made locally.

“I just want to tell everybody that all these things you see right now are actually available here. Available in the Philippines. Everything is made here in the Philippines.”