PBBM MOURNS 2 DEAD PINOYS, 3RD CASUALTY POSSIBLE; PLEDGES 'UTMOST SUPPORT'

Two Filipinos were killed following the attack of Hamas terrorists on Israel, while a third fatality is being confirmed, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Wednesday.

President Marcos condemned the deaths as he mourned the overseas Filipino workers who died while working in the Jewish state and vowed to continue supporting his affected countrymen.

“My heart is heavy upon hearing confirmation of the deaths of two Filipinos in Israel. The Philippines condemns these killings and stands firmly against the ongoing terror and violence,” the President said in a statement.

"The nation is one in grieving with the families of the Filipinos who were killed in the attacks on Israel. We will provide the utmost support to the families they were taken from," Marcos said in an Instagram post.

"This tragedy will not deter our spirit. We will continue to stand for peace," he added.

Legislators led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Wednesday also mourned the killing of Filipinos.

Mr. Marcos stressed that the Philippines will remain resolute in pursuing lasting peace in line with the United Nations resolutions and international laws.

“The Philippines condemns the killing of two Filipino nationals and all other acts of terrorism and violence as a result of Hamas actions against Israel,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo added in a post on the social media platform X.

“The Philippines is ready to work with other countries towards a long-lasting resolution to the conflict, in accordance with pertinent UN Security Council resolutions and the general principles of international law,” Manalo said.

The DFA said it is still confirming a possible third Filipino fatality in the ongoing war between Israeli forces and Hamas terrorists.

“There is a third possible death, and there’s a DNA testing going on, to check if it is in fact one of the Filipinos missing,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said in a virtual briefing.

Deputy Chief of Mission Anthony Mandap of the Philippine Embassy in Israel also said “there are two confirmed [dead] and one for confirmation.”

De Vega also said three more Filipinos remained unaccounted for.

70 FILIPINOS IN GAZA ASKING FOR REPATRIATION: DFA

MANILA — At least 70 Filipinos in Gaza are asking to be repatriated, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday.

DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said they have not repatriated any Filipinos in Gaza because it has been blockaded, as well as its borders in from Israel to Egypt.

“So, it’s now a diplomatic approach; we are using diplomacy along with other countries in order to have the borders open so that we can help iyong mga kababayan natin," De Vega said.

"So we can help countrymen and women, go through the border and kung kailangan ng evacuation, well nandiyan. Kung hindi commercial flights, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as announced, we will be able to fly them home," he said.

If these Filipinos will be able to pass through the Egypt border, he said the country's embassy in Cairo would be able to fly them to the Philippines on a commercial flight.

"Remember there are 70, it may increase. These are Filipinas married to Palestinians, they are in Gaza; pero sa Israel mismo, no evacuation is required yet but our AFP is ready,” he said.

The AFP said in the same briefing that it was ready to evacuate Filipinos caught in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas.

AFP Spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said preparations were in place in case there is a need to execute evacuation operations for Filipinos in the war-torn country.

“We already came up with a plan on how to do it, and this will be a whole-of-nation approach because what is important for us is the safety of our countrymen there in the conflict area,” Aguilar said.

The AFP has identified the Adana Airport in Turkey as a temporary “safe haven” for Filipinos who will be evacuated in case hostilities escalate further in Israel.

There are some 30,000 Filipinos in Israel, and 137 others in the Gaza strip.

NO WAY OUT IN GAZA AMID ISRAEL BOMBARDMENTS: DFA

No way in and no way out, no water and no electricity. This is how Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega describes the current situation in the Gaza Strip after Israel launched retaliatory airstrikes against Hamas targets after the militants' surprise Saturday attack.

"Sa Gaza, walang makalabas, walang makapasok," De Vega said in a TeleRadyo Serbisyo interview.

More than 338,000 people have been forced to flee their homes in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations said, as heavy Israeli bombardments continue to hit the Palestinian enclave.

The DFA official said the Philippine government is asking diplomatic contacts to allow 70 Filipinos in Gaza seeking repatriation to leave the territory. He clarified there is no mandatory repatriation of Filipinos in Israel as many OFWs opt to stay in the Jewish nation.

He also urged Filipinos to avoid known Hamas enclaves.

"Sumunod sa mga naririnig na wag silang pumunta sa kinikilalang amas infrastructure kasi 'yun ang titirahin ng Israel," he said.

PANEL OKAYS OP FUNDS IN 21 MINS.

The Office of the President (OP) faced swift budget deliberations in the Senate, lasting only about 21 minutes without questions from lawmakers. The Senate finance committee, chaired by Senator Sonny Angara, endorsed the OP's 2024 budget request for plenary consideration without addressing the hot-button issue of confidential and intelligence funds, which has recently made headlines. Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin requested P10,707,927,000 for the OP next year, explaining that it represents 1% of the proposed total national budget and is essential for the President to manage various responsibilities. The budget includes a "modest increase" compared to the current year, with the capital outlay seeing the highest increase for facility renovation and support facilities.

HOUSE OFFICIAL TO EX-PRESIDENT DUTERTE: PASADO KAMI SA COA AUDIT

MANILA — The House of Representatives on Wednesday said it has not been flagged by the Commission on Audit for any funds misuse after former President Rodrigo Duterte challenged the chamber and Speaker Martin Romualdez to account for its funds.

"The House of Representatives, under the leadership of Speaker Martin Romualdez, is in agreement with former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte that government expenditures should be transparent and fully auditable," House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said in a statement.

"As per latest COA report released only last October 2, the House of Representatives has no disallowances. No notice of suspension and no notice of charge. Ibig pong sabihin, pasado kami sa COA audit," Velasco added.

In the same statement, Velasco reiterated that the chamber has no surveillance money.

"The House has no confidential and intelligence funds. All line items in our budget are subject to regular accounting and auditing rules and regulations. Laging bukas po ang aming libro sa Commission on Audit," Velasco said.

Duterte, while president, criticized the COA for its audit reports, saying in 2021 that these "condemn the agency or the person that you are flagging."

Velasco also released a COA certification for the quarter ending September 30, 2023 which showed that the House has zero suspensions, charges and disallowances.

Congress has a total proposed budget of P28.42 billion for 2024, of which P10.833 billion would go to the Senate and P16.170 billion will go to the House of Representatives.

A total of P312.698 million has been allotted for the Senate Electoral Tribunal, P877.727 million for the Commission on Appointments and P232.508 million for the House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal.

LTFRB ‘WHISTLE-BLOWER’ RECANTS, APOLOGIZES

MANILA — The former Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board employee who bared corruption in the agency has recanted his claims two days after the suspension of Teofilo Guadiz III as LTFRB chairman.

Jeff Tumbado, former head executive assistant of Guadiz, yesterday said that the allegations he made during the Oct. 9 press conference were “all unintentional and misguided.”

Tumbado had claimed that Guadiz and some officials were being paid P5 million in exchange for the approval of franchises or securing routes and special permits.

“I still stand by the issue that there are indeed problems in the agency concerned that required immediate investigation by authorities concerned and those responsible be held accountable,” the affidavit read.

Tumbado said his claims were “borne out of impulse, irrational thinking, misjudgment and poor decision making,” and that his affidavit was a form of public apology to Guadiz, as well as the Department of Transportation and the Office of the President.

Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista yesterday said he will file charges against individuals claiming he is involved in a bribery scheme within the Department of Transportation and the LTFRB.

“Allow me to categorically say that I never accepted any money or favor since assuming the post of transportation secretary,” Bautista said in a video message.

Bautista is also facing allegations of threatening Mar Valbuena, transport group Manibela’s national president.

Valbuena did not provide additional information on the complaint he filed before the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group at Camp Crame yesterday.

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TEACHER'S SLAP HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH STUDENT DEATH — AUTOPSY REPORT

The Grade 5 student, who was slapped by a teacher, did not die from the physical impact but due to "natural causes" from a rare condition, according to Antipolo City police. The autopsy revealed that the 14-year-old student died of "cerebral edema secondary to intracerebral hemorrhage, consistent with a ruptured artery with arteriovenous malformation." He had a preexisting rare condition that could have led to health complications. Tuberculosis, found during the initial autopsy, was ruled out as a cause of death. The police have confirmed the teacher slapped the student, and a complaint under Republic Act 7610 will be filed. The Department of Education and the Commission on Human Rights are conducting separate investigations. The teacher is on a 90-day preventive suspension without pay. Corporal punishment is banned by DepEd since 2012.

2 MORE GOV'T AGENCIES ALLEGEDLY SUFFER DATA BREACH: EXPERT

Two more government agencies have reportedly experienced data breaches, according to tech expert Dominic Vincent Ligot. Ransomware attacks on government agencies are carried out by cybercriminals seeking financial gain, with successful attempts often showcased in Dark Web blogs as "trophies." Another type of hacker aims to expose cybersecurity weaknesses without demanding a ransom.

Ligot suggested that the PSA data breach might fall into the second category, as no ransom demand has been made. He disclosed that two other government agencies have allegedly suffered similar cyber attacks but left it to the agencies to make official announcements.

Ligot noted that data leaked on the Dark Web included confidential documents from the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and government office emails. He also referenced previous high-profile hacks, such as the Commission on Elections website breach in 2016.

Local government unit websites are frequent targets for cybercriminals, and Ligot criticized PhilHealth's handling of the Medusa ransomware hack, suggesting it shouldn't be taken lightly. The data records possibly leaked include emails, birthdays, passwords, and phone numbers.

The National Privacy Commission has initiated a deeper investigation into the PhilHealth data breach, which involved a significant 734GB of data. The investigation will assess the accountability of PhilHealth officials for the breach, which may have been exacerbated by expired antivirus software. Sensitive personal information was identified among the affected data.

WHAT IS CBMS, THE PSA SYSTEM AFFECTED BY A CYBERATTACK?

MANILA — The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) confirmed a cyberattack on its community-based monitoring system (CBMS) this week. While the CBMS was compromised, the national ID and civil registry system data remained unaffected.

CBMS is a technology-based data collection system used for poverty alleviation programs, involving a census of households conducted by local government units and community participation. It generates localized data on various poverty dimensions, including health, nutrition, education, and more, but not financial specifics. The extent of the data breach is under assessment, and the affected database has been isolated.

Senator Win Gatchalian expressed deep concern about the breach and called for a thorough investigation to identify those responsible.

MAGALONG PUSHES BAGUIO REHAB

BAGUIO CITY — The city government here is determined to manage its resources, population and tourism industry to raise its carrying capacity, stunt urban spoil and cope with climate-induced disasters.

During a public-private partnership investment summit held on Oct. 4 and 5, Mayor Benjamin Magalong said mitigation and adaptation plans should be implemented to delay if not reverse urban decay as well as cope with the effects of climate change.

He stressed the need to implement “strategic and catalytic” projects to address the city’s environmental, economic and social needs.

City planning development and sustainability office coordinator Donna Tabangin presented the local government’s growth node model that charts the city’s urban spatial development.

Tabangin said the city should manage its resources, improve its services and go for diversification and innovation.

She said Baguio has 59 ongoing “catalytic projects,” which address the city’s seven-point agenda, including managing the environment, land use and energy, expanding climate and disaster resilience and strengthening urban regeneration.

Magalong has vowed to rehabilitate the city, which has breached its carrying capacity for open spaces, road network, water supply, forest cover, land for development, waste collection and treatment due to increasing population and tourist arrivals.

MIAA GETS ANOTHER BOMB THREAT

MANILA — The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) received another bomb threat on Tuesday, less than a week after the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines put the country’s 42 commercial airports under heightened alert over a string of bomb threats.

The latest bomb threat was sent at around 5:50 a.m. from a certain Takahiro Karasawa with email address Takahiro-karasawa@matsuko.sakura.ne.jp, according to the MIAA.

The sender, who claimed to be a Japanese lawyer, warned he had “planted a high-performance bomb on a plane from Japan to an airport in the Philippines.”

In early September, the Department of Transportation investigated a message emailed to the Bureau of Plant Industry from a sender of the same name warning that he “set a high-performance bomb in a Metro Manila Rail Transit System facility.”

News outlets in South Korea reported in August bomb threats emailed by someone who used the same name.

In the latest message, the sender claimed the plane was due to arrive Tuesday afternoon and “will explode on a massive scale,” the MIAA said.

The sender said he asked himself “which airport will turn into my ideal Shambhala. Unlike previous bomb threats, many people will die for world peace.”

Insiders told The STAR that aviation police held a meeting to discuss how to end the bomb scares.

The Department of Information and Communications Technology verified that the message was sent locally and not from Japan, according to sources.

The sender of the bomb threat has reportedly been identified and authorities are hunting down the sender, insiders said.

The threat is a recycled message, sources claimed.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

LJ REYES SHARES OFFICIAL WEDDING PHOTOS: 'HAPPIEST I'VE EVER BEEN'

LJ Reyes turned to social media to share several snaps from her recent wedding to her partner, businessman Philip Evangelista.

Evangelista collated the pictures and posted them on Instagram just a few days after they tied the knot.

“The happiest I have ever been because God completed us,” the actress wrote in the caption before quoting a Bible verse which she believes resonates with their journey.

Following her post, several netizens including Reyes’ celebrity friends congratulated them for getting married.

Reyes and Evangelista exchanged vows over the weekend in New York five months after they got engaged.

Reyes surprised her social media followers last May by sharing a collection of photos that seemed to depict a proposal.

In the caption, Reyes shared a Bible verse which states that God has a specific plan and purpose for each individual, and that He loves and cares for His people, even in times of difficulty or uncertainty.

Reyes and her two children, Aki and Summer, have been residing in New York since September 2021.

She moved abroad following her very publicized breakup with actor Paolo Conti, her partner of six years and Summer's father.

Aki is Reyes' son with her former boyfriend, Paulo Avelino.

SPORTS

NEW PBA SEASON TO BEGIN WITH A BANG

MANILA — After an extended break in support of Gilas Pilipinas, the PBA is preparing to roll out a new season featuring the return of activities it was forced to do away in the past three years due to the pandemic.

“First time after COVID-19 (in 2020) na magkakaroon tayo ng opening (ceremonies) na malaki on Nov. 5,” PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said in The Game on One Sports.

The elaborate opening rites being prepared by broadcast partner TV5, the first since March 8, 2020, will likely be highlighted by the presentation of the PBA-backed Gilas crew that won the country’s first Asian Games gold in 61 years.

“Tapos makakapag-out-of-town (games) na uli tayo. ‘Yun ang mga na-miss natin. Sana rin makapunta tayo sa mga barangay at eskwelahan na dating ginagawa natin. Doon ako nae-excite,” he added.

As a sneak preview of the upcoming out-of-town sorties, Marcial said official games would be staged in Cagayan de Oro, San Jose, Batangas, and Camarines Sur, among others.

The pro league has shortened its Season 48 to two conferences to give way to the FIBA World Cup hosting in August and the triumphant stint of Gilas in the recent Asiad in Hangzhou.

From Oct. 15, the PBA moved the new season’s tip-off to Nov. 5. This put the league out of action for nearly 200 days since wrapping up Season 47 last April 22.

“Itong PBA break is the next longest break since the pandemic. The PBA has sacrificed for the national team all the way to the Asian Games and this directly affected our revenues,” said PBA chairman Ricky Vargas. “So I’d like to thank each and every (team) governor and ‘yung owners ng teams. Ang tagal nilang nawala. By bringing back the Asian Games gold I hope they will feel good about it also.”

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THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn. - Orson Welles