GOV'T BOOSTING COAST GUARD'S CAPACITY TO DEFEND PH TERRITORY: MARCOS JR

MANILA — The Philippine government is strengthening the capacity of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to defend the country's maritime territory, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. said on Tuesday.

In a chance interview with reporters during the 122nd PCG Founding Anniversary, Marcos said the Coast Guard was expecting around 40 more vessels made in Cebu.

These would be 15 meters high, said PCG Spokesperson Armand Balilo and the construction of these vessels was underway.

"Nakikita natin na nag-i-increase ang ating capability para makapag-defend sa sovereign maritime territory ng Pilipinas. We are continuing with the upgrading of the equipment and training of our people, especially the Coast Guard," Marcos said.

He noted PCG personnel were "on the frontline in the problem we are facing now in the West Philippine Sea."

They also play a vital role in search and rescue, maritime incidents, and disaster assistance, Marcos said.

"Marami silang ginagawa," he added.

The President said the country has "many friends around the world" who are helping strengthen the PCG.

In his speech during the event, Marcos thanked the Philippine Coast Guard for being steadfast in its "pivotal role" of protecting the country's maritime sovereignty.

"Your accomplishments in the performance of your duty have consistently championed our country and our people’s rights and welfare in the face of daunting adversity and difficulties," he told the PCG.

"Despite all the challenges, the Coast Guard has unwaveringly answered the call of duty."

FURY ERUPTS AFTER GAZA HOSPITAL STRIKE KILLS HUNDREDS

JERUSALEM — The ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict took a devastating turn as an airstrike on a hospital compound in Gaza resulted in the reported deaths of at least 200 people, further escalating an 11-day-old war that has already claimed thousands of lives on both sides. As the world watched in shock and horror, chaos and desperation gripped the region. The strike on the Ahli Arab hospital in central Gaza, which was providing shelter to the wounded and displaced, has led to a wave of international condemnation and fury across the Middle East and beyond.

Controversy Surrounds Responsibility

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims that Israel was behind the attack, while Israel's military points to a malfunctioning rocket fired by Islamic Jihad militants. This incident followed another airstrike on a UN-run school, killing at least six people, further escalating the ongoing 11-day conflict.

Biden's High-Stakes Visit

The hospital strike occurred just hours before US President Joe Biden was scheduled to arrive in the Middle East for crucial talks on the conflict. President Biden faces the challenge of balancing US support for Israel while striving to prevent the war from escalating into a wider regional conflict and improving conditions for the civilians in besieged Gaza.

International Outcry

Qatar called the hospital strike "a brutal massacre" and a "heinous crime against defenseless civilians." Protests erupted in Jordan, and the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement in Lebanon called for a "day of rage." The World Health Organization and the African Union have also expressed criticisms.

Chaos and Devastation

After the strike, the injured were transported from the Ahli Arab hospital to nearby medical centers, while rows of the deceased were covered in white plastic sheets or blankets. The Gaza health ministry reported that between 200 and 300 people were killed at the hospital, with hundreds more trapped.

Uncertainty Over Biden's Role

Opinions on the effectiveness of President Biden's role in mediating the crisis vary. Some Palestinians blame the US for backing Israel, while even Israelis express skepticism about politicians' ability to resolve the conflict.

Heightened Regional Tensions

The war has triggered the worst attack in Israel's history, and Israel is on high alert. Iran, which supports Hamas and Hezbollah, has warned against a Gaza invasion. Tensions have escalated along Israel's northern border with Lebanon, where Hezbollah reported the loss of five fighters.

Dire Humanitarian Situation

Gazans are facing dire conditions with entire neighborhoods destroyed, limited supplies of essential resources, and hospitals near collapse. More than one million Palestinians, almost half of Gaza's population, have fled their homes. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has reported critical issues concerning disease outbreaks, poor water supply, and sanitation.

Population Trapped

Residents of north Gaza are evacuating to the south in preparation for a potential ground assault, but the region remains under siege. People have no escape, with the Rafah border crossing to Egypt remaining closed, preventing the entry of relief goods and the departure of many Palestinian-Americans and other civilians.

The situation remains dire, with Gazans trapped and neighboring countries fearing permanent exile for those who leave.

HAMAS SAYS ONE OF TOP COMMANDERS KILLED IN ISRAEL STRIKE

Palestinian militant group Hamas said Tuesday one of the top leaders of its armed wing was killed during an Israeli strike in the Gaza Strip.

"Ayman Nofal, 'Abu Ahmad', a member of the general military council and commander of the central command in Al-Qassam Brigades, was killed" in an Israeli strike on the central Gaza Strip, Hamas said in a statement, referring to its military wing.

Confirming his killing, the Israeli military described Nofal as "one of the most dominant figures" in Hamas.

An army statement described Nofal as the group's former head of military intelligence, who has been involved in manufacturing weapons and directing rockets fired at Israel.

Nofal was also "involved in planning the abduction of Gilad Shalit", a soldier released in 2011 after being held for more than five years, the army said.

Earlier Tuesday the military said it had killed another top Hamas militant -- Osama Mazini -- an announcement which the group is yet to comment on.

Israel had earlier announced the deaths of other Hamas commanders or officials since its bombing of Gaza targets began.

AFP READIES AIRCRAFT TO EVACUATE FILIPINOS IN GAZA

MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Wednesday said it is readying its aircraft in case Philippine authorities will tap them to help with the repatriation of Filipinos caught in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.

Col. Medel Aguilar, AFP spokesperson, told ANC that the military would use two C130 and one C295 transport planes for possible evacuation efforts in case the situation further escalates.

"We have to deploy our own aircraft there to make sure they can be transported a short distance. From the temporary safe haven, they can now fly through commercial aircraft going back to the Philippines," Aguilar said.

As of early this week, all 131 Filipinos in the Gaza Strip have left the area after the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) ordered mandatory repatriation of Filipinos from Gaza City.

The Filipinos are expected to cross the border into Egypt and they will be met by Philippine government officials who will work to get them back to the country.

At least 35 Filipinos in Israel meanwhile wanted to be repatriated, and they might arrive in the Philippines "hopefully within this week," Department of Migrant Workers officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said Monday.

Cacdac said the Filipinos would depart from the Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv to return to the country.

SEARCH AND RESCUE OPS UNDERWAY FOR 3 PINOYS MISSING IN ISRAEL: DFA

MANILA — Search and rescue operations are underway for the 3 Filipinos in Israel who are still missing amid the war with Hamas militants in Gaza, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.

"Maaaring dinakip sila at dinala ng mga Hamas sa Gaza kaya ngayon may search and rescue ang Israeli Defense Force or IDF dahil ilan ang kinuhang mga hostages ang Hamas," DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega told Teleradyo Serbisyo.

Asked if these Filipinos are being held hostage by Hamas militants, De Vega said it was "possible."

"Maaari, pero sana inaasahan natin wala sila doon. Nawala lang sa Israel. May pag-asa pa sana," he said.

De Vega last week said President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. directed the DFA to other governments to seek "critical assistance in looking for Filipinos unaccounted for" and to help them get out of Gaza.

MAHARLIKA INVESTMENT FUND IMPLEMENTATION SUSPENDED 'FOR FURTHER STUDY': PALACE

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. has suspended the implementation of the Maharlika Investment Fund, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

In a statement to reporters, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said the President wants to conduct a thorough study on the sovereign investment fund's implementation.

"He wanted to study carefully the [implementing rules and regulations] to ensure that the purpose of the fund will be realized for the country's development with safeguards in place for transparency and accountability," Bersamin said.

A Palace memorandum on the matter dated Oct. 12 to the heads of Bureau of Treasury, Land Bank of the Philippines, and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to suspend the implementation "pending further study thereof."

It also told them to "notify all concerned heads of departments, bureaus, offices and other agencies of the executive department, including [Government Owned and Controlled Corporation]s of such action."

In a statement, the DBP confirmed receiving the memo, adding that they would comply.

"DBP shall strictly abide by the directive," it said.

HOUSE TAKES DOWN WEBSITE AGAIN DUE TO 'SUSPICIOUS, UNUSUAL' ACTIVITY

MANILA —The House of Representatives on Tuesday took down its website due to "suspicious and unusual activities", just days after it was defaced last weekend.

House Secretary General Reginald Velasco said taking down the website was a precautionary measure to reinforce cybersecurity measures and ensure there were no vulnerabilities.

"We regret to inform the public that the official website of the House of Representatives has been voluntarily taken offline once again. Despite our recent security enhancements, we have detected suspicious and unusual activities that necessitate further scrutiny," Velasco said in a statement to media.

"Our primary concern is to guarantee the safety, integrity, and reliability of our digital platform for the citizens we serve," he said in a statement.

Velasco sought understanding from the public and said the House would provide updates soon.

COMELEC APPROVES TRANSFER OF 'INCOMPETENT' PHILHEALTH OFFICIALS

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has approved the request of Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa to transfer at least 7 officials of state insurer PhilHealth due to “loss of confidence”.

The request of Herbosa, who is also the PhilHealth board chairperson, complied with exemptions under the Omnibus Election Code that bans the transfer of government employees during an election period, according to an Oct. 16 Comelec memorandum.

The memo signed by Comelec Chairman George Garcia said the PhilHealth board expressed its "loss of confidence" on 7 members of the executive committee due to their "observed incompetence, gross negligence, and ineffective leadership", which "directly and adversely impacted" the insurer.

Last week, Herbosa blamed PhilHealth's executive committee for late payments to hospitals.

Herbosa recently sought Congress help to cleanse PhilHealth, which previously faced accusations of corruption.

Comelec said the transfer of the PhilHealth officials should be essential in the proper functioning of insurer, must not influence the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), and should not involve any promotion or salary increase.

The BSKE's election period is from Aug. 28, 2023 to Nov. 29, 2023.

THE REST

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FLYING TO THE US? YOU'LL STILL NEED TO REMOVE SHOES AT AIRPORT

MANILA — Some travelers at Philippine airports will still have to take their shoes off despite a general relaxation of that security measure, the Department of Transportation said Wednesday.

Speaking on TeleRadyo Serbisyo on Wednesday morning, Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista said that the policy has been relaxed but that those passing through special scanners and those flying to the US will still need to remove their shoes.

"Yung papuntang Amerika, mayroong tinatawag na final screening bago ka pumasok ng iyong gate at mayroong another security check 'yun," he said.

Travelers who set off x-ray machines will also have to remove their shoes for further inspection.

Bautista said that the department resumed requiring footwear removal in July after an audit by International Civil Aviation Organization, which suggested reviving the policy.

"Pero dahil maraming naapektuhan, nade-delay, ay nakiusap kami na baka puwedeng yung mga pupunta na lang sa Amerika ang sumunod dito sa ganitong patakaran," he said.

According to ICAO, "authorities may require that passengers remove their shoes because prohibited items can be embedded inside [and some] prohibited items may not be revealed by a walk-through metal detector."

The US Transportation Security Administration requires footwear removal and suggests wearing slip-on shoes at airports to make inspection easier.

It also suggests wearing socks because of cold floors.

'NOT A BOT': X LAUNCHES SUBSCRIPTION FOR NEW PH, NZ USERS

MANILA — Social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, is testing a subscription service for new users in the Philippines and New Zealand.

The microblogging site said that starting October 17, new users in the two countries will first be asked to verify their phone number, then choose among three subscription plans under their "Not a Bot" program:

-a $1 annual fee, which enables them to tweet, and like, reply to, repost and quote other posts, and bookmark these tweets;

-X Premium, which costs up to P600 monthly in the Philippines and will give the users a blue check mark;

-be a Verified Organization, which gives businesses, non-profits, and government institutions a gold check mark.

New users who won't subscribe will only be able to read tweets, watch videos, and follow accounts.

Existing users are not affected by this test, the social media site said.

X said this test was developed to fight spam, platform manipulation, and bot activity.

"This will evaluate a potentially powerful measure to help us combat bots and spammers on X, while balancing platform accessibility with the small fee amount," the platform said.

CRIMINOLOGY STUDENT DIES FROM HAZING

A 25-year-old criminology student died from injuries sustained during alleged hazing rites conducted by suspected members of the Tau Gamma Phi fraternity in Quezon City. Ahldryn Lery Bravante, a fourth-year student, was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, displaying injuries such as hematomas and cigarette burns on his chest and hands. Two individuals who brought Bravante to the hospital were arrested, and two more surrendered to the authorities. The incident occurred near an abandoned building, but it is unclear if Bravante was the sole victim. Water bottles found at the scene may provide DNA evidence for identifying additional suspects. Police confirmed the involvement of the four detained individuals and identified eight more individuals connected to the hazing.

ENTERTAINMENT & LIFESTYLE

KATHRYN BERNARDO ATTENDS JULIA MONTES, ALDEN RICHARDS' FILM PREMIERE

MANILA — Kapamilya actress Kathryn Bernardo attended the premiere night of Julia Montes and Alden Richards' film "Five Breakups and a Romance" on Tuesday.

The lead stars were joined by director Irene Villamor during the star-studded event.

Also in attendance were Miles Ocampo, Jane de Leon, Kelvin Miranda, Iana Bernardez, Adrian Lindayag, Kakki Teodoro, and directors Petersen Vargas, Antoinette Jadaone, and Dan Villegas.

Montes also attended the premiere night of Bernardo's film "A Very Good Girl" with Dolly de Leon.

Both "Goin' Bulilit" graduates, Montes and Bernardo worked together during the early part of their careers, including the remake of the series “Mara Clara” and the movie “Way Back Home.”

SOME ABS-CBN SHOWS TO GIVE WAY TO PBA ON A2Z

MANILA — Some of ABS-CBN's shows on A2Z will give way to the PBA after the telecast of the league's games will move to network when its new season opens on November 5.

PBA games will air every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday with weekday games starting at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. while weekend games will be at 3 p.m. and 6:15 p.m.

According to a statement from ABS-CBN Corporation, viewers of "FPJ's Batang Quiapo," "Can't Buy Me Love," "Senior High," and "The World of A Married Couple" may watch the primetime shows on TV5.

Meanwhile, they can still catch the weekend shows "Everybody, Sing!" and "I Can See Your Voice on A2Z on a delayed telecast after PBA games.

"ABS-CBN and A2Z have mutually agreed on the changes whenever there are PBA games, with both parties supporting this move," the statement read.

SPORTS

PBA: TNT, MAGNOLIA TO CLASH IN PBA SEASON 48 OPENER

MANILA — The TNT Triple Giga and the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots will open the 2023-2024 PBA Commissioner’s Cup festivities on November 5 at the Araneta Coliseum.

TNT, who won the 2023 Governors’ Cup last April, and Magnolia, who swept the On Tour last summer, will battle on the PBA’s opening day as they kick off the import-laden conference of Asia’s first pay-for-play league.

Tropang Giga, however, will not only miss the services of RR Pogoy who will be out due to a heart issue, but may also be without Mikey Williams as he was not listed in TNT’s initial roster that the league released on Tuesday.

TNT has signed rookie free agent Kim Aurin, after he was left unsigned by Barangay Ginebra San Miguel after drafting him last September.

They will be spearheaded by the returning Rondae Hollis-Jefferson fresh from his silver-medal finish at the 19th Asian Games with Jordan.

On the other hand, Magnolia will be parading an almost intact roster as the only addition they have is Joseph Eriobu who will finally return to the 5-on-5 scene after making waves with Purefoods in the PBA 3x3.

Tyler Bey, who previously played with the Dallas Mavericks, will be reinforcing the Chito Victolero-led squad.

The two powerhouses clash at 7 PM, just after the 47th Leo Awards which will start at 4 PM, and the Opening Ceremonies at 5 PM.

Meanwhile, the rest of the elimination round contests will be played on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Games on weekdays will be played at 4 PM and 8 PM, while those on weekends will be played at 3 PM and 6:15 PM.

The incoming Commissioner's Cup is one of the two conferences that the PBA will be holding this season. The following will be the Governors’ Cup which will be held next year, and absent from this year is the Philippine Cup which was not held to give way to Gilas Pilipinas’ stints in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the Asian Games.

INDICATORS

FOREX $1 = P 56.74

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

To deny, to believe, and to doubt absolutely -- this is for man what running is for a horse. - Blaise Pascal