Assassinated Businessmen July to September, 2026

This is a list of businessmen who have been assassinated or survived an assassination attempt or who were kidnapped or who were the victim of a crime in the third quarter of 2026.

https://mb.com.ph/2026/07/06/motorcycle-riding-gunmen-slay-vendor-in-pangasinan

A 44-year-old male vendor was gunned down in Barangay Doyong here on Monday morning, July 6.

Police said the victim was tending to his stall in front of the Malabago-Doyong National High School when two men onboard a black motorcycle appeared and shot him.

The victim sustained multiple bullet wounds and was taken to the Pangasinan Provincial Hospital in San Carlos City where he was declared dead.

The suspects fled toward San Carlos City.

Police have launched a manhunt operation and follow-up investigation.

 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2258281/2-fruit-vendors-shot-in-davao-city

Two women fruit vendors were shot by a lone gunman on Sunday night while attending to their business along Orchids Street beside Ubalde Elementary School in Barangay Ubalde, Agdao District here.

According to the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), the two were immediately brought to Southern Philippine Medical Center (SPMC) by members of the Barangay Disaster Quick Reaction Team of Barangay Ubalde.

Police duty investigators in their initial report revealed both women, aged 48 and 36, were busy displaying their fruits when a lone gunman on board an NMAX motorcycle suddenly stopped in front of them and shot them multiple times. 

Police said the gunman was later identified by one of the victims’ sons as their stepfather.

The attending physician at SPMC told the police the victims who sustained gunshot wounds in different parts of their bodies are undergoing medical treatment and are currently under monitoring.

Police are conducting a hot pursuit operation to arrest the suspect.

 https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2261579/businessman-companion-found-dead-in-victorias-city-negros-occidental

Two persons, including a businessman earlier tagged by law enforcers as a member of the New People’s Army (NPA), were separately found dead due to multiple gunshot wounds in Barangay 11 (Gawahon), Victorias City in Negros Occidental on Friday, July 10.

The fatalities were identified as Jerome Seballos, 57, and Alex Cunanan, 59, according to Col. Dennis Wenceslao, Negros Occidental police director.

Investigators are still determining the motive for the killings, Wenceslao said.

Seballos’ body was found in Sitio 5, Barangay 11, at 5:30 a.m., the police official said.

The police investigation disclosed that at around 5:30 a.m., several residents living near the scene of the incident heard multiple gunshots. Shortly after, two residents saw the lifeless body of Seballos lying near a motorcycle with gunshot wounds to the head.

The body of Cunanan was found about two kilometers away from the first shooting scene in the same sitio, Wenceslao said.

Police investigation showed that at about 6 a.m., the son of Cunanan was forcefully brought by seven masked men to a poultry farm where his father was located.

When Cunanan saw the masked men, he tried to run away, but they fired at him. As a result, the victim sustained multiple gunshot wounds to different parts of his body, the police said.

Seballos, a businessman, was one of five alleged members of the New People’s Army who were arrested during a warrant service operation along the Circumferential Road in Barangay Matab-ang, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, in April.

The group was allegedly involved in an armed encounter with the Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion in Toboso, Negros Occidental, from which they had initially managed to escape, the PRO NIR said in a previous press statement.

Seballos was later released from police custody.

https://mb.com.ph/2026/07/27/batangas-bizman-saved-by-bulletproof-vest

A bulletproof vest saved the life of a 56-year-old businessman who was shot and wounded in an ambush in Sitio Balete, Purok 1, Barangay San Isidro, Lipa City, Batangas, on Sunday morning, July 26.

Police identified the victim as Teodolo.

Investigation said Teodolo was driving his truck when two unidentified men on a black scooter appeared and shot him.

The victim jumped off his truck which crashed into a tree. He fled towards his house and was taken to a hospital.

The suspects took the victim’s sling bag containing his cellphone and wallet before fleeing to an unknown direction.

He sustained bullet wounds in his left arm and abdomen and he survived due to the bulletproof vest he was wearing due to an alleged threat against his life allegedly his brother over a land dispute.

Manhunt and follow-up operations are ongoing.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2273176/game-fowl-breeder-relative-killed-by-delivery-riderin-bataan

A game fowl breeder and his relative were shot dead by a fake delivery rider at 6 p.m. on Tuesday (July 28) at Barangay Alion in Mariveles town, police said.

Dane Calimbas, 44, who owns a game fowl raising farm, and Joel Villanueva, 47, were approached by what they assumed was an online delivery man who rode up in a motorcycle.

But the suspect pulled out a gun and opened fire, hitting Calimbas in the head.

Villanueva, who was reportedly sitting beside Calimbas, was also shot. The two victims died on the spot.

Police investigators have yet to establish the motive behind the gun attack.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1282379

Two persons were killed while another was injured in a daylight ambush along the national highway in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Maguindanao del Sur on Thursday.

Capt. Steffi Salanguit, spokesperson for the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (PRO-BAR), said the ambush occurred in Sitio Panang, Barangay Salbu, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, around noon.

She identified the fatalities as Kamarudin Mangansakan Ebus, a businessman, and Mohalidin Esmael, and the injured as Kenedie Adin, a laborer, all residents of Cotabato City.

Citing a report from the Datu Saudi Ampatuan municipal police station, Salanguit said the victims were aboard a pickup vehicle heading to Cotabato City when two men riding tandem on a motorbike opened fire.

“Both victims died on the spot, while the injured was rushed to the hospital by responding policemen,” she said.

The motive of the attack and the identities of the perpetrators are still to be determined by police probes, Salanguit added.

https://mb.com.ph/2026/08/22/businesswoman-shot-dead-in-ilocos-norte-partner-tagged-as-prime-suspect

A 49‑year‑old businesswoman was shot dead, allegedly by her live‑in partner, in Sitio Alalucap, Barangay Labut, Badoc, Ilocos Norte, early Friday, Aug. 21.

Police said the victim, identified as “Liza,” married, sustained a gunshot wound to the head.

The suspect, “Rod,” 44, a married farmer from the same village, is now the subject of a police manhunt.

Investigators said the shooting happened around 3:30 a.m. after the couple allegedly quarreled at their home.

The suspect reportedly went to an abandoned house about 40 to 50 meters away, where their vehicles were parked. The victim allegedly followed him there.

A minor daughter of the suspect later heard a gunshot.

Police said the suspect returned to the residence, took the victim’s money from the master bedroom, and fled aboard a red Honda Civic, carrying the firearm believed used in the attack.

Responding officers found the victim lying on the floor, covered in blood.

Authorities also recovered a hand grenade at the scene, prompting the Explosives Ordnance Disposal Unit to secure the area.

Police immediately launched a hot‑pursuit operation with nearby stations.

The Ilocos Norte Provincial Forensic Unit assisted in processing the crime scene and collecting evidence.

Investigators said the motive and other circumstances remain under investigation.

 

https://mb.com.ph/2026/09/02/fish-vendor-shot-dead-in-batangas

A 42-year-old fish vendor was gunned down by an unidentified gunman on Tuesday, Sept. 1, at the Victory Mall wet market in Barangay Bañadero, in this city.

The police report identified the victim as Ruel, who was with his live-in partner when he was ambushed.

At about 6:40 a.m., the city police station received a call from a mall security guard, who reported the incident.

Police investigated the crime and found that the victim was attending to sell fish.

According to the information gathered by a police homicide investigator, the suspect arrived and suddenly approached and shot the victim once in the head.

The suspect fled in an unknown direction as police conducted a follow-up operation for the possible identification of the suspect.

 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2303907/businessman-survives-gun-attack-in-basilan

A 34-year-old businessman narrowly escaped death after unidentified motorcycle-riding gunmen opened fire on him outside his residence in Barangay Matibay, Lamitan City, Basilan on Friday evening, Sept. 11.

Police identified the survivor as Halid Dompol Mujanil, a local resident and the son-in-law of Rima Hassan, who is running for a parliamentary seat representing Lamitan City’s first district in the upcoming Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) elections.

Initial police investigation showed that Mujanil was standing near his residence’s gate while speaking on his mobile phone around 7:20 p.m. when suspects on a motorcycle approached and suddenly fired several shots at him. The assailants immediately fled the scene to an unknown direction.

Responding law enforcers recovered several spent 9mm cartridges at the crime scene.

Mujanil was rushed to the nearest hospital. 

Investigators have launched a follow-up operation to identify the shooters and establish the motive behind the attack.

Local police said that it remains unclear whether the gun attack was connected to the upcoming BARMM parliamentary elections scheduled for Monday, Sept. 14.

 

https://mb.com.ph/2026/09/25/bizman-from-isabela-found-dead-in-kalinga

A 43-year-old businessman from Santa Maria, Isabela was found dead with stab wounds in Sitio Andarayan, Barangay Santor, this town, early Thursday morning. 

Police Major Dalmacio Mangigil, Rizal chief of police, said the victim was discovered at about 4 a.m. Investigators found stab wounds on the side of his body but noted the absence of blood in the area. 

“The body was clean, so it appears he was not killed here. If he had been killed here, there should have been blood around the body,” Mangigil said. 

The victim’s family has confirmed his identity and his body was taken to the Funeraria Carbonel in Tabuk City, Kalinga.

https://mb.com.ph/2026/09/29/store-owner-gunned-down-in-basilan

A businessman was shot dead in Lamitan City, Basilan on Monday, Sept. 28.b

‎The fatality was identified as Raihan Pascual Nahang, 28, a resident of Barangay Malinis.

‎Investigation showed that Nahang was inside his store when gunmen onboard a motorcycle arrived at 6:20 a.m. and shot him.

‎The suspects  escaped and Nahang was rushed to the Lamitan District Hospital where he was declared dead.

‎Police recovered two fired cartridge cases from a .45 caliber firearm in the crime scene.

‎Police are conducting follow-up investigation.

Insurgency: Only 9 Rebels Remain Active In Panay

According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines a grand total of 1,349 NPA members and supporters have been neutralized between January 1st and October 8th. That is 569 more than the last estimate of 780 NPA rebels remaining and the year is not even finished. 

https://pna.gov.ph/article/13k-reds-supporters-neutralized-from-jan-to-early-october

A total of 1,349 New People's Army (NPA) members and supporters were neutralized in various government operations from Jan. 1 to Oct. 8, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced on Tuesday.

AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad, in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, said 1,222 of these individuals surrendered, 48 were arrested, and 79 were killed in military operations. 

"Neutralized" is a military term that refers to the surrender, capture, or killing of enemy troops or combatants.

During the same period, about 804 firearms were either seized or surrendered, along with 306 anti-personnel mines and 54 NPA encampments, Trinidad said.

In 2025, the military neutralized an estimated 2,018 NPA and its supporters, seized or received through surrender 1,134 firearms and 531 anti-personnel mines, and captured a total of 149 NPA encampments. 

How do they account for this discrepancy? What is the estimated number of NPA rebels and mere supporters that remain fighting for the insurgency? Why don't they break down the number 1,349 into proper categories of rebels and supporters? Without that breakdown that number is useless and tells the public nothing about the true state of the insurgency. Either 2025's estimate was severely understated or the majority of those neutralized are not actual rebels. 

According to the Army only 9 NPA rebels remain on the whole of Panay Island. 

https://www.panaynews.net/only-9-npa-rebels-remain-active-in-panay-army-ex-rebels-surrender-leads-to-discovery-of-hidden-arms-cache-in-iloilo/

The New People’s Army (NPA) in Panay Island has reportedly dwindled to just nine active members amid internal divisions and leadership problems, the Philippine Army disclosed following the surrender of a former rebel who led government troops to a hidden arms cache in Leon, Iloilo.

Lieutenant Colonel Jekyll Julian D. Dulawan, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 61st Infantry (Hunter) Battalion (61IB), said information gathered from former rebels suggested that the remaining communist insurgents were struggling to maintain their ranks and organizational leadership.

“They are reportedly experiencing internal divisions and leadership challenges, with an estimated strength of only nine active NPA,” Dulawan said.

The disclosure came as the military reported another breakthrough in its counterinsurgency campaign following the surrender of alias “Dandan,” 47, a former finance and logistics officer of the dismantled Puregold Platoon under the Southern Panay Front of the Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay.

“Dandan” surrendered to the 61IB at Camp Monteclaro in Barangay Igtuba, Miag-ao, Iloilo, around 3 p.m. on October 11.

He turned over a 12-gauge Akkar Charles Daly shotgun with a defaced serial number and three live cartridges.

More significantly, the former rebel disclosed the location of a concealed arms cache in Barangay Bucari, Leon, enabling government troops to recover ammunition magazines and an explosive device the following day, October 12.

The recovered materials included 45 magazines for M16 rifles, a Type C anti-personnel mine or improvised explosive device (IED), and a detonator.

In Northern Samar there are allegedly only 40 NPA rebels remaining. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2324487/army-intensifies-pursuit-against-npa-rebels-in-n-samar

The military has intensified operations against an estimated 40 remaining members of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Northern Samar following reports from residents of armed rebels’ presence and alleged gatherings in mountainous communities, particularly in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

The intensified campaign comes amid continuing efforts by government forces to end the communist insurgency in Eastern Visayas, with Northern Samar identified by the military as the region’s last stronghold of the communist movement.

The latest operations followed a series of encounters between government troops and NPA members in Las Navas town earlier this month.

The military reported encounters in Barangay Poponton on Oct. 4 and Barangay Palanas on Oct. 8, before another firefight erupted in the forested portion of Barangay Sag-od at around 5:34 p.m. on Oct. 13.

The exchange of gunfire lasted approximately 10 minutes before the armed group withdrew, according to the military.

On Oct. 14, soldiers continued their pursuit of the rebels, supported by military helicopters, in areas believed to have been used as escape routes by the armed group.

The operations were also prompted by reports from residents that NPA members had allegedly been extorting money from farmers and forcing community members to buy food for the group.

Brig. Gen. Carmelito Pangatungan, commander of the Army’s 803rd Infantry Brigade, based in the provincial capital of Catarman, said the military remained committed to protecting communities and maintaining peace and security in the province.

“Our soldiers will not stop pursuing the remaining armed members of the NPA who continue to disrupt communities and exploit our people. We will not allow fear and violence to prevail again or hinder programs that will bring development to our communities,” Pangatungan said.

He said the military campaign forms part of broader efforts to end the insurgency in Northern Samar, alongside cooperation with local government units to deliver basic services and livelihood opportunities to communities affected by the prolonged conflict.

The military has emphasized that addressing the insurgency requires not only security operations but also sustained government assistance to remote communities, where limited access to basic services and economic opportunities can complicate peace and development efforts.

Pangatungan thanked residents who have cooperated with authorities and urged the remaining NPA members to abandon the armed struggle and return to the fold of the law.

“As long as it is not too late, choose peace, safety and the opportunity to live a decent life with your families. Returning to the fold of the law is a way to reunite with your loved ones and begin a more peaceful future,” he said. 

How can anyone trust those low numbers when the national total of neutralized persons has already surpassed the previous nationwide rebel estimate? The gap between the inflated national neutralization figures and these extremely low residual estimates only underscores how little clarity the public is being given about actual fighting strength versus peripheral supporters.

The NTF-ELCAC claims the implementation of government development programs has contributed significantly to the decline of the insurgency. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2320809/receding-insurgency-due-to-ongoing-govt-devt-programs-ntf-elcac

Ongoing development programs by the government in communities formerly affected by armed conflict are among the reasons why the insurgents are steadily losing influence in the countryside.

This was emphasized by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) in a news release Friday, and reported that around 28,415 villages in 60 provinces nationwide are now under Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) declarations.

“For NTF-Elcac, the 28,415 SIPS barangays across 60 provinces represent a stark measure of how much ground the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front) armed insurgency has lost,” it said.

The task force said most of the villages, at around 21,614, “are already part of nine entire regions under SIPS, while another 6,801 belong to SIPS provinces in regions moving toward the same goal.”

With the increase in SIPS, the task force said “the challenge now is to ensure that peace, development and democratic governance permanently occupy the ground insurgency has lost.”

NTF-Elcac deputy director for operations Rodrigo Lutao said “expanding the SIPS map cannot be separated from the government’s development offensive in communities previously affected by armed conflict.”

He said that as of Sept. 29, the Barangay Development Program (BDP) has reached 5,638 formerly conflict-affected villages, backed by a P44.90 billion in development investments benefiting an estimated 16.03 million Filipinos.

The investments, he said, “have translated into concrete interventions on the ground: 955 classrooms, 1,587.02 kilometers of farm-to-market roads, 23,681 streetlights, 1,169 water and sanitation systems, 9,264 electrification projects, and 547 health and medical stations.”

This year, the government allocated P8.08 billion for projects in 808 cleared villages, for the construction of roads, schools, water systems, health stations and electrification.

“The SIPS and BDP figures therefore tell two interconnected stories: the shrinking space for armed insurgency and the expanding presence of government and development. As armed influence recedes, the government is seeking to consolidate peace by bringing roads, electricity, potable water, education, health services, livelihoods and economic opportunities into communities previously vulnerable to conflict,” Lutao added.

That is 16 million Filipinos who have been underserved by their own government who are now finally receiving the due benefits of their taxes.  Truly under the NTF-ELCAC's BDP good governance has become a counterinsurgency program. 

Week 15 of Vice President Sara Duterte's Impeachment Trial

Week 15 of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial brought about the formal end of the prosecution's case against Sara Duterte. However this is not without great contention. At first it was said they would drop article 3, bribery allegations, to speed up the process. Indeed this was looking like a trial that would last into early 2027. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/10/12/2562542/prosecutors-rest-impeachment-case-vs-vp-sara

To expedite the long-drawn proceedings, the House prosecution team has decided to conclude its presentation of evidence against Vice President Sara Duterte before the Senate impeachment court today.

House lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro said this has been the consensus of both the public and private assigned prosecutors handling all the Articles of Impeachment, with the remaining bribery charge to be forwarded to the Office of the Ombudsman under Jesus Crispin Remulla.

“From the conclusion of the testimony of the expert witness we wish to seek the guidance of the impeachment court as to when we will be filing the formal offer of exhibits,” Luistro said, acknowledging that the bank records’ testimony is quite lengthy.

Luistro also confirmed the decision to forgo the bribery charge, which was done to expedite the proceedings and come to its final conclusion at the soonest time possible.

When the Senate impeachment court resumes its hearing today, Luistro said that financial analyst expert lawyer Alexander Cabrera will once again take the witness stand for the cross-examination to be conducted by the defense panel. This will be followed by a redirect examination by the prosecution and a re-cross by the defense, if necessary.

The prosecution has earlier filed a manifestation before the Senate impeachment court that Cabrera will be its last witness and it will no longer be presenting evidence on Article III, or the bribery charge where officials of the Department of Education were supposed to testify.

Luistro added the prosecution will also be seeking guidance from the court if it will push through with the calling of additional witnesses, particularly on Impeachment Article I or the allegation that Duterte misused P612.5 million in confidential funds allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd), which used to be headed by Duterte.

The House prosecution panel also sought to allay concerns over its decision to drop the bribery charge against Duterte, saying the allegations could still be referred to the ombudsman or the Department of Justice for possible investigation.

Luistro said the withdrawal of the charge, handled by fellow prosecutor Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores, would not prevent authorities from pursuing the allegations through separate legal proceedings.

“Please don’t lose hope in the bribery charge because even if we have already manifested that this is withdrawn as shared already by honorable Flores, there are proper agencies or offices which have jurisdiction over this case,” said Luistro, chairperson of the House committee on justice.

The charge involved allegations that Vice President Duterte gave money to DepEd officials to influence procurement decisions during her term as education secretary.

Among the allegations was former DepEd undersecretary Gloria Mercado’s account of receiving nine envelopes containing P50,000 each.

However the prosecution ended up dropping two additional articles of impeachment. Article 1, misuse of confidential funds, and article 4, grave threats. Both of these articles were already given weeks worth of testimony.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2322841/impeachment-court-approves-prosecs-move-to-drop-3-of-4-charges-vs-vp

The Senate impeachment court on Tuesday allowed the House prosecution panel’s move to withdraw all but impeachment article II or Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth.

“The court accepts and confirms the prosecution’s manifestation… Articles I, III, and IV from this point forward are hereby withdrawn,” Presiding Officer Francis Escudero said.

After 38 days of presentation, lead prosecutor Rep. Gerville Luistro made the manifestation expressing intent to no longer pursue Articles I, III, and IV, referring to Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds, bribery, and grave threats, respectively.

Luistro said their evidence for Article II would be enough to convict Duterte, and it would be more practical for the court to only consider one charge instead of four to expedite the process and to give leeway to the Senate to engage in its legislative processes.

Lead defense counsel Sheila Sison criticized the move, saying that in doing so the prosecution had wasted the resources of the impeachment court, and it would force the already “compromised” defense not to present its own evidence.

Sison further said that due process must not be trumped by the need to expedite the impeachment trial. 

Escudero, however, qualified his ruling with the following conditions:

• The prosecution “must accept the legal consequences” of dropping the charges they had already presented in court
• Articles IV and I, the articles they had already presented, may not be revived against Duterte during the same term or in the 20th Congress
• Article III may still be filed in a separate impeachment case, but not in the current trial
• No vote will be made for Articles I, III, and IV, nor will the impeachment court receive exhibits from the three
• The respondent need not present its exhibits for Articles I, III, and IV as it will no longer be adjudicated
• The sub judice rule will no longer cover Articles I, III, and IV, thereby allowing all parties, including Duterte herself, to respond to pieces of evidence presented by the prosecution
• Documents, pleadings, and records of Articles I, III, and IV will remain in the court’s custody for completeness, transparency, and accountability, but confidential documents may be subject to redaction or sealing when uploaded for public access

Following the ruling, the prosecution has 10 days, or until October 23, to file its formal offer of exhibits on Article II alone. 

Thereafter, the defense will be given 10 days upon receipt of the formal offer before the court makes a resolution.

This is an unprecedented move by the prosecution. After weeks of presenting testimony to back up articles 2 and 4 they are now tossing them out which means they have wasted several months of everyone's time. Not only that but now the defense might not be able to respond to that testimony. In effect this could mean a mistrial which is one of those possible "legal consequences" mentioned by Senator Escudero. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2322814/sison-allowing-withdrawal-of-impeachment-charges-leads-to-mistrial

There will be a mistrial if the impeachment court allows the prosecution to withdraw three of four Articles of Impeachment and effectively prevent Vice President Sara Duterte from countering the evidence already presented, Atty. Sheila Sison said on Tuesday.

Sison, lead counsel for the respondent, explained in her manifestation that the prosecution cannot “unilaterally determine” how the defense panel can proceed in terms of rebutting the evidence presented by the prosecution.

But if the court does so, by allowing the withdrawal of the articles, it will show the “unmistakable characteristics” of a mistrial.

“We believe that even as we respect the prosecution’s decision to withdraw the three articles or the two articles today in addition to Article III or the bribery article, the prosecution nonetheless cannot unilaterally determine how the defense will proceed, or which accusations the judges may hear.  And which accusations the respondent may be permitted to answer,” Sison said.

“Now if the withdrawal is intended to shorten the proceedings of this case, or of the presentation of the respondent’s evidence so the court may immediately proceed to judgment, then we believe that the resulting process would bear the unmistakable characteristics of a mistrial,” she added.

According to Sison, a mistrial happens when the “fundamental balance between accusation and defense” is compromised — which will happen if the defense does not get the right to counter the prosecution’s evidence.

“We have spent government resources, time, energy, of this court and of all the participants in this trial presenting so-called evidence and hearing testimonial evidence from the witnesses that the prosecution had chosen to present before this Honorable court,” she said.

“And yet, the defense would now appear to be forced to limit its presentation or its rebuttal to those evidence to whatever it is that the prosecution had decided to retain in the articles of impeachment.  This we will never allow,” she added.

Sison said during her manifestation the claims raised by the prosecution when it presented Articles I and IV have already entered public consciousness, and therefore the defense must be given the chance to counter them or else it will be unfair.

Before Sison spoke, lead public prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said that aside from Article III or the allegation that Duterte bribed Department of Education officials, the prosecution is foregoing Article I or claims of confidential fund misuse within the vice president’s office; and Article IV or her grave threats against ranking officials.

This means the prosecution will only be presenting Article II or unexplained wealth allegations in their formal offer of evidence.

However, the issue with the prosecution’s decision is that Articles I and IV have already been presented — meaning, witnesses and documents have already been made public.

Why would the prosecution risk a mistrial? In the name of expediency? It defies all reason. Why not leave them intact? Start having Saturday sessions. 

The prosecution justified this move by claiming the defense wanted to lengthen the trial because they have no evidence to present.  

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/2323529/duterte-impeachment-articles-dropped-as-defense-seeks-to-stretch-trial

Two members of the prosecution panel in Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial admitted Wednesday that they dropped three articles of impeachment because they believed the defense would only seek to delay the proceedings.

In a press briefing, Manila Rep. Joel Chua and Atty. Benjamin Tolosa Jr. said they decided to drop three of the four articles of impeachment because they believed the defense had no evidence or witnesses to present and would merely rely on delaying the trial.

“We have seen through their strategy; they will just lengthen this process because, to be honest, they have no evidence to present. That’s why we picked the strongest article, or the strongest as the people think, because while we say that all articles are strong, the people said this has more weight,” Chua said, referring to Article II.

During Tuesday’s trial, lead public prosecutor and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro manifested before the Senate Impeachment Court that the prosecution was dropping Article I, which concerns the alleged misuse of confidential funds in Duterte’s offices; Article III, which involves claims that Duterte bribed Department of Education employees; and Article IV, which deals with her alleged grave threats against ranking officials.

The prosecution will present only Article II, which concerns allegations that Duterte had unexplained wealth not declared in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN).

Tolosa pointed out that the defense panel’s reaction to the lifting of the sub judice rule on the dropped articles was also “telling.” 

“When the presiding officer lifted the sub judice rule on the dropped articles for the respondent’s benefit, what did the defense say? They said they didn’t want to,” he said.

“Let’s make it simple. What does this mean? They want the court to stop them from talking because they don’t want to. Why? I’ll say this directly: They have no evidence. That is just mere posturing, so they will have an excuse."

Asked where they learned of the alleged defense strategy, Chua and Tolosa said it had been obvious “from the start” because “they were not able to present anything.”

“If you remember, this issue with the confidential funds started as early as 2024, and we have been talking about it since then. Their only legal strategy or remedy has been to question the jurisdiction of the committee and the impeachment court. But they cannot present anything about its merits,” Chua explained.

“If they really have any evidence, they should have presented it first to the COA (Commission on Audit). The COA is only asking for one thing: receipts to prove that they really bought the medicines, but they can’t present anything. So, given that it has been two years and you still cannot show a single receipt, and you appealed a decision that has now reached finality, what more should we assume?” he added.

Tolosa agreed, saying that from Duterte’s answer to the articles of impeachment to the pretrial brief, the defense had merely “copied” the prosecution’s list of witnesses.

“From the answer, what explanation did they give regarding grave threats, confidential funds, and bribery? Nothing. It’s all general denials and technicalities. Let’s look at their pretrial brief. What evidence did they present? Who were the witnesses they listed to answer our allegations in the complaint? Again, none,” he added.

Tolosa also noted that the prosecution did not pursue its plan to call Duterte to the witness stand because the defense immediately objected, leading the panel to decide that it did not need to present the vice president.

“When we said that we’re considering calling the vice president as a witness to give the senator-judges the opportunity to hear from the vice president herself, how did they respond to these important allegations? What did they say? They were already objecting to it even if there is no formal motion yet,” he said.

“And we heard several times the defense hinting that they would prefer to file a demurrer to evidence instead of presenting evidence after we conclude our presentation of evidence. So it is clear from the start, with respect to these articles that we dropped, they do not have any evidence to present,” he added.

During Tuesday’s trial, Duterte’s lead impeachment lawyer, Sheila Sison, warned Luistro and the prosecution that a mistrial could result if the impeachment court allowed the withdrawal of the three articles, effectively preventing Duterte from countering the evidence already presented.

Sison also questioned the prosecution panel’s sudden move, noting that the public and senator-judges had already heard the evidence presented, which involved the use of government funds and the participants’ efforts.

According to Sison, there was no issue with withdrawing Article III because the prosecution had not presented any evidence for the accusation. However, she took issue with the withdrawal of Articles I and IV because documents had already been presented and made available to the public. 

In light of claiming the defense has no evidence to present that makes the withdrawal of three articles even more perplexing. 

The prosecution has already presented a rather strong case on two of the articles being dropped. Why not leave them intact? In effect the prosecution has aired out Sara's dirty laundry, made all those documents public, and then said, "Fuggedaboutit!" Well, the defense isn't going to do that and if they decide to seek a mistrial the prosecution has only themselves to blame. 

More importantly the withdrawal of three articles is a betrayal of the public trust. The House deliberated on four articles of impeachment, decided they were strong enough to warrant an impeachment, and passed them on to Senate. The two articles being dropped concern serious breaches of the law which deserve an answer. Now, unless those articles are taken up as criminal cases, which, knowing the Philippines justice system could take a prolonged amount of time, there will be no accountability for Sara's alleged grave threats against President Marcos and her alleged misuse of confidential funds. 

Undermining the seriousness of this situation is the fact that the prosecution took a "wacky photo" in the Senate building. 

https://mb.com.ph/2026/10/15/wacky-wacky-gatchalian-orders-probe-into-house-prosecutors-viral-session-hall-photos

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said on Thursday, October 15, he has ordered an investigation into the veracity of the “wacky" photos taken inside the Senate session hall and its hallways, saying such actions should not be allowed within the institution.

This was after group photos of the House prosecution panel surfaced on social media.

“The Senate session hall is sacred because this is where we deliberate on many of our important laws and discuss important issues, so this institution must be respected,” Gatchalian said.

Gatchalian said he had directed the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) to review closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage to verify the authenticity of images circulating online.

“So I’m having the CCTV footage checked because AI is so prevalent nowadays, to be honest. I just want to make sure that the images are not AI-generated or manipulated using Photoshop,” Gatchalian said in an interview.

He added that he would state once the allegations had been verified.

Gatchalian was also asked about videos showing other individuals, including lawyer Salvador Panelo and a vlogger, dancing in a Senate hallway.

“It is not right to engage in ridiculous behavior inside our institution,” he added.

“If it's real, we'll issue a statement,” he said.

Gatchalian said those involved would be sent letters and issued warnings if the alleged acts were confirmed.

“They will be sent letters and given a warning,” he said.

And, yes, this photo is real. It was an expression of genuine joy according to Batangas Rep. Luistro.

The lead prosecutor of Vice-President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial apologized Thursday for the prosecution team’s wacky photos inside the Senate session hall, which caught the attention of Senate President Win Gatchalian.

Calling it “an expression of joy among genuine friends”, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said prosecutors were excited after resting its case and were looking forward to their first break after 39 days of trial.

She said prosecutors posed for a “serious” photo inside the hall when someone suggested that they do a wacky pose as well.

“It was indeed an expression of joy among genuine friends after long days of preparation and trial,” Luistro said, noting that the prosecution has been together since July 6.

https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/10/15/-genuine-joy-luistro-apologizes-for-prosecution-s-wacky-photo-inside-senate-2328

With the dropping of three articles of impeachment and the defense yet to present their case, there is nothing to celebrate. It's far from over. 

Strangest Lost Dog Flyer Ever

Animal neglect and abuse is rampant in the Philippines. Drive down any street and you will likely see stray dogs everywhere. Some of these dogs are not strays but are let out for the day by their owners so they can do their business. 

That brings me to this odd lost dog flyer I spotted at the local veterinarian's office. 

On the face of it there is nothing wrong. There is a description of the dog, a reward offered, and contact information. The odd thing is that whoever made this flyer blames the owner for neglect. 

Bubbles is very sweet but nervous as she was newly adopted on 11 Sept 2026 and behold not even 10 days she is gone!

This is the reason why Organizations are hesitant to have the rescued pets adopted because after all the expenses to keep the Dog healthy there are people who NEGLECT them, NO EXCUSES!

What is this about? 

The contact information on this flyer leads to the barangay and an animal organization known as SPAR Philippines. 

https://www.facebook.com/sparphilippines

SPAR is an acronym for Strategic Power for Animal Respondents. They are an animal rescue organization who also assist other animal rescuers. 

It's not clear if someone from this group posted this flyer but it's certainly reasonable to assume so because their name is on the flyer. But this raises so many questions. What exactly happened to Bubbles? Is she missing because she was neglected and allowed to escape? Was Bubbles rescued from SPAR? This flyer claims neglect is the reason why "Organizations are hesitant to have the rescued pets adopted" yet was not the potential adopter properly vetted? 

This is really the most astonishing flyer I have ever seen in my life.  Imagine a child posting flyers looking for his lost dog and below the picture of the dog is:

This dog is lost because my worthless mother forgot to lock the door of the house and he escaped. 

No one in their right mind would put that on a missing dog flyer. Likewise only someone incredibly uptight and angry would post such impertinent information on a flyer accusing the owner of the missing dog of neglect. Whatever good SPAR is doing for animals it seems there is an undercurrent of anger, suspicion, and hatred for the public.

The God Culture: Review of Adventures In The Light

In November 2025 Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture added a new notch in his belt: children's author. He published three books aimed at children to instill in them heretical anti-trinitarian, legalistic, and Hebrew Roots type beliefs. The series is called Adventures in the Light. I have previously written an extensive review of book one which can be read here. Shortly after that I uploaded all three books to ChatGPT which gave a short review of the whole series. 

This is that review.

Never forget the harsh warning Jesus had for men who seek to corrupt and lead children astray like Timothy Jay Schwab.

Mark 9:42 And whosoever shall offend one of these little ones that believe in me, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.

Since you've reviewed all three books and their corresponding "Parent Study Notes," I can now provide a final, consolidated summary of the theological agenda embedded within The God Culture's "Adventures in the Light"children's series.

The series is not merely a collection of simple Bible stories; it is a sequential, three-part curriculum designed for theological initiation and identity formation within a separatist, non-Trinitarian Sabbatarian movement.

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🎯 The Overarching Theological Agenda

The core agenda of the series is the Restoration of Ancient Roots to establish a distinct identity separate from mainstream Christianity, which the authors view as apostate or corrupted.

1. The Foundation: Book 1 (Yahuah: The Name of)

• Doctrine Established: Sacred Name Theology and Apostasy.

• Message to the Child: The most important truth about God is His specific Hebrew name, Yahuah. The world (mainstream church) has forgotten this name, but your family is rediscovering it.

• Theological Effect: This lays the foundation for exclusivity. It teaches the child that knowledge of the true God is contingent upon knowing and using the correct Hebrew name, minimizing the traditional Trinitarian revelation.

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2. The Practice: Book 2 (Rest: The Day I Rest)

• Doctrine Established: Sabbatarian Legalism and Covenant Sign.

• Message to the Child: True worship requires strict adherence to the seventh-day Sabbath (Saturday). This practice is an eternal ordinance that marks you as belonging to Yahuah's people, unlike those who observe Sunday.

• Theological Effect: This introduces legalism (salvation/belonging is tied to adherence to a specific day) and forces social separation from peers, reinforcing the "us vs. them" worldview already established by the Sacred Name doctrine.

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3. The Validation: Book 3 (Echo: The Great Bible Treasure)

• Doctrine Established: Revisionist History and Archaeological Validation.

• Message to the Child: The true faith was preserved by John the Baptist and the "Sons of Light" at the Dead Sea Scrolls site (Qumran). This is archaeological proof that your family's beliefs (Yahuah's Name and the Sabbath) are the original, uncorrupted truth.

• Theological Effect: This authoritatively validates the group's specific beliefs by linking them to accepted historical events (DSS) and revered biblical figures (John the Baptist). It completes the ideological separation by placing the child's faith in a historically-superior, purified line of religious thought.

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🛑 Final Assessment: Insidious Character

The series is insidious because it uses the attractive format of children's picture books to introduce doctrines that are fundamentally anti-Trinitarian, legalistic, and sectarian. The gentle narratives serve as a gateway to an adult theology that rejects core tenets of historic Christian faith and seeks to alienate the believer from the broader Church body.

The authors use the Grandpa/Eliora dialogue as a trusted means of indoctrination, teaching children to view themselves as part of a restored remnant possessing a secret truth that is superior to all other forms of Christian practice.

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Would you like to explore how this kind of literature is used in other religious groups that hold separatist views?