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Ex-police colonel Garma eyed as ICC witness vs Duterte, DoJ says

PHILIPPINE STAR/JOHN FELIX M. UNSON

RETIRED POLICE colonel Royina M. Garma, who linked former President Rodrigo R. Duterte to the systematic murder of thousands of drug suspects, flew to Malaysia to meet with officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Department of Justice (DoJ) confirmed on Monday.

This comes just a day after Ms. Garma, also former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager, arrived in the Philippines after the United States denied her asylum request.

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday reported the departure of Ms. Garma on Sunday evening, aboard a flight heading to Kuala Lumpur.

According to the bureau, Ms. Garma boarded a flight at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 that departed for Kuala Lumpur at 10:43 p.m. on Sunday and left as a tourist.

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin C. Remulla confirmed on Monday that Ms. Garma is now in Malaysia to meet with ICC officials regarding her possible role as a witness in the case against Mr. Duterte.

“A few months ago, she appeared in our conversations, or she was a subject of our conversations with Senator Trillanes because of her possible testimony in the ICC,” Mr. Remulla told reporters.

“The ICC had been asking Sonny Trillanes about making her available to be a witness in the case against Duterte in the ICC, in the Hague.”

The BI said that Ms. Garma is the subject of an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) issued on Nov. 15, 2024, in connection with cases in 2016 and 2020.

The government allowed Ms. Garma’s departure despite the ILBO, citing concerns over her safety. “Given that and the fact that she’s going to Malaysia to meet with the ICC, it gave us reason to say ‘okay,’” he said, noting this is the best way to protect her.

“We have said that our working relationship with the ICC involves witness protection. And the best way to protect her is really for the ICC to meet her abroad because her life can be in danger in our country. Let’s face it, uniformed personnel are the enemy.”

The bureau said it followed the procedure set in the ILBO and reported the matter to the DoJ. Upon verification, it confirmed that there was no hold departure order or warrant of arrest issued against her.

Ms. Garma returned to the Philippines on Sept. 6 via NAIA Terminal 1 from Los Angeles, California, after nearly 10 months in the US. She was deported after US authorities denied her asylum request, following the cancellation of her visa in November 2024.

She left for the US while a House committee investigated the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.

At the time, Ms. Garma testified that Mr. Duterte had directed her to implement the “Davao model” of the drug war across the country. The same committee later cited her in contempt for allegedly evading questions about her role in the campaign.

Ms. Garma is also facing murder and frustrated murder complaints over the 2020 killing of former PCSO board secretary Wesley Barayuga. She has denied the allegation.

Meanwhile, the ICC on Monday announced it postponed the start of the confirmation hearing against Mr. Duterte, initially scheduled on Sept. 23.

“Following a request from the Defense of Mr. Duterte for an indefinite adjournment of the proceedings alleging that Mr. Duterte is not fit to stand trial, the majority of the Chamber considered that a limited postponement of the hearing on the confirmation of charges was warranted to allow sufficient time to adjudicate the request and related matters,” it said in a statement.

“The Chamber will, if applicable, set a specific date once it has addressed such outstanding matters.”

It noted that Judge María del Socorro Flores Liera issued a dissenting opinion, saying the request should be rejected. She also asserted that the pre-trial proceedings, including the hearing, intended to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to establish substantial grounds, should continue. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking

OP budget hurdles House panel

PRESIDENT FERDINAND R. MARCOS, JR. — PHILIPPINE STAR/KJ ROSALES

CONGRESSMEN swiftly ended deliberations on the Office of the President’s (OP) P27.36-billion budget on Monday, sidestepping scrutiny over secret funds and the Executive’s plan to resolve alleged irregularities in flood control projects.

House of Representatives Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. Marcelino C. Libanan moved for the termination of the budget hearing as part of “institutional and parliamentary courtesy” to the Executive.

The motion was adopted by the majority of the House appropriations committee even as some members of the panel objected to the budget’s quick approval and argued that no agency should be exempt from congressional scrutiny.

“Now, of all times, is not the moment for parliamentary courtesy but for full transparency in the budget process,” Deputy Minority Leader and Party-list Rep. Antonio L. Tinio told lawmakers during a House hearing.

Lawmakers have traditionally refrained from scrutinizing the OP’s budget, invoking long-standing parliamentary courtesy extended to the sitting president.

“No other than the President himself has said that there must be transparency and accountability, especially with regard to the discussion of the national budget… so we must scrutinize the OP budget in that spirit,” Party-list Rep. Elijah R. San Fernando told lawmakers in the same hearing.

Mr. Tinio said the OP should explain its P4.5-billion allocation to confidential and intelligence funds (CIF), amid concerns involving Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio’s alleged misuse of secret funds.

CIFs are meant to finance surveillance and intelligence information gathering activities, according to a 2015 joint circular between the Commission on Audit, Defense, Budget and Interior and Local Government departments.

“There are so many issues that need to be raised and answered,” he said.

He added that President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. bears a responsibility to confront and resolve the alleged large-scale corruption tied to flood control projects. 

“President Marcos certified as urgent the three national budgets under his term — 2023, 2024 and 2025 — and signed the corresponding General Appropriations Acts,” he said in Filipino. “Across these budgets, nearly P1 trillion was allocated to flood control projects.”

About P545 billion was channeled towards flood control projects since 2022, Mr. Marcos said in early August, noting that 15 contractors bagged about P100 billion or 20% of the total funds.

Reports of substandard flood control projects worth billions of pesos have fueled public outrage in a country increasingly vulnerable to severe flooding, with critics citing incomplete, poorly built or non-existent infrastructure.

Executive Secretary Lucas P. Bersamin said on Sunday an executive order (EO) creating an independent body to look into spurious flood control projects has been submitted to Mr. Marcos.

“Once he returns, maybe there will be some developments as far as that goes,” he told lawmakers at the House hearing, adding the proposed EO has a sunset provision automatically terminating its authority.

“The initial discussion in the Executive is that whatever commission is created by Presidential Fiat would have a timeline,” he said. “It becomes your privilege to look at it in the same way and maybe pass a law or laws regarding the investigation of these anomalies.”

House Deputy Minority Leader and Caloocan Rep. Edgar R. Erice said the Liberal Party would file a bill that would provide the proposed commission “coercive and subpoena powers” to help its investigation into questionable flood control deals.

“This commission will be extremely weak if it doesn’t summon private individuals to testify,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the hearing.

Also on Monday, House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez said that lawmakers did not intend to provoke an institutional clash with the Presidential Palace after the chamber sought to return the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for next year back to the Budget department.

“If our deliberations have caused any discomfort, we ask for understanding,” he said in a statement. “The House’s duty is not to cast blame but to ensure that every peso in the budget is transparent, accountable and truly for the people.”

The Cabinet last week criticized lawmakers for what it described as an attempt to shift blame to the Executive amid issues hounding questionable flood control deals.

“We recognize that there are issues that must be addressed, and we begin by putting our own House in order,” said Mr. Romualdez, alluding to the Cabinet’s remarks for lawmakers to “clean your house first.”

Mr. Bersamin said they issued the statement to “raise the confidence” of the Executive and to elicit support from the House amid efforts to resolve the allegations of corruption in flood control projects.

“It was more to emphasize our constitutional position and separation, and to elicit cooperation and support from the House of Representatives more than any other,” he said.

“This is not a clash of institutions,” Mr. Romualdez said. “It is a partnership in accountability and service.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

SSS rolls out first tranche of pension hike

SSS FACEBOOK PAGE

THE SOCIAL SECURITY System (SSS) implemented the first tranche of its three-year pension hike program and launched new benefit cards to expedite the rollout of increased pensions to members.

“These programs are proof of true public service: Not adding hassle, but increasing convenience. Not an old system, but a modern solution. Not a slow process, but quick action,” Finance Secretary and Social Security Commission (SSC) ex-officio Chair Ralph G. Recto said in Filipino in a statement on Monday.

Under the program, the pension for retirement and disability pensioners will be raised by 10% every September until 2027, while the pension for death or survivor pensioners will be increased by 5%.

When the reform program ends, pensions will have increased by approximately 33% for retirement/disability pensioners and 16% for death/survivor pensioners.

SSS previously said around 3.8 million pensioners will benefit from the pension reform, including 2.6 million retirement/disability pensioners and 1.2 million survivor pensioners.

To complement the hike reform program, the SSS launched the MySSS Card to help members receive their newly increased pension benefits faster and easier.

“With just one swipe, you will have many benefits. Using this, SSS members can get their benefits, loans, and pensions directly and quickly. You can also use it for shopping, paying for transportation, and for everyday expenses,” Mr. Recto said.

The MySSS Card replaces the Unified Multi-Purpose Identification (UMID) card as the official ID of the state pension fund, the SSS said.

The card has security features such as the EMV (Europay, Mastercard, and Visa) chip and uses the Philippine Identification System (PhilSys) eVerify and biometrics authentication to check members’ identities.

The MySSS Card will be issued through partner banks as it can serve as an account for benefits and loan disbursements. It can also be used to make in-store or online payments.

To apply, SSS members, pensioners, beneficiaries, claimants, and representative payees should carry an active social security number, a My.SSS Portal account with updated contact information, and are Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) or PhilSys registered.

Mr. Recto added the President will later launch the Alagang SSS Discount Card in partnership with Unilab, Inc. for SSS members aged 60 years old and above.

The card will provide special discounts on Unilab products available in all Watsons, Southstar, and Mercury Drugstores nationwide.

“We are doing all this to ensure that every Filipino worker has more joy and more comfort. Because as our President said, you deserve nothing but our love, our care, and our protection,” Mr. Recto said. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

House body OKs school subsidy bill

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

A HOUSE of Representatives committee approved on Monday a proposal seeking to revamp the government’s private education voucher program to help ease classroom congestion in government schools.

The House Basic Education committee consolidated over 15 bills aimed at strengthening the private school voucher program by introducing a criteria-based system for underprivileged students and establishing a private education bureau to oversee its implementation. A copy of the substitute bill was not made immediately available.

“By institutionalizing the voucher program, we give poor and deserving families the freedom to choose private schools when public schools cannot take them in,” Party-list Rep. Jude A. Acidre told the panel.

The Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) is a state-run subsidy program that covers tuition for high school students enrolled in private schools, designed to ease overcrowding in public institutions and support the viability of private education.

The Philippines has a backlog of about 165,000 public school classrooms, mainly caused by limited funding, slow procurement processes and a surging student population, according to the Education department.

The proposal is among House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez’s priorities for the lower chamber.

Sixteen of the proposed bills aimed at strengthening the government’s school subsidy program seek to establish clear eligibility criteria for student beneficiaries, in a bid to streamline implementation and ensure that assistance reaches underprivileged learners.

The education voucher program would support students in private kindergarten, elementary and high schools, and the Philippine Statistics Authority would be tasked to help identify students from middle-income families enrolled in overcrowded public schools who may qualify for government education subsidies, a matrix of the bills obtained by BusinessWorld showed.

“Students who are most vulnerable and underprivileged shall receive a higher voucher amount as determined by the Basic Education Assistance Council,” it added.

The proposals also seek the creation of a Bureau of Private Education that would serve as the “focal office” for the administration, supervision and regulation of private schools and the voucher program, the matrix stated.

The proposed body would be responsible for monitoring how private schools implement Education department policies and would have the authority to enforce minimum standards for academic programs, it added.

Meanwhile, a Senator on Monday pushed for the passage of a bill that seeks to accelerate the construction of local classrooms and allow local government units (LGU) and non-governmental organization (NGO) plug the gaps in learning facilities.

“Let’s bypass the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways). Let’s give the funds to the LGU and the NGO that has a track record in doing school building. We think it will be faster and cheaper, at the right cost,” Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV said in a statement.

Senate Bill No. 121, the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) bill, will allow LGUs and NGOs to build classrooms in compliance with national standards and guidelines within their jurisdictions, with funding support from the national government.

Mr. Aquino added that the proposed measure will allow the simultaneous building of classrooms to plug the country’s lack of learning facilities.

The bill stated that funding sources for the construction of classrooms will be drawn from the education department’s budget, contributions from private sector through corporate donations, foundations, or public-private partnerships, and other government agencies.

“We want to see these classrooms built, in the next 3 to 5 years, (so) we can close our classroom gap,” he said.

He added that he is also pushing for the reallocation of the flood control budget to education.

“We want to see a more streamlined flood control fund. As far as we can tell, the P275 billion will be reduced, it will be focused on flood-prone areas. The amount that will be eliminated, we think it will be up to P100 billion, we want to put it into education,” Mr. Aquino said. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio and Adrian H. Halili

PAGCOR bats for e-gambling regulation

BW FILE PHOTO

THE Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) on Monday urged for stricter regulations on online gambling over a total ban, as the latter would only fuel illicit activities and reduce government earnings.

In a speech, PAGCOR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alejandro H. Tengco said the agency’s reforms, such as lowering license fee rates, have bolstered the local electronic gaming industry.

“The iGaming story in the Philippines is no longer just about growth; it’s about how we grow — safely, fairly, and sustainably,” Mr. Tengco said. “We support stricter regulations to protect our people, but we are against a total ban which will only drive players to illegal operators and result in loss of revenues and jobs.”

According to the gaming regulator, the e-gaming sector injected P114.83 billion into the country’s gross gaming revenues (GGR) in the first half of the year. This exceeded earnings from land-based operations, it added.

GGR from online games last year also grew to P154.51 billion from P58.16 billion in 2023, making up about half of the P372.33-billion total GGR.

Mr. Tengco said PAGCOR has ongoing reforms to promote responsible gaming, such as separating its regulatory and operational roles, enhancing responsible gaming measures, tightening advertising rules, developing a 24/7 helpline and introducing digital solutions such as the PAGCOR Guarantee portal and artificial intelligence-powered monitoring platforms.

He also urged industry stakeholders to adopt “compliance by design” in their operations, strictly observe anti-money laundering policies, reinforce their KYC (Know Your Customer) system and back PAGCOR’s responsible gaming programs.

“With responsible growth, compliance, and transparency, the Philippines can develop a safer, stronger, and globally competitive iGaming industry,” he added.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. earlier ordered tighter regulations for online gambling platforms, citing its negative impact on consumers and the country’s financial system.

Last month, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas mandated e-wallet providers, banks and other financial institutions to delink from gambling apps and websites. — Katherine K. Chan

DepEd eyes 240,000 laptops for teachers in 2026

STOCK PHOTO | Image by Compare Fibre from Unsplash

THE Department of Education (DepEd) aims to distribute 240,000 laptops to teachers in 2026, alig ning with the government’s efforts to promote digitalization in the education sector.

“That’s one of the main programs of our President because he is techie,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in Filipino at the 2025 National Teachers’ Month Kick-off.

Citing President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s fourth State of the Nation Address, Mr. Angara said all teachers will have their own computer before Mr. Marcos leaves his post in 2028.

“He believes in the power of technology, the transformative power of technology,” he said.

The 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP) allocated P928.52 billion to the department, of which P13.8 billion will fund the DepEd Computerization Program to advance digital learning.

As part of the department’s technological advancement efforts, Mr. Angara also highlighted in his speech that DepEd is working with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) in bringing connectivity to last-mile schools and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) across the country.

“That’s also one of the main programs of our President, to bring connectivity to the last-mile schools and to the GIDA areas,” he said.

The last-mile schools cater to 1.6 million learners, and half of these schools are located in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, according to a report from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II). — Almira Louise S. Martinez

Dams, water retention structure needed to address flooding — DoST

PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

THERE is a need to apply Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), such as the creation of dams and water retention structures, to address the country’s perennial flooding problem, the Department of Science and Technology (DoST) said.

During the kickoff event of the National Science and Technology Week (NSTW) on Monday, DoST Secretary Renato U. Solidum, Jr., emphasized IWRM, a process that promotes the coordinated development of water, land, and related resources to address the public cry over flooding.

This involves the construction of flood-mitigating structures based on the land’s topography, the reforestation of watersheds, and the decongestion and dredging of waterways, Mr. Solidum said.

“So, part of the solution in the long term for climate change is to have dams (and) water retention structures,” Mr. Solidum told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the NSTW kick-off event.

“It is so that we can capture the water instead of letting it cause flooding, and also make sure that we store the water for El Niño and other drought conditions,” he added.

The DoST Secretary also said that IWRM must be implemented according to the specific conditions of each of the 18 major river basins in the country and must be able to adapt to handle intense rainfall brought about by climate change.

Several agencies, such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), are expected to implement these, Mr. Solidum said, with the DoST supporting them with scientific data.

“We now have the terrain model. We also provided NAMBREA (National Mapping and Resource Information Authority) with the LiDAR map,” he said.

NSTW 2025 LANDS IN ILOCOS REGION
Also on Monday, the DoST announced that this year’s NSTW will be held in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, from Nov. 18 to 25, with a prime focus on “building smart and sustainable communities.”

“It means pushing the envelope towards an enabling environment to nurture and champion smart and sustainable business, communities, and governance by harnessing the power of science, technology, and innovation,” Maridon O. Sahagun, undersecretary for scientific and technical services, said during NSTW’s kick-off event.

This year’s NSTW is expected to feature four key technologies aimed at addressing challenges concerning human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection, and sustainability.

Among the innovations is Project Delta, which uses artificial intelligence (AI), parallel computing, and other technologies to create hazard maps that can predict the impact of liquefaction and tsunamis. — Edg Adrian A. Eva

Over 25,000 eye socialized housing

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

OVER 25,000 Filipino workers have expressed interest in purchasing socialized housing units through the Pag-IBIG Housing Loan under the Expanded Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program as of Sept. 5.

“The high number of registrants in such a short span of time clearly reflects the need of Filipino workers and their families for affordable homeownership,” Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary and Pag-IBIG Fund Board of Trustees Chair Jose Ramon P. Aliling said in a statement on Monday.

This comes just three months after Pag-IBIG Fund rolled out its 4PH Online Registration system in June 2025.

The Expanded 4PH Program now includes house-and-lot units in subdivision developments, adding to its offering of vertical condominium projects.

“With more projects underway, even more Filipino workers are expected to benefit in the coming months,” the Pag-IBIG Fund said.

The Expanded 4PH Online Sign-Up Facility allows members to browse available socialized housing projects, view unit photos, compute estimated monthly payments and monitor their registration status in real time. — Aaron Michael C. Sy

Up next for taking for Eala is Sao Paulo Open in Brazil

ALEX EALA — FACEBOOK.COM/GDLOPEN

THERE is no letting up for the newly-minted Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) champion Alexandra “Alex” Eala.

In a quick wind up, the Filipina pride shifts her focus to the WTA 250 Sao Paulo Open in Brazil starting on Tuesday in a bid to win her second straight title.

Ms. Eala is seeded No. 3 in Brazil, drawing qualifier Yasmine Mansouri of France in Round 1 albeit the game time is still to be announced pending the result of other qualifying matches.

Ranked No. 61 in the live WTA rankings with 1054 points, Ms. Eala has been installed as the heavy favorite against the No. 380 Mansouri.

Winner gets a shot against either No. 188 Julia Riera of Argentina or No. 429 Vitalia Diatchenko of Russia in the second round.

Then seeded as No. 2 in the WTA 125 Guadalajara Open, Ms. Eala dominated the 32-player field highlighted by a 1-6, 7-5, 6-3 comeback win against Hungary’s Panna Udvardy to net not only her first WTA title but also for the Philippines ever.

She previously beat No. 187 Arianne Hartono of the Netherlands, 6-2, 6-2, WTA No. 122 Varvara Lepchenko of the United States, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3, No. 280 Nicole Fossa Huergo of Italy in the quarterfinals, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 and WTA No. 418 Kayla Day of the United States, 6-2, 6-3.

Ms. Eala, 20, pocketed a cash prize of $115,000 or around P6.5 million, just a week after bagging a $154,000 or approximately P8.7-million purse with a second-round stint in the US Open in New York as the first Filipina ever to win in any Grand Slam main draw.

Sao Paulo is a WTA-250 level tourney, looming a tougher tourney for Ms. Eala who however marches into Brazilian shores with an all-time momentum and confidence from an equally impressive US Open stint marked by a stunning 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) win over world No. 15 and 14th-seeded Clara Tauson from Denmark.

She then exited in the Round of 64 to Cristina Bucsa of Spain, 6-4, 6-3, but that proved as a huge stepping stone in her Guadalajara conquest.

Up next for the taking is Sao Paulo. — John Bryan Ulanday

NorthPort’s players ready to play basketball amid pending sale of Batang Pier to Pureblends Corp.

IT’s business as usual for NorthPort’s players amid the pending sale of the Batang Pier’s PBA franchise to Pureblends Corp.

“Just staying ready to play basketball, being ready for whatever happens,” NorthPort star Joshua Munzon said on the sidelines of the Season 50 Rookie Draft.

“They haven’t formally said anything yet but we kind of see there are changes being made. At the same time, some of the stuff we know we can control, we will control and that’s being ready to play and come October give our best on the court.”

Pureblends has made its bid to buy NorthPort formal by filing a letter of intent and submitting key requirements to the pro league.

Commissioner Willie Marcial said the review committee composed of governors Bill Pamintuan of Meralco and Raymond Zorilla of Phoenix and legal counsel Ogie Narvasa is evaluating the proposed sale for recommendation to the board.

In the meantime, the NorthPort team continues with its functions as a PBA member.

Last Sunday, the Batang Pier dutifully attended the draft and picked all the way to the 11th round. The Batang Pier selected Chris Koon, CJ Austria, Mark Sangco, Brian Sajonia, Jonathan Gesalem, Jonas Tibayan, Kobe Bryant Pableo, Kenny Ricacurva, Kint Ariar, Robi Nayve and Ricky Peromingan.

For Mr. Munzon, one of the key holdovers from last season, it’s all about having the right mindset.

“I think it’s more of a mental thing. Whether we’re playing for NorthPort or Pureblends or however it goes, we just have to be ready to compete and be on the court.”

Mr. Marcial said if the sale gets the required 2/3 vote from the PBA board, then Pureblends may start carrying its banner in the golden season.

In case the purchase will be finalized and greenlit in the middle of the Philippine Cup already, Mr. Marcial said NorthPort will have to finish the conference first before Pureblends can take over in the next.

Meanwhile, NorthPort’s governor and head of basketball operations Erick Arejola has moved to Magnolia as consultant. Mr. Arejola even joined the Hotshots’ new coach LA Tenorio and governor Jason Webb and team manager Alvin Patrimonio in coming up the stage when they drafted Yukien Andrada at sixth overall. — Olmin Leyba

Double delight as Spanish Carlos Alcaraz reclaims US Open crown and world number one ranking

NEW YORK — Carlos Alcaraz claimed the US Open crown for a second time with his win over Jannik Sinner on Sunday, a victory which showcased the Spaniard’s evolution over the last three years from the impulsiveness of youth to the measured maturity of a six-time Grand Slam winner.

After losing the Wimbledon final to Sinner in July, Alcaraz bounced back with flair and authority to beat the Italian 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 at the iconic Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The 22-year-old, who won his first Grand Slam title at Flushing Meadows in 2022, also returned to the top of the rankings for the first time since 2023 with the win over his great rival.

“The number one (ranking) is a goal that I had set myself almost at the beginning of the year and to see that I have achieved it is something incredible,” a smiling Alcaraz told reporters.

“Doing it the same day as getting another Grand Slam feels even better.”

“It has been two spectacular weeks, at a very high level tennis-wise, but above all mentally, which I am very proud of.”

“The first US Open (title) was about my youth and this one is more maturity. Little by little I’m growing, I’m knowing how to deal with certain situations.”

The transformation from his Wimbledon heartbreak showed Alcaraz’s remarkable adaptability.

“Right after the Wimbledon final I just thought that I need to improve if I want to beat him,” the Spaniard said.

“If I want to win the US Open, if I want to beat Jannik, I have to play perfect.”

His performance at Flushing Meadows was indeed close to perfection.

The Spaniard dropped just one set — against Sinner on Sunday — en route to the championship, and he leaves New York on a 13-match winning streak and with his seventh title of the season in the bag.

“I feel like this is the best tournament so far that I have ever played,” Alcaraz added. “The consistency of my level during the whole tournament has been really high, which I’m really proud of.”

His coach, Juan Carlos Ferrero, highlighted how much he has evolved since winning his first major in 2022.

“Back then, he was still playing on impulse, almost unconsciously,” he said. “Today you see a player with much more experience, who knows how to read the big moments, who arrives on court calmer, clearer about what he needs to do.”

The former French Open champion stressed, however, that Alcaraz is still a work in progress.

“Like any player he has weaknesses, but he’s improving them all the time,” Ferrero added. “There’s still plenty of room to grow. If we ever think he’s perfect, that’s when we’ll be making the biggest mistake.”

Alcaraz is already thinking about his next big goal — winning the Australian Open to complete a career Grand Slam.

“It’s my first goal, to complete a career Grand Slam. It’s always been in my mind,” he said.

“I’ll try to complete it next year, but if it’s not next year, then in two, three, or four. I just want to complete it.” — Reuters

Bills open season with late rally, wild win over Ravens

MATT PRATER kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired and the Buffalo Bills scored 16 unanswered points in the final 3:56 to register a dramatic 41-40 victory over the Baltimore Ravens in a season-opening AFC showdown on Sunday night at Orchard Park, New York.

Reigning MVP Josh Allen completed 33 of 46 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for two scores for the Bills.

Buffalo started from its own 20-yard line with 1:26 left. During the drive, Allen hit Joshua Palmer for 32 yards and Keon Coleman for 25 on consecutive plays to move the ball to the Ravens’ 9 with 38 seconds left.

After three Allen kneel-downs, the special teams unit ran out on the field and Prater booted the winner in his first game with the club.

Derrick Henry rushed for 169 yards and two touchdowns and quarterback Lamar Jackson accounted for three scores for the Ravens in the rematch of last season’s AFC Divisional playoff round when host Buffalo edged the Ravens 27-25.

Henry ranks sixth all-time with 108 rushing touchdowns. He entered the game in a tie with legendary Hall of Famer Jim Brown.

Jackson was 14-of-19 passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns and added 70 yards and one score on the ground for the Ravens. Zay Flowers caught seven passes for 143 yards and one touchdown, and DeAndre Hopkins added a stellar touchdown catch.

James Cook rushed for a touchdown and Coleman caught eight passes for 112 yards and a touchdown for the Bills. Dalton Kincaid added a scoring grab.

Buffalo trailed by 15 before Allen hit Coleman on a 10-yard scoring pass with 3:56 left to bring the Bills within 40-32. Ed Oliver then forced Henry to fumble and Terrel Bernard recovered at the Baltimore 30 with 3:06 to play.

Four plays later, Allen leaped in from the 1 with 1:58 to go, but his two-point conversion throw to Coleman was incomplete to leave Buffalo down two. It was the Bills’ third failed two-point conversion of the game.

The Ravens took over with 1:51 left and were forced to punt before Buffalo’s decisive drive.

Baltimore controlled play most of the night and added to a 20-13 halftime lead when it began the third quarter with Jackson’s 23-yard scoring pass to Flowers.

Cook scored on a 2-yard run to bring Buffalo within 27-19 with 7:47 remaining but a two-point conversion failed.

Baltimore increased its lead to 34-19 with 1:09 left in the third when Hopkins made a one-handed, 29-yard scoring grab of Jackson’s throw down the right sideline.

Cook took a swing pass 51 yards to the Ravens’ 2 to set up a Buffalo score. Two plays later, Allen scored on a 2-yard run with 12:51 left in the contest. The Bills came up empty on another two-point conversion when Allen was intercepted by Kyle Hamilton. — Reuters

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