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PHL death toll hits 10 as Storm Trami continues to inundate Bicol region

PAGASA.DOST.GOV.PH

THE OFFICE of the Civil Defense (OCD) on Thursday said it had verified 10 deaths amid the onslaught of severe tropical storm Trami, locally known as Kristine, which continued to flood parts of the Bicol region.

These deaths were from the provinces of Albay, Naga, Catanduanes, and Masbate in Bicol region, La Union province in Ilocos region, and Quezon province in Calabarzon, OCD Director Edgar L. Posadas said at a Palace briefing.

Trami, which made landfall in the northern province of Isabela early Thursday morning and is dubbed as third highly devastating weather event to batter the country this year, was already over the coastal waters of Southern Ilocos, according to a 2 p.m. report of the state weather bureau.

In its 5 p.m. report, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecast Trami will exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday afternoon and circle back over West Philippine Sea (WPS) on Sunday.

“There is a developing forecast situation wherein Kristine will be looping over the West Philippine Sea on Sunday and Monday and move eastward or east northwestward towards the general direction of the PAR region,” the report read. “However, this scenario heavily depends on the behavior of the weather disturbance east of the PAR region which is expected to develop into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours,” the agency added.

PAGASA said that the storm is forecast to re-intensify over the WPS, while the likelihood of it being upgraded into a typhoon is “not ruled out.”

As of 5 p.m. Trami was last seen over the coastal waters of Santa Lucia, Ilocos Sur province, moving westward slowly. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 95 kilometers per hour (kph) and gustiness of up to 115 kph.

Mr. Posadas said data on deaths being released by the OCD, the implementing arm of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRMMC), undergo documentation, such as validation of death certificates and police blotters, and are “attributable” to existing disasters.

“Complementing us are the efforts of the Philippine National Police because we need their report, and then of course everything starts with the local government units (LGUs) involved,” he added, citing reports from local health workers, social workers, and disaster authorities.

Deaths reported by LGUs are forwarded to regional authorities, he added. “We report as validated.”

The Bicol Regional Police Office earlier reported 20 fatalities, but these were still under validation.

In its 8 a.m. report, the NDRRMC posted seven deaths that were still up for “validation.”

Mr. Posadas said nine people were missing in La Union, Quezon, Camarines Sur, Masbate, and Cebu.

Citing regional reports, Mr. Posadas said winds and rains were stronger before the actual landfall of Trami.

He said 17 air assets of the Philippine military were already prepositioned for relief and rescue efforts.

The NDRRMC also said there were 191 flooded areas in Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, and the Bangsamoro. 

The number of damaged houses had hit 1,007. Of which, 92 were totally destroyed, it said.

It said Trami had affected 431,738 families or over 2 million people.

In a 6 p.m. report, the OCD said Bicol region was the most affected region with affected people hitting 1.67 million.

It was followed by Eastern Visayas with 528,103 affected people, the Bangsamoro region (433,940), Soccsksargen (78,075), and Mimaropa (35,334).

Philippine Ports Authority Assistant General Manager Mark Jon S. Palomar said that as of Thursday morning, there were 7,313 stranded passengers and 1,733 Ro-Ro vessels that were unable to travel.

“We have 14 ports which are currently experiencing the effects of the storm and there are no trips as of this day.”

Social Welfare Secretary Rexlon T. Gatchalian said the number of family food packs in its warehouses had fallen to 1.982 million on Thursday morning from about 2 million on Wednesday as more local government units withdrew stockpiles amid declining flood water levels.

“Yesterday, LGUs started to withdraw… withdraw from our provincial and regional warehouses,” he said.

He said the stockpiles in the agency’s warehouses will further go down “as the water subsides and as they (LGUs) withdraw the goods.”

Mr. Gatchalian noted that LGUs are the first responders during calamities since they have their own quick response and disaster funds, and they have their own support systems.

Social welfare services have also been devolved to LGUs, he added, referring to a 2018 Supreme Court ruling that granted LGUs a larger share of the national tax.

He said National Government agencies, such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), will only intervene if they need additional resources.

LGUs, not the National Government, should be held accountable for the delayed provision of goods, Mr. Gatchalian said, noting that the manpower of the DWSD is not enough to deliver goods at the community-level.

“That would be the responsibility of the local government units,” he said. “Remember social welfare is devolved. DSWD personnel would not be enough to deliver to the doorstep of victims — so, that would be the responsibility of our LGUs, and it has started already.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Gatchalian said the DSWD plans to put up another repacking center in the southern province of Butuan in Caraga region by next year as part of the government’s “anticipatory actions.”

“That will serve the Mindanao and the eastern seaboard of Visayas.”

Currently, the country has two repacking centers — one in Pasay City in Metro Manila, and one in the central province of Cebu.

“Plans are also underway to look into expanding more of our packing centers to the eastern seaboard, for example the Bicol region, Quezon province and all the way to Region II.”

In a statement, Interior and Local Government Secretary Juanito Victor C. Remulla, Jr. said he had briefed the President and “provided him with critical updates on the situation on the ground.”

“He personally instructed me to ramp up preparations for the provision of emergency field hospitals and medicines, which shall be deployed in Naga and all other affected areas as soon as conditions improve.” — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza with Adrian H. Halili

Employers told not to punish workers refusing to work due to typhoon

Motorists are experiencing flood along Saluysoy Road in Meycauayan, Bulacan, on Thursday due to Typhoon Kristine. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

WORKERS have the right to refuse work if it would endanger their life, safety, and health, labor group Federation of Free Workers (FFW) reminded employers as the country is hit by another “highly devastating” typhoon.

Severe tropical storm Trami, locally known as Kristine, has made landfall over Isabela on Thursday, according to the state weather bureau. Greenpeace Philippines described it as the “third highly devastating weather event” to hit the Philippines this year.

“Employees who cannot enter or refuse to work due to the threat of danger from calamities or similar situations should not be subjected to any administrative penalty,” FFW President Jose Sonny G. Matula said in a statement on Thursday.

The labor group leader particularly cited the Occupational Safety and Health Law, under Republic Act No. 11058, and Labor Advisory No. 17, Series of 2022, which both provided that no administrative sanctions should be imposed on employees who fail or refuse to work by reason of imminent danger resulting from weather disturbances and similar occurrences.

Trami has placed the Bicol, Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), and Eastern Visayas regions under a state of calamity after its torrential rains wreaked havoc, leading to several flash floods.

Local governments may use their calamity funds for faster relief operations under a state of calamity. A price freeze on essential goods has also been imposed.

“As we enter a season prone to extreme weather conditions, it is vital that all employers remain mindful of the safety and welfare of their workers,” Mr. Matula added.

He reminded that the advisory explicitly states that when there is an imminent danger to life or safety due to natural disasters such as typhoons, floods, or other related hazards, employees have the right to prioritize their safety without fear of reprimand, suspension, or other administrative penalties.

“We encourage all employers to take this advisory seriously, considering the unpredictable nature of weather disturbances, and to promote a safe working environment in which employees can make decisions without fear of negative consequences when their lives or safety are at risk.” — Chloe Mari A. Hufana

Main index sinks to three-week low in thin trade

PHILIPPINE STAR/KRIZ JOHN ROSALES

PHILIPPINE SHARES dropped to the 7,200 level on Thursday to hit a three-week low amid thin trade as the market continued to look for positive leads and with negative sentiment on Wall Street spilling over to the local bourse.

The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) dropped by 1.13% or 83.87 points to end at 7,283.79 on Thursday, while the broader all shares index lost 1.07% or 43.37 points to close at 4,007.39.

This was the PSEi’s lowest close in over three weeks or since it ended at 7,272.65 on Sept. 30.

“The local market extended its decline this Thursday as investors continued to exit amid the lack of positive catalysts. Negative spillovers from Wall Street amid the rise in the US’ long-term Treasury yields also weighed on the local bourse,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Senior Research Analyst Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message. “The exit of foreign funds also contributed to the fall.”

Value turnover decreased to P3.8 billion on Thursday with 776.65 million issues changing hands from the P4.52 billion with 1.2 billion shares traded on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, net foreign selling rose to P206.43 million on Thursday from P159.24 million on Wednesday.

“Local sentiment was pulled down, tracking global sentiment amid rising yields and economic uncertainties,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a Viber message. “Philippines shares marked another loss as the Dow and S&P 500 fell, pressured by the 10-year Treasury yield’s rise to 4.25%.”

Wall Street closed lower on Wednesday, as climbing Treasury yields pressured mega-cap stocks and investors grew less confident about strong rate cuts from the Federal Reserve, Reuters reported.

Benchmark 10-year US Treasury yields reached a three-month high with investors reassessing the Fed rate cut outlook over the next few months against the backdrop of strong economic data and the upcoming presidential election.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 409.94 points or 0.96% to 42,514.95; the S&P 500 lost 53.78 points or 0.92% to 5,797.42; and the Nasdaq Composite lost 296.47 points or 1.6% to 18,276.65.

US markets are near record-high levels, but a combination of earnings, a changing monetary policy outlook and the upcoming presidential election will test the rally and could stoke volatility, analysts said.

Back home, all sectoral indices closed lower on Thursday. Financials went down by 1.76% or 42.52 points to 2,364.47; industrials dropped by 1.71% or 172.66 points to 9,904.09; mining and oil declined by 1.24% or 108.67 points to 8,597.95; property sank by 1.01% or 29.26 points to 2,868.35; holding firms lost 0.66% or 41.40 points to end at 6,148.86; and services retreated by 0.57% or 12.95 points to 2,224.81.

Market breadth was negative as decliners outnumbered advancers, 139 versus 53, while 53 names closed unchanged. — R.M.D. Ochave with Reuters

NAIA baggage issue should be ‘urgently’ resolved — Poe

Passengers are seen at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 in Pasay City in this file photo. — PHILIPPINE STAR/RYAN BALDEMOR

THE SAN MIGUEL-LED New NAIA Infrastructure Corp. (NNIC) must resolve issues in the 20-year-old baggage handling system in the country’s main airport as part of its rehabilitation efforts after reports of over 800 pieces of luggage being left behind earlier this week, a Philippine senator said on Thursday.

“Whoever is responsible must address the matter urgently as what’s piling up in the airport are valuable belongings of passengers,” Senator Mary Grace Natividad S. Poe-Llamanzares said in a statement.

“The technical issue must be resolved with the rehabilitation of NAIA. While at it, the airport management and the airline owe it to the affected passengers to be helpful and show they are not sitting on the problem.”

Ms. Poe also said the passengers affected by the technical glitch should be given a refund and additional compensation for the inconvenience.

“Passengers pay for their checked-in bags as required by the airline company. They deserve a refund and more for the trouble caused,” she said.

Budget carrier Cebu Pacific earlier this week reported about 821 bags were left behind due to a technical glitch in the system, affecting more than 400 passengers.

The baggage delay was due to the malfunctioning 20-year-old baggage handling system, which the NNIC plans to replace as part of its efforts to rehabilitate NAIA.

“NNIC has already procured a new, advanced system with additional redundancy measures set to be implemented to prevent future disruptions and enhance operational efficiency,” NNIC said in a statement on Tuesday.

RETHINK AIRPORT FEES
In a separate statement, consumer advocacy group CitizenWatch said the recent luggage fiasco at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 showed that airport fee hikes are unreasonable due to these persistent issues that inconvenience hundreds of passengers.

“While we all hope for immediate improvements of our airports and aviation facilities, we call on the public to be partners of change and become proactive voices in sharing our grievances and advancing public interest,” CitizenWatch co-convenor Jose Christopher Y. Belmonte said. “The airport fee hikes need a serious rethink.”

The NNIC, which includes the operator of South Korea’s main international airport, took over NAIA operations on Sept. 14, with plans to improve the airport’s roads, expand its terminal and capacity, and upgrade the passenger experience.

Beginning Oct. 1, the NNIC started collecting higher landing and take-off fees from airlines, which are charges levied for the use of airport facilities and services.

South Korean Ambassador to the Philippines Lee Sang-hwa earlier told BusinessWorld that he is banking on Incheon International Airport Corp.’s technical know-how to bring NAIA to a global standard of quality.

NAIA ranked 199th out of 239 airports in 69 countries in the 2024 global airport ranking report released by flight compensation company AirHelp.

SMC President and Chief Executive Officer Ramon S. Ang had said the conglomerate expects to show results and improvements to the airport within six months.

It said it would be spending about P3 billion and P5 billion on a new off-ramp from NAIA Expressway to Terminal 3.

The Department of Tourism has set a target to post 7.7 million international tourist arrivals this year.

As of Aug. 7, the Philippines has received 3.62 million inbound visitors, with 92% of them being foreigners, the DoT said last month.

“It’s unacceptable that hundreds of luggage are stuck at the airport due to a technical glitch,” Ms. Poe said.

“A delayed flight is a bad thing; a mishandled or delayed luggage is equally disappointing.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Gov’t told to form agency for education oversight

RUBEN RODRIGUEZ-UNSPLASH

PHILIPPINE LAWMAKERS should consider creating an independent commission tasked to oversee the country’s education agencies to improve schooling quality amid its current dismal state, a state think-tank said.

The proposed commission would help improve education quality by closely monitoring the effectiveness of policies being implemented by the state’s education agencies, attributing learning failures to the lack of an accountability system governing them, The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) said in a discussion paper published on Oct. 18.

“Creating a new independent agency dedicated to educational oversight appears to be a straightforward solution to improving the governance of the PETS (Philippine Education and Training System),” the paper read in part, “The study recommends that the government explore the value of a legislative bill that would develop and establish [the] independent body.”

The Philippine education system is in dire straits as Filipino students emerged as among the weakest in math, reading, and science, according to the 2022 Program for International Student Assessment. The Philippines also ranked 77th out of 81 countries and performed worse than the global average in all qualities. 

The same report also found that fifteen-year-old Filipino students ranked 63rd out of 64 countries in terms of creative thinking.

Establishing an oversight committee tasked to monitor the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) would whip them straight, encouraging more effective educational reforms towards resolving the learning crisis, according to the PIDS.

LACK OF CLARITY
“Some of these issues have fallen through the cracks due to the lack of clarity as to which agency is responsible and how to hold it accountable for the country’s poor educational performance,” PIDS stated, referring to a lack of coordination among the agencies and seamless curriculum across educational levels for learners.

“This strategy… is foundational for successful development and implementation of other reforms that require strong institutional incentives,” the think tank added.

The proposed commission would conduct regular assessments of the education agencies, measuring the “quantity and quality of outputs, outcomes, as well as the cost-effectiveness of achieving them,” according to a draft bill included in the paper.

It should also establish objective assessment criteria and indicators for DepEd, CHED, and TESDA, with the commission determining how aligned their projects and reforms are to the country’s socioeconomic plans, PIDS added.

The proposed oversight commission could be integrated with the Commission on Audit (CoA), it said, noting similarities between their mandates. “…This integration could provide a formal legal basis for [the commission] within CoA to perform audits on educational institutions such as DepEd, CHED, and TESDA.”

The PIDS report, titled “The Impact of Trifocalization on Philippine Education Outcomes and the Coordination Issue,” was prepared by Vicente B. Paqueo, Johanna Marie Astrid A. Sister, Solomon R. Sarne, Marie Louissie Ynez U. Lavega, Aniceto C. Orbeta, Jr., Michael R.M. Abrigo, and Ricxie B. Maddawin. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

House turns over 2025 budget bill

Copies of the House-approved 2025 General Appropriations Bill were officially turned over to the Senate on Thursday. — SENATE PRIB

THE SENATE on Thursday received the 2025 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) from the House of Representatives, on track with the finance committee’s target to receive it by Oct. 25 and for the national spending plan to be sponsored before plenary by early next month, according to the Senate Secretary.

In an advisory, Senate Secretary Renato N. Bantug, Jr.  said Senate President Francis “Chiz” G. Escudero tasked Senate personnel to wait to receive the GAB amid heavy rainfall due to Severe Tropical Storm Trami (Local name: Kristine).

Mr. Escudero had ordered the suspension of work at the Senate due to the heavy rains.

He earlier said the Senate is aiming to start plenary debate on the proposed national spending plan by the second week of November once it is sponsored by around Nov. 6.

The Senate would then target to approve the P6.352-trillion national budget for 2025 by the second week of December at the latest, in time to submit the legislation to the Palace before Congress adjourns, the Senate president said.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. has certified the bill as urgent, allowing Congress to do away with the mandated three-day interval between bill readings.

Under the 2025 National Expenditure Program, the Budget department slashed the proposed budgets for agriculture, health, and social welfare sectors by 4.7%, 7.6%, and 3.4%, respectively. — John Victor D. Ordoñez

Trami hits 397,000 Meralco users

PHILIPPINE STAR/ MICHAEL VARCAS

AROUND 397,000 customers in areas served by Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) have been affected by Severe Tropical Storm Trami, locally known as Kristine, the power distributor said on Thursday.

In a statement as of 12 noon, Meralco said that most of the affected customers were from the provinces of Cavite and Laguna and some in parts of Rizal, Quezon, and Batangas. The rest were in Metro Manila and Bulacan.

The number of affected customers has gone down from around 535,000 reported earlier in the morning.

Meralco Vice-President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga said in a briefing that most of the outages were due to strong wind causing the trees to fall, which affected some of the distribution utility’s facilities.

Meanwhile, there are still some transmission lines across Luzon and Visayas that have been affected by the severe tropical storm, according to the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP).

There are seven 69-kilovolt (kV) transmission lines in Luzon that were unavailable as of 1 p.m., one of which has been partially energized. For Visayas, two 69-kV lines were unavailable but have been partially energized.

“NGCP has mobilized its line crews and is currently conducting patrols. Simultaneous restoration activities are also being conducted in areas already accessible,” the grid operator said. — Sheldeen Joy Talavera

Restore data, services, telcos told

PHILSTAR FILE PHOTO

THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has ordered telecommunication companies to ensure reliable service connections amid Typhoon Kristine.

In a statement on Thursday, NTC mandated public telecommunication entities (PTEs) to also immediately restore all data or service disruptions in areas affected by the typhoon.

NTC said PTEs must also ensure that enough personnel are deployed, and generators are on standby especially if some areas experiencing data or service disruptions are caused by power outages.

PTEs were also ordered to provide free call and charging station services for all affected areas, NTC said.

NTC also said that as of Wednesday, PTEs reported significant service outages within the Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas, and some areas in Luzon.

“The primary reason for these telecommunication services disruptions were commercial power interruptions, which were either pre-emptively initiated by power companies/electric cooperatives or naturally caused by the Typhoon,” NTC said.

Further, NTC also said that it is closely monitoring the situation and has assured that it will collaborate with telco companies to restore any service or data disruptions. — Ashley Erika O. Jose

Military rations eyed for relief ops

THE Philippine government should no longer include canned goods in its disaster relief packs, urging the switch to military rations instead for easier storage and distribution times of crisis, a congressman said on Thursday.

Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) packs should be distributed in place of canned goods as it is also more nutritious than canned goods, Party-list Rep. Rodolfo M. Ordanes said, who recommended the move to Social Welfare Secretary Rexlon T. Gatchalian and the Trade, Health, and Science and Technology departments.

“It is time that we modernize the contents and packaging of our food relief packs. Canned goods should be phased out of the disaster response system,” he said in a statement.

“MRE food packages can be made nutritious, [and is] lighter and can contain more food than tin cans,” he added.

Mr. Ordanes said there should be “distribution controls” for MRE packs to prevent “pilferers, smugglers, and insurgents” from having access to it. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

DepEd mulls AI use in schools

FREEPIK

THE Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday said that it is studying to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) within Philippine schools.

“We are studying the possibilities of (AI) because we are seeing that teachers are benefiting from it, and there are benefits to students as well,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara told reporters on the sidelines of a forum organized by the University of the Philippines.

He said that DepEd is also planning to upgrade the connectivity of about 40,000 schools to the electric grid.

“AI needs good power, good bandwidth. So, we have to ensure that these systems can handle the technology of the future,” he added.

For next year, the education department is seeking to electrify about 2,000 schools, which forms part the agency’s modernization goals.

He added that the department is also planning to procure about 47,000 e-learning carts with about 40 computers.

“This is to save precious classroom space. DepEd has evolved the concept of a computer lab into a cart filled with laptops and other gadgets that can be moved from room to room,” he said.

Additionally, Mr. Angara said that the department is also seeking to address cheating and plagiarism cases from the use of AI tools.

“We really have a policy there… If the teacher says that it is forbidden to use AI, it should be respected,” he added.

He said that there are also programs available that police students from using AI tools in classrooms, which teachers can utilize.

“If students are up to date, teachers should also be up to date,” Mr. Angara said. — Adrian H. Halili

TRO on PhilHealth transfer urged anew

Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD) hold a protest rally in front of the Philippine General Hospital in Manila, Oct. 15. The group is against the transfer of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. Funds to the National Treasury. — PHILIPPINE STAR/EDD GUMBAN

A LAWMAKER on Thursday urged the Supreme Court (SC) to immediately issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to halt the next tranche of excess funds transfer by the state health insurer to the national treasury.

The high court earlier indicated it might act on the petitions challenging the P89.9-billion transfer of funds from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to the National Government’s (NG) coffers before the scheduled oral arguments in January next year, according to spokesperson Camille Sue Mae L. Ting.

“We laud the high court for this willingness, but this gesture will be more impactful if the tribunal issues a TRO now to prevent further transfers and the use of the money by executive agencies,” Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez said in a statement.

“Next week will already be November. So, the window for the Supreme Court to prevent the handover of the balance is closing,” he added.

PhilHealth previously remitted P20 billion to the national treasury on May 10, with another P10 billion on Aug. 21 and P30 billion on Oct. 16.

The state health insurer will proceed with its scheduled transfer of the remaining P29.9 billion in excess funds to the Treasury, Finance Secretary Ralph G. Recto earlier told BusinessWorld. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

Swift probe on journalist killing pushed

BAGUIO CITY — Press freedom watchdog Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is urging Philippine authorities to conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of lady broadcaster Maria Vilma Rodriguez Tuesday evening in Zamboanga City.

Ms. Rodriguez, who presented 105.9 Emedia FM’s news program Barangay Action Center, was shot three times in a store near her home.

The killing shows that the “murderers of journalists remain undeterred in the Philippines,” Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative based in Bangkok said in a statement.

He pointed out, “until President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s government firmly moves to end impunity, these heinous crimes against the press will continue.”

In a separate statement, human rights group Karapatan also denounced the killing of a Zamboanga radio broadcaster.

“No concrete steps have been taken by the Marcos Jr. administration despite the findings of the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression, Irene Khan, during her official country visit last January 2024,” Karapatan Secretary General Cristina C. Palabay said.

“The case of Rodriguez should not be another statistic in the long list of crimes and human rights violations under the Marcos Jr. administration.”

The Office of the President earlier condemned Rodriguez’s killing and called for a “swift and impartial probe,” while Philippine National Police spokesperson Colonel Jean S. Fajardo during a press briefing claimed that the lady broadcaster was shot by a relative over a land dispute following an argument the previous day.

Ms. Fajardo added that the suspect in Ms. Rodriguez’s killing had already been arrested. — Artemio A. Dumlao and John Victor D. Ordoñez

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