Manila Times
Marcos, Robredo meeting in Naga
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr., and former vice president and current Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo will meet in Naga City on Saturday, Malacañañg announced Thursday, a day after Vice President Sara Duterte declared she would run for president in the...
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Duterte announces ‘28 presidential run
VICE President Sara Duterte on Wednesday announced her intention to run for president in 2028, beginning a 51-month journey to the highest office in the land despite the political challenges she is facing. Her announcement, made at a press conference...
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HERE BE DRAGONS
Binondo district in Manila thrums with life on Feb. 17, 2026, during the celebration of Chinese New Year. Thousands of visitors filled the streets to watch lion and dragon dances and colorful parades.
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INSPECTION
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. leads the inspection of Megawide’s pre-cast plant in Rizal on Feb. 16, 2026. He was joined by (from left) Pag-IBIG Fund Chief Executive Officer Marilene Acosta, Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Jose Ramon...
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FOR ASH WEDNESDAY
Fr. Robert Reyes blesses palm leaves that were burnt at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Project 8, Quezon City, on Feb. 15, 2026. The ashes will be used to mark the foreheads of the faithful on Ash Wednesday.
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ACCESS TO POWER SUBSIDIES
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attends the collective response to SONA directives on lifeline rate subsidy, net metering, total electrification, and Terra Solar project in Pasig City on Feb. 14, 2026. Under the program, the government hopes to...
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LET’S DRINK TO THAT
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (center) leads the sake barrel breaking ceremony and groundbreaking of the Metro Manila Subway Project — Kalayaan and Bonifacio Global City (BGC) stations at Uptown BGC in Taguig City — on Feb. 13, 2026. Designated as...
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UNDER HEAVY GUARD
Former senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla arrives at the Department of Justice on Feb. 12, 2026, for the continuation of the preliminary investigation in relation to the plunder case filed against him.
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SIGNED
Education Secretary Sonny Angara looks on as governors and other local officials sign a landmark agreement under which local government units will have a bigger role in the construction of classrooms. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the new system...
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LOVE BLOOMS IN INTRAMUROS
A couple have their picture taken at a love booth in Intramuros, Manila, on Feb. 10, 2026. The Walled City is one of the popular tourist destinations in Manila.
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Se▪ate coup attempt falls short, Sotto says
SENATE President Vicente “Tito” Sotto said Thursday the instigator of a coup in the upper chamber failed to gain the 13 signatures required to trigger a leadership change. With the help of his bloc in the majority, Sotto on Wednesday survived a bid by...
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DRAGON DANCE
Performers delight mall goers in Quezon City with a vibrant dragon and lion dance presentation on Feb. 3, 2026, ahead of the Chinese New Year. The traditional performance is believed to bring good fortune and drive away negative spirits.
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Marcos trust, performance ratings decline in Q4 2025
PUBLIC trust in President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declined in the fourth quarter of 2025, while Vice President Sara Duterte recorded gains in both trust and performance ratings, according to the latest Tugon ng Masa (TNM) nationwide survey released by...
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FLOWER CENTER
Women walk under an arch at the Dangwa Flower Market in Manila on Feb. 1, 2026. The prices of flowers are slowly inching up as Valentine’s Day approaches.
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Key agencies support education plan
THE Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) vowed to implement the National Education and Workforce Development Plan 2026-2035 released by the Second...
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PH among Asean’s top tourism economies
THE Philippines has emerged as one of the strongest tourism economies in Southeast Asia, ranking among the region’s top contributors in economic impact and employment generation, according to a report presented at the Asean Tourism Ministers’ Meeting...
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TRAVEL EXPO OPENS
The Philippines opens the Asean Travel Exchange (Travex), the biggest travel event for Asean member countries, at the newly opened Mactan Expo, an iconic convention center that is close to the beach, built by property giant Megaworld at The Mactan...
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ICC sets terms for Duterte’s heari▪g
THE International Criminal Court’s (ICC) PreTrial Chamber I has issued the full schedule AND PROCEDURAL DIRECTIONS FOR THE CONfiRMAtion of charges hearing of former president Rodrigo Duterte. The court fixed the proceedings for Feb. 23–27, while...
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SUPERSTAR
Alex Eala signs caps brought by fans at the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open on Jan. 27, 2026. The Filipino tennis ace is seeking a quarterfinals berth after beating Russian Alina Charaeva on Tuesday.
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18 dead as ferry sinks off Basilan
SEARCH and rescue operations intensified after a ferry with more than 360 people onboard sank Monday morning in choppy seas off Zamboanga, leaving at least 18 dead and 24 still missing, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. The MV Trisha Kerstin 3...
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Q4 rebound unlikely; growth miss expected
ECONOMIC growth likely slowed further in the fourth quarter as a massive corruption scandal continued to weigh on spending and sentiment, analysts said, dragging the fullyear result to well below target. The median forecast was 3.7 percent for the...
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WHERE IT HAPPENED
A map of Lanao del Norte shows the town of Munai, where four government soldiers were ambushed, allegedly by a local terrorist group, while conducting non-combat activities on Jan. 23, 2026.
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FROST BLANKETS BENGUET AS TEMPERATURE DIPS
BENGUET — Frost has blanketed vegetable farms as temperatures in the towns of Atok and Kibungan, as well as in other parts of the province, continued to plunge to single-digit levels. On Friday, farmer PJ Haight, who has several temperature-reading...
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House rejects 2 more complai▪ts vs Marcos
TWO more impeachment cases were filed against President Ferdinand Marcos jrN at the House of Representatives on ThursdayL but the Office of the Secretary General refused to accept the complaintsN The earlier complaint was filed by militant groups led...
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Trillanes, civil society group accuse Duterte of plunder
FORMER senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV and a civil society group filed plunder, malversation and graft complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte before the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday. Trillanes and The Silent Majority said Duterte, a...
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Court orders Revilla detained in QC jail
FORMER senator Bong Revilla, facing charges over a P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Bulacan, was detained at the Quezon City Jail in Payatas upon the order of the Sandiganbayan’s Third Division. Reports from the Quezon City Police District...
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Lacson defends probe panel, tells critics to ‘shut the f... up’
SEN. Panfilo Lacson said the investigation on the ghost flood control projects led to reforms in crafting the national budget and the freezing of at least P21.7 billion in bank accounts owned by persons linked to the anomaly. Lacson, chairman of the...
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‘Ada’leaves 2 dead in Bicol
AT least two persons died as Tropical Storm Ada hit the Bicol Region, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Sunday. The NDRRMC said a 22-year-old male and a 19-year-old female were killed when a landslide...
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ICI HALTING OPERATIONS DUE TO LACK OF QUORUM
THE Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) will submit a report to the Office of the President (OP), even as it remains unable to resume official operations due to lack of a quorum following the resignation of its two commissioners. In a...
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P10M bou▪ty offered for Ato▪g A▪g’s arrest
THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has offered a P10-million bounty for whoever can provide information leading to the arrest of gaming tycoon Charlie “Atong” Ang, who has been charged as THE MASTERMIND BEHIND THE KIDNAPPING AND...
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45 Chinese ships spotted in WPS
FORTY-FIVE Chinese ships were spotted in various features of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) for the first week of 2026, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Tuesday. In Bajo de Masinloc, there were two People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy,...
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DAY OF PRAYER
A woman prays before the image of the child Jesus at the Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish in Manila on Jan. 11, 2026. The feast of the child Jesus is celebrated on Jan. 17, often capped with a grand procession.
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Traslacion a mix of piety, outrage
AMASSIVE crowd of devotees of the Black Nazarene joined the Traslacion, or procession, in Manila, with some using the gathering to express outrage over a corruption scandal involving Influential Legislators. After a midnight Mass joined by tens of...
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JUBILATION
Bar passers whoop it up after the Supreme Court released the results of the 2025 Bar Examinations in Manila on Jan. 7, 2026. A total of 5,594 out of 11,420 examinees made it, for a passing rate of 48.98 percent.
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Marcos sig▪s P6.79T budget
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday enacted the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for 2026 worth P6.793 trillion but vetoed NEARLY P92.5 BILLION IN UNPROGRAMMED ALLOCATIONS TO REINFORCE fiSCAL discipline, transparency and accountability. Marcos...
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FIRST SUNDAY MASS
Devotees of the Black Nazarene attend on Jan. 4 the first Sunday Mass of 2026 at the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno or Quiapo Church, which was placed under heavy security ahead of the feast of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9. The...
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NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH TRUMP
Filipino singer Marcelito Pomoy and US President Donald Trump during a New Year’s Eve celebration at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida on Dec. 31, 2025. Pomoy sang the classic ballad ‘The Prayer’ before the president, First Lady Melania...
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NEXT BIG RELIGIOUS EVENT
Catholic devotees flock to the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno in Manila on Jan. 2, 2026, to hear the first Friday Mass of the year. Thousands more are expected to visit the shrine on the Feast of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9.
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Fireworks injuries lower than last year
THE Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported that fireworks-related injuries across the country are 42 percent lower than last year. The latest data showed 235 cases of fireworks-related injuries were reported since Dec. 21, 2025, lower...
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Coast Guard challenges Chinese research ship
THE Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday challenged the presence of a Chinese research vessel operating near the northern coast of Luzon, even as maritime monitoring groups said Beijing has been conducting intrusive patrols in the country’s...
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RATIFIED
Senate President Vicente Sotto III signs the ratified bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget for 2026. Photo shows (from left) Finance Committee chairman Sen. Win Gatchalian, Sen. Lito Lapid, Sen. JV...
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Co▪gress set to ratify 2026 budget bill
LAWMAKERS on Sunday signed the bicameral conference committee report on the reconciled P6.7 trillion 2026 General Appropriations Bill, setting the stage for its ratification and submission to the Palace in a one-day extended session on Monday. The...
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GALLOPING TO 2026
A vendor uses an electric noisemaker that produces the sound of exploding firecrackers to attract customers to her stall which also sells golden horse displays, being the Year of the Horse in 2026, on Dec. 27, 2025. The prices of the horses range...
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NEW ASSIGNMENT
Executive Secretary Ralph Recto (left) administers the oath of office to Gen. Nicolas Torre III as the new general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Dec. 26, 2025. Torre has previously served as chief of the Philippine...
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Christmas spirit returns to war-weary Bethlehem
BETHLEHEM, West Bank — Thousands of people flocked to Bethlehem’s Manger Square on Christmas Eve as families there and at other sites across the Holy Land heralded a much-needed boost of holiday spirit, after two years of subdued celebrations because...
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CAPTIVE AUDIENCE
A young boy shows off his skills on a skateboard in front of a ‘belen’ or Nativity display mounted at the University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (UPHSD) and at the St. Joseph Parish or Bamboo Organ Church in Las Piñas City on Dec. 24, 2025.
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Recto to cooperate in Ombudsman probe of PhilHealth funds
EXECUTIVE Secretary Ralph Recto on Monday said he will cooperate with the Office of the Ombudsman in its investigation into the transfer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.’s (PhilHealth) P60 billion in unused funds to the National...
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PNP probes Cabral’s death
THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is gathering evidence to determine the circumstances behind the death of former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral. “With the confirmation of her death, we were able...
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PHL Post eyes stronger role as PH heads Asean
THE Philippine Postal Corp. (PHLPost) is preparing to play a more prominent role within the Asean community as the Philippines gears up to assume the regional chairmanship in 2026, top officials said. In a discussion hosted by the Asean Gazette with...
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PH SNARES 5 MORE GOLDS IN SEA GAMES’PENULTIMATE DAY
BANGKOK, Thailand —- The Philippines banked on ice speed skating, bowling, beach volleyball, softball and women’s basketball to add to its gold medal harvest on the 10th and penultimate day of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Friday. Peter Groseclose...
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Senate, House pa▪els OK P6.793T budget
THE Bicameral Conference Committee (Bicam) of Congress has concluded deliberations on the proposed P6.793trillion national budget for 2026, after reconciling the differences between the Senate and House of Representatives’ versions of the general...
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PH ROWERS DELIVER GOLD, BRONZE
BANGKOK — Paris Olympic rower Joanie Delgaco and partner Kristine Paraon, as well as substitute Feiza Jane Lenton, topped the 33rd Southeast Asian Games women’s double sculls Tuesday morning, to spearhead the Philippine campaign on Day 7 of the...
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Govt eyes UN treaty to help nab Zaldy Co
THE government is looking to tap the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (Uncac) to track down and bring back to the country fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co, Malacañang said on Monday. Ratified by the Senate in 2006 and with 192 countries...
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‘No demoralization, corruption must stop’
SEN. Panfilo Lacson said there is no demoralization in the Senate amid the possible arrest of some senators linked to alleged anomalous flood control projects. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier said arrest warrants could be is sued today, Dec....
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FACE-TO-FACE
The Senate and the House of Representatives, for the first time, livestream the bicameral conference committee deliberations on the proposed 2026 national budget at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City, on Dec. 13, 2025....
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Interpol help sought in Zaldy Co manhunt
THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has stepped up its efforts to find Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co by requesting the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) to issue a red notice for the former congressman. NBI spokesman Palmer Mallari...
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MACARIO LEADS PH ATTACK IN SEA GAMES FIRST DAY
BANGKOK — Taekwondo jin Justin Kobe Macario led the Philippine charge at the official start of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games on Wednesday here. Macario produced one gold in the men’s individual poomsae freestyle event and one bronze in the mixed...
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‘Senators may be charged next week’
THE Office of the Ombudsman said on Tuesday that cases against senators linked to the flood control scandal could be filed as early as next week, depending on the strength of the evidence. Spokesman Mico Clavano told reporters that some officials may...
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MARIAN PROCESSION
Devotees carry the image of Nuestra Señora De La Paz y Buen Viaje in Pasay City during a procession on Dec. 8, 2025.
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GRAND MARIAN PARADE
Thousands of devotees joined the Grand Marian Parade in Intramuros, Manila, on Dec. 7, 2025. The country marks the Feast of the Immaculate Conception today, which was declared a special non-working holiday.
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‘GET THAT BALL’
NU’s Jolo Manansala (center) battles for the loose ball against La Salle’s Mason Amos (left) and Mike Phillips during Game 2 of the UAAP Season 88 men’s basketball semifinals at the Araneta Coliseum on Dec. 6, 2025. The Archers upset the twice-to-beat...
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P13B assets in flood control mess frozen
THE Court of Appeals has issued a freeze order for assets totaling P1S billion believed to be owned by several individuals and companies implicated in massive flood control anomalies. The court order aims to prevent the movement of funds and...
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Sa▪dro testifies at ICI
HOUSE Majority Leader Sandro Marcos, son of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., on Thursday faced the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to shed light on the allegations of former Ako Bicol Party-list representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co against...
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GALING POOK AWARDEES
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. with Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Galing Pook Foundation Chairman Mel Sarmiento lead the 2025 Galing Pook Awards at the Ceremonial Hall, Malacañan Palace, on Dec. 3, 2025. The president honored 10...
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AHTISA IN MANILA
Miss Universe 2025 third runner-up Ahtisa Manalo waves to fans and supporters during a parade in Manila on Dec. 2, 2025. Manalo also paid a courtesy call on Mayor Isko Moreno and Vice Mayor Chi Atienza.
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NEW GRADUATES
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. awards graduates of the Major Services Officer Candidate Course on Dec. 1, 2025. He urged the officers to remain loyal to the country. With him is Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.
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BLOCKED
Coils of wire separate protesters from police officers deployed to keep the peace during the Trillion Peso March in Manila on Nov. 30, 2025. The protesters demanded that officials involved in anomalous infrastructure projects should be jailed.
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TOP OF THE HEAP
The National University (NU) Pep Squad emerges on top of the UAAP Cheerdance Competition for the second straight year with its ninja-themed performance at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay on Nov. 29, 2025. It was also the ninth title for NU, breaking a...
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BIR files ▪ew charges over ‘ghost’ projects
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) on Thursday filed a new set of criminal complaints against two construction firms implicated in ghost flood control projects in Bulacan.The charges deepened the government’s probe into what authorities describe as a...
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MORE EVIDENCE
Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, together with Independent Commission for Infrastructure Chairman Andres Reyes, submits more documents as evidence in cases involving flood control anomalies to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Nov. 26,...
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