Publication

WIN ACTING SENATE PREZ AS CHIZ ENDS DEADLOCK

A surprise appearance by Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Wednesday broke a three-day deadlock in the Senate, allowing the minority bloc led by former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III to reclaim key leadership posts, reorganize the chamber and...

ARRAIGNMENT OF ESTRADA, BONOAN POSTPONED

The Sandiganbayan’s Second Division on Tuesday postponed the arraignment of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan to June 4. In the case of Bonoan, who arrived in a wheelchair, his arraignment was postponed after he...

ESTRADA YIELDS AS COURT WARRANT ON PLUNDER OUT

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Monday issued an arrest warrant against Sen. Jinggoy Estrada for charges of plunder and graft. Estrada eventually surrendered to agents of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group...

VIETNAM’S LEADER ON STATE VISIT

Vietnamese President To Lam arrived in Manila on Sunday for a two-day state visit that’s seen to boost cooperation with the Philippines on investment, trade and maritime security, especially in the South China Sea. This is the first visit of Lam,...

ROW ON SENATE VOTING RULE WON’T DIE DOWN

Former Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson says debates on a proposed amendment to Senate rules isn’t wrong but it isn’t right either to ignore parliamentary procedures to ram down a motion. Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano insists that...

PH, JAPAN UPDATE TAX TREATY

The Philippines and Japan have signed a renegotiated double taxation agreement, updating a decades-old treaty in a bid to support cross-border investments and business activity between the two countries. In a statement on Friday, the Department of...

PLUNDER RAPS VS ESTRADA, BONOAN OVER ‘INSERTIONS’

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada was charged with plunder in the Sandiganbayan on Thursday over alleged irregular insertions in the 2025 national budget—the third time he has been accused of the same crime for which he was twice acquitted. The Office of the...

TRUTH COMMISSION ON DRUG WAR LAUNCHED: ‘FOR CATHARSIS’

An independent “EJK Truth Commission” backed by Church and civil society leaders was formally launched on Wednesday to document the killings and other atrocities linked to the bloody war on drugs waged by former President Rodrigo Duterte. The body was...

CLASH ON SENATE ONLINE VOTING ENDS IN WALKOUT

Members of the minority bloc leave the plenary session and force an adjournment as they strongly object to a motion calling on the body to already decide on a rule change proposed by Sen. Rodante Marcoleta just over two weeks ago.

BRACING FOR FLOODS

SET FOR RAINY DAYS President Marcos, accompanied by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, inspects the P774-million Sunog Apog pumping station in Tondo, Manila, on Monday. The President ordered the...

BUILDING PROJECT COLLAPSES; 1 DEAD, 20 FEARED TRAPPED

ANGELES CITY—A Malaysian national died while more than 20 workers were feared trapped beneath the rubble after a nine-story building still under construction collapsed in Barangay Balibago here before dawn on Sunday. Fire Chief Superintendent Wilberto...

TOWN CHARMS

BOLINAO, PANGASINAN—Three decades ago, residents of this coastal town fought to stop a multibillion-peso cement plant that threatened to transform Bolinao’s limestone hills and marine ecosystem into an industrial zone. Today, many locals believe that...

POLICE, NBI URGE BATO TO SURRENDER, FACE ICC

The Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation on Friday appealed to fugitive Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to surrender and face the charges against him in the International Criminal Court (ICC). The Department of Justice...

TORRE’S MUSE

With a mascot named “Lola Daisy Plina,” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Nicolas Torre III leads a campaign for discipline in public spaces—starting with proper waste disposal and observance of traffic rules—in a program held...

TEARS AT PLENARY

Sen. Pia Cayetano turned emotional on Wednesday as she protested a colleagues’ remarks about the May 13 shooting incident in the Senate. “It’s as if nothing happened. That is the statement of our honorable senator,” Cayetano said, referring to a...

PNP PROBE INDICATES SENATE ‘NOT ATTACKED’

All the evidence gathered from the initial investigation of the Philippine National Police on the May 13 shooting incident inside the Senate building showed that no “attack’’ took place, contrary to the description used empathically by Senate President...

VP IMPEACHMENT TRIAL ON AS SENATE CONVENES COURT

The Senate on Monday formally convened as an impeachment court for the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, with 23 senators donning maroon robes and taking their oath as judges. Notably absent from the proceedings was Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa,...

NO VENAL CREATURE

ENDANGERED CROC Long maligned here as a symbol of the corrupt, deceitful politician, the Philippine freshwater crocodile, locally known as “bukarot,” is actually a critically endangered species. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources...

SNAPPY SALUTES, TENDER KISSES

President Marcos (left inset) leads the traditional review of troops during the graduation rites of the Philippine Military Academy in Baguio City on Saturday. Cadet 1st Class Christine Kaye Librada of Lipa City, Batangas (right), the valedictorian of...

DOLOMITE BEACH DRILLS

USEFUL, AFTER ALL The controversial dolomite beach facing Manila Bay, a project completed during the Duterte administration, serves as the site on Friday for this year’s Sarex, or Search and Rescue Exercise, a multiagency drill for coordinating land,...

PALACE: SENATE SECURITY CHIEF TRIGGERED SHOOTING

A warning shot fired by a personnel of the Senate’s Office of Sergeant-at-Arms (Osaa) triggered Wednesday’s shooting incident inside the complex occupied by the Senate and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Pasay City, Malacañang said on...

SHOTS FIRED IN SENATE AS IT GIVES BATO REFUGE

It was an unprecedented night of terror when shots were fired on Wednesday evening inside the Senate building where Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa had been holed up for the third day to avoid arrest and transfer to the International Criminal Court...

ALAN: ONLY PH COURT WARRANT CAN GET BATO

Newly installed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano said Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is under the chamber’s “protective custody,” may only be turned over to authorities on a warrant issued by a Philippine court. Cayetano laid down this position...

VP IMPEACHED; HOUSE GETS 257 VOTES TO START TRIAL

The House of Representatives on Monday indicted Sara Duterte on charges of corruption and constitutional violations, making her the first vice president in the country’s history to be impeached twice. The case will now be sent to the Senate for a...

SKATE DANCE

NEW PLAYGROUND A skateboarder checks out the newly inaugurated skatepark at Quezon Memorial Circle on Sunday. The 3,758-square-meter facility is designed for all skateboard enthusiasts and has a practice area for beginners.

RESTFUL, RESTRICTIVE

Dusk descends on the shoreline of Barangay San Miguel in San Antonio, Zambales, where fisherfolk have returned from a day at sea, in this photo taken on April 24. For this coming Monday, however, they have been warned not to come near the disputed...

MARCOS: MIDEAST CRISIS CALLS FOR AGILE ASEAN

CEBU—The 48th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit on Friday spotlighted maritime and energy security concerns as leaders of the regional bloc grappled with urgent challenges to food security, disaster preparedness and the safety of...

PH TO ASEAN: AGILITY, UNITY NEEDED TO ADDRESS GLOBAL CHALLENGES

LAPU-LAPU CITY, CEBU—The leaders of about 680 million people in Southeast Asia gathered in Cebu City on Thursday to forge contingency plans amid global challenges for the 11 economies that comprise the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean),...

PALACE SAYS MARCOS, MABANTA ‘NOT FRIENDS’; BUT TIES SHOW

Malacañang sought to disassociate President Marcos from social media operator Franco Mabanta, who was arrested on Tuesday over an alleged attempt to extort P350 million from former Speaker Martin Romualdez, a cousin of the President. The President and...

38 FILIPINOS AMONG CREW OF HANTAVIRUS-HIT SHIP

The Department of Health (DOH) on Tuesday said it was in close coordination with the World Health Organization (WHO) following reports that a cruise ship hit by a suspected hantavirus outbreak had 38 Filipinos among its crew members. “The good news,...

MAYON VOLCANO ASHFALL HITS OVER 30,000 FAMILIES

Mayon Volcano’s ashfall have so far affected 30,522 families or 102,406 people across 87 barangays in Bicol region as of Monday morning, according to Office of Civil Defense (OCD) deputy spokesperson Diego Mariano. Of those who were affected, 5,440...

LAWMAKER JET-SKIS TO PAG-ASA, PLANTS FLAG

PAG-ASA ISLAND—What Rodrigo Duterte could only joke about in the 2016 presidential campaign, activist coalition Atin Ito actually achieved a decade later when it carried out a jet-ski flag ride in waters off Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, a key highlight of...

SC: DU30 WRONGFULLY FIRED EXEC WHO PROBED HIS WEALTH

The Supreme Court says the ex-president’s actions were unconstitutional and akin to ‘executive overreach’ when he dismissed the Overall Deputy Ombudsman who was investigating his and his family’s alleged ill-gotten or undisclosed wealth. Suspending and...

PH PART-TIME JOBS SURGED 35% IN Q1 –JOBSTREET

The Philippine job market is increasingly leaning toward parttime and flexible work arrangements, with postings for such roles surging in the first quarter amid the “normalization” of hybrid and remote setups, according to online employment platform...

SENATE PREZ: ‘FORTHWITH’ MEANS ‘THE FOLLOWING DAY’

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Thursday committed to begin the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte “forthwith,” or the day after the articles of impeachment against her are transmitted to the Senate by the House of...

SEARING HEAT, DRY SPELL GRIP PROVINCES

Parts of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao are experiencing a dangerous combination of extreme heat, unstable weather, water shortages, and early El Niño-related impacts, as the state weather bureau and local disaster response offices issued a series of...

OMBUDSMAN: ASSET FREEZE VS MARTIN, HDO BID VS CHIZ

After freezing the assets of former Speaker Martin Romualdez and stopping him from leaving the country, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla wants to prevent former Senate President Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, who is under investigation for alleged plunder,...

THE CAUSE OF IT ALL

US President Donald Trump is depicted as Hitler incarnate during the launch of the Stop US-Iran-Israel War Campaign Network on Thursday at the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City.

NOXIOUS SMOKE FROM NAVOTAS

‘TOXIC THREAT’ Ramon Jefferson Verano of Manila’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department on Tuesday points at a drone image of the smoke still billowing from the April 10 fire at the Navotas City landfill. Environmentalists have called...

DOE: HEFTY FINE AWAITS OIL FIRMS DEFYING PRICE ORDERS

Local oil firms that defy the government’s cap on fuel price hikes and the set minimum rollback could face hefty fines and jail time. In a media briefing on Monday, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the state of national energy emergency declared by...

LAW EXPERTS: ZALDY CO’S RETURN MAY TAKE MONTHS

It may take at least several months before Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co could be handed over to Philippine authorities, should he dispute his deportation and seek asylum in the Czech Republic, international law experts said over the weekend. They also said the...

ETHNIC AMITY IN MALAYBALAY

DANCE OF UNITY, DIVERSITY The monthlong Kaamulan Festival kicks off on Saturday in Malaybalay City, an annual gathering of seven indigenous peoples—Bukidnon, Manobo, Talaandig, Umayamnon, Higaonon, Tigwahanon, and Matigsalug—and a vibrant display of...

AID TO VEGGIE FARMERS President Marcos and Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. arrive at the Benguet Agri-Pinoy Trading Center in La Trinidad, on Friday for the distribution of farm equipment and other materials to local cooperatives.

ZALDY CO CAPTURED IN CZECH REPUBLIC–MARCOS

Fugitive Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, the former lawmaker who is considered to be among the masterminds of the trillion-peso flood control and infrastructure anomalies last year, has been captured in the Czech Republic after nine months in hiding abroad and is...

COURT GOES ‘GHOST’ (PROJECT) HUNTING IN REVILLA CASE

PANDI, BULACAN—A Sandiganbayan justice, public prosecutors and lawyers of former Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. went to the site of a P92.8-million flood control project here on Wednesday and saw it for what it was—a “ghost.” Instead of a...

MADRIAGA: ₱125M DISPOSED OF ON VP’S ORDERS IN 24 HRS

Ramil Madriaga, a man who claimed to have helped organize a campaign network for Vice President Sara Duterte in the 2022 elections, but is now presented as a key witness in the impeachment proceedings against her, delivered the expected bombshells on...

TAKING THE ‘NEWS’ IN STRIDE

President Marcos, somewhat in jest, goes jogging after his press conference to show he is in good shape, amid claims including by his sister that he had been ill which Malacañang described as “fake news.”

FUN AND BUBBLY

FAMILY BONDING Mother and son tandem Marissa Epino, 46, and Marquos, 15, dash through what seemed to be clouds formed by bubbles during the “Bubble Run” at SM City Marikina on Sunday. About 500 people, many of them family members and friends, joined...

HOPES ON TRACK: HOW ARE PH RAILWAY PROJECTS GOING?

A long-term relief from the impact of the current oil shock on the country’s petroleum-dependent transport system makes progress as officials, who were ordered to make trips on passenger vehicles to experience the ordeal that ordinary Filipinos endure...

PUV CONTRACT SCHEME PAYS OPERATORS P 30 TO P 100 PER KM

Bus and jeepney operators nationwide will receive financial support ranging from P30 to P100 per kilometer starting next week under the government’s service contracting program, one of the measures adopted to help the transport sector cope with soaring...

MARCOS ORDERS P 10/LITER FUEL SUBSIDY FOR PUVS

Drivers and operators of public utility vehicles (PUVs) will make a weekly savings of P1,500 for three months under a new government subsidy ordered by President Marcos on Thursday. Mr. Marcos said in a video statement that the P10-per-liter fuel...

TRUCE SEEN BRINGING BRIEF OIL PRICE RELIEF

After climbing sharply for five straight weeks, local pump prices could finally hold steady or even drop slightly next week following the ceasefire declared between the United States and Iran, an industry player said on Wednesday. Any easing of...

DOE CHIEF: DAMAGE TO OIL SITES TO KEEP PRICES HIGH

Even if the Strait of Hormuz reopens, Filipinos can’t expect imported fuel from the Middle East to easily return to ‘prewar’ prices. Supply still can’t be assured after the region’s energy network sustained ‘permanent damage,’ says Secretary Garin.

DIESEL BREACHES ₱170/L IN FIFTH FUEL PRICE HIKE

Oil firms have set new double-digit increases for diesel, along with other increases that have become the price movements for five straight weeks since the Middle East conflict broke out on Feb. 28, triggered by the attacks launched by the United...

POPE LEO MARKS FIRST EASTER MASS

CITY—Pope Leo celebrated his first Easter Mass as Pontiff with a call on Sunday to exercise hope against “the violence of war that kills and destroys,” saying “we need this song of hope today” as conflicts spread around the world. With the US-Israeli...

MOMENTS: EASTER POWER

The story is told about a father who brought his son to church to attend Mass. The little boy had many questions about the rituals and the movements of the priest, and the father patiently explained everything to him. During the homily which kept on...

CLOSEST ENCOUNTER

At the Sanctuary of the Divine Word on E. Rodriguez Avenue, Quezon City, Lenten pilgrims get to pray in a unique intimate way, as shown in this photo taken on Holy Wednesday.

PH TALKING WITH IRAN FOR SAFE HORMUZ PASSAGE

President Marcos has ordered officials to negotiate with Iran for the safe passage of Philippine-bound oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict in the Middle East showed no signs of ending soon, Malacañang said on Tuesday. Palace press...

BIZ GROUPS PUSH FOR NEW FUEL SOURCES, SUBSIDIES

Five of the country’s leading business groups came up with these and other recommendations on dealing with the fuel crisis triggered by the Iran war, during a March 27 meeting called by Finance Secretary Frederick Go.

IRAN-BACKED HOUTHIS ENTER MIDEAST CONFLICT

TEHRAN, IRAN—Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels have joined the month-old Middle East conflict, as they claimed Sunday’s missile attacks on Israel that raised concern about the war spreading from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea on the other side of...

‘HULI’ WEEK

It’s Palm Sunday once again, and the Holy Week is ahead of us. So how do we make this week holy? Someone once said in jest that to make holy water, you get ordinary water and you boil the hell out of it! Holy Week is that particular time of the year...

AIRPORT ACCESS

President Marcos, along with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and San Miguel Corp. chair and CEO Ramon Ang, lead the opening of the westbound off-ramp road from Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Expressway going to Naia Terminal 3 in Pasay...

DOF: PRICE CUTS DUE TO FUEL TAX LAW FELT BY MID-APRIL

The finance department says the suspension or reduction of the fuel excise may come as early as April 12. While the country scrambles for oil, about 700,000 barrels of Russian crude arrive at the refinery of partly state-owned Petron Corp.

HOUSE PANEL ASKS FOR SARA’S SALNS, FILES ON HER THREAT TO KILL MARCOS

The House committee on justice opened a new stage on Wednesday in the impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte by asking two agencies—the Office of the Ombudsman and the National Bureau of Investigation—to produce documents...

MARCOS DECLARES NAT’L ENERGY EMERGENCY

President Marcos has declared a state of national energy emergency to address issues caused by the conflict in the Middle East. This was announced through Executive Order No. 110 sent to reporters on Tuesday evening. “A state of national energy...

GOV’T-CHARTERED FLIGHT BRINGS HOME 343 OFWS, KIN FROM MIDDLE EAST

President Marcos on Monday personally welcomed 343 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and their relatives from the Middle East who returned to the Philippines on a flight chartered by the government. The repatriates arrived at Villamor Air Base in Pasay...

BTS IN COMEBACK CONCERT AFTER FOUR-YEAR HIATUS

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA—After a four-year break, K-pop supergroup BTS returned on Saturday with a massive, free comeback concert in this capital, with thousands of police locking down a central boulevard for the Netflix-exclusive spectacle expected to draw...

PRAYER FOR STRENGTH

Muslim Filipinos gather at Quezon Memorial Circle on Saturday to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. In his message, President Marcos expressed hope that this “celebration [would] bring comfort to those who...

DBM RELEASES FUEL SUBSIDY; DIESEL SEEN HITTING P130/L

As fuel prices continue to rise, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Friday that it had fast-tracked the release of P2.49 billion to the fuel subsidy program of the Department of Transportation (DOTr). Another P18.65 billion was...

MARCOS COUNTS ON COAL IMPORTS FOR STABLE POWER

Despite rising oil prices, the President assures Filipinos there will be stable energy supply as coal-fired power plants will continue to run with imported fuel. Coal plants account for 40.6 percent of the energy produced in the Philippines.