The Philippine Star
Pumping stations fail as flood infra pilfered
Stolen cables, valves and manhole covers are impairing flood control infrastructure in Metro Manila, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon lamented yesterday. “Citizens must not steal or vandalize public assets. Stripping one small wire causes...
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Heavy monsoon rains flood MM roads anew
Heavy rains brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon again inundated many parts of Metro Manila, leaving roads impassable, rivers rising to critical and dangerous levels and the La Mesa Dam spilling. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and...
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P735.56 B ‘red flag’ items spotted in 2027 budget
A coalition of civil society organizations has flagged P735.56 billion in President Marcos’ proposed 2027 national budget as vulnerable to political intervention and insertions, raising concerns ahead of the 2028 polls. The People’s Budget Coalition...
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PSA: 12.8% of Pinoys felt multiple forms of poverty
An estimated 12.8 percent of Filipinos were classified as multidimensionally poor in 2024, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The first Multidimensional Poverty Index released by the PSA yesterday showed that the national MPI at...
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Ombudsman says 107 gov’t execs on lifestyle checks
The Office of the Ombudsman is conducting lifestyle checks on 107 government officials, particularly those in “incomegenerating” agencies such as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC). Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla...
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Witness on VP secret funds: Request made before plans
The Office of the Vice President (OVP) requested P250 million in confidential funds before it had even prepared a plan on how to spend it, a witness testified before the Senate impeachment court yesterday. During direct examination by private...
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BBM blames heavy rain for massive flooding
The massive flooding that hit parts of the country was caused not only by issues involving flood control projects, but also by the unprecedented volume of rain brought by recent weather disturbances, President Marcos said yesterday. After a situation...
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Telcos ready to block more sites promoting violence
The country’s biggest internet service providers (ISPs) are taking online safety a notch higher by preventing Filipinos, especially the youth, from accessing malicious platforms promoting violent activities. In a statement, Converge ICT Solutions Inc....
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‘Testimony of OVP witness a smoking gun in Sara trial’
The testimony of impeached Vice President Sara Duterte’s disbursing officer is the “smoking gun” in the prosecution’s effort to pin her down for misuse of her confidential funds, Bicol Saro Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon said yesterday. At the Saturday...
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PNP to tighten firearm security rules for cops
The Philippine National Police is reinforcing firearm security rules among PNP personnel after investigation showed that the suspect in the Zamboanga City school shooting used guns issued by the government to his father. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio...
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28 witnesses to testify in probe of Romualdez
The Office of the Ombudsman still has 28 witnesses who can provide material information linking former speaker Martin Romualdez to the flood control scandal ꟷ despite the recantation of Orly Guteza, a retired Marine and former security aide to fugitive...
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Ateneo shooter’s dad left guns in car – BOC
BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno yesterday said he was told by Lt. Elias Jalani II, the gunman’s father, that his firearms were in the car that took his son to school. Nepomuceno told ANC that he was able to talk to Jalani after the shooting...
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2 dead in Ateneo de Zamboanga shooting
A junior high school student killed a classmate before shooting himself dead in a rampage inside the Ateneo de Zamboanga University (ADZU) campus in Barangay Tumaga, Zamboanga City yesterday morning. The shooting occurred at around 7: 45 a. m., barely...
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Metro inundated as monsoon rains persist
Torrential rains brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon caused swift and severe flooding in key areas in Metro Manila yesterday, with roads rendered impassable and rivers reaching critical level. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (...
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No secret funds for civilian agencies in 2027 – Senate
The Senate will maintain its ban on confidential funds for civilian agencies in the 2027 national budget, according to the head of the chamber. “As a rule, if you are a civilian agency, for example, DICT (Department of Information and Communications...
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Senate impeach court eyeing schedule flip
The Senate impeachment court is seriously considering a proposal to hold the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte in the afternoon, according to Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian. This way, the senators can have regular plenary sessions in the...
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750 tons of garbage hauled from waterway
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority has removed nearly 750 metric tons of waste and debris from the Redemptorist Water Channel in Parañaque since Monday, equivalent to around 203 truckloads of garbage. “We have collected the major bulk of...
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Lacson seeks Senate probe on EDSA rehab
Sen. Panfilo Lacson is seeking a Senate public works committee inquiry into the EDSA rehabilitation program after potholes emerged on newly repaired roads during monsoon rains. Lacson said road damage just months after completion exposed flaws in...
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Garbage problem critical, says BBM
Refusing to call it a “crisis,” President Marcos however described as “critical” the garbage problem that has contributed to flooding in parts of Metro Manila and nearby areas hit by heavy rains from the southwest monsoon. Marcos yesterday inspected...
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COA auditor: VP Sara liable for P73-M disallowed funds
The Commission on Audit (COA) deems Vice President Sara Duterte herself to be liable along with two others for P73.287 million in disallowed disbursements over just 11 days using the confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP). COA...
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‘Big improvement’ in NCR flood mitigation – MMDA
Despite reports of flooding in areas across the National Capital Region, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said the situation in the metropolis has seen “a big improvement” because of the government’s flood mitigation...
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Ping: PRA to seize illegally reclaimed areas in Taguig
The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) is moving to seize substantial areas of illegally reclaimed land in Taguig City, Sen. Panfilo Lacson revealed, with the contractors behind 32 “ghost” flood control projects to face plunder charges for billing...
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6 reported dead due to typhoons, habagat
The death toll from days of heavy rains brought by tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon or habagat has climbed to six, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported yesterday. According to the NDRRMC, two...
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Legarda, Leviste left the country – NBI chief
Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste left the country for France with his mother, Sen. Loren Legarda, before the National Bureau of Investigation served him a subpoena over the alleged honey trap plot targeting Executive Secretary Ralph Recto, NBI Director...
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US formally asks Phl to extradite Quiboloy
The United States has formally asked the Philippine government to extradite Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy to face trial on charges including child sex trafficking and fraud that landed him on the federal most wanted list. The US...
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Auditor: OVP confidential funds ‘personally’ used
Unless proven otherwise, Vice President Sara Duterte is presumed to have spent her confidential funds for personal use or benefit after her office failed to properly liquidate the funds despite a formal demand from the Commission on Audit (COA), the...
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‘OVP staff lobbied COA to downgrade findings’
Core staff of the Office of the Vice President lobbied the Commission on Audit in 2023 to downgrade COA audit findings on the OVP’s use of confidential funds, a prosecution witness testified during Day 12 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara...
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Sandigan rejects Bonoan as state witness in graft
The graft case against former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan will remain for now after the Sandiganbayan junked the Office of the Ombudsman’s proposal to remove him as accused and eventually make him a state...
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Senators push truce between Ping, Alan
Senators are pushing for a truce between warring colleagues to focus on a mounting legislative workload, including the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. In a weekend interview over dzBB, Blue Ribbon committee chairman Erwin Tulfo...
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Ombudsman: Granting of Revilla bail expected
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said he had expected the granting of bail to former senator Ramon Revilla Jr. in his malversation case over an alleged flood control project. “It is inevitable that this will happen, that this is being worked on to...
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Legarda, son face probe over P10-B solar franchise
The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered a preliminary investigation against Sen. Loren Legarda, her son Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste and former energy secretary Alfonso Cusi over plunder and graft complaints stemming from renewable energy...
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Marcos allows opening of VP Sara’s tax records
President Marcos has given the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) the go-ahead to submit and unseal the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio, documents seen to shed light on her alleged unexplained wealth and the...
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Probe to expose ‘delicious’ Taguig infra details – Ping
The Senate Blue Ribbon committee’s planned investigation into alleged anomalous infrastructure projects in Taguig City will expose “delicious” details behind at least five case studies made by Sen. Panfilo Lacson’s team and submitted to the Office of...
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BBM wants laundering, secrecy laws amended
As corruption issues continue to bedevil his administration, President Marcos said he is pushing for amendments to the laws on bank secrecy and anti-money laundering to help restore public trust and confidence in government institutions. In a report...
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‘I am not the president of my family or friends’
Saying he is neither the president of his family nor of his friends, President Marcos yesterday revealed that criminal cases were being readied against his first cousin, former speaker Martin Romualdez. In the opening part of his State of the Nation...
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Sara: I won’t resign
With her impeachment trial in the Senate underway, Vice President Sara Duterte has addressed speculations that she might step down from office. “Oh, never gonna happen. I will never resign because it would be like a betrayal to the 32.2 million people...
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14 counts of graft filed vs lawmaker in infra mess
The Office of the Ombudsman has filed criminal charges against USWAG Ilonggo party- list Rep. James Ang Jr. and former Sultan Kudarat representative Arnulfo Go before the Sandiganbayan over alleged conflicts of interest linked to government...
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‘Dumber than dumb’ Ayungin deal slammed
Retired Supreme Court (SC) senior associate justice Antonio Carpio wants the alleged “provisional agreement” between the Philippines and China on Ayungin Shoal canceled, and warned he might bring it up to the Supreme Court or Congress. In an...
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Trump to discuss Phl issues with China’s Xi
US President Donald Trump yesterday vowed to discuss the Philippines’ concerns with Chinese President Xi Jinping, in a phone call with President Marcos that came as fresh tensions erupted in the West Philippine Sea. The phone conversation between...
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VP security among 20 eyed as ‘hitman’ – NBI
Members of the uniformed services, some of them part of the security group of Vice President Sara Duterte, are among nearly 20 “persons of interest” in the “plan” to kill President Marcos, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag...
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BBM tackles sea clash with China ambassador
President Marcos met with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan at Malacañang yesterday and discussed the assault by China Coast Guard personnel on Philippine Navy men stationed in Ayungin Shoal. Jing described the meeting as “very useful, constructive and...
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Senate OKs subpoena of VP tax, bank records
The Senate impeachment court granted yesterday the request of the prosecution team of the House of Representatives to subpoena the bank and tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio ahead of the court’s deliberation on...
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Senators eye tighter rules to speed up impeach trial
With the aim of speeding up the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, senators of the impeachment court are looking to tighten proceedings by limiting arguments to issues directly related to the case and resolving pending procedural questions early,...
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LTFRB caps booking fees of app-based taxis at P60 max
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has capped the booking or platform fees of app-based taxi services at up to 20 percent of the total approved rate of P60, whichever is lower. In a memorandum, Chairman Vigor Mendoza said...
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Ombudsman reopening 2019 SEA Games probe
The Office of the Ombudsman is reopening its investigation into the alleged irregularities surrounding the country’s hosting of the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla confirmed yesterday. The move comes as the National...
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AMLC seeks expanded powers vs criminal assets
The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) is seeking expanded powers that will allow it to suspend financial transactions and initially freeze criminal assets without securing a court order. Proposed changes to the Anti-Money Laundering Act are aimed...
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DepEd seeks P8 B for hiring of school guards
The Department of Education will ask Congress to approve the allocation of P8 billion to fund the hiring of security guards amid the latest data from the DepEd that only 2,494 security guards are manning at least 48,000 public schools. “We are...
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VP team: No threat made
No threats were made. The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte insisted yesterday that her remarks during a 2024 online press conference about contracting a person to kill President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and former House speaker Martin...
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Herbosa steps down as health secretary
Citing health reasons, Teodoro Herbosa has resigned as Department of Health secretary, and President Marcos named yesterday Philippine Orthopedic Center ( POC) head Jose Brittanio Pujalte Jr. as acting DOH chief. Asked whether the graft charges filed...
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Phl, 13 other nations: Arbitral ruling final, legally binding
On the 10th anniversary of the Arbitral Award yesterday, the Philippines, along with 13 other countries, reaffirmed the historic ruling, describing it as “final, legally binding, and definitive between China and the Philippines.” In a joint statement,...
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17 reported dead from Inday, habagat
Coupled with the enhanced habagat or southwest monsoon, Typhoon Inday has left at least 17 people dead, nine others missing and more than 500,000 people affected across the country, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported...
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Heavy rains trigger deadly landslides
Incessant, heavy monsoon rain enhanced by Typhoon Inday triggered landslides in Mindanao yesterday, killing at least 10 people in Sarangani and Lanao del Norte. A drowning incident was reported in Bukidnon. Office of Civil Defense Region 12 director...
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Senate studying ways to speed up Sara trial
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian is looking for ways to speed up the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte after the Senate court finished questioning only one witness during the first week of hearings. Gatchalian said the impeachment...
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Debates on VP Sara’s bank, tax records set
The Senate impeachment court has set for oral arguments next week the prosecution’s request for subpoenas on the tax and bank records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio. Presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero directed both...
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Sara on trial: I will be bloodied but unbowed
Vice President Sara Duterte is ready to roll with the punches as the impeachment trial against her enters its third day at the Senate today. “In this bloodbath and bludgeoning, I will be bloodied but unbowed,” Duterte told media yesterday. Duterte...
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Presiding officer Chiz: 16 votes needed to convict
The Senate impeachment court formally began yesterday the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, with newly elected presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero asserting that a conviction would require two-thirds vote of all members of the chamber. “With...
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‘Senate ready if Sara attends impeach trial’
Will Vice President Sara Duterte show up at the Senate today for her impeachment trial? In case she does, the Senate is ready for her arrival and has already made all necessary preparations. “Under the rules, she can just send a lawyer and even a...
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Princess Alex unseats Wimbledon champion
After meeting Catherine, Princess of Wales, Alex Eala dethroned Wimbledon’s reigning queen. The 21-year-old Filipina pulled off the biggest win of her career yesterday in London, ousting world No. 3 and defending champion Iga Swiatek, 7-6 (11-9), 6-2,...
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Ombudsman files plunder raps vs Marcoleta, donors
The Office of the Ombudsman has officially filed a plunder case against Sen. Rodante Marcoleta before the Sandiganbayan, rejecting his invocation of “utang na loob” or debt of gratitude to justify P75 million in undeclared funds and urging his...
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Testimonies of 8 bagmen to be used vs Romualdez
The Office of the Ombudsman will use the testimonies of eight of the 18 self-proclaimed bagmen of former congressman Zaldy Co in a case being prepared against former speaker Martin Romualdez, after finding their accounts of alleged cash deliveries...
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Ombudsman pushing through with plunder case vs Marcoleta
Amid religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo’s rallies, the Office of the Ombudsman will proceed with filing plunder charges in court this week against INC member Sen. Rodante Marcoleta. “Nothing has changed. We will file. This has not changed anything,”...
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INC gathers at EDSA for Marcoleta
Members of religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo gathered at the EDSA People Power Monument in Quezon City yesterday to protest the looming court indictment and possible arrest of INC member Sen. Rodante Marcoleta for plunder. Four protesters were arrested...
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Bonoan accepted as state witness
The Office of the Ombudsman is dropping charges against former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan, as it seeks to utilize him as a state witness in the flood control cases. Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday confirmed that his office has...
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Marchers demand accountability in corruption
Anti- corruption groups staged protest marches in Makati and Quezon City yesterday, demanding accountability from government officials suspected of involvement in the multibillion-peso flood control scandal, while urging the Senate to proceed with the...
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Sara impeach trial could last 7 months
The upcoming impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte could last seven months, based on the proposed trial days of both prosecution and defense panels, Senate Secretary Renato Bantug said, making it the longest impeachment trial ever. Speaking...
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CIDG recommends hazing raps vs Baldwin, 10 others
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is evaluating a police recommendation to file criminal charges ꟷ including violations of the Anti-Hazing Act and potential homicide ꟷ against former Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Tab Baldwin and 10 other team personnel...
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Potential second school attack in Leyte foiled
Days after a deadly shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that left three students dead, there was an apparent copycat planned mass shooting in a school in Tolosa, Leyte, which police reported thwarting on Wednesday...
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Criminal raps filed vs school shooter, 15
Authorities filed criminal complaints yesterday against the 15-yearold student involved in the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City. Tacloban police filed the complaints before the City Prosecutor’s Office against the teen...
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Marcos open to lowering criminal liability age to 12
With the nation in shock over the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City involving school children, President Marcos is open to lowering the age of criminal liability and restricting minors’ access to violent online games, Malacañang said...
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Tacloban school shooting leaves 3 dead, 5 injured
TACLOBAN CITY ꟷ The Grade 9 students settled in for a regular day, opening their notebooks in a classroom that smelled of chalk and morning rain. Then, two sharp cracks. A pause. Three more. In seconds, the classroom everyone believed to be safe...
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‘No work, no pay’ policy for top officials pushed
Government officials who continue receiving their salaries despite being absent from work may want to rethink their priorities. Sen. Erwin Tulfo, in a press statement yesterday, said he would push for legislation that would enforce “no work, no pay”...
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‘Give Chiz a chance’
Despite the issues raised against him, Sen. Francis Escudero should be given the chance to serve as presiding officer in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte as he, being a lawyer, has “a sense of what is procedurally correct and what...
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‘Chiz as presiding officer dangerous’
Civil society groups yesterday expressed serious concern over the reported plan of the new Senate majority to designate Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero as presiding officer in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. A joint statement signed...
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Trump, Iran president sign deal to end war
WASHINGTON ( AP) ꟷ US President Donald Trump signed an agreement with Iran on Wednesday that calls for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and waives US- backed sanctions on the country, immediately allowing Iran to sell its oil...
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Marcos arrives in Russia
President Marcos arrived in Kazan yesterday for a two-day working visit that seeks to affirm the ties between Russia and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and to promote cooperation in key areas such as energy, peace and security and...
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Cayetano, allies turn to SC amid leadership row
In an effort to retake control of the Senate leadership, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies asked the Supreme Court ( SC) yesterday to invalidate the creation of the current majority bloc led by Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian, who...
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