The Philippine Star
‘People’s president’ just wanted to instill fear
Former president Rodrigo Duterte’s speeches threatening to kill drug peddlers and users did not have “lethal intent” but were meant only to “instill fear in the hearts” of criminals, his lawyer Nicolas Kaufman told the International Criminal Court...
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Sara: I have recruited my 2028 running mate
Days after declaring her intention to run for president in 2028, Vice President Sara Duterte said she has chosen her potential running mate whose main task, if elected, would be to exact accountability from corrupt officials in government. But Duterte...
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BBM: No politics in Naga
President Marcos did not talk about politics or a possible alliance with Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo during his visit to his former political rival’s bailiwick yesterday, but the Chief Executive wore pink socks in honor of the local chief...
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‘EDSA at 40: Moral fatigue threatens Phl’
Four decades since the EDSA people power revolt, where do Filipinos stand today? This was among the questions posed by Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Lipa Archbishop Gilbert Garcera in his homily on Thursday,...
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Marcos, Robredo set to meet in Naga
Will President Marcos and his former political rival Leni Robredo bury the hatchet to counter a common opponent? Speculations mounted that the Marcos administration and the Robredo camp may forge an alliance for the 2028 elections after Malacañang...
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VP Sara: I’m running for president in 2028
After skirting the issue for months, and ahead of the expected referral of the impeachment complaints against her to the House committee on justice, Vice President Sara Duterte formally declared her presidential bid for 2028 yesterday. “I cannot kneel...
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Abstain from stealing public funds, pols told
As the Catholic Church begins the observance of Lent, an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday advised corrupt politicians to fast and abstain from stealing public funds. CBCP-Public Affairs Committee...
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Phl ready to cooperate with Interpol – Palace
Although there are no talks yet on the Philippines rejoining the International Criminal Court, the government is ready to cooperate with the Interpol if the ICC issues arrest warrants for Senators Bong Go and Ronald dela Rosa and former officials named...
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ICC arrest orders vs Rody ‘co-perpetrators’ pushed
Human rights organizations are pushing for the immediate arrest of Senators Bong Go and Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and other individuals identified as alleged co- perpetrators of former president Rodrigo Duterte in the crimes against humanity case filed...
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ICC names Bato, Bong Go as Rody co-perpetrators
Will two close allies ꟷ now both sitting senators ꟷ soon join former president Rodrigo Duterte in The Hague? Sen. Bong Go, long- time aide of the former president, has been named one of the “coperpetrators” along with Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and...
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Japan seizes China fishing boat, arrests captain
TOKYO ꟷ Japan seized a Chinese fishing boat and arrested its skipper, authorities said Friday, an incident that could deepen a spat between the Asian giants. The episode on Thursday off southern Japan came three months after Prime Minister Takaichi...
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Biz, civil society groups want tough dynasty law
Thirty-one business groups and civil society organizations are calling for a genuine law against political dynasties, with tougher safeguards to fight corruption. In a joint statement yesterday, the groups said that House Bill 6771 falls short of what...
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Chinese envoy tells Phl gov’t: Let’s talk
China’s top diplomat urged the Philippines to talk with China in order to find ways to manage differences, while admitting that winning a confrontation with a smaller neighbor risks losing a long- term relationship. In his remarks at a Lunar New Year...
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House throws out BBM impeach cases
Efforts to impeach President Marcos are now dead. Voting 284- 8- 4, House lawmakers yesterday upheld the dismissal of two impeachment complaints filed against the President. No impeachment complaints against Marcos will be accepted for a whole...
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Senate adopts resolution vs China diplomats
After two weeks of being held back by colleagues, senators pushing for a measure condemning Chinese diplomats for their hostile statements against Filipino officials have finally secured victory. The Senate ꟷ without any objection ꟷ adopted yesterday...
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Blue Ribbon to reexamine Marcos’ role in flood mess
The Senate Blue Ribbon committee is set to reexamine today President Marcos’ possible liability in the flood control corruption mess, as the panel prepares to introduce significant amendments to its draft committee report to secure the necessary...
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Basyang deaths rise to 12
The number of reported casualties due to Tropical Storm Basyang has risen to 12. Apart from the four fatalities, including two children, due to a landslide in Cagayan de Oro City, four more deaths were recorded in Mindanao, the National Disaster Risk...
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‘No power sharing in Senate’
Senators from the majority bloc are eyeing Sen. Loren Legarda as a future Senate president, but this is not a power sharing or term sharing scheme, Senate President Vicente Sotto III clarified yesterday. In an interview over True FM, Sotto said it was...
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House panel junks 2 impeach raps vs BBM
Through votes from overwhelmingly administration allies, the impeachment complaints against President Marcos have been scrapped for “insufficiency in substance” by the House of Representatives’ committee on justice. The development has effectively...
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‘First impeach case vs BBM likely to be junked’
Even after hurdling its first test by being declared “sufficient in form,” the first impeachment complaint against President Marcos is doomed to fail, according to Manila Rep. Benny Abante. He said several claims in the complaint filed by lawyer Andre...
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VP Sara hit with 2 fresh impeachment complaints
Although the one- year bar rule on any impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte was originally set to lapse on Feb. 6, two new cases were filed with the House of Representatives yesterday, one of which includes corruption allegations...
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House tackles Marcos impeachment rap today
The House committee on justice will hold its first hearing today on the two impeachment complaints filed against President Marcos, with the four lawmakers who endorsed them expected to defend the cases. Pusong Pinoy party- list Rep. Jernie Jett Nisay,...
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Sotto laments pro-China stance of some officials
Despite China’s repeated acts of aggression at sea targeting Filipino vessels, some senators sounded more supportive of the Chinese ꟷ a situation Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he finds deplorable and lamentable. He was reacting to...
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DOT: Phl tops Asean neighbors in tourism GDP, job generation
The Philippines stood out among its neighbors in Southeast Asia when it comes to the impact of tourism on economy and employment, the Department of Tourism (DOT) said yesterday. In a statement, the DOT said the Philippines “ranked first in terms of...
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SC junks House appeal on Sara impeachment
The Supreme Court (SC) has upheld its ruling declaring the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte as unconstitutional for violating the one-year bar rule, denying with finality the motion for reconsideration of the House of...
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‘BBM can expel China envoy’
There is no need for a Senate resolution declaring the deputy spokesperson of the Chinese embassy persona non grata over the word war that has erupted with Philippine government officials, the embassy said yesterday. President Marcos can simply...
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Shipping firm’s fleet grounded over sinking
ZAMBOANGA CITY ꟷ The Department of Transportation ( DOTr) has grounded the entire passenger vessel fleet of Aleson Shipping Lines following Monday’s sinking of M/V Trisha Kerstin 3 off Basilan that left 18 people dead and 10 others missing. At...
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Ferry sinks off Basilan: 18 dead, 24 missing
ZAMBOANGA CITY ꟷ A passenger vessel sank yesterday off the coast of Basilan, leaving 18 people dead and 24 others missing, according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). Authorities rescued 317 people after MV Trisha Kerstin 3 encountered trouble amid...
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Second impeach case vs BBM refiled today
The Makabayan bloc of the House of Representatives along with other opposition groups will refile today the impeachment complaint against President Marcos, following the absence of the receiving official last week. “We hope that there would be no more...
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Senate to tackle party-list reforms, anti-dynasty bill
The Senate is set to take up proposed party-list reforms and an anti-political dynasty bill ꟷ both seen as having a strong chance of passage ꟷ when session resumes tomorrow after the chamber’s recess, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said...
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2 Pinoys dead as vessel capsizes off Scarborough China Coast Guard rescues 15 crewmen; 4 still missing
Two Filipino sailors were reported dead while four are still missing after a Singapore-flagged cargo vessel with 21 all-Filipino crew members capsized yesterday near Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal, the Chinese embassy confirmed. The Chinese People’s...
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Marcos after ailment: Don’t get too excited
President Marcos was brought to hospital Wednesday night after experiencing “discomfort,” but returned to work a few hours later, even teasing his critics who want him out not to get “too excited” because his condition is not serious. Speaking at a...
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After Bong Revilla, Villanueva next?
Following the arrest and detention of former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. in connection with the flood control scandal, could Sen. Joel Villanueva be next? According to the Department of Justice (DOJ), Villanueva is facing three malversation...
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Sandiganbayan sends Bong Revilla to QC jail
The Sandiganbayan Third Division has ordered the temporary detention of former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. at the Quezon City Jail male dorm in connection with the malversation case against him over a P92.8million ghost flood control project in...
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Marcos bares major Malampaya gas find
President Marcos yesterday announced the discovery of natural gas at the Malampaya East-1 (MAE1) well, the first in over a decade. Located five kilometers east of the existing Malampaya gas field, the reservoir is expected to significantly boost the...
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Ex-DPWH secretary Bonoan back in Phl
After more than two months in the United States, former Department of Public Works and Highways ( DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan returned to the country yesterday. The Bureau of Immigration (BI) said Bonoan arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International...
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‘ICI has done its part, let ombudsman take over’
The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has already fulfilled its mandate and may now have to give way to the Office of the Ombudsman in the investigation of corruption in flood control projects, according to Deputy Speaker and Antipolo...
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P10-M reward offered for arrest of Atong Ang
Any information that will lead to the arrest of businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang nets a bounty of P10 million, the Department of the Interior and Local Government announced yesterday as the DILG chief tagged the gaming tycoon as the No. 1 most wanted...
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Phl, UAE sign trade agreement
The Philippines and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have forged a free trade pact seen to widen market access for goods and services and generate more opportunities for Filipino workers in the Middle Eastern country. The signing yesterday of the...
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Senate flood control probe resumes Jan. 19
The Senate Blue Ribbon committee will resume its flood control hearings next week to address alleged witness retractions, enforce attendance through subpoenas and begin scrutinizing public works documents known as the “Cabral files,” its chairman...
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Traslacion held amid outrage vs corruption
A massive crowd of devotees joined the annual Traslacion of the Black Nazarene in Manila yesterday, with some using the gathering to express outrage over a corruption scandal related to flood control projects. After a midnight mass at the Quirino...
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Budget can withstand legal scrutiny – Palace
Malacañang yesterday expressed optimism that this year’s P6.793-trillion national budget would withstand legal scrutiny, after a lawmaker vowed to challenge the constitutionality of its unprogrammed appropriations. House senior deputy minority leader...
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BBM signs P6.793-T nat’l budget for 2026
Acknowledging concerns over last year’s national outlay, dubbed the “most corrupt budget ever,” President Marcos yesterday vowed to prevent state funds from going to corruption as he signed this year’s P6.793-trillion outlay, the first to bar...
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Trump: US will run Venezuela
WASHINGTON ꟷ Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was in a New York jail Saturday, hours after American special forces seized and flew him out of his country ꟷ which Donald Trump said would come under effective US control. The US president’s...
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Ombudsman calls for graft watch on all gov’t branches
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla yesterday urged the public to remain vigilant over all branches of government, saying graft and corruption are rampant not only in the executive and legislative branches but also in the judiciary. “All of us, the entire...
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Ping hopes BBM won’t waver vs corruption
Amid perceptions that the anti-corruption crackdown is losing steam, Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson yesterday urged President Marcos not to waver in the fight against graft. Lacson expressed hope that Marcos would not lose his momentum...
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Pope: Examine your consciences honestly
Pope Leo XIV called on the faithful on New Year’s Eve to give thanks for the past, “examine our consciences honestly,” seek forgiveness and entrust the journey ahead to God’s mercy. During his final general audience for the year, Vatican News reported...
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Leviste asked to keep silent on P2 M ‘bonus’
Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Leviste said he was asked by fellow lawmakers not to publicly disclose the P2 million “Christmas bonus” given to them. “When I saw the checks, I took a picture of them, which I have. And then they started panicking...
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Cabral computer readied for forensic examination
The Office of the Ombudsman is set to conduct a digital forensic examination on the hard drive of the computer of former Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral to determine the authenticity of the files supposedly...
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Bicam signs report on 2026 nat’l budget
The Senate and the House of Representatives signed yesterday the bicameral conference committee report on the proposed P6.79- trillion 2026 national budget, marking the first time that a reconciled enrolled copy was printed and shown to lawmakers...
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Ombudsman ready to take on ICI tasks
The ombudsman is ready to take on the task that the Independent Commission for Infrastructure ( ICI) has started, should the latter cease operations following the successive resignations of two of its commissioners, assistant ombudsman Mico Clavano...
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Fajardo steps down as ICI commissioner
Commissioner Rossana Fajardo has resigned from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure effective Dec. 31, leaving its chairman as the lone ICI commissioner threshing out massive flood control anomalies. Fajardo, the country managing partner at...
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Palace: Cabinet links to insertions hearsay
Documents related to the flood control mess are mere “hearsay” unless validated by the Department of Public Works and Highways, Malacañang said, after Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste released what he described as DPWH files linking executive officials to...
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Cabral files on budget proponents released
After announcing that he had the flood- control project files provided by the late undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Leviste released yesterday the list of project proponents of the Department of Public Works and...
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DILG on Cabral: All signs point to suicide
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla yesterday said “all signs point to suicide” in the death of former public works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral. Remulla said an extensive investigation, including a reconstruction of...
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‘Cabral left complete list of budget insertions’
The late Department of Public Works and Highways undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral left behind a “complete list” of budget insertions for DPWH flood control projects, a neophyte congressman said yesterday. Batangas first district Rep. Leandro...
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It’s her: Cabral died of injuries from fall
It was former public works undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral whose body was found with injuries consistent with a fall at the bottom of a ravine along Kennon Road in Tuba Benguet on Thursday, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said yesterday, citing...
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Ex-DPWH exec dead: Foul play or suicide?
TUBA, Benguet ꟷ Former Department of Public Work and Highways ( DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral ꟷ one of the key figures in the ongoing investigation on anomalous flood control projects ꟷ was found dead in a ravine along Kennon Road, Camp 4,...
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Bicam OKs higher P63.8-B ‘pork’ aid
The bicameral conference committee has more than doubled the funding for the Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations ( AICS), to P63.8 billion from the amount proposed by Malacañang, despite concerns over the program’s vulnerability to political...
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72 medical groups want health ‘pork’ scrapped
Warning that it entrenches patronage politics and undermines the country’s health insurance system, at least 72 medical and health professional organizations have denounced the P51.6-billion allocation for the Medical Assistance to Indigent and...
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Deadlock on DPWH budget stalls bicam
Bicameral talks on the proposed 2026 national budget hit a deadlock and were postponed yesterday after senators refused to back down on P45 billion worth of cuts to what they described as overpriced public works items, Senate finance committee chair...
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Bicam raises health aid ‘pork’ to P51.6 B
Senators and congressmen approved a P51.6billion allocation for the Department of Health ( DOH)’ s controversial health care program, which has been criticized as a “discretionary fund” vulnerable to political patronage. The funding for the Medical...
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Phl fishermen hurt, boat damaged by China in WPS
Another water cannon attack by the Chinese has injured three Filipino fishermen and caused “significant damage” to their vessels, the Philippine Coast Guard reported yesterday. In a statement, the PCG said the latest water cannon incident occurred in...
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Plunder raps filed vs Sara, 15 others
Vice President Sara Duterte is facing plunder, bribery, malversation and graft complaints over the alleged misuse of P612 million worth of confidential funds, which were allegedly diverted, misused and concealed across the Office of the Vice President...
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ICI chair Reyes: We’re good for two years
The chair of the Independent Commission for Infrastructure ( ICI) is seeing its work stretched for two years, contrary to one to two months as predicted by the ombudsman. "We will work very hard until whatever is the date of our existence," ICI head...
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Sarah Discaya surrenders to NBI amid looming arrest
Contractor Sarah Discaya surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation ( NBI) yesterday, hours after President Marcos announced that an arrest warrant against her was expected to be out this week in connection with alleged anomalies in flood...
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Malversation, plunder raps eyed vs Bong Revilla
It’s a “low- hanging fruit” and there is “enough evidence” to warrant the indictment and arrest ꟷ possibly before Christmas ꟷ of former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. for malversation or plunder in connection with flood control projects, Ombudsman...
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Palace cool to bill creating another infra probe body
Malacañang is wary of the Independent People’s Commission (IPC) being proposed in the Senate to investigate anomalies in government projects, saying it might only duplicate the functions of existing agencies. Some legislators are seeking the creation...
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BBM to officials: Prioritize public interest
President Marcos reminded public officials to always prioritize public interest, as he led the traditional Christmas gift giving at Malacañang yesterday. Marcos, who was joined by First Lady Liza Marcos and son Vincent, treated thousands of children...
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SC orders return of P60 B ‘excess funds’ to PhilHealth
By a unanimous vote, the Supreme Court has ordered the return of P60 billion impounded by the government from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), the SC announced yesterday. The high tribunal also made permanent the temporary...
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BBM: Weeding out corruption in gov’t like excising cancer
While his crackdown on corruption in flood control projects may have caused disruptions and sufferings, it can be likened to a major cancer surgery that brings pain before healing, according to President Marcos. And while the country is in anguish...
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Stressed Singson quits ICI
Rogelio Singson has resigned from the Independent Commission for Infrastructure ꟷ the second official to leave the ICI after Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong. Singson felt that the ICI was becoming a “punching bag” and deodorizer of Malacañang,...
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NBI raids Zaldy Co’s condo units in BGC
Brandishing a court order, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents yesterday swooped down on two condominium units owned by fugitive lawmaker Elizaldy Co in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig to search for and copy documents related to alleged bid...
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House suspends Barzaga for 60 days
Voting 249-5, the House of Representatives yesterday upheld the recommendation of its ethics committee to impose a 60-day suspension “without pay and privileges” on Cavite 4th District Rep. Francisco Barzaga for conduct unbecoming of a member of...
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