PLUNDER UPDATES, A DRUG SHIPMENT & NBI SUBPOENAS
A TV box is supposed to let you watch television. A security camera is supposed to help you watch your home.
Read the latest explainer →Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. says his department stopped a disputed rice shipment. A farmers' group is asking him to step aside while the importation is investigated. Customs has described enforcement action against the cargo.
You hear that Meralco has been ordered to return billions of pesos. Then another announcement says the electricity rate is going up. If you are trying to stretch the household budget until payday, the obvious question is: may refund nga, bakit mas mahal pa rin?
A poverty report can quickly turn into a political argument. One side points to progress. Another points to hardship. Before joining that argument, it helps to know what the numbers actually mean.
Why prosecutors narrowed Sara Duterte’s impeachment case, what the court accepted, and what the choice means for the evidence and the defense.
What House approval establishes, why the allocations can still change, and how readers can follow the services that matter to them.
What the House committee decision establishes, how system loss is charged, and why households still need a final rule and a sample bill before calculating savings.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on October 11 that Lino Cayetano would replace Dave Gomez at the Presidential Communications Office. He said Gomez had been bypassed by the Commission on Appointments and that the change would be formalized when they returned from Singapore.
A restaurant charge above ₱200,000. Two purchases at a Nike store in Davao on the same day. More shopping in Japan and Malaysia. These credit card entries appear in financial forensic analyst Alexander Cabrera’s October 9 testimony at Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial.
When can the BIR examine an old tax return? That question became part of Friday’s impeachment hearing when defense counsel Kristine Ferrer asked whether alleged fraud discovered in 2026 would put the earliest assessable tax year at 2016. The prosecution objected, and presiding officer Chiz Escudero sustained the objection.
The House has approved the proposed ₱7.2-trillion national budget for 2027 on second reading, with about ₱116 billion in reported amendments. Its next scheduled vote is on October 12.
The argument at Thursday’s impeachment hearing was about which witness the prosecution could present next. It began with an absent lawyer and became a dispute over preparation and notice. Understanding the exchange helps explain why a courtroom can pause even when the parties, documents and another potential witness are already in the building.
Senator Mark Villar has formally left the Senate minority and joined the majority. The October 8 move strengthens the bloc supporting the chamber’s leadership and gives Villar two significant positions. Its implications for Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, however, require more than counting political allies.
A bank balance can fall even when the value represented by the money has not disappeared. That distinction sits behind the prosecution’s questions about manager’s checks in Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. To understand the October 7 testimony, we need to follow the instrument, the person entitled to its value and the declaration of assets for the relevant year.
COA has rejected the request to reconsider the ₱73.287-million disallowance involving the Office of the Vice President’s December 2022 confidential expenses. The October 5 resolution became public on October 7. Its significance is easier to understand when the amount, the audit finding and the available legal remedies are kept separate.
A Makati court has ordered the arrest of Batangas First District Representative Leandro Leviste over an alleged violation of the Public Service Act. The reports checked for this article do not confirm that he has been taken into custody.
The arguments over bank records in Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial involve several protections. The privacy of a peso deposit, the protection of a foreign-currency deposit, and the confidentiality of a report sent to the AMLC come from different rules. Understanding those differences helps explain what the court has allowed and what remains in dispute.
Reports that House prosecutors may stop presenting the bribery article against Sara Duterte can easily sound like the charge has already disappeared. The verified statements describe a proposed prosecution move and the court process needed to address it.
₱4.4 billion is a figure that can dominate a conversation before anyone asks what it counts. AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura presented that approximate total in the Senate impeachment court on October 5, covering reported transactions involving Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio. He also explained that a bank correction had reduced the earlier figure of ₱6.7 billion.
A screenshot saying “walang pasok” can change a family’s plans before anyone checks where it came from. This Teachers’ Day, parents are dealing with a false nationwide announcement alongside local notices that may apply only to particular schools or have already been revised.
Free tuition can make college possible for a family that could never afford the fees. Keeping a child in school still means finding money for transport, meals, supplies and other requirements.
If you use Coins.ph to receive money or pay bills, a failed cash-in can disrupt plans for the day. Coins.ph has announced that some incoming peso services are temporarily unavailable following a BSP directive to improve its internal controls. Its advisory also identifies services that existing customers can still use.
No Contact Apprehension Policy enforcement is returning to six Metro Manila cities on Monday, October 5. A camera can record a possible violation even when no enforcer stops the vehicle, so drivers and registered owners need to know where notices come from, how to check the evidence, and how to question a mistake.
A secondhand phone can put a useful device within reach of someone who cannot afford a new one. The problem comes when the buyer has no clear information about where it came from, what condition it is in, or who will fix it if it fails.
The Supreme Court dismissed three petitions on September 30 challenging how the Senate impeachment court would count the votes needed to convict Vice President Sara Duterte. The dismissal leaves the Senate’s September 23 ruling in place, but it needs to be read carefully. A case can be dismissed because it does not meet the requirements for the Court to hear it, without settling whether the challenged action is constitutional.
Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte told the Senate impeachment court on September 29 that he had been unfamiliar with GenCorp Industries Inc. before it came up in the proceedings. He also said he did not know about Vice President Sara Duterte’s declared business interest in the company.
If you are planning a flight home or a family trip, check the full ticket price before paying. The Civil Aeronautics Board has approved a higher fuel-surcharge ceiling for October 1 to 15. The increase can add to your travel costs even when the advertised base fare looks affordable.
Who is covered, the two daily rates, and what to check in your next payslip.
What the DA proposes, why hog raisers want help, and why the effect on household food costs is not yet settled.
What COA found, what the OVP must explain, and what accountability should look like next.
What the ratified voucher bill would change, who may qualify, and what families still need to know.
What has been agreed, what is not yet final, and what Filipino consumers, workers, farmers, and businesses should watch.
Who voted, who did not, and how the Senate’s 13–1 ruling changes the calculation for conviction.
Warning signs, conversations, and practical steps for parents whose children play online games.
What a witness can refuse to answer, and why invoking the right is not a confession.
A Philippine fisheries vessel was damaged in a collision off Palawan. Manila and Beijing disagree about how it happened, while fishermen still need fuel.
Remulla announced a denial, then said he was still confirming it. Without an official Austrian decision, Roque’s asylum status remains disputed.
A DOJ subpoena requires the senator to answer an obstruction complaint. It is not an arrest warrant, a criminal charge in court or a conviction.
Both chambers have backed longer terms, but the November 2026 election remains the law until Congress completes one final bill and the President acts on it.
Metro Manila households served by Maynilad and Manila Water will see slightly higher water charges beginning October 1. The announced increases are small for many residential customers, but the figures vary by concessionaire and consumption level. That makes it easy to misunderstand a notice expressed only in centavos per cubic meter.
Retired Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang explained the legal framework for Article II. Her testimony laid out the test; it did not prove the allegations against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Authorities say they know where he is. An arrest has yet to be confirmed.
Why holding a Senate seat does not cancel court custody, preventive suspension, or the need for judicial permission to join an impeachment vote.
Why the Constitution points to 16 votes, why the current absences created a real dispute, and why the Senate must settle the counting rule before judgment.
The reported 400 personnel, her complaints about safety, and what the military has actually said.
Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. was answering questions at the Seoul Defense Dialogue on September 8 when a man handed him a note. He read it aloud, challenged its rejection of the 2016 South China Sea ruling and objected to being interrupted that way.
An amicus curiae is someone who helps a court understand a legal question. The phrase means “friend of the court.” When more than one person takes that role, they are called amici curiae. They give advice. The court still makes the decision.
It can be raining outside while PAGASA warns about El Niño. That can sound confusing when the immediate problem is a wet road or a flooded field. The two warnings describe different periods: the weather happening now and the rainfall conditions that may develop over the coming months.
The Sandiganbayan has ordered the arrest of Zaldy Co, Martin Romualdez and two other accused in the plunder case filed on September 7. By Monday evening, authorities had served Romualdez's warrant and carried out booking procedures at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan. His arrest is a confirmed development; it does not establish that his three co-accused are also in custody.
The Office of the Ombudsman filed a plunder case against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez at the Sandiganbayan on September 7 over his alleged involvement in flood-control kickbacks. The accusations have now reached the court that will handle the criminal case. Romualdez denies wrongdoing and remains presumed innocent.
The alleged threats appear in both her impeachment case and a criminal case. Does that mean she is being tried twice for the same offense?
The authority, records and questions to check under the consolidated audit rules.
What the charges require prosecutors to prove, how bail works, and why impeachment is a separate proceeding.
What Republic Act No. 12325 changes for subsidies, costly training, and qualified disadvantaged students.
What the record figure includes, why the peso matters, and how debt service affects future public spending.
What the new ₱10.377-billion funding covers, where the program applies, and why patients should still confirm the rules before admission.
What the proposed service would cover, who could qualify, which costs may be waived, and why the program is not available yet.
What unhealthy air readings mean, who faces greater risk, and how to reduce exposure while authorities verify the haze’s source.
The 68-56 win revived the Philippines’ campaign, but Gilas remains fifth in Group E and still has work to do.
The increase was divided between March and September, so workers and payroll staff who remember only the first adjustment may apply the wrong rate after September 1.
Five checks graduating students and their families should make before the September 17 application deadline.
Five checks government workers and pensioners should make before applying, from covered areas and deadlines to net proceeds and repayment.
Five checks Filipino applicants can use to verify a recruiter, employer, fees, visa route, and written job offer before paying or travelling.
Cases rose after weeks of flooding. Here is how exposure happens, which symptoms to watch, and when to seek care.
More than two million BARMM voters are scheduled to choose the first regular 80-seat Bangsamoro Parliament on September 14.
DepEd cancelled the nationwide active-attack drill after mental-health specialists raised concerns. The need for safer school planning remains.
The five-percent EV parking rule is already law. The detailed charging rules for older and new properties are still being finalized.
Flood control is not only about pumps, canals and drainage. It also depends on where communities build, which lands remain open, and whether development decisions follow the same hazard information.
Orly Guteza has withdrawn his earlier accusation. Here is what a recantation changes, what it does not prove, and what the Ombudsman still needs to examine.
What private workers need to know about attendance, discipline and pay when severe weather makes travel unsafe.
The program has trained senior officers since 2016. It is a disaster-planning course, not a newly announced ten-year military pact.
The Senate has approved stronger protections for patients who cannot immediately pay, but hospital debt does not disappear and the proposal is not yet law.
The fund can pay for useful local projects, but it is separate from the automatic tax share of local governments and still depends on national budget decisions.
Self-rated poverty and food poverty declined in June, but the figures also show how many Filipino families remain under pressure and why lower household budgets do not necessarily mean life became cheaper.
The Philippines has joined a technology partnership, but the proposed New Clark City hub still needs detailed agreements, investors, utilities, and safeguards.
The proposal promises faster help when fuel and energy costs rise, but it would also give the President temporary additional powers.
Two Senate proposals would make lessons about the West Philippine Sea a permanent part of school education.
CADENA could connect budgets, contracts, payments, and reported results in one public trail. The technology still cannot determine whether the information entered is true.
The French financing belongs to a nearly US$970-million package and supports the national budget after policy reforms, rather than a list of local marine projects.
What prosecutors filed, what they must prove, how Duterte’s conditional wording may affect the charge, and the unresolved question of whether the case can proceed while she remains vice president.
The election is still scheduled for November 2, 2026. A newly filed Senate bill would move it by two years, keep current officials in office longer, and change who can run for the Sangguniang Kabataan.
House Bill No. 9965 would bar children below 13 from having social media accounts, require parental consent for users aged 13 to 17, regulate platform algorithms, and impose fines reaching P50 million. It is still being deliberated in the House.
The proposal would add rights over automated decisions, six months’ notice for major workplace AI changes, deepfake rules, and environmental disclosure for AI infrastructure. It is not law yet.
The proposed benefit is not available yet. Congress still has to settle who qualifies, how claims will be verified, and how the program will be funded.
The record nominal spending plan is not yet law, will require deficit financing, and could change substantially in Congress.
Why the financing is tied to health-system reforms, what it is meant to improve, and why the loan alone cannot guarantee better care.
What the visiting-forces agreements regulate, why the Senate must concur, and what they do not require the three countries to do.
What the 6.2 percent national rate measures, why lower-income households recorded 8.2 percent inflation, and what the figures mean for an ordinary family budget.
What the auditor found in the OVP’s confidential-fund submissions, what those findings mean, and what prosecutors still have to connect to Sara Duterte personally.
A 2027 sounding-rocket test could build skills and research capacity, but it is still far from placing satellites into orbit.
Lithuania is offering technology, training, and experience in tracking organized propaganda campaigns, but no detailed Philippine program has been announced.
The House and Senate approved different proposals for opening bank records, and the final safeguards have not yet been settled.
Tulfo says the minority is blocking the probe, but the documented delay was the committee’s unfinished formal organization.
The impeachment court kept the prosecution-first format after Duterte’s defense rejected an article-by-article presentation.
Romualdez has been ordered to answer serious flood-control allegations under oath, but no court has ruled on the accusations.
Marcos authorized the BIR to comply with the Senate subpoena. That did not open the records to the public or prove the unexplained-wealth allegation.
If consumers stop paying for system loss, who will shoulder the cost instead?
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Good morning. Rescue teams are searching the waters off Coron after the passenger ferry MV June Aster caught fire Wednesday evening. Five people were confirmed dead in the Coast Guard's latest early-morning count. The Supreme Court has also acquitted Imelda Marcos in seven graft cases, overturning her 2018 conviction without changing a separate civil ruling on the Marcos Swiss deposits. Heavy rain has changed work and school arrangements in Metro Manila and 13 provinces. In Manila, some small businesses say higher garbage fees have forced them to borrow money or cut jobs. The country also has ten new National Artists.
The passenger ferry MV June Aster caught fire at about 6:45 Wednesday evening while traveling from Manila to Coron. The fire broke out roughly 2.2 kilometers northeast of Barangay Marcilla in Coron, Palawan. The ship's manifest listed 117 passengers and 17 crew members.
In the Philippine Coast Guard's latest early-morning count, five people had died and 42 had been rescued. Authorities had not yet accounted for the other 87 people on the manifest. Coast Guard spokesperson Captain Noemi Cayabyab said the numbers could change as rescuers find more survivors and check names against the list. The rescued group included 38 passengers and four crew members. Coron officials said three people were in critical condition, 33 remained in hospital and six had been discharged.
Being unaccounted for is not the same as being confirmed missing. Passenger lists can contain errors, and some survivors may reach shore on fishing boats or through other rescuers before officials record them. The Coast Guard still needs to match every name on the manifest with a rescued passenger, a crew member, a confirmed death or a person who remains missing.
Watch for the Coast Guard's next confirmed list and any change in the number of people rescued or still missing. Investigators must also find where and how the fire started, whether the ship's safety equipment worked, whether passengers received clear evacuation instructions and whether fuel from the vessel has spilled into the sea.
The Supreme Court has acquitted former First Lady Imelda Marcos of seven counts of graft. The ruling overturns the Sandiganbayan decision that convicted her in 2018 and sentenced her to six years and one month to 11 years in prison for each count. That conviction also permanently disqualified her from holding public office.
Prosecutors accused Marcos of having financial interests in private foundations in Switzerland while she held government posts. In a 50-page decision dated June 10 and released on September 9, the Supreme Court's First Division said the prosecution did not prove her guilt beyond reasonable doubt.
The Court said prosecutors did not properly prove that key Swiss documents were genuine. The witnesses who presented the records could not confirm that their contents were true. Prosecutors also failed to show that the Swiss foundations were businesses covered by the specific anti-graft provision used in the charges.
Marcos is acquitted in these seven criminal cases, and the 2018 prison sentences no longer stand. A separate Supreme Court ruling that transferred Marcos Swiss deposits to the government remains in place. That civil case decided what would happen to the deposits. The seven cases decided now asked whether Marcos was criminally guilty and required proof beyond reasonable doubt.
Watch whether prosecutors ask the Supreme Court to reconsider the acquittal. The ruling may also affect how prosecutors prepare other criminal cases that depend on bank records or documents obtained abroad. They must be able to prove where those records came from and that the information in them can be trusted.
Government offices in Metro Manila and 13 provinces have been ordered to use alternative work arrangements today because of continuing rain from the enhanced southwest monsoon. Public and private schools in the same areas must also shift from their usual class setup, unless their local government gives a different instruction.
The covered provinces are La Union, Pangasinan, Benguet, Bataan, Bulacan, Pampanga, Zambales, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro. Government offices providing health care, disaster response and other vital services must remain open. Contract-of-service and job-order workers covered by the alternative arrangements will still be paid, following the rules that apply to them.
This is not a nationwide suspension, and it does not automatically stop work in private companies. Private employers decide whether to suspend operations, allow employees to work from home or use another arrangement. Students and workers should check the announcement from their own school, office, local government or employer before changing their plans.
Online work and classes can also become impossible when flooding cuts electricity, mobile signal or internet service. Schools and offices need another option for people who cannot connect safely or reliably.
Watch PAGASA's rainfall warnings, local flood reports and announcements from schools and employers during the day. Local governments may suspend more activities if conditions worsen. Road closures, transport disruptions and rising water can also make an office or vital public service difficult to reach.
Some small business owners in Manila say the city's higher garbage fees have forced them to borrow money, reduce workers' hours or dismiss employees. Manila began collecting the new rates under Ordinance No. 9151 in January.
The ordinance charges restaurants and other public eating places measuring 100 to less than 200 square meters P16,800 every quarter, or P67,200 a year. One cafe owner told Philstar that his total business-permit bill reached almost P107,000. About P60,000 came from garbage fees and interest for late payment. He took out a loan after the city closed the cafe over unpaid permit charges.
A food-stall owner in Sampaloc said her renewal costs rose from about P14,000 last year to P64,000 this year. She said she had dismissed nine of her 15 workers. Those two cases do not show what happened to every Manila business. They show how a large fee can cost jobs and threaten a small business.
City officials defended higher rates in January. They said garbage fees had not been updated since 2013 and no longer covered rising waste collection and disposal costs. The city had not given Philstar a new response about the reported effects on businesses by publication time.
Watch whether Manila publishes the cost behind each fee, reviews the largest increases or offers lower rates for small establishments. The result should be visible in cleaner streets and reliable garbage collection. It should also show whether neighborhood businesses can pay the fees without cutting more jobs or closing.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has named ten new National Artists through Proclamation No. 1414. They are the first group to receive the country's highest official honor for Filipino artists since 2022.
The honorees are Nicanor Tiongson and Gregorio Brillantes for literature; Imelda Cajipe Endaya and Nunelucio Alvarado for visual arts; Gabriel Formoso for architecture; Rafael “Nonoy” Froilan for dance; Maria Beatriz “Patis” Tesoro for design; Armando “Bing” Lao for film and broadcast arts; Teodoro Hilado for theater; and Alfredo S. Buenaventura for music. The awards for Brillantes, Formoso, Lao and Hilado are being given after their deaths.
The title places their work among the achievements the country has chosen to honor, preserve and teach. Living National Artists also receive a cash award, a monthly pension, and medical and hospitalization support.
The announcement gives the public ten names. Their books, paintings, buildings, performances, films, designs and music must also become easier to find. The honor will last longer if schools, libraries, museums, theaters and cultural agencies help another generation experience the work.
Watch for the official ceremony and the complete explanation of why each person was chosen. Cultural agencies should also explain how they will preserve the honorees' work and make it available outside a single awards ceremony.
This morning begins with families waiting for news from the ferry search off Coron. The Supreme Court ruling changes Imelda Marcos' criminal record, while leaving the separate civil ruling on the Swiss deposits untouched. Rain orders, garbage fees and support for the arts are very different government decisions, but all of them reach people's lives. They affect whether people can travel safely, report for work, keep a business open, protect jobs and pass important Filipino work to the next generation.
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