Manila Standard
Gov’t sets record P50m bounty for Bato’s arrest
THE government has put a record P50million bounty on the head of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, the top enforcer of former President Rodrigo Duterte's bloody anti-drug crackdown, nearly a year after the International Criminal Court (ICC) ordered his...
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OSG: Defer spending of flagged budget items
THE Office of the Solicitor General has advised the Marcos administration to defer spending certain portions of the 2026 national budget which have been tagged by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional. Solicitor General Darlene Berberabe said this...
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SC strikes down ’24, ’25 GAAs
THE Supreme Court (SC) has declared unconstitutional the congressional increases to the 2024 and 2025 national budgets and struck down two 2026 budget provisions that allowed unprogrammed funds and appropriations worth a combined P480.24 billion to be...
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Senate eyes reso vs. China envoy
THE Senate will tackle today and is expected to pass a resolution over Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s remarks that China could easily defeat the Philippines by force even as the Chinese embassy warned Filipino officials will not be welcome to China if...
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China embassy dares PH: Stop blu ing, expel envoy
THE Chinese Embassy in Manila dared Philippine lawmakers to make good of their call to declare Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan persona non grata – a move that the Philippine Coast Guard said only showed how boastful the foreign envoy was. In a social...
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PBBM hits China envoy ‘threat’
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he will sum-sum monmon Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan after the latter’s remark that Beijing could easily defeat Manila by force, which the commander-in-chief described as a “threat. “It sounds very much to me like a...
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‘Mindanao politician is drug plane funder’
THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Thursday tagged an opposition politician from Mindanao as the financier of a private plane that carried 521 kilos of shabu worth P3.54 billion in Laos last October 1. Lawyer Joseph Frederick Calulut,...
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Trump, UN chief to attend ASEAN Summit in Manila in Nov.
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres will attend the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Manila this November, Malacañang and the Department of Foreign Affairs said on...
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3 impeach raps vs. VP dropped
THE Senate impeachment court on Tuesday granted prosecutors’ request to drop three out of four charges against Vice President Sara Duterte, leaving accusations of unexplained wealth the sole remaining count against her. Prosecutors, who last week...
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‘Buy buckets, collect rainwater’
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged Filipinos to prepare buckets and collect rainwater as the government is set to launch an information campaign on how to properly filter and treat rainwater to make it potable. “Part of that public service message...
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Marcos alarmed over China ‘funding’ Sara
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday warned that allegations alleging that Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, received millions of pesos from China, could pose a threat to the country's national security. “This is a...
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PBBM revives push for nuclear energy
PHe lamented that the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant was never put into operation despite the country having developed expertise and completed the initial phases of its nuclear energy program decades ago. “In 1986, we were already in the first two phases....
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ACTING UP.
In a decision dated Sept. 28 and made public on Oct. 8, Trial Chamber III said the medical fififindings were sufficiently conclusive to determine that Duterte could participate in the proceedings and effectively exercise his fair trial...
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‘Tensions can go out of control’
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Thursday his greatest fear in the West Philippine Sea is that a single mistake could trigger an escalation that spirals “out of control,” adding that preventing miscalculations was crucial to ensure maritime tensions...
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Robin, Bong Go ask SC to nix threshold rule
SENATORS Robinhood Padilla and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to overturn the Senate impeachment court’s ruling adjusting the two-thirds voting requirement for convicting Vice President Sara Duterte, insisting that...
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Chiz flags VP Sara’s SALN gaps
THE millions of bank transactions under the names of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, do not match the total net worth declared in their joint Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) from 2002 to 2025, Senate...
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AMLC...
THE Anti-Money Laundering Council confirmed aggregate transactions by Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio, have been flagged for allegedly being linked to flood control projects as well as drug trafficking. AMLC Secretariat...
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DA: El Niño could cut palay yield by 700,000 tons
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said dropping Article III was within the prosecution’s discretion but warned that the move could deprive Filipinos of a full examination of the bribery allegation. Chua...
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106 areas under calamity state
AcATOTAL of 106 ities and municipalities were declared under a state of calamity in relation to the e ects of the strong El Niño, the latest situational report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) showed. Cagayan...
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Trillanes: China funding VP, kin
FORMER Senator Antonio Trillanes IV alleged Friday that more than P319 million in funds from China flowed through Cale88 Foods Corp., a company linked to VP Sara Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases “Mans” Carpio. H e a lso claimed that the Tapang at...
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Water flow cut; Palace girds for ‘super’ El Niño
WATER authorities have reduced Metro Manila’s water allocation as the government steps up preparations for a potentially stronger El Niño, Malacañang said Thursday, warning the public against panic-buying and hoarding bottled water. The weather...
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SC dismisses petitions to nix threshold ruling
THE Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed three separate petitions challenging the Senate impeachment court’s interpretation of the twothirds voting requirement for convicting Vice President Sara Duterte, clearing the way for the impeachment trial to...
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‘Trillanes must wait for papers to be presented’
THE Senate Impeachment Court on Tuesday cautioned House prosecutors against calling former senator Antonio Trillanes IV before presenting the documents and testimony needed to establish the financial records he is expected to discuss in Vice President...
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‘Probe Gracioso’s VP claims’
GOVERNMENT officials and House prosecutors called for a thorough investigation into former police corporal Rodulfo Gracioso Jr.’s allegations that he delivered more than P2 billion in cash to Vice President Sara Duterte and members of her family. The...
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‘Nefarious activities’ of foreigners probed
Locals and tourists alike ocked to Baguio City’s Session road to witness high-energy Wushu demonstrations and graceful Chinese music and dance performances, especially the spirited Dragon and Lion dances in celebration of the midAutumn...
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SEA OF CLOUDS.
Like floating islands, mountain peaks jut out of low lying clouds in Kapangan, Benguet.
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Defense team of ex-Speaker eyes presenting 40 witnesses
MARY Jane Veloso went free last night after 16 years in prison, several hours after President Ferdinand R. Marcos announced granting her an absolute pardon. “Pinirmahan ko na ‘yung pardon niya kahapon (I signed her pardon yesterday),” Marcos confirmed...
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COA ags P168m in OVP’s relief operations in '25
THE Commission on Audit (COA) has flagged major documentation and accountability gaps in the Office of the Vice President’s P168-million relief operations in 2025. The gaps include P84.12 million in distributions covered by Mission Orders that did not...
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Votes to convict VP lowered
THE Senate on Wednesday approved a lower threshold of votes needed to find Vice President Sara Duterte guilty in her impeachment trial, ruling that senators who are unable to participate in the proceedings should not be counted in determining the...
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‘VP Sara a shareholder of firm that got P35.87m in gov’t deals’
VICE President Sara Duterte declared herself a shareholder of Gencorp Industries Inc., which allegedly received P35.9 million in government contracts while she was serving as Vice President, House lead prosecutor Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro told the...
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Conflict of interest? SEC confirms VP stayed as company director
VICE President Sara Duterte remained a director of Metro City Chow Foods Corp. during her vice presidency, raising questions about a possible conflict of interest even though prosecution records presented before the Senate impeachimpeach ment court...
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Senate sets caucus today over threshold vote issue
SENATOR-JUDGES are scheduled to hold a caucus today to discuss the voting threshold needed to convict or acquit Vice President Sara Duterte, with Sen. JV Ejercito saying he hopes members of the Senate impeachment court will be given time to study the...
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‘Shooter influenced by deep dark web’
THE Grade 9 student who opened re at the Banga National High School in South Cotabato Friday before killing himself had been accessing the “deep dark web,” the Department of the Interior and Local Government said Saturday. “Upon investigation, he was...
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3 die in new school shooting
AT LEAST three students were killed and several others were injured following a school shooting in Banga, South Cotabato on Friday—the country's third deadly campus incident since June Governor Reynaldo Sucayan Tamayo Jr. confirmed there were three...
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NUTRITION ASSURED.
MALACAÑANG on Thursday backed the Supreme Court’s directive for Congress to enact an anti-political dynasty law, saying President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants the measure passed during his administration after the high court ruled that the lawmakers’...
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‘Amici curiae’ split 3-1 over conviction vote
THREE retired Supreme Court chief justices told the Senate impeachment court Wednesday that the 16 votes currently required to convict Vice President Sara Duterte are not necessarily fixed, while retired SC Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna maintained...
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Ex-Speaker at infirmary ward for medical monitoring—DILG
THE former Speaker of the House of Representatives has now been placed in the infirmary ward of the New Quezon City Jail for medical monitoring. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the health status of Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez shall be monitored...
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‘Peaceful’ BARMM polls leave 4 dead
COTABATO CITY— Officials called the parliamentary elections in the Bangsamoro region on Monday “peaceful,” but the situation quickly devolved into four shooting deaths, firefights, an explosion, ballot irregularities, and reports of gunfire,...
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Coron town digs temporary mass grave for ferry fatalities
THE local government of Coron, Palawan has dug a mass grave at the San Nicolas Public Cemetery to temporarily bury unidentified victims from the fire-stricken ferry MV June Aster, as the confirmed death toll climbed to 76. Authorities also set up a...
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‘Ferry fire toll surges to 76, may still go up’
THE death toll from the burned passenger vessel M/ V June Aster surged to 76 yesterday with 41 more remains recovered, the Philippine Coast Guard said, adding that it was also trying to locate the captain of the illfated ship. The 30 bodies of...
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Senate to change 16-vote rule—VP
VICE President Sara Duterte on Friday said the 16-vote threshold for her conviction in the impeachment trial had “already been settled,” as the Senate impeachment court prepares to hear legal experts and decide whether to uphold or overturn the ruling...
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FIERY TRAGEDY.
This handout photo taken and received from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on September 10, 2026 shows the ruins of a ferry that caught fire off Palawan. Inset shows casualties in body bags in a barangay in Coron, Palawan.
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Trillanes, 24 others to take stand
THE House prosecution is preparing up to 25 witnesses, including former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and representatives of key government agencies, for next week’s presentation of evidence on Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte’s alleged unexplained...
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SENDOFF.
Bar examinees are sent off to their exams by relatives and school supporters who gathered early Sunday at the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Campus in Manila, one of the testing centers for the 2026 Philippine Bar Examinations. The Supreme Court...
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Palace: Paying witnesses to target people alarming
ATTEMPTS to pay to make false accusations and implicate specific people in the flood control mess are alarming as this erodes trust in the justice system, Malacañang on Thursday said. “This is concerning because this will erode the justice system and...
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‘Underground water-retention facilities eyed to ease flooding’
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Wednesday the government is considering digging underground water-retention facilities beneath existing public spaces, including football fields and open areas, as part of efforts to strengthen Metro Manila’s...
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2 dead in Zambo school shooting
AHIGH school student livestreamed himself shooting another schoolmate dead before taking his own life at a high school in Zamboanga City on Tuesday, authorities said. The school shooting, the country’s second in as many months, took place at the...
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Severe floods inundate NCR
THE streets of Metro Manila stood still yesterday as thousands of students, workers, and motorists endured heavy “habagat” rains that dumped 201.7 millimeters of rainfall in just five hours from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. – extending a grueling stretch of...
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Palace, military, police blast Macacua ambush
COTABATO CITY— Authorities recovered empty bullet shells from a grassy, uninhabited area near the highway in Barangay Dulangan, Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte, as reactions continued to pour in Sunday following the ambush of Bangsamoro...
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BARMM chief’s convoy ambushed
COTABATO CITY — Gunmen fired at the convoy of Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua on Saturday, less than a month before the first-ever Bangsamoro Parliament election. Macacua and his team were...
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PBBM: Hold accountable flood control perpetrators
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday vowed to continue the fight against corruption and hold accountable all those re-re sponsiblesponsible for the flood control mess. During a luncheon hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the...
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Ping: Worst form of ‘pork’
THE controversial “Leadership Fund” implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways from 2024 to 2025 was the worst version” of the pork barrel funds, Senator Panfilo Lacson said. Lacson said the mechanism, which he also called...
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‘2024 senators got leadership fund’
ALL senators in 2024 received a so-called “leadership fund” – a minimum of P500 million per senator and up to P1 billion for those who have committee chairmanships, former Public Works secretary Manuel Bonoan testified before the Sandiganbayan...
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Marcos orders Las Piñas spillway project revived
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways to revive and complete a long-delayed spillway in Las Piñas City, saying the project could significantly improve Metro Manila’s ability to drain floodwaters. Mr. Marcos...
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‘Habagat’ rains to last until Wednesday; death toll now at 15
RAINS due to the southwest monsoon or “habagat” will continue over parts of Luzon until Wednesday, the state weather bureau said, as the death toll from the continuing inclement weather rose to 15 according to the national police, while about 1.3...
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‘Habagat’ kills 10, affects 380k
AT LEAST 10 people have died, and more than 382,000 people have been affected by days of heavy rains brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon or “habagat” and tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay, according to government agencies. Meanwhile, the Office...
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‘Maleta Boys’ unreliable – NBI
THE former bodyguards of ex-Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co – known as the “Maleta Boys” — are unreliable witnesses, National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said yesterday. This as four of them recanted their earlier sworn...
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4 ‘Maleta Boys’ recant flood control allegations
FOUR men who identified themselves as former bodyguards of ex-Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co have withdrawn their earlier sworn statements that implicated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., former Speaker Martin Romualdez, Co, and other personalities...
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US asks PH to extradite Quiboloy on sex crimes
THE United States has formally requested the extradition of Filipino televangelist Apollo Quiboloy to face multiple charges, including child sex trafficking, engaging in sex with minors, fraud, and money laundering, the country’s ambassador to...
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