The Philippine Star
OSG seeks hold on use of 2026 appropriations
Government lawyers have advised the Marcos administration to put on hold the implementation of some programs in this year’s national budget as they prepare to appeal a Supreme Court ruling declaring the 2024 and 2025 outlays and parts of the 2026...
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Palace to appeal SC ruling on budget
The Marcos administration will ask the Supreme Court (SC) to reconsider its ruling declaring as unconstitutional the national budgets for 2024 and 2025 due to a large increase in unprogrammed appropriations. “We respectfully urge the Supreme Court to...
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SC declares 2024, 2025 budgets unconstitutional
The Supreme Court (SC) has declared as unconstitutional the national budgets for 2024 and 2025, particularly the unprogrammed appropriations (UA) that left the outlays “severely distorted.” Also declared unconstitutional were the UA provisions in the...
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BBM rules out China envoy’s expulsion
While it respects the sentiments of some of the country’s officials over Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s “threatening” remarks, Malacañang maintained that President Marcos would not want any diplomat expelled. “We know the President’s view. He would...
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Senate majority bloc eyes resolution vs China envoy
The Senate majority is preparing to file a resolution condemning the recent “hostile” and “threatening” remarks of Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan, with Sen. JV Ejercito calling for the envoy’s immediate replacement. Speaking to radio dzBB over the...
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China embassy dares Congress: Just do it
The Chinese embassy dared lawmakers to go ahead with their threat to declare Ambassador Jing Quan persona non grata even as more senators joined the chorus of denunciation of the diplomat. “Is this threat or coercion? But anyway, just do it....
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Marcos sets ‘discussion’ with Chinese ambassador
Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s remark that Beijing could “easily win” a conflict with the Philippines has drawn the attention of President Marcos, who would like to have a word with the envoy over what he really meant. “It sounds very much to me like...
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Ex-Co aide: P1 B brought to Romualdez’s house
A former bodyguard of Zaldy Co told the Sandiganbayan that 100 suitcases containing P1 billion in cash were delivered from 2023 to 2024 to the home of former House speaker Martin Romualdez. Rodante Orbillo, former security aide of Co, also told the...
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‘House realigned P206 B in 2027 national budget’
Senate finance committee chairman JV Ejercito has raised concerns over the House of Representatives’ realignments in the proposed P7.2-trillion national budget for 2027. Ejercito noted that an estimated P206 billion was altered from the executive...
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3 of 4 impeachment charges vs VP dropped
Prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte have withdrawn three of the four cases against her, supposedly to expedite the proceedings. Senator- judges convened for 36 minutes and listened to arguments yesterday from both the...
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NBI probing properties linked to Duterte family
The National Bureau of Investigation is zeroing in on several properties linked to Vice President Sara Duterte and other family members after finding major discrepancies in declared values in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN)...
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12 killed, over 300 hurt in Saudi airport attack
RIYADH ꟷ Yemen’s Houthis warned airlines, travelers and airport workers yesterday to stay away from Saudi airports, a day after an attack on Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport killed 12 people and wounded more than 300 others. The Department...
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BBM accepts DICT chief’s resignation
President Marcos has accepted the resignation of Henry Aguda as secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), according to Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla. “He resigned. And his resignation was accepted,” Remulla...
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Firm linked to VP Sara’s spouse under BIR probe
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has placed Cale88 Foods Corp., owned by Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband Manases Carpio, under formal tax investigation, an agency official told the Senate impeachment court yesterday. Lawyer Anne Loraine...
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Mark Villar joins Senate majority
Sen. Mark Villar yesterday bolted the minority led by Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano to join the majority, beefing up the composition of the dominant bloc to 14 of the 24 senators. Villar’s move to join the majority led by Senate President Sherwin...
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Sara, Rody’s P96-M manager’s checks not declared in SALN
More than P96 million of Vice President Sara Duterte’s joint bank deposits with her father was concealed in manager’s checks and was not declared in her statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), testimonies on Day 35 yesterday of her...
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Bank records show undeclared VP assets
The Senate impeachment court has begun looking into the bank records of Vice President Sara Duterte, uncovering 30 active accounts containing P190 million or way above the P13.32 million declared in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth...
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AMLC exec bares P4.4-B VP, spouse transactions
Spouses Vice President Sara Duterte and Manases Carpio had a total of P4.4 billion in “covered and suspicious bank transactions” from 2007 to 2025, an official of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) told the Senate impeachment court...
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Win: Impeach verdict possible by November
Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial could wrap up and yield a final verdict as early as next month, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said yesterday. Speaking to radio dzBB, Gatchalian projected a mid to late November conclusion of the...
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VP on Trillanes claims: Same exhausted lies
Former senator Antonio Trillanes IV “has been peddling exhausted lies since 2016,” Vice President Sara Duterte asserted yesterday. Duterte, who is facing trial before the Senate impeachment court, issued the reaction after Trillanes claimed on Friday...
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Baste set to appear this week at impeach court
Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte and former senator Antonio Trillanes IV are slated to take the witness stand before the Senate impeachment court this week, as prosecutors drill down on Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged ill-gotten...
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VP Sara denies receiving P2 B from ex-Velasco aide
Vice President Sara Duterte has denied allegations made by a security officer of former speaker Lord Allan Velasco that he delivered suitcases containing cash amounting to P2 billion to her, and to her father former president Rodrigo Duterte and...
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BBM postpones b’gay, SK elections to 2028
For the third time in four years, President Marcos has postponed the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE). And instead of just one year, incumbent BSK officials get to stay in their posts for two additional years as the new law fixes...
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Security, bomb threats rock several schools
Less than a week after a school shooting that left three people dead in South Cotabato, panic again erupted at several school grounds in Metro Manila as well as in Biliran due to security alerts, including bomb threats ꟷ hours apart from each other ꟷ...
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Defense: Conviction voting issue may be raised before SC
The defense team going to the Supreme Court “is a real possibility” as it questioned the decision of the Senate impeachment court to effectively allow a lower number of votes to convict Vice President Sara Duterte from the fixed 16. Defense counsel...
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THE PROMISE OF PROTECTION
For Filipinos, the most important promises are rarely made with fanfare. They are found in the quiet decisions we make for the people we love: to protect a family’s way of life, prepare for a child’s education and health, be ready when uncertainty...
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Sara retained business stakes after becoming VP
Despite constitutional prohibition, Vice President Sara Duterte retained her holdings in companies held by her family even after her election in 2022, an official of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said at the resumption of her impeachment...
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Senate tackles today VP impeach vote threshold
Senators are expected to go into caucus today in an attempt to resolve the question on the conviction threshold for Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. This comes after the amici curiae ( friends of the court) voiced their expert opinions...
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DILG: School shooter was into deep dark web
The 16-year-old Grade 9 student who went on a shooting rampage at the Banga National High School in South Cotabato on Friday was suffering from depression and was exposed to the deep dark web, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla disclosed...
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High school shooting leaves 3 students dead, 8 wounded
Three high school students died while eight others were wounded when a 16-year-old schoolmate went on a shooting rampage at the Banga National High School (BNHS) in Banga town, South Cotabato yesterday. Banga Mayor Albert Palencia said the Grade 9...
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Romualdez co-accused Serenio out of Phl – BI
The personal assistant of former House speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez, who was charged with him in a P7.4-billion plunder case, has left the country, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) confirmed yesterday. In a statement, BI spokesperson Anisha...
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SC directs Congress: Pass anti-dynasty law
The Supreme Court has directed Congress to immediately comply with its constitutional duty to enact a law that will put an end to political dynasties. At a press briefing, SC spokesperson Camille Ting said the high court has issued a writ of mandamus...
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Chiz OKs presentation of VP’s SALNs from 2007
The Senate impeachment court will scrutinize Vice President Sara Duterte’s financial records starting from her time as a local official in Davao City to establish a “baseline” for her wealth, presiding officer Sen. Francis Escudero said...
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Sandigan orders QC jail transfer for Romualdez
With assurance by doctors that there was “no imperative need” for continued hospital confinement for former speaker Martin Romualdez, the Sandiganbayan Third Division ordered yesterday his transfer to the New Quezon City Jail. The Sandiganbayan issued...
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Ex-Comelec chair Abas tagged in vote-buying
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered its former chairperson Sheriff Abas to explain a social media post allegedly showing vote-buying involving his candidacy as Cotabato congressman ahead of the 2026 Bangsamoro parliamentary election...
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Ferry fire death toll rises to 76
An additional 41 charred remains were recovered on top of the 30 earlier reported following a fire involving the MV June As ter in Coron, Palawan, the Philippine Coast Guard said yesterday. PCG spokesperson Commodore Noemie Cayabyab said the total...
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‘Only 10 votes needed to reverse 16-vote rule’
It will take only 10 votes from senator- judges to overturn the initial ruling that requires 16 votes to convict Vice President Sara Duterte, the Senate impeachment court clarified yesterday. Impeachment court spokesman Reginald Tongol explained that...
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Five dead, 86 missing in Coron ferry fire
A passenger ferry caught fire off Coron in Palawan Wednesday night, leaving five dead and 86 missing. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is not discounting the possibility that other victims remain trapped inside passenger and roll-on roll-off ship MV...
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Ombudsman to oppose Martin’s bid for hospital detention
The Office of the Ombudsman will “strongly oppose” the bid of Leyte congressman and former speaker Martin Romualdez for continued hospital confinement as he faces detention for a non-bailable P7.4-billion plunder charge. “If his illnesses can be...
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Sandiganbayan summons Cardinal Santos doctors
The Sandiganbayan Third Division has ordered four doctors of former House speaker Martin Romualdez to testify on his medical condition as it studies whether to let him remain in hospital confinement under custody. The anti-graft court ordered doctors...
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Romualdez arrested, in hospital ‘detention’
Former House speaker Martin Romualdez was placed under arrest last night on orders of the Sandiganbayan, where he was indicted for P7.4- billion plunder together with fugitive ex-congressman Zaldy Co and two others. Romualdez was served the arrest...
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NBI to file raps over P55-M SEAG cauldron
The National Bureau of Investigation is set to file cases in the coming days over alleged irregularities related to the “golden cauldron” installed for the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said. Speaking at a forum in...
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VP Sara posts P360K bail for threats case
Vice President Sara Duterte yesterday posted P360,000 bail for three counts of grave threats directed at President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and former speaker Martin Romualdez, evading possible arrest that she claimed would have exposed her to...
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QC court issues arrest warrant vs VP Duterte
The Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QC RTC) yesterday ordered the arrest of Vice President Sara Duterte over the grave threats case filed by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The case against Duterte stemmed from her online press briefing in November...
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Raps filed vs 15-year-old suspect in Tacloban shooting
Four charges of frustrated murder and six for attempted murder were filed by the Tacloban City prosecutor against the 15-year-old who opened fire inside the San Jose National High School that left three students dead and 20 injured, the Department of...
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Pilandok exits PAR today
Tropical Storm Pilandok is set to exit the Philippine area of responsibility today, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said. As of 4 p.m. yesterday, Pilandok was located 1,080 kilometers...
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Sandiganbayan drops Bonoan as co-accused
The Sandiganbayan has allowed the exclusion of former public works secretary Manuel Bonoan from the plunder and graft charges filed against officials including Sen. Jinggoy Estrada in connection with the flood control corruption scandal. The...
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Pumping station thieves to be jailed, Palace warns
Grappling with intense criticism over the severe flooding in many parts of Luzon, Malacañang yesterday warned those engaged in pilfering flood control infrastructure parts of serious legal consequences for “sabotaging” government projects. Palace...
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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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