Sara Duterte snubs Senate hearing on OVP budget

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte was a no-show at the budget hearing of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) at the Senate on Tuesday. OVP Chief of Staff Atty. Zuleika Lopez, along with other staff members, were in attendance instead to defend the office's P785.2 million proposed budget for 2027 before the

DENR failed to collect P521-M land fees – COA

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) failed to collect around P521.26 million worth of fees from the use of forest lands, foreshore and protected areas because of the lack of collection strategies and weak enforcement and monitoring. In its 2025 annual audit report, the

DILG: Negotiations for Dela Rosa surrender necessary to avoid 10,000 deaths

MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla claimed on Tuesday that arresting Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who has been ordered arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for being a co-perpetrator in former President Rodrigo Duterte's drug war, could lead to 10,000 deaths. This is the reason the government is negotiating for his surrender,

PhilHealth expands access to selected anti-TB drugs

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is expanding access to selected first-line antituberculosis (TB) medicines through its Guaranteed and Accessible Medications for Outpatient Treatment (Gamot) program. The expanded benefit will take effect on Nov. 1, giving eligible patients additional access to prescribed TB medicines, according to PhilHealth Circular No. 2026-0018. "Eligible patients

Palace defends 27-year-old biology major given high post in poverty body

MANILA, Philippines — A college degree in biology, earned only two years ago at that, is not the kind of credential that usually comes to mind when filling a ranking position on the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP). A fashion pictorial with the Eiffel Tower in the background hardly makes for convincing optics

SC: Congress can't bloat president's budget

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has struck down key provisions of the 2024, 2025, and 2026 national budgets for violating constitutional limits on government spending, ruling that Congress cannot increase the president's total recommended appropriations while emphasizing that unprogrammed funds are not unconstitutional per se but must be subject to strict safeguards. In a

Rosal slightly accelerates; signal No. 1 still up in 6 areas

MANILA, Philippines — Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 (TCWS) remained hoisted over six areas in northern and southern Luzon as Super Typhoon Rosal (international name: Champi) slightly accelerated over east of northern Luzon on Wednesday morning, according to the state weather bureau.  In the 5 a.m. weather bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical

NTF-Elcac scores groups criticizing BDP projects in Iloilo

MANILA, Philippines – The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) has scored the "hypocrisy" of groups claiming to champion the poor while allegedly discrediting Iloilo's Barangay Development Program (BDP). This came after Bayan-Panay, in a statement issued on Oct. 15, cited the Commission on Audit's (COA) 2025 audit report on the

Tourism stakeholders in Negros, Siquijor told to prepare for El Niño

BACOLOD CITY – The Department of Tourism-Negros Island Region (DOT-NIR) has urged tourism stakeholders to take proactive measures in preparation for the impacts of very strong El Niño, which could bring warmer temperatures and below-normal rainfall across most parts of the country. On Tuesday, the DOT-NIR issued an advisory addressed particularly to local government units

Rosal to bring heavy rains, strong winds to Luzon despite no landfall

MANILA, Philippines — Due to the size of Super Typhoon Rosal (international name: Champi), heavy rains and strong winds are expected to affect several parts of Luzon on Wednesday, even though the storm is not expected to make landfall in the country, the state weather bureau said. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical

4 BIFF fighters surrender, yield guns in Maguindanao del Sur

COTABATO CITY – Four members of the outlawed Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) have surrendered along with their firearms, embracing peace under the government's "Balik-Loob Program" in Maguindanao del Sur. Lt. Col. Williard Maquida, commander of the Army's 34th Infantry Battalion, presented the Islamic extremists to Brig. Gen. Gremel Brual, commander of the 601st Infantry Brigadeon Tuesday

Taal Volcano logs fifth eruption this October; alert level 1 stays

LUCENA CITY — Taal Volcano in Batangas province recorded another phreatic, or steam-driven, eruption within the past 24 hours, bringing to five the number of reported eruptions this month, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). In its morning bulletin on Wednesday, Oct. 21, Phivolcs said the latest eruption, locally known as

2 Cagayan de Oro cops probed after guns stolen from car

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Police Regional Office-10 (PRO-10) has launched an investigation to determine the administrative liability of two police officers whose government-issued firearms were stolen from their parked car while they were at a beach resort here over the weekend. The officers, who are assigned to Police Station 10 in Barangay Cugman,

SC ruling shows 2024, 2025 GAAs 'worst' in history – Lacson

MANILA, Philippines — The General Appropriations Acts (GAAs) for 2024 and 2025 will go down in history as the worst budgets approved by Congress, Sen. Panfilo Lacson declared on Wednesday. This came after the Supreme Court (SC) ruled on Tuesday that some provisions in the 2024 and 2025 GAAs were unconstitutional. "The 2024 and 2025

Octa: Most Filipinos await evidence vs Sara Duterte in impeach trial

MANILA, Philippines — While most Filipinos remained undecided on whether Vice President Sara Duterte should be convicted in her ongoing impeachment trial, more Filipinos expressed support for either her conviction or acquittal, results from a survey conducted by Octa Research showed. READ: VP impeachment trial: What the prosecution presented in 3 articles Based on the

Leyte gov seeks national aid for El Niño preparations

Who is Zofia Canlas? The controversial urban poor commissioner

MANILA, Philippines – The newly appointed commissioner of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) has drawn scrutiny from the public for her fashion-forward lifestyle and lavish trips abroad, which appear to contrast sharply with her role at the agency. Zofia Canlas, who was sworn in as PCUP commissioner at 27 years old, graduated

Graft trial of ex-BFP chief Fernandez begins, number of witnesses cut

MANILA, Philippines — The graft trial of former Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) chief Jesus Fernandez before the Sandiganbayan Third Division began on Wednesday. The prosecution further trimmed its number of witnesses from nine to six. Fernandez's case stemmed from an alleged P4 million bribemade to him which he purportedly received in connection with the

PCG divers join search for missing farmer in Bukidnon river

VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon — A specialized Philippine Coast Guard scuba diving team from Cagayan de Oro City reinforced the search and retrieval operation on Wednesday for a farmer who went missing at a river here. Rocky Bitos, 38, a resident of Barangay Colonia, went missing on Sunday after powerful currents of the Manupai River overwhelmed

Prosecutors file formal offer of evidence in Sara Duterte trial

MANILA, Philippines — House prosecutors have submitted their formal offer of evidence to the Senate impeachment court in the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, prosecution adviser Robert Ace Barbers said on Wednesday. Barbers said the prosecutorial panel submitted its evidence on Tuesday evening, providing the Senate with bank, tax, and corporate records. The team