MANILA, Philippines — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Friday filed a complaint before the Office of the Ombudsman against Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chair Richard Palpal-latoc and three others for allegedly claiming travel allowances for a trip that was already funded by a donor. The other subjects of the complaint were CHR

MANILA, Philippines – Ongoing development programs by the government in communities formerly affected by armed conflict are among the reasons why the insurgents are steadily losing influence in the countryside. This was emphasized by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) in a news release Friday, and reported that around 28,415

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has ruled out an oil spill as the cause of discolored water and foul odor reported along portions of the coastline in Barangay Talabaan, Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro. PCG Station Occidental Mindoro conducted an on-site inspection following public reports of dark-colored water and stinking smell in

MANILA, Philippines — In celebration of its 17th anniversary, Manila Water Non-East Zone operating unit Laguna Water launched an expanded implementation of its Daloy ng Saya program months ahead of its traditional year-end schedule, enabling the company to reach more learners through a strategic partnership with the Sangguniang Panlalawigan ng Laguna. Daloy ng Saya has served

CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 60-year-old woman and her two grandchildren, aged 5 and 6, were killed when a landslide buried their house in Barangay Pulangbato here on Friday, Oct. 9. The landslide struck shortly after noon as the family ate lunch in Sitio Kandarong Riverside. Rescuers recovered the bodies of Judith and her grandchildren,

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — Police launched a manhunt for three individuals who duped a 72-year-old retired government employee to hand in jewelry and other valuables worth about P100,000 in a “budol-budol” (swindling) scheme. This crime happened at a local shopping center in Tandag City, Surigao del Sur on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Col. Jeffrey

MANILA, Philippines — Two containers carrying P29-million worth of smuggled cigarettes were intercepted at the Sub-port of North Harbor in Tondo, Manila, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said on Friday. The BOC said that at least 320 boxes of Astro and Redwood cigarettes were found hidden inside the containers declared as scrap metal.  “Malinaw ang

MANILA, Philippines — Food company GenCorp Industries Inc. remained part of Vice President Sara Duterte’s business interests under her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) — even if the firm does not list her as an incorporator — because it is too precious to lose. This is was a witness at Duterte’s impeachment trial on

MANILA, Philippines – After testifying on his financial review of Vice President Sara Duterte, and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio’s wealth on Friday, financial forensic analyst Atty. Alexandra B. Cabrera stated that paying one’s taxes shows integrity. Cabrera, the expert witness of the House prosecution panel, made the statement after he presented his analysis of

TACLOBAN CITY — The Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) in Palo, Leyte is rolling out a community-centered program aimed at making residents feel safe. Brig. Gen. Romano Cardiño, PRO-8 regional director, said the program called SAFE or Seen, Appreciated, Felt and Extraordinary Police Service, seeks to improve police visibility and responsiveness. “We should see one

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusn del Sur — Police and environmental law enforcement operatives arrested two men and seized an estimated P810,000 worth of illegally sawn hardwood lumber during an anti-illegal logging operation in the hinterlands of Lanuza, Surigao del Sur, on Wednesday, Oct. 7. Brig. Gen. Rolindo M. Suguilon, director of Police Regional Office 13 (Caraga),

MANILA, Philippines — Labor group National Union of Workers in Hotel, Restaurant and Allied Industries (NUWHRAIN) has called for an independent and transparent investigation into the deaths of three engineering workers during maintenance work at Dusit Thani Residence Davao on Oct. 5. The group said the investigation should determine whether negligence, foul play or violations

MANILA, Philippines — The House prosecution panel’s final witness in Vice President Sara Duterte’s alleged unexplained wealth tagged the purchasing of a manager’s check as a form of “tinikling.” This was because the transaction was reportedly used to skirt a specific amount of funds from the year-end balance. The purchase was in reference to manager’s

ASEAN consumers increasingly use AI tools like ChatGPT for product research, shifting visibility challenges from Google rankings. Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) now structures content for AI citation and recommendation, becoming essential for foreign businesses entering Southeast Asian markets competing for consumer decision-making visibility.

ILIGAN CITY, Northern Mindanao — The main building of Iligan City Hall was illuminated in pink to raise awareness about the importance of early breast cancer detection and mental health care for women. The activity, which started on October 8, brought together the local government and community groups to encourage women to undergo regular medical

MANILA, Philippines — The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is seeking comments on proposed revisions to Philippine Green Equity guidelines that would put exchanges in charge of granting and monitoring the label for qualifying listed companies. The draft would task exchanges with evaluating applications, accrediting external reviewers, and checking issuers’ continued compliance, subject to SEC oversight.

MANILA, Philippines — The World Trade Organization (WTO) has more than doubled its global merchandise trade growth forecast for 2026, as surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) equipment, particularly from Asian manufacturers, has outweighed disruptions caused by the war in the Middle East. In its latest Global Trade Outlook and Statistics report, the Geneva-based organization

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Friday that it directed transportation authorities to explore a possible route along the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 2 for Public Utility Buses (PUBs) to help passengers amid limited train operations. The DOTr said that Transportation Secretary Giovanni “Banoy” Lopez has directed the Land Transportation Franchising

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Agriculture (DA) is urging the new generation of Filipinos to return to farming, stressing that distributing land, loans, or subsidies alone will not resolve the issue of an aging farm workforce. “For the Philippines, generational renewal in agriculture and fisheries is not simply about replacing an aging generation,” Agriculture Assistant

VALENCIA CITY, Bukidnon — City health officials here are rushing to secure confirmatory testing for 73 suspected Hepatitis A cases. The move comes following a sharp rise in infections in Barangay Lurugan, a heavily urbanized village surrounded by vast pineapple plantations. Most of those affected are students aged 10 to 19. Aron Apostol Rempohito, chief

MANILA, Philippines — The table prepared by prosecution witness, lawyer and accountant Alexander Cabrera, alleges that Vice President Sara Duterte had a total unexplained wealth of P817.87 million from 2022 to 2025. On Friday, day 37 of Duterte’s trial, House Prosecutor Rep. Chel Diokno led the direct examination of Cabrera, whom the prosecution sought to

MANILA, Philippines — Senator-Judge Joel Villanueva on Friday expressed alarm that Cale88 Foods Corp. supposedly has only two employees, despite reporting over P150 million in revenue and over P6 million in losses. READ: Sara Duterte trial: Witness reveals CALE88, Gencorp balances, 2022-2025 Cale88 is among Vice President Sara Duterte’s business interests being tackled before the

MANILA, Philippines — A total of 2,379 micro taxpayers have availed of the One-Time Abatement Program of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) as of Oct. 3, with total tax liabilities and penalties abated reaching P149.35 million. These taxpayers filed 10,229 applications under the program, of which 8,464 have so far been approved. Of the

The International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III has rejected former President Rodrigo Duterte"s bid to have prosecutors refile and reframe the charges against him, while allowing seven of the eight additional incidents to remain in the case.

MANILA, Philippines —The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) warns taxpayers against accessing orus.ph, a website that appears to imitate its Online Registration and Update System (ORUS). The website may expose users to suspicious pop-ups, unfamiliar prompts, or other potentially unsafe content that could pose privacy and cybersecurity risks. Taxpayers are strongly advised not to access

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte supposedly failed to declare over P207 million worth of cash in different bank accounts belonging to her and her husband, Manases Carpio, a financial forensic analyst, Atty. Alexander Cabrera testified on Friday. At Day 37 of the impeachment trial, Cabrera — the prosecution panel’s witness for Article II of the

MANILA, Philippines — The state weather bureau on Friday said the low-pressure area (LPA) off Northern Samar will affect some areas in the country until Saturday, Oct. 10. In its 4 p.m. weather advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Quezon, Marinduque, and Romblon may experience

MANILA, Philippines — Saavedra-led Megawide Construction Corp. is redirecting P1.23 billion in unused bond proceeds from transport-centric developments to housing projects under the government’s Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) program. Its board approved the reallocation on Friday, Oct. 9, according to a stock exchange disclosure. READ: Megawide bags P13B in new gov’t housing contracts The

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — After helping secure the historic Bangsamoro Parliamentary elections last month, troops of the Army’s 27th Infantry Battalion (27IB) have finally returned home. Maj. Gen. Alvin Luzon, 10th Infantry Division commander, alongside Brig. Gen. Christopher Diaz of the 1003rd Infantry Brigade, led the welcome ceremony for the returning officers and enlisted

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III and a delegation of lawmakers brought LegisHear to the Jose Rizal Coliseum in Calamba, Laguna, on Friday to discuss with residents and other stakeholders a comprehensive flood mitigation and management plan for the Laguna Lake Basin. Laguna Gov. Sol Aragones and Calamba City officials welcomed