Philippines

Sara Duterte Posts ₱360K Bail After Arrest Warrant—But Her Legal Battle With Marcos Is Far From Over

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte posted ₱360,000 in bail on Saturday, September 5, 2026, a day after a Quezon City court issued a warrant for her arrest over three counts of grave threats involving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 set bail at ₱120,000 for each count. After Duterte posted bail, the court lifted the arrest warrant, allowing her to leave the cou

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Philippines

SC Sets Limits on Drug Search Warrants: Evidence Found Inside Home May Not Always Be Used in Court

MANILA, Philippines — A Supreme Court ruling is drawing renewed attention to the limits of police searches after the high court ruled that credit cards seized during a search authorized only for illegal drugs could not be used as evidence in a separate credit-card fraud case. The ruling, involving Edgar Silvano, reinforces a fundamental constitutional protection: law enforcement officers generally may seize only the items specifically covered by a valid search warrant, unless a recognized excep

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Philippines

Palace Says Davao Got ₱53.11 Billion Since 2022—So Why Does Paolo Duterte Claim the City Got No Fiscal Support?

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang has pushed back against claims that Davao City received little or no financial support from the national government, citing government records showing that the city and its barangays received approximately ₱53.11 billion in national funds from 2022 through 2026. The Palace's response came after Davao City 1st District Rep. Paolo “Pulong” Duterte questioned the level of national government funding received by Davao City under the Marcos administration. Palace Pr

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Business

Colon Night Market Vendors Hit by Brownouts—But Cebu’s Power Problem Runs Deeper

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The lights may be drawing crowds to Cebu’s revived Colon Night Market, but increasingly frequent power interruptions are making it harder for some vendors to keep their businesses running. Rotational brownouts have become an added challenge for vendors who depend heavily on electricity for lighting, food preparation, refrigeration and other equipment during the market’s busiest evening hours. The disruptions come as the wider Visayas power grid continues to struggle wi

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Business

₱18.5-M Shabu Seized in 3-City Police Blitz—But One Suspect Is Still Missing

MANILA, Philippines — A series of anti-illegal drug operations across Pampanga, Batangas and Iloilo yielded approximately 2.7 kilograms of suspected shabu worth ₱18.5 million and led to the arrest of five people, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP). The operations were conducted on September 2, 2026, with the biggest haul coming from an intercepted parcel at the Clark Freeport Zone in Mabalacat City, Pampanga. According to the PNP, joint law enforcement personnel discovered appro

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Philippines

JV Ejercito Demands Health Funds Be Used for Filipinos—Then the ₱89.9-Billion PhilHealth Issue Exploded

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito pressed the Department of Health (DOH) to ensure that government funds intended for healthcare are actually used to improve services for Filipinos, amid growing scrutiny over billions of pesos in unused PhilHealth funds. The senator’s call became part of a much larger controversy surrounding ₱89.9 billion in PhilHealth funds that the Department of Finance (DOF) ordered transferred to the National Treasury in 2024. Ejercito, one of the p

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Philippines

Philippines Unveils Major Healthcare Reforms—But the Biggest Challenge May Be the 190,000-Worker Gap

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government has laid out an ambitious plan to reshape healthcare delivery, with greater emphasis on primary care, preventive medicine, digital health services and bringing diagnostics closer to communities far from major hospitals. The reforms discussed by then-Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in May 2024 also exposed one of the healthcare system’s biggest obstacles: the country needed an estimated 190,000 additional health

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Philippines

SUBIC YACHT DRUG HAUL SURGES TO ₱366.65M—AND AUTHORITIES FOUND MORE THAN THEY EXPECTED

OLONGAPO CITY — What initially appeared to be a major illegal-drug seizure at the Port of Subic has grown significantly after authorities uncovered another batch of suspected high-end marijuana, bringing the estimated street value of the total haul to ₱366.65 million. The Bureau of Customs (BOC)-Port of Subic said Saturday, September 5, that its composite enforcement team recovered 109 additional packages containing approximately 123.91 kilograms of suspected “kush.” The newly discovered drugs

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Business

Glorietta and Greenbelt Are Getting Busier—But Ayala Land’s Bigger Bet Is Only Beginning

MANILA, Philippines — Ayala Land Inc. (ALI) is beginning to see the payoff from its multibillion-peso makeover of some of the country’s most established malls, with higher shopper traffic, stronger same-mall revenues and improved occupancy giving fresh momentum to its leasing business. The company’s shopping-center portfolio reached a 90% lease-out rate in the first half of 2026, up from 87% a year earlier. At the same time, same-mall revenues increased 7% while visitor footfall climbed 5%, sig

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Philippines

Teen Mom Clinics Could Soon Rise Nationwide—But the Bigger Question Is What Happens Inside DSWD Shelters

MANILA, Philippines — A new legislative push seeks to give pregnant teenagers and young mothers more specialized medical care, social protection and support, with a proposal calling for dedicated “Teen Mom Clinics” in public hospitals and stronger facilities under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). The measure was filed by Quezon City 5th District Rep. Patrick Michael D. Vargas as House Bill No. 3988, formally titled the “Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Act.” The House of

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