Category: Politics

Philippines

Jinggoy Vows to Fight On After Bonoan Is Dropped—What Happens Next in the P573-M Case?

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Jinggoy Estrada has vowed to pursue all legal remedies available to him after the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division approved the removal of former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan as a co-accused in the plunder and graft cases linked to an alleged P573-million flood control kickback scheme. Estrada said he respects the anti-graft court's decision but stressed that the development does not end his own legal battle. “While I respect the decision of the Sandiganbayan,

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Philippines

NFA Says It Has Bought Just 22–23% of Its 2026 Palay Goal — But One Number in the Report Doesn’t Add Up

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — The government has money to buy rice from Filipino farmers. It has raised its buying price. It is building new warehouses and mechanical dryers. Yet as the country's crucial wet-season harvest gets underway, the National Food Authority is still far behind its 2026 palay procurement target—and bad weather is exposing one of the weakest links in the Philippine rice system: what happens to freshly harvested grain when farmers cannot dry it. NFA Administrator Larry Lac

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Philippines

Metro Manila Opens 7,500 New Ride-Hailing Slots — But Gas Cars Are Shut Out of the Biggest Batch

MANILA — Thousands of new ride-hailing slots are coming to Luzon. But if you're hoping to enter the biggest market with a conventional gasoline-powered car, there is a problem. The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has approved 8,750 additional Transport Network Vehicle Service slots covering Metro Manila, the Ilocos Region and the Bicol Region as the government tries to address growing demand for app-based transportation. Of that number, 7,500 slots are allocated to Metro

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Philippines

Court Stops SOCOTECO II–Ignite Vote as ‘Railroading’ Claims Grow — But a ₱10-Billion Power Deal Is Still on the Table

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — A proposed deal that could fundamentally reshape electricity distribution across General Santos City, Sarangani and parts of South Cotabato has entered a far more explosive phase. Former Bayan Muna lawmaker Carlos Isagani Zarate is backing a congressional investigation into the proposed joint venture between South Cotabato II Electric Cooperative Inc. (SOCOTECO II) and Ignite Power and Energy Corp., accusing proponents of trying to rush a decision before membe

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Philippines

A ₱6,500 DSWD Cash-Aid Offer Is Spreading Online — But What Scammers Want First Could Cost You Much More

MANILA, Philippines — A message arrives promising ₱6,500 in government cash assistance. All you supposedly have to do is provide your name, cellphone number, address or other personal details. For Filipinos struggling with food prices, medical bills or everyday expenses, the offer can sound believable. The Department of Social Welfare and Development says it isn't. The DSWD has renewed its warning against online scammers offering ₱6,500 in supposed financial assistance in exchange for person

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Philippines

NLEX Motorists Get Toll Relief After Nightmare Flood Gridlock—But Marcos Orders a Bigger Fix

MANILA, Philippines — Motorists traveling between Pulilan, Bulacan and San Fernando, Pampanga have been granted toll relief after severe flooding triggered a traffic nightmare along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), prompting President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to order urgent action. Beginning September 2, all vehicles traveling between Pulilan and San Fernando, and vice versa, were allowed toll-free passage under the government-backed relief measure. The arrangement was ordered in response to

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Philippines

A Distressed Yacht Entered Subic for Repairs — Then Mechanics Found ₱366M in Kush Hidden Across the Vessel

SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines — A sailing yacht that reportedly entered Subic only because it needed emergency shelter and repairs has now become the center of a potentially international drug-trafficking investigation after authorities discovered more than ₱366 million worth of suspected high-grade marijuana hidden aboard the vessel. The latest breakthrough came when authorities conducting a deeper stripping and inspection found 109 additional packages weighing approximately 123.91 kilograms

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Philippines

Senate Moves to Ban Officials’ Relatives From Government Contracts — But First Cousins Are Only the Beginning

MANILA, Philippines — Government contracts could soon become legally off-limits to a much wider circle of politicians’ and public officials’ relatives after the Philippine Senate unanimously approved a sweeping anti-nepotism procurement bill. By a 15-0 vote with no abstentions, the Senate approved Senate Bill No. 1962, or the proposed Government Contracting and Procurement Integrity Act, on third and final reading on September 2. The measure would prohibit relatives of covered government offic

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Philippines

BARMM Polls at a Turning Point: Peace Adviser Issues Urgent Appeal to Candidates and Parties

COTABATO CITY, BARMM — With the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) preparing for its first regular parliamentary elections on September 14, Presidential Peace Adviser Mel Senen Sarmiento is urging candidates, political parties and other stakeholders to put peace, democratic participation and electoral integrity above political rivalry. Sarmiento, who heads the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU), has emphasized that the success of

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Politics

The Taliban Is Offering America Access to Afghanistan’s $1 Trillion Mineral Wealth — But the Biggest Risk May Be Who Controls It

KABUL — Five years after retaking Afghanistan as the United States ended its longest war, the Taliban is making Washington an extraordinary new proposition: Come back — not with soldiers, but with mining companies. Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has publicly welcomed American investment in Afghanistan's mining, infrastructure, agriculture and trade sectors, arguing that relations between Kabul and Washington should no longer be judged exclusively through the 20 years they spent fig

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