Category: Politics

Philippines

Comelec Extends Dasmariñas Special Election Voting Until 5 PM Amid Heavy Rains

DASMARIÑAS CITY, Cavite — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has extended voting hours for the special election in Cavite’s 4th Legislative District until 5 p.m. on Saturday, August 29, as heavy rains from the southwest monsoon, or Habagat, threatened to keep voters away from polling centers. The extension was approved through a unanimous decision of the Comelec en banc, according to Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia. Regular voting had originally been scheduled to end at 3 p.m. The move

August 29, 2026

Philippines

Paulit-ulit na Medical Leave ni Loren Legarda, Pinagdudahan ng Ombudsman Habang Nasa Ibang Bansa

MANILA, Philippines — Lalong umiinit ang mga tanong sa patuloy na pagliban ni Sen. Loren Legarda matapos kuwestiyunin ng Office of the Ombudsman ang sunod-sunod na pagpapalawig ng kanyang medical leave habang siya ay nasa ibang bansa at habang nagpapatuloy ang preliminary investigation sa mga reklamong iniuugnay sa kanya at sa kanyang anak na si Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste. Sa pahayag ni Assistant Ombudsman at tagapagsalita ng tanggapan na si Atty. Mico Clavano, sinabi niyang hindi maiwasang

August 29, 2026

Philippines

Gabriela Wants PNP’s VAWC ‘Settlement’ Policy Changed — Remulla’s Response Could Reshape How Police Handle Abuse Cases

MANILA, Philippines — A policy allowing reconciliation efforts in cases involving violence against women and their children has come under scrutiny in Congress, after Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Sarah Elago challenged the Department of the Interior and Local Government and Philippine National Police over whether alleged abuse involving police personnel should ever be treated as a dispute that can be settled privately. The issue surfaced during the House Committee on Appropriations’ August 27 he

August 29, 2026

Philippines

Metro Manila Flood Alert: Major Roads Submerged as Heavy Habagat Rains Pound NCR

MANILA, Philippines — Several major roads across Metro Manila were flooded on Saturday, August 29, as persistent heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon, or Habagat, continued to batter the National Capital Region. What began as scattered flooding in several cities during the morning developed into a wider flood situation by early afternoon, with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) reporting that some roads had become impassable to certain vehicles — and in a few areas, to

August 29, 2026

Philippines

DSWD Goes on Red Alert as Habagat Rains Drag On — But the Biggest Test May Still Be Ahead

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development has shifted to red alert as relentless southwest monsoon rains continue to threaten communities across Luzon and parts of the Visayas, putting disaster-response teams and millions of emergency food packs on standby for another possible wave of flooding and evacuations. The heightened alert comes as the Philippines continues to deal with the cumulative impact of weeks of severe weather, with millions of people already affecte

August 29, 2026

Philippines

Convicted but Still Free? Ombudsman Orders Sandiganbayan Inventory — And What It Finds Could Put Courts Under the Spotlight

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Ombudsman is preparing a sweeping inventory of people convicted by the Sandiganbayan, with Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla seeking answers to a politically explosive question: How many people found guilty by the anti-graft court are actually behind bars? Remulla said his office wants to determine which convicted defendants are serving their sentences, which remain free on bail, and, according to separate reporting by DZRH, which judges approved t

August 29, 2026

Philippines

Philippines’ 2027 Infrastructure Push Hits ₱1.47 Trillion as Government Tightens Anti-‘Ghost Project’ Safeguards

MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos administration is preparing another massive infrastructure push in 2027, proposing roughly ₱1.467 trillion for its Build Better More infrastructure program while promising tighter controls meant to stop duplicate, poorly planned and potentially “ghost” projects from slipping into the national budget. The proposed infrastructure allocation is equivalent to about 4.4 percent of gross domestic product and is ₱178 billion, or 13.8 percent, higher than the ₱1.29 tril

August 29, 2026

Philippines

Palace Eyes National Flood Control Master Plan as DPWH Pushes River Basin Strategy

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is leaving the door open to a nationwide flood-control master plan as the Philippines confronts another season of widespread flooding, but the Marcos administration says the final strategy may still depend heavily on separate plans tailored to the country’s major river basins and urban centers. The debate gained urgency after Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon acknowledged during the House Committee on Appropriations’ deliberations on the Department

August 29, 2026

Philippines

Tigbauan Barangay Faces Leadership Crisis as 9 Officials File Mass Resignation Over Poultry Farm Dispute

ILOILO, Philippines — A year-long dispute over foul odors and flies allegedly coming from a poultry farm has escalated into an extraordinary governance crisis in Tigbauan, where the entire elected leadership of Barangay Linobayan has moved to resign — potentially leaving the community without anyone who can automatically take over. Punong Barangay Rene Taño, all seven members of the Sangguniang Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan chairperson Ejelyn Claire Casio submitted resignation letters to th

August 29, 2026

Philippines

2026 Barangay, SK Elections Hang in Balance as Congress Faces Critical September Deadline

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines. The clock is running down on one of the biggest unresolved political questions of 2026: Will Filipinos vote for new barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials on November 2, or will Congress push the elections back again, possibly until 2028? Negros Occidental Third District Rep. Javier Miguel Benitez says the answer now rests largely with Congress, where lawmakers are racing against an increasingly tight timetable as the Commission on Elections continues preparing f

August 29, 2026