Author: gqSbgCfmna

After weeks of silence, Vice President Sara Duterte on Thursday denied that there were billions of pesos’ worth of transactions in her bank accounts and blasted not just former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV for these allegations, but also the Commission on Audit (COA) and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) for now being part of a ‘machinery.’

In a lengthy statement issued hours after she responded to the ‘last-minute’ travel authority for her, Duterte said Trillanes, one of her fiercest critics, has been ‘peddling the same incredible story about alleged billions in bank accounts.’

‘From 2016 to 2026, nothing in his narrative has changed,’ Duterte said. ‘What has changed, however, is the machinery now backing him.’

The embattled vice president alleged that Trillanes is now being backed by the ‘machinery,’ which she said included her former political ally and now nemesis, President Marcos, whom she said ‘must be compelled to submit to a simple drug test,’ referring to the repeated calls for a hair-follicle test.

She also claimed that the House lawmakers have also been a part of the so-called ‘machinery’ backing Trillanes, accusing them of receiving ‘maletas and having repeatedly disregarded constitutional limits on her impeachment.

This time, however, Duterte included the COA, supposedly ‘backing’ Trillanes, questioning the timing of the state audit agency’s issuance of its findings on the use of her confidential funds ‘in a manner that conveniently aligns with political attacks.’

Lastly, she also criticized the newly-installed AMLC officials ‘who remain silent and refuse to clarify that there have been no findings of violations of anti-money laundering laws, and the billions of peso in bank accounts are untrue.’

Amid all the accusations against her, Duterte said she has one ‘simple’ response to the ‘attacks’ against her: her service record is ‘clean.’

‘[H]indi ako kailanman nagkaroon ng kaso sa paggamit ng pondo ng bayan. Lahat ng aking ari-arian at pera ay idineklara ko sa aking SALN (Not once have I been charged for using public funds. All of my properties and money are declared on my statement of assets, liabilities and net worth),’ she said.

Three areas are forecast to register the highest record of heat index at 41°C on Thursday, the state weather bureau said.

In its latest heat index bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that these areas will hit 41°C hit index: Cotabato City, Maguindanao; Tuguegarao City, Cagayan; and Aparri, Cagayan.

Meanwhile in Metro Manila, Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City and Science Garden in Quezon City will reach heat indices of 38°C and 37°C, respectively.

These areas are under the ‘extreme caution’ category where heat indices range from 33°C to 41°C. With this, Pagasa warned that this may cause heat stroke and heat exhaustion while continued exposure to the sun may lead to heat stroke.

The Department of Health earlier advised the public to stay hydrated, eat juicy fruits, limit beverages high in caffeine, reapply sunblock regularly, and wear comfortable clothing.

Other areas are also forecast to experience ‘extreme caution’ level of heat indices:

40°C

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte

Dagupan City, Pangasinan

Baler, Aurora

CLSU-Muñoz, Nueva Ecija

TAU-Camiling, Tarlac

Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

Aborlan, Palawan

Iloilo City, Iloilo

Dumangas, Iloilo

La Granja, La Carlota, Negros Occidental

Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur

39°C

Butuan City, Agusan del Norte

Davao City, Davao del Sur

Borongan, Eastern Samar

Catbalogan, Western Samar

Siquijor, Siquijor

CBSUA-Pili, Camarines Sur

Daet, Camarines Norte

Cuyo, Palawan

San Jose, Occidental Mindoro

Coron, Palawan

Alabat, Quezon

Sangley Point, Cavite City, Cavite

Hacienda Luisita, Tarlac City

San Ildefonso, Bulacan

ISU-Echague, Isabela

Bacnotan, La Union

MMSU-Batac, Ilocos Norte

38°C

NAIA-Pasay City, Manila

Sinait, Ilocos Sur

Casiguran, Aurora

Cubi Pt., Subic Bay. Olongapo City

Calapan, Oriental Mindoro

Masbate City, Masbate

Legazpi City, Albay

Virac, Catanduanes

Roxas City, Capiz

Mambusao, Capiz

Catarman, Northern Samar

Tacloban City, Leyte

VSU-Baybay, Leyte

Guiuan, Eastern Samar

Maasin, Southern Leyte

General Santos City, South Cotabato

37°C

Surigao City, Surigao del Sur

Laguindingan Airport, Misamis Oriental

Zamboanga City, Zamboanga del Sur

Mactan International Airport, Cebu

Panglao International Airport, Bohol

Dumaguete City, Negros Occidental

BIA-Daraga, Albay

Romblon, Romblon

NAS-UPLB, Los Baños, Laguna

Infanta, Quezon

Ambulong, Tanauan, Batangas

Tayabas City, Quezon

Clark Airport, Pampanga

NVSU-Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

Science Garden, Quezon City, Metro Manila

36°C

Calayan, Cagayan

Iba, Zambales

CvSU-Indang, Cavite

Juban, Sorsogon

BU-Guinobatan, Albay

Dipolog, Zamboanga del Norte

35°C

CMU-Agromet, Musuan, Bukidnon

Mulanay, Quezon

Itbayat, Batanes

34°C

Abucay, Bataan

33°C

Basco, Batanes

Malaybalay, Bukidnon

Meanwhile, Pagasa on Wednesday issued El Niño Alert, where there is now a 79% chance of the phenomenon emerging in June-July-August 2026 season and may persist until early 2027. The agency noted that there is now an increased probability of ‘drier-than-usual’ conditions, which can bring dry spells and drought in some parts of the country.

It added that above-normal rainfall conditions will prevail over the western section of the country during the southwest monsoon or habagat season.

The Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) threw its support behind the possible lifting of the moratorium on new coal-fired power plants, which it said could be an ‘essential bridge’ to keep businesses running amid the energy crisis.

‘Our economy cannot run on uncertainty,’ PCCI president Ferdinand Ferrer said in a statement on Wednesday.

‘While the transition to renewable energy remains our long-term goal, our immediate priority must be the stability and affordability of our power grid.’

This comes after Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the Department of Energy is open to revisiting the 2020 ban, particularly amid surging fuel prices amid tensions in the Middle East, which had prompted the Philippines to declare an energy emergency.

‘Pragmatic solution’

PCCI, the country’s largest business group, said the move could serve as a ‘temporary and pragmatic’ step to stabilize supply, even as the country continues to scale up renewable energy capacity.

Any policy shift, it added, should not derail long-term clean energy goals but instead act as a bridge to address immediate needs.

‘This is not about choosing between coal and renewables, it is about ensuring the lights stay on, businesses remain competitive and households are protected from rising costs,’ said David Chua, director for energy at PCCI.

Call for ‘policy flexibility’

PCCI cited three key pressures behind the need for policy flexibility: the need for steady baseload power as manufacturing expands; persistently high electricity rates that blunt competitiveness; and exposure to swings in global oil and gas prices.

As such, the group said any new coal capacity should use high-efficiency technologies and form part of a broader transition plan.

It also urged the government to expand natural gas and liquefied natural gas, while accelerating renewables, energy storage and grid modernization.

‘We must be flexible enough to adapt our policies to the realities of 2026,’ Ferrer said. ‘Lifting this moratorium provides the essential bridge we need to keep the lights on and the factories running while we continue to build our renewable capacity.’

Suspected drugs worth a total of P3.4 million were confiscated, and four individuals were arrested in buy-bust operations in Quezon City and Pasay City on Wednesday night and early Thursday morning.

In a statement on Thursday, the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) said it entrapped two suspects in front of a restaurant at the corner of Tomas Morato Avenue and Scout Limbaga Street on Wednesday night.

‘A police officer acted as poseur buyer and bought P451,000 worth of shabu from suspect Ronnie, and at the given pre-arranged signal, he was arrested along with his cohort, [John],’ the police explained.

Operatives recovered an additional P913,538 worth of suspected shabu from the two suspects, according to the QCPD.

Police said the suspect, identified by the alias Ronnie, has a previous case for violating Presidential Decree No. 1602, which prescribes stiffer penalties for illegal gambling.

Meanwhile, the Southern Police District (SPD) said it had apprehended two more suspects in front of a fast-food restaurant at the corner of Libertad Avenue and Taft Avenue in Barangay 92 early Thursday morning.

The SPD identified the suspects by the aliases ‘Chong,’ 33; and ‘John,’ 26, noting that they were both ‘high-value’ individuals.

‘Seized during the operation were approximately 300 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated standard drug price value of P2,040,000, along with buy-bust money, a mobile phone and other drug paraphernalia,’ the police explained.

All four suspects were taken into their respective police’s custody, awaiting charges for violating Republic Act No. 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act.

The results of the University of the Philippines College Admission Test (Upcat) are out. It isn’t just students who were anxious, but their families also waited with bated breath. Yesterday, families finally woke up to the news of whether their child can consider UP their new academic home. Out of 147,437 Upcat applicants, 18,350 or 12.44 percent were accepted or waitlisted, making it one of the most competitive universities in the country. After all, getting into UP means the opportunity to get quality education for zero tuition, a rare combination. With rising inflation and more economic uncertainty on the horizon, few families can opt to ignore a school’s price tag.

College admissions are already a stressful rite of passage for senior high students. Our uncertainty about our future, brought about by political and economic instability and a fast-evolving job market, has only served to increase the stakes of such milestone decisions as to which college to go to. Moreover, preparing for college is no longer just the student’s challenge; it has become the family’s cross to bear.

The day the results come out is the culmination of the years it took to get there. The student, of course, does the main work. They go through their schoolwork with the added pressure of knowing that their academic transcript can make or break their college application. This is also the student who went through the pandemic disruptions and the back-and-forth pivots to remote learning. They sacrifice social and recreation time to attend review classes to gain a competitive edge, just at the time when they should be relishing their friendships before they go their separate ways.

Parents do their parallel responsibility. They also sacrifice time and effort, best exemplified by the daily morning routine: getting kids ready for school. In the Philippines, this could mean as early as 5 a.m., depending on traffic and commuting conditions. The school drop-off is also a fast-becoming exercise in patience. Parents sacrifice on the big things as well. They save up money for years, perhaps decades, so that their child can afford as many quality choices for schools as they can get into. I know of parents who have strategized their career paths, such as working for an academic institution and gaining employee benefits or choosing a job that allows them the time to tutor their kids personally, based on what will help their children get into their school of choice.

All this emotional investment is based on a firm belief that college is a guarantee for a better life. Currently, however, a college degree has never felt more useless and at the same time more essential than now. A college degree alone no longer provides the financial security it once did. Even a diploma from the ‘big four’ universities no longer gets you in front of the line. Latin honors do not make a dent in hiring. And yet, gosh, go try looking for a job without a college degree. It is practically impossible to get one, even for jobs that do not seem to require college-level skills, such as being a server or a salesperson.

The increased stakes of our children’s education no longer begin at college. As I began looking into preschool for my child, I am disheartened to see exorbitant tuition, limited slots, and rigorous admissions testing, eerily similar to the college process. The stakes aren’t just higher; they have come for us earlier.

With such a stacked scenario, we have no choice but to follow where the pressure leads us. Every decision regarding our child’s education feels high-stakes. There is no room for error or mistakes. We need to optimize every decision and enroll them in the ‘best’ schools, even if it breaks the bank, ironically worsening our financial stability.

Unfortunately, we can pass this anxiety onto our children. They get anxious about their grades and their chances for college. They have a low tolerance for mistakes. They feel the need to be perfect to compensate for the extremely competitive environment. This can lead to them burning out and increasing their discomfort with the new and unfamiliar, making them less able to succeed in college, becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Increased uncertainty about our future can push us into an all-or-nothing mindset. For example, some families abide by ‘UP or bust.’ When the stakes feel overwhelmingly high, it is good to remember that not all decisions are as final as they feel. There are multiple routes to a desired outcome. It can be through the Upcat, via transferring, via another school, or via another path entirely. And all those choices can lead to good things.

As parents, we can share in this moment with our children and help them decide how much weight they should put into the results, whether accepted or not. We can be with them as they go through uncertainty and help them feel confident in their choices, even when no guarantees are offered. There is so much more to gain in college admissions letters than just the results.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) may start using artificial intelligence (AI) cameras to flag improper waste disposal under the No Contact Apprehension Policy (NCAP) in Metro Manila next week, General Manager Nicolas Torre II said on Thursday.

This came a day after Torre said that the NCAP will soon cover littering through monitoring of closed-circuit television cameras. The NCAP currently flags traffic violations in major roads in Metro Manila.

‘After one week, we may start implementing this using cameras and we will send notice of violation to erring individuals,’ Torre told reporters in an interview.

While Torre said that many local government units (LGUs) already implement policies on proper waste disposal, he noted that this is the agency’s initiative in instilling discipline to the public through the use of AI cameras.

Torre said that there will still be implementation of first, second, and third offense, with the amount of fines depending on the policies of every LGU.

‘Just because there are no enforcers, you can do what is wrong. We will just want to make sure that we are implementing laws uniform and consistent using the technology,’ Torre noted.

He explained that AI cameras are programmed to detect if an individual will dispose of their trash elsewhere. If the incident happens along the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue, the cameras will flag the vehicle details to identify the violator.

He also said that with AI cameras being concentrated near creeks, the cameras will capture the individual for the agency to send to their respective barangays to identify them.

‘We are not doing this for surveillance purposes. We want to equally implement the law so if you did not do anything wrong, you have nothing to be scared of. If you did something bad, there is a consequence,’ he expressed.

With this, Torre said that they expect this initiative to help in mitigating flooding during the rainy season as they collect around 7,000 tons of garbage from creeks every year.

Ayala-backed Globe Telecom Inc. has tapped First Gen Corp. to supply renewable energy to key facilities in Mindanao and Caloocan, shifting part of its power requirements away from imported fuel.

Three Globe facilities in Mindanao will receive electricity from geothermal energy while a site in Caloocan City will get supply from hydropower.

Both sources are ‘not dependent on imported fuel, helping reduce exposure to global fuel price volatility,’ the telecommunications firm said.

‘As demand for connectivity grows, how we power our network matters just as much as how we build it,’ said Yoly Crisanto, Globe’s chief sustainability and corporate communications officer.

‘Shifting to local renewable energy allows us to operate more responsibly while ensuring we remain reliable for the people and communities we serve,’ Crisanto said.

Globe said the transition was enabled by the government’s Retail Competition and Open Access and the Green Energy Option Program. These enable large electricity users to source power directly from renewable energy providers.

Globe has been partnering with First Gen since 2020 to expand its renewable-powered facilities, targeting more than 70 sites by 2026.

In 2024, the telco also signed a power purchase agreement with First Gen.

Data center arm

To advance its shift to renewables, Globe’s data center arm, STT GDC Philippines, recently tapped Meralco supplier MPower to power its Quezon City and Cavite facilities with renewable energy under a 10-year supply deal.

This agreement covers 40.5 megawatts of clean energy for its STT Fairview 1 and STT Cavite data center campuses.

Apart from shifting to renewables, Globe said it is also implementing fuel-efficiency measures for facilities that still rely on nonrenewable sources, particularly remote sites and backup systems powered by generator sets.

These include dynamic load management systems designed to optimize fuel use. ‘As Globe continues to expand its digital infrastructure, it remains focused on powering connectivity in a way that balances performance, sustainability and long-term value for the communities it serves,’ it said.

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) hiked its policy interest rate by a quarter-point on Thursday, its first tightening move in more than two years, amid a war-driven inflation flare-up.

The decision of the BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board brought the key rate that guides bank lending costs to 4.5 percent.

‘The inflation outlook has deteriorated amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. Higher global oil and fertilizer prices have begun feeding through to domestic fuel and food prices. At the same time, core inflation has continued to rise, pointing to a broadening of underlying price pressures,’ the BSP said in a statement.

The move was correctly predicted by 10 out of 16 economists polled by the Inquirer last week.

Higher borrowing costs are intended to prompt households to rein in spending, easing demand-driven price pressures but also cooling economic activity.

However, the Philippines-the first country to declare a national energy emergency amid Middle East turmoil-is grappling with supply-driven inflation after the war in the Middle East disrupted global oil exports.

The central bank earlier acknowledged that such challenges are not best addressed through rate hikes, which could also delay the economy’s recovery from the fallout of the flood control scandal.

Despite the limits to monetary policy, analysts have said raising rates could help anchor inflation expectations.

The House of Representatives committee on justice is set to tackle one of the most explosive charges in the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte – her alleged grave threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and former Speaker Martin Romualdez – at what could be its final hearing on probable cause on April 29.

Justice committee chairperson Rep. Gerville Luistro of Batangas said Thursday that the next hearing will delve into the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) probe and documentary evidence on the alleged death threats Duterte made in November 2024.

‘We are inclined to proceed to the presentation of evidence in support of the allegations of threat. As a matter of fact, yesterday (Wednesday), we issued a subpoena to the NBI, as well as duces tecum to bring all digital and documentary evidence pertaining to the allegations of threat,’ Luistro told ANC Headstart.

‘That is because we are really intending to conduct a clarificatory hearing on the allegations of threat. This will be happening on April 29,’ she added.

Before suspending the April 22 hearing, the justice committee granted a motion to issue subpoenas for the NBI to present its findings on the vice president’s alleged threats.

Unlike the first two hearings, the April 29 session will only have the NBI as its sole resource person, Luistro said. Since there would be a less packed agenda, she mentioned that the committee is likely to vote that same day on whether probable cause exists for each allegation in the two impeachment complaints.

‘So we anticipate that at the end of the hearing on April 29, the justice members will proceed to vote on the determination of probable cause,’ Luistro said.

She further stressed that the grave threats allegation is the last of the charges in the impeachment complaints to be examined, noting that no justice committee member has so far requested additional hearing dates – which she believes suggests the panel is satisfied with the three sessions scheduled.

Before voting, however, Luistro also said that the committee will first need to decide whether to unseal the tax records of Duterte and her husband, Atty. Manases Carpio, as submitted by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR).

‘We need to vote whether or not we will open [the sealed box] because we cannot terminate the proceedings of the Justice committee with a matter left pending,’ she said.

Should the committee vote to keep the BIR records sealed, Luistro said she would suggest transmitting them to the Senate as is, leaving it to the upper chamber to determine whether it has the jurisdiction and legal authority to open them as an impeachment court. This, she stressed, would only apply if the committee first votes in favor of probable cause.

‘But in the event that we will not open the sealed box, I think I will be suggesting to the committee that we just transmit it to the Senate even if it is sealed. So we will leave it up to the Senate what their position will be about that. That is on the assumption that the justice members will vote in favor of the probable cause,’ she said.

The committee on justice deferred on Wednesday the disclosure of Duterte and Carpio’s income tax returns after encountering a legal obstacle where the tax code specifically limits the release of such records to Congress only upon request during inquiries in aid of legislation and in executive session.

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) Executive Committee has endorsed several key policy directions to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. aimed at addressing the communist insurgency and advancing development.

In a press release on Thursday, the Presidential Communications Office said the committee recommended extending the Amnesty Program and prioritizing critical legislation.

The NTF-Elcac also endorsed expanding development funding and enhancing task force mechanisms to ensure more responsive governance at the national and local levels.

‘As the administration moves forward, the NTF-Elcac calls on all stakeholders, government agencies, local government units, civil society, and the Filipino people to remain united in advancing a shared vision of a peaceful, secure, and progressive Philippines,’ said Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., NTF-Elcac executive director, during their 9th Executive Committee Meeting in Malacañáng on Wednesday.

‘Through unity, we overcome division. Through development, we eliminate the roots of conflict. And through collective action, we secure lasting peace for every Filipino,’ he also said.

Torres said that while significant progress has been achieved, the NTF-Elcac recognizes that maintaining peace requires continuity, adaptation, and strengthened coordination. He added that the evolving nature of threats requires a responsive and institutionalized approach.

During the meeting, the task force also provided Marcos with updates on the implementation of the National Action Plan for Unity, Peace, and Development 2025-2028, a whole-of-nation approach to addressing the root causes of insurgency.