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’We have his address’: Philippines renews push for Zaldy Co Red Notice

Philippine authorities already know Zaldy Co’s address abroad, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said, as the government renews efforts to secure an Interpol Red Notice and bring the fugitive former lawmaker back to the Philippines.

Remulla said he will travel to Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France, while Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla will separately coordinate with French authorities in Paris following the issuance of a new plunder warrant against Co.

“We already have his address. We know where he is. We know his residence. We will press them to issue the Red Notice,” Remulla said in Filipino in an interview with One News’ “Storycon” on Tuesday, September 8.

Jonvic did not publicly disclose Co’s current location.

At a separate briefing Tuesday, the Interior secretary said the Ombudsman would handle diplomatic coordination in Paris while he dealt directly with Interpol, whose headquarters is in Lyon.

“Ombudsman Boying announced yesterday that he’s going to Paris also to talk with authorities. I will work with the Interpol, he will work on diplomatic efforts to get Zaldy Co,” Jonvic said.

The Sandiganbayan Third Division on Monday issued arrest warrants against Co, former House speaker Martin Romualdez, Romualdez aide Joselyn Tragua Serenio and businessman Felicito Cristobal Guevarra after finding probable cause in the P7.44-billion plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman.

Prosecutors accuse the four of receiving at least P7.44 billion in kickbacks and other financial benefits from contractors and parties with interests in flood-control, infrastructure and other government projects from 2022 to 2025.

Co also faces separate graft and malversation cases involving alleged anomalies in flood-control projects in Oriental Mindoro and Bulacan.

The Sandiganbayan declared Co a fugitive from justice in December 2025 after he remained abroad despite pending cases and warrants against him.

Red Notice still pending

Philippine authorities have been trying for months to obtain a Red Notice against Co. The government said in April that it had submitted additional documents requested by the Interpol General Secretariat after an earlier application failed to result in the issuance of an alert.

A Red Notice is a request to police worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a wanted person pending extradition, surrender or similar legal action. It is not an international arrest warrant, and authorities in the country where the subject is found decide whether an arrest can be made under their own laws.

Jonvic expressed confidence that the latest arrest warrant and the government’s renewed efforts could move the request forward.

“This time, I’ve worked the back channels. I’ve worked all channels ready. And I’m pretty confident that we’ll reach the point where we’ll get him,” he said in mixed Filipino and English.

Even if Co is located, Jonvic said Philippine officials cannot arrest him themselves.

“It is only the host country that can arrest him. The Philippines cannot do it,” he said.

Any arrest abroad would still be subject to the laws and procedures of the country where Co is located, followed by the legal process needed for his return to the Philippines.

Jonvic did not disclose further details about the planned trip to France.

Paradox of modern life: longer lives, fewer children and slower growth

The world’s demographic situation is changing rapidly, and for the first time in human history, the number of people aged 65 and over has surpassed the number of children under 5. This trend is especially noticeable in Europe and East Asia, in countries such as Japan, South Korea, and China. The population is also ageing rapidly in Latin America and Southeast Asia. Africa, however, stands out from other regions with its high birth rate and young population.

This change is not accidental. Over the past few centuries, technological, medical, and economic developments in human society have led to people living longer and having fewer children.

At first glance, it may seem paradoxical that the number of older people in the world is outnumbering the number of children. According to statistics, never in human history have people lived as long as they do today, and the probability of children surviving has never been higher. However, these developments have become one of the reasons why people are having fewer children.

In the past, high infant mortality forced families to have more children. Due to diseases, hunger, malnutrition, and poor medical care, a significant number of children did not reach adulthood. Therefore, a large family was, in a sense, a biological and social security mechanism.

Today, the situation is completely different. As a result of the development of healthcare, nutrition, hygiene and technology, the probability of children surviving has increased dramatically. Parents no longer need to have as many children as before.

Research shows that at the same time, the economic cost of raising a child in modern society has also increased significantly. For example, if 100 years ago a child could start working as an apprentice to a master at a relatively early age, today a person needs to study for many years to build a good career. University, additional courses, foreign language, vocational training and other skills increase the investment in a child.

Thus, families are gradually moving from the ‘many children’ model to the ‘fewer children, but more investment in each one’ model.

This process also has a certain parallel with the reproductive strategy observed in nature. Fish can give birth to hundreds, even thousands of offspring, because there is no guarantee that most of them will survive. An elephant protects its offspring for a long time and spends a lot of resources on them, which is why it gives birth to fewer offspring. In human society, families have also been observed to reduce the number of children they have as the likelihood of survival of children and investment in them increases. Of course, human behavior cannot be explained by biology alone. Urbanization, increased participation of women in education and the labor market, the spread of contraception, the rise in the age of marriage, and changes in lifestyle also play an important role in the decline in the birth rate.

As a result, an interesting paradox has emerged: humanity is experiencing one of the most successful periods in history in terms of child survival and longevity, but it is precisely against the background of these developments that families are having fewer children.

Azerbaijan is not immune to this global demographic shift. The country’s birth rate has declined significantly in recent years. While in 2015 there were 17.4 births per 1,000 people, this figure will drop to 10 in 2024 and to 8 in the first half of 2026. Although the population is still growing naturally, the growth rate is slowing. This trend suggests that in the long term, Azerbaijan is also moving towards an older population structure.

These changes will have both positive and negative sides. Having fewer children may allow families to devote more money and time to each child, and to invest more in education and human capital. A slowdown in population growth may, however, reduce the pressure on certain resources to some extent.

However, the main risk is related to the labor market. Children born today will enter the labor market in 20-25 years. If the number of young people decreases significantly during that period, the shrinking labor force could pose a problem for economic growth. At the same time, the decline in the number of working people could increase the burden on pension and healthcare systems.

Therefore, the world will be unable to ensure economic growth in the future by increasing the population and labor force alone. Increasing labor productivity, introducing automation, artificial intelligence and other technologies, as well as expanding labor market participation will become more important.

However, it is possible that the birth rate will increase again in the future. However, a more realistic scenario is not its return to previous high levels, but rather a partial recovery from very low levels. For example, the birth rate, which had decreased to 1.1-1.3 children, could increase to 1.6-1.8. State policies such as child benefits, tax breaks, housing and social support can also affect this process.

However, given the structural changes brought about by modern urban life, long-term education, and high child support costs, it is unlikely that the fertility rate will return to the high levels of 2.5-3 children.

As a result, the key issue now will not be simply maintaining population numbers, but building an economic and social system that is responsive to a changing age structure. Increasing productivity, strengthening investment in human capital, and adapting pension systems to the new demographic reality will be particularly important if fewer young people are to support more older people in the future. Demographic change may thus become not just a population issue but one of the key factors determining the future economic development of the world.

Alexander McQueen closes final Thailand boutique

Alexander McQueen has officially ended its brick-and-mortar retail presence in Thailand, following the closure of its Iconsiam boutique, the brand’s last remaining store in the country. The move brings an end to a retail network that once comprised three locations in Bangkok, which were at The Erawan Bangkok, Siam Paragon and Iconsiam.

The closure comes as the British luxury house undergoes a major business reset under the multinational Kering Group, which also owns fashion houses like Gucci, Saint Laurent and Balenciaga. Under Kering, Alexander McQueen will sharpen its identity as a British fashion house.

Founded by the late British designer Lee Alexander McQueen, the house has become known for combining theatrical design with sharp tailoring and a distinctly British sensibility. Its cultural footprint extends beyond the runway, with the house creating some of fashion’s most recognisable pieces, including the wedding gown worn by Catherine, Princess of Wales, for her 2011 wedding to Prince William, as well as its now-iconic skull scarf.

McQueen’s death in 2010 marked the end of the label’s founding chapter, but the brand has continued to evolve under successive creative leadership.

McQueen’s final retrenchment in Thailand reflects a broader effort to reassess the scale and positioning of their stores across international markets. Rather than pursuing an expansive retail footprint, the brand is placing greater emphasis on carefully selected locations that align with its evolving business strategy.

Within Southeast Asia, Singapore and Malaysia have also come under scrutiny as potential markets for further retail adjustments. However, Alexander McQueen has not made any official announcement regarding store closures in either market.

The changes come under CEO Gianfranco D’Attis and creative director Seán McGirr, who joined the house in 2024.

The Beatitudes: God’s great paradox

“Blessed are you who are poor… Blessed are you who are now hungry… Blessed are you who weep… Blessed are you when people hate you” (Lk 6:20-22).

Seriously? Who calls poverty, hunger, tears, and persecution blessings?

Christ does.

This is the shocking paradox at the heart of the Beatitudes. They turn human logic upside down. The world says, “Blessed are the rich, the comfortable, the admired, and the successful.” Christ says exactly the opposite. Not because suffering is good in itself, but because union with God transforms everything –even suffering– into a path toward eternal happiness.

We should always keep in mind that following Christ is filled with divine paradoxes. We gain by giving. We lead by serving. We become great by becoming little. We die to ourselves in order to truly live. The Beatitudes are perhaps the clearest expression of this heavenly logic and wisdom.

Christ is not romanticizing poverty or glorifying misery. Nor is he condemning wealth as such. What he is exposing is the danger of becoming imprisoned by earthly comforts, trapped in our earthly affairs and standards.

Poverty becomes blessed when it creates space for God. Hunger becomes blessed when it awakens a deeper longing for him. Tears become blessed when they purify the heart. Rejection becomes blessed when it is endured for Christ.

The paradox is simple: when God is enough, everything else finds its proper place.

Luke’s Gospel also includes four corresponding woes: “Woe to you who are rich… who are filled now… who laugh now… when all speak well of you” (Lk 6:24-26). These are not curses but urgent warnings. They caution us against living as though this world were our permanent home.

We have to learn the art of how to handle the world without being trapped by it. Wealth, pleasure, success, and popularity are not evil. But they become dangerous when they replace God as the center of our life. The greatest poverty is not lacking money but lacking God. The greatest wealth is possessing him. We should be clear about this truth.

This explains why many saints radiated joy despite immense suffering. Their happiness was rooted not in changing circumstances but in an unchanging relationship with Christ. They understood the paradox that the cross is never the end of the story. Beyond every Calvary lies Easter. Our resurrection with Christ passes through his cross in Calvary.

The Beatitudes also challenge our daily choices. Do we measure success by possessions or by holiness? Do we seek applause or fidelity? Do we avoid every inconvenience, or do we lovingly embrace sacrifice when duty calls? Every decision reveals which kingdom we truly belong to.

Living the Beatitudes does not require extraordinary miracles. It begins in ordinary faithfulness: accepting difficulties without complaint, forgiving those who hurt us, serving without expecting recognition, sharing generously, and remaining joyful even when life becomes difficult. These hidden victories often matter more in God’s eyes than spectacular achievements.

The Beatitudes are not impossible ideals reserved for saints. They are Christ’s portrait of every authentic disciple. They reveal that true happiness is not found in having more but in loving more; not in avoiding the cross but in carrying it with Christ.

God’s mathematics has always been different from ours. Lose your life, and you will find it. Empty yourself, and you will be filled. Become poor in spirit, and you will inherit the Kingdom.

That is the paradox of the Beatitudes. And it is the secret of lasting joy!

A mom asks about gifting her teenager a gift that keeps on giving

Happy 14th birthday to your son! I love receiving letters like yours because it shows how parents are actively looking for ways to equip their children with Economic Self-Defense, i.e., a high FQ.

You mentioned that your family is not big on gifting, and that the last gift you gave was a PC when he graduated with honors. That detail tells me that your family values utility, effort, and long-term impact over temporary material gratification.

To answer your question directly: Yes, gifting him his first UITF (Unit Investment Trust Fund) account with P10,000 is a wonderful, high-FQ idea!

However, before you run to the bank, let us pause and discuss a few Behavioral Economics and FQ principles to ensure this gift turns into a lifelong high FQ habit, rather than a forgotten bank document.

Since he is not yet of legal age, you will need to open an ITF account (In Trust For) in your or your husband’s name ITF your son’s name. Take him along to sign the forms. Explain this concept to him, and when he turns 18, convert it into an individual account under his name as part of his 18th birthday rituals that will make him more aware of his maturity.

Decide whether you want to start him off with UITF or MF (Mutual Fund). They are very similar pooled funds that collect money from many investors to buy a diversified portfolio. The main difference is who manages them: UITFs are managed by bank trust departments, while MFs are managed by investment companies. With online platforms like COL Fund Source, you can access almost all mutual funds in the country in one place and easily link your bank account for auto-investing via their EIP (Easy Investment Program), whereas bank UITFs typically require staying within that specific bank’s ecosystem. Pick the one that is more convenient for you. Sustained implementation is key.

Once you’ve decided on the above, pick the funds that you will initially invest in. Since your intention is to start off his investing habit and not to build his emergency fund (which is what working adults should prioritize), a fun starter portfolio rule of thumb is matching his age: 14% in fixed-income funds (e.g., bonds) and 86% in equities (a mix of local and global index funds).

If you give your son a regular allowance, I suggest you also make him invest regularly in his investment account. Again, for easy recall, he can start saving and investing at least 14% of his regular allowance. Increase this rate together with his age. Do it in such a way that you automatically deposit this portion to his investment account using programs like the EIP (Easy Investment Program). This way, you are setting up a system that will make him observe ‘Pay yourself first’ using two very important behavioral biases in his favor. These are the Default Bias or Inertia (because it is automatically done, no need to think and decide each month or so) and the Endowment or IKEA Effect (because using his ‘own money’ gives him skin in the game, making him value it more).

Show him the power of compounding. When I showed this to my sons while they were in grade school, it was an ah-ha moment for them, leaving a clear mark that in investing, time is of the essence. You can download this excel tool for free in my article: The Magic of Compounding: Explain to me as if I were a 7-year-old.

Make him create his High FQ Balance Sheet using the PC you gifted him for graduation. Nothing complicated, just a simple listing of his assets and liabilities. You can write to FQTeam@FQMom.com with the subject: High FQ FS to get your files for free. This FQ tool will make the abstract concept of money and investing more salient and tangible. It is something he can update and present to you at least once a quarter, enabling him to watch his investments grow while honing his presentation skills. This is definitely a tool to add more pogi points to his self-esteem from this day forward.

Investing at a young age will teach him how to calm his loss aversion and become part of the minority of people who save and invest automatically-like brushing their teeth-and not just as a result of financial emergencies, stress, or panic. I look forward to the day when your son will be among those who can proudly say what we discussed in last week’s article: The fact that I save even if I don’t need to is why I don’t have to. (Click The Privilege of “I Don’t Need To”)

When you present this gift, wrap it with a letter or a sit-down discussion about your family’s core values. (Check out my article What You Do With Your Money Should Agree With Your Core Values.)

While you’re at it, take the FQ Test (It comes in English and Tagalog.) together so he can record his starting FQ Score. After six months, he can take it again to see his progress.

People’s Party calls for reform in the House

The opposition People’s Party (PP) has submitted a motion calling for improvements to parliamentary meeting procedures and food services for MPs during late-night sessions, saying lawmakers are often left without food when debates run into the night.

Pongsoranat Thonglee, a PP MP for Bangkok, said on Tuesday the party filed the motion after receiving numerous complaints about House proceedings since the current 27th parliament opened.

He said MPs had previously been allowed greater freedom to debate, but discretionary controls imposed by the House speaker and deputy speakers had increasingly restricted their right to speak. The motion seeks clearer guidelines for House leaders to ensure fairer and more consistent management of proceedings.

Bangkok MP Phanthil Nuamcherm said House Speaker Sophon Zaram had failed to demonstrate neutrality on several issues. He also criticised restrictions on presentation slides used during debates, saying the parliamentary audiovisual team had sometimes censored or blurred material submitted an hour in advance.

Mr Phanthil questioned whether the restrictions had been ordered by the deputy speaker responsible for reviewing the material, arguing that MPs should be able to use visual aids to raise issues of public concern.

He also highlighted the lack of food during late-night sessions, saying MPs had sometimes debated until midnight with no food available after nearby convenience stores closed.

“We debated until midnight yesterday and had nothing to eat. The convenience stores close at 8pm. Many MPs have stomach problems,” Mr Phanthil said, adding that he was willing to pay 300 to 500 baht himself for food to be available at night.

All 499 fellow MPs would welcome such a service and were willing to pay for it, he said.

Source of underground oil pipeline leak found in Klong Toey

Thousands of litres of oil are feared to have seeped into drains in Klong Toey district of Bangkok due to a suspected leak in an underground oil pipeline, prompting fire risk alerts.

The Ministry of Energy reported on Wednesday evening that officials had found the leak location and identified the companies that would be responsible for the cleanup.

Energy Minister Akanat Promphan, who inspected the site, ordered Bangkok Fuel Pipeline and Logistics Co and BAFS Pipeline Transportation Co to quickly carry out repairs and environmental rehabilitation and pay compensation.

Bangkok governor Chadchart Sittipunt said earlier in the day that leakage was likely taking place into drains beneath Chuea Phloeng Road, which runs under an overpass of Rama III Road.

‘There may be a leak of an underground oil pipeline measuring around 14 inches in diameter. The pipe transports many kinds of oil and has been used for about 30 years,’ he said. (Story continues below)

The area belongs to the State Railway of Thailand (SRT), and the pipeline is about two metres deep, Mr Chadchart explained, referring to the railway track that connects the Bangkok Port, oil storage yards near the Chao Phraya River and the railway network in inner Bangkok.

Pressure in the pipeline has been dialled down, leading to a noticeable reduction in the smell of oil in the area, the governor said.

Workers have been dispatched to dig up sections suspected to be affected by leakage to prove the cause of the contamination. The work will have an impact on traffic.

According to Mr Chadchart and the Pollution Control Department, the leakage has affected an area of about 1,000 square metres. Local drains have been blocked to prevent any oil from flowing onward to waterways.

About 20,000 litres of oil-contaminated wastewater has been pumped from the area’s drains for proper disposal. The governor estimated about 20% of the collected wastewater contained oil, accounting for about 4,000 litres of fuel.

Officials have been monitoring of the extent of contamination and have begun working to limit its concentration to prevent fire.

As well, warnings have been repeated to local residents not to smoke or set fires in the area in the interest of safety. Two communities are located near the site but evacuation has not yet been deemed necessary.

OpenAI and Samsung develop AI chips

U.S. company OpenAI and South Korean tech giant Samsung Electronics are collaborating on the development and production of next-generation chips designed for artificial intelligence. The partnership was announced by Harrison Kim, head of OpenAI’s South Korean operations, during a press conference in Seoul.

According to Kim, the joint development and production of AI chips is one of the areas in which OpenAI and Samsung have made the most significant progress. The cooperation could strengthen OpenAI’s access to advanced semiconductor technology while giving Samsung a larger role in the rapidly growing AI hardware market.

Samsung is also one of the largest corporate users of ChatGPT. Its employees use OpenAI’s AI models for research and development, marketing, sales, and other business operations.

Last year, OpenAI and Samsung reached an agreement on the supply of memory chips for the Stargate project, an ambitious initiative focused on building large-scale AI data centers. OpenAI’s South Korean division considers cooperation with local memory-chip manufacturers a key priority as demand for computing power continues to rise.

In June, OpenAI unveiled its own AI chip, called Jalapeno, developed in cooperation with semiconductor company Broadcom. The chips are expected to be manufactured at facilities operated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

OpenAI said that the number of corporate users of ChatGPT Enterprise in South Korea had increased 28-fold by the end of August compared with the same period last year.

The partnership with Samsung highlights a broader trend in the AI industry: companies are increasingly trying to secure their own supply of advanced chips instead of relying entirely on a small number of major semiconductor manufacturers. This is becoming especially important as the rapid expansion of AI services requires enormous amounts of computing power and memory.

South Korea could play a particularly important role in this race. The country is home to some of the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturers, making it a strategic partner for companies seeking to build the infrastructure needed for the next generation of artificial intelligence.

Trkiye’s e-commerce boom drives push for $6 billion in e-exports

The Istanbul Global E-Export Summit (IGEXX 2026) was held at the Halic Congress Center under the coordination of Turkiye’s Trade Ministry and in cooperation with the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TIM) and the Electronic Commerce Operators Association (ETID).

Trade Minister Omer Bolat, International Energy Agency (IEA) Executive Director Dr Fatih Birol, TIM Chairman Mustafa Gultepe, ETID Chairman Hakan Cevikoglu and leading representatives of the business community attended the opening session of the event.

Speaking at the summit, Bolat said digital channels had now become the most important means of reaching consumers.

He noted that the COVID-19 pandemic had triggered major changes in the information technology and e-commerce sectors.

‘The COVID-19 pandemic, which erupted at the beginning of 2020, provided an opportunity for the information technology and e-commerce sectors to advance at an enormous and rapid pace. While e-commerce accounted for 4.5% of total trade in 2019, both globally and in terms of Turkiye’s national income, these figures rose rapidly. The share of e-commerce in total trade increased from around 4.5% to 20%,’ Bolat said.

Bolat said Turkiye’s e-commerce sector recorded an annual growth rate of 80% between 2019 and 2025, while its share of the overall retail sector also increased rapidly, reaching around 20%.

Referring to global e-commerce data, Bolat said global gross domestic product grew by 33% between 2019 and 2025, while the overall retail sector expanded by 28%.

‘The overall retail sector reached $32 trillion, while the size of global production reached $118 trillion,’ he said.

Bolat noted that business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce had experienced even faster growth during the period.

‘The volume of B2C, or direct business-to-consumer e-commerce, grew by 91% and reached $6.5 trillion. E-commerce’s share of total global retail sales is 20%. This is also the global average, and the same applies to Trkiye,’ he said.

The minister said the Trade Ministry had undertaken a range of initiatives to make it easier for companies to access the information they need to expand their e-export operations.

‘So far, we have made approximately 40 guides and manuals available on our ministry’s websites for companies, covering e-export roadmaps and customs procedures for 25 countries, as well as 28 marketplaces and five digital channels,’ Bolat said.

He added that Turkiye aims to reach $6 billion in e-exports by the end of this year.

The number of companies generating more than $10,000 in e-exports annually increased from 8,132 in 2022 to 11,420 by the end of 2025, according to Bolat.

Istanbul ranked first among Turkish provinces in terms of e-export volume, while the ready-to-wear and apparel sector ranked first among industries, he said.

Bolat identified the United States, Germany, Azerbaijan, Romania and Saudi Arabia among Turkiye’s leading partner countries in e-commerce exports.

The ‘real pressure’

In a video message last Monday, Vice President Sara Duterte talked about certain kinds of ‘real pressure’ being borne – not by her, she swore. The ‘real pressure,’ VP Sara bewailed, is being made to bear upon all of us Filipinos. VP Sara assuaged though her well-wishers she remains ready and capable to face these ‘real pressures’ along with the people.

VP Sara was addressing the sentiments of many of her loyal and rabid supporters about the on-going Senate impeachment trial against her. And just last Friday, she added, she was criminally charged with three counts of grave threats before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) and subsequently posted bail for her temporary liberty.

‘So many of you have sent messages of support, prayers and concern. With so many messages, I cannot respond to each one… Many also said that they are stressed out by the impeachment and the cases I am facing,’ VP Sara cited.

‘I want to convey to all of you that you do not need to worry and do not be pressured,’ she assuaged the public in general.

VP Sara reiterated her lament that she is not getting a fair shake under the administration of her estranged ‘UniTeam’ erstwhile partner President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. (PBBM). She begrudged again her travails since she resigned from the Cabinet and left the Marcos administration in July 2024. ‘My only trust is in the people, and I am deeply grateful for your continued trust despite the relentless political harassment from the Marcos administration,’ she stressed.

This was after Quezon City RTC Branch 98 of presiding judge Maria Angelica De Ramos found probable cause on three counts of grave threats directed at President Marcos, First Lady Liza Marcos and former speaker Martin Romualdez. Incidentally, both VP Sara and Judge De Ramos belonged to Sororitas Reginae Juris during their student days at the San Beda College of Law.

Herself a lawyer, VP Sara was accompanied by her legal advisers led by former Office of the Vice President (OVP) official spokesman Michael Poa, one of her defense counsels at the Senate impeachment court. Still, VP Sara publicly echoed her distrust of the police as well as the court. If she does not trust the Philippine courts, then why are they insisting to bring back her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, to face here in our country the charges on alleged extrajudicial killings and not prosecuted at The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC)?

VP Sara voluntarily surrendered to the De Ramos court in QC. By doing so, she evaded the spectacle of being arrested and handcuffed as police procedures required on the service of warrant. But that was exactly what she wanted originally, Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla revealed last Monday.

Remulla spilled the beans that the Vice President’s chief security purportedly inquired about her being taken to the Camp Crame Detention Center where she could be photographed being handcuffed and be seen ‘behind bars.’ Actually, Remulla pointed out, the VP is facing a bailable offense and therefore no need for her to go through such ‘drama.’ The DILG secretary surmised the OVP had a change of mind and she went directly instead to QC court.

Contrary to those who do not know court procedures, there was no ‘special treatment’ given to VP Sara that day. No less than her own arch critic Jess Falcis at PolitikoTalks last Friday night explained the new court procedures allow the accused to submit their own mug photos, barangay certification and detailed map where she resides and finger-printing.

Falcis surmised VP Sara did not present herself to the court right away that Friday night to prepare these requirements for a bailable offense like grave threats. Incidentally, lawyer-singer Jimmy Bondoc hit the right note on that same night’s show at PolitikoTalks in correctly predicting the likely arrest soon of VP Sara’s arch nemesis, ex-speaker Romualdez.

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla, older brother of the DILG secretary, finally filed at the Sandiganbayan the first of a ‘series’ of plunder, graft and money-laundering cases against Romualdez.

After seven months of investigation, the ombudsman charged Romualdez in the alleged P7.4-billion kickbacks from the questioned flood control projects under the 2022-2025 budget laws approved during his watch as speaker of the 19th Congress.

Like a tag team, the Remulla brothers are now making sure to carry out PBBM’s promise of no special treatment given to any accused, even the latter’s own first cousin. But Romualdez beat them to a draw by going to Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan City. Before he could be served the arrest warrant for his plunder case, he placed himself under hospital detention. Since plunder is a non-bailable crime, the Sandiganbayan ordered yesterday the attending doctors of Romualdez to explain and justify their diagnosis of their patient.

The arrest of the so-called ‘big fish’ in the flood control scandal eclipsed VP Sara’s video message on ‘real pressures’ she is being made to suffer.

‘The real pressure is the shame that I can do so little to help you through your suffering right now,’ VP Sara grumbled. ‘With every time you swim in the flood, with your children going hungry, with the hardship you suffer due to the continuous increase in the price of goods and the various burdens caused by the Marcos administration, I feel like I am not doing enough to alleviate your suffering,’ she complained.

‘The real pressure is being a government official while I see that Marcos and some other officials seem to only put their own interests first, instead of the welfare of every Filipino. The real pressure is the historic drop in the value of the peso against the dollar, which is now at 62.77 pesos (to a $1). The real pressure is your loss of trust in the government,’ VP Sara ranted.

But is there a bogus or fake pressure? Or perhaps artificial or trumped up pressure?