Category: Philippine Star

Commission on Audit supervising auditor Xylene Mae del Campo returns to the witness stand today at the Senate impeachment court, as she continues her testimony about the remaining audit of Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds not covered by fellow COA auditor Roderick Wamil earlier.

Aside from Del Campo, three additional witnesses expected to be presented by the House prosecution team are Marivic Pareja, director of the House legislative information resources management department; and special disbursing officers (SDOs) Gina Acosta of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and Edward Fajarda of the Department of Education (DepEd).

Rep. Terry Ridon said over the weekend that Acosta and Fajarda are deemed as hostile witnesses, being employees and trusted aides of Duterte, who will be forced to testify on how the confidential funds were spent by the two agencies.

Former Surigao del Norte congressman Robert Ace Barbers, adviser and spokesperson for the House impeachment team, said Acosta and Fajarda merely carried out authority delegated by Duterte as head of the two agencies.

‘The head of the agency (Duterte) appoints the SDOs – Fajarda and Acosta. To me, they are mere pawns. They just disbursed the funds, and they were given the authority to make sure that the funds are properly used and properly spent on items that are allowable under the Joint Circular.’

For repeatedly failing to liquidate P612.5 million in confidential funds, Duterte cannot pass the blame on her staff, as she herself signed the documents and is thus fully accountable under the principle of command responsibility, Kabataan Rep. Renee Co said.

The OVP received four confidential-fund releases of P125 million each, totaling P500 million, between the fourth quarter of 2022 and the third quarter of 2023.

Separate funds totaling P112.5 million were released to DepEd while Duterte served concurrently as education secretary.

Meanwhile, House prosecutors have commended National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag, Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao regional director Jeremy Lotoc, special agent John Mark Calilung of the NBI Cybercrime Division, and COA auditors Wamil and Del Campo for staying true to their mandate of speaking truth amid threats during the impeachment trial of the Vice President.

Amid heavy rains and flooding, transport group Manibela postponed its scheduled strike today.

Manibela chairman Mar Valbuena said many of their members were affected by the monsoon rains enhanced by Tropical Depression Maymay.

‘We are ready to take action and fight for our livelihood and rights. However, the safety of our families and of every driver and operator comes first,’ Valbuena said. ‘Let us remain alert. Let us help those among us affected by the floods and bad weather.’

The transport strike will be rescheduled, Valbuena said.

‘Many of our communities have been affected by the floods. In this situation, it is more important to prioritize our families’ safety and well-being,’ he said.

Manibela ealier announced the transport strike after the Department of Transportation declared that the fare adjustment would remain suspended.

Some transport groups such as Pasang Masda, Altodap, Fejodap, Busina, Acto as well as Stop and Go said they would not stage a strike, citing the fuel subsidy and other alternative programs of the government.

Piston has expressed readiness to hold a transport strike, but has yet to give details regarding the matter.

The Jose Rizal University (JRU) Heavy Bombers fended off the hard-fighting University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, 85-81, to stay undefeated in the Cebu City Collegiate Invitational Basketball Tournament 2026 on Saturday, August 8, at the Cebu City Sports Institute in Barangay Sawang Calero.

Sean Salvador bagged 19 points, Jamir Eligado posted a double-double of 14 points and 10 rebounds, while Christopher Hubilla contributed 13 points, six rebounds and two assists for the Heavy Bombers, who are already assured of a championship ticket with an immaculate 3-0 record.

The Heavy Bombers actually saw their 27-point lead, 43-16, halfway though the second period evaporate as the Webmasters staged a fierce fightback to pull within just four points, 55-59, early in the second half.

JRU quickly restored though a double-digit advantage, including at 80-68 in the final five minutes and then thwarted UC’s repeated rallies at the endgame to escape with a four-point victory.

Ricofer Sordilla finished with 22 points, while Maverick Eligoyo and VJ Baruc connived for 23 points but to no avail as the Webmasters fell to 1-1.

In the other matchup, the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors snapped a two-game jinx with an 82-70 drubbing of reigning Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) four-peat champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers, 82-70.

The Red Warriors never looked back after taking an early 25-7 lead, which peaked at 26 points, 60-34, late in the third period.

Mariano Tanedo paced UE with 17 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals while Christopher Lagat chipped in 12 points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal.

Zylle Cabellon was the lone double-digit scorer with 11 points for the Green Lancers, who suffered their first loss in two games.

Trading is seen staying range bound this week as investors are expected to continue digesting the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) slowdown in the second quarter.

Following a three-day losing streak, the Philippine Stock Exchange index finished with a win last Friday at 6,290.35, up by 0.86 percent week-on-week.

While the local market managed to post gains in last week’s trading to snap a two-week losing streak, Philstocks Financial research manager Japhet Tantiangco said sentiment is seen to remain cautious moving forward amid the latest developments between the US and Iran.

He said the situation between the US and Iran remains uncertain as the two declare contradicting narratives.

‘The former states that negotiations between the two for passage in the Strait of Hormuz are underway, while the latter is planning to block the former from transiting in the said strait,’ Tantiangco said.

‘The contradiction is fueling another rally for global oil prices which will have implications on local prices. If the situation between the two worsens, it is expected to weigh on the local bourse,’ he said.

Tantiangco said latest macroeconomic data, especially on the country’s GDP, may also be a cause of concern for the market.

‘Recent macroeconomic data are giving mixed clues. The Philippines’ inflation last July, both headline and core, have posted slower figures, though still elevated. June employment figures, in real terms, have posted an increase both month-on-month and year-on-year,’ Tantiangco said.

‘However, our Q2 GDP data has posted slower expansion implying that the local economy continues to lose growth momentum,’ he said.

First Metro Investment Corp. head of research Cristina Ulang, meanwhile, believes the market has priced in all the bad news.

‘Thus, forward upside is contingent on the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas dovish messaging ahead of the Monetary Board meeting this month given multi-year low 2Q26 GDP growth,’ she said.

2TradeAsia.com, the online arm of F. Yap Securities Inc., for its part, expects BSP’s August call on interest rates and blue chip’s earnings to set the tone post-GDP repricing.

‘We feel that the next two to three weeks are best used to position ahead of the BSP meeting rather than to hold a firm conviction on its outcome,’ 2TradeAsia.com said.

‘Overall, these keep our medium-term PSEi range capped at 6,200 to 6,500, with 6,500 acting as resistance until there is visible evidence that infrastructure disbursement is restarting,’ it said.

Tropical Storm Maymay and the southwest monsoon have worsened the classroom shortage problem, with the Department of Education (DepEd) counting 2,424 classrooms damaged during the weather disturbances.

Based on DepEd’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service (DRRMS) data as of 8 a.m. yesterday, out of the affected classrooms, 403 were destroyed, 505 sustained major damage while 1,516 had minor damage.

The damaged classrooms were mostly recorded in the Ilocos (Region I), Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Central Luzon (Region 3).

‘Additionally, non-infrastructure losses include 2,007 chairs, 274 ICT (information and communications technology) equipment units and 2,976 learning materials, affecting teaching and learning across affected regions,’ the DepEd DRRMS said.

DepEd DRRMS said P74,284,000 in funds were needed to conduct minor repairs in the 1,516 classrooms with minor damage.

A separate fund amounting to P13,718,000 would be utilized for the clean-up and clearing operations (CUCO) of 505 classrooms that sustained major damage.

‘In response, the DepEd DRRMS initiated the processing of CUCO and minor repair funds for the repair of damaged classrooms and cleaning and clearing operations to support learning continuity,’ it added in the report.

In a related development, DepEd and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) have joined forces to fast-track the recovery of public schools damaged by the monsoon rains.

In a statement, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the two agencies are pivoting their 2026 Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers-Brigada Eskwela convergence into an immediate disaster cleanup mechanism to restore affected classrooms.

Classes are suspended today in Abra, Bulacan, Ilocos Sur, Nueva Ecija, Dagupan and Bacoor in Cavite, Benguet, Lemery in Batangas, Marikina, Tuguegarao City and Metro Manila.

Local officials in the 19 towns of La Union and San Fernando City suspended classes today.

The combined effects of the enhanced southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay have affected 382,000 people in eight regions, as heavy rains brought flooding to more than 180 areas in Luzon, the Office of Civil Defense said yesterday.

At least 185,512 people have been affected in Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said yesterday.

Power restoration efforts by the Benguet Electric Cooperative continued across Baguio City and Benguet yesterday.

A Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent and a suspected shabu trafficker were killed during a failed drug sting in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi yesterday.

Three members of the Navy’s 4th Marine Battalion, including its commanding officer Lt. Col. Richard Malabanan, were wounded during the incident, according to the Bangsamoro police based at Camp SK Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte.

Malabanan, who was shot and wounded in the head, was airlifted by a Philippine Air Force team to a hospital in Zamboanga City for treatment.

The PDEA identified its slain agent as Ernie Jim Dayag.

Barangay Paniongan chairman Manan Rasul said the PDEA agents, Marines and several Tawi-Tawi units of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region police had launched a sting against a group of drug dealers in the barangay’s Mapanbubu area.

But the operation was compromised, with the suspects provoking a gunfight. Gunmen from houses around the area then opened fire on the law enforcers.

One of the gunmen, who was not immediately identified, was killed in the firefight.

Local executives and provincial police officials in Tawi-Tawi said the heavily armed drug dealers in the bloody clash managed to escape.

A joint police-military manhunt operation was launched against the suspects.

The Presidential Photojournalists’ Association (PPA) will formally unveil ‘In Focus: Marcos Presidency,’ a photographic exhibit featuring significant moments and milestones of the President on Aug. 13 at Likhang Filipino in Pasay City.

The exhibit brings together photographs taken by PPA members throughout their continuing coverage of the President, presenting a visual chronicle of official engagements, state ceremonies, diplomatic meetings, visits to communities and other defining moments of the administration.

More than a collection of photographs, the exhibit highlights the vital role of photojournalism in documenting governance, preserving public memory and creating a lasting visual record of Philippine history through firsthand coverage of the nation’s highest office.

The exhibit’s public run coincides with the observance of World Photography Day on Aug. 19, celebrating photography not only as an art form but also as a powerful medium for documentation, storytelling and historical preservation.

Founded in 1986 by photojournalists assigned to cover Malacañang, the PPA has documented successive administrations while upholding the principles of professionalism, accuracy, ethics and integrity in visual journalism.

PPA president Noel Pabalate of The STAR said the exhibit recognizes the responsibility entrusted to presidential photojournalists, regardless of who occupies Malacañang.

‘For presidential photojournalists, every administration becomes part of the historical record we are entrusted to document. Our responsibility remains the same – to be present, to observe carefully and to produce photographs that truthfully preserve the events and moments that define a presidency,’ Pabalate said.

The exhibit also pays tribute to the photojournalists who work behind the camera, often traveling with the President across the country and abroad to document events on behalf of the Filipino public.

‘In Focus: Marcos Presidency’ will be open to the public from Aug. 14 to 30 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Mondays, at Likhang Filipino in Pasay City.

Supported by the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) and the Office of the President (OP), the two-week exhibit is made possible through the sponsorship of Pagcor, Metro Pacific Investment Corp., Island Photo and Golden Touch.

Digital banks and fintech companies are pushing back against calls for permanently free fund transfers, saying the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)’s new pricing framework allows financial institutions to charge fees based on the actual cost of providing digital payment services.

The Digital Bank Association of the Philippines (DiBA PH) said BSP Circular 1238 does not require zero fees, but instead adopts a cost-based pricing framework for electronic fund transfers.

‘This provides greater regulatory certainty for digital banks as they continue investing in secure payments, savings, responsible credit and other digital financial services that deepen financial inclusion,’ the group said.

‘DiBA supports the BSP’s balanced approach, recognizing that affordability, consumer protection, innovation and long-term sustainability go hand in hand in building a resilient and competitive digital banking ecosystem,’ it added.

The BSP earlier clarified that compliance with the circular does not automatically mean banks and electronic money issuers must remove transfer fees. Instead, institutions must justify the amount they charge based on the costs involved in processing transactions.

Fintech Alliance Philippines founding chairman Lito Villanueva said the industry supports efforts to make digital payments more affordable, but stressed that the circular was designed around a cost-based rather than a zero-fee framework.

‘Of course, this is a good initiative of the BSP in making digital payments affordable,’ Villanueva said. However, he said the BSP circular is ‘more focused on a cost-based over a zero-based framework.’

‘It’s more about having to ensure that affordability plus security are actually together,’ he told reporters.

Villanueva said low-cost digital payments should not come at the expense of consumer protection, cybersecurity and the operational reliability of payment platforms.

He also noted that while many banks have already waived fund transfer fees, free transactions do not mean that providers no longer incur costs.

He said financial institutions offering free transfers may instead seek other revenue sources by deepening customer engagement and cross-selling other financial products.

Under Circular 1238, banks and electronic money issuers must submit a breakdown of the costs used to determine their transfer fees.

‘They just need to provide the BSP the breakdown of the cost that will constitute the transfer fee,’ Villanueva said. ‘They need to justify that if it is P10 or P15 or whatever.’

Villanueva said transaction costs extend beyond the industry switch fee and may include settlement, clearing, customer service and dispute handling, particularly for off-us transactions or transfers involving different financial institutions.

The debate over digital payment fees has intensified as more banks and financial technology companies offer temporary or permanent fee waivers to attract customers and encourage greater use of online transactions.

Industry leaders have maintained that affordability should remain a central part of financial inclusion, but argued that regulation should also allow providers to sustain investments in cybersecurity, fraud prevention, customer support and operational resilience.

Barbie Dapul, chief operating officer of G-Xchange Inc., said trust is the foundation of digital finance.

‘Financial inclusion is meaningful only when people trust the system. Every secure transaction, every fraud prevented, every customer concern resolved and every innovation introduced reflects continuous investment in protecting consumers.’

She added that inclusion should be measured not only by the number of accounts opened but by the quality, safety and reliability of the services people use every day.

Angelo Madrid, president and CEO of Maya Bank, said sustainable competition depends on recognizing that banks, digital banks and electronic money issuers operate under different business models and regulatory obligations.

‘A progressive regulatory environment encourages innovation while recognizing that different institutions contribute to financial inclusion in different ways. The objective is a level playing field that benefits consumers and strengthens the financial system.’

An agent of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and an alleged shabu trafficker were killed, while three members of the Philippine Marines were wounded in a shootout with a group allegedly circulating narcotics in Barangay Paniongan in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi on Sunday morning, August 9.

Regional officials of the Bangsamoro police based at Camp SK Pendatun in Parang, Maguindanao del Norte, told reporters at noon Sunday that the incident left an agent of the PDEA-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, Ernie Jim Dayag, deadl and three members of the Navy’s 4th Marine Battalion, including its commanding officer, Lt. Col. Richard Malabanan, wounded.

Local executives, including Manan Rasul, chairman of Barangay Paniongan, reported that agents of the PDEA-BARMM, Marine servicemen led by Malabanan and personnel from different units in Tawi-Tawi of the Police Regional Office-Bangsamoro Autonomous Region were supposed to entrap a group of alleged drug dealers in Mapanbubu area in Paniongan, but the operation turned awry when the targets of the operation provoked a gunfight.

Gunmen from houses around the agreed trade-off spot came out when they learned that their companions had sold shabu to combined PDEA-BARMM agents and Marine and police personnel and opened fire, sparking an encounter.

One of the gunmen who attacked the joint PDEA-BARMM, police and Marine law enforcement team was killed in the ensuing exchange of gunfire, according to local executives in Bongao, capital town of Tawi-Tawi, one of the five provinces in BARMM.

Malabanan, who sustained a bullet wound to the head, was immediately airlifted by a Philippine Air Force team to a hospital in Zamboanga City for treatment.

Local executives and provincial police officials in Tawi-Tawi said the heavily armed drug dealers involved in the bloody clash who managed to escape are now the subject of a joint police-military manhunt.

I first looked at democratic socialism seriously when I read US Sen. Bernie Sanders’ statement: ‘Health care is a human right, not a privilege.’

This is the belief that access to medical care should not depend on wealth and should be available to anyone who needs it. This sounded as a revolutionary idea that should have been realized long before Sen. Sanders started expressing it.

I started reading that this concept about health care as a human right was part of an ideology called Democratic Socialism. This is a political, economic and social ideology that combines democracy with the principles of social, economic and income equality. However, democratic socialism, unlike other forms of socialism, promotes democratic institutions, free elections, civil liberties and the rule of law while advocating for an economy that places the well-being of people above the pursuit of profit.

Democratic socialists believe that government has an essential role in providing quality public services accessible to all, protecting workers’ rights, eliminating poverty and ensuring that wealth is distributed more equitably throughout society. Rather than replacing democracy with a one-party system or centralized authoritarian rule, democratic socialism insists that social and economic reforms can and should be achieved through peaceful democratic processes and public participation.

This issue of democratic processes while maintaining an obligation of an equitable society is very critical today because the Philippines is looking for ways to address the economic downturn the country is now experiencing. There are again voices in society that claim unfairly that it is necessary for the country to sacrifice social services and workers’ welfare such as minimum wage increases in order to achieve economic growth.

The advocates of capitalism believe that economic growth must take precedence over a life of human dignity for every person in order to achieve economic growth.

However, democratic socialists argue that socialism does not necessarily require revolution for it to emerge. Karl Marx argued that capitalism inevitably created conflict between workers and business owners. Marx believed that socialism emerged only through revolution.

Democratic socialist thinkers propose a different path. The economic philosopher Eduard Bernstein argued that socialism could be achieved gradually through elections, democratic reforms and constitutional governments rather than violent revolution. His ideas laid the intellectual foundation for modern democratic socialism and influenced many political parties throughout Europe.

Democratic socialism differs from both capitalism and authoritarian socialism because it seeks a balance between economic freedom and social responsibility. It accepts the existence of private businesses and markets that believe that governments should regulate industries to advance the interest of workers, consumers and the environment.

Democratic socialists support universal health care, accessible education to all, affordable housing, labor rights, social welfare programs and progressive taxation. They believe that certain essential human services should be publicly funded and publicly managed because these services are fundamental to human dignity and should not depend solely on a person’s or family’s income. In this way, democratic socialism promotes the idea that democracy should extend beyond politics and influence economic institutions as well.

Many prominent political leaders around the world have supported democratic socialist ideas. In the United States, the best known democratic socialists are Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Just this year, democratic socialists have won major electoral victories in the United States. Zohran Mandani won as mayor of New York City, the largest American city. Abdul El-Sayed has just won the Democratic primary in the state of Michigan. Some other democratic socialists are planning to run for congressional seats in Colorado, New York and California. If these candidates win based on their platforms of democratic socialism, this ideology will definitely gain in popularity in other countries, including the Philippines.

Income inequality, health care accessibility, expensive education, housing affordability and stagnant wages have been major issues in the Philippines, United States and other countries during the last couple of decades. Until recently, many countries have turned to authoritarianism and populism as possible solutions to these critical issues.

However, the rise of populism and dictators promising to address income inequality has not succeeded. Therefore, it is understandable why the general population has begun to look for other solutions and democratic socialism has become the most attractive alternative to date.

In the Philippines, the Duterte regime ran and won basically on a platform of addressing economic inequality through a populist platform which pointed to the existence of an oligarchy as the root problem. At the end of Duterte’s presidency, income and economic inequality remained as serious a problem as before.

Democratic socialism, on the other hand, represents an effort to reconcile democracy, individual freedom with social justice and human rights. Rather than advocating authoritarian government control over all aspects of the economy, it seeks to reform democratic societies through peaceful means. It can be seen that in some countries that have adopted a comprehensive welfare system, they have been able to maintain democratic institutions.

Perhaps, another basic idea in the ideology of democratic socialism is that the economy should exist to serve the people, rather than the people serving the economy. It’s time for some political parties in the Philippines to adopt the ideology of democratic socialism in order to promote both prosperity and fairness for the Filipino people.