Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

There is likely one week left in the prosecution’s timeline before they rest their case regarding Article I of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, or specifically the allegations of misusing confidential funds (CF) allocated to her offices from 2022 to 2023.

In a press briefing after the trial on Tuesday, public prosecutor and Manila Rep. Joel Chua said that they will decide who will be their next set of witnesses after lawyer Michael Poa – a member of the defense panel who used to serve as Undersecretary when the Department of Education (DepEd) was still under Duterte’s supervision.

After Poa, Chua said they may have three or four witnesses left – a representative from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), former Education Assistant Secretary Edward Fajarda, and one or two other individuals.

‘Well, siguro ang natitira na lamang kung saka-sakaling bukas ay maipe-presenta ‘yong PSA, ang natitira na lamang si Mr. Edward Fajarda and probably isa, or siguro at most, dalawa. Mamaya pag-uusapan pa namin kung, or ipa-finalize namin tomorrow,’ Chua said.

(Well, what remains of our witness, should we be able to present PSA, is Mr. Edward Fajarda and probably one or at most, two more witnesses. Later we will discuss or finalize the list tomorrow.)

‘In any event, masasabi natin, baka by next week, eh matatapos na hopefully ang confidential fund (issue) and we will move on to the next article,’ he added.

(In any event, we can say that by next week, we can hopefully finalize the confidential fund (issue) and we will move on to the next article.)

Chua also confirmed earlier statements from fellow public prosecutor Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon, who said that the prosecution plans to end the presentation of evidence by October.

If they are able to rest their case for all articles by October, Chua believes the defense can present their evidence immediately after and allow the Senate Impeachment Court to rule by December.

‘May target kasi tayo na ito ‘yong gusto natin na matapos, kasi we have to understand after us meron pang defense eh, sila naman ang magpe-present eh,’ he said.

(We have a target because we want to finish this, because we have to understand that after us, the defense will present their own evidence.)

‘Siyempre ayaw naman natin na umabot pa to by next year, so sana, hopefully by November, tapos na lahat, so by December we can have the decision of the impeachment court whether or not to convict the Vice President,’ he added.

(Of course we do not want this to reach by next year, so hopefully by November, we will be done, so by December we can have the decision of the impeachment court whether or not to convict the Vice President.)

DepEd issue

Chua is the team leader for Article I, as most of the allegations raised by the prosecution were borne out of the investigation made by the committee he chairs, the House of Representatives’ committee on good government and public accountability.

Over the second half of 2024, Chua’s committee focused on allegations that there was misuse of the P500 million CF allocated to the Office of the Vice President (OVP) from the fourth quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2023; and the P112.5 million placed in DepEd for the first three quarters of 2023.

One of the issues raised at the committee hearings was the matter tackled earlier – the testimony of Philippine Army (PA) officials Col. Maranos Boransing II and Col. Magtanggol Panopio that none of Duterte’s offices whether it be DepEd, OVP, or even the Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group (VPSPG) poured part of its regular allocations or CFs to the youth oriented-programs.

Boransing and Panopio were referring to the Youth Leadership Summit (YLS) and the Information Education Communication (IEC), programs funded by the PA’s annual budget, which aim to curb communist groups’ recruitment of high school and college students.

When the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged DepEd’s P15.54 million confidential expenditures through an audit observation memorandum (AOM), the agency cited certifications from Boransing, Panopio and other PA officials regarding the conduct of the YLS and IEC to prove the use of CFs.

Chua said they are already satisfied with the matter relating to YLS.

‘Yes, insofar as the Youth Leadership Summit is concerned and the certifications they issued, we are (satisfied),’ he noted.

During the trial, Panopio also admitted being shocked that DepEd under Duterte used his certification to justify its confidential expenses, saying that the first time he first heard about this was on October 17, 2024 – the hearing of the House committee on good government and public accountability.

Boransing and Panopio are the eighth and ninth witnesses presented by the prosecution for Article I.

Prior to the two Army officials, the prosecution panel presented two Land Bank of the Philippines officials from which OVP and DepEd withdrew their CFs; COA auditors who checked on the confidential expenditures made by Duterte’s offices; and OVP staffers like former special disbursing officer Gina Acosta.

Last August 24, Acosta testified before the impeachment court that she released OVP’s CFs Col. Raymund Dante Lachica of the VPSPG even though she knew that Lachica was not a bonded officer.

Like Boransing and Panopio, Acosta also appeared before the House committee on good government and public accountability, and admitted during a November 2024 hearing that it was Duterte’s orders to release the CFs to Lachica.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is calling for stricter enforcement of ‘no-build zone’ policies and other measures aimed at reducing flooding and protecting communities from the effects of climate change, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Tuesday.

He issued the directive during a Central Luzon and Metro Manila Response Meeting with key Cabinet officials and local chief executives on Monday in Malacañang.

‘According to the president, the law must be enforced, including the ‘no-build zone’ policy. Let us stop politicizing the issue. Enforce the law. It must be explained to everyone that stricter enforcement of the law is necessary for our safety,’ Castro said during a briefing.

‘For LGUs, enforce the ‘no-build zones.’ Ensure that your respective jurisdictions are properly maintained, work together to clear obstructions from waterways, and make sure that garbage is collected and disposed of at proper disposal sites,’ she added.

In the same briefing, Castro said Marcos wants greater focus on climate change mitigation and adaptation.

‘There is no need for us to blame one another. Whatever shortcomings may have occurred under the previous administration will not be tolerated by the president,’ she said.

‘The president is particularly focused on the effects of climate change, as we are increasingly witnessing and experiencing the full force of nature’s fury,’ she added.

She said the government will also strengthen coordination with the Climate Change Commission, which is chaired by Marcos, to identify gaps in the implementation of climate policies and ensure that its recommendations reach the president.

The UAAP is adjusting its September basketball schedule to accommodate the Gilas Pilipinas’ campaigns in the Asian Games and Fiba 3×3 Under-23 World Cup.

There will be only five gamedays for the collegiate men’s and women’s basketball tournaments from Sept. 13 to 30, the UAAP announced.

The Season 89 opening ceremony is set for September 12 at Mall of Asia Arena, with the first men’s basketball games scheduled the following day at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Far Eastern University will face Adamson at noon, followed by defending champion La Salle against National University at 2:30 p.m. University of the Philippines will then take on University of Santo Tomas at 6 p.m.

The men’s schedule will continue on September 16 at MOA Arena, September 19 at Smart Araneta Coliseum, September 26 at MOA Asia Arena and September 30 at the same venue.

The schedule adjustments were made as several UAAP players are set to represent the Philippines in September.

‘We have always believed that the UAAP’s mission goes beyond the competition. We are here to develop student-athletes who can represent our schools, but we are equally proud when they get the opportunity to represent the country,’ said UAAP Season 89 President Mark Molina of FEU.

FEU’s Cabs Cabonilas and Jedric Daa and Adamson’s Earl Medina are scheduled to compete in the Fiba 3×3 Under-23 World Cup in Wuhan, China, from September 15 to 19.

La Salle’s Luis Pablo and Doy Dungo and UST’s Koji Buenaflor are set to suit up for Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 in the Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, from September 21 to 25.

The collegiate women’s basketball tournament will also start later as the national teams for the Asian Games and the U23 World Cup are expected to include several UAAP student-athletes.

‘The support of the UAAP is important to our national team programs, especially with so many of our student-athletes being called up to represent the country,’ Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas Executive Director Erika Dy said.

‘We appreciate the UAAP for working closely with us and for making the necessary adjustments to accommodate our national team commitments.’

Thailand’s women’s national volleyball team made history after defeating hosts China 3-2 in the final of the 2026 AVC Women’s Volleyball Asian Championship, successfully defending their continental title and securing their first-ever place at the Olympic Games.

The five-set victory earned Thailand direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, marking the first time the women’s national volleyball team will compete on the Olympic stage.

Thailand made an impressive start to the final, carrying their confidence from the previous round into a strong opening set. Solid defence combined with an effective attack allowed them to control the contest and take the first set 25-20.

China responded emphatically in the second. Thailand began to struggle with their serve reception, while the hosts found greater consistency in both attack and defence. China dominated the set 25-11 to level the match at 1-1.

Thailand regrouped in the third and produced a much tighter contest, taking the lead at stages during the middle and latter part of the set. China, however, raised their level at the decisive moments and overturned the deficit to win 25-23, moving 2-1 ahead.

Needing the fourth set to keep the match alive, Thailand responded strongly. Their attacking rhythm returned, while improved defence created opportunities to dictate play. A 25-18 victory levelled the match at 2-2 and forced a deciding fifth set.

The two teams remained locked in a tense battle in the decider amid strong support for the hosts. Thailand maintained their composure under pressure and won the decisive points to close out the set 15-10, completing a 3-2 victory.

The result secured another Asian championship for Thailand and, more significantly, delivered direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

After generations of Thai players pursued the Olympic dream, Thailand’s women’s national volleyball team will now compete at the Games for the first time in its history.

The proposed P16 billion for the construction and rehabilitation of farm-to-market road (FMR) projects for 2027 is insufficient to cover the thousands of kilometers needed under the system, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said on Tuesday.

During the House committee on appropriations’ briefing on the proposed budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Tiu Laurel said 55,000 kilometers (km) are needed under the FMR system as of Aug. 31, 2026.

‘With the limited budget of P16 billion, we can’t achieve that,’ he added.

He explained that under the 2027 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the DA’s FMR projects were allotted P16 billion. This is a more than 50 percent decrease from the P33,009,763,000 budget allotted for the projects in the 2026 national budget.

‘It’s difficult to implement that because we are only given P16 billion for 55,000 km,’ he added.

Tiu Laurel noted that the proposed budget for the FMR projects was determined by the fiscal allocation given to the agency under the NEP.

In the same hearing, Rep. Robert Nazal asked if the DA uses a scientific database to identify areas to be prioritized under the FMR projects.

Tiu Laurel said the DA uses parameters such as road influence area, poverty incidence, number of farmer or fisherfolk beneficiaries, present road conditions, climate change adaptation, average daily traffic, and new production areas, among others.

Nazal then asked the secretary if the agency considers areas where it can observe a return on investment. The secretary said that while this is a general practice, the agency also determines areas with ‘missionary roots,’ with little production but high potential for benefits later on.

More scrutiny

Showing the FMR transparency portal in his presentation, Rep. Antonio Tinio pointed out the completed projects out of the total projects indicated. He asked Tiu Laurel why the agency had completed only half of the total projects.

Based on the transparency portal of FMR infrastructure projects from 2021 to 2026, 3,235 projects were completed out of the 6,428 total projects, with a total investment of P109.53 billion. The completed projects spanned 2,485.23 kilometers.

Tiu Laurel said the projects allocated for 2026 have not yet been implemented because the Special Allotment Release Order was released by the Department of Budget and Management only last week.

He added that of the P23 billion budget for FMR projects in 2025, only P12 billion was released to the agency.

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division dropped the plunder and graft charges against former Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan.

‘He (Bonoan) is no longer an accused in the two cases before the Fifth [Division],’ a member of the prosecution team told the Inquirer on Tuesday.

‘But I think the other accused will file [an] MR (motion for reconsideration),’ they added.

Another source likewise confirmed the development.

Bonoan was accused alongside Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, DPWH district engineers Manny Bulusan and Arturo Gonzales Jr., and assistant district engineer Denryl Caesar Cortuna over an alleged scheme involving P573 million in kickbacks in connection with the infrastructure corruption scandal.

Last August, the Second Division, which handles the second count of graft against Estrada and Bonoan, denied the motion to charge the former secretary.

Bonoan resigned from his post in September 2025, despite maintaining days earlier that he would not be stepping down from his post following President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to investigate alleged anomalies in flood control projects.

In November 2025, the now-defunct Independent Commission for Infrastructure found Bonoan administratively liable for flood control projects in Bulacan province that were supposedly never built.

Last January, the Department of Justice said Bonoan would likewise face a criminal case for plunder.

In July, the Office of the Ombudsman sought to discharge Bonoan as part of a bid to turn him into a state witness in other flood control corruption scandal-related cases.

Bonoan first testified before the anti-graft court last August in the case against Sen. Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr., who was linked to a P76.91-million flood-control project in Pandi, Bulacan, which state prosecutors claimed to be ‘non-existent.’

There, Bonoan claimed ‘all senators’ in 2024 had availed of a ‘leadership fund’ allotted by his agency under the 2025 budget

The Department of Agriculture (DA) is currently studying the possible impact of the proposed Pax Silica projec to farmers in Capas, Tarlac, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said on Tuesday.

During the House committee on appropriations’ briefing on the DA’s proposed budget in 2027, Rep. Sarah Elago asked Tiu Laurel if his agency is assessing the possible effects of the proposed initiative to farmers, noting that around 15,200 farmers might lose their agricultural land due to the project.

‘Sa ngayon, inaassess pa naming mabuti yung full effects ng Pax Silica. But initial reports na nakikita ko is hindi ganon karami yung ma-aaffect,’ Tiu Laurel said.

(We are thoroughly assessing the full effects of Pax Silica. But from initial reports, I can say that not too many will be affected.)

‘Di pa tapos yung assessment namin dito but more or less kung from what I understand, what I see on TV, sa lupa lang actually ng Clark area na 1,600 mukhang hindi naman ganon karami yung directly affected na farmer,’ he added.

(Our assessment is not yet done but more or less from what I understand, what I see on TV, on the 1,600 [hectare land] in Clark, it seems that there will not be many farmers who will be directly affected.)

The secretary also shared that the study will be completed in 30 days.

Elago recommended for the assessment to be finished before the start of the budget deliberations in the plenary level of the lower chamber.

The lawmaker also emphasized that development should not compromise the capacity of the country to produce its own food.

‘Kung tunay na priority ang food security, food sufficiency, dapat kasama sa prayoridad ang mahigpit na pangangalaga sa lupang agrikultural lalo sa rice granary dito sa Pilipinas,’ Elago added.

(If food security and food sufficiency is a genuine priority, taking care of agricultural land should be a priority in the country.)

In the same hearing, Rep. Renee Co made the same recommendation as Elago for the lawmakers to have informed decisions.

Co also suggested for the study to include reclassification, hydrologic and irrigation impact assessment, joint monitoring mechanisms to prevent metal contamination and toxic runoff into nearby agricultural soil, among others.

Tiu-laurel then said that the agency will consider the suggestions raised in the hearing.

The controversial Pax Silica hub is set to occupy a 1,620-hectare site at New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac.

The project has drawn criticisms from many sectors, citing the large volume of water needed r and gigawatts of electricity daily.

Inquirer data scientist Dr. Alicor Panao warned that the Pax Silica poses an energy challenge, ‘which would require a substantial and reliable power supply to support AI-related infrastructure,’ pointing out that the Philippines does not have the same level of electricity capacity unlike other countries.

Despite these contentions, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. , in his fifth State of the Nation Address said that the initiative will bring more quality jobs, enhance the country’s competitiveness through an AI-focused industrial hub, and improve the economy.

The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) said it has secured a court order to immobilize the assets of a lawmaker linked to government contracts for projects worth billions of pesos, as authorities step up efforts to trace money tied to illicit activities.

The AMLC did not identify the lawmaker or provide details on ownership of the frozen assets, consistent with its practice in previous cases

Dasmariñas City Mayor Jenny Barzaga was sworn in as Cavite 4th District representative on Tuesday, replacing her son, Francisco ‘Kiko’ Barzaga, who was expelled from the House of Representatives for unruly behavior.

House Speaker Faustino ‘Bojie’ Dy III administered the elder Barzaga’s oath of office at the chamber’s plenary session, two days after she won the special election to fill her expelled son’s seat in a landslide.

Barzaga’s victory extended their family’s dominance in Dasmariñas since their patriarch, lawmaker Elpidio ‘Pidi’ Barzaga Jr., first became mayor in 1998.

The younger Barzaga, 27, was elected to Congress in 2025 but was then suspended twice over accusations leveled on social media posts against fellow lawmakers and top government officials.

Barzaga was expelled by the House last June

Lyann De Guzman remains a reliable hitter off the bench, helping Nxled deliver the team’s first win in the PVL Invitational Conference.

With the Chameleons looking for a spark less than 24 hours after losing to the Jaja Santiago-Minowa-led Creamline, De Guzman stepped up and nailed the clutch hits in the third to complete a 25-19, 25-22, 25-20 sweep of defending champion PLDT.

‘Coach told us to always be ready because Ate Chiara (Permentilla) and Ate Brooke (Van Sickle) won’t be playing. So whenever an opportunity comes, I have to grab it and give everything I have to help the team,’ said De Guzman in Filipino on Tuesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

De Guzman, who started in the last two sets, connected with MJ Phillips’ superb service to help Nxled recover from a 14-16 deficit in the third and unleash an 8-0 run en route to their first win.

Last year’s fourth overall pick was inspired by her teammates’ mentality this conference, as they are all eager to make the most of the opportunity to play in the Invitational against the top three teams in the All-Filipino Conference and a pair of guest teams.

‘Everyone is really willing to step up. Even when the score is far apart, whoever comes in tries to do everything they can to help the team. I’m happy because everyone is willing to embrace the opportunity, no matter what position they play,’ said the former Ateneo captain.

De Guzman and the Chameleons hope their victory over the High Speed Hitters is a sign of bigger things to come as they look to make it to the finals.

They face Thailand’s EST Cola on Thursday before wrapping up the elimination round against Ho Chi Minh City on Friday and Farm Fresh on Sunday.

‘We’re playing almost every day, so after each game, we really have to move on right away and focus on the next one. I think that’s good for our team,’ said De Guzman.

‘We lost yesterday, but we carried the good things from that game into today, especially our defense and how we committed fewer errors. Hopefully, that will give us even more confidence and motivation heading into our next games.’