Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

Senator JV Ejercito has submitted a proposed measure seeking to double the current monthly social stipend for indigent senior citizens from P1,000 to P2,000, providing greater financial relief for elderly Filipinos amid rising costs.

Ejercito’s Senate Bill No. 2522 aims to amend Republic Act No. 11916, which sets the monthly social pension to P1,000, to address the escalating costs of food, maintenance medicines, healthcare, and basic utilities.

‘With the continuing rise in the prices of food, medicines, utilities, transportation, and health care, P1,000 a month is simply no longer sufficient to significantly support the daily needs of an elderly Filipino,’ Ejercito said.

‘For many retirees, a modest monthly pension is quickly consumed by maintenance medicines, medical consultations, food, rent, electricity, transportation, and other necessities. The small statutory pension they receive every month is far from financial security we envisioned for our seniors,’ he added.

With the number of senior citizens growing-based on the Philippine Statistics Authority 2024 Census of Population, approximately one in every ten persons is a senior citizen-Ejercito insisted that the government must also ensure that social protection system keeps pace with the changing needs of our elderly.

‘Our senior citizens have spent the productive part of their lives working, raising families, building communities, and contributing to our nation. Many of them cared for us when we were young and still finding our way through life. In their later years, it is only right that society, in turn, ensures that they are able to live with dignity and security,’ he said.

Under SB 2522, the definition of an indigent senior citizen would be expanded to include elderly Filipinos who have no pension or permanent source of income, as well as those who receive a pension, compensation, or financial assistance not exceeding P10,000 per month, subject to determination by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

The bill would also remove the existing requirement that an indigent senior citizen be ‘frail, sickly or with disability’ to qualify for the social pension.

It likewise mandates the DSWD, subject to the approval of the Department of Budget and Management and in consultation with relevant stakeholders, to review and, when necessary, adjust the social pension every two years.

The proposed adjustments would take into account the consumer price index, poverty threshold, cost of living, and other relevant economic indicators reported by government agencies.

‘Social pension is not charity. Ultimately, this measure is about how we value those who came before us. Our senior citizens should be able to spend the remaining years of their lives with dignity, not in constant worry about their next meal, their medicines, or their most basic needs,’ Ejercito said.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said the impeachment court is aiming to reach a verdict on Vice President Sara Duterte’s case by November.

‘Maybe mid-November to end-November. Hopefully, hopefully,’ he said in an interrview with radio dzBB on Sunday.

Pressed further if he meant that the trial would end and the impeachment court may issue a verdict by that time, Gatchalian answered: ‘I think so.’

The Senate leader earlier said that they expect to finish the impeachment proceedings before Christmas.

However, according to him, recent changes may allow them to wrap up sooner.

‘After this week, hopefully, this week to next week, the [prosecution’s presentation of evidence for] Article 2 or unexplained wealth, will end. Then we’ll go to Article 4 or bribery. After that it’s the defense’s turn,’ he said.

‘So, hopefully, during the defense, the trial will run more efficiently because [everyone involved in the trial] already got the hang of it. So between 30 to 45 days,’ he said, adding that he based it on his personal estimates.

But Gatchalian said ‘I can be wrong,’ as he noted that adjustments in the schedule of the trial hearings happen as changes occur during the proceedings.

The Senate has also been trying to balance the impeachment proceedings with its usual legislative duties.

Last week, the defense asked for the deferment of the prosecution’s presentation of the Anti-Money Laundering Council witness to Monday, suspending all proceedings until then.

‘It depends on the witnesses to be presented. Like on the issue of confidential funds, there were witnesses removed. Same with article on unexplained wealth, the number of witnesses was also reduced. So it depends,’ said Gatchalian.

He added he wants the trial to end and verdict to be issued before Christmas. ‘That’s what we want to happen.’

Senate impeachment court spokesperson Reginald Tongol earlier said that the court is expected to reach a verdict on Duterte’s case by December 16.

Three drug suspects were arrested in separate buy-bust operations here that resulted in the confiscation of a combined 7.85 grams of suspected shabu valued at P53,380, police said.

The first operation was conducted at about 7 p.m. on Friday in Purok 6, Barangay Saray, resulting in the arrest of alias ‘Opaw,’ 39, a resident of Barangay Gimangpang, Initao, Misamis Oriental. Police seized seven small sachets of suspected shabu from him, valued at P5,508.

At around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, police arrested a 22-year-old woman from Purok 1, Barangay Tambacan, during a joint buy-bust operation at Zone 8 Cocogrove in Barangay Poblacion. The seized drugs weighed about 3.9 grams and were valued at P26,520.

Hours later, police arrested a 51-year-old woman in Purok 4A, Barangay Tambacan.

Police recovered 20 sachets of suspected shabu valued at P21,352, along with the buy-bust money, from the suspect.

The three operations were conducted by different units of the Iligan City Police Office, with support from the Iligan City Mobile Force Company and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency.

The suspects were informed of their constitutional rights and placed under police custody for documentation and the filing of appropriate charges under Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

A 29-year-old woman died while two others, including a two-year-old child, were injured after their tricycle was hit by a pickup truck in Sta. Barbara town in this province on Saturday.

Police said the tricycle, driven by a 24-year-old security guard, was hit from behind by a pickup truck driven by a 38-year-old sales agent around 4 a.m. in Barangay Tebag West.

The impact caused the tricycle to lose control and spin several times before stopping along the outer lane of the road.

The tricycle driver, his 29-year-old live-in partner and their child two-year-old child were taken to Urdaneta City District Hospital.

The woman was declared dead on arrival, while the driver remained at the hospital for treatment. The child received first aid and was placed under a relative’s care.

The pickup truck driver was unhurt but was brought to the Region 1 Medical Center in Dagupan City for a medical examination.

Both vehicles were damaged, although police had yet to determine the extent of the damage.

Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s impeachment trial enters a crucial week Monday, with the House prosecution set to present witnesses from the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), banks, insurance companies and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) as it moves closer to completing its unexplained wealth case.

The Senate impeachment court is scheduled to hold full-day hearings from Oct. 5 to 9, giving prosecutors five consecutive trial days to present financial records involving Duterte, her husband, lawyer Manases ‘Mans’ Carpio, and companies linked to them.

First on the witness stand is AMLC Secretariat Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura, whose testimony was postponed last week after the defense sought more time to review voluminous financial records and prepare for cross-examination.

‘Una, isasalang po finally ‘yun pong AMLC executive director patungkol doon sa mga transactions ng mag-asawang Duterte-Carpio at mga kumpanya po nila,’ House prosecutor and Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said at the Saturday News Forum in Quezon City.

Buenaventura is expected to testify on summaries of covered and suspicious transaction reports involving Duterte, Carpio and several companies, as well as inward remittances and insurance and investment-related transactions.

Ridon said the postponement and the weekend should give the defense sufficient time to review the records. Prosecutors expect to complete their direct examination of Buenaventura, the defense’s cross-examination and questions from senator-judges on Monday.

‘So we’re expecting matapos po for Monday ‘yung pong AMLC executive director for direct, for cross, at questions of Senate judges,’ Ridon said.

Buenaventura previously testified before the House Committee on Justice on AMLC records covering billions of pesos in transactions involving Duterte and Carpio.

The aggregate figures represent recorded transactions and are not, by themselves, a finding that the amounts were illegally acquired or constitute unexplained wealth.

After Buenaventura, officials from seven banks and seven insurance and financial firms have been ordered to appear before the impeachment court beginning Tuesday to testify and produce financial records.

The seven banks are Land Bank of the Philippines, Asia United Bank, Philippine Savings Bank, Metropolitan Bank and Trust Co., Bank of the Philippine Islands, Philippine National Bank and BDO Unibank.

Also summoned are representatives of Prudential Life, Allianz, Manufacturers Life, FWD Life, BPI-AIA Life, BDO Securities and BDO Life.

The prosecution also intends to summon a BIR witness to present records on the couple’s income and taxes as part of its effort to build a more complete picture of their finances.

‘At panghuli, ‘yun pong BIR para makita po natin ‘yung pong income, net of taxes, ng mag-asawang Duterte-Carpio para magkaroon po tayo ng, lagi po nating binabanggit, na most complete picture ng kayamanan, supposedly kayamanan, ng atin pong Pangalawang Pangulo at ng kanya pong asawa,’ Ridon said.

The witnesses form part of the prosecution’s presentation under Article II, which accuses Duterte of amassing unexplained wealth, failing to fully and truthfully disclose her and her spouse’s assets, liabilities and net worth, and continuing business interests while serving as vice president.

Prosecutors have already presented evidence involving Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, corporate interests, real properties and firearms.

The coming AMLC, bank, insurance and tax records are expected to be compared with those disclosures as prosecutors seek to establish whether the couple’s finances are consistent with their declared wealth.

The prosecution expects to move closer to the end of its unexplained wealth presentation once the remaining financial witnesses are completed.

House Speaker and Isabela Rep. Faustino G. Dy III on Sunday extended his sympathies to the family of the two students who died during a fun run at the Cauayan South Central School.

The fatalities, aged 7 and 8, were electrocuted during a bubble fun run on Saturday, Oct. 3.

‘Lubos akong nakikiramay sa mga pamilya ng dalawang mag-aaral na nasawi sa malagim na insidente sa Cauayan South Central School,’ Dy said in a statement.

‘Nang malaman ko ang nangyari, agad akong nagtungo sa paaralan upang personal na alamin ang sitwasyon at makausap ang mga kinauukulan.’ he added.

‘Bilang isang ama at kapwa Isabeleño, napakasakit tanggapin ang ganitong trahedya. Walang magulang ang dapat makaranas ng mawalan ng anak sa ganitong paraan. Nakikiisa ako sa matinding pagdadalamhati ng mga pamilya, at dalangin ko ang mabilis na paggaling ng iba pang mga batang naapektuhan.’

Ahead of today’s observance of World Teachers’ Day, Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines and Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) staged separate protests in Manila to demand the long-overdue P50,000 monthly entry-level salary.

The salary increase, equivalent to Salary Grade (SG) 15, has been among the appeals pushed by teachers and advocacy groups since 2023, together with free medical checkups and an increase in allowances.

On Sunday, ACT held a protest rally outside Malacañang to also call for a P5,000 Personnel Economic Relief Allowance (Pera), and higher government spending on education.

Pera, which has remained at P2,000 since it was introduced almost two decades ago in 2009, is intended to supplement government workers’ salaries and ease the impact of rising living costs.

ACT also urged the government to allocate 6 percent of the country’s gross domestic product to education, saying additional funding was needed to address shortages, deteriorating school conditions and the country’s learning crisis.

TDC, meanwhile, gathered at nearby Plaza Miranda, Quiapo, calling for a hybrid career progression system, stronger protections, better workplace conditions, full implementation of the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers and sufficient funding for schools.

Closing the gap

In February 2024, the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives filed House Bill No. 9920 seeking to raise the minimum monthly salary for teachers to P50,000 and close the gap with the rising cost of living.

Then ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro, one of the bill’s sponsors, pointed out that teachers’ salaries were not enough to qualify as a decent living wage.

At the time, the authors noted that there were around 803,000 educators in Teacher 1 to Teacher 3 positions who were earning SG 11, or about P20,179, under Republic Act No. 11466, or the Salary Standardization Law (SSL).

They said this was ‘insufficient to meet the family living wage of P1,119 per day or P33,570 per month’ to sustain a family of five,’ compared to front-liners, such as soldiers and police, who received a salary increase of between 50 and 100 percent under the Duterte administration.

HB 9920, however, did not advance from the committee level, despite Education Secretary Sonny Angara’s pronouncements when he took over the Department of Education in July 2024 that improving the benefits of teachers would be among his priorities.

Angara had vowed to look into the proposals seeking the salary increase and expressed confidence there will be a pay hike under the Marcos administration either in 2024 or 2025.

In June 2025, Makabayan lawmakers refiled the measure as HB 203, pointing out that raising teachers’ minimum pay to P50,000 was already covered by RA 11466.

Yet despite the amendments implemented in the SSL in 2020 and 2024, teachers’ monthly pay remained at SG 11 (Step 1) or P30,024, they said.

HB 9920 was referred to the committee on appropriations in July 2025 and was stalled there.

Corruption, accountability

At Sunday’s rallies, protesters also called for greater accountability over corruption.

‘We challenge the President to prove that his recognition goes beyond speeches and statements by taking immediate steps to improve the conditions of teachers, education workers and the entire education sector,’ ACT secretary general Raymond Basilio said in a statement.

He said teachers and the public should benefit from government revenues through better salaries, benefits and social services, rather than see public funds wasted through corruption.

‘If this administration remains unmoved, teachers will continue to organize and fight to hold accountable those responsible for worsening people’s hardships and corruption, and to change the rotten system,’ Basilio added.

Last week, President Marcos called for stronger teacher preparation and career development, noting that some educators are still assigned to subjects outside their specialization and that training does not always reflect classroom realities.

Speaking at the 2026 Teachers Awards at the Manila Hotel, Marcos said his administration would work to address gaps in teacher preparation and professional development to help create safer and more supportive learning environments.

Monday protest

ACT said thousands of teachers and education workers, along with government employees and other sectors, would join a larger mobilization and march to Mendiola today.

TDC national chair Benjo Basas said World Teachers’ Day should not be limited to expressions of appreciation, stressing the need for concrete government action on teachers’ pay, welfare and working conditions.

‘If the government is truly sincere in recognizing teachers and meaningfully celebrating World Teachers’ Day, Oct. 5 should be declared a special nonworking holiday,’ TDC secretary general Jim Lester Beleno said in a statement.

The end of the Philippine campaign in the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, one that registered its biggest total medal haul in six decades, creates enough momentum for the country heading into the 2028 Los Angeles (LA) Olympics.

Of the country’s 29 medals, 13 came from events that have been so far listed on the confirmed LA 2028 Olympic medal program.

That group includes three of the four golds that the country bagged: Carlos Yulo’s titles in men’s floor exercise and vault, and EJ Obiena’s victory in men’s pole vault.

Yulo and Obiena, along with women’s singles tennis bronze medalist Alex Eala, are expected to spearhead Team Philippines’ charge in Los Angeles.

‘It’s always an honor,’ Eala had previously said about representing the country. ‘I think it’s different when you play in the SEA Games, Asian Games or the Olympics.’

The Philippines also won nine silvers and 16 bronzes for a total of 29 medals-the country’s largest total since the 1966 Bangkok Games, when it won 42 medals, according to official Olympic Council of Asia medal tables.

Not all of Team Philippines’ success, however, can be translated into an Olympic push.

Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape’s gold, for example, was from the mixed individual virtual taekwondo-an event that is not on the LA Olympic program. The LA Olympics will award taekwondo medals only in four men’s and four women’s kyorugi weight divisions.

Yape’s bronze in individual poomsae and Juliana Mykhail Candelaria’s poomsae silver are also not events in LA 2028.

Tachiana Keizha Mangin’s silver in women’s -49kg taekwondo and Kurt Barbosa’s silver in men’s -58kg are directly transferable Olympic events, with both divisions confirmed for LA 2028.

Archery offers another example.

Amaya Paz-Cojuangco won silver in women’s individual compound at the Asian Games. Compound archery will make its Olympic debut in Los Angeles, but only in the mixed-team event. There will be no women’s individual compound medal in LA 2028.

However, archery officials have already hatched a plan for the mixed-team event, where they will pair Cojuangco with 18-year-old Mateusz Vaughn Johnson to chase that mixed-team Olympic spot.

‘LA Olympics 2028 has included a mixed teamcompound event, and hopefully we can make it there. We will try to qualify either through the Olympic qualifiers and ranking points,’ Cojuangco said.

Aside from Yulo, Obiena, Eala, Mangin and Barbosa, also having a viable path to the Olympics through their Asiad success are Carlo Paalam in men’s boxing, Victoria Bossong in the women’s 800 meters, John Cabang Tolentino in the men’s 110-meter hurdles, Jayuard Alciso in men’s shortboard surfing, and Khy Progella and Sofiah Pagara in women’s beach volleyball.

‘I want a podium at the Olympics, so this was honestly a very good stepping stone,’ said Bossong after a bronze in the 800-meter race turned her into one of the biggest revelations of Team Philippines in the Asian Games.

‘This is the biggest competition I’ve gone to by far. Just to land on the podium is a big accomplishment even if it’s not gold.’

Karl Eldrew Yulo’s bronze in men’s horizontal bar and the Philippine women’s silver in 3×3 basketball also came in events that are on the LA 2028 program.

Some medalists may require a few adjustments if they want to gun for Olympic glory.

Weightlifter Albert Ian Delos Santos, for example, won bronze at 70kg. LA 2028 will use a different men’s weight-class structure, with no 70kg division, meaning Delos Santos will have to train for a different weight class.

‘He’s the future of weightlifting. He’s a future Olympian, a potential gold medalist,’ Olympic gold medalist and weightlifting queen Hidilyn Diaz-Naranjo said. ‘But I was honest with him that realistically, he’s still far from the level of the Olympics.’

In a country where typhoons, floods and extreme heat can quickly turn into business disruptions, preparing for the next disaster is becoming more than an environmental concern.

For SM Investments Corp. (SMIC), it is increasingly part of the investment equation.

The Sy-led conglomerate is weaving climate resilience into decisions on where and how it builds, how it manages resources and how it protects assets meant to generate value for decades.

‘We see climate resilience as a long-term investment,’ SMIC president and CEO Frederic C. DyBuncio says. ‘It means understanding the risks around us and considering them in how we invest, operate and grow.’

That thinking is perhaps most tangible in property, where the consequences of getting climate risks wrong can be costly and long-lasting.

SMIC says site selection, master planning and building design consider hazards such as flooding and severe winds.

In higher-risk locations, properties may incorporate elevated structures, rainwater catchment facilities and stormwater management systems.

Some structures, according to the company, are engineered to withstand winds of up to 300 kilometers per hour.

The strategy takes different forms depending on location.

At SM City La Union, for instance, a 760-cubic-meter (cu m) rainwater catchment system works alongside a sewage treatment plant capable of handling 750 cu m.

SM City Laoag, meanwhile, operates a brackish water treatment facility aimed at reducing its dependence on conventional water sources.

Elsewhere, resilience is built into the structures themselves.

SM Mall of Asia and SM Marikina were designed and constructed above building code standards to withstand extreme weather and seismic events, SMIC said.

SM Marikina is elevated on 246 stilts, a design that was highlighted by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction for its disaster-resilient features.

Behind these investments is a relatively simple calculation: spending on resilience before disaster strikes could help protect assets, minimize interruptions and extend the period over which those assets remain useful.

For a conglomerate with businesses spanning property, retail and banking, that calculation extends beyond buildings.

SMIC says its businesses are increasingly considering energy, water and other resources based on how these could affect long-term operations.

The group is also investing in cleaner and more reliable energy through Philippine Geothermal Production Co (PGPC).

The value of such investments becomes more apparent when disasters hit.

Properties that remain safe and operational can keep serving customers while also providing essential services and assistance to nearby communities, according to SMIC.

For the parent company, however, the strategy ultimately comes down to capital allocation.

SMIC believes its role is to take a longer view of risks that could threaten the ability of its businesses to create value over time.

Climate resilience, under this approach, becomes part of investment discipline rather than a separate corporate initiative.

It is a shift in perspective that matters in the Philippines, where businesses routinely operate alongside the physical risks posed by natural hazards.

For companies investing in assets expected to last decades, resilience can mean thinking about tomorrow’s disruption while money is being committed today.

‘Our growth strategy is anchored on responsible stewardship,’ DyBuncio says. ‘We want our businesses to continue creating economic value while becoming better prepared for the risks facing the country and the communities we serve.’

For SMIC, the premise is that resilience carries an upfront cost-but failing to prepare can be much costlier.

The week’s dominant development came Sunday when Manila Rep. Joel Chua confirmed that the prosecution panel would no longer pursue Article III, the bribery charge alleging that Vice President Sara Duterte distributed cash envelopes to Department of Education officials through a subordinate.

Lead counsel and Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro is expected to deliver the formal manifestation dropping the charge orally before the court at the next session.

Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon defended the decision, saying that evidence of alleged wrongdoing had already been presented to the Senate sitting as an impeachment court and that the decision now rests with it. The Palace questioned the move, with press officer Claire Castro asking whether withdrawing the bribery allegation would shortchange Filipinos who want to know the whole truth.

The Supreme Court cleared the path for the trial to continue under the revised conviction threshold when it dismissed, on procedural grounds including lack of standing and prematurity, three separate petitions challenging the impeachment court’s September 23 ruling that 14 votes would suffice to convict.

The ruling was unanimous, with acting Chief Justice Marvic Leonen presiding. The impeachment court spokesperson called the swift dismissal proof that the court’s proceedings are constitutionally bullet-proof. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was said to respect the high court’s decision.

Day 30 (Sept. 28, 2026)

PhilGEPS Division Chief Rendell Sopeña testified about system features designed to flag possible collusion in government contracts.

The impeachment court also issued a stern warning to House prosecutor Terry Ridon over his earlier sub judice remarks, accepting his explanation without formally reprimanding him.

The prosecution and defense meanwhile clashed over the admission of Duterte’s bank records. Prosecutor Chel Diokno said the records, submitted by banks under Senate subpoena, were covered by a request for admission aimed at determining which evidence remained disputed.

The defense had objected to the request.

The court also granted Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte’s request to defer his testimony to Sept. 29 and 30 to allow him to prepare subpoenaed documents.

The defense waived cross-examination of PNP Firearms and Explosives Office chief P/Maj. Joericson Sangalang after the court clarified that the firearm values he presented were market prices, not acquisition costs. Sangalang said Duterte has 22 registered firearms, while her husband Manases Carpio has 29.

The trial also produced lighter moments and side disputes. Presiding Officer Escudero publicly asked colleagues to nudge Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., who fell asleep while a witness was being examined, suggesting the lawmaker rest somewhere other than behind the witness.

Day 31 (Sept. 29, 2026)

This was the week’s most dramatic courtroom moment when Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte testified as a hostile witness, declared as such by Presiding Officer Francis Escudero after a motion by prosecution counsel Theodore Te.

Baste Duterte said under oath that he only learned of GenCorp Industries Inc. when it was raised before the impeachment court, despite the company having won 19 city government contracts worth P33.2 million during his tenure.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian repeatedly pressed the mayor on why GenCorp kept winning contracts one after another from 2022 through 2026.

Day 32 (Oct. 1, 2026)

Land Registration Authority officials also testified that two properties acquired by VP Duterte’s husband, lawyer Manases Carpio, did not match entries in her SALNs.

Former Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV became the week’s most contested off-court figure.

On Day 32, Luistro announced in open court that the prosecution had finally decided not to present Trillanes as a witness on the unexplained wealth charge.

Trillanes then said he had himself asked the prosecution to withdraw his name to relieve the panel of the pressure it was going through, without elaborating on the nature of that pressure.

Also, the AMLC testimony that was supposed to begin on Day 32 was deferred to Monday, October 5, after defense lead counsel Sheila Sison raised objections over AMLC confidentiality provisions and requested more time to review voluminous financial records, causing the court to adjourn at 3:30 p.m. instead of the scheduled 6:30 p.m. and cancel Friday’s session.

The prosecution countered that AMLC confidentiality is not absolute, noting the agency routinely shares records with courts and foreign financial intelligence units. The impeachment court separately granted subpoenas for BIR, bank, and insurance company representatives to testify during the week of October 5 to 9.

Senate President Gatchalian said he was optimistic a verdict could be reached by mid-to-late November. [4]

The following day, at a press conference in San Juan City, Trillanes alleged that more than P319 million from the Chinese government and China-based corporations flowed into CALE88 Foods Corp., a banana chip company linked to Carpio. He also alleged that a food company with VP Duterte as a shareholder once had a fictitious president. Malacañang said the China-funds claim, if proven, could not be ignored and raised national security concerns.

Senator-judge Panfilo Lacson said Trillanes’s press conference revelations had no probative value because they were made outside the court. The impeachment court spokesperson said Trillanes’s statements would not be the basis for any verdict.

VP Duterte’s camp called the allegations malicious fabrications and black propaganda, adding that Trillanes’s refusal to appear before the court showed his claims could not survive legal scrutiny.