Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The criminal case against Vice President Sara Duterte over alleged grave threats can proceed independently of any impeachment proceedings, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said, stressing that the two processes follow separate legal tracks.

In an interview after the first court setting of the grave threats case against Duterte, DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez said an impeachment proceeding does not bar a parallel criminal trial.

‘It does not mean that while the impeachment proceeding is ongoing, there will be no criminal proceeding,’ he added, explaining why the state pushed forward with the indictment against the sitting vice president.

Responding to queries about whether the impeachment trial could raise the issue of double jeopardy, Martinez said the two proceedings have separate tracks and ends.

‘The prosecution, of course, in filing it, believes that impeachment and the criminal proceeding are two different and distinct proceedings,’ he added. ‘They run on separate tracks, towards separate purposes, and towards separate ends.’

An impeachment is a political and administrative process conducted by a legislature to determine if a high-ranking official should be removed from office and disqualified from future public posts.

On the other hand, a criminal proceeding is a judicial process conducted by a court of law to determine an individual’s guilt regarding specific statutory crimes, carrying legal penalties such as imprisonment, fines, or probation.

Martinez maintained that the prosecution established that the case met the threshold of prima facie evidence with a reasonable certainty of conviction.

‘We are consistent in saying that there’s prima facie evidence with reasonable certainty of conviction to charge the vice president for grave threats,’ Martinez said.

‘It is the prosecution’s mandate to proceed with the criminal prosecution for grave threats if we see that there is evidence that satisfies the elements of the crime,’ he added.

While the prosecution said it is ready to try the case, the immediate future of the proceedings now rests with the trial court judge after the defense’s attempt to dismiss the charges.

The defense team has filed a Motion to Quash the three counts of grave threats, which the prosecution has formally opposed on specific legal grounds.

‘The Motion to Quash was filed by the defense. So, of course, it will be up to the judge to decide whether to grant or deny the Motion to Quash,’ Martinez explained, declining to speculate on the eventual outcome.

‘Our position is that, of course, we opposed the Motion to Quash … on specific grounds under the law,’ he added.

Meanwhile, the defense team has maintained that the case should be dismissed because impeachable officers are entitled to a certain degree of immunity.

‘As I mentioned in previous statements, there is a certain immunity ang mga impeachable officers. They should not be charged, but if they are, it should be after their term of office. This does not mean that they should not be charged; what we are saying is, not until the end of their term,’ Duterte’s lawyer Paul Lawrence Lim said.

The complaint for grave threats was filed against Duterte over her controversial remark against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Lisa Araneta Marcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.

It is also the same matter raised in the impeachment proceedings against Duterte.

Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon earlier said the DOJ believed that nothing bars the filing of criminal cases against Duterte.

Roger Federer is actually nervous about his tennis.

The man who won five straight US Open championships during the height of his dominance of the sport is set to play again in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Tuesday night for the first time since 2019. And he’s not quite sure how the game that perhaps nobody ever made look more elegant will appear now.

‘I haven’t played a singles set in, I don’t know, (Hubert) Hurkacz at Wimbledon maybe, so it’s been five years,’ Federer said Monday, referring to his 2021 quarterfinal loss in his last Grand Slam match. ‘I don’t know how it’s going to go tomorrow. So there is a lot of uncertainty but a lot of happiness that I can return to Arthur Ashe, a place where I have had so many beautiful moments.’

It’s only one set of singles in an exhibition against Andy Roddick and one set of doubles with John McEnroe against Roddick and Andre Agassi. The winner of 20 Grand Slam singles titles should be fine for those.

But a return to tennis beyond that, competing in major tennis tournaments in his mid-40s like Venus and Serena Williams?

‘No, no, no, no. No, not at all,’ Federer said during a news conference. ‘Thanks for asking. I wasn’t sure if the question was going to get asked, but I’m happy you did so I can clarify in case anybody thought.’

At 45, Federer still looks fit, and said he enjoys working out in the gym. But he said he goes through long stretches where he is rarely on the court.

His lengthy absence from the U.S. Open has done little to dampen his popularity, based on the amount of people around the grounds who were mentioning his name. The appearance of ‘Roger Federer’ up on the big board for all to see again, ahead of his afternoon practice on Ashe, where Federer collected the trophy every year from 2004-08, was a welcome sight for his fans.

The trip to New York is a stop for Federer on his way to Newport, Rhode Island, where he will be enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Federer never really had the chance to say goodbye to New York as a player, because there was no way to know his loss to Grigor Dimitrov in the 2019 quarterfinals would be his last match. He had reached the French Open semifinals and the Wimbledon final earlier that year, falling to Rafael Nadal in Paris and then Novak Djokovic in a fifth-set tiebreaker at the All England Club.

It was easy to imagine him returning to the U.S. Open the next year and making another deep run. But after falling to Djokovic in the semifinals of the Australian Open to begin 2020, he had knee surgery that February, then another procedure in May.

He returned to play in the French Open in 2021 but had to withdraw before his fourth-round match. After the loss to Hurkacz – where he appeared struggling and lost 6-0 in the third set – Federer had another knee surgery that August and knew there would be no more comebacks.

‘The knee can’t do it anymore. It’s tired,’ he recalled thinking. ‘The mind can’t be patient even more and wait for another couple years and see what happens.’

Federer knows Tuesday night won’t be real tennis, joking that he and Roddick hopefully would be respectful and not try to drop shot each other. But it will be different from when he did return to Ashe a couple of years back to watch.

‘They gave me an ovation because they saw me on the big screen, but I just feel, like, tomorrow and I guess today, as well, and Monday next week, it really gives me a true opportunity to say thank you and goodbye, which I think is important for some,’ Federer said. ‘It’s a nice thing to do, for sure.’

Residents in some remote communities in Mindanao will soon have easier access to free family planning services as DKT Philippines Foundation launched the country’s first family planning ‘floating clinic’ in partnership with the Ministry of Health of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

The floating clinic, named ‘Hiraya’ (dream or aspiration) and operating under the foundation’s Service Outreach and Distribution Extension (Sodex) Program, was unveiled at BangkaPro, its vessel builder in Taguig City on Thursday.

It will begin serving communities in Tawi-Tawi, Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, and Maguindanao del Sur in September.

The clinic will also offer free consultations and counseling, long-acting reversible contraceptives such as intrauterine devices (IUDs) and two-rod implants, as well as temporary methods including pills, injectables, and condoms.

‘By bridging the gaps in access to quality, affordable, and culturally sensitive family planning services, [the facility] will empower women, couples, and families in hard-to-reach communities to make informed choices about their reproductive health and to plan the size and spacing of their families,’ said Dr. Ahmad-Fawadz Israel, director general of the Ministry of Health, representing minister Dr. Kadil ‘Jojo’ Sinolinding Jr.

Life-affirming services

Israel pointed out that, ‘in Islam, the religion teaches us the importance of balancing family size with physical, emotional, and financial capacities. This balance is crucial not only for the well-being of the family but also to safeguard the health of both the mother and the child or children.’

He said the Quran, the sacred scripture of Islam, teaches that whoever saves a life is as though they have saved all of humanity, adding that ‘this sacred guidance anchors our mission to extend life-affirming services to those in need.’

He also cited Prophet Muhammad’s teaching that the best among people are those who bring the greatest benefit to others.

‘As we move forward, we commit to expanding access to modern family planning methods, promoting informed choices, addressing misinformation and cultural barriers, and reducing teenage and unintended pregnancies,’ Israel said.

Reducing maternal deaths

Dr. Hardy Dumawing, program manager of National Family Planning under the Department of Health, emphasized that family planning is an essential health intervention under Universal Health Care, the country’s major healthcare reform.

The average Filipino woman now has 1.7 children over her lifetime, the lowest level on record, according to the 2025 National Demographic and Health Survey released by the Philippine Statistics Authority.

The latest total fertility rate marks a sharp drop from 4.1 children per woman recorded in 1993.

‘So, we are already at 1.7 total fertility rate. But why do we keep investing in family planning? Because family planning is no longer a means to control the population. However, it is a means, a health intervention aimed at reducing maternal mortality, adolescent birth rate,’ said Dumawing.

The maternal mortality ratio measures the number of women who die during pregnancy or childbirth, making it an important indicator of women’s health and of the effectiveness of healthcare systems in safeguarding mothers.

According to a report by the World Health Organization, the Philippines recorded 84 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births in 2023.

While this marked a 28-percent improvement from the 117 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births recorded in 2010, the country still faces a challenge in reaching the Sustainable Development Goal target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.

Topography challenge

Dumawing said one of the Philippines’ challenges is its topography, with many islands that can be difficult to reach, especially when transporting heavy equipment or supplies.

He said the Hiraya initiative will bridge the gap.

Denise van Dijk, board chair of DKT Philippines Foundation Inc. and president of DKT Health Inc., said the foundation has, ‘for more than three decades ,…worked to remove barriers to family planning through innovation and strong partnerships.’

Van Dijk said the Sodex floating clinic marks another significant step toward that goal, helping extend access to family planning products and services to more communities based on their needs and preferences.

BangkoPro founder Romeo Orio said the Philippines’ remote islands pose a unique challenge in delivering healthcare, which the vessel seeks to address by bringing healthcare and family planning professionals directly to underserved communities.

‘When this boat goes into operation, it’s not only going to be carrying passengers, it’s going to be carrying medicine, healthcare professionals. It’s going to be providing valuable family planning services to communities that may be hard to reach by others,’ Orio said.

‘Our work goes beyond providing services-we continuously look for ways to deliver care that is more accessible, responsive, and sustainable for the communities we serve,’ said Loida Almendares, the foundation’s director of programs.

Expansion plans

During the press conference, Van Dijk said they ‘always work from a choice-based perspective,’ educating clients and letting them choose the contraceptive that fits them most.

‘We’ve shown that when public-private partners work together and when you have a community that supports it, the sky is the limit,’ she told the Inquirer when asked about expansion plans.

‘May there be calm waters, meaningful journeys, and many, many lives touched,’ she said during the ceremonial ship christening where she broke a champagne bottle on Hiraya’s bow.

Orio said ‘We’re not only turning over a boat, we’re not only turning over a vessel. We’re sending out a boat that can help change the lives of many people. So to Hiraya, may she sail safely, may she reach many communities and serve many families for many years to come.’

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. on Tuesday urged lifting a finance cap that limits the amount the Philippines could borrow from foreign lenders, as the country seeks to modernize its forces amid tensions with China.

At the House hearing on the Department of National Defense’s (DND) budget for 2027, Teodoro told lawmakers that the finance and budget departments set the loan limit, so it would be better to scrap the $300 million cap imposed under a 1974 presidential decree.

Presidential Decree No. 415 authorizes the president ‘to contract such loans, credits or indebtedness including supplier’s credit, deferred payment arrangements upon such terms and conditions as maybe agreed upon with any local or foreign source or lender not exceeding Three hundred million United States dollars, or its equivalent in other foreign currencies at the exchange rate prevailing at the time of the contracting of the loans.’

‘They have total control over the financial agreement that will be made,’ Teodoro said.

The Philippines is seeking to modernize its forces amid tensions with China in the West Philippine Sea, part of the South China Sea within the Philippine exclusive economic zone. It has earmarked about $35 billion, or P2 trillion, over the next decade for military upgrades, including warships, aircraft and auxiliary systems.

Funding limitations have hobbled efforts to expand Manila’s military capabilities. The DND was allotted P40 billion for its modernization efforts this year, with an additional P50 billion in standby funding.

Teodoro said the P50 billion it proposed for upgrades next year is earmarked for multiyear contract payments.

‘As the days go on, things get more expensive,’ he added.

The moment she crashed the top 20 of the WTA world rankings, Alex Eala knew things would only get tougher from that point.

‘The gap [between ranking spots] is much wider,’ she said.

She’ll have to work double time to keep her momentum going, and the US Open will provide her opportunities to do so as she competes in mixed doubles and singles at the Flushing Meadows in Queens, New York.

Eala, who moved two spots up the world ranking at No. 18 on Monday, is paired with Felix Auger-Aliassime in mixed doubles and the two are set for a clash against the husband-and-wife tandem of world No. 9 Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils on Tuesday morning (Manila time).

The Filipino superstar and the Canadian world No. 4 have a lot to fight through if they want to win the $1 million top prize of the event, as they have been drawn in the same bracket as women’s No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic, the mixed doubles top seeds.

Valuable time

Sabalenka and Djokovic will open against Canadian-Filipino Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals to face either Eala and Auger-Aliassime or Svitolina and Monfils.

The mixed doubles event will provide Eala valuable court time as she pursues her first Grand Slam singles trophy starting on Sunday in New York.

The draw for the singles will drop three days before the main-draw matches begin. The qualifying round for singles has already started.

‘I think what’s great is [playing in mixed doubles] keeps you in that competitive mindset,’ Auger-Aliassime said in a TV interview. ‘It’s different [from] when you’re kind of relaxed in training, and you’re doing appearances and sponsor stuff.’

‘It’s different when you’re out there on the court and someone’s trying to beat you,’ the Canadian star, who said he is excited to get a taste of the ‘Eala Effect,’ added. ‘To stay in touch with that [competitive mindset] during the week with the mixed doubles, that is also not as much pressure as the singles, I think is a great thing.

‘Everybody’s playing the part, everybody is super competitive. So I think I’m going to love it out there.’

Auger-Aliassime will certainly enjoy the opportunity to play behind a large and supportive crowd that turns up in arenas all over the world every time Eala sees action.

‘It’s kinda funny because she’s younger than me, but I feel like she has the fan base and she’s carrying the crowd,’ he said.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) flagged a supposed lack of funding to strengthen law enforcement efforts against cigarette smuggling, according to the Department of Finance (DOF).

During a House of Representatives ways and means committee hearing on Tuesday, DOF Fiscal Policy and Monitoring Undersecretary Karlo Fermin Adriano said the BOC and BIR had submitted reports to the department detailing what their respective bureaus needed for the campaign.

This was in response to a question from FPJ Panday Bayanihan party-list Rep. Brian Poe, who is also a vice chairperson of the House appropriations committee.

Adriano enumerated the following concerns raised by the BOC:

Insufficient funds hindered the implementation of the compulsory acquisition provisions of CMTA (Customs Modernization and Tariff Act or Republic Act No. 10863) to counter undervalued shipments;

Insufficient funds for the acquisition of land, air and water assets to combat bulk smuggling in the high seas within the territorial waters of the Philippines;

Lack of legal support for BOC personnel while in the line of duty, testifying against personalities involved in smuggling; and

The full implementation of the National Single Window system.

Compulsory acquisition provisions refers to Section 709 of the CMTA, which allows the BOC to ‘acquire imported goods under question for a price equal to their declared customs value plus any duties already paid on the goods.’

The provision sought to ‘protect government revenues against undervaluation of goods.’

Further, the National Single Window system stores standardized information on imports, exports and transit on a secure electronic platform.

Meanwhile, according to Adriano, the BIR only reported ‘insufficient funds to hire personnel, acquisition of assets and/or machinery to conduct nationwide raids on illicit trade of tobacco products.’

The DOF undersecretary also told Poe that they will ask the BOC and the BIR to provide additional information as to how much more funds they need.

‘For this type of smuggling, it’s really a function of tax enforcement,’ Adriano explained.

He cited a study, which surveyed sari-sari stores and audited empty cigarette packs, finding that illicit tobacco trade in Mindanao was higher compared to Luzon despite the Philippines having only one excise tax rate for that type of products.

Adriano further cited a study in which illicit tobacco trade in Malaysia jumped from 40 percent in 2015; to 50 percent in 2025 after the latter’s government doubled the excise tax on the products.

‘That’s why we’re going to recommend nga, if we’re gonna have some reform in tobacco [taxation], we would like to include administrative reforms,’ he stressed.

The House of Representatives Committee on Labor and Employment has sponsored a measure aimed at enhancing workers’ safety against climate-related threats and hazards.

House Bill No. 10559 under Committee Report No. 552 seeks to strengthen the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) framework by integrating climate-adaptive measures.

‘Hindi dapat maging kapalit ng kabuhayan ang kalusugan. Hindi dapat maging kapalit ng trabaho ang buhay. At hindi dapat kailanman mangyari na ang isang manggagawa ay kailangang mamili sa pagitan ng pagkita para sa kanyang pamilya at pagprotekta sa kanyang sarili,’ House Committee on Labor and Employment chairperson Rep. Ramon Jolo Revilla said on Tuesday.

(Health should not be sacrificed for livelihood. Life should not be sacrificed for a job. And a worker should have to choose between earning for their family and protecting themselves.)

He said that unpredictable weather has become a daily occupational risk to workers, particulalry those working outdoors.

‘For construction workers exposed to intense heat and employees who must report for work amid heavy rains and severe weather, climate change is no longer an abstract issue but a danger they confront in earning their livelihood,’ said Revilla.

Revilla added that the measure also seeks to impose stiffer penalties for OSH violations, which resulted in the injury or death of a worker.

He, however, clarified that the move is not intended to criminalize ‘ordinary mistakes’, but to penalize ‘willful or grossly negligent violations that put workers in danger.’

These include identified risks, violations, and deficiencies in training or protective equipment that are disregarded by the company or employer.

‘Hindi sapat na sabihin nating may OSH program ang isang kumpanya. Ang tanong ay-handa ba itong harapin ang mga panganib na kinakaharap ng ating mga manggagawa ngayon? Handa ba ito sa matinding init o bagyo? Handa ba itong protektahan ang manggagawa bago pa mangyari ang aksidente?’ he said.

(It is not enough to simply say that a company has an OSH program. The question is-is it prepared to address the risks our workers face today? Is it prepared for extreme heat or typhoons? Is it prepared to protect workers before an accident occurs?)

‘Hindi natin pinaparusahan ang pagkakamali. Pinapanagot natin ang sadyang pagwawalang-bahala sa kaligtasan,’ he added.

(We don’t punish mistakes. We hold accountable willful disregard for safety.)

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Tuesday accused Senator-judge Imee Marcos of trying to clear Vice President Sara Duterte of allegations of misusing confidential funds (CF).

During the 17th day of Duterte’s impeachment trial, the sister of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. repeatedly pressed former Office of the Vice President (OVP) Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta on whether Duterte personally handled or took any of the confidential funds she disbursed.

Acosta said she never saw Duterte take or keep any of the money.

Castro said while it is Marcos’ right to ask questions, it was apparent where her line of questioning was headed.

‘First and foremost, she wants to get the vice president off the hook from the allegations concerning the use of confidential funds. Through her questions, she is trying to establish that the vice president did not physically handle the money and was supposedly not involved in preparing the documents,’ Castro said at a briefing.

‘But let us remember that the witness herself admitted that the order to release the entire P125 million in confidential funds came from the vice president, through her security officer, Colonel Lachica, when the funds reached the OVP,’ she added.

Castro also said Duterte was the one who exercised command and control over the CF, adding that Duterte did not have to physically hold the money to have it spent, as she could simply give the order.

‘And that is exactly what the former SDO of the OVP, Gina Acosta, admitted. She did not hesitate to acknowledge that the person who gave these orders was none other than the vice president,’ she added.

In her testimony, Acosta recounted what appeared to be a continuing practice of entrusting confidential funds to a security officer under Duterte, from her years as Davao City mayor to her tenure at the OVP.

She said it was standard operating procedure in both offices to turn over confidential funds to Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, despite knowing that he was not a bonded officer.

Senator-judge Joel Villanueva suggested that Lachica be called to testify, noting that Acosta had acknowledged having no personal knowledge of how the funds were actually used.

The court has yet to determine whether the practices described by Acosta constituted misuse of public funds or violated applicable rules.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla proposed making charges related to unregistered firearms punishable by jail terms of up to 20 years long in a bid to combat gun-related violence.

‘Now, when you catch someone with loose firearms, it’s bailable. Lalabas ka lang. You have a record pero bailable, then you go to a hearing,’ Remulla said in a statement on Tuesday.

(Now, when you catch someone with loose firearms, it’s bailable. You can just post bail. You have a record, but it’s bailable, then you go to a hearing.)

‘I’m asking Congress to take steps to make it non-bailable and to make it [punishable by a jail term of] 20 years,’ he added.

Remulla previously called on lawmakers to make charges related to loose firearms a nonbailable offense by amending Republic Act No. 8294, colloquially known as the ‘Robin Padilla Law.’

The secretary’s proposal was in response to the fatal school shootings in Tacloban City on June 22 and Zamboanga City on August 18, both involving government-issued firearms wielded by their owners’ minor relatives.

The DILG chief earlier explained that, in both incidents, the gun owners themselves may only face charges for reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, which is punishable by prison correccional or up to six years of imprisonment.

According to Remulla, he was expecting his push for tougher gun laws to be addressed by Congress by next January.

‘Gun ownership also carries with it gun responsibility. The government should have the right to inspect their homes at any time and to see if the guns are in safekeeping at any time,’ he said.

‘It is a privilege granted in the Philippines. It is a privilege, not a right,’ he added.

The DILG chief particularly highlighted that, in the wake of both the Tacloban and Zamboanga incidents, law enforcement agencies must review their firearm policies.

‘We have to be strict with all our policies with uniformed personnel and let them realize the gravity of the situation that’s happening,’ Remulla said.

The employees’ union of the Angeles City government has defended Mayor Carmelo Lazatin II against online criticism over his supposedly delayed order to suspend classes on Tuesday due to inclement weather.

The mayor suspended classes at around 6:30 a.m., but parents and guardians criticized the timing, saying their children were already in school or on their way there when the announcement was made.

The Association of Government Employees for a New Dynamic Angeles City (AGENDA) defended Lazatin’s decision, saying it was unfair to judge the mayor ‘solely on a single decision while overlooking the many responsibilities he carries as the city’s chief executive.’

The group said the suspension of classes was only one of the mayor’s many concerns.

‘Maagang dumarating si Mayor sa City Hall at gabi na kung minsan ay nandito pa rin siya, sinusubukang matapos ang mga kailangang tugunan para sa araw na iyon. Hindi po makatarungan na basta na lamang husgahan at i-bash ang isang lider na araw-araw ay nagsisikap para sa maayos na pamamahala,’ AGENDA president Aiza Zapanta said in a statement sent through the city information office.

(The mayor goes to work early at City Hall and sometimes leaves late to resolve the day’s problems. It is not right to judge a leader who spends each day toiling for good governance)

AGENDA said the decision to suspend classes should also consider other sectors whose livelihoods could be affected by the cancellation of face-to-face classes.

It said transport workers, including jeepney and tricycle drivers, as well as small and medium enterprises and other businesses near schools, would lose income when classes are suspended.

‘Marami rin ang umaasang may pasok dahil nakasalalay dito ang kanilang arawang kita. Kaya bawat desisyon ay kailangang pag-isipang mabuti,’ the group said.

(Many livelihoods rely on schools remaining open. so every decision needs a thorough review of its consequences).

AGENDA urged the public to exercise restraint and responsibility online, saying constructive criticism was welcome but personal attacks and online bashing should be avoided.

The suspension order, posted on the city government’s and Lazatin’s Facebook pages, drew about 3,000 comments, with hundreds of netizens criticizing the late suspension.

Several parents said their children, particularly preschool and elementary pupils, were already in school or on their way when the suspension was announced.

Some netizens said classes start at either 6 a.m. or 7 a.m., making the late announcement inconvenient and potentially risky, particularly amid heavy rains and flooding in some areas.

‘Sana po pakiagahan po ang announcement, mga 2 oras bago ang oras ng pasukan,’ a netizen commented on the mayor’s and the city government’s posts.