Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has warned the public against investing in three entities that offer deceptive investment schemes.

In a document posted on its website, the regulator said it had received reports and inquiries about Recson Land Ventures and Realty Development Corp., Dual Fuel Petroleum Corp. and Legends Petroleum Inc.

These entities, it noted, had promised potential investors of higher returns through ‘coownership’ and ‘profit-sharing’ programs lasting for 20 to 30 years.

Recson Land Ventures, for instance, lures the public into investing as a ‘coowner’ of a ‘Recson Hostel’ for a minimum capital of P30,000 per slot, assuring investors that they would get a passive income for 30 years.

Dual Fuel Petroleum, meanwhile, offers individuals to become a ‘franchise coowner’ for at least P500,000, claiming they would get quarterly earnings for 20 years.

These schemes likewise involved the offering and sale of securities in the form of an investment contract, the SEC noted.

Unauthorized investment solicitation

But the commission stressed that these three entities were ‘not authorized to solicit investments from the public, not having secured prior registration and/or license to sell securities or solicit investments as prescribed under Section 8 of the Securities Regulation Code.’

It also noted that one Charles Clifford F. Matta had not been issued certificate of registration as registered associated person, compliance officer, salesman and/or certified investment solicitor of a broker dealer in any securities investment, investment house, underwriter of securities, investment company adviser and/or mutual fund distributor.

Those involved as salesmen, agents or representatives of the entities may also face a maximum penalty of P5 million or imprisonment of 21 years, or both.

Customs agents at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) have seized a package bound for the United Kingdom that was found to contain live millipedes.

The package was intercepted on Nov. 19 at a warehouse in Pasay City, the Bureau of Customs (BOC-Naia) said on Monday. Its contents had been declared as ‘assorted consumer goods,’ such as powdered juice, face masks, instant noodles, delicacies and picture frames, among other items.

But during the X-ray screening, the BOC noted ‘irregularities’ in the scanned images, leading to further inspection that revealed live millipedes hidden in eight small plastic containers. It added that the incident constituted a violation of the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act, particularly for misdeclaration and unlawful exportation.

DENR turnover

The millipedes have since been turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for proper handling and disposition.

Following the incident, Customs District Collector Yasmin Mapa highlighted the importance of complying with customs requirements, adding that the BOC will continue to ‘ensure that our outbound cargo facilities are not exploited for illicit activities involving wildlife or other regulated commodities.’

Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno also expressed the BOC’s commitment to ‘enforcing customs laws and preventing the unauthorized transport of regulated or prohibited items.’

Miss Universe Organization (MUO) president Raul Rocha accused an ‘opportunist’ musician of ‘[latching] onto the fame of Miss Universe to gain followers,’ saying they would take legal action over the matter.

Rocha spoke up through a three-part post on his Instagram page Monday, Nov. 24. While he did not state any names, it can be noted that French-Lebanese musician Omar Harfouch – who said he resigned as a judge of the tilt – earlier alleged that Miss Universe 2025 titleholder Fatima Bosch was a ‘fake winner’ as the results of the pageant had been predetermined.

In the first part of his statement, Rocha underscored that aside from the delegates’ performances during the coronation night, there were also pre-pageant factors that were considered in choosing the Miss Universe 2025 winner.

‘Living together for 20 days, 24 hours a day, inevitably leads to countless situations in which discipline, responsibility, professionalism, sisterhood, a spirit of service, and many other values must prevail, especially loyalty toward all other competitors,’ he said. ‘These, among other factors, are what the discipline committee takes into account, along with a private interview and later the judging panel’s evaluations.’

Rocha noted that it is ‘impossible’ to determine the winner by only observing a three-hour show.

‘Three hours onstage do not reflect all the qualities that, from my perspective with clear objectivity, the woman who represents us before the world must possess,’ he added.

‘Opportunist’

The second part of Rocha’s statement then apparently addressed Harfouch’s claims, with a clarification that ‘no judge resigned.’

‘The only truth that stands is that no judge resigned. The musician, whom nobody knew, turned out to be an opportunist, and anyone with good judgment can see how an unknown person tried to latch onto the fame of Miss Universe to gain followers,’ Rocha wrote.

Rocha said he feels pity for that musician whom, he said, he trusted and was supposed to help in the latter’s ‘concert for peace.’

‘I hope the truth about who he really is and about his story comes to light soon, that justice is served, and we will also take legal action,’ he continued.

‘I encourage everyone to remove him from their social media and show the world that opportunists who exploit others have no place here, especially those who fabricate AI images that damage others’ reputations just to benefit themselves and feed their ego and insecurity,’ Rocha added, apparently referring to the alleged photo of him and Bosch in an embrace that was released by Harfouch.

Rocha further noted that ‘the other two judges’ – apparently referring to Princess Camilla di Borbone delle Due Sicilie and French football player Claude Makelele – did not resign. Rocha, however, said he opted not to expound out of respect for the two.

‘The entire circus surrounding their supposed resignation was created falsely, once again, by the pseudo-musician for his own benefit, knowing that with his poor and limited career, he would not receive media attention otherwise,’ Rocha stated.

‘I demanded that he stop involving third parties who have never claimed to have resigned because that is not the case, and the particular circumstances of each situation have nothing to do with this unfortunate musician’s intentions,’ he added.

‘Not a public institution’

‘Lastly, I want to highlight that Miss Universe is a 100% private organization. It is not a public institution,’ Rocha continued on the third part of his statement.

‘We do not receive public funds or sponsorships from any public entity. Judges do not receive any payment for participating, and Miss Universe Organization covers all expenses incurred by those who honor us with their presence,’ he said.

Rocha added that the contestants’ logistics, top-tier hotels, food and beverages, transportation, activities in different cities, and medical care are ‘completely free for all participants.’

‘Nothing and no one will stop the global phenomenon that is Miss Universe, a phenomenon heard and felt around the world,’ the MUO executive declared. ‘The results speak for themselves, and we are only a few days in. We will break every record.’

‘And to those who criticized and judged us, I want to cite the Bible: Luke 14:11 – ‘For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted,” he concluded.

Things happen’ is an English expression meant to comfort oneself or other people, acknowledging that life is full of the unexpected and that we should learn to accept what happens.

In Filipino, the closest would be, ‘Ganyan ang Buhay’; that’s life, also the title of a song composed and sung by Freddie Aguilar, in turn popularized by the likes of Imelda Papin. You can almost imagine the song accompanied by a shrug of the shoulders, that’s life.

The English ‘things happen’ has many versions, including ‘that’s life,’ but there’s a more vulgar version, ‘shit happens’ preceded by a warning, ‘You be careful now. Wait till the shit hits the ceiling,’ a rather graphic expression. Perhaps that’s why the expression has been toned down to ‘things happen.’

Lately, it has become a frequently quoted expression from United States President Donald Trump, who used it to scold an American journalist who dared to ask the visiting Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about what happened in the case of Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi journalist brutally killed in 2018, supposedly at the behest of the Saudi government. American government investigators gave a detailed report about how Khashoggi, who was a vocal critic of the Saudi prince, was tortured and his body dismembered. At the end of 2018, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights released a report holding the Saudi government responsible for the ‘premeditated extrajudicial execution’ of Khashoggi.

Nothing seems to have come out of the case, disappearing from public attention until the Saudi Prince’s recent state visit to the US. The question irritated (enraged?) Trump, who gave an unsolicited defense of the prince with a long explanation that Khashoggi had friends and enemies and ended with ‘things happen,’ meaning ‘shit happens.’ In Filipino, it sounds ever so gentle, ‘ano ka ba?’-what’s with you? The original English remark has a variation: wait till the shit hits the ceiling. Add an electric fan.

I couldn’t help but think about how in the Philippines, electric fans are operating full speed but quietly. Foremost, of course, is the corruption investigation in the management of public works funds, especially for flood control. Running into trillions of pesos, there is clear anger coming from the public, but I still sense there’s also some degree of ‘things happen’ in it.

It almost seems we’ve come to accept graft and corruption as normal in the Philippines and, more alarmingly, to resign ourselves to our dismal state of affairs as ‘that’s life,’ and ‘things happen.’

Even more disturbing is the scale of resignations involved, considering the plunder that’s involved. The flood control investigations have been happening right smack in the middle of typhoons and monsoon rains, and hundreds of lives have been taken, with properties and livelihoods destroyed.

We’ve heard promises of justice, including arrests of those involved and threats of long prison sentences, including for the children of the thieves. And yet, we now see front-page headlines about the disappearance of ‘persons of interest,’ at least 17 now on wanted lists. Considering how their photographs have appeared many times over, you wonder how they could have just disappeared.

Always, the blaring ‘wanted’ headlines end up muted, especially as we start hearing different variations of cases with similar tunes. The public works cases were briefly eclipsed by the Alice Guo human trafficking cases; ‘human trafficking’ is just a generic catch-all term for all the crimes committed, from falsification of citizenship to kidnapping and illegal detention.

Again, because of all the publicity involved, faces all over newspapers and television both here and abroad, it becomes more shocking when, over the last weekend, we learn, after heavy sentences were meted out (life imprisonment for Guo), that one of the major, honorable defendants, Cassandra Ong, has been missing.

I’ve been wanting to mention in my column that Ong and Guo, already facing investigation, were once asked to help translate the testimony of Tony Yang, another honorable defendant in the Pharmally case involving funds diverted away from COVID-19. I could not believe my ears when one of the congressional staff had to explain why they did not have someone to translate into Chinese: ‘Finished contract,’ meaning the translator’s contract had not been renewed.

Now that’s double sh*t happening. Shrug of shoulders.

I am certain there’s so much more happening. But I refuse to believe it’s all a normal part of life. Should we just sit back, shrug off our shoulders, and watch history converted into a chronicle of things that just happen?

Eight of the 16 individuals ordered by the antigraft court arrested for their involvement in the anomalous flood control project in Oriental Mindoro province have been taken into custody by authorities, President Marcos announced on Monday.

They were, however, at the bottom of the totem pole in the widening corruption scandal that allegedly involved members of the Cabinet and lawmakers in both chambers of Congress.

In a video statement, President Marcos said that out of the 16 people listed in the three warrants of arrest issued by the Sandiganbayan, eight were already held by law enforcement agencies: the National Bureau of Investigation made the lone arrest, while the seven other accused ‘voluntarily surrendered’ to the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).

According to the President, two more accused also sent feelers of their intention to surrender to the PNP-CIDG.

Mug shots shared by the Presidential Communications Office and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) showed that the seven individuals who surrendered to the PNP-CIDG on Sunday were all officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office in Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan).

They were regional director Gerald Pacanan; former assistant regional director (now director of DPWH central office’s bureau of maintenance) Gene Ryan Altea; assistant regional director Ruben Santos Jr.; construction division chief Dominic Serrano; maintenance division head Juliet Calvo; project engineer III Felisardo Casuno; and accountant IV of the bids and awards committee Lerma Cayco.

The eighth accused, engineer Dennis Abagon, also of the Mimaropa regional office, was arrested at a house in Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, early Sunday morning, NBI officer in charge Angelito Magno said in a briefing at Camp Crame on Monday.

The house is reportedly owned by the vice mayor of Bansud, Oriental Mindoro, according to the DILG, adding that if the local official is proven to have harbored him and kept him, he will face charges for obstruction of justice.

More arrests coming

In an interview over dzMM on Monday, Bansud Vice Mayor Alma Mirano confirmed that the apartment where Abagon was caught was hers.

She denied harboring Abagon, saying it was she who informed the NBI about the DPWH engineer’s location in her property. Mirano, however, admitted she did not know that there was a standing warrant of arrest against Abagon until Monday.

The accused were all implicated in a substandard P289.5-million road dike project in Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, funded by the DPWH’s 2024 budget, and awarded to resigned Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co’s Sunwest Corp.

They were charged with malversation of public funds through falsification of public documents and violation of Section 3(e) of Republic Act No. 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, for causing undue injury to the government.

The arrest warrants and hold departure orders stemmed from the first three cases to reach the Sandiganbayan in relation to the investigation of anomalous infrastructure projects as ordered by President Marcos.

The two Sandiganbayan divisions handling the Mindoro case have ordered the detention of the eight DPWH officials at Camp Karingal and New Quezon City Jail in Quezon City.

Jail Director Ruel Rivera, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology chief, said the six male accused-Abagon, Pacanan, Casuno, Serrano, Santos, and Altea-will be kept together in one cell in the New Quezon City Jail’s regular wing.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla did not expound on the specifics of Calvo and Cayco’s detention.

President Marcos ordered the remaining fugitives to surrender, with authorities racing against time to fulfill the commitment of the President to put at least 37 individuals in jail before Christmas Day.

Interpol assistance

Aside from Co, among those still at large are Sunwest president and chair Aderma Angelie Alcazar (who was last tracked to be in New Zealand); treasurer Cesar Buenaventura (believed to be in New York) and board members Consuelo Aldon, Noel Cao and Anthony Ngo; DPWH Mimaropa planning and design division OIC Montrexis Tamayo (whose last known location was in Jordan); materials engineer Timojen Sacar, and bids and awards committee vice chair Friedrich Karl Camero and member Grace Lopez.

It was not clear why Camero and Lopez were not on the list of suspects with arrest warrants identified by the DILG in its presentation on Monday.

According to Remulla, authorities were having a hard time tracking Co as they believed he was traveling using another passport and another identity.

With the warrants of arrest already issued by the court, the Philippines can now request that Interpol upgrade the ‘blue notice’ it issued against Co to a ‘red notice’ to determine his location, effect his arrest, and start extradition proceedings.

The Department of Foreign Affairs, meanwhile, has yet to receive a court order instructing that they cancel Co’s passport, spokesperson Angelica Escalona said on Monday.

‘Save for Zaldy Co, the other members who are believed to be abroad have made contact with our law enforcement agencies and expected to show up at the embassy and begin immediate repatriation to the Philippines,’ Remulla said.

New Co video

In another recorded video statement released on Monday, Co said he delivered P56.4 billion in cash hidden inside pieces of luggage from 2022 to 2025 to the residences of President Marcos and his cousin, former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

President Marcos dismissed the fresh accusations against him, challenging Co to return to the country and prove his claims straight to his face.

‘It means nothing,’ Marcos said in a press briefing on Monday. ‘For it to mean something, he should come home and face the cases against him.’

Marcos told Co: ‘Why are you hiding in a faraway place? I am not hiding. If you have accusations against me, I am here. Come at me. Be fair.’

Romualdez earlier denied Co’s accusations, saying his conscience remains clear

The Department of Finance (DOF) announced Monday the suspension of all field audits and related operations by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), following complaints regarding letters of authority (LOAs) and mission orders (MOs) issued by its personnel to harass taxpayers.

LOAs empower the bureau to examine a taxpayer’s books, records and other relevant documents to ensure tax compliance, while MOs authorize revenue officers to conduct surveillance on business establishments and apprehend violators of tax laws and regulations, among other functions.

The suspension covers the issuance, creation, printing and signing of those documents, effectively pausing all audit-related enforcement for the time being. There was no word yet on when the suspension will be in place.

All BIR units involved in audit and field operations are directed to follow that order, including the Large Taxpayers Service, Revenue Regions and District Offices, Assessment Divisions, VAT Audit Units, and Intelligence and Special Audit Units. Only legally mandated or urgent cases are exempt from the suspension.

‘Taxpayer rights’

Finance Secretary Frederick Go said the tax audit suspension would ‘protect taxpayers from potential abuse.’

‘All taxpayers shall be treated with the highest degree of professionalism, courtesy, and adherence to the rule of law. Our economy is built upon the contributions of our taxpayers who deserve fair and honest tax audits,’ said Go, whom President Marcos appointed only on Nov. 17.

BIR Commissioner Charlie Mendoza, who took over the agency on Nov. 13, said in a statement: ‘This suspension is necessary to protect taxpayer rights, strengthen internal discipline, and ensure the integrity of our audit processes.’

‘We take every complaint seriously, and any misuse of authority, harassment, or irregularity has no place in the bureau,’ Mendoza said.

Money-making scheme

Last week, Sen. JV Ejercito raised the bureau’s alleged ‘weaponization’ of LOAs to ‘make money,’ saying this has lowered confidence among domestic and foreign investors and undermined the country’s tax system.

On Monday Sen. Erwin Tulfo filed Senate Resolution No. 180, directing the blue ribbon committee to investigate the alleged misuse of LOAs.

At a news conference and during plenary debates on the BIR’s proposed 2026 budget, Tulfo lamented the ‘corruption also happening at the BIR’ while the country is preoccupied with anomalies regarding flood control projects.

‘Even if a businessman has paid his taxes, his business is still subject to inspection. From what I understand, the LOA is being used as a search warrant. They will issue you an LOA if they have doubts about the taxes you paid,’ Tulfo said.

He also cited complaints alleging that ‘examiners up to regional directors’ are among the revenue officials involved in the alleged LOA scheme.

‘This is why I say, if the [Department of Public Works and Highways] is the number one agency in corruption, the BIR is the second,’ the senator said.

‘Trust, compliance’

Tulfo said he would invite Mendoza’s predecessor, Romeo Lumagui Jr., to the blue ribbon inquiry.

According to the senator, ‘corruption’ in the BIR worsened last year on Lumagui’s watch.

In a statement on Nov. 17, the BIR said Lumagui had ‘concluded a transformative and high-performing tenure marked by strengthened enforcement, digital modernization, and consistent revenue growth.’

It also quoted Mendoza as saying that ‘When people walk into our offices and experience clarity, courtesy, and consistency, their trust in us grows. And when trust grows, compliance follows naturally. This is how we change the narrative, not through slogans, but through service. Because those paying taxes for the country are the true VIPs in our agency.’

Mendoza said on Monday that the BIR had established a technical working group on ‘LOA and MO Integrity and Audit Reforms,’ to evaluate current tax audit protocols and recommend safeguards moving forward.

Apart from the controversy over its tax audit procedures, the BIR is also under pressure to meet revenue targets after the flood control corruption scandal slowed down government spending. /cb

Caloocan City 3rd District Rep. Dean Asistio said he asked for an executive session during his appearance before the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Tuesday, as he might divulge ‘sensitive information.’

During a chance interview, Asistio was asked why he requested an executive session, which prevents the hearing from being livestreamed.

‘Para po mas maprotektahan dahil baka magkaroon ng judgment by publicity,’ Asistio said.

(To be more protected because there might be judgment by publicity.)

‘At baka meron po tayong mga sensitibong masabi sa ICI na hindi muna kinakailangang lumabas sa publiko para hindi makaabala sa imbestigasyon ng ICI,’ he added.

(And we might have sensitive things to say to ICI that don’t need to be made public yet so as not to interfere with the ICI investigation.)

But Asistio refused to provide further details on the supposed sensitive information.

‘Siguro po sa ibang pagkakataon ko po sasagutin ‘yan,’ he explained.

(Maybe I’ll answer that another time.)

When asked if he would reveal names at the ICI hearing, the lawmaker said, ‘Siguro po. (Maybe.)

The ICI said in a statement that it granted the executive session requests of Asistio and Quezon City 1st District Rep. Juan Carlos ‘Arjo’ Atayde, who also attended a separate commission proceeding on Tuesday, ‘after finding that these had sufficient factual and legal basis, pursuant to the ICI Live Streaming Guidelines, published in the Official Gazette on November 22, 2025.’

The commission added that it requested Asistio to submit additional documents ‘to aid in the ongoing investigation.’ He was given until November 28, 2025, to provide the required materials.

The ICI said it ‘remains committed to conducting its investigation in a manner that upholds the Filipino people’s right to information, ensures due process, adheres to the rule of law, and protects the individual rights of its resource persons.’

On Friday, ICI Executive Director Brian Keith Hosaka said the commission is targeting to livestream all of its proceedings except for the need to have an executive session upon the request of resource persons.

The ICI will grant an executive session request if the information must be kept secret in the interest of national defense or security and if such disclosure will put the life and safety of an individual in danger, among others.

Asistio also denied the accusation that he is involved in the flood control irregularities.

The lawmaker was among the politicians named by contractor Pacifico Discaya in a Senate hearing in September who allegedly solicited money from his firm regarding flood control projects.

In October, the Department of Justice issued an immigration lookout bulletin order (ILBO) against Asistio and several others, upon the request of the ICI.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. urged the public and private sectors Tuesday to think creatively and pursue innovative solutions to fight climate change and transition to sustainable energy.

He made the remarks during his visit to the Ning*Ning 6.55-megawatt peak (MWp) solar rooftop power facility at Pasinayan Homes Prime Central (PHPC) in Naic, Cavite.

‘When we talk about climate change, when we talk about the shift from fossil fuels to renewables in terms of our power production, we always have to say that this is a new situation that we have never faced before. Therefore, we must come up, we must be creative and be able to find different solutions,’ Marcos said in his speech.

‘We cannot continue to do the same things that we did before,’ he added.

Citing the solar rooftop power facility as an example, Marcos said this innovation can reduce around 6,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per year.

‘It’s like we removed almost a thousand vehicles from our roads,’ he said.

Pioneered by the Joy~Nostalg Group-through its energy arm, Jin Navitas Solaris Inc., and its real estate arm, Raemulan Lands, Inc. (Extraordinary Enclaves)-Ning*Ning is the Philippines’ first grid-connected, utility-scale solar rooftop project within a socialized housing community.

The PHPC Project has a capacity of 6.554 MWp and uses the rooftops of 1,986 Filipino households, each with six solar photovoltaic panels, totaling 11,916 panels.

The electricity generated by the solar panels is converted to match the grid’s requirements and is then transmitted and distributed by Meralco.

The system can export 4.95 MW of power and produces about 9,182 megawatt-hours of electricity a year-enough to supply over 7,900 homes. /das

Las Piñas Lone District Rep. Mark Anthony Santos has called for vigilance among social media users, noting that his proposal for a universal social pension has not been acted upon as of now.

Santos, in a statement on Monday, said that there were misleading posts and links over the internet after he pushed for the approval of House Bill (HB) No. 1296 or the proposed Universal Social Pension Act – with some claiming that the pension would be implemented this coming Christmas.

‘Many are being misled because of the fake news especially now that Christmas is coming, we need to straighten this out,’ said Santos, author of HB No. 1296, said.

‘The universal social pension program is not yet implemented. We owe our senior citizens accurate information,’ he added.

According to Santos, there are scammers who are already exploiting senior citizens by manipulating them into believing that they will be getting pension for the upcoming holiday season.

‘Scammers are exploiting our senior citizens’ trust. We need to stop the spread of deceptive content and protect our elders from manipulation,’ Santos added.

‘Our seniors deserve clarity, protection, and support-not confusion and false promises,’ he said. ‘I remain committed to pushing this measure forward until every Filipino senior citizen receives the pension they rightfully deserve.’

Santos clarified that the approved bill on the same topic is House Bill No. 10423, which hurdled third reading at the House of Representatives last May 2024. However, this measure was not approved in the Senate, and therefore was not forwarded to the President’s desk for his action.

The lawmaker noted that both the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the National Commission of Senior Citizens (NCSC) have issued advisories noting that the said proposal is not under implementation. Similarly, Santos echoed warnings from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, as there are fake websites that have used NCSC logos.

Over the weekend, Santos called for the approval of his bill which seeks to provide a universal social pension for all Filipino senior citizens regardless of their economic status.

Under the proposal, which seeks to amend the Expanded Senior Citizens Act of 2010, all senior citizens and not just indigents would receive a monthly cash aid ranging from P500 to P1,000.

According to Santos, there is a need to support seniors since the Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that 22 percent of the P779 billion health expenditures in the country, or P171 billion, were allocated for senior citizens who are ‘more prone to illness, medical needs, and higher living costs, increasing their vulnerability to poverty.’

South Korean actress Jo Bo-ah is about to become a mother, as her agency confirmed that she is expecting her first child with her non-showbiz husband.

Reports of Jo’s pregnancy circulated on Korean media on Tuesday, Nov. 25, which was eventually confirmed by her agency XYZ Studio on the same day.

‘Hello, this is XYZ Studio. We would like to share our official statement regarding the news reported today about actress Jo Bo-ah. Actress Jo Bo-ah is expecting a child,’ it said in a statement via a Soompi translation.

According to Korean media outlets, Jo will give birth in ‘late winter’ of 2026, although XYZ Studio stated that they could not share further information about her due date.

‘We ask that you watch over her with warm blessings, and we ask for your generous understanding that we cannot share further details including her due date,’ it said.

‘We are deeply grateful to everyone who always sends Jo Bo-ah love and support, and after her return she will repay you with great performances as an actress. Once again, we sincerely thank you for the blessings and warm encouragement you have sent to Jo Bo-ah,’ XYZ Studio continued.

Jo tied the knot with her non-showbiz husband at a private ceremony in October 2024. The identity of her partner is unknown, as she is known for being firmly private about her personal life.

The South Korean actress is best known for her lead roles in ‘Dear Hongrang,’ ‘Destined with You,’ ‘Tale of the Nine Tailed,’ and ‘Military Prosecutor Doberman.’ She was supposed to be part of the K-drama ‘Knock-Off’ with Kim Soo-hyun; however, it has been postponed to an unknown date.