Category: Philippines Daily Inquirer

More than 100 local chief executives under the Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) have renewed their call against corruption, as well as public oversight in the national budget.

The M4GG had pledged to continue to push for ‘transparent, accountable, and people-centered governance through strong and empowered local governments,’ during its third anniversary summit and general assembly last August 22 at the Manila Diamond Hotel.

During the event, the coalition said it launched Report Infra, a channel for citizens and stakeholders to report suspected ghost, high-priced, or substandard infrastructure projects within their municipalities.

The group has also renewed their call for greater public access to the national budget information, amounting to P7.2-trillion under the proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program, as well as the P57 billion increase of the Local Government Support fund.

Members of the M4GG also met with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to discuss better and more effective implementation of social welfare programs in local communities.

‘We are grateful for the opportunity to stand with M4GG on its third anniversary. This is a room full of leaders who chose the harder, more accountable way to lead, and that work deserves every bit of support we can give it. Good governance is not an aspiration. It is a standard, and these mayors are proving it is possible,’ Negros Occidental 3rd District Rep. Javier Miguel L. Benitez said during M4GG’s d Governance third anniversary summit and general assembly

Grief continues to grip Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU) a week after the Aug. 18 fatal shooting inside its Tumaga campus that claimed the lives of two high school students, including the shooter.

‘A week has passed, but grief does not follow a timetable. Some may be ready to return to familiar routines; others will need more time, more support. So let us continue to be patient with one another, especially gentle with those who are carrying the deepest grief,’ AdZU president Fr. Guillrey Anthony Andal said in a statement on Monday.

The university continued its ‘accompaniment activities’ following the deadly shooting, allowing junior high school students to retrieve their belongings from the Tumaga campus in Zamboanga City on Monday.

The AdZU community also gathered for a candle-lighting and prayer service at its Salvador campus, led by student leaders from El Consejo Atenista. Faculty and staff held a ‘Kumustahan Session,’ with similar activities planned for college students in the coming days.

‘As we continue to understand what happened, we must also be clear: violence has no place in our society,’ Andal said, underscoring that preventing violence is a shared responsibility of families, schools, government, religious institutions, media and the wider community.

Appeal to public

The Jesuit-run university reiterated its appeal to the public and media organizations to exercise prudence in sharing images, recordings and information related to the incident.

‘Inaccurate information and unnecessary circulation of materials, including those AI-generated involving minors, can cause further harm to families already carrying great pain,’ Andal warned.

Andal declined to comment on the shooting incident pending the final police investigation, which the university was awaiting on Monday.

On Aug. 20, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said after visiting the AdZU Tumaga campus that the final police report on the shooting was expected by Aug. 24.

‘We had hoped to receive it [on Monday], but until it is formally provided to us, we will refrain from commenting on findings that have not yet been officially communicated,’ Andal said.

He stressed that the university continues to cooperate fully with authorities and will share verified information once it becomes available.

Andal said the university had updated Zamboanga City Mayor Khymer Olaso on its cooperation with police and its ongoing efforts to strengthen campus security and provide psychological support to affected students and families.

The mayor expressed support for the initiatives.

AdZU has begun implementing enhanced security protocols at the Tumaga campus, including purchasing more walk-through metal detectors and X-ray machines. The university will make improvements to perimeter security, CCTV coverage, and live monitoring

Roxas and Company Inc. (RCI) has secured a loan facility of nearly P2 billion from China Banking Corp. to refinance existing debt and support general corporate requirements.

In a regulatory filing on Monday, RCI said it entered into an omnibus loan and security agreement with the Sy family-led bank on Aug. 20.

Under the agreement, China Bank will extend a term loan facility with an aggregate principal amount of up to P1.93 billion.

‘The proceeds will be used to refinance the company’s and its subsidiaries’ existing loan obligations and for general corporate purposes,’ the company said.

The disclosure did not provide details on the facility’s interest rate, maturity, repayment schedule or the specific loan obligations that would be refinanced.

The company has an authorized capital stock of P3.38 billion in common shares and 1 billion in preferred shares.

It reported 2.91 billion issued shares, including about 2.8 billion common shares.

The new financing comes as RCI moves to restructure its existing loan obligations while keeping additional funds available for its broader corporate needs.

The company did not disclose how much of the P1.93-billion facility would be allocated to refinancing versus general corporate purposes

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla on Tuesday said the anti-graft body is investigating to determine if there is corruption in flood control projects in Davao City, which he tagged as the ‘epicenter’ of budget allocations in the past administration.

Remulla made this remark during the House committee on appropriations deliberating the Office of the Ombudsman’s P7 billion proposed budget.

Act Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio asked Remulla: ‘Is the Ombudsman doing anything to investigate flood control corruption issues during the previous administration?’

‘Yes, but it is not really easy,’ Remulla responded. ‘The epicenter of flood control before the Marcos administration is Davao City.’

Remulla noted it’s hard to penetrate the ‘ecosystem of corruption’ in the city.

‘It’s hard to get information, so many people don’t want to talk, but we don’t stop,’ he further said.

In response, Tinio said, ‘What was said is clear: Davao City is the epicenter of flood control corruption in the past administration.’

However, Remulla quickly clarified: ‘I will not make that conclusion immediately; we are studying this, because what’s important is we see the evidence on the ground.’

After the hearing, he clarified that he tagged Davao City as the ‘epicenter’ because of the large amount of funds allocated to the city.

‘[Epicenter] of flood control, because there was a big budget in the past in Davao City in flood control, that’s what I know,’ Remulla said when asked what he exactly meant by ‘epicenter.’

Pressed once more if the ‘epicenter’ does not refer to corruption per se, he said: ‘Well, we will check out the flood control there.’

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has allowed qualified banks to offer time deposits as investment products under the Personal Equity and Retirement Account (Pera), expanding the list of options available to Filipinos saving for retirement.

Under Memorandum No. M-2026-044, Pera time deposits must have a minimum maturity of 30 days. Upon maturity, the proceeds are kept in Pera assets and are not counted as a withdrawal.

Consumers can roll over, transfer, or reinvest the proceeds in another accredited Pera investment product, based on your instructions or existing investment arrangement.

‘Retirement planning should be simple, accessible, and within reach of every Filipino. By introducing PERA time deposits, we are providing another practical option for individuals who want to build their retirement savings through a product they already understand and trust,’ BSP Deputy Governor Lyn I. Javier said in a statement.

A Pera time deposit functions similarly to a regular bank time deposit, as it holds funds within a contributor’s Pera and may qualify for tax incentives under the retirement savings program. The deposits will also remain subject to rules governing Pera.

According to the BSP, banks that wish to offer Pera time deposits must meet applicable BSP prudential requirements and notify the central bank of their plans.

They must secure Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) accreditation before offering placements and partnering with a Pera administrator.

The new product joins other investment options available under Pera, including unit investment trust funds, stocks, real estate investment trusts and government securities.

Pera, created under Republic Act No. 9505, is a voluntary retirement savings program, which supplements state-based pension plans and/or employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Individual contributors may place up to P200,000 annually, while overseas Filipinos may contribute up to P400,000 a year.

Latest BSP data showed Pera contributions surged 45 percent to P757.55 million in the first half of the year from P521.36 million a year earlier. Employee contributions accounted for the largest share at P449.45 million, followed by those from self-employed Filipinos at P207.9 million and overseas Filipino workers at P100.2 million.

The increase in contributions came alongside a nearly fivefold rise in the number of Pera contributors to 30,055 from 6,193 during the same period.

The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division junked the attempt of Uswag Ilonggo party-list Rep. James ‘Jojo’ Ang to dismiss one of his graft cases.

The anti-graft court also dismissed his plea to consolidate all of its 14 counts to a single division.

These decisions are the result of two resolutions penned by Associate Justice Sarah Jane Fernandez promulgated on Aug. 24 denying Ang’s motion to quash information and motion to consolidate.

In its case information, subject of the motion to quash, prosecutors alleged that Ang held prohibited financial interest in a government contract worth P8.1 million between the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and Allencon Development Corporation.

Ang purportedly owned 500 shares in the corporation.

Prosecutors said this violates Article VI, Section 14 of the 1987 Constitution which prohibits legislators from intervening in government matters for their pecuniary benefit.

Ang questioned Sandiganbayan’s jurisdiction as one of the grounds for his motion to quash, saying Republic Act No. 10660 provides that the Regional Trial Court should have jurisdiction where the information does not allege any damage to the government or any bribery.

The resolution noted that the information filed by prosecutors did not allege any pecuniary damage to the government and neither did it allege that the damage is not quantifiable.

However, the resolution noted that the lawmakers’ deliberations for the Republic Act No. 10660, or the law which reorganized the Sandiganbayan, intends to retain the jurisdiction of the anti-graft court in cases where the information alleges unquantifiable damage to the government.

‘Such non-mention of any amount of damage to the government, coupled with the accusation that the alleged prohibited act was done in violation of the Constitution and in contravention of public policy, would indicate that the resultant damage alleged in the Information is unquantifiable,’ the 13-page resolution stated.

‘The crime charged in the present case is, thus, one which the Congress intended to remain under the exclusive original jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan,’ it added.

As for his motion to consolidate the case, Fernandez also penned a separate resolution denying this.

The lawmaker, citing the 2018 Revised Internal Rules of the Sandiganbayan, wanted to consolidate the cases to the Second Division which got the lowest docket case number.

Ang argued that the cases involve common questions of fact and law that should be jointly tried before the division where the case bearing the lowest docket number is pending.

He added that there is a strong possibility that different court divisions might arrive at different and conflicting resolutions on the cases pending before them.

The resolution noted that all 14 counts of graft arose from the same Resolution of the Office of the Ombudsman, each involving a project awarded by the DPWH to Allencon where accused Ang was allegedly a stockholder.

‘Although the said cases appear to be similar in nature, it is undeniable that each case involves a project separate and distinct from the others,’ the five-page resolution said.

‘Thus, it is improbable that there will be conflicting rulings on factual matters,’ it added, further noting that ‘consolidation will merely cause delay.’

The Commission on Audit (COA) told lawmakers on Tuesday that it has a shortage of field auditors, admitting that this can be characterized as a ’cause for concern.’

COA assistant commissioner Lorna Cabochan said this during the House of Representatives’ Committee on Appropriations’ 2027 budget hearing for the commission on Tuesday, after Akbayan Rep. Percival Cendeña asked if the commission’s manpower gap had already been addressed from 2025 to this year.

Cendeña raised the question when he mentioned COA’s report last year that it had only two auditors assigned to the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)’s First District Engineering Office of Bulacan, which has been at the center of the flood control corruption scandal.

According to Cabochan, out of COA’s 716 recently deducted plantilla positions, 332 personnel have been restored by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) in July.

When asked how many positions the COA still needs, she said, ‘It’s still almost 400.’

Meanwhile, when Cendeña furthered his interpellation and asked if it was a ’cause for concern,’ the COA official answered in the affirmative.

‘Because the agencies po are adding and as present po medyo kulang na rin po ang mga auditors natin in the field,’ Cabochan explained.

(Because the agencies are adding and as of now, we are also somewhat lacking in auditors in the field.)

Cabochan also said that some of their former auditors decided to leave COA for higher-paying jobs or flexible working positions.

Some of the other auditors, she said, are even considering retiring ‘as soon as they reach 60.

‘Though we are continually recruiting po, meron din po kasing separation through transfer po sa ibang government agencies and resignation,’ the COA assistant commissioner likewise pointed out.

(Although we are continuously recruiting, there is also separation through transfer to other government agencies and resignation.)

After hearing this, Cendeña emphasized that the current state of manpower in the commission is ‘alarming,’ pointing out that ‘it’s still lacking to this day.’

‘Ngayong 2027 po, may proposed P107 billion pesos para sa flood control under DPWH. Kapag palpak uli ang audit or kapag kulang, mabagal ang audit, repeat performance tayo sa 2025,’ Cendeña emphasized.

(This 2027, there is a proposed P107 billion pesos for flood control under DPWH. If the audit is sloppy again or if the audit is insufficient or slow, we will repeat the performance in 2025.)

‘At alam na po natin kung ano yung dahilan. Ito nga pong nabanggit natin na kakulangan,’ the lawmaker added.

(And we already know the reason. This is the deficiency we mentioned

The lawmaker then said that the government must allot additional resources to COA, noting that the commission is ‘the first line of defense’ against corruption.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to recommendations to ban Facebook and other social media platforms that could influence young people to engage in harmful behavior, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said on Tuesday.

The remarks came after the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said it was considering recommending a ban on Facebook in the country following a deadly shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

‘Among all gaming apps, the president is open to removing anything that could be considered harmful to the youth and to our country,’ Castro said at a briefing when asked whether Malacañang supports the idea.

Castro noted that some social media platforms not only expose young people and the general public to violence but are also being used to spread fake news.

‘It also needs to be studied whether the lack of accountability for social media platforms contributes to the spread of fake news in our country,’ she added. ‘If the response is slow, it would be worth considering and studying whether they should remain part of our system.’

However, Castro said support for banning harmful social media platforms does not mean restricting freedom of expression.

‘Fake news is different from simply expressing your opinion or being a critic,’ she said.

‘That is not prohibited. No one is being prohibited from being a critic, especially now, under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration,’ she added.

On Monday, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the perpetrator of the fatal Ateneo de Zamboanga University shooting had an online search history of websites supposedly containing hate speech.

‘His search pattern went to evil people, nihilism, anti-Semitism, anti-LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender), and a lot of hate sites,’ he explained in an interview on ANC’s Headstart.

Remulla attributed this to the shooter being supposedly influenced by a ‘deep dark web of people fomenting hate and discord and violence in order to resolve your problems’ inside chat groups on the game Roblox.

On Day 18 of the Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, Office of the Vice President Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio takes the witness stand on Tuesday to testify on the alleged misuse of P500 million in confidential funds.

Ortonio allegedly accompanied former OVP special disbursing officer Gina Acosta, the previous witness presented to the court, when she encashed P500 million in confidential funds from LandBank Shaw Blvd., in increments of P125 million every quarter from the last quarter of 2022 until the third quarter of 2023

Motorists face higher fuel costs starting Tuesday, Aug. 25, as diesel prices rise by P2.31 per liter, according to the Department of Energy. The increase comes despite the DOE’s assurance that double-digit price hikes are not expected in the coming weeks.

Gasoline and kerosene prices will also go up, by as much as P1.08 and P0.95 per liter, respectively.Below are the oil prices monitored and gathered by Inquirer team as of Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026