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The Board of Investments (BOI) on Tuesday has approved P900.06 billion worth of investments in the first nine months of the year, putting the country’s leading investment promotion agency on track to achieve its full-year target of P1 trillion.

This marks a 53.05-percent increase from investment approvals recorded in the first three quarters of 2025.

More than 80 percent of approved investments went to the electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply industry, totaling P740.14 billion.

Domestic investors continued to dominate the BOI’s investment pipeline, accounting for 89.88 percent of total approvals, or P808.96 billion, while foreign investors, led by Singapore, contributed P90.4 billion.

‘The surge in investment approvals recorded during the first nine months of 2026 reflects growing investor interest in the Philippines as a premier destination for growth and expansion,’ said Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, who chairs the BOI.

No ticket holder won the ?449.84 million Ultra Lotto 6/58 jackpot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) draw on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.

According to the PCSO results, the winning combination for Ultra Lotto 6/58 was 55-12-48-22-38-40. No bettor matched all six numbers to claim the ?449.84 million jackpot.

The Super Lotto 6/49 jackpot of ?70.24 million also remained unwon. The winning combination was 04-03-22-37-17-24, with no ticket matching all six numbers.

Similarly, no bettor won the ?18.31 million Lotto 6/42 jackpot. The winning numbers were 17-18-13-41-30-24.

Minor games

The 6D Lotto draw produced the combination 6-9-7-9-7-0, but no ticket holder won the ?3.16 million top prize.

The results for the other PCSO games were as follows:

3D Lotto (2 p.m.): 1-6-5 – ?4,500 prize; 319 winners

3D Lotto (5 p.m.): 2-4-1 – ?4,500 prize; 276 winners

3D Lotto (9 p.m.): 8-3-8 – ?4,500 prize; 145 winners

2D Lotto (2 p.m.): 05-04 – ?4,000 prize; 104 winners

2D Lotto (5 p.m.): 17-01 – ?4,000 prize; 53 winners

2D Lotto (9 p.m.): 07-30 – ?4,000 prize; 237 winners

Draw schedule

Ultra Lotto 6/58 draws are held every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, while Super Lotto 6/49 draws take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.

Lotto 6/42 draws are held every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

A bill that seeks to empower the government with the legal framework to counter transnational drug syndicates involved in narco-terrorism has been filed in the House of Representatives.

In a statement on Tuesday, Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos, chairperson of the House committee on dangerous drugs, said that he has filed House Bill (HB) No. 11751 or the proposed Anti-Narco-Terrorism Act of 2026, which will qualify transnational drug-trafficking organizations as terrorist organizations.

Santos said the bill will amend both the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 to address potential jurisdictional gaps that transnational drug syndicates could exploit to evade prosecution in the country-especially in scenarios where illegal drug shipments headed for the Philippines are intercepted before reaching the country’s territory.

‘Transnational drug syndicates pose a serious threat to our country because their operations can cross borders, involve multiple networks, and rely on financiers and facilitators who may remain beyond the reach of conventional law enforcement efforts,’ Santos said.

‘Through House Bill No. 11751, or the proposed Anti-Narco-Terrorism Act of 2026, we seek to strengthen our legal framework against major drug-trafficking organizations by holding accountable not only those who transport illegal drugs, but also the leaders, financiers, and individuals who knowingly provide material support to their operations,’ he added.

If enacted, the bill will introduce penalties for large-scale drug trafficking committed by members, leaders, or financiers of transnational syndicates, and classify it as narco-terrorism.

There will also be penalties on those who finance or provide material support to these groups, aside from having local courts exercise jurisdiction over certain drug-related offenses should the illegal drug shipment be intended for or meant to be transported through the Philippines.

Santos said he filed HB No. 11751 following reports that there are several transnational drug-trafficking networks linked to illegal drug activities in the country.

Santos revealed over the weekend that authorities have identified at least six foreign drug networks operating in the country.

The information comes ahead of an investigation to be conducted by the lawmaker’s panel.

‘Authorities must look beyond intercepted shipments, follow the money, and work with foreign law enforcement to identify and dismantle the syndicates behind the drug trade,’ Santos said. ‘Drug syndicates do not operate solely through street-level distribution. They exploit private aircraft, maritime routes, financial intermediaries, and gaps in coordination among jurisdictions. Even when a shipment is intercepted, the people financing and organizing the operation may remain beyond the reach of investigators,’ he added.

Whether or not there is a prenuptial agreement between Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband Manases Carpio, the evidence presented during her impeachment trial is enough to merit a conviction.

This statement came from impeachment prosecution panel spokesperson Robert Ace Barbers on Tuesday in a press briefing briefing at the Batasang Pambansa.

Barbers noted that while the team is eager to see if the defense panel will resort to such a strategy when the trial resumes on November 9, it will not diminish the strength of the prosecution’s case.

He is particularly referring to the argument in Article II that Duterte that charged the vice president of violating the provisions governing the filing of Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN).

A prenuptial agreement is usually signed by couples before marriage, indicating what part of their assets, debts, and other financial matters do not become intertwined.

This agreement is in contrast to the common occurrence where marriage causes the couple to have communal properties.

‘A possible prenup has been mentioned. But first, based on my understanding, if you have a prenuptial agreement, this is annotated in your marriage certificate […],’ Barbers said.

‘But it is also important that we give them a chance to present this so that we can analyze it,’ he told reporters.

‘But again – even if, assuming for the sake of argument, that they have a prenuptial agreement – does that mean that the vice president is exculpated from the liability of violating SALN laws or for having unexplained wealth?’ the former lawmaker asked.

‘That’s another issue that the defense should address,’ he added.

If a prenuptial document comes out, the former representative of Surigao del Norte said that the prosecution will examine this.

‘The prosecution team will scrutinize the evidence that they will show. So we will check if it was done yesterday only or before they got married,’ Barbers remarked.

Even on the off chance that Duterte’s lawyers claim that the vice president and Carpio have been separated as a couple, Barbers said this will still have no effect on their case.

‘Still not enough, if that is what they will claim, because it is very clear that there is a violation done by our vice president on Article VII, Section 13,’ he remarked.

According to Barbers, this provision ‘states that you cannot enter into into a business or any financial interest while you are sitting as the vice president, and that is very clear.’

The prosecution spokesperson was referring to a provision on the 1987 Constitution that prohibits sitting presidents, vice presidents and cabinet members from practicing other professions.

It also bans the same officials from ‘participating in any business, or be financially interested in any contract with, or in any franchise, or special privilege granted by the Government or any subdivision, agency, or instrumentality.’

Part of the accusations against Duterte in Article II is conflict of interest as Gencorp Industries Inc., a company that she had business interests with, entered into contracts with Davao City.

These deals were sealed while Duterte’s brother – Sebastian ‘Baste’ Duterte – is sitting as city mayor.

Mayor Duterte, one of the witnesses invited by the prosecution, said that he would have not allowed the local government of Davao City to enter into a contract with Gencorp, if he knew that his sister was part of it.

Vice President Duterte is also accused of receiving compensation from the Davao City government for supposed legal services, even if she was already occupying the country’s second-highest elective office.

Prosecutors have refused to comment on the strength of their evidence against Duterte so as not to violate the sub judice rule, but their spokespersons have expressed confidence in the case that they built.

Before the trial adjourned last October 13, the prosecution decided that they will only present Article II or unexplained wealth allegations.

The panel dropped three other articles – Article I or the alleged confidential fund misuse; Article III or the supposed bribery of Department of Education officials; and Article IV or the grave threats against ranking officials.

On October 14, Barbers himself said that while dropping three out of four articles of impeachment against Duterte is a huge risk, it also shows the group’s confidence.

He concluded that the entire case will now rely on the strength of Article II.

If Duterte is convicted based on Article II, or the allegation that she has unexplained wealth and that these were not declared in her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, she will be removed from her post.

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano clarified on Tuesday that his colleagues in the upper chamber remain free to make their own decisions should they be offered the role of vice president.

This comes after Sen. Panfilo Lacson criticized Cayetano’s call for their colleagues to reject any nomination to replace Vice President Sara Duterte if she were convicted.

‘Everyone remains free to decide. I hope we can consider the concern behind the invitation before taking offense at being asked,’ Cayetano wrote in a social media post.

Cayetano’s initial call stemmed from impeachment court presiding officer Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero saying he would turn down the vice presidency as he would be among the senator-judges to vote on the possible conviction of Duterte.

‘He could have kept quiet and left the possibility open. Instead, he gave people a reason to trust that his vote would not be influenced by the prospect of becoming Vice President. With so much doubt surrounding our politics, I think we need more of that,’ Cayetano highlighted.

Should the senator-judges vote to convict Duterte, she will be relieved from vice presidency, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. may nominate any member of Congress to take Duterte’s place.

With this in mind, Cayetano reminded that senators may still turn down the nomination.

‘The President retains his constitutional authority to nominate a replacement from the Senate or the House if a vacancy arises, subject to confirmation by both chambers. A senator remains free to decline. The President can fulfill his duty while a senator follows his conscience, without either preventing the other from doing what he believes is right,’ he emphasized.

The senator then welcomed openly discussing what comes after the impeachment trial, adding that there is no need to take offense in such.

Cayetano said: ‘I am glad we can discuss these questions openly, and I appreciate those who take the time to consider them calmly and carefully. We owe the public that much, even when we disagree.’

‘Getting offended by a question does not answer it, and making the discussion personal does little to help people understand what is at stake,’ he continued.

Malacañang distanced President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday from the P50-million bounty for the arrest of Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, saying the reward was ordered solely by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and the Philippine National Police leadership.

Palace press officer Claire Castro stressed that the President did not personally authorize the bounty, which would be funded through the confidential and intelligence funds of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the PNP.

‘It’s not like the president will specifically mention giving him a P50-million bounty. That won’t come from the president himself because this is a strategy, an operation by Secretary Jonvic Remulla and the PNP leadership,’ Castro said in an interview on Radyo Pilipinas Cagayan de Oro.

‘This is not the kind of 11 days where intel funds or confi funds are immediately exhausted… This is a real operation and not planting banana chips,’ she added, in an apparent reference to Vice President Sara Duterte’s use of P125 million in confidential funds in 11 days in 2022 and her husband’s links to a banana chips business.

National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag, meanwhile, warned that an encounter could occur during efforts to arrest Dela Rosa but said authorities would seek to minimize violence.

‘So the possibility of an encounter is there. We are not removing that. All law enforcement, there’s a possibility of an encounter. You know that,’ Matibag said.

‘But as much as possible, we want to get him with the least violence that will happen,’ he added.

Still in PH

Matibag said the NBI had received new information about Dela Rosa’s possible whereabouts following the bounty announcement and would conduct further operations in the coming days.

‘He’s in the Philippines, that’s the bigger information we have here,’ he said.

The NBI chief said Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, likely had contacts who could help him evade arrest, noting he had not surrendered all his firearms.

Matibag also said the NBI was not negotiating with an armed group that Remulla had identified as supposedly protecting Dela Rosa.

Castro said the operation would continue if the senator failed to surrender within the one-week deadline set by authorities.

‘As Secretary Jonvic said, no mercy. The law must be enforced; those who need to be arrested must be arrested,’ she said.

Asked whether Dela Rosa’s assets could be frozen, Castro said the Anti-Money Laundering Council would have to determine whether his wealth warranted investigation or action.

Due process

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Dela Rosa might be safer staying in the Philippines than fleeing abroad, where the international nature of the International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant could make him more vulnerable to arrest.

‘Senator Dela Rosa’s situation is difficult because the ICC warrant is international. Where will he go? If he goes abroad, he would be more exposed, and it will be easier for authorities to arrest him,’ Lacson said.

Dela Rosa might have had more options if the warrant had been issued by Philippine authorities, including seeking refuge in a country without an extradition treaty with the Philippines.

‘But if it was the ICC that issued the warrant, he’ll have a harder time hiding. He would be safer in the Philippines,’ Lacson said.

He also rejected calls to deny Dela Rosa due process because victims of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJK) under the Duterte administration had been denied justice.

‘It is wrong to argue that since EJK victims were denied due process, Senator Dela Rosa should also be denied the same,’ Lacson said, warning against answering one injustice with another.

Dela Rosa, PNP chief from 2016 to 2018, is wanted in connection with the ICC case against former President Rodrigo Duterte over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the anti-drug campaign. Former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan’s investigation estimated that 12,000 to 30,000 people were killed in the drug war. Dela Rosa has been named as an alleged co-perpetrator in the case against Duterte.

Returning Transport Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday vowed to implement reforms in the Land Transportation Office (LTO), as well as prioritize the commuters’ welfare and road safety to improve the public transportation system.

Dizon made this commitment a day after the latest Cabinet revamp where he was reappointed as the Transport secretary while Secretary Giovanni Lopez will take the helm of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Dizon said that he will continue the programs and reforms that were initiated by Lopez in the agency.

‘Sabi ng Palace kahapon, yung hirap ng commute kailangang ayusin yan. Itutuloy ang nasimulan namin ni [Secretary Giovanni] nung nasa DOTr siya at ako isa sa magiging priority ko ang LTO,’ Dizon said in a press conference.

(According to the Palace yesterday, we have to address the hardships of our commuters. We will continue what [Secretary Giovanni] started when he was in DOTr but LTO will be one of my priorities.)

Dizon noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered him to overhaul the LTO amid complaints about long queues, fixers, and delays in processing public documents.

LTO was among the most complained agencies in the first quarter of the year, according to the Anti-Red Tape Authority (Arta). In its report released last May, Arta said that LTO received 152 complaints from January to March, of which 132 of them were already resolved.

Meanwhile, as the two secretaries swap leadership roles, Lopez said that he advised Dizon to prioritize the budget of the DOTr, noting that the agency has a lot of big ticket projects.

‘Alam naman niya yung implementing stage galing siya doon pero kahit anong implementation, kung walang pondo o kulang ang pondo, maaantala at maantala ang malaking proyekto,’ Lopez said in the same press conference.

(He already knows the implementing stage because he already experienced that but regardless of the implementation, if there is no fund, there will be a delay in implementing big projects.)

Further, Dizon said that the concerns on road safety and the woes of the commuting public must be addressed already.

‘Talagang ipaglalaban namin yung mga kailangang gawin para padaliin yung buhay ng mga commuter, pedestrian, vulnerable sector, PWD [persons with disabilities] na nagcocommute din, naglalakad din, sumasakay ng MRT [metro rail transit], jeep, bus,’ Dizon stressed.

(We will push for what needs to be done to improve the lives of commuters, pedestrians, the vulnerable sector, and the PWD who use public transportation everyday.

Four men were arrested for allegedly engaging in the unauthorized transfer and trading of petroleum products during an anti-illegal fuel operation in the Batangas town of Bauan on Tuesday (Oct. 27), police said.

The operation stemmed from a tip received by the Batangas Police Provincial Office (BPPO) Intelligence Unit regarding the illicit operation in Barangay Sta. Maria.

The Batangas police, personnel from the Batangas Maritime Police Station, and police from Bauan subsequently conducted an entrapment and buy-bust operation.

Police said the suspects were caught siphoning diesel fuel from a motorized wooden outrigger boat into a white Mitsubishi L200 FB van after a transaction was completed and a pre-arranged signal was given.

The four men failed to present documents authorizing the transfer and handling of the petroleum products, including the required permits, delivery receipts, and sales invoices, authorities said.

Seized during the operation were the motorized boat, the van, several plastic containers, an intermediate bulk container filled with diesel fuel, siphoning equipment, and other tools.

The confiscated petroleum products, van, and boat were valued at approximately P1.275 million.

The suspects were taken into police custody and are facing appropriate criminal charges.

Robinsons Malls reduced its reliance on grid electricity through energy efficiency and conservation efforts, avoiding about 5.8 million kilowatt-hours in grid power imports from April to June 2026.

The commercial centers division of Robinsons Land Corp. (RLC) said the volume was equivalent to the average monthly electricity consumption of around 29,000 Filipino households.

Additionally, the initiatives earned Robinsons Malls recognition as an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Champion at the inaugural Philippine Energy Awards on Oct. 7.

Presented by the Department of Energy (DOE), the award recognizes voluntary energy conservation efforts that go beyond regulatory compliance and support Republic Act No. 11285, or the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act.

‘This recognition from the Department of Energy affirms our commitment to continuously improve how we manage our resources and operate our malls,’ said Maria Kristina Real-Lim, Robinsons Malls deputy business unit general manager.

Likewise, Real-Lim said the company incorporated energy efficiency into building design and operations through energy-saving technologies and participation in government conservation programs.

Meanwhile, these measures seek to reduce energy use while maintaining shoppers’ comfort, safety, and convenience, she added.

The DOE officially rolled out the O.N.E. (Oras Natin sa Efficiency) campaign at Robinsons Galleria in May.

Under the program, Robinsons Malls branches nationwide switch off nonessential lighting every Monday from 8 to 9 p.m. to help lower electricity demand.

For their part, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin and Undersecretary Felix William Fuentebella presented the award to RLC corporate energy head Lucky Jay Damaso during a ceremony held alongside two Asean energy industry gatherings.

Former National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos has filed a cyberlibel complaint before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) against Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela and Philippine Military Academy Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael Logico, NBI director Melvin Matibag confirmed.

Matibag confirmed the development when asked about Carlos’ earlier remark that she wanted to file a cyberlibel complaint against Tarriela and Logico following their supposed social media posts against her.

‘She actually filed a complaint na cyberlibel [against] different personalities,’ Matibag said. ‘We also entertained her.’

Carlos arrived at the NBI last Friday to file the complaint.

Matibag said the bureau will send a letter to Tarriela, Logico, and other individuals named in the complaint to get their side of the story.

‘Actually, yun naman yung discussion namin kay Professor Carlos that we will inform them of the complaint so that they can respond properly also,’ he said.

(Actually, that’s what we discussed with Professor Carlos, that we inform them of the complaint so they can respond properly.)

Matibag did not detail when the bureau would send the letter to the officials.

Responding to Carlos’ move, Tarriela said in a statement that he had not yet received any summons from the NBI and had not seen the basis of the complaint.

‘Once I receive the formal notice, I will respond through the proper legal process,’ said Tarriela.

‘What I can say is that the public has been fully aware of what former Professor Clarita Carlos has said and posted on social media recently. I will leave it to our countrymen to judge for themselves,’ added Tarriela.

Tarriela earlier issued a statement questioning why Carlos supposedly appeared angrier at him than at China, when the former national security adviser called him a ‘troublemaker’ as she defended Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s controversial remarks about Beijing’s military advantage over the Philippines.

‘Tinuruan ako ng aking mga magulang na huwag magsalita nang masama laban sa matatanda. Pero since nagmumura na si lola, let me respond… Your statements proved only one thing: kung bakit you were not able to at least be the National Security Adviser kahit one year man lang. Imagine mas galit pa kayo sa akin kaysa sa China,’ Tarriela earlier said.

(My parents taught me not to speak ill of elders. But since grandma is swearing, let me respond… Your statements proved only one thing: why you were not able to at least be the National Security Adviser for even one year. Imagine you are even more angry with me than China.)

Meanwhile, Logico recently wrote on social media, ‘Now I remember why I walked out of her class during MNSA (Master in National Security Administration.)’

The public exchange comes amid heightened tensions between Manila and Beijing following Ambassador Jing’s recent remark that China could easily prevail if it chose to use force against the Philippines.

Last Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs summoned Jing to convey the Philippines’ strong objection to his statement, which it described as ‘provocative’ and ‘unacceptable.’