Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

Violeta Constantino, a former branch manager of the Land Bank of the Philippines, testifies on the 10th day of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial that a withdrawal of P500 million from the Office of the Vice President was put in three to four gym bags

A’ja Wilson finished with 28 points and 14 rebounds and the Las Vegas Aces breezed to a 98-83 victory over the Portland Fire in the WNBA on Tuesday night.

Wilson hit 7 of 10 shots from the floor and 13 of 14 foul shots. The four-time league MVP scored 32 points twice to lead the Aces (19-8) to a pair of road wins over the expansion Fire earlier this season.

Jackie Young scored 25 points on 9-for-14 shooting to help Las Vegas shoot 58% from the floor. Chelsea Gray totaled 17 points and Jewell Loyd added 11 off the bench.

Megan DiLeo topped Portland (11-17) with 20 points and reserve Frieda Buhner scored 16.

Wilson had 10 points and five rebounds in the first quarter and Las Vegas took a comfortable 36-21 lead into the second.

DiLeo had a three-point play to finish off a 12-3 run to start the second period and the Fire closed within 39-33. Gray and Young had the final two baskets in a 14-4 spurt to close out the half and the Aces led 53-37.

Portland never got closer than six in the third quarter and trailed by double digits throughout the fourth.

Malacañang has warned the public and local government officials against individuals and groups falsely claiming to be authorized representatives involved in the disbursement of the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) and the Socio-Civic Projects Fund (SCPF).

In an advisory issued Wednesday, the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) said it had received reports of scammers spreading false information and carrying out fraudulent activities while falsely claiming to represent the programs.

Among the reported schemes was the illegal collection of money in exchange for the supposed processing or release of funds.

The fake personnel were also reported to be organizing meetings or gatherings, making false promises of appointments, impersonating program officials or authorized representatives, and using the programs’ official logos and emblems without authorization.

The OES clarified that reports circulating about a supposed meeting of barangay captains in Albay province, along with fake documents related to the gathering, were among the reported scam incidents.

‘There is no official meeting that has been called in connection with this matter,’ it said, urging the public to disregard such false announcements and remain cautious of similar schemes.

The OES also warned against the illegal collection of personal information and other deceptive activities intended to mislead the public and undermine the integrity of its operations.

It urged the public and all local government officials to remain vigilant and verify information only through their respective local chief executives (mayors or governors) or the OES’ official and authorized channels.

The OES said it would pursue appropriate legal action against individuals found to be involved in the fraudulent activities.

The Marcos administration has expanded the national government’s support for all local government units in the country through its ‘Bawat Bayan Makikinabang’ initiative, funded by the P57.872-billion LGSF this year.

The Office of the President also provides financial assistance to LGUs through its SCPF

The Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) flagged nine individuals and groups allegedly linked to online efforts to disrupt President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (Sona), officials said Wednesday.

CICC Undersecretary Aboy Paraiso said the agency placed its cyber monitoring operations on 24/7 status from Friday night until after the Sona, on Monday, deploying its monitoring and detection tools to identify credible threats against the annual address.

According to Paraiso, some of the flagged individuals and groups allegedly sought to encourage the public to gather and create disturbances during the Sona.

‘We have flagged nine individuals and groups… whose goal was to cause disruption and encourage our fellow citizens to engage in dissent or hold gatherings to disrupt the Sona,’ he said in Filipino in an interview with Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon.

Paraiso said the CICC immediately coordinated with law enforcement agencies after taking down the flagged online content.

‘We quickly took this down, and not only that, we preserved the data and passed it on to law enforcement agencies,’ he added.

He credited the coordination among government agencies for helping prevent possible disruptions during the President’s address.

Paraiso clarified that the CICC’s monitoring focused only on credible threats backed by actionable intelligence, and not on ordinary criticism or expressions of opinion online.

‘We are not just monitoring simple threats, but credible threats and actionable intel,’ he stated.

He also warned that individuals found to have violated the law could face charges under the Cybercrime Prevention Act and other criminal statutes, including those involving computer fraud, identity theft, inciting to rebellion or sedition, grave threats, and attacks on critical infrastructure when committed through information and communications technology.

Paraiso noted that offenses committed using information and communications technology may carry penalties one degree higher than those committed through conventional means.

He also reminded the public that while the government respects freedom of expression, such right does not extend to acts that violate existing laws.

We respect that, especially in the CISS and DICD but for example, if you exceed your rights and violate a provision of the law, there will be a corresponding punishment,’ Paraiso said in Filipino

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) filed three criminal cases for tax evasion before the Department of Justice (DOJ) on July 23, involving a total estimated tax liability of more than P416 million, according to a statement on Wednesday.

The BIR filed the cases under its Run After Tax Evaders (Rate) Program against the following for violations of the National Internal Revenue Code:

Zun Yuan Technology Inc., a Philippine offshore gaming operator (POGO)-linked company, and its officers

AEP Construction and its officers

Two VAT-registered real estate sellers

Zun Yuan case

Zun Yuan Technology is accused of willful failure to pay taxes and willful failure to supply correct and accurate information in tax returns in a case that involves an estimated total tax liability of P402.74 million.

The BIR’s investigation found that while the company reported revenues from its Pogo operations, it failed to declare substantial taxable income from offshore gaming activities, resulting in significant deficiencies in income tax, value-added tax, and withholding taxes.

AEP Construction

AEP Construction and its officers are accused of a willful attempt to evade or defeat tax, willful failure to pay taxes, and willful failure to supply correct and accurate information in tax returns in a case that involves an estimated total tax liability of P6.02 million.

The BIR’s investigation found that the company substantially underdeclared its taxable income, resulting in deficiencies in income tax and value-added tax.

Real estate sellers’ case

The third case involves two VAT-registered real estate sellers who are accused of willful failure to pay taxes and willful failure to supply correct and accurate information in their tax returns in a case that involves an estimated total tax liability of P7.31 million.

The BIR’s investigation found that the sellers, who were not identified, treated the transactions as subject to capital gains tax despite being VAT-registered and engaged in the sale of real properties in the ordinary course of business. This resulted in deficiencies in income tax and value-added tax.

Continuing pursuit of tax evaders

BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza emphasized that the BIR would continue to pursue tax evaders, regardless of the industry or scheme involved.

‘Whether the violation involves underdeclared income, false tax filings, or misrepresentation of transactions, the bureau will pursue every case supported by evidence. Honest taxpayers deserve a system that is fair, and that means holding accountable those who deliberately evade paying the correct taxes,’ Mendoza said.

From January to June 2026, the BIR filed 269 criminal complaints nationwide under the Rate Program.

These three new complaints, together with other cases filed by the revenue regions in July, will add to the BIR’s nationwide enforcement record once the figures for the month are consolidated.

The BIR Rate Program remains one of its principal enforcement initiatives against tax evasion.

Through the filing and prosecution of criminal cases against willful tax offenders, the BIR seeks to protect compliant taxpayers, uphold fairness in the tax system, and ensure that those who deliberately evade their obligations are held accountable.

The President’s fifth State of the Nation Address (Sona) has reaffirmed the crucial role played by the agricultural sector in his administration’s agenda, Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. said in a statement on Tuesday.

According to Tiu Laurel, the Sona not only highlighted government’s efforts to strengthen food security but also its moves to boost the incomes of millions of farmers and fisherfolk nationwide.

Better markets

‘The President made it clear that agriculture is not just about producing food-it is about creating opportunities for our farmers and fisherfolk to earn more and live better,’ the Department of Agriculture (DA) chief said.

‘I was particularly encouraged that he highlighted our push to expand agricultural exports because better markets mean better incomes for producers,’ he added.

President Marcos said in his Sona on Monday that the country has maintained export competitiveness for indigenous farm products, including ube (purple yam), coconut, bananas and other tropical fruits, while venturing into enoki mushrooms and other viable commodities.

He also reported on several milestones in the farm sector, such as the expansion of ‘Kadiwa ng Pangulo’ outlets to over 800 sites nationwide and increased availability of the P20-per-kilogram rice program, which has benefited more than 12 million Filipinos

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Wednesday said a total of P841 million in cash has been recovered and remitted to the Bureau of Treasury (BTr) since the start of the restitution in the flood control scandal last year.

Latest data provided by DOJ spokesperson Polo Martinez showed that the total money returned to the government through the Land Bank of the Philippines as of June 3 came from four individuals accepted into the department’s Witness Protection Program (WPP).

The biggest chunk came from dismissed Department of Public Works (DPWH) undersecretary Roberto Bernardo, who gave back a total of P500 million. He was followed by former Bulacan district engineer Henry Alcantara, who returned P181.4 million; suspended National Capital Region District Engineer Gerard Opulencia, P140 million; and SYMS Construction Trading owner Sally Santos, P20 million.

The DOJ received the first round of restitution in November after Alcantara handed over P110 million, which was part of the P300 million he claimed he got as kickbacks from infrastructure projects in Bulacan province.

In his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vowed that all of the money to be recovered from those linked to the flood control project anomalies would immediately be remitted to the BTr.

Marcos said he leaves it up to the Office of the Ombudsman and the National Prosecution Service (NPS) of the DOJ to lead in the recovery of stolen money and assets.

For its part, the DOJ said that it would closely coordinate with the Office of the Ombudsman and thanked the President for its confidence in the NPS.

‘The President’s message was plain: what is recovered belongs to the Filipino people, and those who betrayed the public trust must answer before the courts,’ it said in a statement to reporters. ‘Where the law places a case in our hands, we will build it to the standards that stand in court. That is what the rule of law requires, and what the Filipino people deserve

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro on Wednesday said the Philippines cannot rely solely on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) to safeguard its national security, stressing the need to strengthen the country’s defense partnerships and alliances.

Speaking during a roundtable discussion with the Inquirer, Teodoro said military modernization goes beyond acquiring equipment and also involves enhancing interoperability with allies as part of a broader deterrence strategy.

Despite objections by environmental groups and an existing provincial ordinance that bans sand mining and dredging along coastlines and municipal waters, Mayor Allan Roldan has maintained that river dredging operations are necessary to address the town’s persistent flooding problems.

Roldan made his assertion during a Wednesday interview on the radio program ‘Hagupit ng Dos por Dos sa Radyo’ over DWXR 101.7 FM in this province.

‘You know very well that our town is always flooded. These politicians who oppose the project have not extended any help to us. We are the ones who truly understand the problems in our town, so they should let us find the solution for it,’ Roldan said.

At the center of the debates is Bird’s Nest Resources Corporation (BNRC), a SEC-registered firm specializing in large-scale river restoration and dredging projects, which is seeking to lift the suspension imposed by the provincial government last year of its Notice to Proceed (NTP) because of the passing of Provincial Ordinance No. 197-2025.

Earlier this year, an executive order was issued reorganizing the Multi-Party Monitoring Team overseeing such activities. Vice-Governor Atty. Antonio Perez Jr., who also presides over the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board), affirmed that Provincial Ordinance No. 197-2025 remains in full effect.

‘In our view, the suspension of BNRC’s NTP is still enforced, and the Provincial Board has not revoked the ordinance. We will issue our official stance once the proposal reaches our office,’ Perez said in a separate interview.

Detained Sens. Rodante Marcoleta and Jinggoy Estrada have yet to submit a formal request to participate in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said on Wednesday.

Gatchalian was asked regarding the participation of the two senators facing plunder charges after they were elected to head a Senate panel each.

‘There is no formal request to the Senate – at least for me there is no formal request yet,’ the Senate president, speaking Filipino, divulged to the media.

Previously, Marcoleta sent a letter to Gatchalian regarding the impeachment trial.

But, Gatchalian clarified that Marcoleta made no ‘explicit’ mention on how he may participate in the impeachment proceedings.

‘Ang kanyang letter is about his opinion on the presiding officer, as well as yung opinion niya dun sa 16 votes,’ Gatchalian shared.

(His letter is about his opinion on the presiding officer, as well as his opinion on the 16 votes.)

The Senate president also explained that Estrada – who is currently suspended – may not participate as his suspension covers not only Estrada’s legislative duties, but also his role as a Senator judge.

Apart from Estrada and Marcoleta, Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ Dela Rosa has also been absent from the impeachment trial as he is hiding from the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court for his alleged involvement in the extrajudicial killings of the drug war.

Still, their colleagues from the Senate minority have expressed that the three are being treated unfairly, and must be given the opportunity to stand in Senate proceedings both as a legislative chamber and as an impeachment court