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Sen. Jinggoy Estrada has filed a petition for bail in his plunder case before the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division, days after it denied the senator’s motion to post bail.

In a seven-page petition received by the Fifth Division on Wednesday but was only furnished to the media on Thursday, Estrada said he is entitled to bail on the ground that the evidence of his guilt is not strong.

‘Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada respectfully prays that the Honorable Court immediately admit him to bail in such amount as the Honorable Court may fix and order his release upon posting of the bail,’ the petition stated.

Estrada’s previous motion to post bail seeks to have the court set the amount of bail he may post for his temporary liberty.

However, the Fifth Division noted that it was still premature to fix the bail of Estrada.

Before bail may be granted, the court said it must first determine whether the evidence of guilt is strong, which could only be done during a hearing once Estrada camp files a petition for bail.

‘There will be bail hearings for the reception of evidence,’ the senator’s lawyer Laurence Arroyo told Inquirer in a text message. ‘The burden is on the prosecution to establish that evidence of guilt is not strong.

Estrada is facing a non-bailable plunder case and two counts of graft in the anti-graft court stemming from alleged ‘intricate mechanism involving illegal budgetary insertions and project allocations’ within the Department of Public Works and Highways’ infrastructure portfolio for fiscal year 2025 worth P573.7 million, according to prosecutors.

‘There is no strong evidence that during the period of July of 2024 to March of 2025, accused Estrada, directly or indirectly, through a combination or series of overt or criminal acts, amassed, accumulated or acquired ill-gotten wealth or unjustly enriched himself in the amount of P573,750,000, or any amount for that matter,’ the petition stated.

The petition also said there is no strong evidence that accused Estrada and former Department of Public Works and Highways chief Manuel Bonoan ‘willfully and unlawfully facilitated, or otherwise caused, any DPWH infrastructure or flood control project to be included or inserted’ in the National Expenditure Program, the House General Appropriations Bill, the Bicameral Conference Committee Report and/or the General Appropriations Act, for fiscal year 2025.

State prosecutors have filed a motion to amend the case information to drop Bonoan from the plunder case.

They filed this motion after Bonoan agreed to become a state witness to testify against several personalities implicated in the flood control scandal.

Bonoan has been under hospital arrest in the Philippine National Police General Hospital while Estrada has been detained since June 1.

Alex Eala ousted defending champion Leylah Fernandez with an impressive 6-2, 7-6 (1) victory to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, D.C.

Showcasing grit once again, Eala rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the second set before overwhelming Fernandez in the tiebreak to level their head-to-head series at one win apiece.

‘I think I definitely had some tough moments in that match, and credit to Leylah, she put me in some really tough positions,’ Eala, who previously lost to Fernandez in the Stuttgart Open in April, said. ‘So, I think I’m super proud of how I fought and how I stayed in there.’

On the verge of playing another three-setter, Eala responded by winning five straight games to take a 6-5 lead, but Fernandez held serve to force a tiebreak.

The Filipino tennis star wasted no time in the tiebreak, building a 3-0 advantage before Fernandez got on the board. Eala then won four straight points to close out the match in one hour and 53 minutes.

Eala will face the winner between Polina Kudermetova and Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.

The world No. 28 came out firing in the first set with a 3-0 lead, opening the match with a love hold to set the tone. She traded holds with Fernandez before sealing the set with her second break.

But Eala admittedly struggled in the second after Fernandez, currently ranked No. 34 with a career-high No. 13, found her rhythm and reeled off five straight games to move within a game of forcing a decider.

That was when Eala regained her composure-reminiscent of her Round of 32 win over Zheng Qinwen, when she rallied from a set down-and retook control of the match.

‘I know that she was playing a little better, and maybe my level dropped a little bit. I think those are very tricky moments when you know your level has dropped, and you want to do better, but things just, for one reason or another, aren’t coming out,’ Eala, who beat Zheng 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, said.

‘I think patience was key there, and just trying to work it out, and have a strong mentality in terms of trying to find solutions.’

Eala eyes another semifinal appearance this year in her first tournament of the North American swing as part of her buildup to the US Open.

Who’s the ‘impakta?’

What began as an unfinished acronym in a social media video ended with Palace press officer Claire Castro returning a veiled insult to Sen. Imee Marcos.

On Tuesday, Marcos posted a video reel in which she claimed the International Criminal Court (ICC) was in trouble after the United States launched a campaign to dismantle the international tribunal based in The Hague, the Netherlands.

The video also suggested there was another ‘ICC’ inside Malacañang, referring to ‘Impaktang Clai.’ However, the video ended before the full meaning of ‘ICC’ could be revealed.

‘If they’re the ones who used that word, then they know what it means. They know what the word ‘impakta’ describes,’ Castro said. ‘After all, it takes one to know one.’

Impakta in Filipino folklore refers to a bad spirit or demon. But the word may also be used to describe someone with a scary or ugly appearance.

Ad hominem

Castro suggested that the ad hominem attacks against her stemmed from her repeated efforts to counter the fake news allegedly being spread by Marcos and her supporters.

For the Palace official, the people who ‘truly embody’ the definition of impakta are those who made the video and appear in it.

‘And they shouldn’t worry-the crown belongs to them, to Senator Imee and her group. I have no intention of taking it away from them,’ Castro said.

‘I am not even close to Senator Imee when it comes to that kind of description. They are already at the maximum level,’ she added.

The exchange marks the latest public clash between the Palace and the President’s sister, whose criticisms of his administration have become increasingly pointed amid political tensions.

Allies of former President Rodrigo Duterte, including Senator Marcos, have expressed their support for the US government’s campaign to pressure other nations ‘to withdraw from the ICC and cut off any financial support to the court.’

The Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute that created the ICC in 2019 during the term of then President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the international tribunal from investigating his war on drugs. The withdrawal took effect a year later.

In March 2025, Duterte was arrested by Philippine authorities and turned over to the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity. His trial will begin in November.

The ICC has also issued a warrant of arrest against Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, for being a coperpetrator in the drug war as the former Philippine National Police.

A week more to go before the inaugural staging of the Reina Filipinas Grand Coronation Night, and the new national pageant has already announced big names that will be gracing the event.

‘Unang Hirit’ host and beauty queen Joy Barcoma and Mr. World Philippines contestant Sean Kyle Ortega will host the ceremony, with Cebuana MGI All Stars alumnae and fan-favorite queens Gazini Ganados and Fuschia Anne Ravena as backstage hosts.

The Reina Filipinas Grand Coronation Night, the final competition for the first-ever edition of the new national pageant, will be held at the Newport Performing Arts Theater of Newport World Resorts in Pasay City on Aug. 7.

MGI All Stars second runner-up and former Miss International Queen winner Nguyen Huong Giang will fly in from Vietnam to attend the event as one of the judges.

Three more members of the panel of judges have been revealed, including world-renowned Dubai-based Filipino fashion designer Michael Cinco.

Reina Filipinas was established earlier this year as the new national competition that will choose the Philippines’ representative to the Miss Grand International pageant. Reigning Miss Grand International Emma Tiglao is the organization’s national director with Jojo Bragais as president and Miss Grand International founder Nawat Itsaragrisil as executive partner.

The winner will represent the Philippines at the 2026 Miss Grand International pageant in India in October. Two more winners will be sent to the second edition of MGI All Stars that will be held in Thailand in December.

Twenty-one candidates from across the Philippines are competing in the inaugural edition of the national pageant, including international veterans Alexie Mae Brooks, Angelica Lopez, Anne Patricia Lorenzo Diaz, and Scarlett Anne De Mesa.

Fans may help their favorite candidates earn spots in the semifinal and finals rounds of the competition through votes and purchases. Public voting mechanics, as well as details on where to secure tickets to the finale, are found on the Reina Filipinas social media pages.

The Pasig City Regional Trial Court Branch 152 on Thursday issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the implementation of the P85 minimum wage increase in Metro Manila until Aug. 13 following a petition filed by two construction companies.

Readycon Trading and Construction Corp. and R-II Builders Inc. have filed a petition to briefly halt the wage increase amid questions whether the employers’ capacity to pay were properly considered.

Based on a copy of their petition dated July 23 that was obtained by the Inquirer, representatives of Readycon and R-II Builders asked the court for a declaratory relief, or to issue a statement defining their rights and obligations under NCR Wage Order No. 27.

The wage order mandated the P85 minimum wage increase for workers in Metro Manila to be given in two tranches.

The first tranche, amounting to P60, became effective last July 25 while the second is scheduled to start on January 20, 2027.

While its petition remains pending, Readycon and R-II urged the court to issue a 72-hour temporary restraining order (TRO) or status quo ante order to suspend the implementation of the wage increase.

The court granted their request for a TRO, with the two companies ordered to post a bond worth P1 million as ‘reasonable security for damages’ should their petition for relief be eventually denied.

The hearing for the companies’ prayer for a writ of preliminary injunction has been set on Aug. 3, according to the court’s order.

In their petition to suspend the wage order, the companies argued that the increase issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) in NCR ‘was fixed without due regard to the standards required by Article 124 of the Labor Code.’

The provision details the relevant factors that must be considered in the determination of regional minimum wages, which includes the ‘fair return of the capital invested and capacity to pay of employers.’

The companies alleged that the recent wage increase was determined ‘without adequate regard to compounding economic conditions,’ such as the substantial increases in fuel prices caused by the Middle East conflict, which has led to higher transportation, logistics and production costs.

Because of current economic conditions, both companies said it has suffered from various challenges such as ‘measurable operating losses,’ ‘diminished margins,’ ‘elevated input costs,’ ‘subdued consumer demand’ and ‘tightened credit conditions.’

The wage increase will further heighten the expenses of the two companies, with Readycon noting that 23.59 percent of its labor force are minimum wage earners.

Readycon added that its labor costs have already been steadily increasing prior to the wage increase, saying it had spent P96.5 million on employee salaries in 2025 which was higher than the P90.26 million it spent in 2024.

The companies also argued that the P85 wage increase, which was the highest daily increase afforded to workers in Metro Manila, ‘departs sharply from two decades of regulatory practice’ where salary adjustments generally ranged around P10 to P25.

‘This petition presents a question of legal construction rather than one of economic policy,’ the companies said.

‘The question is whether Article 124 of the Labor Code, properly construed, permits the implementation of NCR Wage Order No. 27 under the circumstances alleged herein.’

In response to the TRO, Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said he is ‘saddened’ by the decision of the court but said that the agency fully respects the judicial process.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has signed an executive order establishing the Electric Vehicle Incentive Strategy (Evis) program, a P60-billion package of fiscal incentives aimed at accelerating the local manufacture of electric vehicles (EVs), attracting investments, and positioning the Philippines as a regional automotive manufacturing hub.

Executive Order No. 121, signed on July 29 but was only published on the Official Gazette website on Thursday, carries a P60-billion budget for up to four manufacturers, each eligible for incentives of P15 billion.

‘The program seeks to create more jobs, attract new investments, strengthen local manufacturing, reduce the country’s dependence on imported oil, and position the Philippines as a key player in the global electric vehicle supply chain,’ Palace press officer Claire Castro said in a briefing on Thursday.

The Evis program is currently the country’s largest incentive package for vehicle manufacturing, surpassing the P27-billion Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy (Cars) program launched in 2015 to support local internal combustion engine (ICE) production.

Qualified participants are entitled to Fixed Investment Support (FIS) and Production Volume Incentive (PVI) for 10 years from the date of registration of the enrolled EV models or their parts and components.

The FIS subsidizes a portion of a company’s capital investments in EV manufacturing.

Under the EO, manufacturers of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and their parts and components may receive fiscal support equivalent to 40 percent of eligible capital expenditures, while manufacturers of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell electric vehicles may receive 30 percent.

Eligible costs include tooling, equipment, research and development, engineering modifications, start-up expenses and worker training, excluding land acquisition.

Meanwhile, under the PVI, registered manufacturers may receive incentives of up to 12 percent of the ex-factory price, capped at ?200,000 per locally manufactured vehicle.

The incentive is available for domestically assembled passenger and commercial EVs.

Rather than cash subsidies, qualified participants will receive non-transferable Tax Payment Certificates (TPCs) that can be used to settle income tax, value-added tax, excise tax and import duty obligations to the national government.

The Department of Trade and Industry’s Board of Investments (BOI), Department of Finance, Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs have been tasked to establish a digital system for issuing and redeeming the TPCs.

To qualify for the investment support, companies must commit at least P5 billion in new investments for EV manufacturing or assembly and introduce their enrolled EV models to the domestic or export market within three years of registration.

Manufacturers seeking the production incentive must produce complete EV units, manufacture mandatory parts and components, and commit to a minimum production capacity of 10,000 units.

The BOI will lead the implementation of the Evis Program and oversee the evaluation of applicants through a newly created Inter-Agency Committee on Electric Vehicle Industry Development, which shall be composed of representatives from the Department of Finance, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation, and Department of Budget and Management.

The EO also bars companies from claiming incentives for the same activity under other government incentive programs and provides for the suspension, refund or forfeiture of incentives if participants fail to meet investment and production commitments.

The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of the Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park (MGGNP) has unanimously approved a resolution expressing ‘grave concern’ over the Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) of Altai Philippines Mining Corporation (APMC) and other mining applications and tenements on Sibuyan Island.

The park body joins a strong public pushback against government approval of mining activities at this critical biodiversity area.

The PAMB said the resolution reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the ecological integrity of Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park and preserving the natural heritage of Sibuyan Island, which has been at the center of growing opposition to mining activities, particularly the operations of APMC, which holds MPSA No. 304-2009-IVB covering about 1,580 hectares in San Fernando town.

The PAMB resolution was approved during the board’s third-quarter en banc meeting on Wednesday (July 29), at the Cajidiocan National High School in Romblon’s Cajidiocan town at Sibuyan Island, according to the municipality’s Public Information Office.

The meeting was attended by Cajidiocan Mayor Marvin Ramos, Magdiwang Mayor Noel Joseph Machon, San Fernando Mayor Fernando Marin, members of the PAMB, officials of the Protected Area Management Office (PAMO), and representatives of partner government agencies.

The board also approved measures authorizing the collection of fees for certifications and clearances issued by the PAMB and allocating a 500-square-meter portion of the Protected Area Management Office compound for the proposed construction of a tourist rest area and a mini-museum for the Mt. Guiting-Guiting Natural Park.

Protected Area Superintendent Joybert Mijares also presented updates on the implementation of conservation programs, the financial status of the Integrated Protected Area Fund from January to June 2026, and reports on illegal forest activities in the 17 barangays covered by the protected area.

Several enforcement operations were staged against illegal logging and the transport of unlawfully cut timber and other forest products in the municipalities of Cajidiocan, Magdiwang, and San Fernando, she said

Damian Chong Qui would rather be thankful than dwell on the struggles of the Macau Giant Pandas in their guest participation in the PBA.

But in recent days, Chong Qui and the Giant Pandas have found ways to spring up positive results amid their difficulties as they pulled off another comeback win in the Governors’ Cup.

‘I’m blessed to be able to wake up every day to play in the Philippines in the PBA or anywhere in the world,’ Chong Qui said after scoring 29 points in Macau’s 96-92 victory over Terrafirma at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on a rainy Wednesday night. ‘So if I still got breath in my lungs, I’m going to play.’

Chong Qui, listed at 5-foot-8, has been one of Macau’s fixtures since it made its PBA debut last conference, being one of the visiting side’s best players.

But even with his presence, Macau could only register three wins in 12 games during the Commissioner’s Cup, and the early phase of the Governors’ Cup has also not been kind to them.

A 132-126 victory over Titan Ultra in Antipolo over the weekend, when they rallied from a double-digit deficit, ended the Giant Pandas’ 0-4 start, before prevailing in similar fashion against Terrafirma.

Dyip fall short again

Macau fell behind by 15, but Chong Qui, import De’Vondre Perry, Jenning Leung and Kobey Lam conspired to pull off another rally, as Terrafirma came up short again.

Both Macau and Terrafirma are now tied at 2-4, good for a share of fifth place in Group A entering the second round where teams will again meet the same teams within their group.

‘It just shows that we got heart and that we are out there competing every night,’ Chong Qui said despite playing through what coach Marcus Elliott described as a thigh contusion.

‘And it shows that we got what it takes to compete in this league,’ he went on. ‘So it’s just big for us for the momentum going into the next game.’

Final touches

Terrafirma could only lament another last-second mishap, failing to build on its 111-106 overtime upset of TNT last Saturday. The Dyip looked like it was coasting towards victory after going ahead 37-22 in the second.

Despite blowing that margin, the Dyip got their chance to make up for it when import Justin Strings scored to make it 92-90 before things went downhill for them.

Perry, who, like Strings had 34 points, converted a tying basket with under a minute to go. Then Terrafirma’s Maverick Ahanmisi committed a costly turnover, with Leung throwing an outlet to Lam for a layup that made it 94-92 for Macau.

Chong Qui then hit two charities to extend the gap for what was the final tally, as Juami Tiongson missed a four-pointer to tie.

The Philippine Economic Zone Authority (Peza) on Thursday said allowing new information technology (IT) parks and centers in Metro Manila would not divert investments from the provinces but could instead drive their expansion.

‘Many global companies first establish themselves where there is already a deep talent pool, mature infrastructure, and an established business ecosystem,’ Peza Director General Tereso Panga said. ‘As they grow, we have the opportunity to bring their succeeding sites to other parts of the country.’

The statement came after President Marcos approved Administrative Order No. 45, lifting a seven-year Duterte-era moratorium and allowing new IT parks to locate in Metro Manila anew.

Peza said IT-business process management (IT-BPM) firms entering Metro Manila could later expand to Central Luzon, Calabarzon and other emerging hubs, particularly within the Luzon Economic Corridor.

‘AO 45 is a major boost to the Philippines’ IT-BPM investment proposition,’ the agency said. ‘By bringing more investment-ready locations into the Peza ecosystem, we are giving global companies more options to enter and scale their operations in the Philippines.’

Metro Manila hosts 178 IT parks and centers with 1,072 locator firms employing about 740,000 workers.

New growth centers

Peza said the policy could attract investments to Manila, Navotas and Valenzuela. It also cited Colliers Philippines’ projection that Quezon City, the Bay Area and Mandaluyong would benefit.

Five projects have applied for Peza accreditation: Ayala Land’s Arca South 1, Aseana Holdings’ Parqal, San Lorenzo Ruiz’s Yuchengco Center, MJ Landtrade’s Altaire, and Triumvariate’s One Trium Tower.

Peza clarified that incentives will go to IT-BPM firms operating in accredited IT parks, not the developers.

‘We encourage developers-from established CBDs to emerging locations-to bring qualified IT Park and IT Center projects to Peza. We will, in turn, actively market these locations to investors,’ Panga said.

Separately, Finance Secretary Frederick Go, who endorsed the policy with Trade Secretary Cristina Roque, said it would support high-value economic activity in Metro Manila.

‘In pursuit of investments that generate the greatest economic value, the government will continue to direct fiscal incentives toward priority industries and activities,’ Go said.

Accessing agriculture credit is very difficult because we must fill a gap in our current agriculture lending system. It must be corrected by creating a special purpose vehicle that is attuned to the unique needs of our farmers, fisherfolk and agriculture stakeholders.

This is one of the three main recommendations that the Agri-Fisheries Alliance (AFA) is currently discussing with senior government officials.

AFA is composed of three major agriculture sectors: Alyansa Agrikultura for farmers and fisherfolk, Philippine Chamber of Agriculture and Food, Inc. for agribusiness and Coalition for Agriculture Modernization in the Philippines for science and academe.

Three recommendations

The three recommendations are:

Credit: Make credit more accessible to our agriculture stakeholders to increase food production;

Tariffs: Adjust the too-low tariffs in the appropriate sectors (such as rice and pork) to protect our livelihoods and food security; and

Smuggling: Support the groundbreaking private sector initiatives of Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno in data access and physical import inspection to reduce smuggling.

We will focus here on the first recommendation on improving agriculture credit access. The main finding is that agriculture loans from government sources follow a system that prioritizes profit over development. This is ‘Camels,’ a rating system from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas used on individual banks. It has six components: capital adequacy, asset quality, management, earnings, liquidity and sensitivity to market niches.

This is a good system for overall evaluation. But when applied to agriculture loans with their inherent risk, many important developmental loans following this system may not be granted.

Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) and Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) are subjected to the Camels rating system. But these banks are primarily development banks. For certain agriculture loans, they need a different set of criteria. Since the agriculture funds from government are pooled with the other loans and undergo the same Camels system, many agriculture loans with a certain risk factor are not given.

Government bank

Consider LBP. According to the 2024 Commission on Audit report, its total loan portfolio was P1.5 trillion. Another P1.3 trillion was allocated to low-risk government securities. Largely because of the Camels system, which discourages risky loans, only P267 billion (or 18 percent) out of P1.5-trillion loans went to agriculture.

From a larger perspective that includes government securities, agriculture got only a 10-percent share. For DBP, out of its P916.1-billion loan portfolio, only P19.3 billion (or 20 percent) went to agriculture.

We must realize that LBP and DBP must provide a good return to their investors.

Thankfully, there is a win-win solution. For the commercial side of their business, LBP and DBP should continue to use the Camels system.

But for funds coming from government sources, we should create a special purpose vehicle, such as a trust fund or some other form. This will have criteria different from Camels. These criteria must still ensure responsibility, but have more flexibility and emphasis on development, and therefore must allow greater risk. It will still be guided by LBP and DBP, but will not be subjected to the Camels system. This vehicle will be considered a separate entity from the main bank, but still under its guidance.

We must realize that the problem is not just credit accessibility, but the quality of borrowers, so that the funds are not wasted on unpaid loans. The new system must provide flexibility to support farmers and fisherfolk organization, education, capacity building, clustering and consolidation. Projects with economies of scale in mind should be advocated, such as shared processing facilities, storage, cold chain and even basic infrastructure.

Listing of funds

Here is a partial listing of funds sourced from government that should go to this special purpose vehicle:

P3 billion from the Rice Comprehensive Economic Partnership

P3 billion from the coco levy fund;

P3 billion from the soon-to-be-released Livestock Fund; and

penalties collected from bank noncompliance to the 25-percent required share for agriculture lending.

In addition, the Agriculture Guarantee Fund Pool should be returned to the Department of Agriculture for better fund utilization and management. This is especially important because only P1.7 billion out of the potential P45 billion (or 4 percent) in guarantee potential has been availed of.

It is time to improve our agriculture lending system so that our farmers and produce can produce more, not only for our food security, but also for their increased incomes and our increased agriculture development.

The author is Agriwatch chair, former secretary of presidential flagship programs and projects and former undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry. Contact is agriwatch_phil@yahoo.com