Asianet Pakistan Private Limited

The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Tuesday said it has not logged any recent travel by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Sen. Chiz Escudero, and businessman Maynard Ngu, who are subject to a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO).

The Sandiganbayan Sixth Division issued a PHDO against Escudero and Ngu on Monday, while the same order was implemented by the Seventh Division of the anti-graft court against Romualdez on April 22.

BI spokesperson Dana Sandoval confirmed that the bureau has already received the PHDOs issued by the anti-graft court for the three personalities.

‘The said order has been immediately implemented and included in the BI’s derogatory record,’ Sandoval said of the PHDOs of Escudero and Ngu in a text message to Inquirer.

Asked if the BI already received the PHDO for Romualdez, Sandoval said: ‘Yes.’

Also asked if Escudero and Ngu have travel history, Sandoval said: ‘No recent travel record.’

Sandoval also said Romualdez also had ‘no recent travel’ when asked about the former House speaker’s travel history.

A PHDO is a written court order directing BI to prevent any attempt by a person suspected of a crime punishable by a minimum penalty of at least six years and one day from leaving the country.

The resolution is based solely on the finding that there is a high likelihood that the respondent will flee the country and does not determine the respondent’s guilt.

Escudero is among those implicated by state witness and former undersecretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways Roberto Bernardo in the flood control anomalies.

The former Senate president has denied the allegations of Bernardo.

‘I vehemently deny the malicious allegations and innuendos made by former DPWH Usec. Roberto Bernardo in today’s Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. By his own admission, he never had any contact with me directly regarding this matter — and I will prove that he is lying about my alleged involvement,’ Escudero said.

Ngu, head CEO of Cosmic Technologies which is behind Cherry Mobile, had also donated P30 million to Escudero’s campaign in 2022.

During the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing in September last year, Bernardo alleged that Ngu once asked him to submit a list of projects for inclusion in the General Appropriations Act and agreed on a 20-percent cut purportedly intended for Escudero.

The state witness also alleged that he personally delivered P160 million and P120 million to Ngu at Ngu’s Manila office.

As for Romualdez, the Office of the Ombudsman said it has made a preliminary finding of probable cause against Romualdez for plunder, direct and indirect bribery, and money laundering.

‘The complaint-affidavit involves the alleged kickback scheme tied to flood control projects, purportedly masterminded by the respondent, with the total amount of such kickbacks reaching approximately [P56 billion],’ the complaint-affidavit for Romualdez stated.

After the PHDO was sought, Romualdez broke his silence and vehemently denied that he is a ‘mastermind’ of the flood control budget mess, while saying he will not be allowed to be turned into a ‘scapegoat.’

Romualdez said in a video address: ‘How can I be the mastermind? I was the former speaker of the House of Representatives. But the House of Representatives is only part of one branch of government: the legislature. The national budget is not conceived, executed, implemented, bid out, supervised, and completed by one congressman or even by Congress alone. And certainly not by the speaker of the House.’

Previously, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said the anti-graft body could possibly file before the anti-graft court in May a plunder case against Escudero and Romualdez.

The Marcos-Duterte alliance was built to win an election, not to govern a country. That is the simplest way to understand the unraveling of UniTeam. In 2022, Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Sara Duterte created the most powerful electoral combination in recent Philippine politics. Mr. Marcos brought northern Luzon, elite rehabilitation, campaign resources, and the promise of restoration. Sara Duterte brought Mindanao, Duterte continuity, populist intensity, and the aura of succession. Together, they solved each other’s political weaknesses. The alliance was brilliant as electoral engineering.

But after victory, the quick, vociferous collapse that followed was not accidental. It was built into the arrangement from the start. Duterte was never going to be an ordinary vice president. She entered office as the presumed 2028 successor of a powerful political brand. Mr. Marcos, meanwhile, had no reason to spend his presidency as a caretaker for another dynasty’s return to Malacañang.

That unresolved succession problem has now become institutional conflict—from whispered tension, Cabinet exits, public denunciation, budget battles, and eventually impeachment proceedings. The advancing impeachment process against the Vice President is the formalization of a festering political divorce.

This is what makes the moment dangerous. Allegations involving confidential funds, statements of assets and liabilities, unexplained transactions, and possible conflicts of interest cannot be dismissed as mere political noise. If public office was abused, the country deserves answers. If public funds were misused, the public deserves accountability. If official declarations do not match financial realities, the Vice President has a duty to explain.

But the impeachment process also carries a political risk for the Marcos camp. If it appears selective, vindictive, or choreographed by rivals seeking to clear the 2028 field, it may not weaken Duterte. It may complete her transformation into a grievance candidate. Social media can be weaponized to conjure an alternative reality.

That is the paradox. The very process meant to disqualify or diminish her could strengthen her if voters conclude that impeachment is less about accountability than about succession management. A damaged Duterte may still be politically potent if she becomes the symbol of resistance to a presidency associated with high prices, corruption controversies, and elite infighting. A black swan event, say, in the ICC detention of former President Rodrigo Duterte, might shoo in the Vice President into the presidency the way Cory did for former President Benigno Aquino III.

This is where Mr. Marcos’ own vulnerability lies. He may hold the institutional advantage: the presidency, the bureaucracy, foreign policy, and much of the legislative coalition. But institutional power does not automatically become public trust. Voters will judge him through rice prices, jobs, electricity bills, corruption, disaster response, and whether daily life becomes easier. If those tests are failed, no amount of congressional arithmetic can produce lasting legitimacy.

Sara Duterte, by contrast, may lack institutional control but retain emotional intensity. Her base is not built on policy detail. It is built on loyalty, grievance, and the idea that the Duterte brand represents strength against hypocritical elites. Impeachment can wound that brand, but it can also feed it.

Was the rift avoidable? In theory, yes. Mr. Marcos and Duterte could have sustained a win-win arrangement if they had built a real power-sharing compact. Mr. Marcos could have protected Duterte’s successor status while she accepted his undisputed leadership until 2028. The House could have avoided turning budget scrutiny into open warfare. The two camps could have negotiated foreign policy differences and accountability boundaries quietly.

But such was impossible sans deep trust. Once the election was won, the transaction had to be renegotiated. Mr. Marcos could not allow a vice president to become an independent and impudent president-in-waiting. Duterte could not allow the House, especially under Marcos allies, to define her before 2028.

By the end of the term, who wins? So far, Mr. Marcos does. He commands institutions. The impeachment machinery moves under a House aligned with his political orbit. But without a viable Marcos bet in 2028, the Vice President may still win if she survives politically, via acquittal, delay, resignation, or public backlash.

But the greater, more tantalizing possibility is that both lose. Impeachment proceedings have a way of forcibly opening the eyes of the public. The people, nauseated, may finally turn to a more promising third force that has learned the lessons of 2022, wrenching away from dynastic inertia. The tragedy of the Marcos-Duterte rupture may well augur another chance for Filipinos at transformative change in a changeless land.

In line with Labor Day, the Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) will offer free rides to workers for a specific period of time on May 1, the train line announced on Tuesday.

In an advisory, MRT-3 said that workers may avail of free rides from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

The train line said that workers only need to present their company I.D. to enjoy their free rides.

The Light Rail Transit 2 will also give free rides to workers within the same period of time on May 1.

Both train lines have been offering a 50% discount on fares to all of its passengers since March 23, 2026.

Just days after their magical runner-up finish in the 2026 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference, the Cignal Super Spikers are taking a leave of absence.

The management announced on Tuesday that Cignal is going on a hiatus after five years in the league, highlighted by three silver medals.

‘This difficult decision was taken after careful review of Cignal’s strategic direction,’ the team wrote. ‘Our deepest thanks go out to the players, coaches, and staff who have poured their hearts into this team over the years. And to our fans, who have stood by us, maraming, maraming salamat!’

Cignal left everything on the floor and dragged Creamline to a deciding fifth set in Finals Game 2. Despite the resilience of the Super Spikers, they succumbed to a heartbreaking 25-23, 22-25, 25-16, 16-25, 15-11 loss on Thursday in front of 17,358 fans at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

It marked Cignal’s final game in the PVL, with the club pulling the plug despite being a consistent podium finisher with three silver medals and five bronze.

The Super Spikers, handled by coach Shaq Delos Santos since joining the PVL in 2021, have produced three league MVPs, with Vanie Gandler receiving her first-ever individual award after playing her heart out in Game 2 with 26 points, 15 receptions, and 14 digs.

Cignal also turned former PLDT role player Erika Santos into an MVP in the PVL on Tour last year, joining ex-player Ces Molina, who won the top individual award in the 2023 Invitational Conference.

Delos Santos and his players, led by Gandler and Santos, were determined to bounce back and use another heartbreaking finals experience as fuel to capture the elusive title in the next season.

Santos is an All-Star starter in Candon on May 1 for Team Heart, with reserves Gandler, five-time Best Setter Gel Cayuna, and star libero Dawn Catindig. Team Hustle will be handled by Delos Santos, featuring reserve middle blocker Jackie Acuña.

With Cignal filing a leave, Gandler, Santos, Cayuna, Catindig, Acuña, Rose Doria-Aquino, Tin Tiamzon, Ishie Lalongisip, Jewel Encarnacion, Heather Guino-o, Jessa Ordiales, Gyzelle Sy, Ivy Perez, Ethan Arce, Pearl Denura, Erin Pangilinan, and Buding Duremdes, as well as Delos Santos and his coaching staff, automatically become free agents.

Cignal, which also pulled the plug on its Spikers’ Turf team early this year despite being the most successful men’s club in the country, was the third consecutive squad to file a leave in the PVL after Chery Tiggo last December and Petro Gazz this January and opted to support Nxled.

Tycoon Enrique Razon Jr.-led International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) is seen well-positioned to weather the Middle East crisis, with limited direct exposure to the conflict and with measures already in place to cushion rising fuel costs.

This is according to First Metro Securities Brokerage Corp., which, in a recent report, projected ICTSI’s earnings growth at 11.9 percent to 15.4 percent over the next two years, saying the conflict was ‘unlikely’ to materially derail the ports giant’s earnings trajectory.

If realized, the projected growth would still mark a slower pace than the 23.3-percent surge in ICTSI’s net income in 2025, when profit climbed to $1.05 billion on the back of stronger cargo volumes across its global portfolio.

While ICTSI operates the Basra Gateway Terminal in Iraq, First Metro said that the exposure remained relatively small. The brokerage estimated that Iraq accounted for only around 2,000 of ICTSI’s 23,853 attributable TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) capacity.

In terms of revenue contribution, Basra terminal makes up only about 4 percent to 5 percent of ICTSI’s revenues, First Metro said.

It added that while the terminal remains closed indefinitely amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, the full impact on ICTSI was ‘still uncertain, given the early stage of the conflict.’

Still, the brokerage described ICTSI as ‘built to weather rough seas,’ citing the company’s pricing power, operational efficiency and expansion pipeline.

ICTSI is targeting to grow its attributable capacity to 30 million TEUs by the end of the decade from around 21 million currently.

Fuel exposure

Apart from port disruptions, ICTSI’s largest exposure to the conflict has been through fuel costs.

At the company’s recent annual stockholders’ meeting, Razon said that fuel remained available, although at significantly higher prices. He added that he was uncertain about whether current supply conditions would hold if the conflict drags on.

First Metro noted that fuel had already accounted for about 10 percent of ICTSI’s operating expenses even before the conflict escalated.

Still, the brokerage said that the company has managed to soften the impact through fuel surcharges implemented on terminal services starting mid-April.

‘While fuel costs (around 10 percent of opex) likely pressured margins in March to early April 2026, the implementation of fuel surcharges on terminal services from mid-April should help protect margins going forward,’ it added.

First Metro added that its outlook could change if disruptions to global trade become prolonged, or if ICTSI’s mechanisms for passing on higher fuel and operating costs become insufficient.

ICTSI plans to increase capital expenditures to about $740 million in 2026 from $650.44 million last year, backed by a ‘robust’ cash position of roughly $1.1 billion as of end-2025.

The former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) sidewalk clearing operations group director, Roberto Esquivel, and his wife, Marissa, vowed to return over P5.3 million of ‘unexplained wealth’ to the government.

This development came after the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division, in an April 21 resolution, granted the respondents’ Motion to Withdraw the Appeal and instead return the ‘unexplained wealth’ worth P5,307,079.70.

‘Their appeal is deemed WITHDRAWN and this case is hereby ordered DISMISSED,’ the four-page resolution dated April 21, signed by associate justices Michael Frederick Musngi, Arthur Malabaguio, and J. Ermin Ernest Louie Miguel.

In a January 18, 2023 decision, the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of San Pedro, Laguna declared a total of P6,859,589.70 ‘unlawfully acquired or ill-gotten’ by the respondents. But the RTC recomputed it to P5,307,079.70 after the respondents filed a motion for reconsideration on April 12, the same year. The Sandiganbayan resolution did not mention the circumstances surrounding the unexplained wealth.

Eventually, the respondents elevated the case to the Court of Appeals (CA) on Feb. 11, 2025, but its 11th Division denied their Motion to Withdraw the Appeal on May 19 of the same year, holding that the Sandiganbayan, not the CA, has jurisdiction over the forfeiture case.

On June 18, 2025, the respondents also filed a Motion to Withdraw the Appeal before San Pedro RTC, and, this time, asked the trial court ‘to allow them to settle or pay the entire amount adjudged against them’ pursuant to Republic Act No. 1379, which allows the state to forfeit ill-gotten wealth. In doing so, the respondents asked the RTC to lift the writ of attachment to their properties and order their release.

‘[I]t is self-evident that respondents-appellants have subsequently but firmly decided to accept in its entirety the adverse judgement of the trial court against them finding that they have an unexplained wealth,’ the Sandiganbayan resolution said.

The Office of the Ombudsman has dismissed the criminal and administrative complaints filed against Bacolod Rep. Alfredo Abelardo Benitez and 18 other city officials and private individuals in connection with the city’s purchase of a 74.7-hectare property in Hacienda Conchita, Barangay Granada in this city.

The complaints, which alleged violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees, were dismissed for lack of substantial evidence.

Local radio blocktimer Roger Ledesma filed the complaint, alleging that the property—classified as agricultural land and covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) for land banking—was overpriced. The property was acquired for P971.8 million in October 2023.

In its ruling, the Ombudsman said the evidence showed that the property was neither overpriced nor covered by CARP.

On Monday, Benitez welcomed the resolution dismissing the complaint against him and his co-respondents.

‘From the very beginning, I have maintained that all actions we have taken were done in accordance with the law and due process. Simply put, these were based on what we believed was in the best interest of the people of Bacolod,’ he said.

‘The findings affirm that there was no basis to hold us administratively or criminally liable, and that there was no clear showing of overpricing, conflict of interest, or bad faith in the transaction. In short, everything was above board,’ Benitez added.

‘That being said, I understand that scrutiny comes with public office. It is part of accountability, and I respect the process,’ the lawmaker said.

Now that the matter has been resolved, Benitez said his focus remains unchanged.

‘We will continue to do the work—strengthening our local economy, improving basic services, and ensuring that every decision we make delivers real value to our people. We move forward more determined than ever to serve with integrity, discipline, and purpose,’ he said.

The Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women urged the government to take both immediate and long-term measures to mitigate potential agricultural damage affecting farmers’ livelihoods amid the El Niño Alert and the fuel crisis.

Earlier, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that although ENSO-neutral conditions are currently dominant over the tropical Pacific, there is a 79% likelihood that El Niño will develop during from June to August 2026 and could last until early 2027.READ: Pagasa issues El Niño Alert; drought in PH now likely

In a statement on Tuesday, Amihan Secretary-General and Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo said El Niño, intensified by climate change, has become a recurring challenge, yet the government insufficiently addresses its impact on agriculture.’If El Niño intensifies, it will directly affect the livelihood of farmers, which will affect the supply of rice in the country. So both producers and consumers are affected,’ Estavillo said in Filipino.’With no or limited irrigation, people are forced to borrow and spend many liters of gasoline to harvest, in addition to the very high cost of farm inputs,’ she added.Amihan’s May 2024 study on drought impacts documented cases in Albay of zero rice yield and very low production of about three cavans per half hectare.The report also found that livestock, poultry, and fisherfolk are similarly affected, with heat stress reducing fish catch and productivity.’The impact of El Niño is heavier now because of the oil price shock, so right now, the government should allocate a budget for this,’ Estavillo said.

The group is calling on the government to implement a ?50,000 production subsidy for farmers, prioritize irrigation systems for food production, distribute climate-resilient seeds for free, and provide immediate financial aid to affected farming communities.

She pointed out that irrigation development remains low at 69 percent, with Central Luzon reaching only 74 percent, while dam operations are still largely prioritized for power generation over agricultural water distribution.

Estavillo said that even before the full onset of El Niño, drought conditions are already being reported across the country.

Based on Pagasa data as of April 22, 15 areas in Luzon are experiencing drought, 32 areas are under a dry spell, and 23 areas are already facing dry conditions due to significantly below-normal rainfall over consecutive months.

Pryce Corp. posted a profit of P1.084 billion in the first quarter, driven by its strong liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) business.

The January-March result was slightly higher than the P1.062 billion recorded in the same period last year.

Pryce’s revenues rose by 3.39 percent to P5.98 billion from P5.79 billion.

In a statement Tuesday, the company said growth was propelled by its LPG segment, which contributed P5.45 billion.

Industrial gases also recorded a 39-percent jump to P376.11 million.

Contributions from its real estate and memorial park went up to P98.42 million. Pharmaceutical products provided P17.79-million revenue share.

After winning the fourth season of ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar,’ JM Dela Cerna and Marielle Montellano — collectively known as JMielle — said they are open to taking different opportunities, as they’re gearing up for an upcoming concert.

Dela Cerna and Montellano announced that they will hold their ‘JMielle Sings the Icons’ concert on May 29 at the SM North Edsa Skydome, saying it is a tribute to how their past experiences led them to their winning moment at the show.

‘Hindi nalalayo [ang concert na ‘to] sa journey namin sa ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar’ kaya siya naging ‘JMielle Sings the Icons.’ Baka mag-expect sila na gagayahin namin or may gagawin kaming mga hindi namin ginawa nung journey namin,’ Montellano said of the upcoming show.

(This concert is not far from what we did from ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar,’ which is why it was named ‘JMielle Sings the Icons.’ They might expect us to imitate or do things that we might not have done before.)

Throughout their ‘Your Face Sounds Familiar’ run, JMielle did interpretations of popular music pairings such as Jessica Sanchez and Jennifer Holliday; Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande; and TJ Monterde and KZ Tandingan, among others.

Looking back on their journey, Dela Cerna said doing the show made him appreciate the artistry of the singers and how they pour themselves into their craft. He added that the show was also a moment of realization in terms of how many vocal styles he could do.

‘Sobrang na-appreciate ko ang talento ng bawat icon na ginagawa namin, ‘yung pwede ko pala siyang gamitin sa style ko tulad ng pag-growl,’ he said. ‘Kaya din po pala namin manggaya [in a sense] na ibahin [ang sarili namin]. As singers, alam namin na kaya naming gayahin ang ibang icons na hanggang d’un lang, pero hindi ‘yung point na ganito ka-grabe. D’un kami na-surprise.’

(I learned to appreciate the talents of the icons that we did. I learned different styles that I can apply to my own singing, too, such as growling. I also realized that we can imitate different styles to the point of completely changing ourselves. As singers, we know that we can imitate these icons, but it’s only until that point. Not in this kind of way. That’s what surprised us.)

When asked what’s in store for JMielle after the concert, Montellano said they are open to pursuing different opportunities beyond their booming music career.

‘Kaya ko na pong tumawid sa alambre or magbuga ng apoy,’ she quipped before getting serious again. ‘Kung mabigyan ng opportunities outside of singing, tulad ng acting. Pwedeng theater or I can explore dancing, kung mabibigyan ng opportunity, iba naman. Para ma-shift [ang tingin] sa’kin [ng ibang tao].’

(I can walk the high wire or breathe out fire. I’m open to opportunities outside of singing, like acting, theater, or dancing. I’m open to whatever opportunities will show the public that there’s more beyond what I can do.)

Dela Cerna and Montellano first gained public attention after winning the Grand Championship at the ‘TNT Duets’ singing contest in 2023.

Other competitors in the fourth season of the impersonation show were Alexa Ilacad, Jason Dy, Akira Morishita, Jarlo Base, Rufa Mae Quinto, and Dia Mate. Pepe Herrera was also part of the lineup, though he withdrew after the third round.