MANILA, Philippines — Jeepney driver Tatay Elmer, who was hospitalized after participating in a nationwide transport strike last September, has passed away, his social media handler confirmed in a post on Wednesday. “Our hearts are heavy as we let you know that Elmer Miralles Cordero also known by many as “Tatay Elmer” has passed away

SAN ILDEFONSO, Ilocos Sur — Four individuals were arrested during an anti-illegal gambling operation in Barangay Resurreccion, San Juan town in this province on Tuesday, Oct. 6, police said. The San Juan Municipal Police Station said the four were caught playing “Pining-Pining,” an illegal card game, with bet money. Police said the operation was carried

MANILA, Philippines — It appears that the long hours of the impeachment trial are finally taking its toll, as both the prosecution panel and the clerk of court secretariat were scolded for some minor inefficiencies during the proceedings on Wednesday. During the latter part of the trial, Senate Impeachment Court Presiding Officer Francis Escudero called out

MANILA, Philippines — About P12.31 million was raised from two public auctions of forfeited refrigerant gases by the Port of Manila, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) said. According to the agency, the BOC-Port of Manila generated a combined collection of P12.318 million from the Sept. 10 and Sept. 30 auctions of refrigerant gases. Five sale

BACOLOD CITY— The Sugar Council welcomed Coca-Cola Europacific Aboitiz Philippines’ (CCEAP) assurance that it would use sugar produced in Negros but called on the company to expand its commitment to locally sourced sugar nationwide. “We welcome Coca-Cola’s commitment to use 100 percent locally produced premium refined sugar in Negros, but we appeal to CCEAP to

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed on second reading a P7.2-trillion spending bill that would fund the government through next year. Lawmakers approved on second reading via voice vote House Bill No. 10858, the 7,408-page spending measure detailing a record national budget to fund state operations, government salaries, infrastructure projects and

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — Police and environmental authorities arrested two alleged illegal miners and seized several pieces of mining equipment during a joint crackdown on unauthorized small-scale mining in two upland villages in Surigao City on Oct. 6. The suspects were identified as Emiliano Minglana Solana, 52, of Purok 1, Barangay San Juan,

PAGADIAN CITY, Zamboanga del Sur — Police have arrested one of the suspects behind the killing of a Department of Education (DepEd) supervisor last April in Alicia, Zamboanga Sibugay. The suspect was apprehended by virtue of a warrant of arrest for murder in an operation conducted by personnel of the 2nd Provincial Mobile Force Company

ILIGAN CITY — Thirty former rebels, now referred to by the government as “friends rescued” from “former rebels,” have begun an 11-day deradicalization and capacity-building program under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) in Misamis Oriental. The program, which started last week, aims to help former New People’s Army (NPA) rebels return to their

[Updated Oct. 7, 2026, 9:55 p.m.] MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has appointed three new associate justices in the Court of Appeals (CA) filling in the current vacancies in the 69-member court. In a Facebook post on Wednesday, the Presidential Communications Office said President Marcos has appointed Trade Undersecretary Allan Gepty; Parañaque Regional

MANILA, Philippines — For Cagayan de Oro First District Rep. Lordan Suan, being a fellow Mindanaoan was not a reason to stay out of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. It was precisely why he joined the House prosecution team. “We are not just talking about the people’s money, we are also talking

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) flagship project, DENR Express: Permitting on Wheels, served more than 10,000 clients and issued thousands of permits nationwide in its first five months since implementation in April 2026. According to a DENR statement on Wednesday, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel “Mitch” Cuna said the project

The US Treasury on Wednesday announced its first penalty under rules governing American investment in sensitive Chinese technologies, revealing a US$200,000 fine against the parent of Plug and Play Tech Centre for failing to report an investment in a Shanghai robotics AI company. The Treasury said on Wednesday that Amidi, LLC failed to submit a required notification after its Chinese fund subsidiary invested around US$92,478 in Shanghai Qiongche Intelligent Technology Company Limited, known as...

MANILA, Philippines — The House prosecution panel presented several bank accounts belonging to Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio before the Senate impeachment court as it continued its attempt to uncover her alleged unexplained wealth. From Tuesday to Wednesday, the prosecution invited representatives of several banks, particularly LandBank, Asia United Bank (AUB),

MANILA, Philippines —House Speaker Faustino “Bojie” G. Dy III welcomed the ratification of the bicameral conference committee report on the bill proposing the creation of the Presidential Merit College Scholarship Programs (PMSPs), which seeks to give deserving students sustained educational support for college and technical education, including expenses beyond tuition. “Many youth have intelligence, industriousness,

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — A major public high school in the municipality of Sablayan in Occidental Mindoro, is rolling out a comprehensive security upgrade blending technology, infrastructure improvements, and stronger community ties to protect over 4,000 learners and 260 personnel. The Sablayan National Comprehensive High School (SABNAHIS) is building a multi-layered safety network designed

CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is mapping the calamansi supply chain in Oriental Mindoro as part of efforts to develop a more organized, competitive and halal-ready industry in the province. DTI’s Supply Chain and Logistics Group, in partnership with the Philippine Association of Service Industries Inc. (PASIA), conducted

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Audit (COA) has found that over P9.22 billion worth of properties under the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) remain uninsured, which constitutes a violation of the Property Insurance Law and exposes the government to financial risks. In its 2025 audit report, COA said it reviewed the compliance of the

CALAPAN CITY— Government agencies and conservation stakeholders gathered in Calintaan town in Occidental Mindoro on Wednesday (Oct. 7) for the this year’s Tamaraw Festival, highlighting efforts to protect the endangered tamaraw, the animal symbol of Mindoro. The festival was held as part of the province’s observance of Tamaraw Month, intending to raise awareness about the

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives on Wednesday approved P116 billion in amendments to the P7.2-trillion 2027 national budget, adopting the redistribution recommendations of a select panel of ranking lawmakers. The House floor resolved through a division of the House whether to adopt the Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee’s (BARSc) recommendation to rechannel roughly P116

MABALACAT CITY — Pampanga 1st District Rep. Carmelo Lazatin Jr. has asked the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to investigate the torture of a dog allegedly involving a private school official in Angeles City. In an Oct. 7 letter to CHEd Chairperson Shirley Agrupis, the congressman asked the agency to determine the supposed involvement of

REINA MERCEDES, Isabela — Reina Mercedes, Isabela Vice Mayor Jeryll Harold Respicio on Wednesday (October 7) has been cleared by a P28,000 drug test at the St. Luke Medical Center in Quezon City. After he got the results on Wednesday (October 7), the local official joked that Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla should now reimburse him.  “Jonvic,

China’s push to manufacture more at home has widened its trade imbalance with Europe, intensifying pressure on European industries and policymakers to take action.

LUCENA CITY — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) intercepted 12 kilos of suspected shabu (crystal methamphetamine) at the Batangas City port on Wednesday morning (Oct. 7). The joint operation led to the arrest of four men, aged 18, 29, 30 and 41. The suspects are residents of Malate

MANILA, Philippines – The House Appropriations Committee and its commission of select lawmakers complied with an internal parliamentary rule that mandates a detailed public report of the 2027 spending bill. This report contain changes to the original budget proposal. Sorsogon Rep. Manuel “Wowo” Fortes Jr. made the statement on Wednesday. Fortes said the budget panel

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte’s counsel made a commitment to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to appear on Thursday and submit the vice president’s affidavit, according to Director Melvin Matibag. The affidavit Matibag mentioned is in response to the “cash delivery” allegations made by dismissed police officer Rodulfo Gracioso Jr., implicating Duterte.

MANILA, Philippines — If Vice President Sara Duterte indeed had P96 million in joint time deposit accounts with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, the amount should have been reflected in her statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said. Testifying before the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday, Bank of

The camp of Vice President Sara Duterte distanced her from the activities recorded under her BPI joint account with her father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, involving purchased and unused manager"s checks and a payout to alleged drug lord Sammy Uy.

MANILA, Philippines — The August Twenty-One Movement (Atom) on Wednesday denounced President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for his trip to Singapore, where he is expected to attend the Formula 1 Grand Prix, as Filipinos grapple with rising fuel and electricity prices. In a statement, the group described Marcos as an “apathetic, indifferent, carefree” leader and questioned his

MANILA, Philippines – ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio on Wednesday said a special committee that drafted proposed amendments to the spending bill violated an internal parliamentary rule when it failed to issue a detailed budget tweak report, as the House of Representatives began second reading consideration on the 2027 spending measure. Tinio sought clarification from