Oct 29, 2026
MANILA, Philippines—A former Public Works and Highways official on Thursday said 25 percent of the budget allocated for infrastructure projects in the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA) are given as “commitments” to certain proponents, including senators. This was according to former Public Works and Highways Regional Director Gerard Opulencia, who testified as a prosecution witness
CAYAN DE ORO CITY — The Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division (10ID) said on Thursday it is ready to help police arrest Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, whose one-week ultimatum to surrender ends on Friday. The former national police chief is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity during the
MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday urged foreign manufacturers to invest in the Philippines’ electric vehicle (EV) industry as the government aims to have EVs account for 50% of the country’s vehicle fleet by 2040. He made the call during a visit to the manufacturing and assembly plant of Sazgar Philippines Inc. in
No government department took effective ownership of fire safety risks ahead of the deadly Tai Po fire, leaving complaints made by residents to fall into a vacuum, an independent committee found, singling out four departments as partly responsible for the disaster. At the release of the 1,154-page full report on Thursday, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki said he would lead a steering committee to review and implement the more than 100 recommendations of the independent...
The former prime minister who helped bring down Anwar Ibrahim’s political alliance six years ago has now agreed to back his government in parliament, in a surprise deal struck just before the passage of Malaysia’s 2027 budget at its first voting stage on Thursday. Muhyiddin Yassin, who governed Malaysia from 2020 to 2021, joined 12 other opposition and independent lawmakers in pledging support for Anwar’s administration, hours before parliament approved the government’s 459.8 billion ringgit...
Hong Kong’s housing chief has resigned to take political responsibility for the devastating fire at Wang Fuk Court, offering condolences to the families of the victims and expressing hope that those who perished may rest in peace. Winnie Ho Wing-yin said on Thursday that she submitted her resignation to Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu the previous day, becoming the only minister-level official so far to resign over the fire. “As the secretary for housing, I’m willing to bear political...
MABALACAT CITY — A 54-year-old male employee of the Arayat municipal government died while a 10-year-old bystander was wounded in an early morning ambush at the town’s Gatiawin village on Wednesday. The municipal government employee was riding a motorcycle when a still unidentified assailant shot him several times at 7:20 a.m., the Pampanga police said.
Hong Kong will establish a dedicated body to oversee building renovations as part of a wide-ranging overhaul that includes restructuring the Buildings Department and tightening regulation of contractors. The move was revealed on Thursday as Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu and his ministers offered a formal apology over the deadly blaze at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po last November. His administration was establishing a Building Maintenance Support and Services Council as part of the reforms, the...
MANILA, Philippines — Here are INQToday’s top stories this afternoon. The United States will increase its security cooperation funding to help speed up the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), following talks between US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. in Cebu. Meanwhile, Vice President Sara Duterte’s
MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court has reduced the offense and the penalty meted on a former public school principal in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro over an unauthorized cutting of trees. The high tribunal, in a decision on June 2 released only on Thursday, partially granted the petition sought by Melencio Corpuz. Corpuz was found guilty of
MABALACAT CITY — Police arrested a 37-year-old man for allegedly taking his former partner’s two children without her consent in Pasay City and bringing them to San Fernando City in Pampanga. In a statement, the Philippine National Police Public Information Office (PNP-PIO) said the children, aged 11 and three, were taken without their mother knowing
Lead cast: Jung Yong-hwa, Hong Seung-hee, Lee Yi-kyung, Park Yoo-na Jung Yong-hwa (Sell Your Haunted House) and Hong Seung-hee (To the Moon) headline Oh! My Guard, a frothy fantasy romantic comedy set in the entertainment world. The general rule with K-drama romcoms is that opposites attract, and at first this appears to hold true for TV actor Uhm Tae-bong (Jung) and wealthy agoraphobe Oh Hae-ra (Hong). Though Tae-bong is a major star, he isn’t afraid to be seen in public, waving and talking to...
