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Martin’s Mind-Boggling Wealth 

Rose de la Cruz
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Martin’s Mind-Boggling Wealth 

GOING OVER THE reports of Bilyonaryo on the massive wealth acquired by former Speaker Martin Romualdez through both his legit business holdings and the siphoned off from his numerous public positions, I could not help but feel ambivalent about his (and his family’s ) mind boggling elite properties (cash, stocks and more) here and abroad.

He had to create dummy businesses and shell companies and channel funds to dummies like his mayordoma, who now faces a P56 billion case before the Ombudsman. 

If most of the wealth was acquired during his term as speaker (through kickbacks, budget insertions and SOPs in state-budgeted projects) and let’s not forget the jetsetting partylist Rep. Zaldy Co (who has comfortably settled in a mansion in Europe)  then I am inclined to believe now that indeed the Philippines is a wealthy country (pretending to be poor) but its wealth had been stolen by politicians in cahoots with their chosen contractors. Indeed, if the Ombudsman can file an air-tight case against his kind, then I hope the courts will be able to sequester all assets and freeze all the money in favor of the Filipino people.

A week ago, July 25, Bilyonaryo reported on the scandal-tained #14 Narra Mansion of Romualdez in posh South Forbes Park that was rented by Pharmally-linked Rose Nono Lin– an undercapitalized newbie firm that was awarded by the Duterte administration billions of pesos worth of medical supplies contract while the country was deep into the pandemic.

The mansion was publicly identified in 2022 as the rented residence of Rose Nono Lin, after two security guards were killed inside the property. The address sits directly across the home of Michael Yang, former economic adviser of Duterte who has been linked to the Pharmally controversy worth over ₱8 billion of COVID-19 medical supplies.

This same address has resurfaced in the Ombudsman’s 104-page supplemental complaint, which alleges that the Forbes Park mansion was acquired through Brightnews Corp., a  dummy corporation controlled by lawyers Jose Raulito Paras and Edgar Dennis Padernal for the beneficial ownership of Romualdez.

“Brightnews was used as the corporate vehicle through which Romualdez and Paras invested in, converted and concealed proceeds of unlawful activities into high-value real properties, thereby disguising the source of the funds and the beneficial ownership of the assets,” the complaint states.

According to documents, Brightnews, incorporated in 2014 as a real estate company with ₱100 million in authorized capital, is controlled by Paras, a fraternity brother of Romualdez, and Padernal, a former director of Benguet Corp. and Bright Kindle Resources, companies associated with the Romualdez family. The remaining shareholders are employees or associates of APP Law (later renamed Padernal & Paras) who also appear in Clearspring, Golden Pheasant and other companies identified as Romualdez dummy companies.

HALF PRICE ON PAPER

According to the complaint, Brightnews bought the property from Chariene R. Escaler on January 26, 2023 under a Purchase and Sale Agreement worth ₱1.6 billion. Escaler is the current president of the Manila Polo Club and the wife of former Goldman Sachs executive Johnny Escaler.

Prosecutors said the acquisition was funded through two ₱800-million manager’s checks issued by Philippine Veterans Bank, both payable to Escaler on the same day

Investigators said the transaction was recorded differently in official documents.

While the Purchase and Sale Agreement reflected a purchase price of ₱1.6 billion, the Deed of Absolute Sale submitted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Makati Registry of Deeds stated a consideration of only ₱800 million, the amount carried in Brightnews’s books.

The Ombudsman said the actual agreed purchase price was ₱1.6 billion yet the deed reflected only half that amount despite the existence of two ₱800-million manager’s checks.

Prosecutors cited the discrepancy pointed to “a deliberate effort to conceal the true nature and extent of the transaction.”

BANK CONNECTIONS

The two ₱800-million manager’s checks used to pay for 14 Narra were issued by Philippine Veterans Bank, where the Romualdez family’s holding company, RYM Business Management Corp., later became a major shareholder.

RYM invested about ₱1.8 billion in 2023 to acquire roughly 40 percent of the bank. Philippine Veterans Bank’s amended 2025 General Information Sheet shows RYM holding a 37.4452 percent stake.

The Ombudsman said the mansion was “widely known to be one of the residences of Romualdez” and that “although legal title was placed in the name of Brightnews, Romualdez exercised beneficial ownership and control over the property.”

Prosecutors cited witness accounts that Romualdez’s security personnel and convoy vehicles were regularly stationed there and that meetings with visitors and associates were held at the mansion.

The complaint also described 14 Narra as a temporary “bagsakan” for deliveries intended for Romualdez. During the renovation of his nearby 42 McKinley residence, it said, “deliveries intended for Romualdez, including the so-called ‘maletas,’ were redirected to 14 Narra.”

The Ombudsman alleged that the “maletas” contained part of the kickbacks generated from the ₱56-billion flood-control scheme allegedly involving Romualdez and former Ako Bicol partylist Rep. Zaldy Co.

Taken together, investigators said the circumstances showed that Brightnews merely held the property on paper while its “actual beneficial ownership and control” was  Romualdez.

NOT-SO-BROKE 

The Ombudsman also questioned how Brightnews could afford such a landmark acquisition.

Despite reporting losses, Brightnews amassed ₱1.377 billion in assets, including the ₱800-million Forbes Park mansion, a Shang Robinsons unit and parking slots acquired for ₱109.02 million, two additional Shang Robinsons units with parking spaces purchased for ₱305.53 million, and three parcels of land in Calatagan, Batangas worth ₱5.36 million.

According to the complaint, Brightnews posted a net loss of ₱704,486 in 2024 and disclosed ₱950.07 million in shareholder advances.

The complaint further states that Brightnews had “no apparent lawful source of funds capable of supporting such acquisitions” and questioned how it accumulated more than ₱1 billion in high-end real estate despite “continuously operating at a loss.”

MONEY TRAIL

Prosecutors then traced several funding sources into Brightnews despite its lack of income.

Aside from ₱950.07 million in shareholder advances, the Ombudsman, citing confidential information, alleged that Brightnews received checks from Tingog partylist Rep. Yedda Romualdez, Martin’s wife, in 2025 and from Trans Middle East (Phils.) Equities Inc. beginning in 2023.

Trans Middle East has long been associated with the Romualdez family whose assets were sequestered by the Presidential Commission on Good Government following the 1986 People Power Revolution.

The confidential source further alleged that D.S. Tantuico & Associates issued 14 checks totaling ₱19.203 million to Brightnews from February 2023 to July 2025.

According to the complaint, D.S. Tantuico lawyer Hermogene Real—who served as corporate secretary for Trans Middle East– the Doña Remedios Trinidad Romualdez Medical Foundation, and Benguet Corp.—were used in Romualdez’s purchase of another Forbes Park property, the #30 Tamarind mansion owned by shipping magnate Doris Magsaysay Ho.

Quite interestingly, on July 26 Bilyonaryo reported that Romualdez’ mayordoma Josie Sereno, who received, handled, transported and delivered cash brought by the security personnel of Zaldy Co at 42 Mckinley Road and later at 14 Narra Avenue.

Witnesses said Sereño regularly received maletas. They described her as the principal contact during the handoffs, often assisted by unidentified household personnel referred to in the complaint as John and Jane Does.

The Ombudsman cited several deliveries allegedly made while Romualdez served as House Speaker from 2022 to 2025.

In September 2022, witnesses said 10 large maletas were transported from Co’s Valle Verde residence to 42 McKinley and received by Sereño and other household staff, with each large maleta containing around ₱50 million to ₱70 million, the shipment could have contained ₱500 million to ₱700 million.

Another 28 maletas were allegedly delivered to 42 McKinley in December 2022, again received by Sereño. The complaint did not specify the sizes or estimated money in the maletas.

In November 2023, security personnel allegedly brought about 22 maletas from Horizon Homes to 42 McKinley and a month later, another delivery of 50 maletas and several boxes. Witnesses said they later heard Co’s aides discussing the amount delivered at ₱1.1 billion.

By mid-2024, the deliveries had shifted to 14 Narra Avenue while 42 McKinley was undergoing renovations. The complaint alleged that four separate trips brought 17, 20, 28 and  20 maletas to the property, which was bought from the Escaler family through Romualdez’ dummy firm, Brightnews..

Witnesses said Sereño did not just accept the luggage but instructed drivers and security personnel to carry the maletas farther inside the residences, including the foyer and living room.

Prosecutors said the delivery teams dealt directly with her, identifying Sereño as the person who received and oversaw the handoffs at both properties.

“Jocelyn Sereño, together with John Does and Jane Does knowingly received, handled, transported, concealed, and took custody of the luggage and suitcases (maletas) containing substantial amounts of cash constituting the proceeds of the unlawful scheme,” the Ombudsman said.

The supplemental complaint also accused Sereño of personally bringing cash into the alleged laundering operation through the Samchan Foreign Exchange Corp. upon Romualdez’s instructions.

The Ombudsman accused Samchan of conducting simulated foreign exchange transactions to make the alleged kickbacks appear to have come from legitimate sources.

“Sereño, John Doe, and Jane Doe… personally delivered substantial amounts of cash… to Samchan for the specific purpose of carrying out the… simulated foreign exchange transactions,” the complaint said.

“Their delivery of the cash was not an isolated act, but an indispensable component of the laundering scheme.”

Prosecutors alleged that instead of paying sellers directly, the cash was routed through Samchan to hide its origin before being used in asset purchases identified in the complaint.

They argued that Sereño’s alleged role therefore went beyond physically carrying the money. She also helped place it into the financial transactions used to disguise its source.

The Ombudsman named Sereño as a respondent for money laundering and alleged that she conspired with the main figures in the ₱56 billion flood control kickback scheme.

The Ombudsman said Sereño and other unidentified household staff knowingly received, moved, concealed and kept custody of maletas containing alleged kickbacks. Prosecutors said these acts made her liable for money laundering and an alleged accomplice in plunder, direct bribery and indirect bribery.

They argued that her repeated receipt of the maletas, coordination with delivery teams and alleged role in bringing cash to Samchan showed that she was not merely performing household duties.

The money was routed through Samchan and OMLAW, the law firm of Atty. Jose Raulito Paras who acted as counsel and closing agent in purchasing # 30 Tamarind Road.

Prosecutors claimed the cash was made to appear as proceeds of legitimate foreign exchange transactions before it was used by Golden Pheasant Holdings Corp. to buy the Forbes Park property from Doris Teresa Magsaysay-Ho for ₱1.53408 billion.

The Ombudsman said: “The circumstances show that Sereño, John Doe and Jane Doe knew the purpose of the transactions and that the money came from unlawful activities. Instead of delivering the cash directly to OMLAW or the seller of 30 Tamarind, they coursed it through Samchan to make it appear as legitimate foreign exchange transactions before it was used to pay for the property.”

Public Leadership Stupidities

Boni Macaranas
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Public Leadership Stupidities

GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS ARE expected to be competent and intelligent leaders, or better yet, brilliant leaders, real experts in decision-making in crafting policies, laws, programs and day-to-day directions that are effectively workable and implementable for the benefit, not for their personal interest, but for their constituents, and for the country as a whole. 

And in this case the top-most government leadership, the president and the vice-president should be always on their toes, watching how they are leading the country to real continuing development and progress for the country.

Given that President Bongbong Marcos and Vice-President Sara Duterte aspired for their respective positions (although supposedly winning in an election electronically rigged by the Comelec led by Chairman George Erwin Garcia, as claimed by the IT expert TNTrio and many other professional IT expert citizens and groups), they effectively bound themselves, taking their oath, to be responsible leaders “to give justice” to everyone, to every Filipino.

So also holding the same important responsibility are those elected or appointed to public positions, those in Congress and LGUs, and other officials in the Judiciary and other government institutions. 

INTELLIGENT LEADERSHIP

With the fifth and last SONA of President Bongbong Marcos, how competent and professional has he been as a leader and head of government, in tandem with his VP Sara Duterte, in leading the country to greater heights of progress, if at all. 

Do the people see his leadership as intelligent enough, or at times, brilliant even, to set and model the appropriate standard of decision-making for the officials under his administration? Or worse, have there been stupid decision-making, forcing the people to resort to the “parliament of the streets”?

Sadly, while the Filipino people were expecting brilliant decision-making by top government officials, they were deluged with lots of stupid decision-making. 

SUPER-SLOW ACTION

Varied problems hounded the people. 

They wondered why the super-slow actions taken by law enforcers and the Ombudsman in filing the appropriate charges against erring senators, congressmen, and other officials and employees undoubtedly involved in getting kickbacks from the DPWH flood-control and other infrastructure projects nationwide. 

The Senate, the so-called ‘bright-boys/girls’ chamber, deemed the ‘training ground’ for a future “President of the country” was a big disappointment! 

Despite a clear case for the impeachment of VP Sara Duterte way back in 2025 (after exhaustive TV-live-streamed Congress investigations, finding her guilty of betraying her oath as vice-president, among other crimes against the people), the Senate archived the case needlessly. 

DEBATE CALISTHENICS

The senators were occupied with their personal vested political interests, and were deep into their “debating calisthenics”! To the people, the “honorable” senators wasted their millions-worth daily sessions for the many months of “debates” at the expense of the people’s welfare — the money could have been spent for building the needed thousands of school classrooms, or for the treatment of thousands of sick people unable to buy their medicines, or being hospitalized, or providing the financial needs of underpaid workers, farmers, fishermen and IPs, and professionals like the nurses and teachers.

UNDERPERFORMING

The judicial branch of government has also been terribly underperforming in dispensing justice to the countless victims of the PNP/AFP. 

Will the fugitive from ICC justice, Sen. Bato de la Rosa be apprehended soon and called to account for his bloody record of EJKs? When will the NTF-ELCAC be abolished, having been illegally red/terrorist-tagging activists and development workers, causing their illegal arrests, tortures, detentions, enforced disappearances and EJKs! When will the more than 770 political prisoners freed for justice’ sake? 

Stupid decisions by the president and government officials have been rampant because they don’t listen to their constituents – the people!

Movie Scribe Jobert Sucaldito Writes 30

Boy Villasanta
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Movie Scribe Jobert Sucaldito Writes 30

KNOWN for his ability to adapt to multimedia platforms, controversial entertainment writer Jobert Sucaldito died this morning from a still undisclosed cause.

According to OOTD Jobert and Chaps Channel, Jobert died in his residence in Kamias Road in Quezon City. Aside from writing entertainment industry-related reports, Jobert worked as DZMM radio host, vlogger, talent manager of singer Michael Pangilinan 

Here’s the complete report of the common Facebook account:

“With heavy hearts, we announce the untimely passing of our dear host, our beloved Nanay, Tatay, and Tito, Jobert Sucaldito.

“This morning, between 9:45 AM and 10:15 AM, an incident occurred at his residence in Kamias, Quezon City. He was immediately rushed to the Philippine Heart Center, where the medical team exerted every effort to  revive him. Sadly, despite their best efforts, he was pronounced deceased at around 10:30 AM.

“The family is still awaiting the official medical findings regarding the cause of his passing.

“We kindly ask everyone to offer prayers for the eternal repose of Tito Jobert’s soul and to respect the family’s privacy during this difficult time.

“Further details regarding his wake and funeral arrangements will be announced as soon as they become available.

“Maraming salamat sa inyong mga panalangin at pakikiramay (Thanks a lot for your prayers and sympathies).”

He was 65.

Watch: 88% of Filipino Adults Want Independence in Older Years

Marcus Aquino
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Watch: 88% of Filipino Adults Want Independence in Older Years

(CLICK THE ABOVE TO VIEW THE VIDEO)

According to the Asia Care Survey 2026 of Manulife, more adults in the region are aiming for independence in their older or retirement years.

The Asia Care Survey 2026 was conducted in February and March this year, and covered 9,000 individuals aged 18 or above (including 60+) across nine Asian markets:

These are China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia.

Specifically, 82% are aiming to be independent, including financially, as they age or reach retirement age.

This is opposed to the tradition where the elderly are cared for by family members, particularly children.

The survey showed that older adults may require care or financial support for as long as 13-14 years. This is forcing many Asian adults to rethink their future.

The survey revealed three things, and to quote directly from the report’s summary:

No. 1 – 82% of people in Asia believe their independence to be the most meaningful legacy they could leave to their families.

No. 2 – Health and financial well-being are the key building blocks on the path to independence.

No. 3- Those who talk openly about their retirement needs report a better quality of life than those who do not.

In the Philippines, 88% of adults are aiming to be independent in their retirement years.

And independence means freedom for older Asians.

This is what freedom looks like for older Asians:

-66% do not want to be a burden to their families.
-49% want to make decisions without family pressure.
-35% are able to travel like their younger peers.
-34% can choose where to live.

However, the Manulife survey showed that only around 50% of adults in Asia have taken concrete steps to protect their health.

The Manulife survey show that among older Asian adults, below 41% do these top 5 self-care habits (to quote):

No. 1 – Maintain a consistent exercise routine to stay healthy and mobile.

No. 2 – Follow a balanced diet to prevent future health issues.

No. 3 – Engage in hobbies and leisure activities.

No. 4 – Spend quality time with supportive friends, family members or pets.

No. 5 – Attend early screenings and take preventive care.

Manulife recommended the following for adults to start preparing for healthy aging (to quote):

No. 1 – Make preventive care a routine.

No. 2 – Build sustainable self-care habits, starting small.

No. 3 – Start the family conversation about aging and retirement now.

The message of the Asia Care Survey 2026 of Manulife is very clear.

Adults should start preparing financially if they want to become independent as they age.

Being healthy is also part of attaining independence as a person ages.

OFW’S Pick For Final Work Destinations

Domingo P. Herras
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OFW’S Pick For Final Work Destinations

TO LEAVE is to gamble with the heart. For generations, the story of the Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) has been framed by the quiet agony of the countdown—counting the months until the next vacation, the years until the contract ends, and the decades spent living out of a Balikbayan box. 

We have long accepted the role of the transient wanderer, building the economies of foreign nations while our own hearts remain on pause. But a beautiful, revolutionary shift is happening in our global community. 

REWRITING DESTINIES

Modern day OFW is no longer content with just surviving in the margins of a temporary contract. 

Armed with courage and clearer structural insight, our modern-day heroes are rewriting their destinies. They are actively choosing where their stories will permanently unfold, transforming far-flung lands into true sanctuaries of growth, dignity, and belonging. 

This column is dedicated to that ultimate leap: finding the soil where your hard work can finally take root, and where you can build a secure, brighter, and greener future to call your own.

For decades, the narrative of the Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) has focused heavily on the bittersweet sacrifice of short-term contracts. Our brave modern-day heroes endure years of separation in temporary regions like the Gulf states to secure a stable future back home. 

However, a powerful shift is defining the lives of global Filipinos today. 

CAREER HUB CHOICES

Armed with localized insights from OFW Global Trends, Stories, more workers are strategically choosing permanent career hubs—countries that offer not just high wages, but a genuine sense of home and a secure path toward long-term settlement.

When evaluating where to plant permanent roots, the choice depends heavily on an OFW’s field and lifestyle goals. 

Canada stands out as a premier destination for long-term career growth and family-friendly immigration. Its structured pathways, including the points-based Express Entry system, provide a transparent journey toward permanent residency. 

This makes it a favored option for healthcare professionals, tech specialists, and skilled tradespeople eager to settle their families in inclusive communities. 

FOR SKILLED WORKERS

For skilled workers eyeing Oceania, Australia and New Zealand offer a compelling balance of high wages, robust worker rights, and vibrant diaspora networks. 

In Australia, skilled visas successfully bridge severe domestic labor shortages, while established Filipino communities in cities like Sydney and Melbourne offer crucial cultural familiarity.

Meanwhile, New Zealand actively welcomes Filipino healthcare professionals, IT experts, and rural workers, offering a welcoming atmosphere where Filipinos have grown to become the country’s third-largest Asian population. 

THE STELLAR CHOICES

European options present alternative pathways. Spain holds unique appeal due to historic ties; Filipinos can qualify for fast-tracked citizenship after just two years of continuous legal residency, bypassing the standard decade-long wait typical of other Western nations. 

For those prioritizing immediate financial progression, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singapore remain stellar choices.

While these nations do not offer straightforward pathways to permanent citizenship, they attract high earners with tax-free incomes or globally competitive salaries, modern living environments, and unbeatable geographic proximity to the Philippines. 

THE FINAL DESTINATION

Ultimately, mapping out a “final destination” requires balancing personal migration goals against realistic immigration policies. 

By understanding these diverse international pathways, our global kababayans can transition from temporary economic survival to building a bright, permanent, and rewarding life legacy abroad.

The ultimate goal of every sacrifice made across oceans is not just to send remittances, but to finally achieve peace of mind. True victory for the global Filipino comes when the constant fear of deportation or contract non-renewal is replaced by the comforting embrace of a permanent home. 

When you finally raise your hand to take your oath of citizenship in a new land, you do not turn your back on your roots. Instead, you plant the Filipino flag deeper into the global landscape. 

NAVIGATING THE GLOBE

You ensure that your children and grandchildren will walk on sidewalks under skies that promise them equal rights, robust safety nets, and boundless opportunities. 

As you navigate your global journey, let this column be your compass. Keep striving, keep planning, and take heart—because you deserve a future where you are no longer just an expat worker, but a valued citizen of the world, living a life filled with security, joy, and unconditional belonging.

Meralco Told to Shoulder Systems Losses

Rose de la Cruz
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Meralco Told to Shoulder Systems Losses

FOLLOWING THE PRESIDENT’S pronouncement that systems losses from electricity distribution should not be charged to consumers– which gained people’s massive support, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian, in a hearing at the Senate said that distribution  utilities should not pass the burden on to the hapless consumers.

Gatchalian posed the question “who should shoulder the cost of the system loss? Definitely not the consumers.”

Gatchalian addressed the question raised by Manila Electric Company (Meralco) chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, who said that the system loss charge is too big a cost for the industry.

“As Mr. Pangilinan mentioned: Who should shoulder the system loss? Obviously, we do not want consumers to pay for it. That is why eight lawmakers filed bills seeking to remove the system loss charge”  Gatchalian said.

“We believe the distribution companies should shoulder that cost. And it will be part of their cost or expense in generating electricity or  in transmitting electricity,”  he said. 

This way, he said, the DUs would be forced to be more efficient, noting that at present there is currently no pressure on them to reduce the system loss since they simply pass it on to consumers.

“Now that it will become part of their costs, they will be forced to bring down—or even remove the system loss, especially its technical aspect. As for non-technical system loss, they should just work with the police or the barangays to apprehend those using illegal electricity connections. That way, non-technical system loss can be completely eliminated,” the Senate chief was quoted by Inquirer. 

“But the point of the matter there, is that consumers agree this should not be passed on to us because the technical losses are not our fault. Neither are the losses caused by illegal electricity connections. We should not be made to shoulder those costs,”he added.

Gatchalian echoed President Marcos Jr.’s call to remove the system loss from electricity bills during his 5th state of  the nation address.

Gatchalian said many senators backed this proposal citing the eight bills that were filed in the upper chamber—all seeking to scrap the system loss charge.

Gatchalian initially estimated the cost of the system loss being passed on to consumers nationwide to be at  about P70 billion to P80 billion.

But  Energy Regulatory Commission Chairperson Saturnino Juan could not confirm this, though he noted that for  Meralco alone,  the system loss cost P30 billion in 2025.

Including electric cooperatives,  Gatchalian then adjusted his estimated system loss at P45 billion.

“So, my question, who will absorb that 45? Again, I think that 45 can be absorbed by the distribution utilities. They just need to be efficient,” he further said, which netizens instantly aired their jubilation and consent to such a move.

Meralco has been operating a monopoly since its founding by Charles Swift in 1903 as the Manila Electric and Railroad Lighting Company. In 1961, a group of local investors led by entrepreneur Eugenio Lopez Sr. bought the company, marking the “Filipinization” of a major US enterprise.

Meralco became the country’s first billion-peso corporation in 1969, though operations were later disrupted and seized during the Marcos martial law era before the Lopez family was given back the company in 1986 by then President Corazon C. Aquino.

Today, Meralco holds the exclusive power distribution franchise across 39 cities and 72 municipalities, covering Metro Manila and surrounding industrial regions. 

Eugenio Lopez Sr. put up the Meralco Securities Corp. in 1962 to acquire Meralco, making it a wholly Filipino owned company. During 1962-72, he increased Meralco’s power generating capacity by five times with the building of additional power stations in the Manila area with two more planned in Rizal province. 

After declaring Martial Law in September 1972, President Marcos Sr. , who had been feuding with the Lópezes, issued Presidential Decree No. 40, nationalizing the country’s electric generation and transmission. A few weeks later, Marcos had Lopez’s son Eugenio “Geny” Lopez Jr. arrested without formal charges, claiming that the younger López had been involved in an alleged assassination attempt against him.

Geny’s arrest became a bargaining chip which eventually compelled the Lopezes to sell their controlling share of Meralco Securities Corporation to Marcos’ associates late in 1973. Ownership of Meralco Securities Corporation was placed under a newly created shell company called the Meralco Foundation Inc. controlled by Marcos’ brother-in-law Benjamin Romualdez who placed a down payment of about $1,500 for a “very minimal” total sale price of about $28 million (P200 million at the prevailing rate). Installment payments were supposed to be due starting two years later.

The Meralco Foundation takeover was immediately followed by a 100% increase in electric rates, with continuous increases throughout Romuáldez’s management. A rate adjustment clause, which allowed Meralco to adjust its rates depending on crude oil increases or higher dollar exchange rates, was also introduced.

In 1977, MSC was renamed First Philippine Holdings Corporation.By 1978, all of the Philippines’ major power plants were owned and operated by Napocor, including the Metro Manila plants that Meralco had built beforehand in the 1960s.

When Martial Law ended in 1981, Meralco expanded even further into Cavite and western parts of Laguna, Rizal and Quezon provinces and parts of southern Bulacan.

Meralco Foundation’s control of Meralco lasted until the EDSA People Power in February 1986 when it defaulted on its payments under the terms of the original turnover of shares in 1973, although it took a five-year period before the shares were eventually reverted to the Lópezes in 1991.

In 1990, Meralco acquired the electric facilities and other assets of the Communications and Electric Development Authority, one of two companies that distributed power in Cavite Province for much of the 1970s and 80s.

Between 2009 and 2012, the López Group reduced its 33.4% holdings in Meralco by selling most of its shares to Manuel V. Pangilinan of the First Pacific Group.  By 2012, the López Group’s holdings in Meralco were down to 3.95%.

The First Pacific Group, through Metro Pacific Investments Corp., held the majority share in Meralco,  followed by the Gokongwei Family’s JG Summit Group.

In 2014 and 2015, Meralco requested the 16th Congress to extend its franchise early although its renewal was not due until six years later, in 2020.

On April 11, 2025, President Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12146 which renewed Meralco’s franchise for another 25 years from its expiration in 2028.

In the lower house, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco refiled House Bill No. 10273, or the “System Loss Charges Abolition Act of 2026,” in support of the administration’s push to make electricity more affordable.

The proposal was first introduced in 2010 and subsequently refiled in 2013 and 2016, but has yet to gain traction in Congress. With Malacañang now backing the measure, Tiangco expressed optimism that it could finally be enacted.

Tiangco underscored the urgency of the measure, noting that electricity rates in the Philippines remain among the highest in the region.

If we are serious about lowering electricity costs, we must remove charges that are not the fault of consumers. This is a concrete step that will provide immediate relief to Filipino families in their monthly bills,” he added.

Tiangco also called on his colleagues to support what he described as a long-overdue consumer protection measure, emphasizing that existing policies allowing utilities to recover system losses have failed to adequately shield consumers from rising power costs.

The bill provides that electricity users would no longer shoulder costs stemming from technical losses, pilferage, and other inefficiencies in the power system.

Under Republic Act No. 9136, distribution utilities may recover an allowable portion of these losses from customers.

PH Debt Soars to Record P19.07 Trillion

Rose de la Cruz
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PH Debt Soars to Record P19.07 Trillion

HOW COULD A country like the Philippines pay its P19.07 trillion outstanding debts which keeps growing alongside the need for growth and development. This outstanding debt stock, mind you, is just as of end June 2026.

Though it is common knowledge that a nation does not pay its sovereign debts in one blow like a household loan, still these are borrowings that this and future generations of Filipinos must live with and pay for the rest of their lives. 

Though it is a given that our country can manage and reduce the debt stock through economic growth (which again needs more borrowings), revenue collection (tax burdens have been increasing for generations) and refinancing rather than a fixed countdown timer.

Another source of funds to repay the debts is through Bureau of Customs collections from imports, but given the rate of smuggling (of all agricultural items, clothes, vape, cigarets and even luxury cars) how can BoC meet its targets.

Budgeting for debt service is another solution to replace maturing obligations with new ones through well-time securities (like bonds and treasury bills).

There is no single target date or “how long” it takes to reach zero because governments continually roll over, refinance, and issue new debt to fund infrastructure and public services.

The government manages a medium-to-long-term liability portfolio (averaging 7 to 10 years maturity per issuance) to ensure payments are spread out safely over time without starving the budget for public growth.

The Bureau of Treasury said the debt increased by 2.8% from P18.55 trillion at the end of May.

“The P518.98-billion increase from the end-May 2026 level of P18.55 trillion was driven by the net availment of both domestic and external borrowings to fund national development,” the BTr said.

The bureau said the “favorable movement” of the peso tempered the month-on-month increase in debt levels.

The local currency strengthened by 21.1 centavos to P61.29 against the greenback as of end-June from its P61.501 finish as of end-May, the BTr said.

Year on year, outstanding debt went up by 10.41% from P17.27 trillion at end-June 2025, while it jumped by 7.67% from P17.71 trillion at end-2025.

The end-June debt stock was already slightly above the P19.06-trillion level projected for end-2026 under the 2026 Budget of Expenditures and Sources of Financing.

NG debt refers to the total amount owed by the Philippine government to creditors such as international financial institutions, development partner countries, banks, global bondholders and other investors.

“The NG continues to implement a borrowing mix in favor of domestic sources to reduce exposure to foreign exchange risks and support a more stable debt profile,” the Treasury said.

The bulk or 67.33% of the total debt stock came from domestic sources, while the remaining 32.67% consisted of external borrowings.

Domestic debt, which consisted almost entirely of government securities, edged up by 2.74% to P12.84 trillion at end-June from P12.5 trillion at end-May, Business World reported.

Year on year, it jumped by 7.43% from P11.95 trillion in the same period.

According to the BTr, the month-on-month increase in domestic debt was mainly due to the P342.93-billion net issuance of government securities. However, it was partly offset by a P600-million downward valuation adjustment on onshore dollar bonds due to the stronger peso.

Meanwhile, external debt rose by 2.92% to P6.23 trillion at end-June from P6.05 trillion at end-May.

Year on year, it jumped by 17.13% from P5.32 trillion in the same period.

“This (the increase) is mainly due to the net availment of external loans amounting to P223.11 billion,” it said.

“Meanwhile, the appreciation of the peso against the US dollar and third currencies reduced the peso value of foreign currency-denominated obligations by P46.46 billion,” it added.

External debt was composed of P3.19 trillion in global bonds and P3.04 trillion in loans.

The NG’s guaranteed obligations declined by 31.21% to P305.07 billion at end-June from P443.51 billion in the previous month.

“Net repayment of external and domestic guarantees totaled P470 million and P136.71 billion, respectively, while favorable foreign exchange movements further trimmed outstanding guarantees by P1.26 billion,” the BTr said.

Year on year, guaranteed obligations declined by 11.6% from P345.11 billion.

Philippine Institute for Development Studies Senior Research Fellow John Paolo R. Rivera said the increase reflected the government’s continued borrowings to finance its fiscal deficit and ongoing infrastructure investments, as well as debt management operations.

“The current debt level remains manageable as long as the economy continues to grow and the government maintains fiscal consolidation,” he told Business World.

“What matters is not just the size of the debt, but whether it is used to finance productive investments that support long-term growth and generate future revenues,” he added.

In the coming months, Rivera said the debt stock is likely to edge higher “broadly consistent with the NG’s medium-term fiscal consolidation strategy.”

Under the Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 Midterm Update Results Matrices posted on May 20, the government expects the debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio at 60-63% in 2026.

In the first quarter, the debt-to-GDP ratio climbed to 65.2%, its highest level since 65.7% recorded in 2005.

Another Matinee Idol From Way Back Dies

Boy Villasanta
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0
Another Matinee Idol From Way Back Dies

AFTER 70s matinee idol Ed Finlan died in May, his contemporary Roger Calvin just kicked the bucket yesterday.

According to Jessica Pica, a friend and a former colleague of Roger, the actor died in the Philippines due to a still unverified cause in a still unidentified place. “One of his friends told me just now that he’s here in the Philippines,” said Jessica in our social media communications.

“Nasa Facebook page na ni Pempe Rodrigo na wala na nga si Roger. Pati si Raquel Monteza who is in the US, alam na wala na si Roger (It’s already in the social media spaces of Pempe Rodrigo that Roger is already gone. Even actress Raquel Monteza who is in the US knows that he is already gone),” Jessica confirmed referring to Pempe, the daughter of the late senator Francisco Rodrigo and sister of King Rodrigo, the husband of Boots Anson Road and founder of Balik-Samahan, an organization of veteran male and female stars where Roger was a member.

Other members of Balik-Samahan are Perla Bautista, Nova Villa, Liza Lorena, Divina Valencia, Marita Zobel, Marissa Delgado, among the living ones and the late Susan Roces, Amalia Fuentes, Ronaldo Valdez and Gloria Romero.         

Pica further said that his friend informed her that Calvin was already cured of his heart ailment last December so he went back to the US.

Francia Camacho Conrado and Roger Calvin in 2023 (Photo Credit: Francia Camacho Conrado/Facebook)  

“Bakit ba siya bumalik dito sa Pilipinas? Sa Amerika, maganda ang medical services. Naku, nakakalungkot naman (Why did he come back to the Philippines? He was already in America where medical services are efficient. OH! It’s indeed saddening),” exclaimed Jessica, the actress who defeated Hilda Koronel in the early 1970s Miss Dance Owl Night Party of Channel 11 of the Metropolitan Broadcasting Company formerly located in Taft Avenue, Manila.

“Nagkasakit si Roger last year. Na-stroke siya pero gumaling na. Nakakalakad na nga siya kaya nakabalik sa (He got sick last year. He suffered from a stroke but he recovered. His mobility was already after the stroke and he could already walk that’s why he was able to return to the US),” informed Pica, a descendant of the Moratos.

Jessica is a one of the nieces of the late Manuel Morato, former chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board during the Cory Aquino administration. Pica’s dad is half-sibling of Manoling. She counts Jake Cuenca and Bobby Andrews, two of the current actors in Philippine cinema, as cousins.

Although Jez, Jessica’s pet name, is a semi-retired actress she is always abreast with the latest happenings in the local show business.

“Kaibigan ko si Roger. Lagi kaming magkasama n’yan. Pati ang mga barkada niya barkada ko rin (Roger was a friend. We were always together. Even his peers are also my friends),” said Jez.

Pica texted Azenith Briones who was still unaware by the time she communicated with the 1975 Mutya ng Pilipinas Miss Photogenic. “Hindi pa niya alam pero ngayon, nasabi ko na (She didn’t know yet but now, I already told her),” she qualified.

“Ngayon, alam na ng lahat (Now, everybody knows),” she added.

“’Yan, naikalat na ni Renz Spangler, ng Famas at ng iba pang (Movie reporter Renz Spangler has already disseminated the information together with Famas and other) individuals and groups.

Roger was known to have starred in many Lea Productions’ film projects like “Kwatang A Star is Born” with Divina, “Boom-Bang-Bang” with Boots and Jeanne Young, “Killer Patrol” with Joseph Estrada and Jess Lapid, “Salamisim” with Marlene Dauden, “Nag-aapoy na Damdamin” with Alicia Alonzo, “Artista ang Aking Asawa” with Dolphy and many more.

The Fil-Am actor was a discovery of star builder and publisher Rudy Ner Siongco.

When the bomba (actual sexual penetration of movie stars on the screen) era was in its height before Martial Law, Calvin migrated to the US because he couldn’t accept film offers that would require him to bare before the cameras.

In the US, Roger worked in advertising companies and other mass media work.

While making hay while the sun shone at Uncle Sam’s country, Calvin met Delia Santos, a prominent medical practitioner in New York.

Roger courted Delia and eventually, they got married.

Calvin and Santos had an unica hija, the amazing broadcaster Cher Calvin, a former ABS-CBN TV host, who is now a popular newscaster at KTLA Channel 5.

Details of Roger’s funeral wake are not yet available as of presstime.. 

He was 80.      

NCR Workers Slam TRO Suspending Wage Hike 

Edwin Moreno
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0
NCR Workers Slam TRO Suspending Wage Hike 

AN OBVIOUSLY pissed off coalition of labor unions is recalibrating its next move following the court’s issuance of a temporary retraining order (TRO), which effectively suspended the implementation of salary adjustment for workers based in Metro Manila.

In a statement, the Nagkaisa Labor Coalition stood firm against the Pasig City Regional Trial Court’s issuance of TRO against the Regional Tripartite Wage and Productivity Board – NCR Wage Order 27 

According to the coalition, the TRO is unacceptable.

“The TRO delays relief for millions of minimum wage earners, who have already waited too long for a modest wage increase amidst soaring prices of food, electricity, transport, and housing,” reads part of the statement.

“Workers cannot eat TROs. Families cannot survive on injunctions,” it added.

The issuance of the TRO, they added, is contrary to the provisions of the Labor Code of the Philippines — particularly Article 124 which provides that any party aggrieved by a wage order may appeal before the National Wages and Productivity Commission (NWPC), and that the filing of such an appeal does not stay the implementation of the wage order.

“The Labor Code is unequivocal. Congress vested wage-fixing authority in the RTWPBs and provided a special and exclusive remedy: appeal to the NWPC and not through an original action before the Regional Trial Court,” said the group.

“This is not a mere error of judgment. When the law is elementary, explicit, and even quoted in the very order being issued, ignoring it raises serious questions of gross ignorance of the law,” added Nagkaisa.

In response, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) stood firm on the validity of the wage order issued by the RTWPB-NCR, assuring workers that the government would contest the TRO issued by the Pasig City RTC.

“We are cooperating, and we are coordinating with the Office of the Solicitor General to argue that this latest wage order is valid, and that we followed the process,” Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino said.

“We did this for the sake of Filipino workers… all of this is for the welfare of both the workers and the employers.” 

Meanwhile, RTWPB-NCR chairperson Sarah Mirasol said the wage order was issued after the wage board adhered to due process.

“We discussed the different positions, comments of labor, the employers, as well as the government. We are confident in the fact that we followed due process, and we followed the process as provided in the guidelines for minimum wage fixing,” said Mirasol in a separate interview.

Under Wage Order NCR-27, the RTWPB-NCR granted a P85 minimum wage increase in Metro Manila to be implemented in two tranches. The first tranche of P60 was supposed to take effect on July 25, while the second tranche of P25 will take effect on January 20, 2027.

Bong Revilla Walks Free For Just P1M

Angel F. Jose
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0
Bong Revilla Walks Free For Just P1M

FOR a non-bailable criminal case involving P98 million, former Senator Bong Revilla only needed a loose change to buy his way out of prison on the same day the Sandiganbayan 3rd Division ruled to grant a petition for bail filed by his lawyers.

No less than the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) confirmed Revilla’s release from detention at around 6:00 Friday afternoon.

“The BJMP confirms that former Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. was released from the Quezon City Jail Male Dormitory at 6:14 pm, July 31, 2026, by virtue of the release order issued by the Sandiganbayan Third Division after he posted the required bail in connection with his case,” according to BJMP spokesperson Jay Bustinera.

The anti-graft court’s 3rd Division chaired by Associate Justice Karl Miranda granted Revilla’s bail involving a P92.8-million ghost flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan.

“Grant the bail application of accused Ramon Bautista ‘Bong’ Revilla, Jr. for failure of the prosecution to establish strong evidence of guilt, insofar as it pertains to the charge of malversation through falsification of public documents, during the bail hearings and in view of existing jurisprudence,” reads part of the resolution.

“Order the provisional release of accused Ramon Bautista “Bong” Revilla, Jr. upon posting of a cash bond of Php1,000,000.00 in line with the ruling in Enrile v. Sandiganbayan (Third Division) unless he is being held for some other legal ground,” it added.

Revilla, along with former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) officials Brice Hernandez and Jaypee Mendoza, were charged in January with graft (pending with the anti-graft court’s 4th Division) and malversation (pending with the 3rd Division) over the alleged ghost project. 

Other charges against Revilla have already been paid days after he was arrested in January this year.

Meanwhile, Ombudsman Crispin Remulla reminded Sandiganbayan that Revilla has yet to comply with the anti-graft court’s 2018 ruling ordering the former senator to return P124.5 million which “found its way to his bank account” to the national treasury.

He was cleared of plunder charges over the notoriously famous “pork barrel scam.” His co-accused, his chief of staff Richard Cambe and businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, were convicted in the same case. 

“It was included in his judgment of acquittal (in plunder)… and until now, the money has yet to be returned (to the government),” Remulla was quoted in a radio interview.

In its motion filed in 2019, the Ombudsman urged the Sandiganbayan to compel Revilla to pay the civil damages because the crime was committed through the ex-senator’s office. 

Interestingly, Revilla’s other co-accused in the most recent graft and malversation charges were not as lucky as the former senator.

Requests for bail by Brice Ericson Diaz Hernandez, Jaypee de Leon Mendoza, Arjay Salvador Domasig, Emelita Capistrano Juat, Juanito Coronel Mendoza, and Christina Mae Del Rosario Pineda were all denied.

Stop Wiggling Your Fingers, Start Using Your Brain

Gwenn Canlas
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10
Stop Wiggling Your Fingers, Start Using Your Brain

THE STROKE-PREVENTION Finger Dance? Sorry, That’s Not How Your Body Works.

Every few weeks, social media discovers another miracle.

This week, it’s a series of finger wiggles and hand exercises that supposedly melt belly fat, sharpen memory, improve eyesight, unclog your blood vessels, stop frequent urination, and even prevent a stroke.

Wow.

Apparently, all these years cardiologists, neurologists, endocrinologists, and ophthalmologists could have closed their clinics and simply opened a TikTok account.

Sorry, but no.

What’s Really Going On?

These videos rack up millions of views because they offer something irresistible: a health fix that’s free, easy, and requires almost zero effort.

Who wouldn’t want to prevent a stroke by waving their fingers for a minute a day?

The problem is that your body doesn’t work that way.

Your arteries don’t magically unclog because your pinky finger touched your thumb.

Your belly fat doesn’t receive a memo saying, “Time to pack up, the fingers are dancing.”

And your retina certainly doesn’t get repaired by hand gymnastics.

But Isn’t This Acupressure?

As an acupuncturist, let me be fair.

Stimulating certain acupuncture or acupressure points may help with pain relief, relaxation, stress, or nausea in some people. That’s supported by varying degrees of scientific evidence.

But that’s a long way from claiming it can prevent strokes, cure diabetes, restore vision, or reverse clogged arteries.

That’s like saying washing your car also fixes the engine.

Different system.

Different problem.

Different solution.

The Real Stroke Prevention Program

If you truly want to lower your stroke risk, here’s the boring advice that actually works:

  • Keep your blood pressure under control.
  • Don’t smoke.
  • Control diabetes and cholesterol.
  • Stay physically active.
  • Eat less junk and more real food.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Take medications your doctor prescribes.
  • Get enough sleep.

Not exactly viral content.

But it saves lives.

Why These Videos Can Be Dangerous

The greatest danger isn’t that people waste two minutes doing finger exercises.

It’s that some people start believing they’re protected.

Someone with uncontrolled hypertension may think they’re “doing prevention.”

Someone having warning signs of a stroke might delay seeking medical attention because they saw a miracle video online.

That’s when misinformation becomes genuinely harmful.

The Certified Prick’s Reality Check

If someone claims they discovered a secret health trick that every hospital in the world somehow missed…

…ask yourself one question.

Where’s the evidence?

Medicine isn’t perfect.

But extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof—not dramatic background music, a confident narrator, and millions of views.

Your health deserves better than internet magic.

And your brain deserves better than believing every finger-wiggling guru who says they can cure half the diseases known to mankind.

The Certified Prick’s Prescription:
Exercise your body. Challenge your mind. Verify before you share. Because the only thing some of these viral videos are improving is the creator’s advertising revenue.

Marcos to BIR: Open Sara’s Tax Records

LOUIE LEGARDA
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0
Marcos to BIR: Open Sara’s Tax Records

CITING the need to ensure transparency among government officials, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. gave clearance to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to open the tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.

“Kung ano sinasabi ng batas, kung ano ang proseso, susunod ang Pangulo,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a Palace press briefing.

She, however, maintained that the President made the decision “for the sake of truth.”

“So, kung yan ang sinasabi at kinakailangan na magbigay siya ng kanyang approval sa BIR para mabuksan ang tax records nila VP Sara at Atty. Mans Carpio, at ito naman ay para sa katotohanan, hindi niya po ipagkakait ang katotohanan sa ating mga kababayan,” the Palace mouthpiece added.

Meanwhile, Defense team spokesperson Atty. Michael Poa declined to issue a statement on Castro’s announcement.

Earlier, the Senate acting as impeachment court, earlier started issuing subpoenas for Duterte’s tax and bank records including those from the BIR,  from the Anti-Money Laundering Council, and from banks.

Castro likewise warded off claims that the move was politically-motivated — “Sa lahat naman ng pagkakataon, kapag ang Pangulo ay gumagawa ng naaayon sa batas pero merong tinatamaan, laging sasabihin nila ‘politically motivated.’ So saan pupunta? Saan lalagay ang Pangulo?” 

“Kahit ano pang sabihin ng iba, basta ang alam ng Pangulo siya ay tumutupad sa proseso, siya ay tumutupad sa batas, kahit siya pa ay paringgan o bigyan ng negatibong impresyon, hindi matitinag ang Pangulo basta siya ay sa batas at sa proseso,” she added.

Earlier this month, impeachment court presiding officer Senator Francis Escudero ordered the return of the sealed green box to the BIR. The box contains tax records of Duterte and her husband.

The Vice President’s legal team previously said it would allow the box to be opened, but only during an executive session.

Sanction Snares Pia Over Spliced Video

Rose de la Cruz
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0
Sanction Snares Pia Over Spliced Video

FROM how it looks, another Cayetano would be taken for a ride back home where she would be made to stay for at least 90 days after a multi-sectoral group filed an ethics complaint over a spliced video posted on her Facebook account.

At the Senate, a group which calls itself Tindig Bayan asked the upper chamber’s ethics committee to censure Senator Pia Cayetano for what has been aptly referred to as deliberate dissemination of a spliced video which distorted the context of an exchange between House impeachment prosecutor and Akbayan partylist Rep. Chel Diokno and her brother Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano.

In her post, Cayetano accused Diokno of fishing for evidence against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Tindig Bayan, composed of women’s rights advocates, student leaders and civil society groups, is the very same group that filed the impeachment complaint against Duterte before the House of Representatives.

Among the signatories in the complaints include former Commission on Higher Education Chair Patricia Licaunan, University of the Philippines – Diliman professor and Everywoman co-convener Jean Franco, Parents Initiative and Social Awareness Mainstreaming Advocacy, Sanctuary Network, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila – College of Public Administration Student Council president Joahna Marie Dela Cruz, Student Council Alliance of the Philippines, District Wide Advocates Quezon City, and Pandayan Para sa Sosyalistang Pilipinas.

FAKE NEWS PEDDLER

The multi-sectoral group asked the upper chamber’s ethics committee “to conduct an inquiry into the public actions of Cayetano about her deliberate dissemination of a spliced and misleading video on her Facebook page.”

The one-minute video, which was “deliberately edited to mislead the public, is not merely a political act, but a serious ethical issue that strikes at the integrity of the Senate as an impeachment court.”

The video had a caption suggesting that the House prosecution’s move to have the Vice President’s tax and bank records presented in court was a mere fishing expedition or a blind attempt to find evidence of her alleged ill-gotten wealth. 

It contained clips of the exchange between Diokno and Pia’s brother, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, the Inquirer reported.

DECEITFUL CONDUCT

The complainants also said on Wednesday that Cayetano, by sharing the deliberately spliced video through her social media channel, violated the Code of Professional Responsibility and Accountability, which prohibits lawyers from engaging in “unlawful, dishonest, immoral or deceitful conduct.”

“Deliberately omitting Rep. Diokno’s legal explanation to invert the meaning of his statement constitutes active, calculated deceit. Sen. Pia S. Cayetano engaged in an artifice designed to deceive the viewing public into believing that Rep. Diokno confessed to an improper legal maneuver,” they said.

They called her post a “reckless disregard for the truth” and “a direct violation’’ of the oath among the senator-judges to remain impartial during the impeachment trial.

“The video only revealed her bias for the Vice President’s camp. Unfortunately, Sen. Pia no longer has the cold neutrality of an impartial judge, which all parties before a court are entitled to as part of due process,” they added.

INSTITUTIONAL DAMAGE

Tindig Bayan said the post caused “institutional damage” to the Senate and if Cayetano is not reprimanded, “it risks eroding public confidence in the neutrality expected of senator judges

“No one—especially senator-judges—should be permitted to distort or selectively present the official proceedings in a manner that misleads the public… When a senator-judge publicly acts in a manner inconsistent with the standards governing the proceedings, public confidence in the institution is inevitably diminished,” they said. 

Diokno earlier clarified that the edited post appeared as if the prosecution panel was fishing for evidence, adding that the prosecution panel (which he’s part of) has actual proof to substantiate their impeachment complaints but that by pursuing the opening of the vice president’s financial documents, “they were not merely taking chances” in presenting proof that the VP had amassed unexplained wealth. 

SUB JUDICE RULING

Cayetano’s video was captioned: “Are they just taking chances? Lacking evidence, yet already making accusations?”

The content of the video is being questioned by Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong, prosecution team spokesman.

“A senator‑judge must first listen to the entire case and weigh all the evidence before reaching any conclusion,” reads part of Adiong’s statement on Sunday, adding that the caption “raises concerns it may have violated the sub judice rule, which bars statements touching on the merits of a case.” 

“When you say the prosecution is accusing without evidence, it is difficult to argue that such a claim does not touch on the merits of a case still being heard by the impeachment court,” Adiong averred.

The Mindanao lawmaker believes the issue is not about curtailing the right of senator-judges to speak freely. But he said the members of the impeachment court must bear the appearance of fairness in a politically charged trial.

The public confidence in the trial depends on the senator-judge’s impartiality throughout the proceedings, he emphasized.

Discord Hounds Pax Silica’s AI Project in Tarlac

Rose de la Cruz
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0
Discord Hounds Pax Silica’s AI Project in Tarlac

THE PROMISES AND vision that the US brainchild Pax Silica are overwhelming for a country yearning for development, until the host realizes its toll on the livelihood, on indigenous communities, on food, water and energy supply and the vulnerability to attacks that the host is exposed to. 

But even before the project gets started, discord has surrounded Pax Silica, despite assurances by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., in his 5th State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Prior to the project signing slated in December this year, protests and arguments have been raised louder than the voices and information that official government agencies are selling to the people.

The project—touting to make the Philippines the world’s AI hub —would convert roughly 1,600-hectare agriculturally-productive land into a high-tech hub.

IMMINENT DISPLACEMENT

However, a group which calls itself AGHAM (Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Mamamayan), said that the hub could eat up the limited energy and water resources that could hardly suffice domestic demand.

AGHAM also allayed fears over an imminent displacement of residents from three barangays predominantly populated by families relying on farming as livelihood. It would also shoo Aeta away from their ancestral domain.

“Farmers and IP groups will be displaced either through direct physical displacement or indirectly by loss of livelihood. The immense scale of the project will undoubtedly affect their livelihoods both inside and outside the project area,”  AGHAM spokesperson Giovanni Tapang said.

NOT ENTIRELY TRUE

Tapang also accused the Bases Conversion and Development Authority and the Department of Foreign Affairs—of presenting an incomplete picture of the potential impacts of the Pax Silica project to be built next year (and to be finished by 2028) in the New Clark City, Tarlac.

Under the United States-led international initiative, the hub will be built to support artificial intelligence infrastructure, data centers, and advanced semiconductor manufacturing.

“The BCDA and the Marcos Jr. administration are clearly desperate to whitewash their environmentally destructive and unsustainable Pax Silica project with the United States,” Tapang over the weekend.

“The facts are clear—a project of this scale will invariably impact local farming communities negatively, and will not present any clear, long-term opportunities for the genuine development of our country,” he added.

FOOD SECURITY AT RISK

AGHAM said that the BCDA has already put out an initial list of Project Affected Persons for Pax Silica earlier this month, showing that residents of barangays O’Donnel, Aranguren, and Santa Lucia of Capas, Tarlac will be impacted.

Data from the Capas municipal government showed over 30 percent of its land area is considered productive agricultural land.

AGHAM refuted claims that the AI data centers Pax Silica is courting will run on renewable energy for its 24/7 operations citing that intermittent energy sources like solar and wind may not be able to supply energy consistently for this purpose because these depend highly on environmental factors.

The scientists’ group said that data centers in the US are now reportedly using diesel generators to keep operations running, resulting in massive air pollution.

The claimed surface water harvesting, or rainfall collection, will still mean reducing the water used or available for farmers and their communities, including communities downstream of the project.

MORE HARM THAN GOOD

Meanwhile, the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) challenged BCDA’s claims that the 1,620-hectare project would create jobs, rely on renewable energy and avoid displacing local communities. 

They also argued that promises of jobs, clean energy and economic growth overlook the project’s potential costs to agriculture, water resources, workers and IP.

“There are also Aeta communities in the area of New Clark City (adjacent to the Pax Silica site) whose ancestral lands that the National Commission on IPs do not formally recognize). These are the farmers and IP groups that will be displaced,” it added.

AGHAM argued that the project’s projected demand of three to five gigawatts would likely require fossil fuels or other energy sources, while supplying even half of that demand through solar farms which would need over 1,000 hectares of additional land.

DRYING UP FARMLANDS

The organization likewise challenged BCDA’s assurance that the project would rely on surface water harvesting instead of community water, saying diverting rainwater for industrial use would still reduce groundwater recharge and diminish water available for farmers and downstream communities.

“There are reports in other countries how communities are now dealing with dirty taps and drinking water due to nearby operations of AI data centers, the same centers Pax Silica wants to bring into our country,” AGHAM’s statement reads.

“This claim by the BCDA also raises the question how water needs of the project will be met in situations of drought or low rainfall, which are becoming more frequent with worsening climate change,” it added.

WARMONGERING DEAL

The group also rejected assurances that the project would have no military applications, arguing that artificial intelligence, semiconductors and microchips have long been used for both civilian and military purposes.

Tapang said the project would deepen the country’s dependence on foreign industries instead of strengthening domestic production.

“Instead of lopsided agreements with a warmongering imperialist power, what we need is a robust national industrialization policy that prioritizes the products Filipinos actually need, food, provision of social services, among many other things, placing people and planet first over profit,” he said.

LABOR, LAND ISSUES

In a separate statement, UMA said Pax Silica would worsen agricultural backwardness by accelerating land conversion in Central Luzon, threatening food sovereignty and exposing communities to environmental and health risks.

Beyond environmental concerns, UMA said the proposed economic zone would reinforce low wages in rural areas instead of improving workers’ conditions — “Imbis na itaas ang mababang sahod sa kanayunan, ipang-aakit pa ito ni Marcos Jr. sa mga imperyalista,” said UMA national chair Ariel “Ka Ayik” Casilao.

UMA also disputed BCDA’s claim that the project would generate around 190,000 jobs, saying the agency has not disclosed the quality of those positions (They are probably the minimum wage entry positions). 

Currently, it said, daily minimum wages in much of Central Luzon stand at P570 for agricultural workers and P600 for non-agricultural workers, less than half of the estimated P1,312 family living wage.

DENR CHIEF ASSURANCE

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin meanwhile said the Pax Silica will not affect the energy supply of the households and businesses outside it.

“It could be yung they build their own power plant, or another way is that they can get somebody to build a power plant especially for them. Marami pa yang variations na pwede,” Garin said.

Several members of the House of Representatives are now urging a deeper probe into Pax Silica.

Garin said they are coming up with a department circular “so that they will know what are the options,” adding that Filipinos will be insulated from the energy side of the project.

Cayetano Joining Jinggoy and Marcoleta Soon?

Lucio Papa
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0
Cayetano Joining Jinggoy and Marcoleta Soon?

THE SENATE minority bloc seemed to be getting leaner as Senator Panfilo Lacson submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman documentary and testimonial evidence on the alleged ghost projects in Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s political bailiwick.

According to Lacson, the files which were gathered from a government database and confidential sources could support possible plunder charges against Cayetano.

On top of plunder, Lacson hinted at two other charges which the Ombudsman may consider filing against Cayetano — malversation of public funds and violations of Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

“We hope the excellent research and investigative work that my staff did in this regard won’t be wasted and will contribute to the Ombudsman’s efforts to expedite their investigation,” Lacson said. 

“We will continue to submit to the Ombudsman whatever pieces of evidence we can still secure to help them achieve our shared crusade against graft and corruption.”

WORSE THAN BULACAN

By his own admission, Lacson said he was under the impression that Bulacan is the center of the so-called flood control scandal — but not after his team presented its findings which showed that the infrastructure scheme in Taguig is far more complex than the ghost projects in Bulacan.

Lacson claimed that the Taguig projects involved old and new tactics dating back to 2019, including illegal reclamation projects allegedly disguised as slope protection structures, ghost projects, double appropriations and the use of recycled photos from past contracts to bill for new ones.

Lacson further claimed that there’s just one person whom he declined to name, behind the scheme which involved P14.4 billion (and counting) worth of infrastructure projects covering 2020 until 2025.

WHAT WENT BEFORE

Prior to the probe into the infrastructure projects in Taguig, Cayetano took a swipe at Senator Erwin Tulfo whom he referred to as Lacson’s lapdog. 

Cayetano, who is allied with two senators facing plunder charges, also questioned the integrity of the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of Tulfo and Lacson.

Tulfo then exposed alleged efforts of the Cayetano bloc not to proceed with the blue ribbon committee hearings — “Sila na po yung nakikiusap na wag na daw po namin ituloy ang Blue Ribbon.” 

When asked to as to why the Cayetano bloc wanted to prevent the blue ribbon committee hearing, Tulfo replied: “Obvious, sinong pinapa-imbestiga, sinong tinutumbok ni Sen. Lacson?” 

Almost a Million Bikes Sold in Just 6 Months

Rose de la Cruz
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Almost a Million Bikes Sold in Just 6 Months

WITH VEHICULAR traffic not waning, and transport network vehicles too scarce and pricey — aggravated by the continuously rising fuel pump prices, commuters have shunned the idea of driving cars to work.

Their alternative mode of mobility — motorcycle.

Citing research-driven data, the Motorcycle Development Program Participants Association (MDPPA) hinted at an increase in motorcycle sales in the first semester of 2026.

According to the MDPPA, 9,39,528 units were sold from January to June of the current year, adding that the momentum is expected to continue in view of weekly fuel price increase with the re-escalated tension in the Middle East.

MDPPA RESEARCH

Motorcycle sales rose 3.58% in the first half, with buyers seeking cheaper mobility alternatives due to high fuel prices.

“Despite a more challenging market environment following an exceptionally strong first half in 2025, the industry maintained positive momentum, reflecting the continued importance of motorcycles as an essential mobility solution for Filipinos,” the association said on Monday.

In the first quarter, motorcycle sales rose 11.6% year on year to 496,868 units, while sales in the second quarter declined 4.2% to 442,660 units, reported Business World.

Automatic motorcycles posted first-half sales of 655,004 units. Far behind at the second place are business motorcycles (148,989 units); mopeds (107,632 units), the street category (24,346 units); big bikes (2,994 units), and other categories (563 units).

“While growth in the first half of 2026 was slower than the growth recorded during the same period in 2025 (when it grew 4.8%), the industry continued to expand, demonstrating the enduring confidence of Filipino consumers in motorcycles as a practical, reliable, and cost-efficient mode of transportation,” MDPPA said.

BEST ALTERNATIVE

“While market conditions have become more challenging compared with last year’s exceptionally strong performance, motorcycles continue to meet the everyday mobility needs of Filipinos,” MDPPA President Erwin D. Estrada said.

“The industry’s continued growth demonstrates that consumers recognize the value motorcycles provide through affordability, fuel efficiency, and dependable transportation for work, business, and daily life,” he added.

As of this writing, the price of gasoline has gone up to P77 per liter, while diesel is pegged at P92 per liter. Kerosene fetched P71.21 and P62.56, respectively.

The group said it remains optimistic that motorcycle sales will grow steadily, driven by the need for affordable transport solutions that can adapt to prevailing economic conditions, Business World added.

Witness: Encashing P500M Unusual But Not Suspicious

Ernesto Reyes
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Witness: Encashing P500M Unusual But Not Suspicious

THE IDEA OF presenting a former bank manager didn’t quite sit well for the House prosecution panel ‘s quest to secure conviction for Article 1 of the impeachment complaint filed against Vice President Sara Duterte.

Testifying before the Senate Impeachment Court, LandBank Shaw Boulevard branch’s former department manager Violeta Constantino, the P500 million in encashments made by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) is “unusual” but not “suspicious.” 

Constantino was presented by the House prosecution panel as its first witness for Article I (alleged misuse, misappropriation, and irregular liquidation of confidential funds from the OVP and the Department of Education) of the impeachment complaint against Duterte. 

According to Constantino, she personally oversaw former OVP Special Disbursing Officer Gina Acosta’s encashment of four checks amounting to P125 million each. The cash, she claimed, was placed inside four gym bags and brought outside through the bank’s fire exit.

During the inquiry, Senator-Judge Bam Aquino asked Constantino if LandBank reported the encashment as a suspicious transaction given its high amount. 

She however didn’t budge citing restrictions under the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA), and instead clarified that all transactions exceeding P500,000 are automatically reported to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).

“But that doesn’t automatically mean the transaction is suspicious… For us, it was not really suspicious.”

Pressed further, Aquino then sought enlightenment as to the bank’s basis for reporting suspicious transactions, Constantino said they qualify a transaction as such once they determine it to be “doubtful.”

“For this particular transaction, wala po kaming duda kasi legit naman po ang transaction… complied po mga standard requirements.”

Meralco Ain’t Keen on EPIRA Revision

Rose de la Cruz
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Meralco Ain’t Keen on EPIRA Revision

DAYS AFTER President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. floated the idea of amending the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) issued a statement in a bid to justify passing on the so-called systems losses to its consumers.

This comes as several consumer advocate groups called on the urgent need to shun monopoly which effectively allowed Meralco to make the consumers shoulder losses induced by the company’s inefficiency and pilferage.

In its statement, Meralco demanded that they be allowed to take part in government discussions prior to congressional actions.

According to the utility company, technical losses (from distribution operations and pilferage by some households and industrial users) are “unavoidable,” short of saying that it cannot by itself shoulder the losses.

Meralco EVP/COO Ronnie L. Aperocho urged the lawmakers to carefully weigh the operational impact of amending EPIRA law and that some technical power losses are unavoidable in electricity distribution.”

The President’s appeal to the lawmakers during his 5th SONA at the Batasan Pambansa was the best message for many Filipinos who are burdened by the high cost of electricity further deepening their cost of living burdens in addition to heavy taxes every step of the way.

The President wanted lawmakers to amend the EPIRA and stop utilities from passing system loss charges and the associated value-added tax on to consumers.

“We respect President Marcos’ policy direction and will actively participate in the discussions as the proposed amendments to the EPIRA are deliberated,” said Aperocho.

He then claimed that the utility firm is investing in infrastructure and technology to improve efficiency, but eliminating technical losses entirely may not be possible.

“While distribution utilities like Meralco continue to invest in modernizing and upgrading facilities and deploying technologies that reduce system losses, a certain level of technical losses remains inherent in operating an electric distribution system,” he averred.

Meralco said its modernization and efficiency initiatives have kept system losses below the 6.5% cap set by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC).

Aperocho urged lawmakers to consider how changes to the system loss framework could affect the ability of utilities to maintain and upgrade their networks.

“We look forward to productive discussions which we hope will carefully consider the impact of reforms on the operations and sustainability of distribution utilities,” Aperocho said.

“To ensure real benefits to consumers, these reforms should also support the ability of distribution utilities and electric cooperatives to efficiently operate, invest in infrastructure and system resilience, and deliver safe and stable electricity service.”

The ERC supported the presidential directive saying it is ready to work with Congress, the Department of Energy and industry stakeholders on the proposed changes.

“As the country’s independent electric power industry regulator, the ERC stands ready to work closely with Congress, the Department of Energy (DOE), industry stakeholders, and other concerned government agencies in advancing the legal and regulatory measures necessary to advance this reform,” Inquirer quoted the regulator.

The ERC said it remains committed to its mandate “to protect consumer welfare through transparent, fair, and accountable regulation.”

Studies showed that the average transmission and distribution (T&D) losses in Southeast Asia (ASEAN) hover at around 9%, which is higher than the OECD (the 39-member nation Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) average of 6–7%, varying widely from advanced compact systems to developing rural networks.

In the ASEAN the regional average is 9 percent except for Singapore, which maintains very low systems losses of around 5% because of compact and highly modernized urban infrastructure.

Countries like the Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam report average losses around 9% to 10%, while rural or remote island cooperatives within these nations can experience localized technical and non-technical losses exceeding 15%.

Technical losses are energy dissipated as heat and noise in overloaded primary/secondary lines, distribution transformers, and substations, while non technical losses are electricity pilferage (illegal connections, jumper cables, meter tampering) and commercial errors (faulty meter reading or billing mistakes).

Independent research groups like the IBON Foundation and consumer advocates criticize Meralco’s system loss charges for passing unconsumed power and pilferage costs onto consumers, making up roughly 5% to 8% of monthly electricity bills, and compounding the burden by being subject to the 12% Value-Added Tax (VAT), the IBON website noted.

IBON said consumers pay for electricity that is lost and never reaches households or businesses arising from power theft (illegal connections/jumpers) and commercial reading errors, which advocacy groups argue should be managed by corporate efficiency rather than public subsidization.

It added that imposing a consumption VAT on system loss is viewed as unjust because no actual good or service is bought or consumed by the end-user.

It maintained that Meralco’s system loss rate of 5.72% is below the 6.5% cap set by ERC.

Government officials have been pushing to amend EPIRA to prevent passing systems loss charges and their respective VAT onto consumers. But Meralco maintains its baseline of technical loss is physically unavoidable in power distribution and warns that abrupt changes could impact utility operations and grid maintenance.

Another group, the Power for People Coalition (P4P) said amending EPIRA is long overdue but falls short of addressing Filipinos’ hardships amid higher power costs.

P4P convenor Gerry Arances said that eliminating system loss charges is “a good step,” but that consumers have for decades been demanding the removal of unfair charges” and that “it’s absurd to present it as something new in the President’s fifth SONA.”

P4P is a national network of consumer groups, people’s organisations, and civic movements advocating for clean, affordable, and accessible energy.

He continued: “The administration cannot expect a pat on the back for too little, too late—especially when it continues to ignore the biggest extra charge in our power bills: high fuel costs.”

Arances argued that the country’s continued dependence on imported coal and natural gas remains the primary reason Filipinos pay some of the region’s highest electricity rates.

He maintained that any amendment to EPIRA should go beyond removing system loss charges.

“It’s not just the system loss provision that needs changing. The entire policy and regulatory framework governing the electricity sector needs an overhaul,” Arances said.

Last June, DOE Undersecretary Dr. Rowena Cristina Guevara said the country’s average power rate reached P12.43 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), higher than Singapore’s by P0.093 per kWh.

Filipinos could see even higher electricity rates in their bills as fuel prices increase due to renewed hostilities in the Middle East.

The consumer group also welcomed Marcos’ recognition of renewable energy as part of the solution to the country’s energy challenges, noting that the energy crisis and the increasing frequency of natural disasters underscore the importance of expanding solar energy, particularly rooftop solar systems.

Good News: Jollibee CSR Program For Farmers Wins Award

Marcus Aquino
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Good News: Jollibee CSR Program For Farmers Wins Award

(CLICK THE ABOVE TO VIEW VIDEO VERSION OF STORY)

A program of the Jollibee Group Foundation (JGF) for farmers was awarded the Outstanding CSR Project in Enterprise Development award at the 2026 League of Corporate Foundations CSR Guild Awards.

Dubbed the Agri-Tech Facilitators (ATF) Program, it is part of JGF’s Farmer Entrepreneurship Program (FEP), which helps smallholder farmers improve their competitiveness while supplying institutional markets such as the Jollibee Group.

The ATF Program was developed in response to the growing demand from farmers for greater access to practical and appropriate agricultural technologies tailored to the needs of smallholder farmers.

This is what JGF President Gisela Tiongson said about the ATF Program:

“Through the Agri-Tech Facilitators Program, farmer leaders are not only learning new technologies, but also becoming mentors, problem-solvers, and trusted sources of knowledge within their communities.

“By enabling farmers to lead the adoption and share locally relevant solutions, we create lasting impact that extends far beyond individual farms.

“We share this recognition with our farmer leaders and our partners, whose commitment continues to strengthen and build more resilient farming communities.”

Instead of relying solely on occasional technical support from external experts, the ATF Program equips farmer leaders to become “local champions.”

THE ‘LOCAL CHAMPIONS’
These “local champions” identify, test, adapt, and share practical farming technologies and climate-smart practices within their own cooperatives and communities.

“The most meaningful innovations are those that communities can understand, adapt, and sustain themselves,” said Gisela Tiongson.

Since its pilot implementation, the Agri-Tech Facilitators Program has trained and certified 18 farmer leaders as community-based agri-tech facilitators.

These facilitators have gone on to develop and implement 14 agri-tech demonstration projects featuring practical innovations such as rain shelters, greenhouse production, drip irrigation, vermicomposting, and green manuring.

Through peer-learning sessions, farm demonstrations, and community engagements, they have also shared the technologies with more than 200 fellow farmers, helping strengthen local capacity for technology adoption and climate-smart agriculture.

In Laguna one Agri-Tech Facilitator introduced rain shelter technology for cabbage production after experiencing severe weather challenges.

The innovation reduced the growing period from 120 days to 90–105 days while increasing marketable harvest from 30 kilograms under open-field conditions to 174 kilograms under protected cultivation.

Following a previous season of crop failure caused by adverse weather, the farmer was able to harvest successfully and is now helping fellow farmers adopt the same technology.

Another practicum project demonstrated how greenhouse technology increased tomato yield by 79 percent, and improved plant survival from 83.2 percent to 95.2 percent.

The greenhouse technology also reduced production cost per kilogram by 32 percent, and nearly tenfold increased net income compared with open-field cultivation.

Ateneo de Cagayan–Xavier University played a key role in designing and delivering the training, while Central Luzon State University supported the development of the learning modules.

University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) also conducted a formative evaluation that validated the training’s effectiveness in strengthening farmers’ leadership, facilitation, and technical capacities.

As the Foundation continues to expand opportunities for smallholder farmers, JGF remains committed to making farming a dignified and profitable livelihood by connecting farmers with knowledge, innovation, and market opportunities.

PBBM’s SONA: Presidential?!

Boni Macaranas
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PBBM’s SONA: Presidential?!

THE SONA OF President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr was met with countless clapping of hands, especially by his fellow dynasts, meaning they meant to say, “Bravo!,” “Great points raised!,” “Ang galing!,” “That’s my President!”

Well, such reactions were expected, given that the clappers have that kindred spirit with the president that they themselves felt they were also doing fine for their respective constituents. But, did the people of goodwill who heard the whole speech also had the same sentiments?

Perhaps those who heard Pres. Bongbong Marcos seriously said that his cousin, former speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, should really be investigated, and that he’s the “president of the people,” not just of a particular sector of the population, did honestly clap their hands then. But that’s it, there were no other words worth clapping for afterwards by the Filipino people. Why?

The Filipino people expect their president, their head/leader of government, their chief promoter of the Philippine Constitution and Rule of Law, more specifically “to build a just and humane society,” as his mandate when he took his oath as President of the Philippines. 

Honest Answers

The people naturally were expecting honest answers to how true and how much has he delivered over the past five years of his promise to serve the people, given their expectation of resolving the terrible and painful mess of a bloody and impoverished country left by the former president, the ICC jailbird Rodrigo Roa Duterte, (who, incidentally, has his daughter, VP Sara, currently on trial by an Impeachment Court, for betrayal of public trust and many other crimes against the people). 

President Bongbong Marcos missed confessing that he failed, in all honesty, after promising a “Bagong Pilipinas” under his administration together with his “uniteam” partner, VP Sara Duterte, particularly the availability of the P20/kg of rice in the market. This promise was made because it would powerfully send the message that the food needs of the majority of the Filipino people will be met. 

Indeed, among the many other expectations of the people from their president, the son of Dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos of the brutal Martial Law years, was a humane and compassionate approach to governance, in contrast to the “killing president” Rodrigo Roa Duterte. 

Unaddressed Concerns

President Bongbong Marcos could have mentioned, to be sincere as the country’s head-of-state, the unaddressed human rights violations of illegal arrests, tortures and detentions, enforced disappearances, ongoing EJKs of journalists, lawyers, pastors, and activists. These human rights violations have continued to taint his leadership, especially as he did not abolish the ICC jailbird’s notorious “baby agency” NTF-ELCAC. 

It has generously budgeted this government office in the millions, as it illegally carries out its “red/terrorist” branding of activists and even development workers helping marginalized, LGU-neglected peasant and IP communities. President Bongbong refrained from commenting about the latest massacre of 19 people, including youths, by the AFP ground troops, in Negros. 

Aware of the more than 775 political prisoners, most likely jailed for trumped-up charges, President Bongbong did not, even in general terms, mention that justice must be given due course under his administration.

He missed admitting his failure to provide full employment, improving the education system and healthcare needs of the people, raising the wages of workers, providing appropriate assistance to the farmers, fisherfolks and IPs, and solving the energy crisis. 

To conclude his SONA, he could have humbly confessed not being a perfect leader, but he is still focused on the big-name fugitives, like Sen. Bato dela Rosa, Atong Ang and the crooks in congress and other government institutions. As president, Bongbong failed in serving the people!      

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