Senate told: Over P1 trillion in proposed 2027 budget is ‘pork’

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not order the P50-million bounty for the arrest of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, which the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) issued under their mandates, the Palace said Monday. According to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, Interior Secretary

MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Sonny Angara has issued comprehensive proactive guidelines to help schools prepare for a strong to very strong El Niño, which the state weather service predicts will persist through mid-2027. “We cannot afford to wait until extreme heat hits before we act. Our plan this year is proactive, deliberate, and organized,”

MANILA, Philippines — As Filipino consumers prepare for Undas and the Christmas and New Year holidays, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said prices of 190 monitored basic necessities and prime commodities will not increase until Dec. 31, 2026, assuring the public that supplies of the listed products remain sufficient nationwide. In a statement

SAN FRANCISCO, Agusan del Sur — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) wrapped up a four-day joint inter-agency defense exercise on Sunday across Surigao City, the Dinagat Islands, and key maritime corridors along the country’s eastern seaboard. Dubbed “Exercise Surigao Sentinel 01-2026,” the Oct. 22–25 maneuvers culminated with the 82nd

MANILA, Philippines — National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag said on Monday that the bureau will arrest Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa with the least possible violence, noting that an “encounter” may happen in locating him. In an interview, Matibag noted dela Rosa’s background as a former chief of the Philippine National Police

MANILA, Philippines — Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon has called out members of the Duterte family for the cyber libel cases filed against members of the media, saying that if they were able to do it before, lawmakers will not allow it to happen again. In an interview on Monday at the Batasang Pambansa

MANILA, Philippines – De La Salle University (DLSU) Manila has suspended in-person and online classes from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 26. The La Sallian, DLSU’s official student publication, said the announcement came from the Office of the Provost, but it has not disclosed the reasons. Classes from 6:00 p.m. onward will

MANILA, Philippines — Less than a week before Undas, flower prices at Dangwa Market in Manila remain at P450 to P1,500 per bundle, but vendors expect prices to rise by Wednesday, Oct. 28. One vendor told INQUIRER.net that a bundle of local white roses costs P450, while Korean roses are priced at P650. Meanwhile, a

KORONADAL CITY — The Police Regional Office 12 (PRO-12) will deploy 4,790 personnel across Soccsksargen (Region 12) to help ensure public safety and maintain peace and order during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day 2026 (Undas 2026). The PRO-12 Regional Public Information said the deployment will cover cemeteries, memorial parks, columbaria,

PROSPERIDAD, Agusan del Sur — Family poverty in Agusan del Sur has dropped sharply from 23.4% in 2023 to 13.9%, putting the province ahead of schedule on its medium-term development roadmap, Gov. Santiago B. Cane Jr. announced during his annual State of the Province Address (SOPA) on Friday. Delivering the address under the banner “A

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Panfilo Lacson said it was uncalled for to preempt President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and limit his choices for a possible replacement for Vice President Sara Duterte should she be removed from office. Lacson was reacting to Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s call for all senator-judges in Duterte’s impeachment trial to

MANILA, Philippines — Several House of Representatives lawmakers from the National Unity Party (NUP) are pushing for a bill that seeks to create a body that would manage advanced industries in the country, like the proposed Pax Silica hub in Luzon, to provide a legal framework for such industries. During a press briefing on Monday, NUP