Three members of a family riding a motorcycle in Pola, Oriental Mindoro, lost their lives on the afternoon of December 19, 2025, when a passenger van collided with their vehicle along a provincial highway. The victims—a husband, wife, and their child—were declared dead on arrival upon admission to Grace Mission Hospital, where authorities also treated…
The manhunt for the suspect behind a deadly mass shooting at Brown University ended on December 18, 2025, when authorities found Claudio Manuel Neves-Valente dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in a storage unit in Salem, New Hampshire. The 48-year-old Portuguese national, a former Brown student, had been wanted for the massacre that claimed two…
Former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral was questioned at the Office of the Ombudsman on December 3, 2025, just two weeks before her untimely death in a fall from a cliff along Kennon Road in Tuba, Benguet. Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano confirmed Cabral’s appearance as part of an ongoing…
In a sweeping move against entrenched corruption in government infrastructure projects, contractor Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya was arrested on December 18, 2025, by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on charges tied to a staggering ₱7.1 billion tax evasion case and alleged involvement in a series of irregularities in flood control projects nationwide. The crackdown…
MANILA — Philippine authorities have launched an aggressive crackdown on wet market retailers in the capital, issuing “show-cause orders” to vendors accused of inflating food prices during the critical holiday season. The enforcement operation, led by the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), targets a widening gap between government-mandated…
The Philippines asserted its dominance in triathlon at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Rayong, Thailand, by capturing gold medals in both the men’s and women’s relay events. The victories, highlighted by a narrow win in the mixed relay, reaffirm the country’s stature as a regional force in the sport and add significant momentum to…
Gerard Opulencia, former director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) National Capital Region (NCR) office, has surrendered ₱40 million to the Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of a broader plea agreement connected to the ongoing flood control corruption scandal. This initial repayment marks a significant step in efforts to recover public…
Former DPWH Official Surrenders ₱40 Million Amid Flood Control Scandal In a pivotal development in the ongoing investigation into the massive flood control scandal, Gerard Opulencia, the former Director of the Department of Public Works and Highways – National Capital Region (DPWH-NCR), handed over ₱40 million in cash to the Department of Justice (DOJ) on…
Amid a backdrop of intense political turmoil at home, Philippine athletes have delivered a powerful surge of national pride at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. On December 16 and 17, the country’s medal tally climbed higher as the women’s double sculls rowing team of Joanie Delgaco and Kristine Paraon clinched gold, while 17-year-old…
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has announced the start of a major rehabilitation project on Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA), scheduled to begin on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2025. This comprehensive effort aims to address the deteriorating pavement and infrastructure along Metro Manila’s busiest thoroughfare and is set to run intensively…
Malacañang Palace has strongly rejected claims alleging that the two gunmen responsible for the deadly mass shooting at Bondi Beach trained with ISIS in the Philippines, calling the assertion sweeping and misleading. No verified evidence from Australian or international investigations supports the alleged connection to training in the Philippines, with official statements confirming the attackers…
No Filipinos have been harmed amid the escalating clashes between Thai and Cambodian forces along their contested border, the Philippine ambassador confirmed, alleviating concerns within the Filipino community about the safety of expatriates and travelers in the region. The renewed violence marks the most severe outbreak since the decades-old dispute reignited earlier this year, leading…
The Season 88 UAAP men’s basketball finals is deadlocked as the UP Fighting Maroons and the De La Salle Green Archers gear up for a decisive third game. After UP’s hard-fought victory in Game 2 on December 14, 2025, the series is tied at 1–1, setting the stage for a winner-takes-all showdown that will determine…
The Department of Health (DOH) is set to broaden its zero-balance billing policy by extending it to selected local government unit (LGU) hospitals. This initiative aims to eliminate out-of-pocket expenses for patients in basic or ward accommodations at designated LGU facilities, mirroring the coverage currently provided in DOH hospitals. The expansion focuses exclusively on Level…
Multiple residential fires broke out across Metro Manila on Monday, December 15, 2025, disrupting communities in Caloocan City and parts of Manila as emergency responders raced to contain the blazes. The incidents, reported at different times throughout the day, displaced families and renewed concerns about fire safety during the high risk holiday season. Fire units…
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the accelerated acquisition of new vessels for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), transforming the civilian agency into the nation’s primary instrument for asserting sovereignty and protecting Filipino citizens in the increasingly volatile West Philippine Sea (WPS). This directive is a direct response to a recent escalation of aggressive maritime…
The Philippine government has escalated its pursuit of fugitive former Congressman Elizaldy Co, pivoting its strategy from standard police cooperation to invoking a major global anti-corruption treaty. Facing high-profile graft and malversation charges, Mr. Co is now the subject of an intense diplomatic and legal offensive centered on the utilization of the United Nations Convention…
The Bicameral Conference Committee on the 2026 national budget suspended its meeting on December 15, 2025, after failing to reach an agreement on the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) plea to reinstate significant portions of budget cuts imposed by the Senate. The dispute centers on a P45–54 billion reduction attributed to adjustments in…
Three Filipino fishermen were injured and two fishing vessels damaged after China Coast Guard (CCG) ships used water cannons and severed anchor lines near Escoda Shoal in the contested West Philippine Sea. The December 12, 2025, encounter marks another escalation in persistent maritime tensions, drawing sharp condemnation from Philippine officials who denounced the dangerous maneuvers…
The Philippines’ Department of National Defense (DND) has publicly condemned China’s recent radar illumination of Japanese military aircraft, describing the action as “perilous and provocative” amid growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific region. The incident, involving Chinese fighter jets locking weapon radars on Japanese F-15s during carrier drills near Okinawa, underscores a fragile security environment where…