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Volume 37 - No. 19 • 12 Pages
MAY 8 - 14, 2026 info@asianjournalinc.com • Tel: (818) 937-9981 • (818) 937-9982 • (213) 250-9797 • 611 North Brand Blvd., Suite 1300, Glendale, CA 91203
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ASEAN leaders meet in Cebu to address DATELINE USA US seizes 503 fake energy, security and economic pressures investment websites FROM THE AJPRESS NEWS TEAM ACROSS AMERICA
in Southeast Asia scam crackdown
U.S. Department of Justice files charges against two Chinese nationals, disrupts scam infrastructure, and restrains more than $700 million in cryptocurrency allegedly tied to transnational fraud operations targeting American victims
Regional leaders open the 48th ASEAN Summit with discussions centered on fuel security, maritime stability, economic resilience and ASEAN’s response to escalating global tensions. by AJPress
CEBU CITY — Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations gathered in Cebu on Friday, May 8, for the opening of the 48th ASEAN Summit, with re-
gional governments confronting mounting concerns over energy supply, food security and broader economic instability linked to the continuing conflict in the Middle East. Hosted by the Philippines under the 2026 ASEAN
House expected to impeach Sara Duterte as Senate trial looms
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal authorities have launched a coordinated enforcement campaign targeting transnational scam networks operating out of Southeast Asia, announcing criminal charges, digital seizures, and financial disruption measures tied to schemes that U.S. officials say have defrauded American victims of billions of dollars. The actions, disclosed by the Justice Department, are part of the government’s Scam Center Strike Force, a multi-agency initiative designed to identify, disrupt, and prosecute u PAGE 3
U.S. eases visa freeze for foreign doctors, highlighting limits of broader healthcare immigration policy A narrow federal adjustment allows continued processing for physician-related cases, offering relief for some foreign-trained doctors, including Filipinos, while leaving most healthcare workers under existing constraints. WASHINGTON, D.C. — Federal immigration authorities have eased a visa-processing freeze affecting foreign-trained physicians, carving out a limited pathway for doctors as healthcare providers warn that staffing shortages remain acute in underserved parts of the United States. The adjustment is not a system-wide rollback of immigration restrictions. It applies primarily to physicians and is being implemented through agency-level guidance rather than a u PAGE 3
Lawmakers project more than 200 votes in favor of impeachment as the vice president’s allies continue challenging the renewed proceedings ahead of a possible Senate trial by AJPress
BIMP-EAGA SUMMIT MEETING. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. (4th from right), Brunei Darussalam Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (4th from left), Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (5th from left), and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (5th from right) pose for a family photo during the Special Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit in Cebu on Thursday (May 7, 2026). The summit forms part of the Philippines’ hosting of the 48th ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings. PNA photo by Avito Dalan
MANILA — The House of Representatives is expected to vote on Monday, May 11, on whether to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, with lawmakers aligned with the proceedings saying support inside the chamber has grown well beyond the constitutional threshold required to elevate the case to the Senate. Several House members involved in the proceedings said this week that between 200 and 215 lawmakers were expected to support the articles of impeachment, significantly exceeding the minimum requirement of one-third of the chamber. Under the Constitution, at least 106 votes are necessary for impeachment to proceed to the Senate for trial. u PAGE 5
PhilHealth receives P60 billion returned from Decentralized syndicates emerge as National Treasury following Supreme Court ruling focus of Senate flood control probe by AJPress
MANILA — The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has confirmed the return of P60 billion from the National Treasury following a Supreme Court ruling that ordered the restoration of funds earlier transferred from the state health insurer under provisions later declared invalid by the high court. In a statement issued Thursday, May 7, 2026, PhilHealth said the return of the funds reflected the government’s support for the
Philippine economy slows to 2.8% in Q1, weakest in 5 years MANILA — The Philippine economy grew by only 2.8% in the first quarter of 2026, putting the country well below the pace needed to meet full-year forecasts by multilateral and private-sector analysts. The first-quarter gross domestic product growth was slower than the 3% recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025 and 4% in the same period last year, based on Philippine Statistics Authority data released Thursday, May 4. The quarterly GDP is the lowest recorded since the first quarter of 2021, a year after the global COVID-19 pandemic broke out and shut down markets. The figure also fell short of the growth implied by earlier forecasts. The Asian Development
chairmanship of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the summit has taken on heightened geopolitical significance as Southeast Asian economies weigh the potential consequences of prolonged disruptions to global u PAGE 2
Bank projected Philippine GDP growth of 4.4% for 2026, while private firms’ analysis expected the economy to expand by about 5.2% this year. BMI, a Fitch Solutions unit, said in February that it expected Philippine growth to accelerate to 5.2% in 2026. But this was before the global oil shock following the United States’ attacks and subsequent actions on Iran. Services carry growth The government’s data agency said the main contributors to first-quarter growth were wholesale and retail trade and repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, which grew 4.6%; financial and insurance activities, 3.4%; and public administration and defense u PAGE 3
agency’s mandate to provide healthcare coverage and financial protection to Filipinos. The agency said the restored amount would help strengthen benefit delivery, improve internal systems and support the implementation of programs under the Universal Health Care Act. The legal dispute stemmed from provisions in the 2024 General Appropriations Act and a Department of Finance circular that authorized the transfer of what government officials described at the time as “excess” u PAGE 2
NBI arrests PGMN founder Franco Mabanta, four others in alleged extortion complaint involving Romualdez by AJPress
MANILA — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested social media personality Roberto Ma. Franco Cruz Mabanta and four associates following an alleged extortion complaint filed by former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. Mabanta is the founder and chairman of Peanut Gallery Media Network (PGMN), a Philippine-based digital media and political commentary platform known for livestream discussions, opinion programming and investi-
gative-style online content focused on national politics and governance. NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the arrests stemmed from an entrapment operation conducted Tuesday, May 5, after Romualdez allegedly reported receiving demands for money in exchange for withholding the release of online material purportedly linking him to corruption within the House of Representatives. According to the NBI, the alleged demand reached P300 milu PAGE 2
by AJPress
MANILA — A Senate investigation into alleged irregularities involving billions of pesos in Philippine flood control projects is increasingly centering on what lawmakers describe as localized networks operating within regional and district public works offices rather than a single nationwide command structure. Senate Blue Ribbon Committee chair Panfilo Lacson said Wednesday, May 6, that evidence presented before the panel so far suggests the alleged anomalies may have been carried out through separate clusters of influence embedded in specific Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) district engineering offices. Speaking during the Kapihan sa Senado forum, Lacson said investigators have not established evidence supporting the existence of one central “mastermind” overseeing all questioned flood mitigation projects nationwide. “I don’t think there’s an overall mastermind,” Lacson said. “There is a mastermind in Bulacan, there is a mastermind in Mindoro.” The Senate inquiry has been examining allegations involving flood control appropriations released between 2022 and 2025, including claims of unfinished or nonexistent projects, poor-quality
construction, irregular contractor concentration, and possible coordination between contractors and local officials. Committee discussions have focused on whether certain district engineering offices became operational hubs for alleged project manipulation and procurement irregularities. Lacson described the alleged practices as “parasitic,” while emphasizing that the Senate inquiry remains a fact-finding and legislative process rather than a criminal proceeding. Under Philippine law, allegations and testimony raised during congressional hearings do not constitute proof of criminal liability unless validated through formal investigation and judicial proceedings. Among the matters discussed during recent hearings was a handwritten note attributed by Lacson to the late former DPWH Undersecretary Ma. Catalina Cabral. Lacson said the note appeared to reference P500 million in infrastructure “allocables” associated with Senator Rodante Marcoleta. Marcoleta denied wrongdoing and rejected Lacson’s interpretation of the document, describing u PAGE 2