AUGUST 30 - September 5, 2025 Volume 36 - No. 35 • 1 Section – 14 Pages
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Marcos orders lifestyle audit of all gov’t officials DATELINE USA Palace says directive expands probe into questionable flood-control projects
from the AJPress NEWS TEAM across America
DFA confirms Filipinos injured but safe after fatal New York tour bus crash
by AJPress
MANILA — President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered a comprehensive lifestyle audit of all government officials, expanding the government’s anti-corruption drive beyond infrastructure agencies and into the wider bureaucracy. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro announced the directive during a Malacañang briefing on August 27, 2025. She said the order is tied to the administration’s MANILA — What began as a sightseeing transparency campaign and complements the probe trip from Niagara Falls to New York City ended in tragedy when a charter bus carrying 54 passengers overturned on the New York State Thruway last week. Five people lost their lives and dozens more were injured in one of the deadliest highway crashes in upstate New York in recent years. The Department of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Filipino nationals were among those on board. Three Filipinos were hospitalized after the accident but have since been discharged and cleared to travel, according to DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona. None of the Filipino passengers were among the fatalities. Escalona said the Philippine Consulate General in New York has been working closely with local authorities and medical institutions. “Our thoughts and prayers remain with all of the victims of this tragic incident,” she noted, adding
into questionable flood-control programs. Flood-control projects under scrutiny The president’s move comes amid growing concerns over the handling of flood-control allocations. The Commission on Audit (COA) has launched a fraud audit in Bulacan, covering projects from January 2022 to July 2025. Auditors are conducting geo-tagged inspections and requiring photo and video documentation to confirm reported accomplishments. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has also
Hontiveros calls on Marcos to “lead by example” by releasing his SALN; Palace says he’s “ready” by AJPress
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Trump administration proposes four-year cap on student visas; rule not yet in effect The Trump administration, through the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has proposed a regulation that would limit how long foreign students, exchange visitors, and most foreign media visa holders can remain in the United States. Published on August 28, 2025, the draft rule would end the current “duration of status” (D/S) policy—where students may stay as long as they maintain full-time enrollment and make progress toward their degree—and instead impose fixed admission periods. Public comments are due by September 29, 2025, with related submissions accepted until October 27, 2025. Key provisions of the proposal • F and J visas (students and exchange visitors): Admission until the program end date listed on their forms, but no longer than four years. Students in longer programs or those requiring additional time would need to apply for an extension of stay through U.S. Citizen-
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PRICE CHECK. Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco, Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. and Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque (from left) conduct price monitoring of basic goods and commodities at Agora Complex Market in Navotas City on Friday, August 29. Tiu Laurel also announced the DA will no longer push through with the planned maximum suggested retail price for pork and chicken in September, citing declining retail prices in local markets. PNA photo by Ben Briones
Napoles gets up to 55 years in new pork barrel conviction by AJPress MANILA — Janet Lim-Napoles, long associated with the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam, has been sentenced again by the Sandiganbayan. She received a combined 55 years in prison for misusing P7.55 million in Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) allocations tied to then Davao del Sur Representative Marc Douglas Cagas IV. The anti-graft court found Napoles guilty
begun a tax-compliance investigation into contractors linked to flagged projects, with the possibility of suspending tax clearances where irregularities are found. Earlier, lawmakers had pressed for lifestyle checks on officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), long seen as a focal point in infrastructure spending. The President’s directive now widens that scope to all government officials, regardless of agency or rank. u PAGE A2
MANILA — Senator Risa Hontiveros has welcomed President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s directive ordering lifestyle checks on government officials involved in flood control projects, but urged the Chief Executive to set the example by making his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) public. Hontiveros said on Thursday, August 28, that the lifestyle-check campaign would only carry real weight if Marcos included himself and his family in the process. She added she was prepared to undergo the same review, pointing out that she has “a middle-class lifestyle” that can withstand scrutiny. “Kung talagang seryoso ang pamahalaan sa lifestyle check, dapat magsimula ito sa pinakamataas na opisyal ng bansa” (“If the government is truly serious about lifestyle checks, it should start with u PAGE A2
of two counts of graft and two counts of malversation, and ordered her to pay fines equal to the amounts misused plus civil indemnities with legal interest. Convicted with her were former Technology Resource Center officials Dennis Cunanan and Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana, and former NABCOR official Rhodora Mendoza. Napoles remains detained at the Correctional Institution for Women in Mandaluyong, serving multiple sentences while appealing.
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Malacañang relieves PNP Chief Vico Sotto questions ‘paid Alexandra Eala exits US Open in second Torre, names Nartatez as successor interviews’; Korina Sanchez round after historic breakthrough camp warns of cyber libel Alex Eala
Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has taken command of the PNP, tasked with restoring stability after the brief and disputed tenure of Gen. Nicolas Torre III by AJPress
Gen. Nicolas Torre III
PNP file photo
MANILA — In a swift and unforeseen move, Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has been appointed as the new Chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), replacing Gen. Nicolas Torre III, whose brief tenure came to an abrupt end. The appointment was formalized through a memorandum signed on August 25, 2025, by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and took effect u PAGE A2
by AJPress MANILA — Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto’s social media post questioning why veteran journalists feature controversial public figures for alleged multi-million peso fees drew a sharp response from the camp of broadcaster Korina Sanchez-Roxas, which branded the remarks as “slanderous” and possibly constituting cyber libel. On August 21, Sotto took to Facebook to comment on resurfaced interviews of Sarah and Curlee Discaya that aired on pro-
Photo from Instagram/@alex.eala
by AJPress
grams hosted by Sanchez and fellow broadcaster Julius Babao. The mayor wrote that a figure like “P10 million” was “not exact” but suggested such amounts were being spent to secure airtime. While not illegal, he said, the practice undermines the spirit of journalistic ethics. “It is shameful and violative of the spirit of ethics,” Sotto wrote, adding that credibility should not be traded for publicity. The Discayas have been linked to construction firms with government contracts under the u PAGE A3
New York — Alexandra Maniego Eala’s campaign at the 2025 U.S. Open ended in the second round after Spain’s Cristina Bucsa defeated her, 6–4, 6–3, on Wednesday, August 27, at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. First-round breakthrough Eala, 20, made history in her opening match against Denmark’s Clara Tauson, seeded 14th. After winning the first set, 6–3, Eala dropped the second, 2–6, and trailed 1–5 in the third. She recovered and forced a tiebreak, eventually sealing the
victory, 7–6 (13–11). The match lasted 2 hours and 54 minutes. The result marked Eala’s first career main-draw victory at a Grand Slam. According to tournament records and international press reports, she became the first player competing under the Philippine flag in the Open Era to reach the second round of a singles major. Second-round match In the round of 64, Bucsa won in straight sets, 6–4, 6–3. Official match statistics show Bucsa put 73 percent of first serves into play, winning 60 percent of those points. She converted 6 of u PAGE A3