Go, Aguirre deny hand in Rody’s war on drugs By Joel E. Zurbano and Rex Espiritu SENATOR Bong Go and former Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II denied they were “co-perpetrators” or accomplices in relation to the crimes against humanity case against former President Rodrigo Duterte filed with the International Criminal Court. “I dispute these allegations which are entirely unfounded, one-sided, unfair and bear no relation to the reality of my roles and responsibilities during my service as Special Assistant to the President from June 2016 to October 2018 as well as Executive Assistant to the Mayor of Davao City from 1998 to 2016,” Go said. “I will not allow these baseless accusations to distract me from my responsibilities as a duly elected Senator of the Republic,” he added. Aguirre also dismissed the allegations, saying he was not involved in the Duterte administration’s controversial war on drugs. Turn to A4
DepEd eyes trimester sched NEWS / A2
ICC names Go, Bato as Rody co-perpetrators Others tagged: Ex-DOJ chief Aguirre, former PNP, NBI execs
Senator Bato Dela Rosa
Senator Bong Go
Ex-PNP OIC Lt. Gen. Vicente Danao (ret.)
Ex-PNP chief Gen. Camilo Cascolan (deceased)
Ex-PDEA chief Isidro Lapeña
Ex-NBI director Dante Gierran
Ex-PNP chief Oscar Albayalde (ret.)
By Pot Chavez
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WO sitting senators have been identified as “co-perpetrators” in former President Rodrigo Duterte’s crimes against humanity trial at the International Criminal Court (ICC), documents released by prosecutors showed.
Senators Ronald Dela Rosa and Christopher Go are among eight current and former officials named in a document dated February 13 and posted on the court’s website. ICC prosecutors have
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Ex-Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II
charged Duterte with three counts of crimes against humanity, alleging his involvement in at least 76 murders between 2013 and 2018 as part of his “war on drugs.” Turn to A4
l ICC
prosecutors may seek arrest warrants —Conti
VOL. XL • NO. 5 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES FEBRUARY 15, 2026
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CULTURAL TIES. Amid tensions between Manila and Beijing officials over the West Philippine Sea issue, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan attend the projection mapping show of the façade of Binondo Church as part of the Chinatown Revitalization project Friday evening, days before the Lunar New Year on February 17, 2026. Also in attendance are Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso and Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) Honorary President Dr. Cecilio K. Pedro. PPA Pool
Ejercito: No tension if China stops bullying Filipinos PBBM, China envoy underscore By Rex Espiritu, Joel Zurbano and Charles Dantes SENATOR JV Ejercito reminded Chinese Embassy officials there would not have been a tense exchange of remarks if China simply desisted from bullying Filipino fishermen and officials and respected Philippine sovereignty. “If they were not driving away our fisherfolk or bullying our Philippine Coast Guard or attacking our officials, then there would be no conflict,” said Ejercito.
“Respect begets respect,” he added. Ejercito and Senator Raffy Tulfo earlier called for the replacement of Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan, whom they described as “very aggressive and very sensitive.” Chinese Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng fired back on Friday, saying it was not their place to call for the designation of a new ambassador and warning that such “childish” actions could cost millions of jobs. “Who do they think they are? Do they even have the capability? They
know they can’t do that, yet they keep repeating the same old tricks—always posturing, always bluffing,”the Chinese official added. Yesterday, Li again posted a statement on the embassy’s social media page in response to criticisms by Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima that the Chinese official, whom she likened to a wolf warrior, enjoys freedom of speech in the Philippines but not in his own country “controlled by a one-party dictatorship.” Turn to A4
cultural, heritage ties amid tensions By Charles Dantes DAYS before the country marks the Lunar New Year, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan underscore cultural ties and cooperation amid simmering geopolitical tensions between Manila and Beijing officials. At the launch of Phase II of the Chinatown Revitalization Project in
Binondo Friday evening, Mr. Marcos said the heritage initiative honors centuries-old connections between Filipinos and the Chinese community while supporting tourism, mobility, and local business growth in Manila’s historic district. “Heritage must be something we can all learn from and enjoy, regardless of where we come from or who Turn to A4
PBBM: Release Poor households under 4Ps to get P321m aid for lifeline electricity subsidy – Marcos ‘Basyang’-hit LGUs By Charles Dantes
By Charles Dantes
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the immediate release of P321 million in aid to 34 provinces and eight cities hit by Tropical Storm “Basyang” and a shear line to hasten the recovery of displaced families and the repair of damaged infrastructure. Turn to A4
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the automatic enrollment of poor households into the lifeline electricity subsidy and directed faster processing of net‑ metering applications to lower power costs and expand renewable energy use. Speaking at the “Collective Response to Presidential Commitments
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in the Energy Sector” yesterday, Mr. Marcos said the government would automatically register all beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, or 4Ps, under the Lifeline Rate Subsidy Program (LRSP). The president said that as of November 2025, more than 334,000 consumers had registered under the LRSP, representing nearly 11 percent
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SAFE LOVE. Youth volunteers distribute free condoms and roses during a Valentine’s Day and International Condom Day campaign at the UP Diliman Academic Oval in Quezon City on Saturday, February 14, 2026. The event, led by AIDS Healthcare Foundation in partnership with youth group PANTAY, promotes the safe sex advocacy ‘Just Use It’ amid the continuing rise of HIV cases, particularly among young Filipinos. Edd Castro
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