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‘P107b for flood control, P10b for confi funds in 2027 budget’ By Charles Dantes
VOL. XL • NO. 179 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 12, 2026
COA flags fund misuse at OVP P73m spent on gifts, ‘other events’ By Maricel V. Cruz and Katrina Manubay
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HE Office of the Vice President (OVP) used P73.287 million in confidential funds for Christmas activities, gift-giving, tree planting, medical missions and other events that did not fall under the allowable uses of such funds, a state auditor testified before the Senate impeachment court in the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday.
Xylene Mae Del Campo, Commission on Audit-Intelligence and Confidential Funds Audit Office (COA-ICFAO) supervising auditor, said the OVP charged
confidential funds for activities and expenses that were either not allowed under government rules or lacked sufficient supporting documents under Joint Circu-
lar No. 2015-01. “Based on the joint circular, this was not included among the activities under Section 4.8 where confidential funds may be used,” Del Campo said. Asked specifically whether the Christmas activities, tree planting, gift-giving and other events listed in the OVP documents were allowed, Del Campo answered, “Hindi po (No).” She also pointed to discrepancies in the dates of some activities, noting that expenses incurred from Dec. 13 to 18, 2022, were charged against a Next page
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Tuesday submitted to Congress the proposed P7.2 trillion national budget for 2027, which is about six percent higher than this year’s P6.7 trillion spending outlay. The proposed 2027 budget covers P107 billion for flood control -- less than a third of the P350 billion allocated in 2025 but up from this year’s zero
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways to revive and complete a long-delayed spillway in Las Piñas City, saying the project could significantly improve Metro Manila’s ability to drain floodwaters. Mr. Marcos issued the directive during an inspection of a high-vacuum self-priming drainage trailer pump at Alido Bridge in Barangay Zapote, as he assessed the effects of heavy rains that recently caused flooding in parts of the capital.
said the court requires evidence that directly links an accused to the alleged offense, rather than mere accounts or allegations made in public. “It is really difficult to establish evidence in court. Whatever discussions Next page
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MITIGATION EFFORTS. President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. inspects the ongoing transfer of floodwater from Alido to Zapote rivers in Barangay Zapote, Las Pinas City, using a high-vacuum self-priming drainage trailer pump deployed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Upper right photo shows workers hauling tons of trash floating in water channels along the Baclaran area in Parañaque City on August 11, 2026. PCO/ Norman Cruz
PH not leaving No proof to link ex-Speaker to allegations—lawyer Ayungin Shoal, says military By Rex Espiritu and Ram Superable THE Philippines will not abandon the BRP Sierra Madre and its mission at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reiterated on Tuesday. “BRP Sierra Madre nor Second Thomas Shoal or Ayungin Shoal will never be abandoned,” AFP spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said at a press briefing. Trinidad made the statement when asked about the provisional understanding between Manila and Beijing regarding resupply missions to the BRP Sierra Madre. The Department of Foreign Affairs has said the deal is meant to avoid Next page
26 now dead from habagat; PAGASA says rains to continue AT LEAST 26 persons nationwide have now been reported killed due to the combined effects of the southwest monsoon (Habagat) and typhoons “Luis” and “Maymay,” the Philippine National Police reported Tuesday. Police said two fatalities were from Region 1, 7 died in Region 4B (CALABARZON), and 16 were killed in separate incidents in the Cordillera region. A policeman drowned while trying to save comrades in distress in Negros, the PNP said. Meanwhile, the state weather agency PAGASA said Metro Manila, Ilocos Region, Benguet, Abra, Calabarzon, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Marinduque,Occidental Mindoro and Oriental Mindoro will continue to experience cloudy skies with scattered rain and thunderstorms due to Habagat (the southwest monsoon). The Visayas and Mindanao will have
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spokesperson and counsel, cited the Sandiganbayan’s decision to grant bail to former senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. as an example of how insufficient evidence can undermine a criminal case. In a dzRH radio interview, Fajardo
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2027 PROPOSED BUDGET. The administration’s proposed P7.2-trillion budget for next year is ready for deliberation in Congress after its submission yesterday by the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). PCO
Marcos orders Las Piñas spillway project revived
THE camp of former Speaker Martin Romualdez has said there is no solid evidence linking him to alleged irregularities in flood control projects, warning that public accusations cannot substitute for proof in court. Lawyer Ade Fajardo, Romualdez’s
funding -- as well as over P10 billion for confidential and intelligence funds. According to the Department of Budget and Management, the proposed national budget is equivalent to around 21.7 percent of gross domestic product (GDP). A significant portion of the increase reflects mandatory funding requirements and existing government commitments, including the higher Na-
Pinoys urged to be vigilant in quake-stricken Colombia By Katrina Manubay THE Philippine Embassy in Colombia on Monday night urged Filipinos affect-
SAVED. A man carries a dog as he walks past the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Pereira, Colombia on August 10, 2026. The Colombian geological service and its American counterpart USGS put the magnitude at 7.4, with an epicenter 100 km (60 miles) underground in the west of the country. See related story on A6. AFP
ed by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck the country to remain vigilant. In an advisory, the embassy urged Filipinos to prioritize their safety and seek safe shelter. There are about 119 Filipinos in Colombia, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs. “Stay informed. Monitor news updates and heed advisories from the Colombian government,” the embassy said. The embassy also advised Filipinos Next page