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PH, China still talking on energy, but no compromises on Ayungin By Charles Dantes, Rex Espiritu and Katrina Manubay VOL. XL • NO. 182 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 •SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2026 •
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Friday said the Philippines was "making progress" on potential energy ex-
PBBM: Hold accountable flood control perpetrators
ploration projects with China even as he defended his government’s policy on resupply missions to the military outpost near Ayungin Shoal, saying it does not compromise the country’s sovereignty or maritime rights to Beijing. The President made these statements Next page
FUEL PRICES SEEN HIGHER NEXT WEEK NEWS / A2
EALA FACES RUSE IN CINCINNATI OPEN SPORTS / A8
Vows to back 'best' anti-corruption standard bearer for 2028 No bar to filing
criminal complaint vs. VP Sara—DOJ
By Charles Dantes
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday vowed to continue the fight against corruption and hold accountable all those responsible for the flood control mess.
By Pot Chavez and Katrina Manubay
During a luncheon hosted by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines, Mr. Marcos said accountability remains a priority as investigations into the flood control scandal continue. “As I committed during my State of the Nation Address last month, we will hold accountable all individuals responsible for the anomalous implementation of government infrastructure projects. This accountability goes hand in hand with ensuring that these projects deliver the services that our people need,” he said. “Cases have been filed. People have already been put behind bars. There are continuing investigations into those who are going to be held accountable, who will have to be held accountable for any wrongdoing in terms of corruption, in terms of the flood control scandal,” the President added. Marcos said holding those involved in the flood control scandal accountable is particularly urgent as the country faces increased risks from flooding and other hazards during the rainy season.
NO HOLDS BARRED.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. stresses a point during the open forum yesterday with foreign media at the annual President’s Luncheon with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) at the Diamond Hotel. PCO
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THE Department of Justice (DOJ) said there is no legal impediment to filing a criminal case against Vice President Sara Duterte, rejecting her camp’s argument that her status as an impeachable officer bars prosecution. Duterte’s legal team, meanwhile, said it would file a manifestation emphasizing the need for oral arguments on her motion to quash the grave threats charges, citing the cases’ “farreaching” implications. Duterte’s counsel in the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) grave threats cases, Paul Lawrence Lim, said the defense would seek oral arguments on the motion. “The defense is now filing a manifestation emphasizing the need for oral arguments on the Vice President’s motion to quash, considering the farreaching consequences of the Grave Threats cases,” Lim said. Lim argued that prosecuting a sitting Vice President could have implications for other incumbent impeachable officials. “If a sitting Vice President may be indicted and prosecuted, then other incumbent impeachable officers such as the Ombudsman, members of the Constitutional Commissions, Supreme Court Justices, and even the President, may also be indicted and prosecuted,” he said. On Thursday, Lim confirmed that Duterte’s camp had filed a motion to quash the grave threats charges, arguing that the court lacked jurisdiction over the case. Earlier this week, he said the defense had anticipated the filing of Next page
DOLE presses to thaw freeze order on wage hike By Vito Barcelo LABOR Secretary Francis Tolentino on Friday vowed to pursue all legal remedies to restore the P85 daily minimum wage increase for Metro Manila workers after a Pasig court issued a writ of preliminary injunction against the implementation of Wage Order No. NCR-27. Meanwhile, the Trade Union Con-
gress of the Philippines (TUCP) said it will challenge and seek the writ's dissolution, exhausting all legal remedies that include elevating the case to the Supreme Court if necessary. "The ruling does not merely suspend a wage increase—it takes food off the table of more than a million Metro Manila workers and their families," Tolentino said in a statement. "At a time when every peso mat-
ters, this ruling denies our workers the relief they have earned and urgently need," he added, citing expenses such as food, transportation, rent, school expenses, electricity, and other basic needs. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) chief assured workers of their solidarity while the legal battle is pending, with the department Next page
DPWH at center of flood control scam—lawyer ‘SUBSTANDARD AND RADIOACTIVE’. Authorities raided a steel
manufacturing place in Davao City yesterday for allegedly making radioactive and substandard steel products. Top photo shows agents securing employees of the plant while bottom photo shows materials with Made in China markings.The operation at Davao Mighty Steel Corporation was led by the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission (PAOCC) and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). PAOCC
47 areas under state of calamity —OCD By Rex Espiritu and Rio Araja A TOTAL of 47 areas have been declared under a state of calamity due to the combined effects of Tropical
Cyclones Luis and Maymay and the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) across the country. Meanwhile, the state-run weather agency said a Low Pressure Area Next page
THE Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is at the center of the alleged flood control scam because its officials have control over government projects and are often granted immunity from prosecution after agreeing to testify in such cases, according to lawyer Jose “Judd” Roy III. Roy, speaking in a DWIZ interview, questioned the government’s plan to make former Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, a state witness against other individuals, saying a state witness must provide testimony directly relevant to the case for which immunity is being granted. “Bonoan cannot be a state witness? Next page
TRUTH FINDERS. A commission composed of civil society and religious leaders begin their search for the truth behind the extra-judicial killings during the anti-drug war campaign launched by former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Story on A3. Norman Cruz