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Palace: Rules on confi funds clear; House: Court can rule on VP now By Charles Dantes and Maricel Cruz MALACAÑANG said Thursday that existing rules governing confidential and intelligence funds (CIF) are clear but may need tighter safeguards to prevent offi-
cials from exploiting loopholes. Meanwhile, the House prosecution panel maintained that the Senate Impeachment Court can rule on Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte’s alleged misuse of confidential funds even Next page
VOL. XL • NO. 195 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, 2026
AFTER DEADLY NEPAL-TIBET FLASH FLOOD
Pinoy among 1,300 missing
Glacial collapse, debris flow left ‘giant graveyard’ with over 270 dead
By Katrina Manubay and Charles Dantes
R
ESCUE teams scoured devastated zones Thursday for more than 1,300 people missing a day after flash floods and landslides along the NepalTibet border killed at least 273, sweeping away entire villages.
GLACIAL COLLAPSE. An aerial view, top photo, shows houses lying deluged in sludge after flash floods at Devighat, Bidur Municipality in Nepal’s Nuwakot district on August 27, 2026. Bottom left photo, shows rescuers using an excavator to transport a flood survivor. Bottom right photo shows a soldier carrying a survivor caked in mud. AFP
Many of the missing are foreign tourists, including scores of Hindu pilgrims to Tibet’s sacred snow-capped Mount Kailash. One Filipino has been reported missing, according to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), which listed at least 517 foreign nationals unaccounted for after the devastating deluge. The foreigners out of contact included Indians and others from Australia, Britain, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, South Korea and the United States, Nepal’s tourism board said. Beijing said 100 Chinese citizens were also missing in Nepal. Next page
‘No comparison between heroes, suspect beneficiaries’ By Charles Dantes MALACAÑANG on Thursday rejected Senator Robin Padilla’s comparison between aliases used by Philippine revolutionary heroes and names appearing on receipts tied to the Office of the Vice President’s confidential funds. During a Palace briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said
the comparison should be viewed in the context of why the aliases were used, leaving it to the public and senators to decide whether the two situations were comparable. Padilla had cited pseudonyms used by national heroes during the struggle against colonial rule and compared them with names such as “Mary Grace Piattos,” “Andy Lim,” “Pagong,” “Pusa” and “Belat” that
‘OMB should now dismiss case vs. ex-Speaker’ By Maricel Cruz THE Ombudsman should now dismiss the case against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez as the proceedings have become increasingly absurd, with key witnesses retracting their statements and new witnesses reportedly being lined up at the late stage of the
OMB says recantations are added evidence NEWS / A2 investigation, lawyer Ade Fajardo said. Fajardo, the ex-Speaker’s spokesperson and lawyer, made the state-
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THE Marcos administration has no immediate plan to ban Facebook after the social media platform reportedly responded to government concerns over the spread of fake news, a Palace official said Thursday. Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said
Facebook has been responding to government requests, particularly on the rapid removal of false information. “After two days, we were informed that Facebook, in particular, has been responding to what needs to be done, especially the rapid takedown of fake news,” Castro said during a Palace briefing. Next page
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Embassy urges Pinoys to monitor US visa changes By Katrina Manubay
FB’s takedown of fake news heads off socmed ban—Palace By Charles Dantes
ment following the retraction of Orly Guteza, whose original testimony at the Senate had linked Romualdez to an alleged delivery of money. “It is understandable that people would have doubts and think that perhaps the Speaker was involved. But what is amusing is why should we believe (Guteza’s)
FAST LANE. Health personnel attend to leptospirosis patients confined in a ‘fast lane’ tent set up at the San Lazaro Hospital compound to accommodate the surge in the number of those affected by the disease due to recent widespread flooding in Metro Manila. The DOH has activated 33 leptospirosis fast lanes in 33 DOH hospitals in NCR and four other regions in Luzon. Screen grab from TV Patrol
THE Philippine Embassy in the United States yesterday urged Filipinos to stay updated on recent U.S. immigration and visa policy changes and to ensure they follow all applicable immigration laws. Meanwhile, nine Filipino seafarers arrested by US Customs and Border Protection over the weekend have been deported to the Philippines. In an advisory, the embassy recommended that Filipinos concerned about their immigration status seek advice from a qualified U.S. immigration lawyer or an accredited legal Next page