Promoting price transparency in agricultural supply chains is the most recent pilot by the year-old Makati Business Club Agriculture Committee (following our pilot with the Department of Agriculture on cooperatives). MBC has long advocated for free and transparent markets to level playing fields in various industries. We believe applying such an approach to agriculture, given […]... Keep on reading: Price transparency + AI = Hope for agri
Sonak Group, a growing force in the sports, lifestyle and fashion industries, has appointed Kabir Buxani as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the Sonak Retail Group. Since joining Sonak, Buxani has played a pivotal role in modernizing operations, spearheading the company’s entry into e-commerce and introducing automation to streamline manual processes to support […]... Keep on reading: Sonak Retail Group gets new CEO
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump threatened Thursday to “go in and kill” Hamas if it keeps killing people in Gaza, in an apparent reference to recent shootings of Palestinian civilians following a ceasefire deal with Israel. “If Hamas continues to kill people in Gaza, which was not the Deal, we will have no choice but to go in and kill them,” Trump said on Truth Social.... Keep on reading: Trump threatens to 'go in and kill' Hamas if Gaza killings continue
WASHINGTON – Donald Trump held a crucial phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin Thursday, a day before Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky meets the US president to push for Tomahawk missiles. “I am speaking to President Putin now,” Trump said on his Truth Social network. “The conversation is ongoing, a lengthy one, and I will report the contents, as will President Putin, at its conclusion.” The call comes as Trump shows mounting frustration over the Kremlin leader’s refusal to end the 2022 invasion of Ukraine despite their recent summit in Alaska. Trump is now considering a request from Ukraine for American-made […]... Keep on reading: Trump speaks with Putin ahead of Zelensky visit
'Across the globe, the demand for coconut products is on the rise, underpinned by long-term shifts toward healthier consumption and wellness-oriented lifestyles,' says agribusiness conglomerate Century Pacific Food
... Keep on reading: Crazy Jhenny, October 17, 2025
(UPDATE) THE Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) said Thursday it is determined to recover assets from those involved in anomalous flood control projects, even as it has gathered enough evidence to file cases against contractor couple Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” and Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya. In a meeting with various government agencies at the ICI headquarters on Thursday, ICI Chairman Andres Reyes Jr. said funds “that should have been utilized to better the lives of Filipinos were instead used by corrupt individuals to buy exotic cars, enjoy luxury vacations and gamble in casinos.” “All those persons responsible for this may be prosecuted and jailed. But to completely heal our nation, justice is not enough. We need restitution,” he said. Reyes, a former Supreme Court justice, said the law defined restitution as “the act of making good or giving equivalent for any loss, damage or injury and indemnification.” “We, the different agencies of the government, are all here today to band together and pool our resources to go after and recover the assets of these criminals. That is our goal,” Reyes said. “These assets were purchased using public funds. They belong to the Filipino people — money that could have been spent on building schools, hospitals and road projects was instead burned wantonly on useless luxuries and vices,” he added. Reyes issued this statement as the ICI’s special adviser Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said they have gathered enough evidence to file charges against contractor couple Sarah and Curlee Discaya over anomalous flood control projects. Azurin said the commission’s investigation would proceed despite the couple’s earlier declaration that they would no longer cooperate with the independent panel. “The ICI has enough evidence to support the filing of cases against the Discayas,” Azurin said, noting that the probe has uncovered extensive irregularities in projects linked to the couple. Azurin revealed that the Discayas were involved in about 1,000 contracts with the Department of Public Works and Highways, which could translate into as many criminal cases once the investigation is completed. He added that the commission might also recommend to the Department of Justice the removal of the Discayas from the Witness Protection Program, citing their refusal to continue cooperating with the government’s investigation. The couple, who had initially agreed to testify before the ICI, are facing allegations of massive corruption and bid manipulation in multibillion-peso flood control and infrastructure projects. “They invoked their right against self-incrimination and manifested that they will no longer cooperate with the investigation being conducted by the ICI,” the commission’s executive director, Brian Keith Hosaka, said on Wednesday. Hosaka said the investigation would proceed despite the Discayas’ decision to cease cooperating with the commission. “We’re just continuing. Whatever they said and what other witnesses have already said will be sufficient for us to continue our investigation, build our cases and file the necessary recommendation at the Ombudsman,” he said. ‘Restitution of stolen assets’ Those who joined the ICI asset recovery meeting were Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno and representatives from the Justice Department, Anti-Money Laundering Council, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Land Transportation Office, National Bureau of Investigation, Presidential Commission on Good Government and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. Reyes said the meeting aimed to advance a critical and vital part of the mandate of the ICI, which was “to hear, investigate, receive, gather and evaluate evidence, intelligence reports and information against all government officials and employees, and any other individual involved in anomalies, irregularities and misuse of funds in the planning, financing and implementation of government flood control and other infrastructure projects nationwide.” The representatives of the government agencies assured the ICI that they would cooperate and use their expertise in retrieving the money of the Filipino people from being allegedly corrupted through infrastructure project anomalies. Hosaka said there would be follow-up coordination meetings with the participating agencies next week to finalize the operational framework, timeline for the recovery campaign and possibly the rough estimate of how much they will be trying to recover. Discaya petition denied Also on Thursday, a Pasay City court denied for lack of merit the writ of habeas corpus petition filed by Curlee Discaya, who sought to be released from Senate detention. Documents obtained by The Manila Times showed the Regional Trial Court Branch 498 in Pasay City dismissed Discaya’s allegation that the Senate committed grave abuse of discretion in ordering his detention on contempt. Discaya filed a writ of habeas corpus petition before the Pasay court on Oct. 8. Named respondents were Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, and the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms. “The matter raised in the petition alleging grave abuse of discretion committed by respondents, not being an issue proper in the instant case, is deemed severed from the petition and dismissed without prejudice for being a misjoined cause of action,” Presiding Judge Melvin Cydrick Bughao said in the ruling.
(UPDATE) THE Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) said Thursday it is determined to recover assets from those involved in anomalous flood control projects, even as it has gathered enough evidence to file cases against contractor couple Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” and Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya. In a meeting with various government agencies at the ICI headquarters on Thursday, ICI Chairman Andres Reyes Jr. said funds “that should have been utilized to better the lives of Filipinos were instead used by corrupt individuals to buy exotic cars, enjoy luxury vacations and gamble in casinos.” “All those persons responsible for this may be prosecuted and jailed. But to completely heal our nation, justice is not enough. We need restitution,” he said. Reyes, a former Supreme Court justice, said the law defined restitution as “the act of making good or giving equivalent for any loss, damage or injury and indemnification.” “We, the different agencies of the government, are all here today to band together and pool our resources to go after and recover the assets of these criminals. That is our goal,” Reyes said. “These assets were purchased using public funds. They belong to the Filipino people — money that could have been spent on building schools, hospitals and road projects was instead burned wantonly on useless luxuries and vices,” he added. Reyes issued this statement as the ICI’s special adviser Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said they have gathered enough evidence to file charges against contractor couple Sarah and Curlee Discaya over anomalous flood control projects. Azurin said the commission’s investigation would proceed despite the couple’s earlier declaration that they would no longer cooperate with the independent panel. “The ICI has enough evidence to support the filing of cases against the Discayas,” Azurin said, noting that the probe has uncovered extensive irregularities in projects linked to the couple. Azurin revealed that the Discayas were involved in about 1,000 contracts with the Department of Public Works and Highways, which could translate into as many criminal cases once the investigation is completed. He added that the commission might also recommend to the Department of Justice the removal of the Discayas from the Witness Protection Program, citing their refusal to continue cooperating with the government’s investigation. The couple, who had initially agreed to testify before the ICI, are facing allegations of massive corruption and bid manipulation in multibillion-peso flood control and infrastructure projects. “They invoked their right against self-incrimination and manifested that they will no longer cooperate with the investigation being conducted by the ICI,” the commission’s executive director, Brian Keith Hosaka, said on Wednesday. Hosaka said the investigation would proceed despite the Discayas’ decision to cease cooperating with the commission. “We’re just continuing. Whatever they said and what other witnesses have already said will be sufficient for us to continue our investigation, build our cases and file the necessary recommendation at the Ombudsman,” he said. ‘Restitution of stolen assets’ Those who joined the ICI asset recovery meeting were Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, Customs Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno and representatives from the Justice Department, Anti-Money Laundering Council, Bureau of Internal Revenue, Land Transportation Office, National Bureau of Investigation, Presidential Commission on Good Government and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines. Reyes said the meeting aimed to advance a critical and vital part of the mandate of the ICI, which was “to hear, investigate, receive, gather and evaluate evidence, intelligence reports and information against all government officials and employees, and any other individual involved in anomalies, irregularities and misuse of funds in the planning, financing and implementation of government flood control and other infrastructure projects nationwide.” The representatives of the government agencies assured the ICI that they would cooperate and use their expertise in retrieving the money of the Filipino people from being allegedly corrupted through infrastructure project anomalies. Hosaka said there would be follow-up coordination meetings with the participating agencies next week to finalize the operational framework, timeline for the recovery campaign and possibly the rough estimate of how much they will be trying to recover. Discaya petition denied Also on Thursday, a Pasay City court denied for lack of merit the writ of habeas corpus petition filed by Curlee Discaya, who sought to be released from Senate detention. Documents obtained by The Manila Times showed the Regional Trial Court Branch 498 in Pasay City dismissed Discaya’s allegation that the Senate committed grave abuse of discretion in ordering his detention on contempt. Discaya filed a writ of habeas corpus petition before the Pasay court on Oct. 8. Named respondents were Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, and the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms. “The matter raised in the petition alleging grave abuse of discretion committed by respondents, not being an issue proper in the instant case, is deemed severed from the petition and dismissed without prejudice for being a misjoined cause of action,” Presiding Judge Melvin Cydrick Bughao said in the ruling.
LOCAL Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Thursday said the Philippine National Police (PNP) returned P500 million of its P1.3-billion intelligence fund for 2025 to the Office of the President after finding that the amount, allegedly inserted by former Ako Bicol Party-list representative Elizaldy “Zaldy” Co, was unnecessary. Remulla told lawmakers that the P500-million insertion was not part of the National Expenditure Program (NEP) and had no identified purpose in the PNP’s operational plans. “We returned it because it was an insertion in the budget — and the insertion came from the person who requested 3,000 containers of fish,” Remulla said, referring to Co’s earlier involvement in a fish importation request flagged by the Department of Agriculture. He clarified that the PNP only used funds authorized under the General Appropriations Act. “We only followed what was in the NEP, not the insertion. We found no use for it and returned it to the Office of the President,” he added. For 2026, the PNP will operate on an P806-million intelligence fund, down from P1.3 billion in 2025. Despite the reduction, police officials said the amount would still be sufficient to support intelligence and counterintelligence activities. “The request of the PNP was actually P2.1 billion, but only P806 million was granted,” a PNP representative said, noting that intelligence operations remain vital but must be sustained within the limits of available resources. The official added that the current allocation amounts to about P150 per police personnel each month, underscoring the need for a more balanced distribution between personnel services, maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE), and capital outlay. “Eighty-four percent of our budget goes to personnel services, 14 percent to MOOE and 2 to 3 percent to capital outlay. Ideally, we would want our MOOE to reach at least 20 percent,” the official said. Lawmakers earlier supported strengthening the PNP’s intelligence network but raised concerns over the adequacy of its funding and the return of unused allocations.
THE government is investigating CLTG Builders, a company owned by the father of Sen. Bong Go, for its links to the contractors at the center of a flood control bribery scandal, Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” and Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said Thursday. “Today, we will start our investigation into the possible links of the CLTG corporation to the Discaya company starting in 2016 because it was the Discayas themselves who admitted before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that their business exponentially grew starting in 2016,” Dizon said. Based on that, Dizon said, he and Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla have agreed to conduct the investigation. Go denied knowing the Discaya couple and said he would fully cooperate in all proceedings to “get to the truth.” “I do not know the Discayas. I have nothing to do with them, and I do not care about their dealings,” Go said in a press briefing. “If they have done wrong, file charges against them — even if my relatives are involved. I am willing to be a complainant myself.” Dizon earlier said the probe centers on the partnership between CLTG Builders, owned by Go’s father, Diciderio, and St. Gerrard Construction General Contractor and Development Corp., owned by Pacifico Discaya. The joint venture reportedly won five government projects in the Davao Region amounting to over P816 million. The region is considered the political bailiwick of former president Rodrigo Duterte, under whom Go served as special assistant before becoming senator. CLTG represents Go’s full initials — Christopher Lawrence Tesoro Go. But Go maintained that he never used his position to influence public contracts nor gave any favors to his family’s business interests. “I have never used my position for personal gain. I do not interfere in any government transaction. I am a senator, not a contractor,” he said. He added that his father’s company ceased operations years ago. “Their last projects were in 2019. By 2022, they were officially retired. Long before I entered government, my family already had businesses. But I never intervened. I never gave them special treatment,” Go said. Dizon acknowledged he worked with Go during the Duterte administration, but he said “that’s all immaterial” because “any allegation of corruption needs to be taken to the end... and that is our job here.” “We will spare no one here. All those involved based on evidence will be held liable. It doesn’t matter whoever they are. It’s as simple as that. It doesn’t matter if one is with the past or present administration,” he said. The DPWH chief said the Discaya couple had thousands of contracts dating back to 2016, opening them up to multiple counts of graft and malversation. “I am confident with our new Ombudsman that the first case that was filed by the DPWH, that’s the first case that will put the Discayas in jail and all those involved, especially in the 1st District of Bulacan,” he added. ICI Executive Director Brian Keith Hosaka said the Discayas had initially agreed to cooperate with the commission to obtain a “favorable recommendation from the commission as state witnesses.” The Department of Justice earlier classified the couple as “protected witnesses.” The Discaya camp, however, had a change of heart after they saw a media interview of ICI Commissioner Rogelio Singson, where he said that no one has yet qualified to be considered a state witness. Dizon said the Discaya couple would lose all chance of becoming state witnesses if they continued to refuse to cooperate with the government. “You know, they need to cooperate. If they don’t cooperate, they have to suffer the consequences,” the DPWH chief said. Earlier, Sarah Discaya confirmed that they had entered into a joint venture with the CLTG Builders, a company reportedly owned by Go’s father. Responding to reports that the Discayas may have invoked his name, Go said he had nothing to do with them and that he has long been a victim of “name-dropping.” “If my name or former president Duterte’s name is used, consider it denied,” he said. “People take pictures or claim connections for personal gain. That’s not new. But I have no involvement in any of these transactions.” Go also pushed back against suggestions that the couple were “protecting” him, calling the idea “absurd.” “If they are protecting me, then tell the truth. I’m the one urging them to tell the truth. Don’t cover up the issue. The real issue is corruption — the flood control and ghost projects,” he said. He appealed to other government officials and witnesses to come forward and cooperate with the investigation. “I urge everyone in government to tell the truth. You have nothing to hide. The people deserve the truth,” Go said. The senator recounted that during a recent Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing, he himself had asked the Discayas about their business dealings. “I asked them directly: Do you have a joint venture with CLTG? They said yes. Were the projects completed and beneficial to the public? They said yes. So, I became interested,” he said. “If there are irregularities or substandard work, then file charges. I will even help.” Go said he respects the authority of the DPWH, the Ombudsman and the ICI to conduct their investigations, and expressed confidence that the truth will eventually come out. “I respect Secretary Vince Dizon, the Ombudsman and the ICI. They have their mandate. I am one with them in pursuing accountability,” he said. He also welcomed the possibility of being summoned by the ICI to testify. “No problem. I’m willing to appear and speak before them. I will tell the truth as I know it,” Go said. The senator, however, cautioned that the controversy should not be used to unfairly drag down those who have no involvement. “Please, do not smear others to protect the guilty. Do not twist the truth. Let’s stay focused on finding out who benefited from these ghost projects and flood control anomalies,” he said. Link to Dutertes Vice President Sara Duterte, meanwhile, said she believes that she and her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, could be implicated in the flood control scandal due to their connection with Go, a staunch ally. During a press briefing on Thursday in Quezon City, Duterte said she had no flood control projects either at the Office of the Vice President or the Department of Education, which she used to lead. However, she said that she could be implicated in the flood control scandal because Go is an ally of her father. “I think they will try to implicate me because Sen. Bong Go is allied with former president Duterte, they will make stories involving me, the former president and Senator Go,” Duterte said.
THE Philippines is taking center stage at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair, which started on Wednesday, as the country is this year’s guest of honor. Sen. Loren Legarda, who is the driving force of the country’s guest of honor responsibilities, honored the legacy of the country’s national hero, Jose Rizal. She talked about Rizal’s adventures in Germany, where he encountered German literature and drama. “Ours was a medical doctor, a poet and novelist, in the name of Dr. José Rizal, who made imagination his sharpest weapon. His words carved hope where despair had reigned, dignity where oppression had prevailed. For that imagination, he was executed in 1896, condemned not for violence but for radical thought,” she added. “It was not arms the colonizers feared most, but ideas: ideas that roused a nation and ignited the first revolution in Southeast Asia... Such is the power of literature to us Filipinos: to awaken, to resist, to liberate,” the senator said. “Rizal forged this temper into his own vision: a Filipino people who would stand free and never again live under foreign dominion.” The senator said that she imagined the country’s role as the bookfair’s guest of honor a decade ago. “Ten years ago, in 2015, I first imagined the Philippines as the Guest of Honor of the Frankfurter Buchmesse, knowing what I have always believed that Filipino voices belong among the world’s greatest literature,” Legarda said. “The circle of history closes, but it also opens anew. Today, let the world see us for what we are: as knowledge makers, culture bearers and conceivers of ideas from which the world itself may learn,” she added. “And so tonight, in honoring his legacy, we continue what Rizal began: To let imagination describe the world as it is, and to refuse what it must not be. To unsettle the comfortable who can look upon suffering and remain unmoved.” “In a time when walls rise higher than bridges, when children’s bodies shrink to the bone from starvation, when entire families are crushed and buried beneath shattered concrete, when hands are cuffed for nothing more than their color, we return to the threatening truths for which Rizal gave his life and through which a nation arose: that literature must provoke the conscience, break the silence imposed by fear and ignite courage where misery has been sown by the despotic, the corrupt and the cruel,” Legarda added. Filipino poets Merlie Alunan, Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta and Marjorie Evasco appeared as literary speakers on behalf of this year’s guest of honor. In this year’s edition, the Philippines has around 500 different titles, as well as 500 different authors, illustrators, artists and publishers present in the Philippine spaces for the bookfair. “With a translation subsidy program announced only in late 2023, more than a hundred, 173 to date to be exact, international translations across literary genres have been sold across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, with editions already out in Germany, Spain, Egypt and France. Around 30 German-publishers are releasing translations of works by Filipino authors and books about the Philippines as part of the Guest of Honor program. By the end of the year, there will be around 60 new publications from and about the Philippines that have appeared on the German-language market since fall 2024,” the event’s statement read. Rizal’s books, “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo,” were translated to the German language and were also launched during the bookfair, along with other books and essays such as ”The Boy from Ilocos” by Blaise Campo Cacoscos, ”Aswanglaut” by Allan Derain, ”The Colaborators” by Katrina Tuvera, ”Second Opinion” by Gideon Lasco, ”Unang Kadaugan” by Arteena Lefty, ”The Age of Umbrage” by Jessica Zafra, and ”Philippine Cinema: Essays and Reflections” by Nick Deocampo. The Philippine catalog in the bookfair has the following categories: New Adult and Poetry, Fiction, Creative Non-Fiction & Social Sciences, Comics & Graphic Novels and Children’s. Events held on Thursday included Jose on the Go: A Heritage Walking Tour with historian Ambeth Ocampo, who invited participants to follow Rizal’s footsteps in Frankfurt. “Rizal visited Frankfurt in 1886 and had a pivotal experience in Germany, including the printing of ‘Noli Me Tángere’ in Berlin. To this day, remnants of his legacy remain in parts of Germany and Europe. Walk through iconic spots and explore the landmarks that captured Rizal’s sharp mind — from Gutenbergplatz and Goetheplatz, to Städel Museum and Liebieghaus,” the National Book Development Board (NBDB) said in its invitation to the public. Other events were held at the Philippine Pavilion, that also included talks with National Artist Virgilio Almario, as well as literary translator and The Manila Times columnist Danton Remoto, and broadcast journalist Howie Severino. The Philippines’ guest of honor participation in the Frankfurt Book Fair is a project of the NBDB, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, Department of Foreign Affairs and Legarda’s office.
THE Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Thursday approved the release of P3.39 billion as payment for the performance-based bonus (PBB) of 225,545 qualified officials and personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023. “Our police officers are among the pillars of our nation. They stand at the frontlines of peace and order every single day. We see their hard work and dedication, so we are making sure they receive what is rightfully due to them,” Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman said in a statement. The release of the PBB for police personnel is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to strengthen the morale and welfare of government workers, especially law enforcement front-liners. It also underscores the administration’s broader thrust to build a professional, motivated and well-supported bureaucracy that delivers with integrity and excellence.Under the approved release, each qualified PNP official and personnel will receive a PBB equivalent to 45.5 percent of their monthly basic salary as of Dec. 31, 2023. Those in the first, second and third levels must have achieved at least a “very satisfactory” rating under the Civil Service Commission-approved Strategic Performance Management System or the equivalent rating required by the Career Executive Service Board to be eligible. The funds will be charged against the Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund under Republic Act 12116, or the Fiscal Year 2025 General Appropriations Act, the DBM said. The payment of the FY 2023 PBB follows the Final Eligibility Assessment Report dated Sept. 16, 2024, from the Administrative Order 25 Inter-Agency Task Force, confirming the PNP’s eligibility for the grant of said bonus. Pangandaman noted that the PBB is only a small token compared to the daily sacrifices made by the men and women of the police force who daily face danger, exhaustion and uncertainty just to keep the public safe. “This is just a small thing compared to the blood and sweat that our police officers shed every day. With every peso they receive, there is the government’s recognition of their heroism and loyal service to the people,” the budget chief stated. “This is a great help to our police officers and their families. Whether it’s for buying food, paying for their children’s tuition, helping with the household budget — or any other way it can be useful — the important thing is for them to feel that we appreciate their sacrifice,” she added. “Through this release, we not only recognize their service but also reaffirm our commitment to a government that rewards performance and accountability,” she further said.
MANILA, Philippines — The Presidential Task Force on Media Security (PTFOMS) said one of the challenges in fighting the harassment of media workers is the lack of formal cases filed against perpetrators. PTFOMS Executive Director Jose Torres Jr. was in Camp Crame on Thursday to visit the Philippine National Police (PNP) Press Corps as part of a series of consultations on media welfare concerns. Asked in an interview about challenges to fighting media harassment, Torres said, “Ang problema natin, maraming cases na hindi nag-file ang mga kasamahan natin sa media. Walang formal na filing ng kaso or hindi man lang […]... Keep on reading: PTFoMS: Non-filing of cases a challenge in combating media harassment
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday launched the Reducing Food Insecurity and Undernutrition with Electronic Vouchers (Refuel) Project, a government-led initiative that would scale up the Walang Gutom Program’s (WGP) coverage to 750,000 households by 2026. The president, together with Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, led the launching of the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Refuel Project at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila. In his speech, Marcos said the government plans to expand the coverage of the Walang Gutom Program to 600,000 families in 2026 and 750,000 families in 2027. “Our goal is to reach 1 million of the poorest families. We’re doing this gradually because we’re still developing the system, but little by little, we will be able to cover all the poorest — the 1 million most disadvantaged families — under this program,” he said. Marcos also expressed optimism the program would significantly lower hunger rates, reaffirming his goal of a Philippines where no family goes hungry. “If you remember, when I had just assumed office, I was asked what my dream was for my term as President. My answer was, I hope that by the time I step down as President, no Filipino will have to go hungry. That’s why we have programs like this,” he said. The Refuel Project, which has a total cost of P74 billion, is supported by a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and co-financed by the Agence Française de Développement and the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries-Fund for International Development. Gatchalian said the launch of Refuel marked another milestone in the DSWD’s efforts to innovate food assistance programs and ensure that every Filipino family has access to nutritious, delicious and affordable food. The WGP, recognized as a flagship program of the Marcos administration under Executive Order 44, is the country’s version of the food stamp program implemented in other countries. Under the program, an eligible household receives P3,000 in food credits each month for 36 months through an electronic benefit transfer card. The card can be used at accredited partner retailers to purchase essential food items. Beneficiaries also participate in Nutrition Education Sessions and Productivity Enhancement Sessions designed to promote healthy eating, improve livelihood skills and enhance self-reliance. Gatchalian cited the latest Social Weather Stations survey showing a steady decline in hunger among program beneficiaries — from 48.7 percent in October 2024 to 41.5 percent in March 2025. “This means fewer families are going to bed hungry because more of them can now put food on their tables,” he said. He thanked President Marcos and international partners for supporting the department’s fight against hunger and malnutrition. ADB Country Director Andrew Jeffries commended the Philippine government’s commitment to social protection and food security, calling the Refuel Project “a decisive step toward the President’s vision of a zero-hunger Philippines.”
... Keep on reading: Tuldok, October 17, 2025
(UPDATE) THE Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) gave assurances that the disqualification of Chief Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC from the case against former president Rodrigo Duterte will not affect ongoing proceedings, emphasizing that Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang continues to lead the prosecution team. “The work of the Office of the Prosecutor on the situation related to the Philippines is led by Deputy Prosecutor Mame Mandiaye Niang,” the ICC said on Thursday, shortly after the Appeals Chamber publicly released its redacted decision disqualifying Khan. “We do not anticipate a significant interruption in the work of the Office of the Prosecutor even with this decision. Khan has been on voluntary leave.” Niang has overseen the Duterte case since May 2025, when Khan began his leave, according to Kristina Conti, Assistant to Counsel for victims before the ICC. Conti said Niang “ably carried out” the prosecution’s work, including the assembly of evidence and the finalization of the Document Containing the Charges (DCC), which sets the scope of the case and Duterte’s potential criminal liability. “The disqualification of Khan, who assisted a group of victims prepare a communication in 2018 prior to his appointment as prosecutor, was intended to ensure fairness and preserve the integrity of the proceedings,” Conti said in a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter). The ICC spokesman likewise clarified that Khan’s removal “does not have an impact on the case against Mr. Duterte,” adding that prosecution efforts continue under Niang’s leadership. Appeals Chamber ruling In a 19-page decision issued on Oct. 2 and released publicly on Oct. 15, the ICC Appeals Chamber unanimously ruled to disqualify Khan from the Duterte case, granting a motion filed by the former president’s defense team over what it described as an “irreconcilable conflict of interest.” The five-member Chamber, presided over by Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza, held that Khan’s prior role as legal counsel for victims in a 2018 communication to the ICC created a reasonable appearance of bias, thereby undermining his required impartiality in prosecuting Duterte. “The Prosecutor is disqualified from the case of The Prosecutor v. Rodrigo Roa Duterte,” the Chamber declared, directing the OTP to release a redacted version of its response within five days. Defense motion and background The decision stemmed from a motion filed by Duterte’s defense on Aug. 6, 2025, seeking to bar Khan “from any further role” in the case. The defense argued that Khan’s earlier participation in preparing an Article 15 communication — which helped initiate the ICC’s probe into Duterte’s “war on drugs” — constituted a direct conflict with his subsequent role as prosecutor. Defense lawyers said Khan had represented a group of victims of alleged extrajudicial killings linked to Duterte’s anti-drug campaign and later supervised the same investigation as ICC Prosecutor, effectively “overseeing a fair and impartial investigation of that very sa me policy of killing.” They noted that Khan’s prior involvement included interviewing witnesses and submitting evidence to then-prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, with Duterte named as a primary target for prosecution. The defense contended that such actions could lead a “fair-minded observer” to perceive bias, regardless of Khan’s denials. Khan rejected the allegations as “speculative and wholly untrue,” maintaining that he had no continuing obligation to former clients and that his prior work did not compromise his impartiality. The Office of Public Counsel for Victims (OPCV) also opposed the motion, describing it as “untimely and moot” since Khan had already gone on voluntary leave months earlier. The OPCV argued that the 2018 communication did not amount to formal legal proceedings and that Khan’s previous role as victims’ counsel could not be equated with that of an opposing party to Duterte. Despite acknowledging the presumption of prosecutorial impartiality, the Appeals Chamber concluded that Khan’s “significantly intense and multifaceted” involvement in the 2018 submission created an objectively reasonable perception of bias. “The Appeals Chamber considers that a reasonable observer would conclude that in light of the nature and extent of the Prosecutor’s involvement in the Article 15 Communication, he could be expected to have formed an opinion on the individual criminal responsibility of Mr. Duterte,” the judges wrote. The Chamber noted that Duterte was “the first person to be named as a potential target for investigation,” and said that the circumstances met the threshold for disqualification under Article 42(7) of the Rome Statute and Rule 34(1)(c) of the ICC’s Rules of Procedure and Evidence. While emphasizing that the ruling “is not to be undertaken lightly,” the Chamber said it was necessary to preserve the appearance and reality of impartiality. The Duterte case stems from allegations of crimes against humanity arising from thousands of killings during his administration’s anti-drug campaign between 2016 and 2019. The former president was arrested and surrendered to the ICC on March 12, 2025, to face trial in The Hague.
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