Liam Demafelix
Reporting from the TSR newsroom.
ICI wants immigration offers to be on the lookout for Romualdez, Escudero, Estrada, Villanueva, 29 others over flood control scam
(UPDATED) The Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) has requested immigration officers to be on the lookout for more than 30 public officials and private individuals, including former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez Sr., former Senate President Chiz Escudero, Senator Jinggoy…
BIR files ₱7.1-billion tax evasion cases vs. Discaya couple
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has filed multiple criminal complaints against Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya II, Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Cruz Discaya, and an officer of St. Gerrard Construction Gen. Contractor & Development Corporation over an estimated ₱7.18 billion in unpaid taxes. BIR…
Isko Moreno: Taxpayer confidence has returned as Manila restores fiscal order
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso said citizens and taxpayers have begun trusting City Hall again, crediting early gains in collection and permitting to tighter fiscal management and visible street-level governance in his first 100 days. Reopening the Electronic Business One-Stop…
Isko Moreno orders city-wide earthquake drill in all 896 barangays to prepare for ‘The Big One’
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has ordered the conduct of a city-wide, simultaneous earthquake drill across all 896 barangays of the capital as part of efforts to strengthen disaster preparedness and “business continuity and resiliency” in anticipation of “The Big One.” In his…
Manila’s crime solution rate up 9.2% as city steps up anti-crime drive
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso reported a 9.2% increase in the crime solution efficiency rate of the Manila Police District (MPD), crediting the improvement to the city’s intensified campaign for law and order during his first 100 days in office. “Maliban sa kalinisan at…
Mindanao’s wagyu now comparable to Japan’s and Australia’s wagyu: Manny Piñol
Mindanao-raised Wagyu cattle can now compete with the world’s best beef, according to former Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel “Manny” Piñol and Japanese Chef Alex Sebastian. In a discussion on Tuesday, October 7, Piñol said locally grown Wagyu and Angus cattle in Mindanao are now at par with premium…
The King’s Gambit: Will Ping Lacson’s exit from the Blue Ribbon Committee avert another Senate coup?
Former Senate President Franklin Drilon’s description of Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson’s resignation as a “King’s Gambit” lays bare a Senate entangled in its own power plays, where survival demands sacrifice. In chess, the King’s Gambit is a risky opening: the player sacrifices a pawn to protect…
Isko Moreno announces Manila teachers to finally receive long-delayed allowances
Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso announced on Monday, October 6, that the city government will begin releasing long-delayed allowances for public school teachers and non-teaching personnel starting Tuesday, October 7. Speaking during the weekly flag-raising ceremony at Manila…
In turmoil: The Senate faces its most ‘unstable’ period in years
The 20th Congress has turned into one of the most turbulent in years, with the Senate shaken by corruption allegations, sudden leadership changes, and widening political divides that former Senate President Franklin Drilon describes as “the most unstable” he has witnessed in decades. Barely a…
Ted Herbosa ‘cannot feign ignorance’: DOH chief under fire as hundreds of ‘ghost hospitals’ undermine Universal Healthcare
Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa is facing mounting scrutiny over hundreds of non-operational hospitals and billions of pesos in lost funds that threaten the implementation of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law. In an interview on DZRH’s Special on Saturday program on October 4, public health…
The aftermath of corruption? Cebu earthquake turns spotlight on the National Building Code
Every collapsed structure points back to the choices made long before the ground began to shake. When the magnitude 6.9 earthquake shook in Northern Cebu on September 30, communities watched as schools and churches crumbled, roads split apart, and sinkholes opened like traps waiting for the right…
For 21 years running, Philippines ranked world’s most disaster-prone nation
The Philippines has once again been ranked the most disaster-prone country in the world, topping the 2025 World Risk Index for the 21st consecutive year. According to the report released by Germany’s Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft and Ruhr University Bochum, the Philippines scored 46.56 — a ‘very high…
Probe underway vs Cebu BPOs forcing staff back to work after earthquake
Authorities in Cebu have launched investigations into reports that business process outsourcing (BPO) firms forced employees to return to work despite unsafe conditions following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the province on September 30, leaving at least 72 people dead and hundreds…
Singapore Red Cross pledges ₱2.2 million relief aid for Cebu earthquake victims
The Singapore Red Cross (SRC) has pledged S$50,000, or about ₱2.2 million, to support urgent relief operations in Cebu following the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck the province on October 1, 2025. In a press statement, the SRC said its pledge will help the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) deliver…
Zubiri dismisses alleged Senate coup plot as fake news
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri on Wednesday, October 1, brushed off circulating social media posts suggesting unrest within the Senate, calling them misleading and malicious. Zubiri clarified that while a video clip of him voicing concerns about leadership was genuine, it was…