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Power distributors could eventually be barred from passing system-loss costs on to consumers, but the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) said Thursday that the policy may need to be phased in to prevent financially vulnerable utilities from collapsing. ERC Chairperson Francis Juan made the clarification during a Senate Committee on Energy hearing on whether households should continue paying for electricity lost …

The Philippines is positioning itself as a “premier strategic gateway” for Latin American companies seeking access to Southeast Asia’s USD4 trillion market, Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said. During her official visit to Brazil and Chile from Aug. 10 to 13, Lazaro highlighted opportunities to deepen trade, investment and economic ties between the Philippines and Latin America, citing shared …

The complaint against former House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is based largely on conflicting witness accounts and lacks forensic or documentary evidence directly linking him to alleged cash deliveries, his lawyer and spokesperson Ade Fajardo said Thursday. Fajardo said the Ombudsman investigation, which has been ongoing for months, has yet to produce evidence that directly connects Romualdez to the alleged …

Cabinet Secretary Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. on Thursday called on the public to stop spreading speculation and fake news about the fatal shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University, stressing that authorities must be allowed to complete their investigation. During his visit to the university, Abalos conveyed President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s sympathies to the victims’ families and the school community. …

Workers who become sick or suffer accidents because of their jobs or while working during calamities may seek additional assistance under the Employees’ Compensation (EC) Program, the Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) said Thursday. The ECC, chaired by Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Francis Tolentino, said the program provides protection to eligible government and private sector workers, including those exposed …

Two recent recantations involving alleged deliveries of luggage containing tens of millions of pesos to key government officials should raise more questions than they settle. The former soldiers who supposedly witnessed or participated in the deliveries have now withdrawn their testimonies, claiming that Senator Rodante Marcoleta and former Congressman Michael Defensor contrived the stories and attributed these to them. This is not merely another political sideshow. …

LOVE FOR ALL​By: Virginia Rodriguez When a government official earns the highest public trust and performance rating among Cabinet secretaries, the recognition should mean more than a congratulatory message. It should be treated as a responsibility to do even more for the people who depend on government. Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Rex Gatchalian has emerged as …

REALPOLITIKBy Benjie Alejandro The Palace’s declaration of a higher development budget for local government units (LGUs) in 2027 is being framed as a bold step toward inclusive growth. More money for local projects, more resources for communities—on paper, it sounds progressive. Yet in the unforgiving calculus of politics, timing is everything. And the timing here is suspect.   Why now? …

School shootings will continue to plague the country despite the familiar assurances from government and the police that everything is being done to prevent another tragedy. The recent shooting at a high-end private school in Zamboanga will likely not be the last. A parent at the earlier shooting in Tacloban, Leyte, warned as much—and the warning appears to have gone …

EBITDABy DIEGO C. CAGAHASTIAN It is both the mandate and duty of the government to manage the economy well, and thus provide jobs and livelihood for its constituents, who in turn are expected to dutifully pay their taxes, cooperate in nation-building, and even willfully surrender part of their privacy and rights for the sake of national security. Under this framework, …