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The Supreme Court of the Philippines (SC) en banc has ruled that the mitigating circumstance of voluntary surrender must be assessed based on the accused’s true intent and the totality of circumstances surrounding the act. The clarification came after the high tribunal granted a petition to reduce the sentence of a man convicted of bigamy, 13 years after a warrant …

Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto has filed an election offense complaint against contractor Cezarah Rowena “Sarah” Discaya, accusing his former rival of overspending and misdeclaring campaign expenses in the May 2025 polls. In a complaint-affidavit submitted to the Political Finance and Affairs Department of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Intramuros, Manila last week, Sotto alleged that Discaya violated Section …

The Embassy of the Republic of Korea in the Philippines has removed the requirement to submit three months’ worth of bank statements for visa applications, easing documentary requirements for Filipino travelers. The Korean Visa Application Center Philippines (KVAC) said the policy change aims to streamline the process and encourage more visits to South Korea. “For all types of required documents, …

The Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines clarified Friday that the alleged mastermind in the Binondo drum murder is not Taiwanese, but a Chinese national. TECO said verification procedures revealed that the suspect’s purported Taiwanese passport was forged. “After carefully examining the passport presented by the suspect, this Office confirms that the document is a forged Taiwanese passport,” …

Australian Ambassador Marc Innes-Brown highlighted the strong demand for Filipino workers in Australia during a courtesy visit with Senator Raffy Tulfo at the Senate. Tulfo, chair of the Senate committees on migrant workers and public services, noted that around 400,000 Filipinos are currently living or working in Australia, many as nurses, skilled workers, and other healthcare professionals. The ambassador “commended …

Canada will continue helping the Philippines strengthen its defenses against emerging cybersecurity threats as the 2028 presidential election approaches. David Hartman, Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines, said Ottawa is committed to assisting Manila in achieving “democratic resiliency” under its Indo-Pacific Strategy. “We’re living in unprecedented times in terms of the threats to our respective democracies. So, now is the time …

Lawyer Melvin Matibag has been named the new director of the National Bureau of Investigation, Malacañang announced Thursday. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. exercised his prerogative in making the appointment. “Unang-una, prerogative po ng Pangulo. Masasabi natin, bakit niya in-appoint? Nandoon po ang tiwala. Nakitaan po niya si Atty. Melvin Matibag na maaaring pagtiwalaan, …

In Philippines politics, timing is never accidental. Seasoned operators understand that early declarations of presidential ambition are rarely about transparency; they are about strategy. A premature announcement can flush out rivals, test alliances, and measure the depth of the political field.  Thus, when Sara Duterte signaled her intentions well ahead of the 2028 race, it was less a spontaneous expression of public service than …

Now that my virgin column was finally delivered by Caesarean section, so to speak, last week through the relentless proddings of our usual suspect, Ms. Nelly L., here I am once again typing on my Underwood portable manual typewriter for my second attempt in my journalistic journey. I have had no formal instruction in this kind of profession except for …

As artificial intelligence becomes more accessible, so too do the tools of deception. Cybercriminals are now harnessing AI to produce fraudulent schemes so polished and persuasive that even digitally savvy consumers can be fooled. In the Philippines, where online transactions and mobile payments are rapidly becoming the norm, this evolution in cybercrime poses a serious threat to consumer trust—particularly in the …