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Vancouver, Canada – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. criticized China’s decision to sanction Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., saying the move raises tensions and does little to advance efforts to manage territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea. Marcos described Beijing’s action as “very unhelpful.” “It really achieves very little,” he told reporters. Marcos said the sanctions do not move discussions between Manila and Beijing forward. “It does not make it easier,” he said. “It does not lessen the risk of a mistake or some kind of skirmish that could grow into something more.” Marcos said the Philippines remains committed to keeping communication channels with China open despite differences over the West Philippine Sea. “We continue to have open lines of communication with Beijing,” he said. The president said the government is pursuing dialogue at the diplomatic, commercial and personal levels. “Everything that we can is being explored,” he said. Marcos…

Metro Manila, Philippines – Senator Rodante Marcoleta has been arrested on plunder charges  in connection with the ₱75-million plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman. On Monday, July 6, the Sandiganbayan Third Division issued warrants of arrest and a Precautionary Hold Departure Order (PHDO) against Marcoleta, former congressman Mike Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray. Plunder is a non-bailable offense. The case stems from allegations that Marcoleta failed to declare ₱75 million in campaign donations from Defensor, Espiritu, and Viray received during the 2025 midterm senatorial elections.  Marcoleta was arrested shortly after the graft court issued the warrant. He was brought to Camp Crame in Quezon City to undergo booking procedures. Afterwards, he will be transferred to the Quezon City Jail in Payatas, according to Associate Justice Karl Miranda. Sen. Jinggoy Estrada is also detained here on a plunder charge related to the flood control scandal. …

Vancouver, Canada — An official facing an impeachment trial would be better off appearing before the impeachment court and answering questions personally, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Saturday, July 4, saying it would help clarify the issues more quickly. In an interview with reporters, Marcos was asked whether Vice President Sara Duterte should attend her impeachment trial, the President stressed that the decision ultimately rests with the accused and their lawyers. “My only experience with an impeachment trial was during the Corona impeachment trial,” he said, referring to his stint as a senator-judge in 2012. “It’s really up to the accused whether they feel the need to appear. I guess the lawyers on the defense side will give their advice.” He added that hearing directly from the accused would benefit the proceedings. “It would be much easier to get to the bottom of everything if you can speak to the…

Vancouver, Canada – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said former President Rodrigo Duterte acknowledged systemic issues in government flood control projects but failed to hold anyone accountable, marking the first time he has directly faulted his predecessor over the alleged anomalies. Speaking to reporters at the conclusion of his official visit to Canada on Saturday, July 4, Marcos said the government’s ongoing investigation has revealed that questionable infrastructure allocations predate his administration. “If you remember, in 2018, then-House Minority Leader Nonoy Andaya had already uncovered a ₱300-billion flood control mess,” Marcos said, noting that the pattern stretches back across the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years. “At the time, President Duterte acknowledged that there were great problems in terms of the flood control projects. Pero wala namang nangyari (But nothing happened),” Marcos added.  “Having acknowledged it, it did not find accountability in anybody. So I guess that was left up to me…

Vancouver, Canada —  President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said  his administration is far from done investigating alleged corruption in flood control projects, saying investigators continue to uncover more anomalies as they cast a wider net. In an interview with reporters in Canada on Saturday, July 4,  the president was asked whether his administration had done enough since declaring in his 2025 State of the Nation Address that officials involved in corruption should be ashamed, Marcos said, “Well, I cannot say that we have done enough because we are not done yet. Unfortunately, the more we look, the more we find.” He said the alleged irregularities extend beyond his administration.  The president said the continuing investigation has revealed what he described as a deeply rooted system of corruption that cannot be solved solely through criminal cases. “This is a deep-seated system of corruption that requires not only structural changes in the way…