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Metro Manila, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan has barred former House Speaker Martin Romualdez from leaving the country after granting a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) amid an investigation linking him to the flood control scandal. A high ranking official from the anti-graft court told NewsWatch Plus that the court’s seventh division approved the ombudsman’s application. “The above-entitled application having been filed against the respondent…and appears to the satisfaction of the court after examining under oath the witnesses of applicant Office of the Ombudsman, through the Office of the Special Prosecutor, and the supporting complaint-affidavit, that there is probable cause to believe that respondent will depart from the Philippines to evade arrest and prosecution of crime/s being charged against him,” the document read. The pending case involves plunder, direct bribery, graft, indirect bribery, and money laundering. The court directed the Bureau of Immigration to bar Romualdez from leaving the country. The…

Metro Manila, Philippines – Lawmakers flagged billions in bank transactions—some of which have been declared suspicious—linked to Vice President Sara Duterte, as they noted a disparity in her declared net worth. During the impeachment hearing of the House justice committee on Wednesday, April 22, the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) flagged ₱6.77 billion in covered and suspicious transactions tied to Duterte and her spouse, Mans Carpio, from 2006 to 2025. The AMLC defines covered transactions as transactions exceeding ₱500,000 in one day, while suspicious transactions are questionable regardless of the amount. Of the total, 630 were covered transactions under Duterte and Carpio, while 33 were suspicious. The total amount of transactions for Duterte stands at ₱3.7 billion, and ₱2.9 billion for Carpio. Bicol Saro Rep. Terry Ridon, justice committee member, pointed out red flags in these transactions, stressing disparity with the statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) of Duterte. …

Metro Manila, Philippines – The International Criminal Court rejected former President Rodrigo Duterte’s challenge to its jurisdiction, clearing the way for a possible trial of the high-profile crimes against humanity case linked to the bloody drug war. Presiding Judge Luz del Carmen Ibáñez Carranza delivered the Appeals Chamber’s ruling Wednesday, April 22, in open court in The Hague, Netherlands. The chamber rejected all four grounds of the defense. “In the present case, the Appeals Chamber by majority confirms the impugned decision,” she read. It affirms an earlier ruling by the Pre-Trial Chamber, which found that the court retains jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed while the Philippines was still a member of the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the ICC. The defense challenged the ICC jurisdiction after the Philippines withdrew from the treaty in March 2019. Carranza said the statute’s purpose would be undermined if states could avoid scrutiny by…

Metro Manila, Philippines –  The Supreme Court en banc has directed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Executive Secretary Ralph Recto to comment on a petition seeking to compel the chief executive to undergo medical examination. In a session held Wednesday, April 22, the high court acted on the petition filed by former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and others. The petition asks the court to issue an order directing Marcos to submit to physical and mental examinations, including a hair follicle drug test, and to disclose the results to the public. Petitioners also sought the release of a medical report confirming the president’s fitness to discharge the powers and duties of his office. The court said it has not yet given due course to the petition. Instead, it ordered respondents to submit their comment within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of notice. Malacanang has yet to issue a…

Metro Manila, Philippines – The country is under an El Niño alert, with the climate phenomenon expected to develop in the third quarter of the year, the weather bureau reported Wednesday, April 22. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said El Niño will emerge by June to August and may persist until early 2027. “During an El Niño event, there is an increased possibility of drier-than-usual conditions, which can lead to negative impacts such as droughts and dry spells in some parts of the country,” PAGASA said. It noted that above-normal rainfall may still occur during the southwest monsoon, or habagat, particularly in the western portions of the country.