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Metro Manila, Philippines – The House justice committee decided against opening the box of tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Mans Carpio, at the impeachment hearing on Wednesday, April 29. “Let it be placed on record that the committee will not open the box,” panel chair Rep. Jinky Luistro said after announcing the votes of 38 members who were against the motion.  Only six were in favor of scrutinizing the tax records, namely Mamayang Liberal Rep. Rep. Leila de Lima, ACT Teachers Rep. Antonio Tinio, Kabataan Rep. Renee Louise Co, Iloilo 3rd District Rep. Lorenz Defensor, Tingong Rep. Jude Acidre, and Gabriela Women’s Rep. Sarah Elago.  De Lima made the motion to open the box, saying that it may strengthen the probable cause for the impeachment complaints.  The differences crossed affiliations even in the minority.   Akbayan Rep. Chel Diokno was against De Lima’s motion “out of…

Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday announced expanded PhilHealth maternity benefits, which will take effect beginning April 30. Upon implementation, coverage for normal deliveries will increase from ₱9,750 to ₱29,000, while coverage for caesarean section (C-section) deliveries will rise from ₱37,000 to approximately ₱58,000–₱62,000. With this adjustment, Marcos noted that ward deliveries—even in private hospitals—might potentially result in zero out-of-pocket costs for patients. Coverage for prenatal checkups will also increase from four to eight sessions, now including vaccinations and laboratory tests. Additionally, up to three post-delivery checkups will be covered under the expanded benefits. “Simple lamang ang ating layunin: nais natin na matiyak na ang bawat ina ay makakapagpanganak nang ligtas at hindi nag-aalala kung saan kukuha ng pambayad,” said Marcos. [Translation: “Our goal is simple: we want to ensure that every mother can give birth safely without worrying about where to get the money for…

Metro Manila, Philippines – Vice President Sara Duterte was absent on the fourth day of impeachment hearings at the House of Representatives on Wednesday, April 29, effectively skipping all proceedings held by the House justice committee. Duterte’s defense team previously maintained that they would skip the proceedings, in accordance with their petition before the Supreme Court challenging the legality of the hearings over supposed constitutional flaws. In her opening statement, House justice committee chairperson Jinky Luistro slammed Duterte’s refusal to face the committee proceedings. She also criticized the defense team’s statement asking the public to be cautious of the impeachment raps. “Napakasimple ng tanong: may pera ba o wala? Mayroon bang P6.7 billion na gumalaw sa ilalim ng mga pangalan nila? At kung mayroon—saan galing? Tapos tayo ang pinag-iingat? “Be cautious daw. Anong klaseng sagot iyan?,” she said. [Translation: The question is very simple: is there money or none? Was…

Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will not issue an apology over developments involving fugitive former lawmaker Zaldy Co, despite public criticism following his earlier announcement that Co had been under Czech jurisdiction, Malacañang said.. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the president’s statements were based on verified information at the time and did not warrant an apology. “Ibalik ko ang tanong: Saan po siya dapat mag-apologize?” Castro said when asked if Marcos should apologize.  [Translation: I will return the question: Where should he apologize?] “Ang kaniyang ini-report naman po ay tama… wala po tayong nakikita na maaaring sabihing pagkakamali ng Pangulo,” she added.  [Translation: What he reported was correct… we see no mistake on the part of the President.] Castro said Marcos was “disappointed” over the latest developments, with Co no longer in Czech custody and believed to be in France, where he has reportedly sought political…

Metro Manila, Philippines –  The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has directed a tax audit on Vice President Sara Duterte, her spouse Mans Carpio, and nine business entities linked to them. In a press statement on Tuesday, April 28, the agency said it has ordered letters of authority to conduct a tax probe on the couple and their firms, after finding probable cause for an audit investigation. The move allows revenue officers to examine their books of accounts and accounting records. This comes as impeachment proceedings against the vice president are already underway over a number of allegations, including unexplained wealth. The BIR said it took note of the testimony of the ombudsman and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) during the impeachment hearing on April 22. The AMLC earlier disclosed that Duterte and Carpio registered at least ₱6.77 billion in covered and suspicious bank transactions from 2006 to 2025, which…