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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…

Vancouver, Canada – Two Canadian mining companies announced plans to expand their operations in the Philippines after separate meetings with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the sidelines of his official visit to Canada. In a statement, officials said the discussions focused on planned investments, mine expansion and exploration projects. OceanaGold Corp. said it is pursuing a US$1.9 billion (about ₱106 billion) expansion of the Didipio Gold-Copper Mine in Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino. The company said the project is intended to extend the mine’s operating life until 2037. Marcos also met with executives of B2Gold Corp. and Filminera Resources Corp., which jointly operate the Masbate Gold Project. The companies discussed plans to invest about US$14 million (about ₱784 million) in expanding the project’s solar power facility and carrying out additional exploration activities. B2Gold also submitted a letter expressing its intention, subject to further agreement, to provide technical and exploration expertise to…

Vancouver, Canada  — Malacañang said  the Philippines’ upgrade as an upper-middle-income status is an important economic milestone but should not be viewed as the final goal. Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro acknowledged that many Filipinos continue to struggle with poverty and high prices despite the World Bank reclassification. “Ito pong pagiging upper middle income country, hindi po ito finish line. Hindi po ito katapusan. Marami pa pong dapat gawin ang bansa para mas umangat pa ang ekonomiya,” she said. [Translation: Becoming an upper-middle-income country is not the finish line. It is not the end. The country still has much more to do to further strengthen the economy.] Castro said the new classification does not mean every Filipino has escaped financial hardship. She said the government will continue implementing programs to address poverty, hunger and other economic challenges. She said the country’s stronger economic standing is expected to attract more investors and…