Leviste: I have more than Cabral filesMANILA, Philippines — Saying that he has pieces of evidence more damning than the so-called Cabral files, Batangas 1st district Rep. Leandro Leviste maintained that he has evidence that President Marcos was aware of the kickbacks allegedly received by ranking government officials in the flood control projects. “More than the Cabral files, I have evidence that showed the acceptance of kickbacks. However, I had prepared videos so that, whatever happened to me, the truth will come out,” Leviste said, referring to records of the late public works and highways undersecretary Catalina Cabral. “It’s better for Rep. Leviste to be the one to reveal the message, because he can explain the provenance of these records. “I also expect that former undersecretary (Roberto) Bernardo, secretary (Manuel) Bonoan and other incumbent and former Cabinet secretaries and undersecretaries will also share the truth,” Leviste said.

SWS: Pinoys happy with love life lowest in decadesA vendor prepares flowers for online orders in a shop at the Dangwa Flower Market in Manila ahead of Valentine’s Day. MANILA, Philippines — The percentage of Filipinos who are happy with their love lives stayed at 46 percent, the lowest in over two decades, based on the latest survey conducted by Social Weather Stations (SWS). The same survey found that 40 percent said their love lives could be happier, up four points from 36 percent obtained in the previous poll. The remaining 14 percent said they do not have love lives, down from 18 percent. Among those who are single, 22 percent of women and 28 percent of men respondents said they were happy with their love lives.

DILG doubles bounty for Atong Ang to P20 milionMANILA, Philippines — As Charlie “Atong” Ang remains elusive despite a massive police manhunt, the government has doubled the bounty for the gaming tycoon’s arrest to P20 million. Ang is facing charges of kidnapping with homicide as well as kidnapping and serious illegal detention before the courts in Sta. Based on intelligence reports, Remulla said they have reason to believe Ang is still in the Philippines. Department of Justice spokesman Polo Martinez maintained the agency has not received the latest arrest warrant against Ang and others. Intensified operationsAfter receiving criticisms from Sen. Raffy Tulfo, the PNP has vowed to intensify operations against illegal online cockfighting or sabong games.

DILG chief, China envoy meet over tensionsMANILA, Philippines — After days of trading barbs with some Philippine officials, Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan expressed his wish yesterday for de-escalating tensions during a courtesy call on Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla. The China travel ban on 16 officials of the Kalayaan Municipality in Palawan was not discussed during the meeting, Remulla said. In support of the officials in Kalayaan, Remulla said he intends to visit the municipality sometime in March or April. “By banning 16 Filipino officials, China unintentionally reminds everyone that Kalayaan has elected officials and functions as a Philippine municipality,” Army Training Command commander Maj. Gen. Michael Logico said. Kalayaan officials earlier declared Chinese embassy officials as unwelcome or persona non grata which the embassy and Beijing reciprocated by also banning the local officials from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau.

ACT hits Marcos’ slow action in solving classroom shortage“It is a decades-old issue. The classroom shortage did not suddenly appear, and neither is it a mystery. “Inaction has defined most of his administration.”MANILA, Philippines — The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) yesterday questioned why it took President Marcos almost four years before prioritizing the classroom shortage problem. The classroom shortage did not suddenly appear, and neither is it a mystery. “Inaction has defined most of his administration.”Bernardo made the remarks after the President on Wednesday vowed to address the classroom shortage.

Eala joins giants in WTA1000MANILA, Philippines — Dubai main draw Alex Eala will no longer go through the qualifying round, gaining spot in the main draw of the WTA1000 Dubai Duty Free International Tennis Championships set next week. Eala’s ticket has been upgraded as announced by organizers yesterday after she barged into the Top 40 of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. And that means a chance to slug it out with the sport’s titans led by world No. The three hotshots lead a stacked main draw featuring 18 of the world’s top 20 players including No. And it’s the second WTA1000 for the 20-year-old Filipina this season after the Qatar Open where she got the boot early with a 7-6 (8-6), 6-1 defeat at the hands of Czechia’s Tereza Valentova, WTA No.

MRT station manager axed over signage gaffeA photo of some MRT-3 personnel holding a signage pointing to working escalators at the Shaw Boulevard station circulated online. MANILA, Philippines — Transport Secretary Giovanni Lopez has relieved a station manager of the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3) over another signage blunder. A photo of some MRT-3 personnel holding a signage pointing to working escalators at the Shaw Boulevard station circulated online. This was immediately stopped the moment the management learned about it,” the rail management said in a statement. The station manager was referred to the MRT-3 disciplinary committee for investigation and corresponding sanctions.

Photo by JUNG YEON-JE / AFP This picture taken on October 22, 2025 shows a mockup of a chipset featuring Samsung Electronics' high-bandwidth memory (HBM) technology on display during the 2025 Semiconductor Exhibition in Seoul.

Villagers in Maguindanao del Norte town benefit from humanitarian missionPersonnel of the 1st Marine Brigade provided children belonging to ethnic Iranun families free haircuts during a multi-sector outreach event in Barira, Maguindanao del Norte on Feb. 11, 2026. COTABATO CITY, Philippines — More than a thousand marginalized ethnic Iranun villagers in Barira town in Maguindanao del Norte availed of free medical, dental and other essential health interventions during a multi-sector relief mission in the municipality on Wednesday, February 11. Local executives, among them Barira Mayor Abdul Rauf Tomawis, confirmed to reporters on Thursday that 1,384 villagers from across their municipality benefited from Wednesday's joint outreach mission of the offices of Maguindanao Del Norte Gov. Local officials said the provincial government of Maguindanao del Norte gave out a dozen wheelchairs for persons with disabilities and elderly Barira residents during the day-long event. “Our governor intends to replicate such activity in other towns in Maguindanao del Norte,” Sinsuat said.

Lawmakers seek probe into Philippines-linked Epstein operationsThis undated and unlocated handout image released by Democrats on the House Oversight Committee on December 18, 2025 shows late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein (R). MANILA, Philippines — Lawmakers filed separate resolutions seeking a congressional probe into alleged Philippines-based operations that may have aided convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Sen. Loren Legarda filed Senate Resolution No. If Filipino individuals or entities were involved in Epstein's digital cover-up operations, we must investigate thoroughly and hold accountable those who undermine our protections," she added. Both resolutions call for fact-finding inquiries and do not allege that specific Filipino individuals have been formally charged.

Tabuena's risk pays off with full-time 2026 LIV Golf statusThe Philippines' Miguel Tabuena reacts after winning the International Series Philippines golf tournament at the Sta. MANILA, Philippines — Even before he could unleash his opening drive in his second LIV Golf League appearance in Adelaide, Miguel Tabuena had already emerged a winner. “This week at Adelaide, I am no longer teeing up as a reserve, but as a wildcard for the entire LIV Golf 2026 season,” Tabuena shared on Instagram. After falling agonizingly short of securing an outright LIV berth through the Asian Tour International Series standings, Tabuena made a bold decision. Reserves in LIV Golf travel with teams but have no assurance of actually competing.

DFA warns Filipinos: Avoid joining foreign militariesMen pass by a digital screen displaying an ad promoting contract military service in the Russian army's unmanned systems units in Saint Petersburg on Feb. 3, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday, February 11, issued a warning to Filipino nationals against accepting overseas job offers that could lead to recruitment into foreign armed forces. According to the DFA, participation in foreign armed conflicts exposes Filipinos to “grave danger and serious legal consequences.”Recruitment into foreign armed forces may also violate Philippine laws and lead to loss of citizenship, according to the agency. The statement from the Foreign Affairs Department came after reports of two Filipinos allegedly fighting for Russia during the Russian-Ukrainian War. However, this claim is still under investigation, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Lunar New Year fairs open with cautious cheer for the Year of Horse

Bounty for Atong Ang raised to P20 millionMANILA, Philippines — The reward money for information leading to the arrest of fugitive tycoon Atong Ang has been increased to P20 million, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said. Remulla announced this at a press conference on Thursday, February 12, saying that the funds came from the confidential funds of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police. “P20 million for information leading to his arrest,” Remulla said. Remulla first set the bounty for information leading to Ang’s arrest on January 15, setting the amount at P10 million. On February 6, another court in Laguna, the San Pablo RTC Branch 29, also issued an arrest warrant against the fugitive tycoon.

Built for the LIV moment: Miguel Tabuena's breakthroughThe Philippines' Miguel Tabuena tees off on Hole 1 during Round 3 of the International Series Philippines golf tournament at the Sta. MANILA, Philippines — It was always Miguel Tabuena’s dream to play in the LIV Golf League. His breakthrough followed a standout rise through the Asian Tour’s International Series. Miguel is currently competing in the second leg of the LIV Golf League in Adelaide, Australia. Miguel Tabuena stood near the door.