This was the "Hello Garci" tapes, purportedly of a female (GMA) asking the commissioner to rig the elections in her favor. An earlier move by members of the congressional minority to impeach GMA failed, with her majority coalition blocking this initiative. NBN-ZTE deal a telenovelaThis corruption scandal is about the anomalous $329 million construction contract awarded to the Chinese telecommunications company ZTE for the proposed government national broadband network (NBN). Joey de Venecia was president of Amsterdam Holdings, the company that lost its bid to ZTE for the NBN project. She faced plunder charges but fled the country in 2011.

MANILA, Philippines — Lunar New Year is around the corner! Lunar New Year, an important event celebrated in China and various countries across Asia, is marked by vibrant festivities that begin with the first new moon of the lunar calendar. These celebrations extend for 15 days, culminating on the first full moon of the lunar calendar. Lunar New Year in PHLunar New Year is celebrated with great enthusiasm in the Philippines, particularly in Filipino-Chinese communities. These dances, central to Chinese New Year celebrations, symbolize good fortune and prosperity.

House and Senate at an ‘impasse’ after senators take exception with loyalty pledgeSenate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez talk to each other during the joint session of the 19th Congress at the House of Representatives on July 25, 2022. On Tuesday, House Senior Deputy Speaker Dong Gonzales defended the recently passed House Resolution 156, which expresses the lawmakers’ support for House Speaker Martin Romualdez after senators supposedly violated the principle of inter-parliamentary courtesy and interfered with the House’s affairs. Gonzales said on Tuesday that the House “(does) not want a word war” and had sought to “temper” the anger of lawmakers by way of a House resolution expressing their collective stance. Marcos, who is leading the Senate inquiry on the PI campaign, said on Tuesday that the House resolution in defense of Romualdez is indicative of tensions within the lower chamber itself. The lawmaker added that the situation between the two chambers of Congress has become “really uncomfortable.”“Where have you seen the Upper House and Lower House fighting?

MANILA, Philippines — Less than two years after Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos was swept to power, his family's alliance with his firebrand predecessor Rodrigo Duterte has been shattered. 'Drug addict'Fronting a rally of supporters in his home city Davao on January 28, Duterte accused Marcos of being a "drug addict", while his youngest son Sebastian Duterte said Marcos should resign. While Sara Duterte alleged last week that she had suffered "despicable treatment" by people close to the president, she has been careful to avoid directly criticising Marcos. Despite the elder Duterte's attacks on his successor, Marcos has said his relationship with Sara Duterte remains unchanged and that he would keep her as education secretary. He is widely expected to seek the presidency in 2028, potentially pitting him against the more popular Sara Duterte.

LUCENA CITY – The emission of a high volume of toxic sulfur dioxide (SO2) from Taal Volcano in Batangas province further subsided on Monday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported on Tuesday, Feb. 6. On Jan. 25 to 28, the volcano released 15,145 MT of toxic volcanic gas, the highest so far this year. Last year, the volcano logged 11,499 MT on Nov. 9, the highest emission level recorded in 2023. ADVERTISEMENTREAD: Taal Volcano’s toxic gas emissions easeVog contains acidic volcanic gases in fine droplets, causing eye, throat, and respiratory irritation. Taal Volcano remained under alert level 1 (low level of volcanic unrest), according to Phivolcs.

India, which sees itself as the hegemon of South Asia, views the region as a forbidden area and fortifies against China in every aspect. But the model of coexistence between China and India does not have to be like this at all. On many issues, New Delhi demands and pressures its South Asian neighbors to "choose sides" between China and India. What is India "scared" of China? We also want to say that India shouldn't be "scared of" China, but the meaning behind this statement is fundamentally different from Jaishankar's.

House of Representatives' Sr. Deputy Speaker Aurelio 'Dong' Gonzales Jr. and Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, during a press conference on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, say they believe that Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri 'committed' to a March deadline to finish the hearings on Resolution on Both House (RBH) 6 amid claims by the Senate Leader that they will not stick to a tight deadline in hearing the measure. Video by Red MendozaGet the latest newsdelivered to your inbox Sign up for The Manila Times newsletters By signing up with an email address, I acknowledge that I have read and agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Palace press briefer Daphne Paez, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. and Philippine National Police chief Benjamin Acorda Jr. talk to the media on Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, following a sectoral meeting in Malacañang. In that meeting, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the "strengthening and improvement of the PNP's cyber security systems" to address cyber crime and cyber security in the country. Video by Catherine Valente

House of Representatives Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio "Dong" Gonzales Jr., Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, and TGP Partylist Rep. Jose "Bong" Teves Jr. on Tuesday urge the Senate to be more "empathetic" with the House as they protect Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, against attacks by some senators. They also asked who among the 24 senators will support moves to change certain provisions of the 1987 Constitution, while thumbing down a suggestion to push for a plebiscite alongside the 2025 midterm elections. Video by Red Mendoza

6 Catholic bishops demand protection for Filipino fishers from Chinese aggressionFishermen check the floating barriers installed by the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) at the passage heading to Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea. MANILA, Philippines — Six Catholic bishops in dioceses near fisher communities have issued a rare appeal for the government to bring the full might of the law against Chinese vessels harassing Filipino fisherfolk, backing international action to stem China’s “forcible occupation” of Philippine maritime zones. Now, the bishops wrote, Filipino fisherfolk have to risk their lives by venturing far into the open sea just to bring home catch. The president’s statement came after Chinese naval assets water cannoned PCG vessels during its resupply mission to BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal. “We gratefully acknowledge statements of resoluteness about defending the resources God, in his munificence, has made available to us through the sea.

Grammys red carpet: metallics, Barbiecore and whiteFriends and collaborators Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey pose for a photo on the red carpet of the 66th annual Grammys. LOS ANGELES, United States — Music's brightest stars on Sunday rocked up to the Grammys in revealing metallic gowns, Barbiecore pink and stark, classic white. Here's a look at what the A-listers wore to the Grammys in Los Angeles:MetallicsIf you want to shine at the Grammys, metallics are a strong bet. from the film -- rocked a pink and black Barbie bomber jacket made by Chrome Hearts over a white shirt, black tie and black trousers. Some observers saw in Swift's look a coded message: the album cover of her "Reputation" was black and white.

COLOMBO: Cash-strapped Sri Lanka is "gradually" emerging from its worst economic crisis after the austerity of an IMF bailout, the president said Sunday in a speech to mark independence day. Recalling the "indignity of being labelled a financially bankrupt country," President Ranil Wickremesinghe dispensed with the customary annual address in favor of a brief statement. Sri Lanka saw months of civil unrest at the peak of the economic crisis, culminating in the ouster of then-president Gotabaya Rajapaksa when thousands of protesters stormed his home. The International Monetary Fund released the first tranche of a $2.9 billion four-year bailout loan to Sri Lanka in March last year under a reform program that saw taxes raised and prices sharply increased. Prices spiked more than 6 percent last month after the government hiked taxes in line with IMF conditions to maintain the bailout loan, according to Central Bank of Sri Lanka data.

BEIJING: The number of listed companies on the Chinese domestic stock market reached 5,346 by the end of 2023, according to the China Association for Public Companies. The number of companies listed on the country's Shanghai, Shenzhen and Beijing stock exchanges were 2,263, 2,844 and 239, respectively, said a monthly report published by the association. There were 5,113 companies listed only on the A-share market and 11 companies listed only on the B-share market, while 222 firms were listed on multi-share markets such as A- and B-share markets as well as the A- and H-share markets. The vast majority of companies in China by the end of 2023, were companies with manufacturing, information transmission, software and information technology services as their major focus, as well as companies in the wholesale and retail sectors. In terms of provinces, the number of companies in Guangdong, Zhejiang and Jiangsu were 872, 702 and 690, respectively, accounting for more than 40 percent of total listed firms on the domestic stock market at the end of 2023.

WASHINGTON: Blockbuster job growth in the past several months has coincided with high-profile layoff announcements by a number of large companies. Recent job cuts have been concentrated mainly in just a few sectors: technology, finance and media. Job cuts and gains are happening in different industries: In most industries, businesses have kept adding workers over the past three months. The job cuts, by contrast, have been more concentrated. The layoffs are spread over time: High-profile job cuts typically involve many layoffs that aren't implemented immediately.

NEW YORK: Stephen Curry scored 60 points in a losing cause on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) as Dejounte Murray rescued the Atlanta Hawks in overtime for a 141-134 NBA triumph over Golden State. Four-time NBA champion Curry made 22 of 38 shots from the floor, 10 of 23 from three-point range, and added six rebounds and four assists for the injury-hit Warriors. Stephen Curry AFP PHOTO"Steph was incredible," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "I'm just glad our team got the win," Atlanta guard Trae Young said. Jalen Johnson had 21 points and 13 rebounds while Onyeka Okongwu had 22 points and 16 rebounds off the bench.