PCG station commander shot dead by unidentified gunman
PCG station commander shot dead by unidentified gunmanGlennick Ytang (in picture), the station commander of Coast Guard Station (CGS) Zamboanga Sibugay, was gunned down, Jan. 15, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — A Philippine Coast Guard station commander was shot and killed while inside his vehicle in Ipil town, Zamboanga Sibugay, on Thursday night, January 16. Lieutenant Junior Grade Glennick Ytang, 32, commander of the Philippine Coast Guard Ipil Substation under Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao, was attacked by an unidentified gunman in Barangay Veterans Village, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said in a statement Friday, January 17. Ytang, who commanded Coast Guard Station Zamboanga Sibugay, was a member of Coast Guard Officers' Course Class 26-2020 “Hiraya Masiklab.”The PCG said it is coordinating closely with the Philippine National Police in the investigation. “The investigation of the PCG is still ongoing,” PCG spokesperson Noemi Cayabyab said.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 13:30 UTC
Gretchen Barretto sees no return to showbiz
Former actress Gretchen Barreto is apparently leading a quiet life after being excluded by authorities in the missing sabungeros case. Recently, Barretto was seen by some members of the entertainment media having lunch at a hotel. She sparingly said, “Peaceful, quiet life," before eventually leaving the venue. In July 2025, whistleblower Dondon Patidongan tagged businessman Atong Ang and Barretto as among the persons allegedly behind the abductions of missing sabungeros. He accused them, as well as Eric Dela Rosa and Celso Salazar, of being the masterminds in the case of not just 34 but over 100 missing sabungeros.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 12:47 UTC
Russian vlogger to be deported
Russian vlogger to be deportedMANILA, Philippines — After serving time in detention for over nine months for harassing Filipinos, Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy is set to be deported to his country, the Department of the Interior and Local Government announced yesterday. DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that while Zdorovetskiy is a US green card holder, he is still a Russian citizen. Clad in an orange detention shirt of the Bureau of Immigration, the Russian vlogger looked directly at the cameras without his antics. So he can be deported soon,” Santos told reporters. According to Remulla, Zdorovetskiy’s case should serve as a reminder to other foreigners to always respect the laws of the countries they are visiting.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 12:19 UTC
Huawei beats Apple as lead China smartphone maker in 2025
Huawei Technologies has beaten Apple to regain its top spot in China’s smartphone market in 2025. Based on data from research firm International Data Corporation, as reported by South China Morning Post, Huawei captured 16.4% of China’s smartphone market for the whole year with 46.7 million units shipped. Chinese tech firm Vivo falls behind Apple after shipping 46.1 million units, followed by Chinese brand rivals Xiaomi and Oppo. This is the first time since 2020 that Huawei has secured a full-year lead in mainland China’s smartphone market after the United States imposed heavy sanctions on the company and barred its access to advanced chips. China is the world’s largest smartphone market according to iDC data.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 11:49 UTC
PNP ordered to probe Jazmines’ disappearance
PNP ordered to probe Jazmines’ disappearanceA photo of the Court of Appeals in Ermita, Manila. MANILA, Philippines — The Court of Appeals (CA) has ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate the disappearance of activist James Jazmines, who has been missing since 2024. The CA declared former PNP chief and now Metropolitan Manila Development Authority general manager Nicolas Torre III as responsible and accountable for failing to prevent or investigate Jazmines’ disappearance. A few days after Jazmines’ disappearance, Salaveria was reportedly seized by unidentified men on Aug. 28, 2024, according to rights group Karapatan. With the granting of the writs of amparo and habeas data, the CA directed the PNP-CIDG to conduct a “speedy, thorough and independent investigation” on Jazmines’ disappearance.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 11:37 UTC
Graft charges filed against Bong Revilla, DPWH officials in Bulacan ghost project issue
Former Senator Bong Revilla Jr. and six officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways - Bulacan 1st District Engineering Office are facing malversation and graft charges following an Ombudsman investigation into a ghost P92.8 million flood control project. “Despite the absence of any actual construction, the respondents declared the project completed,” Clavano said. The charges stem from findings that the respondents misrepresented project progress through falsified reports and the issuance of fraudulent billing and disbursement documents. On Sept. 25, 2025, the actor-turned-politician was named by former DPWH undersecretary Roberto Bernardo as among those who allegedly received kickbacks from flood control projects. The Office of the Ombudsman filed graft and malversation cases against Co as well as several officials of the DPWH and Sunwest Inc. on Nov. 18 in connection with anomalies in a P289 million flood control project in Oriental Mindoro.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 11:13 UTC
Indonesia sues firms over environmental harm in flood zone
A survivor carries relief supplies while walking through tree trunks that were stranded in an area affected by a deadly flash flood following heavy rains in Karang Baru, Aceh Tamiang regency, Aceh province, Indonesia, December 6, 2025. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
Source:The Standard
January 16, 2026 10:14 UTC
Fury over Grok sexualized images despite new restrictions
Photo by IDREES MOHAMMED / AFP This photo illustration shows a person holding a smartphone bearing the logo of Grok, a generative artificial intelligence chatbot developed by US artificial intelligence company xAI in front of the national flags of various countries in Bengaluru on January 15, 2026.
Source:The Standard
January 16, 2026 10:12 UTC
Gauff says record Australian Open money progress but more needed
Gauff says record Australian Open money progress but more neededCoco Gauff of the US serves during a practice session in Melbourne on January 16, 2026, ahead of the Australian Open tennis tournament starting on January 18. MELBOURNE, Australia -- Coco Gauff said that a record prize pool at the Australian Open starting on Sunday was "progress" but "still not where we'd like it". The Australian Open pledged a 16 percent increase in the total prize purse to Aus$111.5 million (US$75 million) this year. "I think there's still further conversations that have to be had, not just with the Australian Open, but with all the slams." World number three Alexander Zverev, last year's beaten Australian Open finalist, struck a less upbeat tone.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 09:39 UTC
2016 trend: Why are social media users sharing photos from 10 years ago?
Last year, social media users compared 2015 to 2025 by pointing out some changes in pop culture and their personal lives in online posts. I noticed it’s the same with a lot of social media users regardless of their age,” she told L!fe. “Social media in 2016 was all about freedom and good memories, less anger and clout. Social media makes it easy to collectively remember the same moments at the same time. Somehow it also boosts the feeling of belongingness.”The psychologist explained how nostalgia on social media can be good for us.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 09:12 UTC
'Culinary Class Wars' returns for third season with new format
Are you ready for more Culinary Class Wars? Following the success of Season 2, Netflix has renewed the Korean culinary competition Culinary Class Wars for a third season. Culinary Class Wars production director Kim Eun Ji thanked the viewers for giving the show "so much love." Since its first season's premiere in 2024, Culinary Class Wars became the first Korean unscripted title to dominate the Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) list for three consecutive weeks. Culinary Class Wars followed a cookery contest in which contestants competed throughout various rounds.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 07:13 UTC
Bill seeking to reimburse passengers for unreasonable offloading pushed in Senate
The Senate is considering a bill to reimburse passengers who miss flights because of unfair immigration delays. The Senate Bill No. 1657, or the “Passenger Protection and Reimbursement for Deferred Departures Act,” was filed in the upper house, aiming to protect passengers' rights against unreasonable denial of departure with clear, uniform, and transparent provisions on the reimbursement of such travel expenses, in accordance with existing laws and standards of fiscal accountability. Sen. Raffy Tulfo, chairperson of the Committee on Public Services, filed the bill after he received several complaints from passengers who were offloaded without a valid reason. "Karamihan sa mga nagreklamo ay nagsabing wala rin daw malinaw na paliwanag ang BI kung bakit sila na-offload," he said in a statement.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 06:41 UTC
LTO: E-driver's license is valid stand-in for physical license in case of traffic violation or inspection
Motorists may present their e-driver's license via their mobile phones instead of the physical card to authorities in the event of an inspection or a traffic violation and the physical card is not accessible. Law enforcers from the LTO, as well as the agency's deputized agents, are required to recognize and accept a valid e-driver's license when these incidents arise. Only the official e-driver's license is a valid substitute for the physical driver's license. How to access your e-driver's licenseMotorists will automatically have access to their e-driver's license once they apply for a new license or renew their current one. A valid e-driver's license should contain your photo, identification details, and a scannable QR code/barcode for verification.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 06:22 UTC
LIST: International scholarships, free courses to check out this 2026
Check out PhilSTAR L!fe 's list of international scholarships and free learning opportunities that are worth checking out this year. Applying for international programs often requires tedious preparation, strict documentation, and a rigorous screening process. There are a lot of opportunities for you to expand your knowledge and upskill, from international scholarships to free courses online. Manaaki New Zealand ScholarshipThe government of New Zealand is also offering scholarships to international students, including Filipinos, under their Manaaki New Zealand Scholarship. German Academic Exchange ServiceThe German government is offering scholarships for international students, including undergraduates, graduates, doctoral candidates, postdoctoral researchers, and faculty.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 04:41 UTC
Palace still verifying if Bonoan provided false DPWH data
Palace still verifying if Bonoan provided false DPWH dataMANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is still validating the claim of Sen. Panfilo Lacson that former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) secretary Manuel Bonoan had deliberately provided false ghost flood control data to weaken the investigation on the anomaly. Citing “very reliable information,” Lacson said the data given by Bonoan led to incorrect grid coordinates of thousands of flood control projects nationwide. “He is misleading the Palace to weaken or discredit the investigation into ghost flood control projects. “He said he knows nothing about it.”Bonoan’s initial defense when the flood control mess erupted was that he had been blindsided by his own top lieutenants. “The scheme perpetrated by senior DPWH employees was made possible because Bonoan betrayed such trust reposed in him,” the ICI stated.
Source:Philippine Star
January 16, 2026 04:41 UTC