Abbey M.

MANILA — Philippine passport holders can travel to Paraguay without applying for a visa for short visits of up to 30 days, opening another South American destination to Filipino travelers.

According to Paraguay’s National Directorate of Migration, Filipinos are exempt from visa requirements for tourist stays of up to 30 days under Decree No. 5,219 dated December 29, 2025.

Paraguay’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs also currently lists the Philippines among Asian countries whose nationals do not need a visa to enter the country.

Travelers must still present a valid passport and complete the required immigration entry process upon arrival. Paraguay requires foreign visitors to register their entry and exit through authorized immigration checkpoints and keep their proof of entry until departure.

The visa exemption applies to short stays and does not automatically cover residence or income-generating activities, which remain subject to separate immigration requirements.

The Philippines and Paraguay also signed a Visa Waiver Agreement for ordinary passport holders in May 2026 during the official visit of Paraguayan President Santiago Peña to Manila. The agreement was aimed at making travel easier and promoting tourism, business, and people-to-people exchanges between the two countries.

Paraguay’s foreign ministry later cited the removal of visa requirements for Filipinos as part of the country’s efforts to expand international connectivity.

Filipinos planning a trip should still check the latest entry requirements before departure, particularly the immigration rules of countries where they will transit or have connecting flights.

‍

MANILA — The Senate impeachment court resumes the trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, with House prosecutors set to present financial and corporate records in support of their allegation that she accumulated unexplained wealth.

The presentation shifts the trial to Article II of the impeachment complaint, which questions whether Duterte’s declared assets and lawful income are consistent with her financial transactions, properties and business interests.

Among the evidence expected is an Anti-Money Laundering Council report involving bank accounts linked to Duterte and her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.

House prosecutor Terry Ridon said the report contains around ₱6.7 billion in aggregate transactions and about ₱4.4 billion in inflows involving the couple over several years.

The figures, however, represent aggregated financial transactions and do not by themselves establish that the money was illegally obtained or constitutes unexplained wealth. Prosecutors are expected to compare the records with Duterte’s declared income, assets and liabilities as they seek to prove their allegations.

The Senate impeachment court previously granted subpoenas for bank, tax and AMLC records after finding the requested documents relevant to Article II of the case.

Prosecutors are also expected to present Securities and Exchange Commission records covering business interests connected to Duterte and Carpio.

House prosecution adviser Robert Ace Barbers said corporate records would be examined to determine whether income from businesses was properly reflected in Duterte’s Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth or SALNs.

Property acquisitions are also expected to be compared with the Vice President’s declared income and financial resources.

Duterte has denied wrongdoing and has repeatedly questioned the basis and conduct of the impeachment proceedings.

Meanwhile, the Senate impeachment court is separately considering how many votes should be required to convict Duterte if some senator-judges are unable to participate.

Presiding officer Francis Escudero earlier ruled that 16 votes, or two-thirds of the full 24-member Senate, are required for conviction. The court has sought the views of former Supreme Court justices and constitutional experts as some senator-judges push for clarification of the rule.

The House prosecution has said it continues to recognize the 16-vote threshold unless the impeachment court changes the ruling.

‍

‍MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. marked his 69th birthday in India on Sunday while attending the BRICS Summit, as he brushed off Vice President Sara Duterte’s latest call for him to resign.

Marcos was in New Delhi from September 12 to 13 for the 18th BRICS Summit, where he represented the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as ASEAN chair.

His birthday coincided with continuing political tensions back home after Duterte called for his resignation during a gathering outside the Quezon City Hall of Justice on Friday.

Duterte accused Marcos of dishonesty, abuse and corruption and urged her supporters to continue calling for his removal from office.

Asked by reporters in India about the Vice President’s statements, Marcos said he did not have much of a response and described Duterte as angry over what was happening to her.

He said he appeared to have become the main target of that anger.

“What can I do? You cannot force anyone to love you,” Marcos said.

Duterte made the resignation call after her scheduled arraignment on grave threats charges was postponed following a motion filed by her camp.

The case stems from Duterte’s controversial remarks in 2024 involving Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and then-House Speaker Martin Romualdez. The remarks are also among the issues raised in the impeachment proceedings against the Vice President.

Marcos’ 69th birthday, meanwhile, was marked by government activities under the “Handog ng Pangulo” program, with financial assistance and public services scheduled for beneficiaries across 82 provinces.

Marcos has previously said his birthday aspirations center on improving the lives of Filipinos, particularly the poor, and pursuing programs aimed at ensuring that no Filipino goes hungry.

The President spent his birthday carrying out official engagements at the BRICS Summit before returning to the Philippines on Monday, September 14.

‍

MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said his recent visit to India produced new investment commitments and expanded cooperation in infrastructure, digital payments, disaster resilience, healthcare and other key sectors.

Marcos returned to the Philippines early Monday after attending the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, where he represented the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as ASEAN chair.

Apart from the summit, the President met with Indian government officials and business leaders to discuss possible investments and partnerships involving the Philippines.

Among the commitments announced was a USD75-million investment from iSON Group covering modern agriculture and renewable energy, healthcare and round-the-clock teleconsultation services. The projects are expected to generate around 2,000 jobs.

The company also pledged an additional USD10 million for the expansion of business process outsourcing operations and global delivery centers in the Philippines.

Marcos also met executives of GMR Group and representatives of Cavitex Holdings Inc. to discuss the development of the Sangley Point International Airport project in Cavite.

On digital payments, the President advanced talks with NPCI International Limited and LandBank of the Philippines on exploring an India-style Unified Payments Interface system.

The proposed cooperation could support faster government payments, improved QR payment interoperability and more efficient cross-border transactions.

The Philippines is also set to join the Coalition for Disaster Resilience following Marcos’ engagement with the organization during the trip.

Marcos said the visit also strengthened diplomatic ties through direct discussions with leaders from different regions, including countries in Africa and Latin America.

He said personal engagement among leaders remains an important part of diplomacy because it allows governments to better understand each other’s concerns and communicate more directly when issues arise.

Marcos attended the BRICS Summit as ASEAN chair and as a representative of one of the summit’s Outreach Countries.

‍

‍COTABATO CITY — Bangsamoro interim Chief Minister Abdulraof Macacua called on voters to keep the first Bangsamoro Parliamentary Elections peaceful and orderly as the region prepares for the historic polls on Monday, September 14.

Macacua said the elections represent another milestone in the Bangsamoro peace process, as voters choose representatives who will form the region’s first elected Parliament.

“This is more than just electing leaders, but it is proof of how far we have progressed in the peace process,” Macacua said in a video message Sunday.

He urged voters and candidates to respect differing political choices and avoid actions that could trigger conflict among communities.

Macacua also appealed against mudslinging, dirty politics and the spread of misleading or inflammatory information that could revive tensions and distrust among the Bangsamoro people, the national government and other Filipinos.

Macacua himself is seeking a parliamentary seat representing the Fifth District of Maguindanao del Norte.

The September 14 polls mark BARMM’s first regular parliamentary elections, with around 2.3 million registered voters expected to participate across the autonomous region. Voters will help determine the composition of the Bangsamoro Parliament under the region’s parliamentary system of government.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections said more than 800 public school teachers assigned as Electoral Board members have withdrawn from election duty.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia said most of the teachers who backed out are related to candidates.

In Cotabato City alone, 137 teachers failed to appear during the final testing and sealing of automated counting machines on Saturday. Other withdrawals were recorded in Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Sur, Maguindanao del Norte, Tawi-Tawi and the BARMM Special Geographic Area.

Police personnel trained to perform election duties will take the place of teachers who withdrew. Comelec earlier said replacement police officers had been prepared and trained, including certification related to the operation of automated counting machines.

Garcia assured the public that the poll body had anticipated possible withdrawals and has prepared replacement personnel to prevent disruptions on Election Day.

September 14 has also been declared a special non-working day across BARMM to allow residents to participate in the elections.

‍