Dev Flores

Office of the Vice President (OVP) Assistant Chief of Staff Lemuel Ortonio was declared a hostile witness today, following the appearance of the former special disbursing officer, Gina Acosta, in the Senate Impeachment Court.

As a hostile witness (or a witness who has opposite interests with the prosecution), the rules of the court allow the prosecution to ask him leading questions, or questions answerable by yes or no.

The court is continuously discussing Article I, which centers on the alleged misuse of confidential funds of the Vice President.

During the direct examination with private prosecutor Atty. Mae Divinagracia, Ortonio confirmed that the OVP has no confidential funds during the term of the former Vice President and incumbent Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo; that is the reason behind requesting confidential funds from the Office of the President through the Department of Budget and Management.

“Noong 2022, dahil wala kayong dinatnan na confidential funds sa pag-upo mo kasama ng pag-upo ng Vice President Sara Duterte. Tama ba?” Atty. Divinagracia asked

“Yes, ma'am,” Ortionio said

Ortionio also confirmed that when the OVP submitted the request for confidential funds to the DBM in August 2022, the physical and financial plan was not yet included. The plan was submitted later on September 16, 2022.

With reports from Rosalie Coz

PAGCOR recorded a total income of P95.14 billion in 2025, reflecting a P2.38 billion decline from the P97.52 billion revenue posted in 2024.

PAGCOR Chairman Alejandro Tengco explained that the revenue drop was primarily driven by the anti-POGO campaign and the delinking of e-wallets and online bank payment systems from casino platforms.

“There was an order coming from the Senate in a hearing sometime in September of last year, requesting the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to implement the delinking of the payment apps sa lahat po ng mga online gaming customers natin. So, after that was implemented, we had experienced a downtrend of 40% in gaming activities,” Tengco said

Despite the revenue drop, PAGCOR assured that funding for its socio-civic projects will remain unaffected. The agency emphasized that key initiatives, including the construction of community-based infrastructure and disaster response efforts will continue as planned.

Taiwan will launch a new tourism incentive program offering NT$5,000 (over ₱9,000) travel credit for qualified repeat international tourists.

Under the program, foreign independent travelers who have visited Taiwan at least once since January 1, 2023, can register for a chance to be selected to receive the travel credit.

The repeat visitors program will run from October 10, 2026 to March 31, 2027. Online registration will be open from October 1.

The incentive primarily covers foreign independent travelers; separate incentives are also available for group tours.

Groups with at least four participants and a minimum of 10% repeat visitors can receive between 10,000 and 30,000 Taiwan Dollars, depending on the program conditions.

The initiative aims to encourage more international tourists to return, extend their stays, and explore Taiwan.

With reports from Paolo Dasal

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) expressed concern over the involvement of the youth in illegal gambling.

This stems from the arrest of seven Information Technology (IT) graduates in Silang, Cavite for involvement in illegal online cockfighting (e-sabong).

According to NBI-NCR Regional Director Atty. Emeterio Dongallo Jr., the incident is alarming because the individuals involved seem so unbothered following their arrest.

“Ang nakakabahala, nang mahuli sila, parang wala lang,” he said

The arrested individuals are currently in NBI custody. The bureau actively investigates to locate the potential mastermind behind the illegal gambling operation.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has classified the impounded supercar registered under the name of the actor Derek Ramsay as misdeclared when it was brought into the Philippines in 2021.

This classification means the vehicle was declared as a lower model compared to its actual specifications.

BOC Commissioner Ariel Nepomuceno explained that smugglers use this scheme to lower the price as well as the taxes to pay to the government.

“Dapat ito ay Porsche Spyder 918. Ang dineklara rito ay Porsche Boxster. Ano ang ibig sabihin no’n? Ang Boxster, ang halaga nung ipinasok ito nung 2021, hindi ito bababa sa 8 to 10 million,” he said

“Subalit ang ginawa rito, dapat na bayaran kahit Boxster ito, dapat bayaran rito ay mahigit 3 milyon. Ang binayaran kahit Boxster yan 1.8 million,” he  explained

“Ito ang problema. Hindi naman 'yan Boxster. Ito ay Spyder 918. Noong panahon na 'yon, ang Spyder 918 ay hindi bababa between 50 to 100 million,” he addded

The BOC announced that charges will be filed against the involved in selling the supercar, particularly the seller, importer, shipper, consignee, and the customs broker. 

If the owner presents documentation proving that he was a victim in the transaction, authorities will pursue the party that sold the vehicle.

Meanwhile, Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief Assistant Secretary Markus Lacanilao stated that the agency will investigate how the registration documents were issued for the supercar despite its status.

In a social media post, Ramsay clarified that he is not a smuggler. He purchased the car four years ago using his hard-earned money and stated that he had no idea why the issue was happening. He also believes that its documentation was legally registered. The actor is willing to cooperate with the authorities regarding the ongoing registration.

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With reports from Asher Cadapan Jr.