Jasha Gamao

The House of Representatives expects Vice President Sara Duterte to directly address the impeachment charges against her rather than relying on legal maneuvers, Deputy Speaker Paolo Ortega of La Union announced on May 26. 

With the Senate impeachment court’s strict, non-extendible June 1 deadline fast approaching, lawmakers are actively pushing for a substantive response rather than a motion to dismiss. 

“We are hoping to receive an answer, not a motion to dismiss,” Representative Ortega said.

Once Duterte submits her answer, the House prosecution panel will have a similarly rigid five-day window to file its comments, keeping the high-stakes trial on a rapid schedule.

Ortega firmly warned that any attempt by Duterte’s defense team to file a motion to dismiss or to delay proceedings while waiting for pending Supreme Court decisions would be viewed as a clear dilatory tactic. 

Characterizing such moves as a waste of time, the House leader expressed confidence that the Senate impeachment court will maintain its swift momentum and reject any stalling mechanisms. 

“It will just be a waste of time. We do not think the Senate impeachment court, which has so far acted forthwith on the impeachment case, will allow it,” the Congressman stated.

The warning underscores the lower chamber's determination to prevent the trial from grinding to a halt over procedural technicalities.

Urging the Vice President to make good on her promise to defend herself, Ortega pressed Duterte to seize this moment to finally speak to the public. 

He noted that because she consistently refused to participate in the initial House impeachment proceedings, she has waited over a year for this trial to take place. 

“She consistently refused to show up in the House impeachment proceedings. She waited for more than a year since last year’s impeachment process for her trial to take place and to present her answer. She should seize this opportunity so the people can finally hear from her,” Congressman Ortega highlighted.

Lawmakers are now insisting that Duterte use the Senate stage to deliver the detailed answers the public has been waiting to hear.

QUEZON CITY—The Philippine National Police (PNP) officially acknowledged a Department of Justice (DOJ) subpoena on May 26, demanding critical firearms records linked to the May 13 shooting incident at the Senate of the Philippines.

PNP Spokesperson Col. Allen Rae Co confirmed during a press briefing that the Justice Department is targeting the inventory of all firearms registered under Senate ownership. 

“The subpoena covers the production of inventory of firearms registered under Senate ownership, as well as records related to the ownership of a firearm seen in the video, including relevant information and data in relation to the matter,” PNP spokesperson said.

Investigators are also gunning for specific registration data tied to a weapon spotted in a video capturing the violent event.

Moving swiftly to aid the investigation, Col. Co announced that the PNP will fully cooperate with all lawful processes and immediately surrender the required documents. 

“The PNP respects the ongoing investigation of the Department of Justice and assures its full cooperation with honorable processes, including the submission of documents and other relevant records as may require.” Colonel Co concluded.

The Office of the Ombudsman has escalated its anti-corruption drive, asking the Sandiganbayan to bar Senator Rodante Marcoleta, former Representative Michael Defensor, and businessmen Joseph Espiritu and Aristotle Viray from leaving the country. 

Prosecutors filed a verified ex parte application on May 25, demanding a Precautionary Hold Departure Order (PHDO) against the four individuals. 

The urgent move comes on the heels of severe criminal complaints charging them with plunder, indirect bribery, and violating Presidential Decree No. 46, a decree that prohibits giving gifts to public officials.  

The looming travel restrictions stem from a Commission on Elections investigation into 75 million Philippine pesos in campaign donations allegedly cornered by Marcoleta in January 2025, which he reportedly omitted from his Statement of Contributions and Expenditures. 

The Sandiganbayan’s Seventh Division has scheduled the critical PHDO hearing today, May 26, to determine if the high-profile suspects pose a flight risk while the active investigation unfolds.

The Sporting Clays Association of the Philippines (SCAP) National Team delivered a masterclass performance at the Singapore Shooting Championships 2026, capturing ten medals during the week-long tournament held from May 18 to 24 at the National Shooting Center. 

Besting powerhouse contenders from Australia, China, Hong Kong, India, and Thailand, the Filipino shooters dominated both the Compak and Flush categories. 

Carlo Baltonado anchored the historic run, securing individual gold in the Men’s Compak division and teaming up with Leyte 4th District Representative Richard Gomez and Jakey Ancheta for a spectacular Men's Team gold. 

Gomez also claimed an individual silver, while Eduardo Rivilla and Tet Lara chipped in bronze medals to cement the team's Compak supremacy.

The Philippines carried that blistering momentum into the Flush category, completely locking down the podium in the 50 Targets Flushing event. 

The duo of Baltonado and Jeffrey Dayrit secured gold, followed by Joaquin Miguel Ancheta and Rivilla taking silver, and Gomez and Diego Bañaga walking away with the bronze. 

The national squad put an exclamation point on their dominant campaign by clinching two additional gold medals, one in the 3-Man 75 Flushing Targets courtesy of Baltonado, Bañaga, and Gomez, and a final golden finish from Baltonado in the 3-Man Multi-Country 75 Targets Flushing.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has formally requested the Philippine National Police (PNP) to immediately cancel all firearms licenses of Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, ordering the confiscation of his massive arsenal of 118 registered guns. 

In a letter dated May 25, 2026, signed by NBI Director Melvin Matibag, the bureau gave the former PNP Chief a strict 48-hour deadline to surrender his firearms to the nearest police or NBI station. 

The urgent directive targets Dela Rosa's Type 5 license, which covers a broad array of weapons stored at his Davao City residence, including high-powered, semi-automatic, and select-fire rifles.

The NBI bases its mandatory disqualification on Section 4(g) of Republic Act No. 10591, which absolutely prohibits anyone with a pending criminal case carrying a penalty of more than two years from owning firearms. 

Because the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an outstanding warrant of arrest against Dela Rosa for crimes against humanity linked to the previous administration's "War on Drugs," the bureau asserts that his licenses are legally void. 

The NBI explicitly argues that interpreting the law to apply only to domestic courts would produce an absurd double standard, allowing an internationally indicted individual greater firearm privileges than a local offender.

To back its legal stance, the NBI cited the recent administrative precedent involving Apollo C. Quiboloy. Chief PNP Gen. Rommel Francisco Marbil previously approved the revocation of Quiboloy's 19 firearms while he was a fugitive facing domestic criminal charges. 

The NBI notes that Dela Rosa’s situation is factually identical but carries a far more severe dimension, given the sheer volume of weapons in his possession and the global weight of the ICC charges, which carry maximum penalties of up to 30 years or life imprisonment.

Emphasizing the extreme peril faced by law enforcement officers tasked with serving the ICC warrant, the NBI declared the immediate confiscation a necessary measure to ensure inter-agency safety. 

The bureau warned that keeping over a hundred high-caliber weapons including UZI submachine guns, battlefield-grade shotguns, and handguns in the hands of an active fugitive creates an extraordinary danger. 

Moving forward, the NBI has coordinated with territorial police units, particularly in the Davao Region, to enforce the immediate seizure and safe-keeping of the firearms upon Dela Rosa's apprehension or failure to comply.