Jasha Gamao

PASAY CITY—The Senate Impeachment Court received a massive influx of critical financial data on July 30, as major banks and state tax collectors rushed to comply with subpoenas. 

The Office of the Clerk of Court confirmed that documentary submissions began pouring in early Thursday morning, targeting the financial history of Vice President Sara Duterte, her husband Atty. Manases Carpio, and 20 closely linked entities. 

By the noon deadline, powerhouse financial institutions and regulatory bodies had already delivered their compliance packages. 

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) handed over official tax records, flanked by comprehensive financial disclosures from four of the country's largest banking giants: BDO Unibank, PSBank, Metrobank, and Security Bank Corporation. 

Prosecutors are expected to immediately dissect these accounts to trace the flow of funds under investigation, looking for discrepancies that could anchor the impeachment articles.

As the court processes the bulk of bank statements and tax filings, the momentum of the trial hinges entirely on what these newly unsealed documents reveal.

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PASAY CITY—The Senate Committee on Energy fast-tracked deliberations on Thursday to amend the 25-year-old Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), in response to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s recent State of the Nation Address directive to lower power costs. 

Committee Chair Sen. Erwin Tulfo gathered government agencies, private utilities, and consumer groups to dissect aggressive proposals aimed at stripping both recoverable system losses and the value-added tax (VAT) directly from monthly electric bills. 

However, the panel faces a steep balancing act as they weigh the government's fiscal loss against industry warnings of a ₱60-billion hit from scrapping the system loss charges.

Pushing hard for immediate relief, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito championed Senate Bills 2342 and 2343 to force power companies to absorb operational inefficiencies rather than passing them to consumers. 

Citing Department of Energy projections that these cuts could slash household bills by 5% to 10%, Ejercito demanded institutional accountability. 

"Beyond cheaper electricity bills, the committee’s goal should be institutional reform, holding utility companies strictly accountable and driving them to improve operational efficiency. The responsibility for minimizing system losses should rest with the entities that own, operate, and manage the distribution system, not with ordinary Filipino families already struggling," Senator Ejercito said.

Meanwhile, Sen. Risa Hontiveros pulled no punches, declaring EPIRA a failure because the Philippines still suffers from the highest residential electricity rates in the ASEAN region. 

She warned that many households are regularly hit by severe "bill shock," forcing families to make agonizing choices between keeping the lights on or buying food, medicine, and school tuition. 

While she supports cutting the system loss charge, Hontiveros argued that the systemic problem requires looking at the much larger generation charge, which covers fuel and heavy industry costs.

To protect consumers from unfair pricing, Hontiveros demanded a rigorous, transparent auditing process before any hidden costs make it onto the public's statement of account. 

The generation charge remains the primary driver of the country's inflated electricity rates, making strict oversight vital to any long-term reform. 

“Kinikilala natin ang mga tunay at lehitimong gastos sa paglikha at paghahatid ng kuryente. Ngunit bago ito ipasok sa bill, dapat malinaw ang audit at batayan na iyon ang pinakamatarungang singil,” Senator Hontiveros stressed.

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PASAY CITY—The Senate Committee on Health and Demography accelerated a sweeping dual health agenda on July 28, targeting both the country's severe malnutrition crisis and a critical shortage of regional medical access. 

Chaired by Senator Risa Hontiveros, the panel tackled legislative measures to establish a powerful National Nutrition Commission while simultaneously advancing plans to construct and upgrade hospitals across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. 

The twin initiatives aim to systematically bridge the gap in medical equity, ensuring that modern healthcare facilities and structured nutritional support reach the country’s most vulnerable populations.

During the hearing, Hontiveros aggressively pushed for structural reforms to replace the current fragmented system, where agencies frequently operate in silos and the existing National Nutrition Council lacks enforcement teeth. 

The proposed commission would provide centralized leadership and strict accountability, mandate the establishment of permanent nutrition offices in every province, city, and municipality, and secure continuous funding for grassroots programs. 

Lawmakers emphasized that moving away from ad-hoc initiatives toward an institutionalized, nationwide health framework is the only way to permanently dismantle generational malnutrition.

Highlighting the urgency of the reform, Hontiveros underscored that proper nutrition must be treated as a fundamental human right rather than a temporary handout.

“Ang wastong nutrisyon ay hindi kawang-gawa. Karapatan ito. At ang tunay na sukatan ng batas na ito ay hindi ang bagong pangalan ng ahensya o dami ng bagong posisyon. Ang sukatan ay kung mas kaunti ang batang nagugutom, mas malusog ang mga pamilya, mas naaabot ang mga komunidad, at mas suportado ang ating nutrition workers. Mula sa selebrasyon, tungo tayo sa seryosong pagpapatupad. Mula sa pangako, tungo tayo sa pananagutan,” Senator Hontiveros stated.

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PASAY CITY—The Senate minority bloc fired back at President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) during the July 28 plenary session, demanding transparency and urgent corrections to glaring policy gaps. 

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, alongside Senators Pia Cayetano and Robinhood Padilla, took the floor to systematically challenge the administration’s upbeat claims on healthcare, infrastructure, and regional development.

Senator Pia Cayetano spearheaded the critique by exposing severe inconsistencies between the President’s rosy healthcare report and the grim reality on the ground. 

Dropping hard data to back her claims, Cayetano revealed that 40 out of 82 provinces still completely lack Department of Health-run hospitals. 

Furthermore, she noted that 346 local government-run hospitals and 864 private facilities continue to ignore the zero-balance billing policy, leaving vulnerable Filipinos with crushing medical debts despite administration promises.

While Cayetano backed specific initiatives such as small business tax exemptions, removing systems loss charges, and expanding social assistance she demanded that the executive branch deliver accurate, uninflated data before the upcoming national budget deliberations. 

She warned that Congress cannot effectively allocate public funds unless agency reports anchor their targets to actual, measurable progress toward the country’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) rather than political rhetoric.

Meanwhile, Senator Robinhood Padilla urged the administration to pivot away from flashy milestone projects and focus on basic, immediate public needs. 

While acknowledging the government's highly publicized plans for a landmark first rocket launch, Padilla argued that building a bullet train from Manila to the Bicol region would serve the public far better. 

He also pressed the administration to grant energy autonomy to far-flung provinces, allowing them to construct independent power plants to finally eliminate persistent electricity shortages.

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PASAY CITY—Senate President Win Gatchalian energized the push for nationwide education reform on July 28, by anchoring two major events aimed at fixing the country's classroom crisis. 

Gatchalian led top government officials in launching a striking photo exhibit detailing the raw realities of the Philippine school system while simultaneously forging a historic pact to transform learning in the south. 

The twin initiatives signal an aggressive, unified government effort to address long-standing gaps in academic infrastructure and regional equity.

Central to the day's breakthroughs was the formal signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that establishes the Bangsamoro Education Coordination Forum (BECF). 

This new body acts as a direct operational bridge connecting the national government with regional leadership, synchronizing strategies across all levels of schooling. 

The powerhouse coalition unites the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) with leaders from the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Alongside the policy signing, Gatchalian joined Senator Loren Legarda, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, and CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis to cut the ribbon for Turning Point: Photographs of Hope. 

The exhibition deliberately showcases the stark, everyday struggles and resilient spirits within Philippine schools to keep pressure on lawmakers. 

Supported by key education champions like Senators Joel Villanueva and Bam Aquino, alongside EDCOM 2 leaders, the twin events framed the BARMM overhaul as the frontline of the country's broader educational battle.

Gatchalian closed the proceedings by guaranteeing the Senate's full legislative and financial muscle to ensure the region's students are never left behind. 

He emphasized that building up the autonomous region is central to the upper chamber's national agenda.

"Congratulations po sa EDCOM. Congratulations din po sa BARMM at ito po ay hudyat po ng mas maraming proyekto at magagandang gawain po sa BARMM and sa sektor ng edukasyon sa BARMM," Gatchalian said, affirming that the Senate stands ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary to guarantee every child in the region receives a quality education.

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