During the last three years of Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency, the first district of Davao City was the top recipient of funds from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). His son, Paolo “Pulong” Duterte, was then the district representative. From 2020 to 2022, Pulong Duterte’s district cornered P51 billion in infrastructure spending, an amount,...
Category: News
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Only Duterte, security aide knew use of secret funds, says witness
Amid allegations of misuse, only Vice President Sara Duterte and her former security aide, Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, knew how her controversial ₱500 million in confidential funds were used, her deputy chief of staff told the Senate impeachment court on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Lemuel Ortonio made the admission at the conclusion of his testimony before...
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Informants, agents paid in cash from Duterte secret funds, says witness
Using confidential funds, the Office of the Vice President (OVP) paid its informants and agents in cash, which they used to purchase food, medicines, chairs, and other supplies. OVP Assistant Secretary Lemuel Ortonio disclosed this to the Senate impeachment court on Tuesday, in response to the absence of official receipts for the office’s multimillion-peso confidential...
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Witness says she entrusted Duterte security chief with secret funds
The former special disbursing officer (SDO) for Vice President Sara Duterte’s ₱500 million in confidential funds admitted on Monday that she placed complete trust in former security aide Col. Raymund Dante Lachica, accepting without question his explanation and the documents he gave her to justify fund spending. Gina Acosta repeatedly told the Senate impeachment court...
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Duterte security officer handled secret funds but not cited in documents submitted to COA, says witness
The former special disbursing officer (SDO) at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) admitted on Monday, Aug. 17, that Col. Raymund Dante Lachica was not mentioned in any of the documents submitted to the Commission on Audit (COA) in justifying the disbursement of ₱125 million in confidential funds in December 2022. Gina Acosta made...
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From roadmap to relief: Making PhilHealth’s 16-month reform plan work
The newly announced 16-month reform roadmap of PhilHealth (or the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.) is a welcome sign of urgency. Developed with the Department of Health (DOH) and more than 100 representatives of development institutions, the academe, civil society and other sectors, the plan seeks to improve access, equity and efficiency while advancing PhilHealth’s RISE30...
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COA studies post-audit of Duterte secret funds
The Commission on Audit (COA) is studying the possibility of conducting a post-fraud audit of the multimillion-peso confidential funds of Vice President Sara Duterte in view of the “aliases” and odd-sounding names of their supposed recipients in her office and the Department of Education (DepEd). Xylene Mae del Campo, state auditor of the COA-Intelligence and...
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More odd-sounding names of Duterte secret fund ‘recipients’ listed
More familiar and odd-sounding names surfaced as supposed recipients of million-peso confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) under Vice President Sara Duterte during the Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday, Aug. 11. DepEd special disbursing officer (SDO) Edward Fajarda was also found as having disbursed cash...
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PH maintains ‘Doing Better’ status with 78% of Filipinos donating in 2025, studies find
The Philippines has maintained its “Doing Better” status, as reflected in the fifth consecutive edition of the Doing Good Index issued in 2026. This makes the Philippines the highest-ranked Southeast Asian country after Singapore in the Doing Good Index’s assessment of the enabling environment for philanthropy. It is one of only five economies in Asia...
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Ramon Magsaysay awardee brings community-led coastal conservation model to Iloilo
The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF), through the Ramon Magsaysay Transformative Leadership Institute (RMTLI), has officially launched Mangrove Fiesta (or Fisherfolk Initiative for Environmental Sustainability of Tinigban Community Associations), marking the second phase of the Magsaysay Laureates Community Initiative. Through RMTLI, which advances the transformative work of Ramon Magsaysay awardees by connecting their proven solutions...