The political dynasty reports of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) won an Award for Excellence at the 2025 Society of Publishers in Asia (Sopa) annual Awards for Editorial Excellence. “This is an excellent series on how family dynasties dominate politics in the Philippines. It goes beyond the best-known examples to show how the...
Category: Specials
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When ‘dinosaurs’ peopled the Inquirer, they made it No. 1
A tempest in a teacup has been stirred by someone who attributed to “dinosaurs” the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s purported bumbling journey to digital. He appeared to be singing a dirge for it in a chest-thumping report that was run on June 30, timed for the next-day management transition of the No. 1 newspaper from its corporate...
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‘Ang sa Pilipinas ay sa Pilipinas’: PNoy’s legacy in defending the Philippines’ maritime rights in the South China Sea
EDITOR’S NOTE: The President Benigno Simeon Aquino III Memorial Lectures on Leadership and Democracy was launched on June 24 at the Ateneo de Manila University. The launch, one of the activities that marked the fourth anniversary of the former leader’s passing, was held under the auspices of the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation, the Ateneo...
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Filipino concern over online disinformation hits record high–Digital News Report 2025
Concern over online mis- and disinformation in the Philippines climbed to a record 67% in early 2025 amid a politically charged midterm election season that saw Vice President Sara Duterte impeached on corruption charges and former president Rodrigo Duterte arrested by the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity tied to his brutal “war on...
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AI fakery rises, but cheapfakes still rule the race
AI-manipulated videos and audio have emerged as a growing disinformation tactic ahead of Monday’s midterm elections—more frequent, more targeted and more deceptive. Despite their rise, simpler manipulations, or shallowfakes, remain the more widespread threat, continuing to dominate the misinformation landscape flagged by fact-checkers. Out of 35 unique altered claims identified by partners of the fact-checking coalition Tsek.ph during the Feb....
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Phantom banks, shaky claims undercut viral report on Marcos gold
Documents circulating online that purport to expose a $100-billion money laundering scheme involving the Marcos family’s alleged 350 metric tons of gold are riddled with red flags including references to fictitious banks, dubious account numbers, and formatting anomalies inconsistent with how illicit wealth is typically hidden. Screenshots of the documents accompanied a report that first...
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Manila’s historic district of Pandacan, once known as ‘Little Italy,’ is in limbo
On March 10, 2015, asserting the primacy of human life and safety, the Supreme Court rejected the appeals of the “Big 3” oil companies Shell, Chevron, and Petron to its November 2014 ruling that they stop operations and relocate from the Pandacan Oil Depot in Manila. The oil companies were given six months to pull...
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Something in the ocean killed a dolphin, and it will be deadlier over time
By nature, a short-finned pilot whale is blessed with a long, playful life. If female, it can live up to 60 years. It can find a mate at the age of 9, give birth at 10, keep calving one at a time until it’s 40, and then go through menopause. But by some unfortunate turn,...
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A life sanctuary at the foot of Mount Makiling is open to students of all ages
The old jeepney slowly negotiated the forested area of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) in Laguna, its engine screeching as it struggled up the steep road. At the foot of Mount Makiling in this part of the UPLB campus, towering trees greeted everyone alighting from the jeepney. Many trees stood behind the...
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Chinese online platforms swirl with Duterte arrest disinfo
Ten days after his arrest, false reports surfaced on Chinese digital media platforms claiming that former president Rodrigo Duterte had collapsed into a coma while in detention at The Hague, where he faces trial before the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes against humanity linked to his bloody antidrug war. Fabricated accounts described his condition...