Jasha Gamao

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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PASAY CITY—The Senate impeachment court shifted its full focus to the alleged misuse of confidential funds on July 29, diving directly into Article I of the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Prosecutors launched their offensive by targeting the systemic misappropriation, questionable liquidation, and outright misuse of secret government funds under the Vice President's watch. 

The day's proceedings marked a critical turning point as the trial exposed the physical movement of millions in public money.

Two key banking insiders took the witness stand to detail a pattern of massive cash withdrawals. Violeta Constantino, the former manager of LandBank’s Shaw Boulevard branch, testified first, confirming the routine encashment of multiple high-value checks. 

According to Constantino, these checks were explicitly made payable to Gina Acosta, the special disbursing officer for the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

Maintaining the prosecution's momentum, the House panel immediately called Nenita Camposano to the stand. 

The retired manager of the LandBank Department of Education branch backed up the previous testimony, detailing a similar pattern of heavy check encashments. 

Camposano testified that these substantial funds were routed through Edward Fajarda, further tying the massive cash withdrawals directly to Duterte's inner circle and setting the stage for a fierce legal battle in the days ahead.

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QUEZON CITY—Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Senator Erwin Tulfo clarified that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s announcement regarding the imminent filing of cases against former House Speaker Ferdinand "Martin" Romualdez over the multi-billion peso flood control scandal does not signal the end of the upper chamber's investigation. 

Speaking on the sidelines of the President's fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Tulfo emphasized that the legislative probe remains active, particularly if new anomalies and personalities come to light.

The panel chairman made it clear that executive legal action will not automatically stall Senate proceedings, pointing to other unexamined regularities in local projects.

“No. It doesn’t. Kung meron pong mga kagaya nung binabanggit ni Senator Lacson na sa Taguig na hindi naman po na-mention nung unang hearing, then why not?” Tulfo stated, signaling a readiness to expand the scope of the probe to unvetted local projects.

However, Tulfo noted that the committee needs to coordinate with other lawmakers to finalize their next legislative steps, particularly regarding evidence handling. 

He expressed a preference for tackling new leads within the Senate halls rather than letting them bypass the committee entirely. 

“Pero kailangan kong kausapin si Senator Lacson na ano ho ba talaga? Kasi may statement siya sa media na dadalhin niya nalang sa Ombudsman. Alangan ba naman kukunin ko sa Ombudsman yung kaso pero kung dito sa amin ididinig edi ididinig namin,” he explained.

The lawmaker drew a sharp line between revisiting resolved findings and uncovering fresh corruption angles, noting that the committee will focus its energy where it is needed most. 

He asserted that duplication of efforts is unnecessary if the Department of Justice or the Ombudsman is already handling the primary targets. 

“Ngayong kung sila Romualdez at kung sino-sino pa dyan na mga Congressman, si Zaldy Co, mga contractor nandoon na po eh, nakasuhan na po…bakit pa namin iimbestigahan ulit? Iimbestigahan namin kapag may mga bagong personalities na naman, bagong mga Senador, bagong mga congressman, then we will investigate,” Tulfo added.

Despite the remaining questions surrounding the flood control controversy, the veteran broadcaster turned lawmaker expressed overall satisfaction with the President’s annual address. 

Tulfo lauded the Chief Executive for addressing the public's demand for accountability and delivering on anti-corruption rhetoric with concrete legal actions. 

“It’s okay with me kasi yung hiniintay ng mga tao na tungkol sa “mahiya naman kayo sa flood control” may resulta diba?” Tulfo concluded.

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PASAY CITY—National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag firmly denied being coached by the prosecution prior to taking the witness stand in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. 

Standing before the court on July 21,  for the fourth article of impeachment, Matibag faced sharp questioning from defense counsel Atty. Mark Vinluan, who pressed the NBI chief on why he appeared to testify despite the absence of a formal subpoena summoning him to the court.

Matibag acknowledged that he met with lead House prosecutor Gerville Luistro twice before the proceedings, but maintained that the meetings were strictly professional overviews rather than a rehearsal. 

He clarified that the encounters only involved a discussion on the specific matters to be covered by his testimony. 

Pushing back against the defense's implications of bias, Matibag fired back at Vinluan, stating, "In the same way that when you want to present me as your witness, I will be more than willing to sit down with the defense counsel."

Beyond defending the integrity of his testimony, the NBI chief also flatly rejected allegations surrounding the political nature of his designation. 

Matibag denied claims that he was appointed to lead the NBI specifically to allow President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to participate in or influence the high-profile probe.

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