Jasha Gamao

PASAY CITY—The Senate impeachment trial heated up on July 20 proceedings, as Senator-judge Alan Peter Cayetano questioned whether an impeachable offense must fall strictly within a respondent's current term, invoking the landmark Duterte v. House of Representatives case. 

House impeachment prosecutor Chel Diokno countered that offenses extend beyond the active term, dismissing relevant sections of that precedent as non-binding obiter dictum—an opinion uttered in passing. 

Defense counsel Michael Poa swiftly shot back, arguing those portions are binding law and pointing to the Supreme Court decision that triggered the one-year bar on Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment.

As Diokno asserted that the articles of impeachment are properly loaded with both ultimate and evidentiary facts, Cayetano pushed back on consistency, questioning why the Saballa and Cabrera impeachment complaints lacked authentic records when filed. 

The procedural grilling prompted Diokno to openly question the Senate's role, asking if the impeachment court was wrongfully acting "as an appellate or review court on what happened in the HOR [House of Representatives] proceedings."

The debate pivoted to political fairness when Cayetano recalled a past impeachment complaint against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to highlight a double standard regarding transparency. 

"Ang katotohanan ay hindi confidential. So why in the case of President Marcos is the katotohanan confidential, but in the case of Vice President Sara it is not confidential?" Cayetano asked, later adding, "Would it be unfair to require 20 years of documents from AMLC, BIR, and bank accounts from Vice President Sara without requiring the same from President Bongbong considering that all of the scandals is happening during his administration?"

Diokno defended the distinction by stating the Marcos complaint simply failed to allege ultimate facts, noting that "if the complaint against Marcos had ultimate facts, he does not see any reason why it can't proceed."

Tensions peaked when Poa revealed the defense is actively contesting the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s (AMLC) "unlawful disclosure" of Duterte's records during House hearings, prompting Cayetano to accuse the prosecution of an information-gathering dragnet. 

"If you cannot connect AMLC and the bank accounts, that is precisely what the defense and other people are saying. Aren't you fishing between the three? Fishing means hindi mo pa hawak so you're trying to get a fish," Cayetano said. 

Diokno firmly rejected the characterization, telling Cayetano, "If we bring your honor’s logic to it’s conclusion, that would mean the Committee on Justice would have to conduct a full blown trial... when that is not the contemplation of the procedure for impeachment under the Constitution.” 

Poa, later insisted a fishing expedition was evident because prosecutors could not pinpoint exactly when or through what transaction the Vice President supposedly amassed unexplained wealth.

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MANILA—Seven days ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s State of the Nation Address (SONA), the Office of the Ombudsman announced a major milestone in its investigation into the controversial multi-billion peso flood control scandal. 

In a public announcement delivered by Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano on July 20, 2026, the anti-graft agency declared it is ready to file two separate complaints for preliminary investigation against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez, former lawmaker Elizaldy Co, and several others. 

The pending complaints focus directly on charges of Plunder under Republic Act No. 7080 and violations of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, targeting what the agency calls a systemic diversion of public funds intended to shield Filipino communities from devastating floods.

The Ombudsman firmly identified Romualdez as the central figure of the illicit scheme, which investigators allege channeled massive infrastructure funds into predetermined payouts and kickbacks instead of functional flood control projects. 

According to Clavano, the core of the agency’s case relies heavily on the sworn, firsthand testimonies of eight individuals who previously served as Co’s personal security personnel. 

These witnesses provided detailed accounts of direct money deliveries from Co to Romualdez. 

The Ombudsman emphasized that this testimony is directly corroborated by an independent financial paper trail encompassing bank transfers, money service businesses, and shell companies explicitly tied to the former Speaker.

While the announcement marks a critical escalation just a week before the President's scheduled SONA, the Ombudsman clarified that the preliminary investigation does not yet constitute a formal court charge or a conviction. 

The agency maintains that all respondents retain the presumption of innocence and will be given a formal opportunity to submit their defenses and counter-affidavits. 

Once these responses are gathered, a panel of state prosecutors will officially resolve whether the evidence warrants elevating the high-profile plunder and money laundering cases to the Sandiganbayan.

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CALOOCAN CITY—The BFP Lady Firefighters captured their elusive crown, defeating the PhilHealth Health Insurers in a thrilling four-set Game 3 clash, 25-16, 25-15, 20-25, 25-19, to claim the UNTV Volleyball League (UVL) Season 4 Championship on July 19 at the Caloocan Sports Complex. 

The Lady Firefighters dominated the opening salvos and weathered a late-game resurgence from PhilHealth to decisively close out the match, igniting a roaring celebration on the court.

This monumental victory marks BFP’s very first UVL trophy, completing a classic story of redemption after a heartbreaking finals defeat to PNP Lady Patrollers last season. 

Refusing to let history repeat itself on their second try, the Lady Firefighters held strong to their unwavering belief that they had what it takes to pull off a championship run, turning last year's disappointment into this season's ultimate triumph.

Orchestrating the fiery offense was star setter Euna Gene Piosca, who deservingly took home the Finals MVP honors for her masterclass playmaking. 

Piosca's brilliant distribution, sharp decision-making, and court leadership kept the Health Insurers' defense guessing all night, anchoring the Lady Firefighters through every high-pressure rally of the championship series.

Beyond the prestige, medals, and the championship trophy, the victory delivers a massive impact off the court. 

A grand prize of 1,000,000 pesos was officially granted to BFP's chosen beneficiary, the Bureau of Fire Protection Multi-Purpose Coop, beautifully reinforcing the league's signature mission of combining competitive sports with meaningful charity.

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CALOOCAN CITY—The UNTV Volleyball League (UVL) Season 4 reached a thrilling conclusion as the BFP Lady Firefighters captured the championship title on July 19 at the Caloocan Sports Complex but the performance of PhilHealth Health Insurers cannot be discounted with their stunning silver-medal finish. 

Making a massive leap from their fourth-place standing last season, the Health Insurers proved to be the ultimate turnaround story of the tournament. 

Their relentless drive and dramatic transformation kept fans on the edge of their seats, establishing them as a premier powerhouse in public service sports.

PhilHealth’s phenomenal run this season was supercharged by the explosive addition of key players Criselda Rondina and Christine ‘Tin’ Miralles to the roster. 

This newly fortified lineup bulldozed through the competition, dominant enough to defeat eight teams during the preliminary round. 

Refusing to slow down, they carried that red-hot momentum straight through the grueling semifinals to secure the franchise's historic, first-ever appearance in the UVL Finals.

While they ultimately walked away with the silver medal after an intense championship battle against BFP, PhilHealth won big for their advocacy by taking home a ₱500,000 cash prize for their chosen charity, the Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations, Inc. 

We extend our warmest congratulations and deepest gratitude to the PhilHealth Health Insurers for their outstanding participation, fierce competitiveness, and unwavering commitment to charity this season.

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SAN JUAN CITY—Embracing the true spirit of public service and athleticism, the UNTV Volleyball League UVL Season 4 held its highly anticipated awarding ceremony on July 12, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre. 

The event took center stage right before the official commencement of the explosive Game 2 finals showdown between the BFP Lady Firefighters and the PhilHealth Health Insurers. 

Staying true to the league's noble advocacy, all participating government teams received substantial tax-free cash prizes earmarked directly for their chosen charities.

A total of eight non-finalist teams officially took home their hard-earned cash allocations during the pre-game ceremony. 

Across all ten participating agencies—including the grand champion and runner-up who will claim ₱1,000,000 and ₱500,000 respectively, the league is distributing a staggering total prize pool of ₱2,250,000 to serve those in need.

The following breakdown highlights the final rankings, the cash prizes, and the respective beneficiaries chosen by the teams:

3rd Place: PNP | Prize: ₱300,000 | Beneficiary: PARDSS FII (Public Assistance for Rescue, Disaster and Support Services Foundation International, Inc.)

 4th Place: COMELEC | Prize: ₱150,000 | Beneficiary: COMELEC Provident Fund

 5th Place: AFP | Prize: ₱50,000 | Beneficiary: AFP Educational Benefit System Office

 6th Place: NHA | Prize: ₱50,000 | Beneficiary: NHA Provident Fund Association, Inc.

 7th Place: PAG-IBIG | Prize: ₱50,000 | Beneficiary: Pediatric Ward Patients of PGH

 8th Place: DFA | Prize: ₱50,000 | Beneficiary: DFA Ladies Foundation

 9th Place: DENR | Prize: ₱50,000 | Beneficiary: Juansmile Organization Inc.

 10th Place: MMDA | Prize: ₱50,000 | Beneficiary: MMDA Provident Fund

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