How much was Cathy Cabral worth?
Unverified social media reports claim that Cabral had “11-digits” in cold cash, meaning at least 10 billion pesos. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s estimate is P20 billion.
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Pinoy Christmas is reaffirmation of faith, love and family
This Christmas, amid traffic jams, the crowds, high prices, we persevere. We light up the trees. We put up lanterns. We patiently beat the long queue just to be home for Christmas. We hope and pray that in 2026, the guilty are punished and governance will be better. Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Sandatahang Dahas notes alarming increase of brutality by state agents
In its penultimate month of monitoring for 2025, Sandatahang Dahas recorded an alarming increase of state agents exercising their means for brutality beyond what can be considered justifiable scenarios. This brings into question the principle of “maximum tolerance,” and whether state forces actually abide by this like they are instructed to do. As the year comes to a close, Sandatahang Dahas will continue monitoring incidents of state-related violence, especially as we have noted an increase in violence between state agents and anti-insurgency operations for November.
Can Congress ever let go of pork?
If the 2026 budget is truly pork-free, then lawmakers should finally be liberated to do what the Constitution mandates: legislate.
Filipino voices in a Geneva basilica
For nearly 30 years, an all-Filipino choir has sustained the only English Sunday Mass at the Basilica of Notre Dame.
When Art remembers and Artists never forget
The first 25 years of the 21st century is almost over, and the turmoil around us continues. A recent exhibit, Hardware 3: Resistance is Fertile at Kaida Contemporary, Quezon City, reflects on the country’s socio-political trajectories through 33 art works by 12 visual artists attuned to the pulse and sentiments of the streets and to the particularities of history.
2025 Oblation Run tackles government corruption
The Alpha Phi Omega fraternity at the University of the Philippines-Manila held its the annual Oblation Run last Dec. 12 with the massive corruption involving senators, congressmen, public officials and private contractors in the government's flood control projects as the target of its protest action.
Inside COP11: A young Filipino advocate saw how the tobacco industry speaks
“What stood out to me was this: the tobacco industry doesn’t even have to speak in the room to be heard. Its arguments were echoed, almost word-for-word, by the governments that are supposed to be protecting public health.”
IFCN statement on U.S. visa restrictions targeting fact-checkers
Fact-checking is journalism. It is the straightforward work of comparing public claims against the best available evidence and publishing the results for all to see. This work strengthens public debate — it does not censor it. It is protected within the United States by the First Amendment, and the U.S. has long supported similar press freedoms internationally. To conflate this work with censorship is to misunderstand what fact-checkers do, or to deliberately misrepresent it.
VERA Files launches SEEK, an AI-powered chatbot built on 17 years of Philippine journalism
On Nov. 30, VERA Files introduced SEEK, its new AI-powered archival chatbot, now available in public beta for free. The announcement was made by Celine Samson, head of VERA Files’ online verification team, during the #JournalismAI Festival in London from Nov. 11 to 12.
