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Nearly 30 years after the Sta Filomena Marine Sanctuary in Bohol was established, much has been accomplished, but more work remains, and concerned government agencies and fisherfolk pledge to continue to protect it.

The prosecution in the case of former president Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court has asked the Trial Chamber III to admit as evidence the statements of a former police officer and member of the Davao Death Squad, who is no longer available to testify at trial. 

The prosecution at the International Criminal Court has asked judges to admit the pre-recorded testimonies of eight more witnesses, saying their evidence would challenge police claims of self-defense and establish the rise in drug-related killings under former president Rodrigo Duterte.

The defense of former president Rodrigo Duterte before the International Criminal Court has asked Trial Chamber III to reject a report associated with an unnamed prosecution witness, arguing that the testimony does not add substantial value to the case.

The prosecution at the International Criminal Court has sought to introduce the pre-recorded testimonies of seven additional witnesses who allegedly have evidence of extrajudicial killings in Davao City and across the Philippines under former president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.

In its latest filing, the prosecution identified the witnesses as P-1097, P-1170 and P-1318, saying their accounts and supporting evidence would establish the Philippine National Police’s role in implementing Duterte’s anti-drug campaign and the alleged methods used to carry out and conceal killings.

Presiding Judge Joanna Korner stressed that while Duterte’s waiver of appearance was approved for the status conference, his attendance would be expected once the trial proper begins.

Psychiatrist on Anti-Bullying Act: “Is it all just on paper? Are the schoolchildren and teachers aware? Does a child know who to talk to when bullied? When a child speaks up, do teachers, guidance counselors and other school authorities listen and help?”

For families of those who were killed when former president Rodrigo Duterte waged a brutal and indiscriminate war on illegal drugs, Undas brings a heavier pain. They are still searching for justice for family members who they believe were falsely tagged and killed.

In an Oct. 27 filing signed by lead counsel Peter Haynes, the defense said it did not oppose admitting P-1370’s statement but urged the judges to reject the recorded testimonies of P-1393 and P-1416.

The challenge for lawmakers is to build protections that work in practice, not merely impose restrictions that are difficult to enforce or easy to evade.

There is a festering lethal drug trade in Cebu that the province’s police seem unable to fully deal with and account for, despite its claim of success in its anti-criminality crusade. As long as this is the case, Cebu will remain the center of drug-related killings in the Philippines.

The prosecution maintained throughout the submitted applications that the defense, the trial judges, and common legal representatives of victims will have the opportunity to question the witnesses live at court. They added that granting the requests will expedite the proceedings at trial.

Duterte’s co-perpetrators named in the prosecution’s trial brief are senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, former national police chiefs Oscar Albayalde and Camilo Cascolan, former director of the National Bureau of Investigation Dante Gierran, former head of drug enforcement agency Isidro Lapeña, former justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and former Manila Police District director Vicente Danao.

With the rise in incidents of school shootings, is it fair to blame online gaming for violent behavior among students? Studies show no link between playing violent online games and aggression in real life.

According to the redacted filing, the evidence covers police records on anti-drug operations, the structure and activities of the Davao Death Squad, Duterte’s alleged support for the killings, and the practice of placing placards on some victims of the drug war.

Pamilacan Island in Bohol has become a popular ecotourism site but it remains a source of livelihood for fisherfolk.

Delivery riders and ride-hailing drivers in the Philippines struggle with rising expenses, floods, and lost earnings as they find ways to make ends meet.

In a redacted filing dated Oct. 16, the prosecution asked the Trial Chamber III to allow it to submit the recorded testimonies of unnamed witnesses identified as P-1087, P-1151, P-1158, P-1161, and P-1204.

Doreen Murata, Digital Advocacy of the Child Rights Network: A blanket social media ban is "not the most appropriate way" to protect children online.

The Oct. 13 withdrawal left the Senate impeachment court to decide only whether Duterte amassed unexplained wealth, inaccurately declared her assets and failed to divest herself of business interests.

The prosecution in the crimes against humanity case of former president Rodrigo Duterte at the International Criminal Court intends to present five witnesses who will testify at this year’s trial that will start on Nov. 30.

Their testimonies concern alleged murders by Philippine National Police members in Central Luzon and a policy to “neutralize through violent crimes, including murder, alleged criminals in the Philippines,” according to the filing.

The start of the sugar milling season is a concern for residents along the Binalbagan river who say the stench and waste water from the mills affect their health.

The charges against former president Rodrigo Duterte submitted by the prosecution in July 2025 and confirmed in April 2026 remain without changes as the Trial Chamber III of the International Criminal Court rejected the motion of the defense counsel to refile them.

Eighty-four percent of Filipino adults encountered a scam this year, up from 77% in 2025, according to the Global Anti-Scam Alliance’s State of Scams Philippines 2026 report.

The International Criminal Court Trial Chamber III released Thursday, Oct.8, its decision made on Sept. 28 that former president Rodrigo Duterte is fit to stand trial.

Five Chinese companies highlighted during the Senate impeachment trial as remitters to CALE88 Foods Corp., the banana chip exporter in which Vice  President Sara Duterte's husband, Manases Carpio, was a shareholder, reveal a  striking contrast in corporate profiles. 

For 52 years, Sumilon has been protected. It should remain a vibrant marine ecosystem

In a response dated Oct. 5, acting Prosecutor Maame Mandaye Niang opposed the defense request to reduce the prosecution’s disclosed evidence from 62,130 items to 10,000, saying that doing so would require the removal of a dataset highly relevant to the case.