00:01The Education Department under Vice President Sara Duterte allegedly misrepresented the
00:06military to justify its confidential spending. Patangas Representative Leandro Leviste sells
00:11another P3 billion worth of shares in SP New Energy Corporation amid legal and political
00:16pressures. Malacanang seeks a budget of over P10.16 billion for 2027, with over half allocated to
00:24confidential expenses. Haze from Indonesia may continue to affect parts of the Philippines
00:28until SEP 3. And fuel prices roll back starting Tuesday, SEP 1 after two straight weeks of fuel
00:36price increases. The prosecution in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial presents evidence
00:50that the Department of Education under Duterte's leadership allegedly used the military to justify
00:55its confidential spending. The prosecution panel presents Colonel Manaros Boransing II and Colonel
01:00Magtanggol Panopio, who issued Philippine Army certifications that the DepEd used to defend
01:05the agency's P15.54 million expenditure for payment of rewards. These were submitted to the Commission on
01:11Audit without their knowledge. The certifications attested to the success of the AFP's 2023 Youth
01:17Leadership Summits in collaboration with various agencies, including DepEd. Boransing told the
01:23court that his division in the Army did not receive funds from DepEd.
01:27No funds whatsoever or any amount was downloaded to the 1st Infantry Tabak Division
01:33for 2023 for the Youth Leadership Summit by any government agencies.
01:45Okay.
01:46Okay.
01:46Medyo nag-unat po kami kasi yung po aming certification is only for the certification that we conducted
01:52the Youth Leadership Summit. Hindi po namin sine-certify anything about money or funds, Your Honor.
02:01DepEd subsequently attached the two certifications to its April 17,
02:042024 response to the COA's Audit Observation Memorandum flagging the agency's confidential
02:09expenses. This allegation isn't new. The House first tried to establish that the DepEd deliberately
02:15misled COA into believing it funded the AFP's Youth Summit during the 2024 Good Government Committee
02:20inquiry.
02:23Patanga's first district representative, Leandro Levistas, sells another 3 billion pesos worth of
02:28shares in SP New Energy Corporation. This further cuts his stake in his solar company to just 11.51%
02:35as he faces legal and political pressures over his renewable energy ventures.
02:40SP NEC is a listed renewable energy developer now controlled by Meralco's MGen Renewable Energy,
02:46with the massive MTERA solar project as its flagship development. A regulatory filing shows
02:52Levista's holding company Solar Philippines Power Projects Holding Inc. disposed of 2.4 billion
02:57SP NEC shares on August 20 at 1.25 pesos apiece.
03:02The transaction cut SPPP-PHI's stake from 16.30% to 11.51%, equivalent to about 5.76 billion shares.
03:13The filing, signed by Levista on August 27, did not identify the buyer.
03:17Just two weeks earlier, Meralco Chairman Manuel Pangilinan told reporters that
03:21Levista was already exploring a further exit from SP NEC.
03:27Malacanang seeks over P10.158 billion for 2027, with P4.58 billion or over half of the amount
03:35allocated for confidential expenses. The total amount is just over a third of its current
03:402026 budget and over two-thirds of its 2025 budget. Confidential and intelligence funds have
03:46been under the spotlight lately, especially in the context of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment
03:50trial. The proposed OPCIF for 2027 is slightly lower by a few million pesos than in 2026.
03:58The drop between 2026 and 2027 is due to spending for the Philippines Chairmanship of the Association
04:03of Southeast Asian Nations lodged under the Office of the President. This is also broken down based on
04:09the various agencies involved in the preparations related to hosting different meetings and the
04:13summits under the regional grouping. The 2025 budget had also included allocations for ASEAN
04:19chairmanship preparations. We're asking for less while remaining fully prepared to do more.
04:25Meantime, House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT teachers Rep. Antonio Tino points out over half
04:31of the OP's budget is for confidential expenses. Tino and House Assistant Minority Leader Rene Co oppose
04:38observing parliamentary courtesy and not subject the OP budget to scrutiny. They cite public interest in the
04:44use of public, including confidential funds. Haze from Indonesia is expected to affect parts of the
04:51Philippines until September 3 due to ongoing fires and prevailing winds. The Environment and Management
04:57Bureau says air quality may improve from September 4 to 6 if rainfall and wind patterns change. The haze
05:03outlook beyond September 6 will depend on continued fires and hotspots in Kalimantan as well as winds that
05:08could bring smoke toward the Philippines. The DENR also issues an advisory telling people to limit
05:14exposure outdoors. People are advised to wear an N95 mask to protect themselves from air pollution
05:20if going out in areas with noticeable haze. The Department of Health warns that the haze may cause
05:26coughing, breathing difficulties, eye irritation, and worsened respiratory conditions like asthma.
05:33Fuel prices rollback starting Tuesday, September 1 giving motorists some relief after two straight
05:39weeks of fuel price increases. The Energy Department announces the following price adjustments.
05:45Gasoline will have a rollback of 32 centavos per liter, diesel with 3.83 pesos per liter rollback,
05:51and kerosene with 3.84 pesos per liter. The rollback follows last week's fuel price hike when gasoline
05:58rose by 1.08 pesos per liter, diesel by 2.31 pesos per liter, and kerosene by 95 centavos per
06:05liter.
06:05A week earlier on August 18, gasoline prices also increased by 2.49 pesos per liter, diesel by 3.84
06:13pesos per liter, and kerosene by 5.01 pesos per liter. The latest rollback offers some relief after fuel
06:20prices swung sharply in August due to changes in global oil markets, foreign exchange pressures,
06:24and ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
06:28And that's today's wrap. I'm Julin Sereneo.
06:31Thank you for watching. Click the link below for the full story. For more updates, download the Rappler app.
Comments