Romualdez to Transfer to UP-PGH; Philippines Demands China Vacate Reefs

The Sandiganbayan, the Philippines' anti-graft court, has ordered the transfer of Leyte 1st District Representative Martin Romualdez to the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) for independent tests. The order is part of legal proceedings involving the Speaker. In a separate development, the Philippines has taken a firm stance on China's activities in the South China Sea, referred to by Manila as the West Philippine Sea. Following an incident where Chinese forces fired flares at an unarmed Philippine Coast Guard aircraft en route to Pag-asa Island, the Department of Foreign Affairs demanded that China immediately vacate Panganiban Reef (known locally as Mischief Reef) and Zamora Reef (known locally as Second Thomas Shoal). These reefs are sites of ongoing militarization by China, and the Philippines asserts its sovereignty and maritime rights. In other news, the arraignment of Vice President Sara Duterte for a grave threats case has been deferred. The Commission on Audit (COA) also flagged irregularities in the Department of Labor and Employment's TUPAD (Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers) cash-for-work payouts for 2025. Additionally, five paralegals were arrested and 27 others injured during a protest against Pax Silica, which occurred outside a hotel where President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. was meeting investors for a Luzon development project. Source: Rappler Philippines