PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday appointed Geraldine Faith A. Econg as the new head judge of the Philippines’ anti-graft court.

Ms. Econg, 57, served nearly nine years as associate justice of the Sandiganbayan, heading the special court’s second division before being elevated to presiding justice.

She was appointed to the anti-graft court in Jan. 2016 by then-President Benigno S.C. Aquino III and will retire from the Sandiganbayan in Aug. 2037 upon reaching the mandated retirement age of 70 years old.

Ms. Econg will replace fellow Aquino appointee Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang, who retired as chief judge of the anti-corruption court in Nov. 2024.

“Pursuant to the provisions of existing laws, you are hereby appointed Presiding Judge, Sandiganbayan, vice Amparo M. Cabotaje-Tang,” read a Palace letter addressed to Ms. Econg and signed by Mr. Marcos. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

THE PHILIPPINES’ anti-graft court acquitted former Vice-President (VP) Jejomar C. Binay, Sr. and ex-Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin S. Binay, Jr. of graft charges in connection to the P1.3-billion Makati City Science High School contract, granting their dismissal request.

In an 86-page resolution issued on Dec. 13, the Sandiganbayan Special Fifth Division granted the demurrer to evidence against the Binays and their co-accused, citing lack of evidence against them.

“The prosecution’s evidence utterly failed to prove all the charges,” a part of the resolution penned by Associate Justice Rafael R. Lagos stated.

“The prosecution only propounded bare, unsubstantiated allegations that it was Binay, Sr. who ordered the rigging of the procurement process… and it was Binay, Jr. who intervened and agreed to the falsification of the other documents,” it added.

The Binays faced complaints over “alleged irregularities” in the procurement of P17.4-million architectural and engineering services and P1.33-billion construction services for the 10-story Makati Science High School building.

The anti-graft court said the prosecution relied on witnesses without direct knowledge of the allegations, weakening their case.

“All the purported key witnesses for the prosecution had a critical flaw: they lacked direct, first-hand knowledge of the truth regarding the charges against all of the accused,” the ruling read.

State prosecutors also failed to show that the accused acted in “bad faith” in the procurement of construction services for the school building, the court stated.

“The prosecution evidence is bereft of proof that [the] accused, in the performance of their respective functions… had acted in evident bad faith,” it stated in the ruling. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

A LAWMAKER on Thursday urged the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and Commission on Audit (CoA) to investigate what he described as management “inefficiencies” of state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth).

The government should conduct “special audits” on PhilHealth to determine the root causes of inefficiencies hounding the state health insurer, said Manila Rep. Rolando M. Valeriano.

“One way to find out why PhilHealth is inefficient in its remittances to hospitals and database management is for the ARTA and CoA to conduct either separate or joint audits on PhilHealth,” he said in a statement.

PhilHealth did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

Mr. Valeriano said audit discoveries by CoA could be used by ARTA and the audit commission to “determine underlying causes” for its alleged systemic issues, taking note of risks of duplicates in the state health insurer’s user information servers and lack of expanded policies for solo parents and those with disabilities. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

A WEDNESDAY survey result showing that four in 10 Filipinos are in favor of ousting Vice-President (VP) Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio should press the Philippine Congress to unseat her, according to a lawyer of impeachment complainants.

In a statement sent to reporters, impeachment counsel Armando Virgil D. Ligutan said that Ms. Duterte’s alleged misuse of public funds had “struck a nerve” among Filipinos, which should move lawmakers to remove her from public office.

“We reiterate our call to the members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The Vice-President has clearly betrayed public trust,” he said. “Until when will Congress allow the Vice-President’s unabashed betrayal of public trust [to] go unchecked?”

Ms. Duterte found herself at the center of a political controversy that has developed after the collapse of her alliance with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., a union that propelled them to two of the country’s highest posts.

The estranged vice-president has been the subject of impeachment moves due to her alleged misuse of P612.5 million worth of confidential and intelligence funds in 2022 and 2023, which she has refuted.

The Office of the Vice-President did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

“The public’s support for the impeachment of VP Sara is growing stronger,” Party-list Rep. Percival V. Cendaña, who sponsored the first impeachment complaint against Ms. Duterte, said in a separate statement in Filipino. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

A BILL seeking to promote the growth of Philippine micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) by providing them with interest-free loans was filed at the House of Representatives last month.

House Bill (HB) No. 11212, filed by Zamboanga City Rep. Khymer Adan T. Olaso, mandated the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) and Landbank of the Philippines (LANDBANK) to provide zero-interest loans with minimal collateral requirements to MSMEs.

Small-scale businesses must be registered with the Trade department and the Securities commission and have operated for at least six months to be eligible for a loan. They must also demonstrate the capacity to pay off the loaned amount through “reliable projected revenue streams.”

Micro enterprises could loan up to P500,000, with small businesses allowed to borrow for up to P2 million. Medium industries could lend a maximum of P5 million.

Repayment of the loaned amount could range between one to five years, with “borrowers entitled to a grace period of up to six months before repayment begins.”

“This bill seeks to address these pressing issues by institutionalizing a zero-interest loan program tailored for MSMEs. The program will enhance their financial capacity, promote entrepreneurial innovation, and enable them to scale operations,” the bill’s explanatory note stated.

“By eliminating interest charges, the government effectively reduces the cost of capital, making it accessible to small entrepreneurs who traditionally face financial exclusion,” it added. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio

SIX in 10 Filipinos are in favor of the congressional probe by the House of Representatives into illegal drugs, extrajudicial killings and Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), according to a November-December survey by the Social Weather Station (SWS).

The survey showed that 61% of Filipinos support the investigations being done by the House quad committee, which is examining alleged illegal activities that have since been implicated to the government of ex-President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

It added that 11% of Filipinos are against it, while 24% are lukewarm to the House probe.

“Support is strongest in the National Capital Region (NCR), where 73% of respondents favor the investigations. This is followed by Balance Luzon at 66% and the Visayas at 59%,” Stratbase Group said in a statement, which came attached with the SWS poll result.

“Support is lowest in Mindanao at 46%, a known bailiwick of the Duterte family, who had been implicated in the investigations,” it added.

The survey results also showed what Filipinos want the quad committee to achieve, with 37% expecting the probe to identify officials linked to crimes and 27% looking forward to new laws addressing identified issues.

“11% want the investigations to result in the prosecution and conviction of those involved in these criminal networks,” it added. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio