Jun Vallecera

Filinvest Development Corp, the listed investment holding company of the Gotianun Group, saw first-quarter net income rise by 8 percent, driven mainly by strong real estate sales and resilient banking operations. The conglomerate said it expects to sustain growth through 2026 despite rising inflation, slowing economic growth, and weaker contributions from its power business.

The Philippine retail sector continues to expand, but growth is easing as weaker consumer spending and global uncertainties slow mall recovery and reshape expansion plans.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. late Wednesday appealed for calm after gunshots triggered a commotion inside the Senate complex, saying authorities were moving swiftly to identify those behind the incident and secure all evidence. “We will get to the bottom of this,” said Marcos in a video message. "We do not yet know who tried to enter the Senate, but we are collecting all evidence.”  He said he has dispatched Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez to lead the investigation. The President said he had spoken with his former Senate colleague, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, to call for sobriety amid rising political tensions. Marcos said he also ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to stand down following the Supreme Court’s directive for the government to respond to Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s petition against the execution of an International Criminal Court arrest warrant tied to the Duterte drug war killings.

Live broadcasts within the Senate building showed commotion within the second floor, with gun shots heard and uniformed personnel armed with long fire arms and clad in bulletproof vests trying to secure the area. It remains unclear what happened, with security personnel refusing to reply to media queries.