Context Dispatch

Outgoing Japanese Ambassador ENDO Kazuya paid a farewell call on President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and First Lady Louise Araneta Marcos at Malacañang Palace today, marking the close of his diplomatic posting with warm exchanges and a top state honor.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) conducted simultaneous enforcement operations on 11 cockpit arenas on August 8, 2026, and found 297 betting machines, computerized betting units, servers, and other devices without the required Permit to Use (PTU) and not appearing in BIR records. These were sealed or confiscated, as warranted under existing rules.

Orly Guteza, former bodyguard of ex-Congressman Rizaldy Co., has recanted his September 2025 testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, where he claimed he helped deliver suitcases of money in connection with the flood control controversy. Guteza said his affidavit was prepared by former Congressman Mike Defensor and his son-in-law, Mark, and was later revised by Senator Rodante Marcoleta. He said the meeting took place on Sept. 24, 2025, at a Japanese restaurant near the Senate. Guteza also claimed Defensor offered him cash and educational scholarships for his children in exchange for his testimony. Also, in his new 4-page affidavit notarized on August 13 in Pasig City, Guteza claimed he was tapped to testify because Co’s executive assistants might be expelled from the Iglesia ni Cristo if they admitted their role in moving the money.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla has called on Congress to amend, if not repeal, the  “Robin Padilla law” because the actor-turned-senator  benefited from its passage, and to restore illegal possession of firearms as a non-bailable offense following the fatal Zamboanga school shooting on Aug. 18. Remulla said the law, which made illegal gun possession bailable, should have stricter penalties, including for those negligent gun owners. The shooting was the Philippines’ second fatal school attack in less than two months and was livestreamed. With about 2.7 million registered firearms nationwide, including roughly 2 million privately owned, Remulla said tighter controls are needed to keep illegal guns from fueling violence.

In a prominent demonstration of deepening maritime ties, Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya was honored during a farewell ceremony hosted by the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday. The event highlighted Japan’s crucial role in strengthening regional maritime security and celebrated the expanding strategic partnership between Tokyo and Manila.