Context Dispatch

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue Region No. 6 – City of Manila and Palawan destroyed 240,550 illicit vape products with an estimated tax liability of P1.539 billion on August 24, 2026, at the DIGAMA Waste Management Facility in Porac, Pampanga.

Metro Pacific Tollways Corp. is deploying temporary flood barriers, siphoning trucks and additional pumps along NLEX in Tulaoc, San Simon, Pampanga, after severe flooding caused hours-long traffic. Concrete barriers will cover about 300 meters in each direction to limit water entering the expressway. MPTC said pumping alone cannot clear the highway while surrounding areas remain flooded. The company also plans to further elevate the Tulaoc roadway once the bridge is raised, while coordinating with government agencies on longer-term flood-control solutions.

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.