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(Philstar.com) Manila, Philippines — The Sandiganbayan Third Division has ordered the transfer of former House Speaker Martin Romualdez to the New Quezon City Jail, after doctors from the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital testified that there was no imperative medical need for him to remain hospitalized. The ruling follows an independent medical examination conducted over the weekend, requested by the court after Romualdez’s own doctors at Cardinal Santos Medical Center argued he needed continued hospital care for several conditions, including coronary artery disease and psychiatric concerns. Romualdez has remained the most talked-about name in the country since his September 7 arrest on plunder charges tied to an alleged ₱7.44-billion kickback scheme involving flood control funds between 2022 and 2025. Prosecutors allege he used his influence as Speaker to demand a monthly quota of roughly ₱2 billion in kickbacks from former Ako Bicol Rep. Zaldy Co, and have since accused him of funneling part of the haul into shell companies used to acquire properties and other assets. Romualdez, a first cousin of President Marcos Jr., has denied all charges. His arraignment and pretrial had been scheduled for September 14, though it’s unclear if that proceeded given the ongoing detention dispute. Read More

(Reuters) Cotabato, Philippines — Voters across the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao began casting ballots Monday in the region’s first-ever parliamentary elections, a historic milestone following decades of armed conflict and years of negotiated peace. Nearly 2.4 million registered voters are choosing the region’s 80-member parliament, which will in turn select a chief minister to lead the Philippines’ only parliamentary-style government. The vote comes under heightened security after at least three people were killed and 15 wounded in poll-eve violence in Cotabato City, while authorities in Basilan also reported gunfire, an explosion, and allegations of pre-shaded ballots.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. declared the day a special non-working holiday throughout BARMM and called the election a “defining moment” for the region and the country, describing it as the culmination of a peace process tracing back to 1968. The elections had been postponed four times since originally scheduled for May 2022. Newly elected officials will serve an extended five-year term beginning October 30, following a transition period overseen by the interim Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

Thirteen political parties are contesting seats, with civil society groups calling the vote itself, despite the violence, “something hopeful happening in the Philippines.” Read More

(ESPN) New York, USA — The NBA handed down the most severe punishment in league history against the LA Clippers this week, following a nearly year-long investigation into salary cap circumvention involving star forward Kawhi Leonard. The findings, based on a 35-page report from law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, concluded that the Clippers helped arrange endorsement deals worth tens of millions of dollars between Leonard and companies doing business with the team, including a now-bankrupt firm called Aspiration, in exchange for little to no actual work from Leonard.

As a result, the Clippers must forfeit five future first-round draft picks spanning 2029 to 2033, pay a $30 million fine, and undergo five years of league-mandated compliance monitoring. Team owner Steve Ballmer was suspended from all team and league activities for one year, while president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank received a six-month unpaid suspension; Leonard himself was fined $700,000. Ballmer’s legal team has called the investigation “a witch hunt,” though the NBA and players’ union have confirmed the penalties are final and cannot be appealed. The case has now drawn the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice, which has reportedly opened its own inquiry into the Clippers’ dealings, adding a new legal dimension to a scandal that began when a podcast investigation first exposed the arrangement roughly a year ago. Read More

(Inquirer.net) Manila, Philippines — No one won Thursday’s ₱285.83-million jackpot in the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office’s (PCSO) Ultra Lotto 6/58 draw, sending the prize rolling over for the next draw. The lack of a winner continues a streak that has driven massive nationwide interest in the jackpot, with millions of Filipinos checking results online and at PCSO outlets after every draw.

The PCSO holds draws for its various lotto games daily, with combinations for 6/58, 6/55, 6/49, 6/45, 6/42, and the smaller Swertres and EZ2 games announced each evening. Bettors are encouraged to claim any winnings within the applicable claim period and to verify results only through official PCSO channels or its accredited partners. Read More

(Billboard Philippines) Manila — P-pop group SB19 is set to grace the back cover of Japan’s “anan” magazine, with the September 16 issue’s borderless-culture feature spotlighting the Philippine quintet as its representative Filipino act. The group also released a live performance video this week of “Toyfriend,” a collaboration with Japanese group BE:FIRST, filmed during the D.U.N.K. Showcase 2026 in Japan. The releases add to a string of international milestones for Pablo, Josh, Stell, Ken, and Justin this year, following their historic set at Lollapalooza in Chicago this past summer — the first time a Filipino act has performed at the festival — and their continued push to bring P-pop and Filipino culture to global audiences. Fans, known as A’TIN, have been celebrating the group’s growing recognition across Asia and the U.S. as SB19 continues expanding its international footprint under its own label, 1Z Entertainment. Read More

(PhilNews) Manila — Social media personality Sachzna Laparan has agreed to give up the “Miss Flawless” title following a public dispute with former actress and Laguna board member Angelica Jones, the song’s original owner. The controversy began after Jones called attention to Laparan’s use of the title in a 2019 revival of the song with rap artists Flow G and Bosx1ne, saying the collaboration happened without her camp’s permission. In a video statement posted Tuesday, Laparan apologized directly to Jones, saying she has great respect for her and did not intend to create conflict, adding that she no longer wishes to hold onto the title if doing so affects her peace of mind.

Jones, who had raised the issue during an appearance on the vodcast “Fast Talk with Boy Abunda,” urged Laparan and her camp to be transparent about what happened, saying acknowledging the lack of permission would have been enough to settle the matter from the start. Despite the friction, Jones said she remains glad the song found new life through the revival, with her disappointment stemming mainly from not being informed beforehand. Read More

(Rappler) Los Angeles, California — Lea Salonga made history on September 4 as the first Filipina to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, unveiled in a ceremony in front of the historic Pantages Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. The Broadway legend, who won a Tony Award at just 20 years old for originating the role of Kim in “Miss Saigon,” was joined by guests including Ming-Na Wen, Brandy, Darren Criss, and H.E.R. for the celebration. Salonga, the 2,855th star recipient in Walk of Fame history, reflected on her decades-long journey from performing as a child in Philippine musical theater to becoming the singing voice behind Disney’s Jasmine in “Aladdin” and the title character in “Mulan.”

She dedicated the honor to her family, mentors, and the community that shaped her, saying no career is ever the work of just one person. The ceremony came just two days before she received the inaugural Icon Award at the Manila International Film Festival’s Closing Night Gala in Los Angeles. Fans and fellow Filipino artists have celebrated the milestone as a landmark moment of representation in Hollywood… Read More

(Rappler) Manila — The Sandiganbayan Third Division ordered on Friday the transfer of former House Speaker and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez to the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital for an independent medical examination, moving him out of the private Cardinal Santos Medical Center where he has been confined since his arrest. Associate Justice Karl Miranda, who chairs the division, issued the order after two days of hearings on Romualdez’s motion to remain hospitalized rather than transfer to a regular jail facility.

The transfer is set for Saturday, Sept. 12, with the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, PNP, and judiciary marshals coordinating to bring him to UP-PGH by ambulance. The court directed UP-PGH’s doctors to conduct the exam independently of Romualdez’s current physicians at Cardinal Santos, and ordered a medical report by Sept. 13 ahead of testimony on Sept. 14.

Romualdez’s own doctors testified Friday about his cardiological, neurological, and psychiatric conditions, including a psychiatrist’s disclosure that he has been diagnosed with depressive disorder and anxiety. Miranda stressed that any hospital confinement must rest purely on medical necessity, saying the court “must be very careful and dispel any perception that the grant of hospitalization was based on the status, position, wealth or influence of the accused.”

Romualdez faces a ₱7.44-billion plunder case tied to alleged flood control project kickbacks, with his arraignment now set for Sept. 16… Read More