PCIJ's On the Record

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) sits down with election watchdogs to identify urgent tasks before the October 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections, 2025 national elections, and the 2025 BARMM elections.

Environment Secretary Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga pleaded with the enterprises to register their plastic recovery programs with the government given the relatively low number of registrants.  

Speaker Romualdez has neither confirmed nor denied the reported $1 million donation, which amounts to around 10% of his declared total net worth as of 2016.

Stakeholders and analysts say President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address in July 2023 indicated his commitment to the peace process. But the rosy picture he painted in his SONA betrayed realities on the ground.

Doyle, Dane & Bernbach (DDB) Philippines won at least two other government deals to promote tourism on top of its discredited P49.92-million “Love the Philippines’’ ad campaign, research by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) showed. 

Facebook has deactivated sites discovered by PCIJ to be facilitating the illegal adoption of babies and toddlers, but new pages can easily be created. A 2022 law could address some complaints about the tedious process of adopting legally.

BY VICTORIA TULAD, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism

Islamic State-linked groups in the country have been greatly diminished but they have the ability to launch attacks and regroup after heavy losses. Abu Zacariah was the third emir from the Philippines since Isnilon Hapilon, leader of the 2017 Marawi siege that shut down the Islamic City for five months. By Carmela Fonbuena

Kaarawan ni Jose Rizal ngayon, Hunyo 19. Regalo para sa ating mga Pilipino ang edisyong ito na pang-hayskul ng Noli Me Tangere. Sinigurado ng awtor na si Paolo Ven Paculan na simple ang mga salita sa libro at kumpleto pero maikli. 'Isa ang Noli sa pinakamaganda at pinakamahalagang aklat na alam ko,' ayon sa kaniya. Pinahintulutan ng awtor at ng Ateneo De Manila University Press ang PCIJ na i-upload ang ilang chapter ng libro. Tara na! Balikan natin ang mga aral ni Rizal.

Kaarawan ni Jose Rizal ngayon, Hunyo 19. Regalo para sa ating mga Pilipino ang edisyong ito na pang-hayskul ng Noli Me Tangere. Sinigurado ng awtor na si Paolo Ven Paculan na simple ang mga salita sa libro at kumpleto pero maikli. 'Isa ang Noli sa pinakamaganda at pinakamahalagang aklat na alam ko,' ayon sa kaniya. Pinahintulutan ng awtor at ng Ateneo De Manila University Press ang PCIJ na i-upload ang ilang chapter ng libro. Tara na! Balikan natin ang mga aral ni Rizal.

Kaarawan ni Jose Rizal ngayon, Hunyo 19. Regalo para sa ating mga Pilipino ang edisyong ito na pang-hayskul ng Noli Me Tangere. Sinigurado ng awtor na si Paolo Ven Paculan na simple ang mga salita sa libro at kumpleto pero maikli. 'Isa ang Noli sa pinakamaganda at pinakamahalagang aklat na alam ko,' ayon sa kaniya. Pinahintulutan ng awtor at ng Ateneo De Manila University Press ang PCIJ na i-upload ang ilang chapter ng libro. Tara na! Balikan natin ang mga aral ni Rizal.

When disasters hit, local government units are the automatic front liners. But because typhoons often cover large swaths of areas, national leadership is always necessary to manage response. The next president should prepare for the next big typhoon.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine exposed the country’s dependence on food imports. Vietnam, the country’s top supplier of rice, has also shown a decline in production.

The country’s economic recovery is at stake in the May polls. The next president will need to create jobs and help businesses and industries.

The COVID-19 pandemic is not over. If a new variant threatens another surge, there are better ways to respond than ordering another lockdown.

2003 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee and PCIJ founding executive director Sheila Coronel delivered this lecture, Marcos and Memory: The Past in Our Future, on Feb. 26, 2022 for the 2022 Adrian Cristobal Lecture Series.

At least 70 of 177 party-list groups accredited by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the May 2022 elections have nominees who are connected to political clans or incumbent local or national elected officials, research by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) showed.

Among them are a former senator and many district and party-list representatives, governors, vice governors, provincial board members, mayors, vice mayors, and councilors.

Spouses, siblings, and children of politicians are running, too.

On the anniversary of the 1986 EDSA People Power revolution on Feb. 25, allies of Bongbong Marcos mocked the historic event and declared victory in the May 2022 polls. If Marcos wins, who is to say if EDSA will be celebrated at all in the future? But Leni Robredo and her supporters were defiant. "This is not the last EDSA. We will fight for the people," read a placard in the Iloilo crowd. Her campaign has turned into a crusade.

Candidates in the 2022 elections are talking about the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth or SALN. Why is it important? And why is access to these documents getting harder? In this podcast, Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism executive director Carmela Fonbuena, editorial content head Karol Ilagan, reporter Elyssa Lopez, and researcher Martha Teodoro explain why it is an important anti-corruption tool.

This podcast is produced by Carmela Fonbuena and Charles Salazar. Music credit: Jazz Mango by Joey Pecoraro

Ang pangangampanya para sa halalan, laging nangangailangan ng pera.

Magkano ang ginagastos ng mga kandidato sa kanilang pagtakbo? Sino ang nagpopondo ng kanilang kampanya, at paano ito makakaapekto sa kanilang magiging mga desisyon kapag naupo na sila sa puwesto? Iilan lang ito sa mga tanong na kailangang sagutin para maintindihan ang kahalagahan ng campaign finance.

Writer: Cherry Salazar

Producers: Cherry Salazar, Charles Salazar

Music credit: The Sound of a Dollar by DJ Williams
Music promoted by Audio Library Сreative

Illustration: Luigi Almuena

The online sexual exploitation of children (OSEC) does not end with the rescue of victims, or the litigation and sentencing of perpetrators. The impact of OSEC to its victims stretches for life.

In the second episode of the Digital Sex Crimes in Asia series, we will hear from an OSEC survivor herself as well as child’s rights advocates.

Parts of this episode are graphic and may be triggering to some listeners. Discretion is highly advised.

This podcast series is produced in collaboration with ABS-CBN, in support by the Judith Neilson Institute’s Asian Stories project.

The interviews were conducted by Cherry Salazar of PCIJ, who also wrote this episode, with transcription assistance from Alexis Guevara and Daniella Paulino. The cover art was made by Alexandra Paredes.

If you want to learn more about the extent of OSEC and the efforts being done to curb it, you may check PCIJ’s website, pcij.org, for our complementary multi-part investigative report.

The ABS-CBN News Channel will also premiere a documentary on OSEC.

The sexual exploitation of children has been a pressing concern in the Philippines for years, but the crime has been exacerbated by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sexual predators are stuck at home, pushing the demand for more child abuse materials, which poor Filipino families supply, as they are forced
to find ways to earn money while in quarantine.

In this first episode of a special series produced in collaboration with ABS-CBN News, we will hear from government agencies and a
trafficker about how social media has aided these crimes against children.

Because of the nature of the subject, some parts of this podcast will be graphic and may be triggering to some listeners. Discretion is
highly advised.

This episode was written by Cherry Salazar of PCIJ and produced by ABS-CBN News. Neil Jayson Servallos of PCIJ and the UST Journalism
School and Chiara Zambrano of ABS-CBN News conducted the interviews. Podcast cover art by Alexandra Paredes.

This episode is supported by the Judith Neilson Institute’s Asian Stories project, in collaboration with ABS-CBN News, the South China
Morning Post, The Korea Times and Tempo in Indonesia.

If you want to learn more about the extent of the online sexual exploitation of children and efforts being done to curb it, you may please check PCIJ’s website, pcij.org, for our complementary multi-part investigative report.

The ABS-CBN News Channel will also premiere a documentary on this issue in June.

Ngayong katapusan ng Marso 2021, dapat ay nakasali o nakabuo na ngcooperative ang lahat ng mga may-ari ng pampasaherong jeep sa buong Pilipinas.  Ito ay ayon sa deadline na itinakda para sa tinaguriang “consolidation phase” ng Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program o PUVMP na inilunsad ng gobyerno noong Hunyo 2017.

Nais ng programang ito na maipatupad ang “one-route, one-franchise system” para sa mga sasakyang namamasada, tulad ng jeepney. Ibig sabihin, sa halip na isa-isa ang pag-issue ng franchise kada isang jeepney operator, ito ay ipagkakaloob na lamang sa isang cooperative na ang mga miyembro ay driver at operator.

Sa ganitong paraan, mas magiging efficient ang pamamalakad sa Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board o LTFRB, ang tanging ahensya na nagbibigay ng permit para sa mga pampasaherong sasakyan.

Ayun sa mga nakapanayam ng PCIJ, kulang-kulang 2,000 ang empleyado ng LTFRB sa buong bansa.

Umaabot naman sa halos 200,000 ang franchise na kanilang pinagkakaabalahan — at ito'y sa jeep lamang at hindi pa kasama ang mga bus, taxi, UV Express, at ang mga TNVS.

Ang consolidation o pagsasanib ng jeepney franchises ay makabubuti rin daw para sa mga driver at operator.

Dahil nag-consolidate na sila sa isang cooperative, mas magkakaroon sila ng pagkakataong humiram sa bangko para makabili ng mga modernized jeepney na magiging kapalit ng kanilang traditional na pampasada.

Mas maginhawa daw para sa pasahero't driver at mas nakakabuti sa kapaligiran ang modernized jeepney.

Ang tanong: Ito na ba ang katapusan ng traditional na jeepney, ang tinaguriang Hari ng Kalsada?

Pakinggan sa On the Record, ang podcast ng Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism.

Produced by Robert JA Basilio Jr. Credits: Spy Funk by Quincas Moreira (Audio Library, YouTube) and jeepney sound effects by Kevin Luce (freesound.org)