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Claim: The Office of the Vice President under Sara Duterte has reportedly earned the top Commission on Audit (COA) rating for three years in a row.

Why we fact-checked this: Posts claiming that the Office of the Vice President (OVP) under Sara Duterte has received the “highest [Commission on Audit] rating for three consecutive years” are circulating widely on social media. Thes

e posts are framed in a way that suggest official recognition from COA for exceptional governance and financial management, which potentially influences public perception of the OVP’s performance. Some c

omments are already praising the OVP’s supposed streak of “top ratings.” One post in

particular by News Ngayon, a Facebook fan page from Davao City, has garnered more than 41,000 reactions; 3,800 comments; and 4,400 shares. Several of t

he viral posts also used headlines and captions such as “VP Sara, tatlong taon nang top audit performer” (VP Sara, top audit performer for three years) or “VP Sara Duterte, tatlong taon nang kumikilala ng top COA audit rating” (VP Sara Duterte, recognized with top COA audit rating for three years). The captions describ

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DESTRUCTION.

A damaged car near a market, at an area affected by a deadly flash flood following heavy rains, in Kuala Simpang, Aceh Tamiang regency, Aceh province, Indonesia, December 5, 2025.

JAKARTA, Indonesia – Indonesia‘s military stepped up its relief efforts in three provinces on Sumatra island that have been devastated by deadly floods and landslides, and the country’s vice president apologised for shortcomings in the response to last week’s disaster. The mili

tary has erected at least 10 portable bridges, called “Bailey bridges,” in Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra provinces to help with the distribution of food and aid supplies to isolated residents, Major General Freddy Ardianzah told reporters on Friday, December 5. “The constru

ction of these bridges is crucial to distribute logistics. Some of the ro

ads are still blocked so the aid is yet to reach those affected by the disaster,” he said. Ardianzah said t

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MARKET.

Vegetables and various goods for sale at Commonwealth Market in Quezon City, March 13, 2025.

MANILA, Philippines – Inflation eased to 1.5% in November as the rise of vegetable and meat prices slowed, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Friday, November 5. Th

e latest inflation print brings the average rate for 2025 to 1.6%, still below the government’s target range of 2% to 4%. Depu

ty National Statistician Divina Gracia del Prado said inflation of food and non-alcoholic beverages fell to just 0.1% in November. For

vegetables in particular, inflation dropped to 4% from 16.4% in October, while for meat, inflation slowed to 4.2% from 5.2%. But

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POLLS.

A Marikina resident casts her vote in the 2025 national and local elections, at the SSS Village Elementary School, on May 12, 2025.

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that votes clearly cast for a nuisance candidate shall be considered stray votes and not be counted in favor of any candidate. Th

is landmark decision, penned by Associate Justice Maria Filomena Singh and was made public on Thursday, December 4, abandoned the precedent applied in past cases. Ac

cording to the SC, these are now the effects of the new rule on cases involving nuisance candidates: Th

e High Court looked into the existing jurisprudence related to the case at hand, such as Dela Cruz v. Co

TAGBILARAN CITY — A total of 23 towns in Bohol have been placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 1 as Tropical Depression Wilma continues to move slowly west-southwest over the Philippine Sea, according to the 5 p.m. bulletin issued by the state weather bureau on Thursday. READ

: LPA develops into Tropical Depression Wilma — Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines – Over P5-billion worth of infrastructure projects in Surigao del Norte’s 2nd District were found to be unfinished, substandard, or already deteriorating despite being listed as completed. Yet t

wo months after a complaint documenting these defects was filed, concerned agencies have not acted. The c

omplaint, submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in October, outlines

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ICI.

The Independent Commission for Infrastructure in Taguig City on October 21, 2025.

Not enough powers.

This was how outgoing Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) Commissioner Babes Singson assessed the investigative body tasked to probe multibillion-peso flood control corruption.

It’s a gargantuan task to investigate and also hold accountable powerful people involved in an intricate web of collusion and conspiracy to defraud the government. “I

CI as it is today doesn’t have enough powers to be able to execute as quickly as we can what we need to do,” Singson said on Thursday, December 4. The 77-y

COTABATO CITY — Police operatives from various units in the Soccsksargen region seized in a dawn operation on Thursday, Dec. 4, a total of 505 boxes of smuggled cigarettes valued at P19.8 million in the coastal town of Lebak, Sultan Kudarat province. Br

ig. Ge

n. Ar

nold Ardiente, regional director for Police Regional Office (PRO-12), said Lebak

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MANILA, Philippines – Five-piece band the vowels they orbit returns to Rappler Live Jam on Thursday, December 4! Fo

rmed in 2018, the band has Nikka Melchor on vocals and guitars, Hannah Dela Cruz on keyboards and vocals, Gene Santiago on guitars, and Patch Javier on bass. Th

e indie pop-rock outfit just released their third EP, gusto ko lang maalala, which takes listeners through themes of love, loss, nostalgia, and remembering. Ca

tch the vowels they orbit on Rappler Live Jam on Thursday, 8 pm, by bookmarking this page or heading to Rappler’s YouTube! – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Championing equity in education, the Department of Education (DepEd) has officially activated the Bayang Bumabasa Initiative, allotting P131 million in Needs-Based Program Support Funds to assist 131 priority schools in accelerating literacy gains. The init

iative, unveiled during the 2025 National Literacy Conference, will provide up to P1 million per school to implement locally responsive and contextualized reading programs. The 131 rec

ipient

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WILMA.

Satellite image of Tropical Depression Wilma as of December 4, 2025, 4 pm.

MANILA, Philippines – Tropical Depression Wilma slowed down over the Philippine Sea on Thursday afternoon, December 4, as it started bringing rain to several provinces. Wi

lma was last spotted 575 kilometers east of Catarman, Northern Samar, as of 4 pm on Thursday. It

is moving west southwest at just 10 kilometers per hour from its previous speed of 20 km/h. Th

e tropical depression continues to have maximum sustained winds of 45 km/h and gustiness of up to 55 km/h. Th

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MANILA, Philippines – Columnist and longtime Ateneo de Manila University professor Queena Lee-Chua, known for her contributions to mathematics education, psychology, and science communication in the Philippines, died on Thursday, December 4. Sh

e was 59. He

r son, Scott Lee-Chua, confirmed her death in a Facebook post. He

r wake will be held at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception, Gonzaga Hall, Ateneo de Manila University, from December 5 to 8, 10 am to 9 pm. Le

e-Chua was a respected academic who taught chemistry, mathematics, and psychology at Ateneo for decades. Sh

e was also widely recognized as a columnist for the Philippine Daily Inquirer, where she wrote extensively on education, learning, family life, and social issues. “S