Try GOLD - Free

Ombudsman pushing through with plunder case vs Marcoleta

The Philippine Star

July 02, 2026

Amid religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo’s rallies, the Office of the Ombudsman will proceed with filing plunder charges in court this week against INC member Sen. Rodante Marcoleta.

“Nothing has changed. We will file. This has not changed anything,” Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said yesterday in a chance interview.

While the INC has freedom of expression to stage a rally in support of Marcoleta, Remulla said the claim of “selective justice” is a “wrong premise.”

Meanwhile, Malacañang urged the INC to avoid becoming a pathway to destabilization as the INC rally along EDSA entered its second day yesterday to protest the looming court indictment and possible arrest of Marcoleta.

Palace press officer Claire Castro said that while the administration believes the INC rally is not meant to destabilize the government, the religious group should be wary of people seeking to oust President Marcos.

"Our appeal to the leadership of the INC is to be careful because they might be used by other people who aim to oust the President," Castro said at a press briefing.

This story is from the July 02, 2026 edition of The Philippine Star.

Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.

Already a subscriber? Sign In

DepEd: Strictly enforce cellphone ban during classes

The use of gadgets during classes is prohibited, the Department of Education (DepEd) has reminded schools.

1 mins

July 02, 2026

The Philippine Star

BBM denies INC claim of selective justice

President Marcos yesterday denied that there is “selective justice” under his administration as claimed by the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), even as he expressed confidence that the rallies being staged by the religious sect would not lead to chaos.

2 mins

July 02, 2026

The Philippine Star

Phl now upper-middle income country – WB

The Philippines has moved up to the upper-middle income grouping, according to the World Bank.

1 min

July 02, 2026

The Philippine Star

ERC: EV-to-grid rules on target this year

Electric vehicle (EV) owners may soon sell electricity back to the grid and earn credits on their power bills, with the regulatory framework enabling the move potentially out this year.

2 mins

July 02, 2026

The Philippine Star

EYE-CATCHING TODAY, ICONIC TOMORROW: INSIDE THE IKEA PS 2026 COLLECTION

Those three Democratic Design Days were a blur. It took us less than two hours by train from Copenhagen to reach this little Swedish town called Almhult, the historic heart of Ikea and home of its mothership.

8 mins

July 02, 2026

The Philippine Star

Phl factory activity sustains expansion

The Philippine manufacturing sector remained in expansion mode in June, supported by improved demand and output, but firms’ confidence levels dropped to a five-month low.

1 mins

July 02, 2026

The Philippine Star

PSE clears regulatory hurdles to short selling

Regulatory hurdles to short selling will soon be addressed as the Philippine Stock Exchange Inc. (PSE) readies the amended rules on securities borrowing and lending (SBL).

3 mins

July 02, 2026

The Philippine Star

Student stabs 2 classmates in Zambo school

A Grade 11 student stabbed and wounded two classmates who allegedly bullied him Wednesday morning inside a classroom at Cabaluay National High School in Barangay Cabaluay, Zamboanga City.

1 min

July 02, 2026

The Philippine Star

Iglesia rally moving to Liwasang Bonifacio

The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) rally will be moved to Liwasang Bonifacio in Manila today, after the Quezon City government recalled the permit it issued for the third day of the EDSA protest, an official confirmed to The STAR, citing inconveniences that commuters and workers experienced.

3 mins

July 02, 2026

The Philippine Star