FACT CHECK: Romualdez did not ‘dare’ Senate to investigate him; video is AI-generated
While the former House speaker has denied allegations that he masterminded a corruption scheme in the government, he did not make the statements shown in the video

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/martin-romualdez-ai-generated-video-dare-senate-investigation/

Did Sen Erwin Tulfo say “may diperensya sa pag-iisip si Sen Alan”?

FACT CHECK: No Trump plan to secure Duterte’s release from ICC
The US president has not made any statement supporting Duterte’s release; similar posts have been debunked since Duterte's arrest in March 2025

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/no-donald-trump-plan-secure-rodrigo-duterte-release-icc/

FACT CHECK: Video of VP Sara arguing with Escudero over impeachment is AI-generated
The supposed confrontation never happened, contrary to the claim; multiple AI detection tools flagged the video as likely containing AI-generated elements

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/ai-video-sara-duterte-argument-chiz-escudero-impeachment/

IBON Foundation holds its Birdtalk Midyear 2026 today, July 23, at the School of Economics Auditorium, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

The forum will feature insights from IBON Foundation speakers Sonny Africa, Executive Director, and Rosario Guzman, Research Head.

Key discussions include navigating global instability for national development, unraveling vested interests in policymaking, and other analyses on the country's most urgent socioeconomic and political issues ahead of the 2026 State of the Nation Address under the Marcos Jr. administration.

Executive Director Sonny Africa presents a table of major foreign investors in the Philippines that have invested in and profited from the country for decades without developing domestic industries for Filipinos.

Citing the recent visit of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and discussions on the development of Pax Silica in the country, Africa says the project would continue this pattern of major foreign investors entering the Philippines without contributing to the development of domestic industries.

IBON Foundation Executive Director Sonny Africa said the Philippines’ upper-middle-income classification by the World Bank is “merely a statistical measure” of economic growth that does not reflect the realities faced by Filipinos.

He argued that the Philippines’ faster economic growth has failed to translate into better living conditions for Filipinos, as the country remains among the poorest third of countries globally, with the majority of families still earning below ₱22,000 a month.

Africa argued that the Philippines must move away from its “growth obsession” and instead pursue development centered on the people, including state-driven agrarian development and Filipino industrialization.

Rosario Guzman, Research Head of IBON Foundation, begins her presentation, “The Politics of Dodging,” by describing President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s silence as a political strategy and public outrage over corruption as feigned, arguing that politicians implicated in the flood control scandal have yet to be held accountable.

Points of Guzman's discussion will revolve around how policymaking favors foreign capital and oligarchs, elite trapo conflict, how U.S. strategic priorities shape the Philippine economy and politics, and how the Philippines is founded on political repression.

IBON Foundation Research Head Rosario Guzman described US investments in the Philippines as “one-sided,” saying initiatives such as Pax Silica and the Luzon Economic Corridor (LEC) prioritize US economic and military interests while narrowing the country’s policy autonomy.

Guzman said these initiatives position the Philippines to provide critical minerals, labor, and semiconductor manufacturing as the US seeks to strengthen its supply chains and maintain its lead over China in semiconductors and artificial intelligence.

Research Head Rosario Guzman emphasized how the Marcos Jr. administration’s failure to secure a seat on the United Nations Security Council exposed the limits of its dependence on U.S. foreign policy, as well as the record of human rights violations under Bongbong Marcos’ presidency.

In concluding her presentation, Guzman called for a politics of accountability, one that confronts social ills, rejects self-serving politicians, upholds the people’s democratic rights and welfare, advances a progressive economy, and defends national sovereignty.

IBON Foundation Executive Director Sonny Africa urged the government to move away from economic growth as a measure of development, following the Philippines’ recent classification as an upper-middle-income economy by the World Bank.

Responding on an inquiry about the supposed “economic milestone” during the open forum, Africa called for a shift toward an economic development framework that prioritizes Filipinos’ access to basic needs, rather than relying heavily on GDP and GNI figures, which he said could distract the public from more important measures of well-being.

Research Head Rosario Guzman echoed Africa’s remarks, calling for economic planning rooted in human rights and welfare instead of prioritizing foreign investments and importation.

As discussions for Birdtalk Midyear come to an end, IBON Foundation speakers Sonny Africa and Rosario Guzman provide brief closing remarks for the audience.

According to Sonny Africa, the public must continue to believe in the possibility of achieving an economy that can address the needs of the people, whether it be needs for education, health, food, or any other crucial sectors.

"May sapat na tao sa mundo para lumikha ng ekonomiya na para sa lahat," Africa said.

The Executive Director of IBON emphasizes how economics is not just a conversation reserved for experts, nor is it a private business. For Africa, economics is making sure that all the resources in the world are used to provide people's needs.

As for IBON Research Head Rosario Guzman, the crisis is a challenge for us to improve our ability to organize and take in information. Guzman said that knowing about the state of our nation and bringing this knowledge to those around us will help fight the global crisis and imperialist war.

With the 2028 elections close by, Guzman called for improvements in the way we conduct discourse, given the severity of the global crisis.

"Mag-eelection na sa 2028, konting taas ng diskurso – ang lalim ng krisis natin," Guzman said.

FACT CHECK: No impeachment complaint filed vs Ombudsman Remulla
No formal complaint has been filed or made public, and lawmakers say they have not seen any such document

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/no-impeachment-complaint-boying-remulla-july-2026/

FACT CHECK: No clash between De Lima, VP Sara at impeachment trial; video is AI-generated
No official Senate recording, livestream, press release, or credible news report documents the confrontation depicted in the clip

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/no-clash-leila-de-lima-sara-duterte-impeachment-trial/

FACT CHECK: No gov’t order to seize homes without solar panel permits
An analysis using Google's SynthID technology showed the audio contained an AI-generated watermark, while two other AI detection tools found the clip likely to be AI-generated

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/ai-video-government-take-houses-no-permit-solar-panels/

FACT CHECK: VP Sara did not flee PH due to death of Caloocan vlogger
The Office of the Vice President says Duterte's scheduled trip and activities in different countries in Europe are intended to engage with overseas Filipinos

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/sara-duterte-did-not-flee-death-caloocan-vlogger/

FACT CHECK: NBI agent Calilung not arrested after VP Sara trial testimony
There is no warrant or report of an arrest made after NBI agent John Mark Calilung testified as the first witness in the Vice President's impeachment trial

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/nbi-calilung-not-arrested-sara-duterte-impeachment-trial/

FACT CHECK: No nationwide class suspension declared for Marcos’ 5th SONA
Classes have been suspended only in some areas; the Quezon City and Manila LGUs announced localized class suspensions

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/no-nationwide-class-suspension-ferdinand-marcos-jr-5th-sona/

FACT CHECK: Claire Castro quote on Ivana Alawi helping slain driver’s family is fake
The post circulating online was made by stitching together photos of actress Ivana Alawi with a fake quote attributed to Castro that originated from a page claiming to be satire

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/claire-castro-fake-quote-ivana-alawi-helping-slain-driver-family/

Taiwan is on the frontlines in battle for democracy
The Philippines has a lot to learn from Taiwan as we both are targets of China’s political and information warfare

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/plus-membership-program/exclusive-content/sui-generis-taiwan-democracy-disinformation-china/

[DECODED] Pro-China accounts attack LANS after content creator’s West PH Sea feature
After LANS’ visit to Pag-asa Island, Facebook posts accuse the content creator of being US-funded, calling her ignorant while spewing disinfo on the Philippines’ claim on the West Philippine Sea

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/technology/decoded-pro-china-attacks-disinformation-lans-west-philippine-sea-vlog/

FACT CHECK: Duterte not set to be released amid US push to dismantle ICC
While the United States has called on countries to withdraw support for the international tribunal, former Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte remains detained at The Hague, with his trial scheduled to start in November

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/duterte-not-released-us-dismantle-icc/

FACT CHECK: Supreme Court did not dismiss Marcoleta’s plunder case
Marcoleta's plunder case wasn't filed before the country's highest court, but with the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/supreme-court-not-dismiss-rodante-marcoleta-plunder-case/

FACT CHECK: Spliced video misrepresents Chel Diokno statement on VP Sara’s financial records
The video circulating online was spliced to make it seem like Diokno was 'admitting' that the House prosecution intended to fish for evidence against Vice President Sara Duterte

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/spliced-video-chel-diokno-statement-sara-duterte-financial-records/

FACT CHECK: Contrary to claim, NEUST has been a state university since 1998
House Bill 2758 seeks to convert the Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology into a comprehensive university to be known as Nueva Ecija State University

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/neust-state-university-1998/

[DECODED] When the ‘common threat’ is in our midst
Over the years, The Nerve and Rappler have conducted investigations into how China and its supporters have used social media to spread disinformation Over the years, The Nerve and Rappler have conducted investigations into how China and its supporters have used social media to spread disinformation #Decoded

Read the full article here:
https://www.rappler.com/voices/newsletters/decoded-china-common-threat/