Ombudsman Orders Officials to Quit

Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla has asked more than 80 senior officials to resign, including assistant ombudsmen, directors, and senior graft investigators. He also ordered a review of 204 new hires, saying some may have been rushed in by former Ombudsman Samuel Martires before his retirement. Lower-level staff were encouraged to resign voluntarily as a show of good faith. At the same time, East Timor has officially joined ASEAN as its 11th member after 14 years of campaigning, a move hailed as a historic step toward stronger regional unity. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., attending the ASEAN Summit in Malaysia, met with leaders from Cambodia, Canada, Japan, and Thailand, where he emphasized peaceful conflict resolution, offered condolences to Thailand over Queen Sirikit’s passing, and reinforced ties with Japan and Canada.