Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo, a staunch critic of President Rodrigo Duterte's brutal war on drugs, joined the race for president on Thursday, promising to usher in a government that cares for the people, not personal interests.
Ms Robredo, 56, who was elected separately from Mr Duterte and was not his running partner, said her decision was a difficult one but she wanted to be of greater service to a country facing serious health and economic challenges.
"If we truly want to liberate ourselves from this situation, we should change not just the surnames of those in power – the corruption, the incompetence, the lack of compassion must be replaced by competence and integrity in leadership," said Ms Robredo, who is running as an independent candidate.
Ms Robredo will face at least four other candidates who have made their presidential runs official, including the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, whom she beat by a slim margin in the 2016 vice presidential contest.
Mr Duterte is unable to run for president in the election in May next year because of rules on term limits. He had said he would run for vice president, but announced on Saturday that he will retire from politics.
Candidates have until October 8 to register. Mr Duterte's daughter, Sara Duterte-Caprio, who political analysts expected to join the race at the 11th hour, as her father did in 2015, insisted on Wednesday she wanted to continue as mayor of Davao city.
A poll of people's preferred candidates last month showed Ms Robredo, a human rights lawyer and widow of a former interior minister, trailing Mr Marcos and others, including former boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and Manila mayor Francisco Domagoso.
'Let Leni Lead'
Ms Robredo's backers, including another prominent critic of Mr Duterte, former Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, have for months been urging her to run with a "Let Leni Lead" battle cry.
They cheered her decision and promised support.
Soon after her announcement, the hashtag #LabanLeni2022 (FightLeni2022) became the top trending Philippine item on Twitter, while supporters posted photos of themselves on social media wearing pink, the colour associated with Ms Robredo.
"What is at stake are the lives and the future of the Filipinos ... billions upon billions of pesos went into questionable contracts while millions of Filipinos struggle," said Ms Robredo, taking a swipe at the government over questions on its use of $1.3 billion in pandemic funds.
"The lack of good governance lies at the root of our many problems. This needs to end," she said.
The government had dismissed suggestions of wrongdoing.
Ms Robredo, a congresswoman before becoming vice president, has long been a thorn in Mr Duterte's side, questioning his war on drugs, his embrace of China and recently the handling of Covid-19.
Under Mr Duterte, Ms Robredo served as housing minister but quit after being excluded from Cabinet meetings. After criticising what she called "senseless killings" in the war on drugs, Mr Duterte appointed her as his "drugs tsar" but sacked her after 18 days.
Mr Duterte's spokesman, Harry Roque, when asked about Ms Robredo's comments, said everyone had the right to stand for public office.
Aries Arugay, political science professor at the University of the Philippines, said voters disgruntled with the handling of the pandemic would gravitate towards Ms Robredo, who has been active in trying to respond to the health crisis.
"For voters negatively affected by the pandemic who think the government has failed, it's a no-brainer to vote for Robredo," Mr Arugay told Reuters.
Should Ms Robredo win the presidency, she would be the third woman to lead the Philippines after democracy champion Corazon Aquino in 1986 and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2001.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
Libya's Gold
UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves.
The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.
Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.
