Manila Standard

Wednesday - 20th May, 2026
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‘No evidence of Senate attack’

INTERIOR Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Tuesday investigators found no evidence of an attack on the Upper Chamber during the May 13 shooting incident inside the Senate complex, as authorities released details of the timeline leading to the...

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Tuesday - 19th May, 2026
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Impeach court summons VP

THE Senate on Monday formally convened as an impeachment court and ordered the issuance of a writ of summons to Vice President Sara Duterte, setting in motion the chamber’s constitutional duty to hear the Articles of Impeachment filed against...

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Monday - 18th May, 2026
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Senate...

Less than a week after a sudden coup d’etat installed Cayetano as Senate President in place of Senator Tito Sotto, Senator Erwin Tulfo said Sunday he had “no idea” whether another leadership shake-up was being planned. “Pertaining to the media on a...

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Sunday - 17th May, 2026
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Senate refused subpoenas, request for CCTVs–Remulla

THE Office of the Ombudsman is facing difficulty serving subpoenas to the Senate in connection with its investigation into a shooting incident inside the chamber this week. Speaking on DZRH’s “Executive Session” on Saturday, Ombudsman Jesus Cripin...

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Saturday - 16th May, 2026
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Ombudsman suspends Aplasca

ACTING Senate Sergeant-at-Arms Mao Aplasca was placed under preventive suspension without pay for six months by the Ombudsman for discharging his firearm that triggered the shooting incident in the Senate last Wednesday. Senator Bato dela Rosa, on the...

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Friday - 15th May, 2026
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Dela Rosa flees Senate refuge

THE chief enforcer of the Duterte administration’s deadly drug war has fled the Senate, where he had sought refuge this week to escape arrest for crimes against humanity, Senate President Alan Cayetano said. "The sergeant at arms has confirmed that...

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Thursday - 14th May, 2026
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PBBM:...

and to make sure the investigation is independent,” Cayetano said. ‘Armed men entered Senate’ In their joint media interview late Wednesday evening, Remulla and Cayetano confirmed that OSAA personnel, who were seen in various television reports...

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Wednesday - 13th May, 2026
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Protect me, Bato appeals to PBBM

“PROTECT me.” Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa made this appeal to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. after the International Criminal Court confirmed it has issued an arrest warrant against him for crimes against humanity. “President BBM, I am a Filipino....

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Tuesday - 12th May, 2026
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House impeaches VP Sara again

LAWMAKERS voted on Monday by a wide margin to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte, making her the first Philippine official to be impeached for a second time in a row and throwing her announced 2028 presidential run into doubt. The motion was backed...

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Monday - 11th May, 2026
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Minority seeks ouster of Sotto ahead of trial

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III said Sunday he was leaving his political fate to “God’s plan” as the minority in the chamber tries to get the 13 votes required to unseat him ahead of the expected impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte this...

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Sunday - 10th May, 2026
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ICC clarifies: No new arrest warrants issued in PH

The International Criminal Court clarified it has not yet issued any new public arrest warrants in the Philippines amid reports that an order has been released to nab Senator Bato dela Rosa in connection with the crimes against humanity case against...

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Saturday - 9th May, 2026
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ASEAN backs regional grid, fuel-sharing pact

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Cebu — Leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations outlined action areas for resilience in response to the evolving situation in the Middle East – including a fuel-sharing pact and a regional power grid – highlighting the...

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Friday - 8th May, 2026
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PH HOSTS TRILATERAL TALKS WITH THAILAND, CAMBODIA

manilastandard.net @ManilaStandardPH @mnlstandardph @manilastandard @ManilaStandardYT CAMBODIA and Thailand agreed to continue direct dialogue and avoid actions that could escalate tensions over their long-running border dispute, following a...

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Thursday - 7th May, 2026
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Japan joins US, PH forces in antiship missile strike

A DECOMMISSIONED Philippine Navy battleship was sunk on Wednesday during a simulated maritime war exercise off Paoay, Ilocos Norte in connection with the ongoing multilateral Balikatan Exercise, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. as a key...

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Wednesday - 6th May, 2026
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DOE open to lifting VAT on power to lower prices

THE Department of Energy said Tuesday it supports all proposals aimed at lowering electricity prices, including the possible reduction or elimination of the value-added tax on power. “Our goal is clear: More affordable, stable, and reliable...

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Tuesday - 5th May, 2026
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House panel approves VP Sara impeachment Unanimous adoption of report clears way for plenary vote

THE House Committee on Justice, through a unanimous vote of its 55 members, approved yesterday its report and resolution setting the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte, clearing the way for a plenary vote likely next week. The...

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Monday - 4th May, 2026
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Gov’t mobilizes for Mayon

PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Sunday ordered full mobilization of government agencies to respond to ashfall from Mayon Volcano, with clearing operations, medical aid, and evacuations underway in affected areas of Albay. In a statement...

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Sunday - 3rd May, 2026
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‘106 votes to impeach VP not difficult to reach’

THE one-third vote needed to impeach Vice President Sara Duterte and move toward a Senate trial is “not difficult to surmount,” House Committee on Public Accounts chairman Terry Ridon on Saturday said. He said the House Committee on Justice’s 53–0...

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Saturday - 2nd May, 2026
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PBBM: Pinoy workers country’s ‘backbone’

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. recognized Filipino workers as the country’s “backbone” as he affirmed his administration’s push to create more and better jobs. “As we face changing economic pressures, rest assured that this administration stands firm...

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Friday - 1st May, 2026
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MAY DAY MURAL.

Artists put on finishing touches on mural depicting worker solidarity in the fight for a living wage for today’s Labor Day rallies.

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Thursday - 30th April, 2026
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VP Sara hired an assassin to carry out threat vs. PBBM—NBI

THE National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday confirmed that Vice President Sara Duterte had contacted an assassin to carry out her threat to kill President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. In the same hearing, the NBI said it was following leads on...

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Wednesday - 29th April, 2026
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Tuesday - 28th April, 2026
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CELEBRATING BATTLE OF MACTAN.

A triumphant Datu Lapulapu lords it over a Spanish fighter in a reenactment of the historic Battle of Mactan at the Liberty Shrine in Mactan island, Cebu as part of the commemoration of the 505th anniversary of the Battle of Mactan organized by the...

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Monday - 27th April, 2026
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‘House poised to impeach VP’

THE House of Representatives is poised to vote in favor of impeaching Vice President Sara Duterte and transmitting the case to the Senate for trial, Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro said Sunday. Luistro noted that even the Duterte defense team’s...

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Sunday - 26th April, 2026
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EQUAL RIGHTS.

Participants march along the streets of Manila during the Summer Pride Parade 2026 on Saturday, April 25, 2026, celebrating diversity and inclusion. The event gathered members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies. Norman Cruz

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Saturday - 25th April, 2026
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State witness earns ire of Sandigan justice over flood control testimony

FORMER state witness Gerald Opulencia earned the ire of Sandiganbayan Third Division chairperson Associate Justice Karl Miranda over claim that he had no knowledge of “commitments” for contractors and proponents. “Are you kidding us? You were given...

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Friday - 24th April, 2026
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Rody to face ICC trial as charges confirmed

THE Hague, Netherlands— Former President Rodrigo Duterte will face trial at the International Criminal Court after judges on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his so-called "war on drugs." Duterte would be the first Asian...

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Thursday - 23rd April, 2026
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ICC UPHOLDS JURISDICTION OVER RODY, CLEARS WAY FOR LIKELY TRIAL

manilastandard.net INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court judges Wednesday threw out a challenge against the court’s jurisdiction by former President Rodrigo Duterte, which means he could still stand trial for crimes against humanity over his war on drugs. The...

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Wednesday - 22nd April, 2026
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‘VP Sara impeach trial to proceed forthwith’

THE Senate as an impeachment court may start trial as early as mid-May as the leader of the Upper Chamber vowed to act “definitely forthwith” on the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte once these are transmitted by the House of...

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Tuesday - 21st April, 2026
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Gov’t caps oil price hike, rollback

THE government is setting a limit to price adjustments implemented by oil firms to prevent profiteering under the declared energy emergency, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said yesterday. “We are not capping the price, but we are capping the...

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Monday - 20th April, 2026
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House targets April 29 to end impeach probe

THE House Committee on Justice is targeting April 29 to conclude its impeachment hearings against Vice President Sara Duterte, a member of the panel said Sunday. A committee report could be transmitted to the House plenary when Congress resumes...

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Sunday - 19th April, 2026
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Iran opens, then closes again Hormuz Strait

IRAN’S military declared the Strait of Hormuz closed again on Saturday, its military command said, hours after reopening it and with more than a dozen commercial ships passing through the vital waterway. The toing and froing over the strait cast doubt...

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Saturday - 18th April, 2026
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PH-Czech talks start for Co’s deportation

THE Philippines has started coordinating with the Czech Republic to bring back former lawmaker Zaldy Co, a process that Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said may take up to two to three weeks. In his update yesterday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr....

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Friday - 17th April, 2026
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STRONG MAN.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. laughs as he lifts a bag of rice during the rollout of the Biyayang Bigas para sa Maynila program yesterday at SM Manila in Manila. PCO

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Thursday - 16th April, 2026
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PBBM calls for Asian energy security

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday urged Asian leaders to accelerate regional energy security measures, warning that recent global supply disruptions have exposed deep vulnerabilities across interconnected fuel supply chains. In an...

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Wednesday - 15th April, 2026
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Madriaga bares plot to depose, kill PBBM

IMPEACHMENT resource person Ramil Madriaga disclosed a plot to depose President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. through a coup d’etat, assassination, or an armed assault of Malacañan Palace if he reneges on an alleged power-sharing deal with Vice President Sara...

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Tuesday - 14th April, 2026
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MidEast braces for more fighting

ASENSE of dread spread across the Middle East after talks between the US and Iran collapsed, as fears of renewed fighting rattled an already tense region with US President Donald Trump ordering a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The US military...

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Monday - 13th April, 2026
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US-Iran talks fail; region hopes fragile truce holds

IRAN and the United States failed to strike a deal Sunday to end the war in the Middle East, but there was no immediate return to hostilities, and the region clung to hope that a fragile truce would hold. US Vice President JD Vance left Pakistan after...

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Sunday - 12th April, 2026
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US, Iran ‘make or break’ peace negotiations start

ISLAMABAD – Senior Iranian and American delegations met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad on Saturday to begin negotiations toward a deal to end the Middle East war unleashed six weeks earlier by US-Israeli strikes on Tehran. With...

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Saturday - 11th April, 2026
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Oil price rollback likely—Garin

CONSUMERS may see some form of relief with a possible rollback of oil prices next week, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said. She said oil prices have softened following the announcement of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran. “If the...

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Friday - 10th April, 2026
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Strait of Hormuz closed anew

IRAN said traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has stopped after a massive wave of Israeli strikes on Lebanon killed more than 200 people, which it said was a violation of the ceasefire agreement between Tehran and Washington. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary...

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Thursday - 9th April, 2026
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Fragile ceasefire holds, for now

• Wary of US, IRG says ‘finger on the trigger’ • Vance: Don’t mess around with Trump ACEASEFIRE between the United States and Iran appeared to be holding yesterday after the rivals agreed a two-week truce to the war that has killed thousands and...

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Wednesday - 8th April, 2026
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DOE...

opment Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, among others. The UPLIFT (Unified Package for Livelihoods, Industry, Food, and Transport) program was created after Marcos signed Executive Order 110, declaring a state of national energy emergency on March 24,...

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Tuesday - 7th April, 2026
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Diesel nears P200/liter; LPG almost P1,600/tank

DIESEL prices are rapidly climbing and could move closer to the P200-per-liter mark as intensifying hostilities in the Middle East continue to disrupt global oil supply, raising concerns over the Philippines’ vulnerability to external shocks, officials...

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Monday - 6th April, 2026
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DA forms food security group, eyes trucker aid

THE Department of Agriculture has created a Food Security Task Force to strengthen monitoring and response mechanisms for potential disruptions in agricultural supply, prices and trade, as the country tries to keep the cost of goods down amid an...

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Wednesday - 1st April, 2026
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Tuesday - 31st March, 2026
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Monday - 30th March, 2026
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Sunday - 29th March, 2026
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Saturday - 28th March, 2026
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Friday - 27th March, 2026
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Thursday - 26th March, 2026
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PBBM signs oil excise tax law to ease price spikes

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday signed into law a measure allowing him to temporarily suspend or reduce excise taxes on fuel to shield consumers from surging pump prices amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East. This as an industry source...

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Tuesday - 24th March, 2026
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TRUMP HALTS STRIKES ON IRAN POWER PLANTS FOR 5 DAYS ‘AFTER TALKS’

US President Donald Trump said Monday he will hold off on attacking Iranian power plants for five days after "very good" talks with Tehran, an abrupt shift that immediately eased pressure on rattled markets. But Iranian media said there were no...

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Monday - 23rd March, 2026
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Trump threatens Iran: Open Hormuz or else

US President Donald Trump vowed to "obliterate" the Islamic republic's power plants unless the Strait of Hormuz swiftly reopens in 48 hours. But Iran's military operational command responded that if the country's facilities were hit, "all energy,...

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Sunday - 22nd March, 2026
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Pump prices to spike as much as P17.50/l

DOMESTIC pump prices are expected to increase even higher than earlier projections next week, with diesel prices likely to reach P132 per liter amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East. An industry source said diesel prices may go up by P16.50 to...

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Saturday - 21st March, 2026
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Diesel prices may hit P129.40/l

CONSUMERS must brace for another substantial increase in fuel prices next week, with diesel expected to rise by as much as P14.50 per liter as the conflict in the Middle East shows no signs of letup. An industry source said diesel prices could climb...

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Friday - 20th March, 2026
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Peso hits record low at P60.10: $1

THE Philippine peso plummeted to a new record low of 60.10 against the US dollar Thursday, losing 58 centavos from Wednesday’s close of 59.52 as intensifying external pressures weighed on the domestic market and the government scrambles to shore up...

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Thursday - 19th March, 2026
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CHECKING ON PRICES.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., upper right photo, checks market prices at the Agora Public Market in San Juan City together with Agriculture Secretary Francisco Laurel Tiu and Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque even as women leaders of...

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Wednesday - 18th March, 2026
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HOUSE, SENATE TO RECONCILE VERSIONS OF FUEL EXCISE BILL

THE House of Representatives and the Senate will reconcile today its versions of a measure giving President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. the power to suspend or lower excise taxes on fuel. Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the two chambers will settle...

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Tuesday - 17th March, 2026
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Congress rushes fuel tax bill OK

CONGRESS is pulling out all the stops to pass measures aimed at cushioning the impact of rising global oil prices on Filipino consumers, including the temporary suspension of fuel excise tax and amendments to the Biofuels Act of 2006. The two...

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Monday - 16th March, 2026
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Fare hikes for buses, jeeps set for Tuesday

FARE hikes for jeepneys and buses will be announced Tuesday as the government grapples with the impact of rising global oil prices, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairperson Vigor Mendoza said yesterday. Another round of...

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Sunday - 15th March, 2026
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Suspension of fuel excise tax likely within 2 weeks

THE public can expect relief from rising fuel prices by around P6 to P10 per liter within the next two weeks with Congress poised to pass a measure allowing the President to suspend or slash excise tax of petroleum products, House Committee on Public...

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Saturday - 14th March, 2026
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ANTI-RABIES DRIVE.

Over 800 cats and dogs are given anti-rabies shots during the Veterinary Medical Mission spearheaded by the Office of the Imus City Veterinarian in Brgy. Magdalo in connection with the observance of Rabies Awareness Month.

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Friday - 13th March, 2026
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House to approve fuel excise tax bill Monday

THE House is expected to approve on third and final reading on Monday a measure authorizing the President to suspend or slash excise tax on fuel products during national or global economic emergencies after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. certified the...

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Thursday - 12th March, 2026
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P5,000 aid for transport workers out by March 17

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the distribution of P5,000 in financial assistance to transport workers in Metro Manila beginning March 17 to cushion the impact of rising fuel prices linked to tensions in the Middle...

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Wednesday - 11th March, 2026
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Diesel may breach P100/l next week

DIESEL prices will likely breach the P100 per liter mark next week with another round of fuel price hikes of as much as P21 per liter, industry sources warned yesterday. Based on the Mean of Platts Singapore movement as of Monday, sources said...

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Tuesday - 10th March, 2026
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Oil prices hit highest jump yet

OIL firms will implement historic high increases in fuel prices of as much as P24.25 per liter for diesel and P38.50 per liter for kerosene but will do a staggered rollout from today (March 10) until Monday next week (March 16) in a bid to cushion the...

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Monday - 9th March, 2026
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Panic buying on fuel: Gas stations shutter

SOME gasoline stations across the country began running out of fuel on Sunday as panicked motorists rushed to fill their tanks ahead of a looming price hike, prompting government agencies to conduct surprise inspections of retail outlets. Television...

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Sunday - 8th March, 2026
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Even higher oil price hikes likely

AS the conflict in the Middle East entered its second week with no signs of letup, an official of the Department of Energy said yesterday. In an interview on dzBB, DOE Oil Industry Management Bureau director Rino Abad said the “minimum estimates” for...

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Saturday - 7th March, 2026
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Brace for historic high oil price hikes next week

CONSUMERS face historic high increases in pump prices next week—with diesel estimated at P17.28/liter, gasoline at P7.48/l and kerosene at P32.35/l due to the volatility of world oil prices driven by the Middle East crisis, President Ferdinand Marcos...

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Friday - 6th March, 2026
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Biz cautious of 4-day workweek

THE country’s biggest business groups took a cautious stance on the proposed four-day workweek, noting its impact will differ across various sectors. The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry...

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Thursday - 5th March, 2026
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PBBM open to 4-day workweek

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to studying a proposal for a four‑day workweek for government offices as part of broader efforts to conserve energy amid global oil price risks driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East, the Palace on...

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Wednesday - 4th March, 2026
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PH not legally barred to assist ICC — DOJ

THERE is no legal prohibition provided under current laws to coordinate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) pending the resolution of the Supreme Court (SC), the Department of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday. “We reiterate our previous stance that...

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Tuesday - 3rd March, 2026
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Conflict with Iran may last 4 weeks—Trump

UNITED States President Donald Trump said the conflict with Iran may continue for four weeks as he vowed to avenge the deaths of three US soldiers killed during the operations while warning that more casualties were likely. Trump said he envisaged a...

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Monday - 2nd March, 2026
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Cheers, music, anger: Iran’s Khamenei killed

• Escalation fears mount • UN calls for end to fighting CHEERS in Tehran. Retaliation and mourning by Iran. Protests in some parts of the Muslim world, celebrations in others. The world greeted with jubilation, anger or trepidation the news Sunday...

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Sunday - 1st March, 2026
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US, Israel launch strikes vs. Iran

THE United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Saturday, with Israel’s public broadcaster reporting that supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had been targeted, as the Islamic republic retaliated with barrages of missiles at Gulf states...

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