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Latest new from all over the Philippines.

GMA News: ICC confirms charges against Rodrigo Duterte, commits ex-President to trial  

April 23, 2026

Joahna Lei Casilao, reporting for GMA News;

In a 50-page document, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber I committed Duterte to face trial on the charges as confirmed, and ordered the court registrar to transmit the decision confirmation of charges and the record of these proceedings.

The confirmed charges are the following:
Count 1: Murder as a crime against humanity in Davao City during the mayoral period of at least the 19 victims, between 2013 and around June 2016, through indirect co-perpetration, ordering and/or inducing, and/or aiding and abetting;

Count 2: Murder as a crime against humanity of ‘high-value targets’ in locations across the Philippines during the presidential period of at least the 14 victims between around July 2016 and July 2017, through indirect co-perpetration, and/or ordering and/or inducing and/or 25(3)(c) (aiding and abetting); and

Count 3: Murder and attempted murder as crimes against humanity in barangay clearance operations in locations across the Philippines during the presidential period of at least the 45 victims (43 murders and two attempted murders) between around July 2016 and September 2018, through indirect co-perpetration, ordering and/or inducing, and/or aiding and abetting.

From ICC;

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THE CHARGES ARE CONFIRMED?
If the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber finds that there is sufficient evidence to support the charges against Mr Duterte, it will commit the case against Mr Duterte to trial. The Presidency of the Court will constitute a Trial Chamber responsible for conducting the subsequent phase of the proceedings and composed of three judges other than those who sat on the Pre-Trial bench.

Promptly after it is constituted, the Trial Chamber will hold status conferences, confer with the parties and participants, in order to set the date of the trial and adopt the procedures necessary to facilitate the fair and expeditious conduct of the proceedings. The Chamber will rule on several preliminary issues, including the language(s) to be used at trial, and the timing and the manner of disclosure of evidence.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte’s confirmation of charges hearing took place from 23 to 27 February 2026. Duterte’s confirmation of charges comes out days after International Criminal Court (ICC) upheld its jurisdiction over the crimes against humanity case filed against former President Rodrigo Duterte and while VP Sara Duterte impeachment is on going.

ABS-CBN: ICC upholds jurisdiction over Duterte case  

April 22, 2026

Katrina Domingo, reporting for ABS-CBN News;

The International Criminal Court (ICC) upheld its jurisdiction over the crimes against humanity case filed against former President Rodrigo Duterte after the tribunal’s Appeals Chamber on Wednesday junked petitions to halt proceedings against the Philippines’ 16th president.

In its April 22 decision, the Appeals Chamber ruled that while the Philippines withdrew from the Rome Statute in March 2019, preliminary examinations on the situation in the Philippines started in February 2018, a year before the Duterte administration sent a formal notice to pull back from the treaty governing the ICC.

A majority of the Appeals Chamber rejected all four grounds raised by the defense where it argued that the Pre-Trial Chamber had committed errors in law in ruling that the ICC has jurisdiction over the Duterte case.

Having rejected the appeal, it said the related request for Duterte’s immediate release is moot.

This is big… as in big that the Duterte camp needs to shift their strategy, since the court (ICC) has effectively removed the final major legal obstacle preventing the case from moving toward a full trial and the case has a high probability of going to a full trial.

Video: Earthset by Reid Wiseman

April 20, 2026

The video was taken by Astronaut Reid Wiseman aboard the Artemis II.

Earlier this month, NASA published an called Earthset, written by Monika Luabeya.

Update: Price Rollback from the Different Petrol Companies in the Philippines

April 13, 2026

These update are from ABS-CBN’s Alvin Elchico (@alvinelchico;

These rollback is bigger than the announcement made by DOE.

Shell

Flying V

Seaoil

Jetti Petroleum

PetroGazz

Petron

UNIOIL

Department of Energy Announces Price Rollback for Petroleum Products

April 12, 2026

This is great news to all car (with ICE) owner, PUV operator and driver.

@@DOEgovph;

𝗥𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗕𝗔𝗖𝗞 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧‼️
₱𝟮𝟬.𝟴𝟵 bawas sa 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘭, ₱𝟰.𝟰𝟯 sa 𝘨𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢, ₱𝟴.𝟱𝟬 sa 𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘦. ⛽️
Hindi tayo titigil. Tuloy-tuloy ang trabaho ng pamahalaan para may tunay na ginhawa sa bawat pamilyang Pilipino.

The announcement was made on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) official FB page; the rollback will take effect this Tuesday, April 14, 2026.

Sen. Bato dela Rosa the “Top Senate Absentee”

April 9, 2026

Pie Gonzaga, reporting for Rolling Stone Philippines;

How much is a senator’s salary in the Philippines? The Compensation and Position Classification Act of 1989 assigns senators and congressmen a salary grade of 31. This means that they earn P293,191 to P334,059 per month.

The Senate president and House speaker are assigned a salary grade of 32, which puts their range at P347,888 to P398,686 monthly.

Let’s assume that Sen. Bato dela Rosa’s salary is Php293,191/month, and “July 28, 2025 to March 18, 2026” is 7 months and 18 days, that means that he earned roughly Php76,900 per session that he attended.

If this was in “any” University, you will need to drop the subject and if this is any corporation in the Philippines, tardiness is “ground for disciplinary action and up to termination” of employment.

NASA just dropped the most amazing photo from their first flyby images of the Moon captured by NASA’s Artemis II astronauts  

April 9, 2026

NASA;

The first flyby images of the Moon captured by NASA’s Artemis II astronauts during their historic test flight reveal regions no human has ever seen before—including a rare in-space solar eclipse. Released Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the photos were taken on April 6 during the crew’s seven‑hour pass over the lunar far side, marking humanity’s return to the Moon’s vicinity.

The images are borderline 5K images and are some of the best images of the moon.

The 10 hour Lunar flyby was broadcast from NASA’s official Youtube channel.

Opinion: Friendly reminder about your Facebook and other/all Social Media Account

April 2, 2026

There’s an “old” adage “if it’s free, you’re the product.” While social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok offer a great way to global connection at “no monetary cost”, the “free” price tag is an illusion that most social media users do not understand. In reality, the user (you) are the product, your attention/time and data which are harvested by the social media network for their “main/actual” customer are the advertisers.

Posting “legal notice”, in the hopes of making it viral circulates on social media feeds, with users/influencers posting statements like: “I HEREBY DECLARE THAT I DO NOT GIVE MY PERMISSION FOR META TO USE MY DATA.” While these posts provide a “false” sense of agency, they are legally meaningless. A status update cannot unilaterally rewrite a signed contract. Because you agreed to facebook’s Terms, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy. the moment you create your account, you already gave the platform your consent. These platforms operate on a “take it or leave it” basis; the only way to stop or legally “revoke” permission is to delete your account.

Here’s what Facebook says when you delete your account;

Deleting your account is permanent. When you delete your account, your main profile and everything else you’ve added will be permanently deleted. You won’t be able to retrieve anything you’ve added. All additional profiles, Messenger and all of your messages will also be deleted.

But even if you delete your account, there is no guarantee that all your data will be deleted from the system.

We have to remember that Facebook and other social media platforms pay engineers and designers tons of money, to keep you “the product” engaged for as long as possible and as often as possible. Which is why we have this thing called “Attention Economy”, where algorithms are built to trigger dopamine responses, leading to habits like “doomscrolling.” For the modern digital Filipino, it’s important to know that social media isn’t a free public service. It is a private marketplace where your time, privacy, and data are the real money being spent.

US Visa Applicants in the Philippines are required to set All Social Media Accounts to ‘Public’  

April 1, 2026

U.S. Embassy in the Philippines;

Effective March 30, in addition to Students and Exchanges (F, M, and J), and Specialty Occupations (H-1B and their H-4 dependents), the following visa applicants, regardless of age, must also now change their privacy settings and profiles to “public” on all social media platforms to complete the visa process.

  • Fiancé(e) Visa Applicants (K-1, K-2, and K-3 visas).
  • Certain Personal Employees or Domestic Workers (A-3, C-3, and G-5 visas)
  • Trainee or Special Education Exchange Visitors (H-3 and their H-4 dependents)
  • Cultural and Religious Visitors (Q, R-1, and R-2 visas)
  • Informant, Witness, and Victims of Crimes (S, T, and U visas)

The U.S. Embassy uses this information to determine applicants’ eligibility to receive a visa. Since 2019, the United States has required visa applicants to provide social media usernames on immigrant and nonimmigrant visa application forms.

Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames, handles, or identifiers for every platform they have used in the last 5 years on the visa application form. Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.

Here’s the announcement from the official X/Twitter account of U.S. Embassy in the Philippines @USEmbassyPH.

Here’s the Official Trailer of Supergirl and New Movie Poster

April 1, 2026

“Supergirl,” DC Studios’ newest feature film to hit the big screen, will be in theaters worldwide this summer from Warner Bros. Pictures, starring Milly Alcock in the dual role of Supergirl/Kara Zor-El. Craig Gillespie directs the film from a screenplay by Ana Nogueira.

When an unexpected and ruthless adversary strikes too close to home, Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl, reluctantly joins forces with an unlikely companion on an epic, interstellar journey of vengeance and justice.

Alcock stars alongside Matthias Schoenaerts, Eve Ridley, David Krumholtz, Emily Beecham, and Jason Momoa.

Supergirl will be in theaters internationally beginning 24 June 2026 and across North America on June 26, 2026.

Warner Bros. also released a new poster for the film.

Supergirl Movie Poster

Riyadh Parking announces Operating Hours and, Free Parking on Holidays and National Occasions  

March 31, 2026

@The RIYADHizen by TPT;

Take note, RIYADHizens! RIYADH PARKING has announced new operating hours that took in effect last week. It is uodated to the following:
📆 Saturday – Thursday: 8:00 AM – 12:00 MN
📆 Friday – FREE
📆 Holidays and National Occasions – FREE
The parking fee is SAR 3.45 per hour and you’ll know you’re parking on a paid slot when you see half of the parking block or wheel stop painted in blue. There will also be the Paid Parking sign. You can pay via the Riyadh Parking app.
When patking in these slots, just pay. Wag na po manghinayang sa SAR 3.45. Because the penalty is SAR 200. 😅

Here’s the official announcement of Riyadh Parking via their official X/Twitter account @Riyadh_Parking;

Marcos Signs Republic Act No. 12316, Authorizing the President to Suspend or Reduce Excise taxes on Petroleum Products

March 25, 2026

Betheena Unite, writing for Manila Bulletin;

President Marcos has signed the law giving him emergency powers to suspend or reduce excise tax on petroleum products.

Marcos signed Republic Act (RA) No. 12316 on Wednesday, March 25, fulfilling what he said earlier in the day that he would be signing the measure into law within the day.

Under the law, the President may suspend the imposition of or reduce the excise taxes on fuel when the average Dubai crude oil price based on Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) reaches or exceeds $80 per barrel for one month immediately preceding the issuance of the suspension or reduction order.

You can read the Full text of Republic Act No. 12316 here.

Rappler write a great explainer on “How will suspending fuel excise taxes cushion a big oil price hike?” which is worth reading.

Suspending/reducing excise taxes cushions price hikes by providing immediate relief at the pump. By removing fixed taxes—specifically ₱10/liter for gasoline and ₱6/liter for diesel—the retail price drops instantly. This also triggers a “tax-on-tax” reduction, as the 12% VAT is no longer applied to the excised portion.

Beyond the pump, it helps curb inflation. By lowering transport and logistics costs, it prevents a domino effect on food prices and public transport fares. While this saves consumers money, it results in massive revenue losses (est. ₱136B), potentially forcing the government to reduce infrastructure spending or increase debt.

DOTr announces fuel subsidy amounts for all PUVs  

March 25, 2026

Raymond Carl Dela Cruz, writing for PNA;

In a Facebook post, the DOTr said there are 137,218 traditional jeepneys registered in the country, and their operators will receive PHP5,000 per unit, while their drivers will each receive PHP1,500.

There are 9,183 modern jeepneys in the country whose operators will receive PHP10,000 per unit, while drivers will each receive PHP1,500.

For public utility buses (PUB) —including point-to-point (P2P) buses— operators will receive PHP10,000 for each unit while their drivers will each get PHP5,000.

On the other hand, minibus operators will receive PHP9,000 per unit, and their drivers will each get PHP5,000.

There is a total of 21,086 PUBs registered in the country, with the same number of drivers; 1,138 minibuses with the same number of drivers; and 824 P2P buses with the same number of drivers.

Meanwhile, there are 4,351 school transport drivers registered throughout the country who will each receive PHP5,000.

For the 46,202 taxis in the country, operators will each get PHP2,000, while the same number of drivers will receive PHP5,000.

For Filcab or Multicab transport, their operators will receive PHP5,000 for each of the 7,659 units registered in the country, while the same number of drivers will get PHP1,500.

For transport network vehicle service (TNVS), operators of each of the 54,745 units registered will receive PHP1,500.

Meanwhile, operators of the 1,348 modern UV Express units in the country will receive PHP10,000 per unit, while each driver will get PHP5,000.

For traditional UV Express, their operators will receive PHP5,000 for each of the 16,057 units in the country, while drivers will each get PHP5,000.

These subsidies will be distributed to operators through fuel subsidy cards, manager’s checks, bank transfers, or e-wallet transfers.

On the other hand, drivers will receive their subsidies through cash or e-wallet transfers.

While fuel subsidy distribution for tricycle drivers in the National Capital Region (NCR) began last week, a total of 723,000 tricycle operators and drivers will get their PHP5,000 subsidy after the Holy Week.

A total of 157,972 registered delivery drivers will also receive fuel subsidies after the Holy Week.

Ayuda for PUV drivers and operators!

Opinion: Fil-Ams told to “Think twice before renouncing citizenship”

December 8, 2025

For many Filipino-Americans raised entirely in the United States, the decision regarding Philippine citizenship is often a “no-brainer,” favoring practicality and stability over heritage.

This perspective stems from two core factors: a cultural disconnect and practical risk assessment.

First, while they claim Filipino heritage, having spent their whole lives in the U.S., they often know “little to nothing about the Philippines, its people and culture” beyond familial connections. Their primary cultural allegiance and lived reality are American.

Second, the decision is rooted in livelihood. With family, career, and financial stability firmly established in the United States, the rationale is clear: why risk losing a job and uprooting a whole family simply to maintain a citizenship used only for brief, infrequent visits?

The marginal benefit of retaining Philippine citizenship (convenience during a trip every few years) does not outweigh the substantial risk to one’s American life. It is a rational, utilitarian choice to prioritize the stability and security of their life in the U.S. over a largely symbolic connection to their ancestral land.

Netflix Buys Warner Bros. $82.7 Billion Deal

December 8, 2025

Netflix and Warner Bros. announced that the streaming giant will will acquire Warner Bros., including its film and television studios, HBO, and HBO Max. The cash and stock transaction is valued at a total enterprise value of approximately $82.7 billion (equity value of $72.0 billion).

The acquisition aims to unite Warner Bros.’ iconic franchises and storied libraries with Netflix’s leading entertainment service and global reach. This combination will integrate world-class assets like Game of Thrones, the DC Universe, The Sopranos, and classics such as Friends and Harry Potter, with Netflix’s existing portfolio.

The companies stated the deal will offer more choice and greater value for consumers, create more opportunities for the creative community, and strengthen the overall entertainment industry. Netflix plans to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations, including theatrical releases.

The transaction is expected to close after the previously announced separation of WBD’s Global Networks division, Discovery Global, which is anticipated to be completed in Q3 2026. Netflix expects to achieve at least $2-3 billion in annual cost savings by the third year and for the deal to be accretive to GAAP earnings per share by the second year. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and WBD shareholder approval.

Former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile passed away at 101 years old

November 13, 2025

ABS-CBN News;

MANILA — Veteran politician Juan Ponce Enrile, a top aide of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and of the incumbent president’s father, has passed away.

He was 101 years old.

Enrile, who was being treated for pneumonia, died “peacefully” around 4 p.m., surrounded by his family in their home, said his daughter Katrina Ponce Enrile.

Here’s what JPE’s daughter, Katrina Enrile posted on her Facebook page.

Juan Ponce Enrile has lived a long and eventful life. To put his life into perspective, Juan Ponce Enrile lived thru 16 Philippine President, two World War and he served both Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. and Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Jr. as both became the President of the Philippines.

ICC charges Former President Rodrigo Duterte with 3 counts of murder with crimes against humanity

September 25, 2025

International Criminal Court (ICC) has charge Former President of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte with 3 counts of murder with crimes against humanity, spanning from his time as the Mayor of Davao City until his time as the President of the Philippines.

BBC:

The first count laid against Mr Duterte concerns his alleged involvement in the killings of 19 people in Davao City between 2013 and 2016 while he was mayor there.

The other two charges relate to times when he was serving as president of the Philippines, between 2016 and 2022, and launched his so-called war on drugs.

The second count relates to the murders of 14 “high-value targets” across the country, while the third relates to the murder and attempted murder of 45 people in village clearance operations.

Now that the ICC has charged Duterte with murder, the ball is now in Duterte’s court, and the next course of action will be decided by his defense team.

You can read the full text of ICC’s charges here.

Watch the Trailer of Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc

September 11, 2025

Everyone’s after his chainsaw heart.

For the first time, Chainsaw Man slashes his way onto the big screen in an epic, action-fueled adventure that continues the hugely popular anime series. Denji worked as a Devil Hunter for the yakuza, trying to pay off the debt he inherited from his parents, until the yakuza betrayed him and had him killed. As he was losing consciousness, Denji’s beloved chainsaw-powered devil-dog, Pochita, made a deal with Denji and saved his life. This fused the two together, creating the unstoppable Chainsaw Man. Now, in a brutal war between devils, hunters, and secret enemies, a mysterious girl named Reze has stepped into his world, and Denji faces his deadliest battle yet, fueled by love in a world where survival knows no rules.

Directed by: Tatsuya Yoshihara

Based on the original work “Chainsaw Man” by Tatsuki Fujimoto (Serialized in Shueisha’s “Shonen Jump+”)

Screenplay by: Hiroshi Seko

Production by: MAPPA

Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc will be in United States movie theatres this October 24th. For those reading the manga, Reze Arc, also known as the Bomb Girl Arc, is a section of the Chainsaw Man manga by Tatsuki Fujimoto covering chapters 39 to 52.

Movie Poster

Rewatch the 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

July 30, 2025

President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. on Monday (July 28) delivered his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), tackling a wide range of issues including agriculture, education, transportation, peace, and corruption.

Sun Star published a great article summarizing everything that’s been tackled in the fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.

Anti-Political Dynasty Act filed at the House of Representatives

July 3, 2025

ACT Teachers Party List Representative Antonio Tinio and Kabataan Party List Representative Renee Co filed on Monday House Bill 209 or the proposed Anti-Political Dynasty Act.

ABS-CBN:

The measure defines “political dynasty” as a “family or clan that concentrates, consolidates, or perpetuates their political power by holding public office simultaneously or successively.”

Under the bill, “no person shall hold or run for any elective national or local office simultaneously with another within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, whether legitimate or illegitimate, full or half blood.”

It also prohibits those within this degree of relationship to an incumbent elected official from immediately succeeding to the position.

If I’m not mistaken, similar bills have been filed before, and since the majority of political personalities are from ‘political dynasties/families,’ I doubt that this new bill will be more successful than the previously filed bills.

These are the Senatorial Candidates who made it to the “Magic 12” from National Certificate of Canvass (NCOC)

May 22, 2025

It’s official, below are the 12 Senatorial Candidates who are elected by the Filipino People to serve as the new Senators for the next 6 years.

  1. Sen. Bong Go – 27,121,073 votes
  2. Former senator Bam Aquino – 20,971,899 votes
  3. Sen. Ronald dela Rosa – 20,773,946 votes
  4. ACT-CIS party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo – 17,118,881 votes
  5. Former senator Francis Pangilinan – 15,343,229
  6. SAGIP party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta – 15,250,723
  7. Former senator Panfilo Lacson – 15,106,111
  8. Former Senate president Vicente Sotto III – 14,832,996
  9. Sen. Pia Cayetano – 14,573,430
  10. Las Piñas City Rep. Camille Villar – 13,651,274
  11. Sen. Lito Lapid – 13,394,102
  12. Sen. Imee Marcos – 13,339,227

As for Party-list, the top five party-list groups are;

  1. Akbayan (2,779,621 votes)
  2. Duterte Youth (2,338,564)
  3. Tingog (1,822,708)
  4. 4Ps (1,469,571)
  5. ACT-CIS (1,239,930)
  6. Ako Bicol (1,073,119)

In an article on PNA, “The NBOC canvassed a total of 175 certificates of canvass (COCs), including from overseas — 58 on Tuesday, the first day of canvassing; 101 on Wednesday; and 16 COCs on Thursday. The poll body said the tally released is still subject to auditing.”

Pacers shock Knicks in a 4th-quarter comeback to win Game 1 of the East Conference Finals (138-135)

May 22, 2025

If Boston had a choke job against the New York, then this time it was the NY Knick who had a choke job against the Indiana Pacers. The New York Knicks who are playing in their home floor and was leading by 17-points (111 – 94) with just 6:26 mins remaining in regulation then the Pacers went on a 31 to 14 run to tie the game at 125 to extend the game to over time.

Aaron Nesmith led the Pacers’ run in the 4th quarter, making 6 consecutive three-pointers and scoring 30 points, while Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 11 assists. Haliburton made a game-tying 23-foot step-back jump shot to beat the game clock and extend the game for another 5 minutes.

Jalen Brunson lead the Knicks with 43 points and 5 assists but committed 7 turn over, Karl-Anthony Towns added 35 points and 12 rebounds but missed two free-throw that could have given the Knicks a 5 point lead with 14.1 secs remaining in regulation.

Both team will be back at MSG this Saturday, May 24, 2025, for Game 2 of the East Conference Finals.

Latest Partial Results Senatorial Race for Election 2025

May 14, 2025

At 97.37% of Total Election Results Processed as of May 14, 2025, 2:12 PM, Philippine time, this is the latest results of “Senatorial Race for Election 2025”

Instead of the top 20, I’ll just list the top 15, since the top 10 have already seated for the position.

Rank Candidates Votes Percent
1 Bong Go (PDPLBN) 26,488,932 37.96%
2 Bam Aquino (KNP) 20,637,230 29.58%
3 Bato Dela Rosa (PDPLBN) 20,272,159 29.05%
4 Erwin Tulfo (LAKAS) 16,815,662 24.10%
5 Kiko Pangilinan (LP) 15,088,124 21.62%
6 Rodante Marcoleta (IND) 14,910,611 21.37%
7 Ping Lacson (IND) 14,857,131 21.29%
8 Tito Sotto (NPC) 14,596,610 20.92%
9 Pia Cayetano (NP) 14,306,916 20.50%
10 Camille Villar (NP) 13,360,070 19.15%
11 Lito Lapid (NPC) 13,121,188 18.81%
12 Imee R Marcos (NP) 13,037,96 18.69%
13 Ben Bitag Tulfo (IND) 11,886,773 17.04%
14 Ramon   “Bong” Revilla Jr.(LAKAS) 11,789,974 16.90%
15 Abby Binay (NPC) 11,569,910 16.58%

For the election results in the local level, please visit Rappler’s Election Homepage.

Source: COMELEC, Rappler

Partial Results Senatorial Race for Election 2025

May 13, 2025

80.26% precincts reporting as of May 13, 2025, 5:02 AM (PH local time). These are partial, unofficial results for the 2025 national and local elections based on data from the Comelec Media Server.

Before the end of the day tomorrow, May 13, 2025, Comelec will likely proclaim the winners for both the National and local level, since the election returns that have been received is at 98.42%, while the Overseas ERs is at 84.29%.

Rank Candidates Votes Percent
1 Bong Go (PDPLBN) 21,729,790 31.14%
2 Bam Aquino (KNP) 16,794,699 24.07%
3 Bato Dela Rosa (PDPLBN) 16,639,300 23.85%
4 Erwin Tulfo (LAKAS) 13,781,873 19.75%
5 Kiko Pangilinan (LP) 12,278,641 17.60%
6 Rodante Marcoleta (IND) 12,200,940 17.49%
7 Ping Lacson (IND) 12,116,320 17.37%
8 Tito Sotto (NPC) 11,909,561 17.07%
9 Pia Cayetano (NP) 11,684,846 16.75%
10 Camille Villar (NP) 10,997,784 15.76%
11 Lito Lapid (NPC) 10,793,298 15.47%
12 Imee R Marcos (NP) 10,697,840 15.33%
13 Ben Bitag Tulfo (IND) 9,722,361 13.93%
14 Ramon   “Bong” Revilla Jr.(LAKAS) 9,716,009 13.93%
15 Abby Binay (NPC) 9,476,986 13.58%
16 Benhur Abalos (PFP) 9,291,284 13.32%
17 Jimmy Bondoc (PDPLBN) 8,496,073 12.18%
18 Manny   “Pacman” (PFP) 8,383,304 12.01%
19 Phillip   “Ipe” Salvador (PDPLBN) 8,236,467 11.80%
20 Bosita Bonifacio   (IND) 7,834,722 11.23%

If you are closely monitoring the senatorial race, then you do not need to worry if your candidate is in the top 6 or even top 10, the last 3 or 2 position will determine if the candidate will have a seat at the Senate by the end of this election.

Source: COMELEC, Rappler

Netflix Philippines is increasing price with the new 12% Digital VAT

May 6, 2025

Netflix Philippines has informed its subscribers that the streaming giant will increase its prices to accommodate the 12% value-added tax (VAT) on digital services provided by foreign companies.

In the email that Netflix Philippines sent to its subscribers, it stated: “As required by Republic Act No. 12023, which imposes a 12% Value-Added Tax (VAT) on digital services, Netflix will raise its subscription costs in the Philippines as of June 1, 2025.”

The new monthly prices are as follows:

  • Monthly Mobile Plan: ₱169 (previously ₱149)
  • Monthly Basic Plan: ₱279 (previously ₱249)
  • Monthly Standard Plan: ₱449 (previously ₱399)
  • Monthly Premium Plan: ₱619 (previously ₱549)
  • The extra member slot fee for Standard and Premium plans will also go up, from ₱149 to ₱169 per month

Netflix currently has more than 2.7 million subscribers in the Philippines, and the additional 12% VAT is projected to give the government over ₱924 million in tax revenue from Netflix alone. Republic Act 112023 was signed into law late last year.

Government declared May 12th as a Special Non-working Holiday via Proclamation No. 878

May 6, 2025

Malacañang has declared May 12th as a nation wide special non-working holiday, this is to allow Filipinos to vote for both local and national elections. Proclamation No. 878 was signed by the President early this month.

This election will be a pivotal for the country, since a lot of things depends on this coming election, specially in the Senate and Congress.

You can read the entirety of Proclamation No. 878 here.

2 Dead and several injuries as SUV crash at NAIA Terminal 1

May 4, 2025

An SUV crashed into the entrance of NAIA Terminal 1 Departure area on Sunday morning May 4th. According to the police, two died and three injured because of the incident.

You can watch CCTV footage of the incident as posted by @ABC-CBN News.

In a follow-up report, LTO ordered the 90-day suspension of the license of the driver involved in the NAIA Terminal 1 accident and NAIA Infra Corp. will “provide immediate aid to the victims of the car crash.”

Not a good way to start the week! 🙁