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Posts tagged as “Current Events”

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.

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.

Philippine Airlines Resumes Manila-Riyadh-Manila Flights Effective April 10, 2026  

April 9, 2026

This is great news, especially to those who prefer a non-stop flight back to the Philippines!

PAL;

Philippine Airlines (PAL) advises the public of the resumption of flights between Manila and Riyadh effective April 10, 2026, following recent developments in the Middle East region.

The safety and well-being of our passengers and crew remain our foremost priority. As Riyadh operations resume, PAL will temporarily operate via an alternate flight route to ensure the highest safety standards are maintained during this period.

As a result, select Manila-Riyadh flights will include a brief technical stop in Bangkok for refueling. No deplaning is required; passengers will remain on board while the aircraft refuels before continuing to Riyadh.

Ongoing monitoring
We continue to closely monitor the situation and will restore normal routing and full capacity as conditions allow. Updates will be communicated to affected passengers accordingly.

IMPORTANT: Passengers are advised to ensure they have a confirmed booking before proceeding to the airport. To verify booking status and view updated flight schedules, please visit:

https://www.philippineairlines.com/ph/en/manage-booking.html

For assistance, passengers may also connect 24/7 with PAL via the following PAL Channels:
• Manila Landline: (+632) 8539-0000 / (+632) 8855-8888

• Philippines Mobile: (+63) 919-056-2255

• US and Canada Toll Free Number: 1-800-435-9725

• Messenger: https://www.m.me/PhilippineAirlines

• WhatsApp: https://wa.me/639178305810

• PAL Help Page: https://pal.my.site.com/s/

We remain committed to connecting our customers to their destinations safely, reliably, and responsibly.

Thank you.

Iran to allow Philippine-bound and Philippine-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz

April 2, 2026

Cristina Chi via @PhilstarNews;

BREAKING: Iran assures the Philippines that it will allow Philippine-bound and Philippine-flagged ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Department of Foreign Affairs announced in a statement Thursday, April 2, that Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro spoke with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi today to discuss “stronger bilateral cooperation on all fronts.”

“During the call, the Iranian Foreign Minister assured the Secretary that Iran will allow the safe, unhindered, and expeditious passage through the Strait of Hormuz of Philippine-flagged vessels, energy sources, and all Filipino seafarers,” the DFA says.

Great work by our DFA specially Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro!

This should “hopefully” limit further petrol price hikes in the country.

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.

Price of Petrol Around the World  

March 26, 2026

A great website to give us an idea on the price of petrol in different country. It also include the price of electricity per kWh. Of course, I immediately checked the price listed for the Philippines, which is the following;

Fuels, price per liter Date PHP USD
Gasoline prices 23-Mar-2026 86.20 1.44
Diesel prices 23-Mar-2026 102.60 1.71
LPG prices 23-Mar-2026 40.74 0.68
Kerosene prices 23-Mar-2026 131.10 2.19

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!

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.

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.”

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

US Cardinal Prevost elected Pope Leo XIV, the First American Pope

May 9, 2025

From Vatican News, “The Conclave has elected Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the 267th Bishop of Rome. The new pope was announced to the waiting crowds by Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti.”

More image from Vatican News;

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.