July 26 - AUGUST 1, 2025 Volume 36 - No. 30 • 2 Sections – 16 Pages
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Marcos, Trump strike trade, security deal at White House Philippine president caps state visit with Oval Office summit; new tariff terms and defense talks reaffirm U.S.–Philippine ties by AJPress WASHINGTON, D.C. — Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on July 22, 2025, concluding a three-day official visit that underscored the enduring alliance between the United States and the Philippines amid shifting geopolitical dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. In a joint appearance before reporters at the White House, President Trump announced a newly negotiated trade arrangement under which the United States will impose a 19% tariff on goods imported from the Philippines—down from a previously considered 20% rate. In exchange, the Philippines has agreed to grant duty-free access to U.S. exports.
DATELINE
“President Marcos is a very good and tough negotiator,” Trump said. “They’ve been very serious. This is a very serious negotiation. They wanted it badly. We wanted it.” “We’re going to be putting a 19% tariff on products coming in from the Philippines. They’re going to be taking our products in for nothing. That’s what we wanted, and we got it.” “We’re very close to finishing a big trade deal with the Philippines.” Trump characterized the outcome as a move toward a “very open market” between the two nations, adding that the Philippines is a “very important nation militarily.” Strategic talks and diplomatic engagements In addition to the Oval Office summit, President
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SC bars impeachment case vs. VP Sara Duterte under one-year rule
USA
The Philippine Supreme Court has declared the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte unconstitutional, citing the one-year bar and due process violations
from the AJPress NEWS TEAM across America
ICE Chief: Agents will arrest anyone found in US illegally regardless of criminal history LOS ANGELES — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will arrest any undocumented immigrant found in the country illegally, regardless of whether they have a criminal record, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons confirmed in a recent interview aired by CBS News. In a sharp escalation of the agency’s enforcement posture, Lyons stated: “If we encounter someone who’s here in the country illegally, we will take them into custody.” The remarks mark a shift from prior policies that prioritized apprehension of individuals with serious criminal offenses or national security concerns. u PAGE A3
Tough Negotiator. In a joint appearance before reporters at the White House, President Donald Trump announced a newly negotiated trade arrangement under which the United States will impose a 19% tariff on goods imported from the Philippines—down from a previously considered 20% rate. In exchange, the Philippines has agreed to grant duty-free access to U.S. exports. “President Marcos is a very good and tough negotiator,” Trump said. Malacañang photo
by AJPress MANILA — The Supreme Court on Thursday, July 25, unanimously ruled that the impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte is Vice President Sara Duterte Photo from Facebook/@MayorIndaySaraDuterte unconstitutional, citing the 1987
Constitution’s one-year bar on initiating multiple impeachment proceedings against the same official. In an en banc decision, the high tribunal declared the articles of impeachment transmitted to the Senate earlier this
year as “void and of no force and effect,” effectively halting any further legislative action against the vice president. The Court also underscored due process violations throughout the proceedings. u PAGE A2
Senators: Sara Duterte impeachment Pacquiao held to draw in comeback: A champion’s spirit still shines at 46 court to proceed despite SC order by Zacarian Sarao Inquirer.net
MANILA — Senators on Friday, July 25 said the impeachment court against Vice President Sara Duterte would still proceed even after a Supreme Court (SC) decision declaring the fourth impeachment complaint against her as “unconstitutional.” Sen. Joel Villanueva explained that this is because the impeachment court is “sui generis,” a legal term meaning it is unique and operates independently from the procedures applying to regular courts.
“Whether the Supreme Court made that decision or not, the impeachment court will proceed. We’ll proceed,” said Villanueva in a chance interview. “I’m sure someone will raise it during the impeachment proceedings. For sure, someone will raise it. But the impeachment court is sui generis. So we will proceed. So these are all questions that will be raised with the decision of the Supreme Court,” he added. He likened it to what occurred during former Chief Justice Renato Corona’s impeachment proceedings where the SC issued u PAGE A2
by AJPress LAS VEGAS — On the evening of July 19, 2025, Manny Pacquiao returned to the ring at age 46—older, wiser, and still hungry. Facing reigning WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios at the MGM Grand, Pacquiao wasn’t just fighting for a title. He was fighting for something more enduring: legacy. The bout ended in a majority
draw. Two judges scored the fight 114–114, while one gave Barrios a narrow edge at 115– 113. Barrios retained the belt, but the night belonged to Pacquiao— proof that time may slow a man, but it cannot silence a legend. From the streets to the pinnacle of boxing Manny Pacquiao’s story is no ordinary rise. Born in Kibawe, Bukidnon, and raised in the streets of General Santos City, u PAGE A3
As US government pushes self-deportation, legal experts warn of risks Doj withdraws appeal The House of Romualdez: Legacy, power, Despite the Trump administration’s assurances, the risk to those who self-deport can be significant
on De Lima acquittal and a family that runs through congress The DOJ has withdrawn its appeal of Leila de Lima’s acquittal in a drug case, with Prosecutor General Fadullon admitting the motion “should not have been filed,” signaling a shift in prosecutorial policy
The Trump administration is aggressively pushing self-deportation for undocumented immigrants living in the U.S. Part of that strategy involves stoking fear in communities through highly publicized enforcement activities. But legal experts say, despite government assurances, the risk to those who do self-deport can be significant. “Once they’re gone, they might be stuck on the outside for years, or it could be forever,” says Professor Gabriel “Jack” Chin, director of Clinical Legal Education at the University of California, Davis School of Law.
MANILA — In a move signaling a rare admission of prosecutorial error, the Philippine Department of Justice (DOJ) has withdrawn its attempt to overturn the acquittal of former Senator Leila de Lima in one of her long-running drug cases. The motion for reconsideration—filed earlier this year—was rescinded on orders from Prosecutor General Richard Anthony Fadullon, who acknowledged that the appeal “should not have been filed in the
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by AJPress
by AJPress
MANILA — It’s not every day that a single family commands three seats in the Philippine House of Representatives. Then again, the Romualdezes are not just any family. In the gleaming marble halls of Batasang Pambansa, where power is worn like a tailored barong and words are weaponized with grace, the Romualdez name carries an unmistakable weight. Martin, the speaker— calculating, composed, and unfailingly courteous. Yedda, his wife—an elegant presence, with pageant queen poise and political precision. And now, Andrew
Julian, their son—fresh-faced, camera-ready, and armed with both a surname and a mandate. Together, they form something rare even in the Philippines’ dynasty-laden political theater: a father, mother, and son serving simultaneously in Congress. It is equal parts spectacle and strategy. “The House is in session—and so is the family,” one Capitol Hill staffer quipped, only half in jest. The dynasty wakes To understand the Romualdez rise, one must begin not in 2025, but in the palatial mansions of San Juan, where marble staircases once echoed with the click of House Speaker Martin Romualdez u PAGE A4 Photo from Facebook/@iamMartinRomualdez