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Catholic leaders call for prayers for Pope CATHOLIC leaders in the Philippines have called on the faithful to pray for the health of Pope Francis as he continues his treatment for a respiratory infection. Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the
Pope Francis
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 9 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2025
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VP asks SC to stop impeachment But House prosecutor insists no reason to issue TRO vs. trial By Rachelle Tonelada, Pot Chavez and Maricel Cruz
V
ICE President Sara Duterte has asked the Supreme Court to review the impeachment complaint against her and bar the Senate from acting on it. In a petition for certiorari and prohibition filed Tuesday but made public only yesterday, the Vice President said the fourth complaint violated the Constitutional one-year bar on such proceedings. The first three impeachment complaints against Duterte were all filed in December, while the fourth one was filed on February 5. Earlier, a group of lawyers allied with Duterte also filed a similar petition before the High Court, arguing that the impeachment case was Next page
House leaders’ suspension sought over GAA insertions
NFA RICE ROLLOUT. Department of Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel Jr. leads the inspection and ceremonial turnover of rice stocks of the National Food Authority to select local government units (LGUs) yesterday at the NFA warehouse in Brgy. Malanday, Valenzuela City. Andrew Rabulan
‘Senate prepping for impeachment but no trial during break’ By Ram Superable and Joel Zurbano THE Senate is already preparing for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, but the proceedings will not begin until Congress is in session, Senate President Francis Escudero
said on Wednesday. “Since the impeachment has already been filed, an impeachment trial is certain to happen, and the Senate must prepare for it. Even though we are in recess, we are not wasting time in making the necessary preparations,” he said in a press conference.
“(But no proceeding) will happen because we are in recess. I will repeat -- no matter what anyone says -- as long as there is no session and the Senate has not convened, no trial can take place. That is clear and explicit in our rules,” Escudero added.
Senators not intimidated by Rody’s kill remark—Escudero By Ram Superable SENATE President Francis Escudero does not believe any of his colleagues in the upper chamber were particularly intimidated by former President Rodrigo Duterte’s remark about killing 15 of them to make way for the opposition
senatorial ticket. Speaking to reporters in Quezon City, the Senate President said the former leader’s remark has not even merited a discussion among senators. “I don’t think any of the senators actually felt threatened by that remark,” Escudero said in Filipino. He clarified that he did not feel alluded to in Duterte’s comment and saw no reason to take legal action against the former president. “I didn’t really feel that I was one of the 15. I don’t know who they are, but it seems like I’m not part of it,” Escudero said.
DAVAO del Norte Representative Pantaleon Alvarez and the three other complainants asked the Office of the Ombudsman to put House Speaker Martin Romualdez and several House leaders on preventive suspension in relation to a graft complaint they earlier filed over alleged “insertions” in the 2025 General Appropriations Act. Next page
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HONORING DOÑA AURORA. Speaker Martin G. Romualdez
leads the wreath laying ceremony in honor of the 137th Birth Anniversary of Doña Aurora Aragon-Quezon and 46th Founding Anniversary of Aurora Province at the Provincial Capitol Grounds in Aurora yesterday morning. With the Speaker were Governor Reynante Tolentino, Aurora Lone District Rep. Rommel Angara and Maj. General Joseph Norwin Pasamonte. Ver Noveno
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US envoy blasts China for ‘dangerous maneuvers’ by PLAN chopper By Rachelle Tonelada and Rex Espiritu
Sam Milby
Sam Milby confirms split with Catriona By Angelica Villanueva ACTOR Sam Milby confirmed reports that he and Miss Universe 2018, Catriona Gray, had broken their engagement. Milby set the record straight about the status of their relationship in an interview Tuesday with Next page
helicopter against a Philippine government plane over Scarborough shoal in the West Philippine Sea. THE United States envoy to the PhilipOn Tuesday, Philippine Coast Guard pines yesterday condemned “danger- (PCG) spokesperson for WPS Commoous” maneuvers by a Chinese military dore Jay Tarriela reported that The Bu-
reau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) aircraft was conducting a maritime domain awareness flight at around 7 a.m. when the incident occurred. The BFAR aircraft, with Coast Guard personnel and photojournalists on-
MOSQUITO CATCH. A 64-year
old scavenger, Miguel Labag, shows off a container filled with mosquito larvae during the launch yesterday of the implementation of ‘May Piso sa Mosquito’ which aims to combat the rising number of dengue cases in Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong. Danny Pata
board, was approached by a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) helicopter which came as close as three meters to the aircraft’s port side and hovered above it. Next page
More Pinoys identify as pro-Marcos—OCTA By Rachelle Tonelada AS POLITICAL tensions between the Marcos and Duterte camps intensify ahead of the midterm elections, nearly four in 10 Filipino adults (36%) said they consider themselves ‘pro-Marcos,’ according to the latest Tugon ng Masa (TNM) pre-election survey conducted by OCTA Research. As for the remaining numbers, survey results revealed that loyalties are divided among ‘pro-Duterte’ supporters (18%), independents (26%), and those who remain undecided (12%). Next page