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VATICAN SETS CONCLAVE TO ELECT NEW POPE ON MAY 7
NEWS / A2
P20/k rice will now be sold nationwide at Kadiwa centers By Othel V. Campos and Charles Dantes
“high quality” stocks nationwide starting Friday, May 2, the Department of Agriculture said on Monday. The affordable rice initiative will be THE government has expanded its P20available exclusively at Kadiwa centers per-kilo rice initiative with Kadiwa ng Next page Pangulo centers set to sell the cheap but
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 73 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, APRIL 29, 2025
PH in control of Sandy Cay
Gov’t execs, lawmakers slam Chinese disinformation on WPS By Charles Dantes, Rex Espiritu, Ram Superable and Maricel Cruz
T
HE Philippines remains in control of Sandy Cay, which is near Pagasa Island where Filipino troops are stationed, as government officials on Monday slammed an “irresponsible” Chinese state media report claiming the area was under Beijing’s control. National SeVoters favor pro-WPS curity Counbets for Senate—SWS cil Assistant Director GenNEWS / A3 eral Jonathan Malaya said China’s fake claim that it seized the cays was part of its “gray-zone operations” in a bid to “dominate” the Next page
TIT FOR TAT. A composite team of Filipino soldiers, police, and coast guard personnel belies China’s claim it had control over Sandy Cay when it sent a mission there yesterday and unfurled the Philippine flag. NTF-WPS
PBBM orders aid for Vancouver tragedy victims By Charles Dantes, Rachelle Tonelada, Ram Superable and Maricel V. Cruz
the delivery of assistance to Filipinos affected when a vehicle was intentionally driven through a crowd attending a street party in Vancouver, Canada, PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. di- resulting in a massive carnage. rected concerned officials to expedite Eleven people, aged 5 to 65, were
BULUSAN VOLCANO ERUPTS ANEWS NEWS / A3
killed, and more than two dozen others injured when the suspect drove his SUV into a crowd of people celebrating the Lapu Lapu Day festival Saturday night (Canada time). Next page
yesterday, sending ash 4.5 kilometers into the sky. This prompted the Philippine Volcanology and Seismology Institute to raise the Alert Level from 0 to 1. Marcky Ragasa via Civil Defense PH
By Vito Barcelo, Vince Lopez and Rio N. Araja THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday kicked off a three-day Local Absentee Voting (LAV) period for the 2025 midterm elections, enabling over 57,000 government workers and other eligible voters who will
be preoccupied on election day, to cast their ballots in advance. Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia said that under the law, only government officials and employees, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police (PNP), Comelec staff, and other
All Alyansa bets ‘probable’ Senate winners PCO holds new accreditation rules for media covering Malacanang By Rachelle Tonelada and Maricel Cruz
ALERT LEVEL 1. Bulusan Volcano erupts for 24 minutes at around 4:36 a.m.
Local Absentee Voting begins; Cops among first to cast ballots
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By Charles Dantes
WITH just a week to go before the end of the campaign period for the 2025 midterm elections, 19 senatorial candidates– including all 11 candidates of the ruling Alyansa ng Bagong Pilipinas -- are emerging as probable winners, according to the latest OCTA Research survey. Reelectionist Senator Christopher Go topped the survey with 64.2% voter preference, followed closely by Erwin Tulfo at 61.2%. Another Tulfo, Ben Tulfo, secured the third spot with 45.4% voter preference. Former Senate President Tito Sotto closely followed, ranking within the 3rd to 8th spots with 43.3% support. Senator Ronald Dela Rosa (PDPLaban) ranked next with 40.4%, alongside former Senator Panfilo Lacson (39.7%) and Senator Pia Cayetano (39.5%), all within the 3rd to 10th statistical range. Senator Bong Revilla placed within the 4th to 10th spots with 38.7% support.
lowing a meeting with officers of the Malacañang Press Corps Inc. (MPC). During the meeting, MPC officTHE Presidential Communications Office (PCO) put its new media accredi- ers raised concerns about provisions tation guidelines on hold yesterday folNext page
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NBI Central Visayas files cyberlibel case vs. Tiglao THE National Bureau of InvestigationCentral Visayas Regional Office (NBICEVRO) has filed cyber libel charges against columnist Rigoberto Tiglao for an article that allegedly contained unfounded and malicious claims about Deputy Speaker and Cebu 5th District
Representative Vincent “Duke” Frasco. According to NBI-CEVRO Regional Director Rennan Oliva, the complaint arose from a report Frasco received from one of his staff members, who pointed out an online article titled “Cebu Rep Details How Impeachment
Bribery Worked.” The article, published in The Manila Times, quickly gained traction online. “His claim caused serious harm not only to Congressman Frasco but also to the entire House of Representatives and Next page
FUEL PRICES HIGHER THIS WEEK NEWS / A3