OVER 30 HOTSPOTS: PNP ON FULL ALERT
5 MORE PH HOTELS IN MICHELIN GUIDE NEWS / A2
PH MAPS ESPORTS ROAD TO GREATNESS SPORTS / B3
COMELEC: PEACEFUL POLLS, FAST PROCLAMATION
By Vince Lopez and Rex Espiritu
JUDGE HALTS TRUMP MASS LAYOFF PLAN
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ITH one day to go before the elections and over 30 poll hotspots or “red” areas of concern, the Philippine National Police declared it is on full alert, deploying more than 160,000 cops nationwide to ensure a peaceful and orderly midterm polls.
WORLD / A4
IN MET R MANILAO
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 84 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES MAY 11, 2025
Commission on Elections chairman George Garcia, however, expressed confidence that the May 12 elections will be peaceful and orderly. “We believe our elections will be peaceful. We expect that the voting will finish early and the proclamation will also be fast,” he said in a television interview yesterday. “Let us have faith in the system and process, and don’t believe in the lies being spread around now, especially organized misinformation, disinformation, and fake news,” he added. The International Observer Mission (IOM), however, raised concerns about cases of vote-buying, red-tagging, and election-related violence ahead of the polls. According to the IOM, it has independently confirmed 18 votebuying incidents in addition to the 158 complaints already received by Comelec -- with money changing hands as high as P5,000 per voter. It also recorded 577 cases of red-tagging. The Armed Forces of the Philippines also heightened its security operations across Sulu and Basilan ahead of Monday’s midterm polls. “Our forces are in full security posture. Our land, maritime, and aerial capabilities are fully deployed and mission-ready to counter any disruption before, during, and after election day. The Alakdan Division and JTF Orion stand firm in protecting the sanctity of every vote and the safety of every voter,” 11ID and Joint Task Force Orion Commander Maj. Gen. Leonardo Peña said. Majority of the “red” areas of concern or those with a presence of serious armed threats as well as suspected election-related incidents or intense political rivalries or potential hiring of private armed groups are in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Turn to Page 4
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Number of voters per region
CALABARZON - 9,714,079 with 3351 voting centers Central Luzon - 7,699,404 with 2,883 voting centers NCR - 7,563,520 with 768 voting centers Central Visayas - 4,389,344 with 2281 voting centers Bicol Region - 4,053,977 with 3,098 voting centers Ilocos - 3,633,900 with 2,684 voting centers Davao - 3,376,470 with 1,459 voting centers Eastern Visayas - 3,259,554 with 3817 voting centers Northern Mindanao - 3,179,252 with 1908 voting centers Western Visayas - 3,128,562 with 2854 voting centers Negros Island Region - 3,059,321 with 1430 voting centers Zamboanga Peninsula - 2,869,368 with 1946 voting centers SOCCSKSARGEN - 2,701,992 with 1350 voting centers BARMM - 2,295,351 with 1186 voting centers Cagayan Valley - 2,358,587 with 2115 voting centers MIMAROPA - 2,055,827 with 1569 voting centers CARAGA - 1,904,917 with 1363 voting centers CAR - 1,105,063 with 1428 voting center
ACCOUNTABILITY DOES NOT SPARE FAMILY, ALLIES—PBBM PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said no family member or political ally will be spared if they obstruct reforms or violate the law. In his vlog on his Facebook page with senatorial candidate Benhur Abalos, Mr. Marcos answered this question: How do you deal with coalition allies or family members who obstruct reform or violate the law? “Those who violate the law -whay should we do? You violate the law, then you must be held accountable,” he said. “We will ensure that society has justice,” the President added. Mr. Marcos acknowledged that some may really be opposed to existing policies and are open to a
dialog, while others have shut the door to any discussion. “There are those who believe certain policies are not right. We will talk to them -- perhaps they have a suggestion as to better policies we can adopt,” he said. “Yung isa naman, lahat na lang ng gawin mo, kinakalaban ka lang dahil sa politika. Basta kontra sila sa lahat ng gawin mo, mali. Iyon, wala ka ng magagawa dun,” said Marcos. “On the other hand, there are those who fight you every step of the way, everything you do, because of politics. They are against everything you do. There’s nothing we can do about that,” he added.
ALL SYSTEMS GO. Mall personnel prepare the designated area for mall voting on Saturday, May 10, 2025. This is part of Comelec’s pilot implementation of mall voting in selected SM malls nationwide from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Norman Cruz
Total number of voters across the PH:
68,431,965 (Source: COMELEC)
AT LEAST a dozen Filipino teachers with non-immigrant visas were briefly detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Hawaii earlier this week. Philippine Consul General to Hawaii Arman Talbo said the teachers underwent verification procedures but were not arrested by federal agents during the raid on May 6. “The Philippine Consulate General in Honolulu has reached out to the Filipino teachers in Maui who were affected by a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation. The teachers informed the Consulate that none of them had been arrested and that they are safe and in good condition,” Talbo told GMA Integrated News. A US ICE spokesperson said in a sep-
12 PINOY TEACHERS IN HAWAII BRIEFLY DETAINED BY IMMIGRATION arate statement: “Homeland Security Investigations Hawaii executed a federal search warrant in Maui that was issued by a federal judge related to an immigration investigation.” “The occupants of the location were cooperative and HSI was able to conduct its search without interference or any impediment. For the safety of the agents and the occupants, residents of the home were briefly detained and interviewed in addition to the search. At the conclusion of the search, HSI special agents left the location without any arrests made.”
There are about more than 100 Filipino teachers serving across various islands in Hawaii. On Friday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to create a federally funded self-deportation program with paid flights and an “exit bonus” for any who seek to “voluntarily and permanently” leave the US. In a statement posted to the White House’s website, Trump lashed out at immigrants, blaming “a full-scale invasion” of those who stay in the US illegally for crime and violence. Turn to Page 4
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ASIA’S Songbird Regine Velasquez shared in past interviews that despite her deep love for children, she never really saw herself as a mother. But everything changed when she married fellow OPM artist Ogie Alcasid and the couple decided to start a family. Regine says becoming a mom to their son, Nate, has been a lifechanging experience that has brought her joy and fulfillment. She even took a break from her career to focus on raising him. “It was a decision I never regretted,” the songstress said. To celebrate her journey into motherhood, Regine has released a new single, “Lahat ay Kayang Gawin,” written by Jamie Rivera. Released by Inspire Music just in time for Mother’s Day, the track explores the selfless love of a mother. “As a mother, I would take this statement to heart,” shared Regine, adding that she connects with the song on a much personal level. “It’s probably how I approach my role seriously. It’s probably the most significant endeavor I have next to being a wife.”
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AFTER THE CONCLAVE. Filipino cardinal electors Luis Antonio Tagle, Jose Advincula and Pablo Virgilio David hold a post-conclave press conference at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome late Friday evening (Manila time).
CARDINALS TAGLE, ADVINCULA, DAVID ASK FOR PRAYERS FOR POPE LEO XIV THE three Filipino cardinals who joined more than a hundred electors in the conclave that selected Pope Leo XIV swore an oath of secrecy at the start of the proceedings. Although they could not go into specifics regarding the conclave itself, Cardinals Luis Antonio Tagle, Jose Advincula, and Pablo Virgilio David were able to comment on its bigger implications during a press conference at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome, Italy. “When it comes to the ministry of the Church—the criteria, the approach is not like what happens in the world. When it is said we rely on the Holy Spirit to select through prayer, we must all be disciplined to not think or get carried away that ‘am I a candidate?’” Tagle said in a mix of English and Filipino. “Internal discipline is needed, oth-
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erwise it may overcome you. There is no candidate here to promote themselves, their countrymen, rather you return to why you are voting. I will face God, who will judge us,” he added. In reaction to his supporters, Tagle thanked those who believe that Filipino cardinals are capable of serving as pope, but clarified that these are unlike general elections. “Maybe those types of reactions are normal... Sometimes people come from an election they experienced. There are candidates, you vote for one, you vote against another. But a conclave is not like that,” Tagle said. “Thank you so much to those who believed in us. I don’t know what you saw in us that we could possibly become pope. Me, when I look at myself, I can’t think of that. If anyone thought that, thank you very much,” he added. Turn to Page 4
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