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CLASS OF MANY FIRSTS.
IN MET R MANILAO
The 266 members of the Philippine Military Academy ‘Siklab-Laya’ Class of 2025 are told by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to remain ‘mentally sharp’ amid the growing threat of modern warfare during the commencement rites at Fort del Pilar in Baguio City on Saturday. The graduates are the first cadets trained on Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea.
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 91 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES MAY 18, 2025
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PBBM TO PMA GRADS: ‘INVISIBLE WARS’ UP
AFTER 18 YRS, PINOY SUMMITS MT. EVEREST NEWS / A2
PREPARE FOR MODERN BATTLES, CYBER THREATS
By Rex Espiritu and Vince Lopez
P
RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday urged the graduates of the Philippine Military Academy to embrace modern warfare with both mental acuity and compassion, encouraging them to serve the nation with dignity and honor. Addressing the PMA “SiklabLaya” Class of 2025 during their commencement exercises at Fort General Gregorio del Pilar in Baguio City, the President highlighted the importance of character and intellect in military service.
He also hailed the graduates as being part of a “class of many firsts,” noting they were the first cadets trained on Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea and had represented the academy in international military fora and competitions.
“The most important lesson you carry is the understanding that warfare today goes beyond land, seas, and skies,” Mr. Marcos said. “We have battles that are invisible to radar—ones that take place in cyberspace, in protecting information, in safeguarding the environment, and in helping communities during crises. So physical strength and agility are no longer enough. What we need just as much—are your mental sharpness and your compassion,” the President added. He said the PMA cadets’ train-
ing now includes courses that “were once unseen in the military academy—artificial intelligence, drone operations, strategic thinking, ethical leadership, amongst others.” “These are all important. But what is also important, and possibly the most important, is your love of country. That is, an officer who knows how to love his or her country despite its flaws, in the most sincere way,” he said. The 266 first-class cadets of the Siklab-Laya Class consist of 212 men and 54 women. Turn to Page 4
FIL-CANADIAN WINS $80M LOTTO JACKPOT NEWS / A2
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E L E C T 1 I O 27,121,073 N
BONG GO
COMELEC HAILS ‘HISTORIC’ MIDTERM POLLS: FASTEST CANVASSING, PROCLAMATION; YOUTH-DRIVEN TURNOUT
13,339,227
WINNERS ALL. The Commission on Elections proclaims the 12 winning senators at
the Manila Hotel Tent City in Manila on Saturday, May 17, 2025. Only senator-elect Kiko Pangilinan was unable to attend the proclamation as he and his family were in the United States for his daughter’s college graduation. Norman Cruz
By Joel Zurbano, Vito Barcelo and Rolando Ng III COMMISSION on Elections chairman George Erwin Garcia said the recently concluded polls were “historic” – with the youth driving the voter outcome, which was the highest the highest for a midterm election, and the fastest canvassing time and the earliest proclamation of winning senators. “This is a testament that more Filipinos continue to recognize the power of their vote brought by the ballot.
The millennials and Gen Z, once ignored so often in this exercise, took a stand with their might in shaping our future,” Garcia said in his address during the proclamation of the 12 newlyelected senators yesterday at the Manila Hotel Tent City. “Many assumed these generations were disengaged or disinterested, but they showed up and made their voices count,” he added. Data from the Comelec showed that 63 percent of the voting populaTurn to Page 4
DMW INVESTIGATING QUESTIONABLE P1.4-B LAND DEAL UNDER EX-OWWA HEAD By Rachelle Tonelada
will perform the necessary audit. We will seek the required legal opinion from the Department of Justice and we will engage with THE Department of Migrant Workers is the Commission investigating the on Audit,” she alleged anomaadded. lous P1.4-billion DMW Secreland acquisition We will perform the tary Hans Cacdac deal of the Overnecessary audit. We will seek earlier told GMA seas Workers News Online that Welfare Administhe required legal opinion former OWWA tration (OWWA) administrator Arfrom the DOJ and we will under its past leadnell Ignacio was ership., engage with the COA. removed from “There’s an investigation (and) – New OWWA administrator his post due to “loss of trust I will allow due Patricia Yvonne Caunan and confidence” process to take its over the alleged course,” said newly anomalous P1.4appointed OWWA billion land acadministrator Paquisition deal he entered into that was not tricia Yvonne Caunan during the Saturauthorized by the OWWA Board. day News Forum in Quezon City. “As the new administrator of OWWA, we Turn to Page 4
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FOR CONTINUITY AND STABILITY. Leaders of the House of Representatives discuss the need to ensure continuity
to support the administration’s governance agenda. Present during their first post-election meeting Friday afternoon at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City were (Standing, from left) House Secretary General Reginald Velasco and Reps. Yevgeny Vincente Emano (Nacionalista Party), Romeo Acop (National Unity Party), Albert Garcia (NUP), Jose Teves Jr. (Party-List Coalition Foundation Inc.), Alfredo Garbin Jr. (PCFI); Jose Alvarez (NUP), and Wilfrido Mark Enverga (Nationalist People’s Coalition); and (Seated from left): Deputy Speaker Kristine Singson-Meehan (NPC), Rep. LRay Villafuerte Jr. (NUP President), Ronnie Puno (NUP Chairman), Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. (Lakas-CMD), Deputy Speaker Jay-jay Suarez (Lakas-CMD), House Majority Leader Manuel Dalipe (Lakas-CMD), Rep. Eleandro Madrona (Nacionalista), and Deputy Speaker Raymond Mendoza (PCFI).
HOUSE LEADERS: CONTINUITY; VP TO PULONG: VIE FOR SPEAKER By Maricel V. Cruz LEADERS of the House of Representatives met for the first time Friday afternoon following the 2025 midterm
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elections to begin internal discussions on administrative arrangements and continuity mechanisms as the 19th Congress winds down and the 20th Congress opens on July 1.
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Held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Makati City, the meeting brought together present senior leaders and key figures in the House leadership Turn to Page 4
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