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No EDSA rehab until solid reroute plans in place—PBBM PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. yesterday assured that the government will not push through with the rehabilitation of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) until comprehensive rerouting plans are in place
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 114 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • MONDAY, JUNE 9, 2025
and local government units (LGUs) are fully prepared to handle the inevitable disruptions to traffic flow. “Until I see solid rerouting plans and LGUs are fully ready, we shouldn’t Next page
CBCP exec: Stop delaying trial Catholic clergy joins civil society at Senate rally today
By Vito Barcelo and Ram Superable
T
HE Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has signaled support for moving forward with Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, as members of the clergy join forces with civil organizations in mounting three days of mass actions aimed at pressuring the Senate leadership to stop delaying the process. Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, president of Caritas Philippines, the Catholic Church’s social action arm, urged the Senate to act on the case with urgency while maintaining “utmost integrity” and a strong commitment to the rule of law. Next page
Obey the law, put VP Sara on trial—top law school deans THE deans of Ateneo/Xavier university system yesterday joined the call for the Senate to proceed with the long-delayed impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte. In a joint statement dated June 8, 2025, the deans from the Schools and Colleges of Law in the Ateneo/ Xavier University system—including Manila, Davao, Cagayan, Naga and Zamboanga—collectively called for the immediate start of the trial and its continuation in the 20th Congress. “We adhere to the time-honored principle that public office is a public trust that must be faithfully respected and protected in the name of the sovereign Filipino people,” they said, urging senators to uphold constitutional processes and respond to its ‘moral duty’ as Next page
NO LETUP. Trade and Industry Secretary Ma. Cristina A. Roque leads the DTI Special Monitoring for School Supplies team to check on the prices of school supplies in Baclaran, Parañaque. She is joined by Assistant Secretary Agaton Teodoro O. Uvero (DTI-Fair Trade Group) Director Regino D. Mallari Jr. (DTI-Fair Trade Enforcement Bureau) Parañaque Consumer Welfare Office Staff. Norman Cruz
DA to lower price of imported rice to P43/k on July 1 By Othel V. Campos THE Department of Agriculture (DA) announced plans to lower the maximum suggested retail price (MSRP) of imported rice beginning July 1, 2025, following President Ferdinand
Marcos Jr.’s directive to ease the burden on Filipino consumers. “We plan to bring down the MSRP of imported rice to P43 per kilo from the current P45, in response to the recent decline in global rice prices,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco P. Tiu
HK OFW GLOBAL CENTER. Speaker
Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, along with Tingog party-list Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez and Jude Acidre and Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, join overseas Filipino workers in Hong Kong for a group photo following the grand opening Sunday of the DMWOWWA OFW Global Center. Ver Noveno
Laurel Jr. said over the weekend. The DA initially set the MSRP in January in line with the President’s decision to slash rice tariffs from 35 percent to 15 percent starting July 2025. The move follows a drop in global Next page
Gov’t now more accessible to OFWs, assures Speaker By Rio N. Araja SPEAKER Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Sunday assured overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) that the government is now more accessible than ever, directly reaching out to Filipinos abroad in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive.
Romualdez made the statement in Hong Kong, where he led the grand opening of the Department of Migrant Workers-Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (DMW-OWWA) OFW Global Centre and the launch of the “Bagong Bayani ng Mundo” OFW Serbisyo Caravan. Next page
Chinese Drug Triad behind floating shabu—PDEA By Rio N. Araja THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) on Sunday confirmed that the Chinese Drug Triad was behind the dumping of over one ton of shabu retrieved by fishermen off Pangasinan
and Ilocos Sur. “Based on the packaging of shabu packs recovered, they were contained in teabags with Chinese markings -- a signature trademark associated with the Chinese Drug Triad,” PDEA director general Isagani Nerez said.
“The triad gains notoriety by engaging in all sorts of methods of drug smuggling, including the use of the high seas. They dump their illicit goods to be retrieved by local cohorts later. It’s a good thing that our hero fisherNext page
MORE PINOYS NO LONGER FEEL PBBM LAUNCHES CHINATOWN POOR, SAYS SWS SURVEY PROJECT TO MARK PH-CHINA TIES NEWS / A2
NEWS / A3
FLASH FLOOD. Monsoon raids triggered flash floods in barangay San Rafael in San Jose Del Monte, forcing some residents to seek shelter in evacuation centers. The staterun weather bureau has warned of more rains with the combined effect of the southwest monsoon and the approaching low pressure area. Story on A2. San Jose Del Monte LGU