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Romualdez has numbers to win reelection in 20th Congress By Maricel V. Cruz
1st District Rep. Martin G. Romualdez. Meanwhile, Senator Juan Miguel THE race for Speaker of the House of Zubiri expressed support for the possiRepresentatives in the 20th Congress ble comeback of Senator Vicente Sotto appeared to be a foregone issue with no III as President of the Senate. Next page serious challenge against reelected Leyte
VOL. XXXIX • NO. 139 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, JULY 4, 2025
DOJ: Ang, Barretto now suspects ‘Totoy’ tags ex-judge in missing ‘sabungeros’ case; Ang files raps Fuel prices seen lower next week
By Pot Chavez, Charles Dantes, Rex Espiritu and Ram Superable
B
USINESSMAN Atong Ang and actress Gretchen Barretto are now considered suspects in the case of the missing “sabungeros,” Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla on Thursday said. “They will be included because they were named. We will have to include them as suspects,” Remulla said, adding that formal cases will be filed “sooner than later” after a suspect in the case, Julie Patidongan, tagged Ang and Barretto as being involved in the disappearances. “That will be evaluated by our group of fiscals who will be assigned to evaluate all the evidence so that we will know what cases to be filed properly,” said Remulla. Ang on Thursday filed a criminal Next page
By Alena Mae S. Flores
REBUTTAL. Prominent Filipino businessman and gaming industry tycoon Charlie ‘Atong’ Ang with Atty Lorna Kapunan and Atty Caroline Cruz present the affidavits filed against Julie ‘Dondon’ Patidongan alyas ‘Totoy’ and a certain ‘Brown’ at the Office of City Prosecutor Arthur Magpantay in Mandaluyong City. Lino Santos
7 NCR cities may face rain-induced landslides, floods—DENR-MGB
CONSUMERS can expect another big-time oil price rollback next week of as much as P1.20 per liter amid the continued easing of tensions in the Middle East, even as Caltex implemented a rollback of P0.60 per liter for gasoline, P0.35 per liter for diesel, and P0.50 per liter for kerosene on July 3. Jetti Petroleum president Leo Bellas said that based on the first three days’ Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) average versus last week, diesel will likely see a rollback of P0.40 to P0.60 per liter and gasoline by P1 to P1.20 per liter. Oil importers use MOPS as the benchmark in pricing their products. “World crude oil and refined fuel prices fell this week due to the easing of geopolitical risk, the prospect of another OPEC+ output hike in August that will lead to an Next page
By Rio N. Araja and Rex Espiritu
RAINY DAYS. A young student in rain gear rides home on a motorbike from Barangay Batasan Hills after classes were suspended yesterday in Quezon City. Right photo shows cloudy skies over most of Luzon as of 7:41 pm. Edd Castro/ PAGASA
PBBM still keeping an open mind on proposed divorce law By Charles Dantes
said Thursday, adding that the President remained open to the idea but was PRESIDENT Marcos has yet to take a carefully reviewing the bill’s providefinitive stance on the refiled Divorce sions before making any decision. Bill in the 20th Congress, Malacañang Next page
THE cities of Manila, Marikina, Pasig, Quezon, Caloocan, Navotas and Valenzuela in the National Capital Region may experience rain-induced landslides and floods until July 6 due to the threats of a low pressure area and the southwest monsoon, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Mines and Geosciences Bureau on Thursday warned. “The threshold values were lowered in Metro Manila due to the nature of flooding in highly urbanized areas, wherein the rains are not readily absorbed by the land. This leads to increased surface runoff that overwhelms the drainage system and causes flooding in low-lying areas as well as those proximal to waterways,” it said. The warning covers 117 barangays in Manila, 131 in Marikina, 16 in Pasig, one in Next page
US aircraft carrier’s presence bolsters ‘free and open’Indo-Pacific THE nuclear-powered U.S. carrier George Washington arrived off the Philippine capital on Thursday for a port visit, as the two allies increase defense cooperation aimed at contesting China’s sweeping claims in the South
China Sea. The Nimitz-class vessel’s port call came the same day that China’s first domestically produced aircraft carrier, the Shandong, sailed into Hong Kong. Next page
LEA SALONGA IN H’WOOD WALK OF FAME SHOWBIZ / C2
GOV’T DEBT NEARS P17-T MARK BUSINESS / B1