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Trump says US not ready to agree to deal to end Iran war DONALD Trump warned that he is not ready to seek a deal to end the war with Iran, as US ally Israel launched a new wave of strikes Sunday and Tehran's Revolutionary Guards threatened
to hunt down and kill the Israeli leader. The US president, in an interview with NBC News, said he thought Tehran was keen to come to the table but that Washington would fight on for
better terms and might bomb targets on Iran's oil hub Kharg Island once, again, "just for fun". Iran, meanwhile, warned it would Next page
VOL. XL • NO. 34 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • MONDAY, MARCH 16, 2026 •
Rep. Leviste buys house where Rizal finished writing ‘Noli’ By Rio N. Araja BATANGAS Rep. Leandro Leviste has acquired a German house where national hero Jose Rizal completed
his 1887 novel “Noli Me Tangere” in Wilhelmsfeld, Germany. In a statement, Leviste bared plans to preserve the property and convert it into a museum honoring
Philippine history. The house is where Rizal stayed in 1886 while studying ophthalmology at the University of Heidelberg. Next page
A WORTHY ACQUISITION. Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste poses with
municipal officials and Protestant church representatives in front of the house where national hero Dr. Jose P. Rizal finished writing the novel ‘Noli Me Tangere’ in Wilhelmsfeld, Germany. Office of Rep. Leandro Leviste
Fare hikes for buses, jeeps set for Tuesday LTFRB to justify amount to DOTr; PNP watching gas stations
Marcos to focus on ‘wider effects’ of Mid-East war By Katrina Manubay MALACAÑANG on Sunday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will focus on the wider effects of the Middle East crisis as he ordered the DMW and OWWA to take care of the needs of OFWs affected by the war. Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Philippine Consulate Next page
By Rio Araja, Vince Lopez, and Ram Superable
F
ARE hikes for jeepneys and buses will be announced Tuesday as the government grapples with the impact of rising global oil prices, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) chairperson Vigor Mendoza said yesterday. Another round of steep oil price increases is also expected tomorrow, with d i e s e l Fuel prices set projected to rise by to rise Tuesday P19 to Transport groups P22 per gear for protests liter and gasoline by P12 to P16 per liter as tensions in the Middle East continue to roil global energy markets. In a TV interview, Mendoza said the fare increase had already been decided, but the exact amount still needs to be justified to Department of Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez, who oversees the LTFRB.
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HOME SAFE. Some 300 Filipino workers repatriated from the Middle East line up upon arrival in Manila yesterday before filling up their documents that will allow them to avail of benefits provided by the Department of Migrant Workers and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration. DMW
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DOTr denies MRT House to shorten hearings if VP Dalian trains are Sara fails to answer raps today unsafe for riders Rio N. Araja By Darwin G. Amojelar
NOT UNSAFE. The Department of Transportation (DOTr) and MRT-3 management assure commuters that the MRT-3 China-made Dalian trains are safe to ride in contrary to claims made by certain quarters. DOTr file photo
THE Department of Transportation (DOTr) and MRT-3 management have denied “false allegations” circulated in a vlog by Kamanggagawa Party-list Rep. Eli San Fernando and some members of the MRT-3 Employees Association claiming that the rail line is unsafe for commuters. The DOTr maintained that the rail line remains entirely safe, dismissing claims that the transition to four-car train configurations poses a risk to the public. The agency said all MRT-3 train sets undergo thorough technical evaluation, and the DOTr and maintenance provider Sumitomo Corporation will never allow the safety Next page
and Katrina Manubay
THE House Committee on Justice may shorten the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte if she failed to submit her counter affidavit today, according to Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon. Meanwhile, Duterte questioned
reports that the Committee on Justice might reject the entry of two of her lawyers in the impeachment proceedings, saying it was the first time she had heard of such an exclusion. Ridon said the Justice panel was waiting for the Vice President’s answer within the 10-day period provided under House rules with the deadline expected to lapse by the start of the week. Next page
Lakas calls for probe into costly, slow, inaccessible internet service By Rio N. Araja THE Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD), led by Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, is seeking a congressional investigation into what it described as the country’s “expensive,
slow and inaccessible” internet services. Romualdez, president of LakasCMD, said that despite technological advances, the Philippines continues to lag behind its neighbors in terms of fast, affordable, and accessible internet services. Next page