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PBBM: New Malampaya well to deliver gas supply Camago-3 to produce 60 million cu.ft. of gas per day By Charles Dantes
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RESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday announced the successful drilling and testing of a new gas well under the Malampaya project, saying it is expected to boost domestic energy supply, lower electricity costs, and extend the life of one of the country’s key energy sources. In a video statement, the President said the Camago-3 well can produce up to 60 million standard cubic feet of gas per day and is on track to deliver the first gas by the fourth quarter of the year, marking the second major milestone in the $893-million Malampaya Phase 4 campaign. He added that Camago-3 is significantly larger than the earlier Malampaya East-1 discovery and contains an estimated 2.5 times more recoverable gas. Combined, the two wells are projected to extend the operational life of the Malampaya Next page
China open to restart talks on SCS joint oil exploration By Katrina Manubay and Cherrie Anne Villahermosa CHINA is • 142k barrels open to restart talks on of diesel from a possible Japan arrive joint oil exploration with the Philippines in the South China Sea, the Chinese embassy in Manila said, describing it as the “right path” to upholding stability in the contested waterway. Next page
VOL. XL • NO. 45 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2026
China warns US on PH ammo depot NEWS / A2
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NEW GAS WELL, OIL ARRIVALS. President Ferdinand R. Marcos announces the successful drilling and testing of the Camago-3 gas well
under the Malampaya project while two tankers bearing diesel fuel from Japan, top right, and crude oil from Russia, bottom right, arrive in the country. Sharon Garin FB , AFP
ERC suspends WESM trading; modified rules set for April 1 By Alena Mae S. Flores THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has ordered the temporary suspension of the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao effective
Trump to ‘unleash hell’ if Iran rejects peace terms
Thursday, citing energy supply risks and price volatility linked to the Middle East conflict. The move follows Executive Order No. 110, s. 2026, which declared a state of national energy emergency due to global fuel Next page
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump is ready to “unleash hell” if Iran does not accept a deal to end the nearly four-week Middle East war, the White House warned Wednesday (Thursday morning in Manila), but a defiant Tehran said it did not intend to negotiate. The ramped-up rhetoric dashed hopes of any imminent de-escalation as violence on the ground showed no sign
of abating, with Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and Saudi Arabia all coming under fire. Trump insisted later Wednesday that Iran was taking part in peace talks, but Tehran is denying it because their negotiators fear being killed by their own side. “They are negotiating, by the way, and they want to make a deal so badly,” Trump told a dinner for Republican members of
Congress. “But they’re afraid to say it, because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people,” he said. “They’re also afraid they’ll be killed by us.” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi denied that Iran was negotiating with the United States, saying an exchange of messages through “friendly countries” did not equate to talks Next page
Palace open to wealth tax, cash ayuda for wage earners By Charles Dantes and Vito Barcelo
Two-day transport strike on; commuters jam metro trains By Rio Araja and Rex Espiritu TRANSPORT and commuter groups started a two-day nationwide strike on Thursday, launching protests along Aurora Boulevard in Cubao, Quezon City, to oppose soaring fuel prices and call for the repeal of energy-related taxes. The strike prompted several schools and universities to suspend in-person classes on March 26 and 27, shifting instead to online or flexible learning arrangements. Among those that moved classes online were the University of the Philippines Diliman and Manila campuses, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, Tarlac State University, Adamson University, and Centro Escolar University. Next page
STRIKE. Transport workers, right photo, begin a two-day strike to demand relief from soaring gas prices. Left photo shows the commuters crowding the entrance to the Ayala MRT station in Makati City. Norman Cruz
MALACAÑANG on Thursday said it is open to proposals to impose a wealth tax on the country’s richest individuals, but acknowledged challenges in implementing such a drastic measure, as the government defends its response to rising fuel prices. At the same time, the Palace said the government is open to studying the possibility of extending cash assistance to minimum wage earners and the middle class, but noted that any such move would depend on available funds. This as the Trade Union Congress Next page
OMB to submit VP Sara’s SALN to House impeach panel By Pot Chavez THE Office of the Ombudsman on Thursday said it is ready to provide the House Committee on Justice a copy of the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of Vice President Sara Duterte. “It is part of the constitutional process
that we have. It is the legal process. We just abide by the rules and the law when it comes to impeachment proceedings,” said Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla. “We follow the legal process. Impeachment is the only way to hold a ranking government official accountable. The Constitution provides that certain officials, such
as the president, vice president, and members of constitutional commissions, may only be removed through impeachment,” he said. Remulla stressed that it is part of their duty to assist different government agencies, including Congress. Next page