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Strait of Hormuz blockade ‘makes no sense,’worries world leaders By Charles Dantes, Othel Campos and Katrina Manubay WORLD leaders have expressed grave concern over the United States military blockade of the strategic Strait
VOL. XL • NO. 59 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2026
of Hormuz following failed peace talks between Washington and Tehran over the weekend, with some describing the move as making “no sense.” In Manila, President Ferdinand Marcos Next page
MidEast braces for more fighting US starts blockade of Strait of Hormuz after failed Islamabad talks
A
SENSE of dread spread across the Middle East after talks between the US and Iran collapsed, as fears of renewed fighting rattled an already tense region with US President Donald Trump ordering a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The US military said it would begin a blockade of all Iranian ports Monday, after more than 20 hours of talks in the Pakistani capital Islamabad collapsed, and despite the Iranian military warning that it would treat any such action as an act of piracy. Trump had announced on social media he would blockade the strategic Strait of Hormuz trade route that he has been demanding Tehran fully re-
open, after Vice President JD Vance left negotiations with an Iranian delegation in Islamabad. The US military said the blockade, set to begin at 1400 GMT (Monday, 10 p.m.), would apply to all ships leaving or seeking to dock at Iranian ports on either side of the key waterway. Iran’s military said the move would be illegal and amount to “piracy,” Next page
Marcos cuts excise taxes on LPG, kerosene
HORMUZ MINEFIELD.
Infographic showing the different types of naval mines that the United States has accused Iran of using in the Strait of Hormuz, a claim denied by Tehran, which used this strategy on a large scale during its war against Iraq in the 1980s. Inset shows US President Donald Trump announcing the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz / AFP
Charles Dantes • Oil firms roll By and Alena Flores back gas prices
• Fuel stocks still sufficient
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos announced Monday that excise taxes on LPG and kerosene would be trimmed to ease the fuel price shock wrought by the
US-Israeli war on Iran. Mr. Marcos said the cost of liquefied petroleum gas, the country’s fuel of choice for cooking, would be reduced by P3.36 per kilogram starting today. He said the price of kerosene, the cooking fuel used by poorer families, would drop by P5.60 per liter. “We were hoping for a good outcome from the peace talks between the US and Iran, but it appears they were unable to strike a deal, which is why we will continue to help our people,” he said at a news conference. “We have reduced the tax on petroleum products directly used by our people in their everyday lives.” Meanwhile, Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. announced Monday the biggest fuel price rollback among oil firms of as much as P23 Next page
PBBM orders measures to assure food security By Charles Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz
• DA to purchase excess produce from farmers
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered a series of measures aimed at lowering food prices, accelerating import processes,
and safeguarding local farmers, as part of the government’s broader effort to stabilize supply and ease inflationary pressures.
The president said the government is streamlining the entry of food imports to ensure faster delivery and reduced costs in the market. He directed the Department of Agriculture and the Tariff Commission to reduce Next page
President does AFP accuses China of poisoning jumping jacks waters off Ayungin shoal to debunk rumors By Charles Dantes and Pot Chavez PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday dismissed reports questioning his health, calling them “lies” and challenging critics to a public workout with him, as he asserted he remains in “very, very good health.” Meanwhile, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), and the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Monday to strengthen their collaboration against fake news. The President said rumors about his condition were false, and urged the public not to believe them.
IN GOOD FORM. President
Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. does a jumping jack while on a run with Malacanang media from Gate 3 to Gate 4 to show that he is in good health. Revoli Cortez
THE Philippines accused Chinese fishermen on Monday of pouring cyanide in waters in the Spratly Islands, a flashpoint in the disputed South China Sea that has been the site of violent confrontations with Chinese vessels. Beijing claims the strategic South China Sea in nearly its entirety, despite an international ruling that its assertion has no legal basis.
The Philippines’ National Security Council (NSC) alleged the poisoning began last year around Second Thomas Shoal in the Spratly chain, which sits near vital shipping lanes and is reputedly rich in minerals. “The use of cyanide on Ayungin Shoal is a term of sabotage that seeks to kill local fish populations, deprivNext page
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VP Sara’s husband files TRO vs. House subpoena By Maricel V. Cruz VICE President Sara Duterte’s husband Manases Carpio has asked a Quezon City court to block a subpoena for his tax records, a member of the House justice committee disclosed yesterday. Meanwhile, Bicol Saro party-list Rep. Terry Ridon said without any tem-
porary restraining order from the Supreme Court, it is “all systems go” for the impeachment proceedings against the Vice Preesident. Ridon also said the panel chaired by Batangas Rep. Gerville Luistro received a copy of Carpio’s petition for a temporary restraining order against the subpoena.
The Luistro committee subpoenaed last week the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to produce tax records of Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, including nearly two decades of income tax returns, as part of the ongoing impeachment proceedings. In a subpoena ad testificandum et Next page
LOW BLOW. Philippine Navy spokesman Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad speaks next to a slide presentation of seized yellow bottles suspected to contain cyanide in waters of Second Thomas Shoal, inset, in the disputed South China Sea, during a press conference yesterday in Manila. AFP