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EDITORIAL: SCAPEGOATING WEAKENS OUR DEMOCRACY
DROUGHT HITS 15 LUZON PROVINCES
PALACE TO ANSWER SC PBBM HEALTH PETITION
OPINION / A5
NEWS / A3
NEWS / A3
House to take up VP Sara’s threats vs. PBBM, FL Liza in last hearing By Maricel V. Cruz
VOL. XL • NO. 69 • 3 SECTIONS 18 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2026 •
THE House Committee on Justice is set to tackle one of the most explosive charges in the impeachment complaints against Vice President Sara Duterte—her alleged grave
• VP Sara, spouse
bank accounts flagged • Garin welcomes Senate readiness to hold trial
Rody to face ICC trial as charges confirmed Prosecutors hail ‘milestone’; Defense hits ‘complete fiction’ By Pot Chavez, Charles Dantes and Ram Superable
T
HE Hague, Netherlands— Former President Rodrigo Duterte will face trial at the International Criminal Court after judges on Thursday confirmed charges of crimes against humanity over his so-called "war on drugs."
Marcos oversees rice distribution in Kadiwa store By Charles Dantes PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday personally oversaw the distribution of 10 kilos of rice to 100 ambulant or small-scale vendors in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija. During the event, President Marcos took time to engage with the beneficiaries, who were visibly delighted to meet him. In an interview, Palayan City Mayor Viandrei Nicole Cuevas said the distributed rice came from the Local Government Support Fund-Growth Equity Fund (LGSF-GEF), which the national government has allocated to local government units (LGUs) to help lagging LGUs implement their programs.
FOOD SECURITY.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. checks out the farm produce at the Kadiwa ng Pangulo store in Palayan City, Nueva Ecija where the President also witnesses the rollout of 10-kilogram sacks of rice distributed to 100 ambulant vendors in the city. Revoli Cortez
VP Sara refutes allegations; ‘flagged transactions not proof of illegal acts’
PARCHED AND CRACKED. A farmer
walks through his cracked and parched rice field in Brgy. Sabang, Naic, Cavite on Thursday, as worsening dry conditions affect more provinces in the country. State meteorologists have warned of a high probability of an El Niño between June and August 2026, possibly lasting until early 2027. PAGASA warns heat indices to rise today to danger levels of 42ºC in several areas. Norman Cruz
By Katrina Manubay VICE President Sara Duterte refuted allegations that she has billions in bank account transactions, noting that all her properties and funds are correctly declared in her
Romualdez belies flight rumors, to challenge PHDO order By Maricel V. Cruz and Charles Dantes THE camp of Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez on Thursday said he remains in the country and will pursue legal remedies following reports that the Sandiganbayan has issued a precautionary hold departure order (PHDO) against him at the request of the Office of the Ombudsman.
Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN). “For nearly a decade, Mr. Antonio Trillanes IV has been peddling the same incredible story about alleged billions in bank accounts. From 2016 Next page
Alexandra Eala Alex.Eala IG
FOR THE DEFENSE. Vice President Sara Duterte’s lawyers, Michael Poa and
Sheila Sison, answer questions during a press conference to respond to allegations raised during the impeachment hearing at the House of Representatives. Katrina Manubay
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Eala, Sonmez upset doubles specialists THE Philippines' Alexandra Eala and Turkey's Zeynep Sonmez pulled off a stunning 6-2, 6-2 sweep against doubles specialists Fanny Stollar of Hun-
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Duterte would be the first Asian former head of state to face trial at the ICC, which prosecutes individuals for the world's worst crimes such as war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC will now set up a trial panel but it will likely be several months before proceedings begin. “Next steps: Upon the transfer of the case to a Trial Chamber, the Trial Chamber will decide on the next steps. Trials at the ICC are fair and impartial, and the Defense will have sufficient time to prepare its case, while respecting the rights of victims,” the ICC said. Trial may start end-2026 or early 2027 ICC Listed Counsel Gilbert Andres said the trial could start by the year or in early 2027 as there will still be a series of status conferences where all parties will discuss technicalities of the trial, including dates, schedules, and procedural issues. ICC Assistant to Counsel Kristina Conti said some 539 kin of drug war victims are recognized as “participating victims” in the case. Next page
By Jeremiah Sevilla
threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza AranetaMarcos, and former Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.
gary and Chan Hao-ching of Taiwan in the opening round of the Mutua Madrid Open 2026 in Spain on Thursday. Eala (world No. 101 in doubles) and Sonmez (No. 498), playing together Next page
Iran won’t open Strait of Hormuz unless US lifts sea blockade IRAN'S vow not to reopen the Strait of Hormuz—so long as a US naval blockade remained in place —was held into Thursday despite a ceasefire extension, as the Gulf nation announced the seizure of two ships trying to
cross the strategic waterway. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said late Wednesday that it had also "directed 31 vessels to turn around or return to port" as part of its own "blockade against Iran". Next page