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Hormuz clashes imperil fragile US-Iran truce WORLD leaders on Tuesday piled pressure on Tehran to stick to diplomacy to end the Middle East war, after a salvo of attacks in the region left a ceasefire crumbling. The scramble for more talks came after Iran and the United States traded fire over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, while US ally the United Arab Emirates reported Iranian attacks for the first time since the truce was declared nearly a month ago. Diplomacy between Washington and Tehran has been deadlocked since the ceasefire, with the United States twice aborting plans for senior officials to attend talks in Pakistan. Tehran has vowed not to surrender control over the Strait of Hormuz— the narrow waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil flowed before the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz implored Tehran to “return to the Next page
INSIDE
VOL. XL • NO. 81 • 3 SECTIONS 18 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, MAY 6, 2026 •
DOE open to lifting VAT on power to lower prices
Says further study needed by economic team, Congress
7.2% inflation in April at 3-year high; Peso power down by 27 cents
Inflation in PH (April 2025 to April 2026) DOE Sec. Sharon S. Garin
By Alena Mae S. Flores and Ram Superable
By Thony Rose Lesaca, Othel Campos and Vito Barcelo HEADLINE inflation surged to a three-year high of 7.2 percent in April 2026 as rising food and transport costs pushed up consumer prices amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported Tuesday. Amid the rising inflation, the purchasing power of the peso has declined to its lowest in eight years, Philippine Statistics Authority chief Dennis Mapa said, adding that the value of P1 during the base year of 2018 is now equivalent to 73 centavos as of April 2026. April’s inflation brought the average inflation for the first four months of the year to 3.9 percent. Mapa said this marked the fastest
B5 & B6
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HE Department of Energy said Tuesday it supports all proposals aimed at lowering electricity prices, including the possible reduction or elimination of the value-added tax on power.
Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, Retail Price Survey of Selected Commodities for the Generation of Consumer Price Index
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“Our goal is clear: More affordable, stable, and reliable electricity for every Filipino,” Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said. Garin said the DOE has been able to avoid a 7-peso-per-kilowatt-hour increase in electricity prices through the agency’s initiatives and its mandate to lower costs. Next page
House plenary may vote on VP Sara’s impeachment even before May 11 By Maricel V. Cruz THE plenary voted of all 318 members of the House of Representatives on the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte could take place on May 11 but it can still change,” Justice committee chairperson Rep. Gerville Luistro of Batangas said Tuesday. She explained that the setup is both a matter of due process and a requirement
Balikatan test fires Typhon for first time By Rex Espiritu THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday confirmed the first firing of the United States’ Typhon Mid-Range Capability (MRC) System in the country since its arrival in April 2024. According to the country’s Balikatan spokesperson Col. Dennis Hernandez, the system was used early
NEWS / A2
OUTBREAK. This aerial picture shows a general view of the cruise ship MV Hondius stationary off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde on May 3, 2026. An outbreak of ‘severe acute respiratory illness’ on board a cruise ship in the Atlantic has left three people dead. Story on A2. AFP
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By Katrina Manubay and Ram Superable
Recto hits Leviste, accuses him of offering poll bribes EXECUTIVE Secretary Ralph Recto on Tuesday accused Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Leviste of attempting to offer massive payoffs to influence political outcomes, as their escalating dispute took a more serious turn. In a strongly worded statement, Recto alleged that Leviste offered PHP400 million during an initial meeting to help persuade a political rival to withdraw from the election race, followed by a separate offer of up to PHP1 billion for Batangas Gov. Vilma Santos-Recto to step aside from the polls. “Sa unang pagtatagpo pa lang namin, may handa siyang PHP400 milyon… Tinanggihan Next page
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VP Sara’s lead over Mayor Leni narrowing —survey
Tuesday morning to launch a Tomahawk Land Attack Missile from Tacloban Airport in Leyte, at approximately 12:12 a.m. The missile hit its target more than 600 kilometers away within the grounds of Fort Magsaysay in Laur, Nueva Ecija, at around 1 a.m. According to Hernandez, there are no plans for a
NO HANTAVIRUS IN PH, ASSURES DOH
under the Supreme Court’s (SC) ruling on the first impeachment bid. “The plenary vote may take place on May 11 but it can change,” said Luistro. “They said that before the plenary vote, the House members should be provided with a copy of the committee report, the resolution and the articles of impeachment, most especially the articles of impeachment and the attached evidence,” Luistro, a
COURTESY CALL President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. welcomes Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro during the latter’s courtesy call yesterday in Malacanang. Revoli Cortez
VICE President Sara Duterte’s lead over Naga Mayor Leni Robredo in a hypothetical one-on-one presidential race is narrowing, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey. The current Vice President remains the frontrunner candidate with 51 percent, ahead of her predecessor at 43 percent — a single-digit gap or 8-point margin. However, regional support for Robredo is higher in the National Capital Region (NCR) and Balance Luzon at 42 percent and 67 percent, respectively, while Duterte has 41 percent and 26 percent in those areas. Conversely, Duterte’s support is strongest in Visayas and Mindanao, with 67 percent and 93 percent. By socioeconomic class, Robredo Next page