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PBBM open to special session By Charles Dantes and Joel E. Zurbano MALACAÑANG on Thursday said President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is open to convening a special session of Congress if the Senate’s new leadership formally requests it and provides valid grounds. This as the Palace reaffirmed its rec-
VOL. XL • NO. 111 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • FRIDAY, JUNE 5, 2026
ognition of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian as acting Senate President amid an escalating leadership dispute, saying the chamber must settle its internal issues while the executive branch deals with the leadership it considers legitimate. Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro said the administration is waiting for Next page
Cayetano bloc still defiant
SP’s group nixes new majority, holds Blue Ribbon hearing By Ram Superable, Joel Zurbano, Katrina Manubay, and Pot Chavez
S
ENATE President Alan Peter Cayetano and his allies on Thursday continued to defy the chamber’s new majority bloc, rejecting the new leadership under Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and holding a Blue Ribbon subcommittee hearing as they had scheduled at the plenary hall. Cayetano continues to claim the Senate presidency despite 12 senators choosing Gatchalian and reorganizing the chamber to their preference on Wednesday. Cayetano also urged Malacañang to wait for a 13th senator from his group to join what he called the “11 plus 1” bloc -- now led by Gatchalian as Senate President Pro Tempore and Acting Senate Next page
‘Baligod 18’repeats claim of delivering cash‘maletas’ By Ram Superable, Charles Dantes, Pot Chavez, Joel Zurbano, and Maricel Cruz
TALE OF ONE BLUE RIBBON. Sen. Pia
EIGHTEEN men claiming to be former Philippine Marines alleged during a Senate hearing Thursday that they delivered suitcases containing cash to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Senator Erwin Tulfo, Rep. Leila de Lima, former Rep. France Castro, and other political figures.
Cayetano gestures during the start of the revived Blue Ribbon hearing yesterday which she called before a new Senate majority was formed on Wednesday, Top photo shows lawyer Levi Baligod, in Barong Tagalog, with some of the former soldiers who testified at the hearing. Contributed photos
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PH fails to get a non-permanent UN Security Council seat
‘PH TO MISS 2028 POVERTY TARGET’
THE Philippines on Thursday midnight failed to achieve the necessary two-thirds majority vote from the United Nations General Assembly to secure a non-permanent seat on the Security Council. In a statement, Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro congratulated Kyrgyzstan on win-
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ning the Asia-Pacific spot for the first time. “The Philippines respects the decision of the member states of the United Nations and extends its congratulations to the Kyrgyz Republic following today’s election for the non-permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC),” she said.
Kyrgyzstan received 142 votes in the fourth round, while the Philippines garnered 49. Lazaro expressed gratitude to the international community for support, emphasizing that the country’s campaign was based on long-standing commitments to Next page
Lawyer calls out OMB bias vs. Romualdez
Sen. Jinggoy Estrada
Former Sec. Manuel Bonoan
Arturo Lombres Gonzales, Jr.
Manny Bumagat Bulusan
Denryl Caesar Sanchez Cortuna
Sandiganbayan enters not guilty plea for Jinggoy in graft raps By Vince Lopez and Maricel V. Cruz THE Sandiganbayan Second Division on Thursday entered a not guilty plea for Senator Jinggoy Estrada who refused to enter a plea during his arraignment on the graft case. At the same time, Estrada with-
drew his petition for bail estimated at P573 million. Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-National Capital Region (CIDG-NCR) said that former Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan failed to attend his scheduled arraignment at the Sandiganbayan
due to medical reasons. The court earlier denied Estrada’s bid to quash the graft case against him concerning alleged kickbacks from the government’s flood control projects, citing lack of merit. The anti-graft court rejected Estrada’s argument that his right to due process was violated with the filing of
Emil P. Jurado, 98 Journalist, Lawyer THE family of Emil P. Jurado, chairman emeritus of Manila Standard, announced his passing yesterday. A multi-awarded journalist, Jurado co-founded the Manila Standard with
journalist Rod Reyes in 1987. He is chairman-emeritus of the paper’s editorial board and writes the column “To The Point” for the paper. Next page
plunder and graft cases against him. “The accused was given a chance to defend himself by submitting the affidavit before the DOJ. The motion to quash... dismiss, is denied,” Sandiganbayan Second Division chairman and Presiding Justice Geraldine Econg said. Estrada, who was arrestNext page
Emil P. Jurado
A PUBLIC interest lawyer has criticized Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla for allegedly prejudging former Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez in connection with the anomalous flood control projects controversy. In a radio interview over dzMM, Atty. Antonio Zoleta Bucoy said Remulla has repeatedly tagged the former House leader as the mastermind behind the alleged flood control scam without the benefit of a preliminary investigation and without presenting any evidence. “There is only one person pushing that narrative, and that is Ombudsman Remulla, who from the very beginning has already branded Speaker Romualdez as the mastermind,” he said. Bucoy said there is no basis for the Ombudsman’s allegation. “The question is, what is his basis? Second, has there already been a preliminary investigation? Because there have been no reports indicating that a preliminary investigation has been conducted,” he said. He added that Remulla’s statement should have been based on an evaluation of both the complaint and the response of the accused. “You can only brand someone a mastermind after you have reviewed and analyzed both sides—the complaint and the answer,” he stressed. Bucoy pointed out that the process has not yet reached that stage. Next page