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Foreign militaries offer aid; CBCP rallies emergency funds By Rex Espiritu, Vito Barcelo, Katrina Manubay and Maricel Cruz FOREIGN military partners have offered assistance as search and rescue operations continue after a powerful magnitude-7.8 earthquake struck Mindanao Monday morning, Armed

Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said. Brawner said the United States, Japan, and Indonesia military counterparts have reached out and expressed readiness to provide support as the government continues to assess the situation on the ground.

VOL. XL • NO. 116 • 3 SECTIONS 16 PAGES • P20 • WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2026 •

Quake death toll climbs to 38

4 still missing, over 400 injured, P562.8-m infra damage By Rex Espiritu, Charles Dantes, Darwin Amojelar, Alena Mae Flores, Pot Chavez, Katrina Manubay, Vince Lopez and Ram Superable

HE death toll from the magnitude-7.8 earthquake that struck parts of Mindanao climbed to 38 yesterday, official tally from the Office of Civil Defense showed, with over 400 injured and four still missing.

DEVASTATION. The extent of the devastation wrought by the powerful quake that shook parts of southeastern Mindanao was evident yesterday in the number of collapsed buildings (top left photo), infrastructure damage (bottom left photo), and the rising number of deaths and injuries (top right and bottom center photos). In the top right photo, there was no respite for a rescue worker and dog in the search for survivors trapped in the rubble. Bureau of Fire Protection Facebook, VM James Yap Jr., Gov. Rogelio ‘Ruel’ D. Pacquiao - Sarangani Province

Win shuts down Senate on reports of threats By Joel E. Zurbano, Ram Superable and Charles Dantes ACTING Senate President Win Gatchalian yesterday ordered Senate employees to work from home from June 10 to 11 in “response to reports of security threats.” He said this was to “allow the conduct of the necessary security assessments, inspections and other precautionary measures within the Senate premises” following the information relayed by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin A. Matibag. Gatchalian and Senator Vicente Sotto III had earlier warned that

the Senate could be placed under lockdown if security threats are confirmed. The acting Senate chief told reporters that Matibag revealed this potential threat to the Senate building during a Blue Ribbon Committee consultative meeting on Monday. Meanwhile, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano questioned the credibility of an alleged security threat against the Senate as reported by the NBI, adding that the information could be a political tactic to distract from ongoing corruption inquiries. Malacañang also said reports of a potential security threat

PBBM: Resolve impasse before special session By Charles Dantes and Maricel V. Cruz COMMISSIONED. President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. speaks at the commissioning of the BRP Rajah Lakandula, one of the new offshore patrol vessels that will strengthen the Philippine Navy’s capabilities in patrolling and maintaining peace in the country’s territorial waters. PCO

Senate sets pre-trial conference on VP Sara’s case on June 18 By Maricel V. Cruz THE Senate impeachment court has formally scheduled the pre-trial conference in the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Zimmerman Duterte, marking the next major step in the proceedings and setting the

stage for the presentation of evidence and witnesses by both parties, House prosecutor Terry L. Ridon of Bicol Saro Party-list said Tuesday. In a Notice of Pre-Trial Conference issued on June 9 and signed by Acting Senate President and Presiding Officer Win Gatchalian, Ridon said

the impeachment court directed Vice President Duterte and the House prosecutors to appear on June 18, 2026, at 9 a.m. at the Sen. C.M. Recto Room in the Senate. Ridon said the notice stated that the parties may attend personally or through counsel and are expected to

DFA files protest vs. China over structure in Panatag shoal By Rex Espiritu THE government has lodged a diplomatic protest against China following the discovery of a structure in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), which authorities said raises concerns over an unauthorized presence within the country’s maritime zones. The move was confirmed by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), which said it is closely coordinating with security and maritime agencies after aerial and sea-based monitoring de-

Agence France Presse, however, put the death toll at 41, based on interviews from various provincial sources. Damage to infrastructure was placed at P562.8 million as authorities continue to assess the full extent of destruction in the hardest-hit areas of General Santos City, Sarangani, and South Cotabato, OCD Assistant Secretary Raffy Alejandro said. He said at least 1,200 school facilities were also damaged from the quake, with the Department of Education saying it may take three to four days before schools can safely resume face-to-face classes. Authorities also reported around 2,505 damaged houses, including 460 that were totally destroyed and 2,045 that sustained partial damage. Alejandro said the government is preparing housing repair kits, construction materials, and temporary shelters for affected residents, many of whom remain reluctant to return to their homes

Fugitive officer in killing of Sokor exec arrested

tected a 6-by-6-meter floating structure equipped with an antenna and reportedly occupied by personnel. AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. confirmed Monday that military surveillance assets observed a structure measuring approximately six meters by six meters within the shoal’s lagoon. In response, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has filed the appropriate diplomatic protest with the government of the People’s Republic of China, describing the Next page

address key pre-trial matters, including the stipulation of facts, simplification of issues, marking of documentary and real evidence, identification of witnesses, setting of trial dates, the proposed sequence for the presentation of evidence, and other matters that would

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. wants senators to settle their internal disputes first before any request for a special session moves forward, Malacañang said Tuesday, warning that legislative deadlock could render such a session ineffective. Speaking at a Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said discussions regarding a possible special session are still being finalized. “As of the moment, it is still being finalized, but the President’s preference is for the Senate to reach an agreement

Ex-PNP Lt. Col. Rafael P. Dumlao

A FUGITIVE ex-Philippine antinarcotics officer was arrested on Tuesday over his conviction in the 2016 kidnapping and killing of a South Korean businessman who was strangled inside the national police headquarters in Manila, officials said. The case of Jee Ick-joo, abducted by anti-narcotics police under the guise of a drug raid, was one of the most controversial cases of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly drug war. “According to a witness, they

kidnapped the Korean, attempted to extort money from him, strangled him, cremated his body and flushed the remains down the toilet,” Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla said as he announced the arrest of Rafael Dumlao. “The killing of Jee Ick-joo was the result of the abuses of ‘tokhang,’” Remulla told a news conference, using the local codename for anti-drug operations that killed thousands during Duterte’s 2016-2022 presidency. Next page