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Metro Manila, Philippines – The Senate, sitting as the Impeachment Court, has set the pre-trial conference on the impeachment case of Vice President Sara Duterte for June 18, amid unresolved internal disputes in the chamber. Acting Senate President Win Gatchalian, the designated presiding officer, issued the notice to Duterte and the House prosecution panel on Tuesday, June 9.  Terry Ridon, Bicol Saro representative and prosecutor, shared a copy of the notice received by the House panel. In Gatchalian’s notice, the parties were directed to attend the pre-trial conference personally or through their counsel. The pre-trial conference will address the following: stipulation of facts and simplification of issues  marking of documentary or real evidence and waiver of objections or admissions on evidence number and identification of witnesses setting of trial dates proposed sequence for the presentation of evidence and possible modification of the order of trial such other matters as will…

Metro Manila, Philippines – A number of senators said on Tuesday, June 9, they have received information about possible threats to the Senate premises, with the chamber now under heightened security. In a statement, acting Senate President Win Gatchalian said National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag disclosed the information about a potential threat to the facility during the consultative meeting of the blue ribbon committee on the flood control scandal on Monday, June 8. Gatchalian said he will meet with the Senate executive committee including the sergeant at arms for security adjustments. “The security and safety of all senators and all Senate employees is paramount. We will make sure that our work environment is safe and secure,” he said. In a memorandum released Tuesday, Gatchalian authorized the Senate secretariat and employees to work from home on June 10 to 11 in light of the alleged threats. He said…

Metro Manila, Philippines – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered the Philippine Navy to further strengthen its capabilities, warning that the country’s surrounding waters have become arenas of growing competition and conflict amid rising geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific. Speaking during the Philippine Navy’s 128th anniversary celebration at Naval Station Jose Andrada in Manila, June 9, Marcos said a stronger and more modern Navy is essential to protecting Philippine interests, particularly in the West Philippine Sea, as the regional security environment becomes increasingly complex. “Strengthening the Philippine Navy’s capabilities remains essential to protecting our interests in the West Philippine Sea in light of the broader realities of our time,” Marcos said. The president said rapid economic and political developments have transformed the Indo-Pacific into the world’s geopolitical and economic center of gravity, bringing with it new security challenges. “The seas around us are arenas of competition and of conflict,” Marcos…

Metro Manila, Philippines –  Governments and diplomatic missions around the world have expressed sympathy and solidarity with the Philippines following the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on Monday, June 8, killing dozens of people, injuring hundreds and causing extensive damage across several provinces in the southern part of the country. The messages of support came as authorities continued search, rescue and relief operations in affected communities, while President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered a whole-of-government response to the disaster. The United States said it is prepared to support Philippine-led relief efforts. “The U.S. Embassy extends its deepest sympathies to all those affected by the earthquake in Mindanao on June 8, 2026. We continue to monitor the situation closely in coordination with Philippine authorities and stand ready to support Philippine-led response efforts,” the U.S. Embassy in Manila said in a statement. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi also conveyed her condolences to…

Metro Manila, Philippines – Former police lieutenant colonel Rafael Dumlao III has been arrested for the 2016 kidnapping and killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick-joo, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced on Tuesday, June 9. Law enforcement authorities apprehended Dumlao at 5:00 a.m. on Tuesday while he was asleep inside a residence in Quezon City, concluding a three-week surveillance operation. Seized from his possession was a firearm registered under another individual’s name. Remulla confirmed that Dumlao’s arrest follows his conviction for kidnapping with homicide, extortion, and carnapping in relation to Jee’s death. In October 2016, Jee was abducted from his home in Angeles City, Pampanga, by rogue police officers under the guise of an anti-drug operation. When the suspects failed to secure ransom from his family, the businessman was strangled to death inside the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame. His body was later cremated, and his ashes were…