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Metro Manila, Philippines – PhilHealth announced on Sunday, June 14 it is investigating the case of a man who died of a brain hematoma but did not receive any benefits despite being a longtime contributor. This comes days after his widow spoke out about the situation. According to Maria Lourdes Sulit in a now-viral Facebook post, her husband, Marvin, suffered a brain hematoma, but the family could not afford a life-saving operation that cost around ₱4 million. They were referred to another hospital where treatment was cheaper.  However, Sulit said they were still required to pay a ₱1 million deposit. “With time running out and no way to raise that amount immediately, we had no choice but to wait for Marvin to die. It was heartbreaking and devastating,” she wrote on Friday, June 12. “At 12:29 AM on June 4, Marvin passed away, he was admitted at around 5.59 am,”…

Metro Manila, Philippines – Sen. Joel Villanueva said on Sunday, June 14, that he would attend a special session of Congress if President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. were to call one. “Sa pagkakataon po na magkaroon ng special session, tutuparin po natin ang ating sagradong tungkulin sa ilalim ng ating Saligang Batas. We will be there,” Villanueva said in a video message to the Jesus is Lord Church, the religious group founded by his father, Eddie Villanueva. [Translation: “In the event that there is a special session, we will fulfill our sacred duty under the Constitution.”] Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has counted Villanueva in his bloc, which refuses to recognize the new majority and the leadership of Senator Win Gatchalian. “The Senate staff should not be caught in the middle of this political fight. Hindi po pwede puro away na lang. Bilang mga lingkod-bayan, prayoridad po natin dapat ang siguruhin na…

Metro Manila, Philippines – The death toll from the devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao has risen to 61, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported on Sunday morning. According to government data, 54 of the fatalities were recorded in SOCCSKSARGEN, while seven were reported in the Davao Region. The number of injured individuals has climbed to 1,403, while at least 40 people remain missing. Disaster officials stated that the earthquake has affected 173,000 families, or approximately 724,000 individuals. Around 2,000 of these families are currently staying in evacuation centers. Meanwhile, 13 cities and municipalities have declared a state of calamity. The OCD has initially recorded up to ₱1 billion in infrastructure damage, with nearly 10,000 homes totally destroyed.

(Reuters) – The number ​of confirmed Ebola ‌cases in Democratic Republic ​of Congo ​has increased to ⁠710, including ​149 deaths, ​government data showed on Saturday. The number ​represented ​the total number of ‌confirmed ⁠cases as of Friday, according to ​a ​situation ⁠report that documented ​21 new ​cases ⁠in the previous 24 ⁠hours. Reporting ​by ​Congo newsroom; Writing ​by Robbie Corey-Boulet

(Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump and mediator Pakistan said on Saturday an initial deal to end the war in the Middle East would be signed on Sunday, although Iran denied ​the signing would take place so soon. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the two sides had agreed on a framework for a peace deal and that Islamabad was preparing for an electronic signing on Sunday, ‌to be followed by technical-level talks next week. Trump said in a social media post that the deal with Iran was scheduled to be signed on Sunday and that the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for global oil supplies which Iran has blocked, would be immediately “open to all” after it was signed. Earlier on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned against commenting on the timing of the signing. “We will have to wait and see about the exact date of the signing of the…