Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Wednesday, June 25, 2025.
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READ: Truce falters; Israel vows more attacks
A tentative truce faltered Tuesday when Israel vowed to retaliate after saying Iran launched missiles into its airspace more than two hours after the ceasefire was supposed to take effect. Iran’s military denied firing on Israel, state media reported — but explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel midmorning. Earlier, both Israel and Iran had accepted the ceasefire plan to end their 12-day war. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called the missiles a violation of the ceasefire and instructed Israel’s military to resume “the intense operations to attack Tehran and to destroy targets of the regime and terror infrastructure.” The shaky agreement was announced early Tuesday morning by US President Donald Trump after Tehran launched a limited retaliatory missile attack on a US military base in Qatar on Monday. Earlier Tuesday, Israel said it agreed to Trump's declaration of a ceasefire with Iran, adding that it has achieved all its objectives in the 12-day war with its arch-foe.
READ: Pinoys told: Don’t wait for ceasefire to leave
FILIPINOS should not wait for a ceasefire between Iran and Israel before deciding to be repatriated, Philippine Ambassador to Amman, Jordan, Wilfredo Santos said on Tuesday. Santos made the remark in a radio interview when a Filipino listener from Jordan commented that he hopes that the reported truce between the two warring countries is true so that he can return to the Philippines. There are about 42,000 Filipinos working and living in Jordan, most of whom work in the household sector, he said.
READ: PUV drivers, farmers to get fuel subsidies
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has directed pertinent government agencies to distribute financial aid to drivers and operators of public utility vehicles as well as farmers and fishermen to help cushion the impact of oil price hikes, the Department of Energy (DOE) said Tuesday. The Palace issued this statement even as the global price of oil dipped to $69 per barrel from the “high 70s” recently. In a briefing at the Palace, DOE officer-in-charge Sharon Garin said the “industry has calmed down” after prices spiked as a result of the war between Israel and Iran. While the Palace initially said subsidies would be triggered when the price of oil hit $80 a barrel, Garin said the president's order was to make sure that owners and drivers of public utility vehicles, farmers and fishermen were protected from oil price spikes.
READ: Sara back from Melbourne, hit on pro-Beijing remarks
VICE President Sara Duterte arrived in the Philippines on Tuesday afternoon after visiting the Filipino community in Melbourne over the weekend, the Office of the Vice President said Tuesday. In Melbourne, Duterte participated in the “Free Duterte Now” rally held at the Parliament Gardens on Sunday, where she called on Filipinos to urge the Australian government to push for the release of her father, former president Rodrigo Duterte, who is detained in The Netherlands awaiting trial for crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court (ICC). She also criticized the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for his foreign policy that leaned toward the United States instead of other countries such as China. That speech was criticized by think tank Stratbase, saying it disregarded “the gravity of China’s violations of Philippine sovereignty,” and also “shamelessly” carried Beijing’s propaganda narrative.
READ: Frasco: No decision to run for speaker
CEBU 5th District Rep. Duke Frasco said he has not decided to run for speaker of the House, despite earlier reports that he is among those being floated for the speakership in the 20th Congress. In a statement, Frasco said that he has not made any decision to run for speaker. Frasco reiterated his support for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his agenda. Frasco and his wife, Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, joined the president and first lady Liza Marcos in visiting the Philippine Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan.
BUSINESS: Lower inflation seen boosting Q2 growth
Headlining business, Philippine economic growth could edge up to 5.6 percent in the second quarter (Q2), the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) said, driven by lower inflation and increased consumer spending. The projected expansion, which if realized will improve from the first quarter’s 5.4 percent, remains below the government’s 6.0- to 8.0-percent goal for this year. The January-March figure remains preliminary and could be adjusted just before second-quarter data is released on Aug. 7. A revision to the economic growth target could be announced this Thursday, meanwhile, with the interagency Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) having met on Monday. A press briefing has been scheduled for Thursday.
SPORTS: SMB, Ginebra begin semis clash
Over to sports, top seed San Miguel Beer (SMB) and Barangay Ginebra begin their Game 1 collision for the PBA Season 49 Philippine Cup best-of-seven semifinal series on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Game time is at 7:30 p.m. with the Beermen expected to kick off the seriesopening game with a lot of fireworks led by six-time PBA Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Juami Tiongson and Don Trollano. The Beermen are on a redemption tour in this conference since missing the playoffs for the first time in a decade in the Commissioner’s Cup. Ginebra coach Tim Cone knows repeating its 4-1 semifinal series win against SMB in the Governors’ Cup this season won’t be easy. The American coach said the All-Filipino easily gives SMB the motivation to perform even better.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Fr. Ranhilio Aquino and Francisco Tatad are today’s front page columnists. Fr. Aquino wants a law against wars, while Tatad asks if the UniTeam was merely a “marriage of convenience” in 2022.
Today’s editorial says the world must learn to do without the United States. Read more in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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