Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Friday, June 6, 2025.

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READ: ‘I have the numbers to kill impeach trial’

THE Senate is poised to take action on a resolution to dismiss the impeachment case against Vice President Sara Duterte, pending its official filing. Senate President Francis Escudero confirmed that if a resolution is submitted, it will undergo the standard procedures, including debate and a vote in the plenary. Amid circulating drafts of the resolution, Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa, a staunch Duterte ally, admitted that the initiative originated from his office. He plans to unify various inputs from other drafts into a cohesive resolution, with an anticipated filing next week. Dela Rosa expressed confidence in the support he will receive from his fellow senators.

READ: Teves refuses to enter plea in gun charges

OUSTED Negros Oriental congressman Arnolfo Teves Jr. refused to enter a plea during his arraignment Thursday at a Manila court, with his legal team decrying his forcible repatriation from Timor-Leste as an “illegal rendition” that violated international due process. The court entered a not guilty plea for him. The arraignment took place before Judge Merianthe Pacita Zuraek-Enciso of the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 12, in connection with weapons and explosives allegedly recovered during a 2023 police raid on Teves’ property in Bayawan City, Negros Oriental. The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group conducted the search in March 2023, reportedly seizing high-powered firearms and explosives from Teves’ residence in Barangay Malabugas. Authorities said the items were unregistered and unlawfully possessed. During Thursday’s pretrial proceedings, the prosecution and defense formally marked their evidence and listed their respective witnesses. Prosecutors also filed a motion to consolidate two related cases, citing overlapping evidence and witness testimony. Enciso said the court would rule later on a separate request from Teves’ legal team seeking to hold future hearings via videoconference. The court did not address any proposed transfer of Teves’ detention.

READ: President to study P200 wage hike’s impact

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will study the economic implications of the proposed 200-peso across-the-board daily salary increase in the minimum wage hike for workers, Malacañang said Thursday. Speaking to reporters, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that Marcos remained committed to finding a fair and practical resolution. The Palace official also assured the public that every aspect and concern of stakeholders would be looked into.

READ: Persons with HIV to get swift help

Marcos ordered the swift delivery of medical assistance to persons with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to help manage their condition, Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said Thursday. The President issued the directive after the Department of Health (DOH) reported that the number of young Filipinos infected with HIV, the virus that can cause AIDs, has increased by 500 percent, prompting it to request the declaration of a national public health emergency. At a Palace press conference, Herbosa said that an average of 57 HIV cases were recorded every day from January to March 2025.

READ: ‘Cabinet performance evaluation continues’

MALACAÑANG on Thursday reminded all Cabinet officials not to be complacent because their performance will be evaluated even after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. retained them. Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said that Cabinet secretaries whose courtesy resignations were not accepted by the president would still be subjected to regular performance review. Marcos had asked all his Cabinet secretaries to submit their courtesy resignations following the 2025 midterm elections to recalibrate his administration’s priorities and services. The president has so far retained nearly all members of his Cabinet, including Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and his economic team.

BUSINESS: Inflation hits 1.3%, lowest since 2019

Headlining business, inflation slowed for a fourth straight month in May, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday, raising the likelihood of another policy rate cut later this month. Consumer price growth edged down to 1.3 percent from 1.4 percent in April, hitting the median forecast of a Manila Times poll of analysts and falling within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) 0.9- to 1.7-percent estimate. It was the lowest since November 2019’s 1.2 percent and brought year-to-date inflation to 1.9 percent, below the BSP’s 2.0- to 4.0-percent target. Core inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy items, was unchanged at 2.2 percent.

SPORTS: Yulo banners PH team in Asian Championships

Over to sports, Olympic champion Carlos Yulo is ready to bring pride to the country once more as he banners the Philippine team in the 12th Senior Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships on June 5-8 in Jecheon, South Korea. After a historic two-gold medal haul in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Yulo will now embark in his first international competition after 10 months. The 25-year-old Filipino is set to defend his titles in the individual all-around, floor exercise, vault and parallel bars.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Rigoberto Tiglao and Van Ybiernas are today’s front page columnists. Tiglao talks about Mischief Reef, while Ybiernas contextualizes Philippine independence.

Today’s editorial discusses the Philippine National Police’s long road in regaining public trust. Read more in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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