Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Sunday, June 22, 2025.

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READ: Ombudsman, House clash over Sara case

THE Ombudsman and the House of Representatives are sharply divided over who filed the complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte involving the questionable use of confidential funds. Named as respondents along with Duterte in the complaint are former special disbursing officers Edward Fajarda and Gina Acosta of the Office of the Vice President (OVP), former Department of Education (DepEd) assistant secretary Sunshine Fajarda, and former Education undersecretary Nolasco Mempin. They are charged with technical malversation, falsification of public documents, use of falsified documents, perjury, bribery, corruption of public officers, plunder and betrayal of public trust, and culpable violation of the Constitution. Ombudsman Samuel Martires is insisting that the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, also known as the blue ribbon, is the complainant in the case. But House spokesman Priscilla Abante said the House did not file the complaint. What it submitted to the Ombudsman was the committee’s report on the transmission of the articles of impeachment against Duterte.

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READ: PH officials recount escape from Israel

TWENTY-ONE government officials who were at a training seminar in Israel last week said they were forced to seek shelter in underground bunkers during a barrage of missiles from Iran. Israel and Iran started firing rockets and drones at each other last week, triggering new hostilities between the arch-foes. Seventeen local government officials and four agriculture experts from the Department of Agriculture were attending a training program on food security and sustainable agricultural practices when the conflict broke out. The group arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport early Saturday morning.

READ: Digital financing a big boost to Filipinos overseas

RIZAL Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) is optimistic about the path of overseas Filipino workers’ (OFW) remittances, citing its collaboration with the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) to promote digital finance literacy and expand digital banking services for Filipinos worldwide. The agreement was formalized by RCBC Executive Vice President and Chief Innovations and Inclusion Officer Lito Villanueva and CFO Executive Director Undersecretary Ma. Arlene Borja. Villanueva said the collaboration between the RCBC and CFO “is really pivotal in so far as having to really empower and enable more Filipinos, have that competency and responsibility when it comes to having that access.”

READ: Marcos not giving an inch of PH territory

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Saturday vowed to preserve the country’s territorial integrity without compromise under his watch. The President made the comment after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commo. Jay Tarriela said the next administration should continue Marcos’ policy of asserting the country’s maritime rights. The President said the Philippines was not being confrontational but merely defending its territory.

BUSINESS: PH WCY ranking indication of reforms

In business, the Philippines’ improved ranking in the 2025 World Competitiveness Yearbook is an indication of the country’s ongoing commitment to regulatory reform and enhancing public sector performance, the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) said. The Philippines recently ranked 51st out of 69 economies in the 2025 World Competitiveness Yearbook (WCY) by the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development. This was an improvement from the previous 52nd ranking.

SPORTS: Eala in official Wimbledon entry list

Over to sports, Alex Eala of the Philippines is set for her second professional Grand Slam tournament and major debut on the grass court. Eala has been officially included on the entry list of 2025 Wimbledon Championships in London from June 30 to July 13. The final tournament draws will be confirmed three days before the competition. Ranked 77th in the WTA rankings, Eala is listed 72nd in the Wimbledon rankings led by World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus. World No. 2 Coco Gauff and No. 3 Jessica Pegula of the United States, No. 5 Jasmine Paolini and No. 8 Iga Swiatek round out the top five players in the tournament rankings. As final preparation for the tournament, Eala, who made her Grand Slam debut at the Roland Garros on May 25, was set to compete at the Eastbourne Open in England.

READ: Opinion and editorial

Marlen Ronquillo is today’s front page columnist, as he talks about the rebirth of outrage over the Senate’s actions in remanding the articles of impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte to the House of Representatives.

Today’s editorial says there’s a light at the end of the tunnel for motorists in several streets in Quezon City, over the construction of the Metro Rail Transit-7 system, which is set to be completed in two years. Read more in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.

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