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Filipino Times
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Filipino Times
Comelec explains delay in official election results due to pending transmissions
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) clarified that delays in the official election results are due to pending transmissions from various provinces and overseas posts. Comelec Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr. said on Monday night that the national canvassing cannot proceed until all provincial-level canvassing is completed. These include 83 provinces and 93 foreign posts, such as the UAE, where overseas Filipinos cast their votes. 'The reason nga kung bakit ang Comelec ay hindi naman pwedeng maglabas ng kahit anong resulta tungkol sa mga senatorial at party lists dahil we have to wait for the provinces na makumpuni ang resulta ng municipalities within their provinces, so that they themselves can have their own provincial canvass, which they will in turn send to us,' Maceda explained in an interview with ABS-CBN News. Maceda also clarified that the Comelec website is not the official source of results. 'It only reflected the election returns as they come in,' he said. He urged candidates not to declare victory until the majority of the election returns are received. 'Hindi ka pwede magproclaim ng kandidato until at least 90 percent of the returns are in,' he added. Maceda noted that while some results from both local and international posts have already come in, the process must be completed before any proclamations can be made.
Gulf News
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Gulf News
Miss Universe Philippines 2025: All you need to know about pageant and how you can help choose winner
Sixty-six dazzling candidates. One glittering crown. And now? One massive twist: you get to help decide who gets it. Miss Universe Philippines 2025 is going full democracy glam this year, announcing that fans can vote in real-time to push their favorite candidates all the way to the top. That's right—from Top 24 to Top 12 to Top 6, your tap could make someone's sash dreams come true. 'It's your turn to help shape the destiny of Miss Universe Philippines 2025!' the organisation posted on Instagram. Voting is live on the Miss Universe Philippines app—so may the best queen (and fanbase) win. The coronation night, set to light up the SM Mall of Asia Arena tonight, is already being billed as one of the grandest ever. National director Ariella Arida and executive VP Voltaire Tayag are promising a spectacle packed with power, poise, and a whole lot of pageant prowess. 'These girls are running on a schedule three times tougher than ours back in the day,' Arida told ABS-CBN News. 'But you wouldn't know it. Their energy? Unmatched.' Just one night after the elaborate National Costume Show, contestants were still in high spirits during Thursday's all-day rehearsals. Tayag praised their stamina and savvy: 'They're maximizing every break. It's pro-level discipline.' And Arida? She's feeling the chills. 'I've watched their entire journey—from auditions to now. This is their moment.' The pageant is also coming off its global high: reigning queen Chelsea Manalo made history earlier this year when she became the first Miss Universe Asia 2025. The pressure is on—and the competition has never been fiercer. So what separates a contestant from a queen? Tayag says it's all about real, effortless confidence. 'When she's not pretending—when she's just being —that's when she lights up the stage.' 'There's always fan favorites,' Arida added, 'but Miss Universe Philippines has a way of revealing the one right when it counts.' In fact, so many candidates brought their A-game that the org had to bump the Top 3 National Costume awardees to a Top 5. As they say: too much fabulous to contain. Catch the action live via Empire Philippines' YouTube channel, or watch the delayed telecast on GMA Network on May 4. One thing's for sure: the sash, the crown, and the crown-worthy drama are all coming in hot.
Filipino Times
02-04-2025
- Business
- Filipino Times
Abalos vows to remove e-VAT to lower electricity cost; create more jobs for Filipinos
Former Interior Secretary and senatorial candidate Benhur Abalos Jr. has promised to push for the removal of the expanded value-added tax (e-VAT) on electricity to help reduce power bills and create more job opportunities for Filipinos. Abalos said high electricity costs make it difficult for businesses to thrive in the country. By scrapping the 12-percent e-VAT on electricity, he believes more companies will invest, leading to increased job creation and economic growth. 'I will file a bill na tanggalin, at the very least, yung e-VAT sa kuryente. Bakit? Once matanggal mo yan, dadami ang mga kompanyang papasok,' Abalos said in an interview with ABS-CBN News. 'How can you promote manufacturing and other kind of things kung doon pa lang sa kuryente, talo ka na,' he added. For illustrative purposes only With the 12-percent VAT, a household consuming 200 kWh at P12.29 per kWh pays a total electricity bill of P2,752.98. Without EVAT, the bill drops to P2,458.02, saving nearly P300 each month. While he acknowledged that removing the tax could mean revenue losses for the government, Abalos said the economic boost from increased business investments and job creation would more than make up for it. 'May kapalit 'yan. Dadami naman ang ibang klaseng negosyo. Dadami ang trabaho sa tao, at magiginhawaan aNg tao,' Abalos has consistently opposed VAT on electricity. As a congressman in 2005, he voted against its implementation, warning that it would drive up inflation and increase the financial burden on Filipino consumers. After the e-VAT law was passed, he immediately filed a resolution seeking a two-year suspension of VAT on electricity and fuel, arguing that it would help ease financial strain on both businesses and households. If elected senator, Abalos vows to continue this fight, pushing for legislative reforms that will lower power costs and create a more business-friendly environment for the country.
NBC News
12-03-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Philippine ex-President Duterte to face murder charges at ICC for drug war killings
ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — A plane carrying former Philippine leader Rodrigo Duterte to the International Criminal Court to face charges over his bloody 'war on drugs' took off for Rotterdam on Wednesday, after being delayed by a few hours during a layover in Dubai. Duterte, who led the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, was arrested early Tuesday in Manila, marking the biggest step yet in the ICC's investigation into alleged crimes against humanity during an anti-drug crackdown that killed thousands and drew condemnation around the world. Duterte, 79, could become the first Asian former head of state to go on trial at the ICC in The Hague. The ICC's warrant for his arrest says that as president, Duterte created, funded and armed 'death squads' in his war on drugs that carried out murders of purported drug users and dealers. In coming days, he will be brought before a judge and will have the allegations read out in court. Prosecutors accuse him of crimes against humanity for systematic attacks that led to dozens of murders. A source at the ICC, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the plane carrying the former president to Rotterdam, the airport serving The Hague, had taken off from Dubai, which was also confirmed by flight tracker websites. Duterte received medical attention during the layover in Dubai. Philippine broadcaster ABS-CBN News showed on its website pictures of what it said were police doctors checking on Duterte as he lay on an airplane bed. A spokesperson for the Philippine National Police said the medical checks were routine 'regular vital signs and monitoring.' About 20 anti-Duterte protesters gathered on Wednesday outside the ICC with banners and a mask depicting him as a vampire. A handful of pro-Duterte protesters also gathered at the court building in The Hague. Back home, for families of Philippine drug war victims, Duterte's arrest revived hopes for justice. 'I was surprised and felt as if I had been brought back to life because what we have been fighting for is finally coming to fruition — we are finally getting justice for our loved ones who were taken from us,' said Jerica Ann Pico, the widow of a man who was killed during the war on drugs. His daughter Sara Duterte, the country's vice president, boarded a morning flight to Amsterdam, her office said in a statement, but it did not say what she intended to do there or how long she planned to stay in the Netherlands. The ICC's press office declined to comment. One of Duterte's lawyers did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Officials in Dubai also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told a news conference on Tuesday that the plane carrying Duterte was en route to The Hague, saying that would allow the former president 'to face charges of crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody war on drugs.' The war on drugs was the signature campaign platform that swept the mercurial Duterte to power in 2016. During his six years in office, 6,200 suspects were killed during anti-drug operations, by the police's count. Activists say the real toll was far greater, with many thousands more slum drug users gunned down in mysterious circumstances, some of whom were on community 'watch lists' after they signed up for treatment. Silvestre Bello, a former labor minister and one of the former president's lawyers, said a legal team would meet to assess options and seek clarity on where Duterte would be taken and whether they would be granted access to him. Duterte's youngest daughter, Veronica, plans to file a habeas corpus request with the Philippine Supreme Court to compel the government to bring him back, said Salvador Panelo, his former chief legal counsel. The arrest marks a stunning change of fortunes for the influential Duterte family, which formed a formidable alliance with Marcos to help him win a 2022 election by a huge margin. But Marcos and his vice president have since had a bitter fallout, culminating in Sara Duterte's impeachment last month by a lower house led by loyalists of Marcos.
Filipino Times
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Filipino Times
Andrea Brillantes confirms she's dating
It's official! Andrea Brillantes has confirmed that she's dating again. The Kapamilya actress told ABS-CBN News that she is currently seeing someone, clarifying that she is not yet in a relationship but open to dating. 'Sinabi ko naman na open ako sa pag-de-date kasi two years na rin naman akong walang boyfriend… I am dating someone right now.' That someone is Filipino-Jordanian former basketball player Sam Fernandez, a longtime friend of Brillantes. The two have been spotted together multiple times, including on Valentine's week, when Brillantes was seen holding a bouquet of pink roses from Fernandez. He was also present at her Lucky Beauty anniversary event last Friday. Brillantes, who turns 22 on March 12, shared that despite past controversies, she remains grateful: 'Life is really a roller coaster… But it's still life. I'm still grateful for everything.' As for her birthday wish? A stronger faith in God and continued peace and happiness in her life.
