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TOP STORY

All Eyes on the Senate: VP Duterte’s Impeachment Trial Nears Crucial Vote

The Philippine political calendar is circling June 11—the date when the Senate is expected to decide whether to convene as an impeachment court to try Vice President Sara Duterte. The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on February 5, citing serious allegations including an alleged plot to assassinate President Marcos Jr., large-scale corruption, and failure to denounce China’s actions in the South China Sea. The charges have since sparked legal debate and political scrutiny, turning this into one of the most closely watched proceedings in recent years.

Duterte has firmly denied the allegations and questioned the motivations behind the impeachment, calling it a “political crucifixion.” She’s described the process as a move by opponents to damage her credibility and derail her future prospects. Her controversial “bloodbath” comment, which drew public attention, was later clarified as metaphorical.

Inside the Senate, opinions remain divided. Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino has raised concerns about the constitutional timeline—arguing that if the trial doesn’t begin before June 30, when the 19th Congress ends, the case might effectively lapse. Others, including Senate Minority Leader Koko Pimentel, believe the trial can and should proceed regardless of timing.

Why it matters:
This isn’t just about one person or one party. The outcome could reshape the 2028 elections, shift alliances, and influence how future checks on public officials are carried out. For now, the Senate’s June 11 decision will be a litmus test—not just of political will, but of how institutions respond under pressure.

MARKETS
Local Market at a Glance

PSEi: 6,352.66 ▲ +11.13 (+0.17%)
BSP Rates: 5.50% (borrowing) | 5.00% (deposit) | 6.00% (lending)
🌐 Global Markets
Bitcoin: $104,743.00 - $105,079.00
Gold: $3,353.29

💱 Exchange Rates (PHP per 1 unit)

🇺🇸 USD: ₱55.57
🇬🇧 GBP: ₱75.15
🇸🇦 SAR: ₱14.82
🇯🇵 JPY: ₱0.3876
🇪🇺 EUR: ₱63.55
🇦🇪 AED: ₱15.15
Note: Exchange rates may vary slightly depending on provider.

NEWS FLASH

YouTuber Vitaly Zdorovetskiy Faces Jail Time in PH,No Country Will Take Him. BackRussian-American YouTuber Vitaly Zdorovetskiy is facing trial—and possibly a year in a Philippine jail—after both the US and Russia refused to repatriate him. He was arrested in April after filming “pranks” in Manila that authorities called harassment. Charges include unjust vexation, stemming from viral videos of him mocking strangers and disrupting public spaces. Despite his appeal citing mental health issues, the Philippines will move forward with prosecution.

PH, EU Launch Security Dialogue Amid Rising Global Tensions.The Philippines and EU are kicking off a formal security and defense dialogue, aimed at tackling cyber threats, foreign interference, and maritime tensions. Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo and EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas say the platform will deepen cooperation on everything from counterterrorism to crisis response. The two sides also reaffirmed commitment to UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Award. Meanwhile, Manila is strengthening ties with Japan, Ukraine, and the Netherlands on defense training and strategy.

PH Universities Stuck in Neutral as Asia Sprints Ahead. In the latest CWUR 2025 global rankings, only two Philippine universities—UP Manila and UP Diliman—made the cut. But instead of celebrating, education experts are waving red flags. UP Manila dropped 40 spots to 1,677th, while Diliman inched up to 1,784th. Meanwhile, Asian neighbors like China are soaring, thanks to aggressive investment in research and education. CWUR calls the local trend “a cause for concern,” citing stagnation in funding, faculty development, and graduate employability.

China Daily vs. AFP: Verbal Clash in Singapore.At the Shangri-La Dialogue, Defense Sec. Teodoro and AFP chief Gen. Brawner Jr. accused Chinese state media of twisting facts in a viral article targeting the Philippines’ West Philippine Sea stance. The China Daily piece showed a “reporter” ambushing Brawner with questions about Sandy Cay—AFP says it was a propaganda stunt using “selective footage.” Teodoro didn’t mince words: “They're sending intel agents posing as journalists.” Tensions now go beyond waters—straight into press rooms.

Factory Slowdown Hits PH, but Low Inflation Offers a Silver Lining. Philippine manufacturing nearly stalled in May, with the country’s PMI dipping to 50.1 from 53 in April—just a hair above contraction. Global trade tensions and a drop in export orders cooled factory output and hiring, according to S&P Global. Sentiment? Third-weakest on record. But there’s a bright spot: inflation remains tame, which could make Filipino-made goods more competitive abroad despite the trade war headwinds.

PESO EXPLAINS
Why Is PH Internet Still So Slow (and So Expensive)?

You’re paying ₱1,699/month for "fiber internet"—but somehow your Netflix still buffers and Zoom feels like a slideshow. The truth? While Philippine internet speeds have improved on paper, they still lag behind much of the world—and your experience depends heavily on where you live.

As of early 2025, mobile speeds average around 35.56 Mbps, while fixed broadband hits about 93.68 Mbps. But don’t let the numbers fool you—these averages are pulled up by Metro Manila and CALABARZON. In places like Eastern Visayas, fixed broadband speeds crawl at just 38.43 Mbps. Infrastructure investments tend to cluster in urban centers, leaving rural and remote areas underserved.

Geography doesn’t help either. The Philippines is made up of over 7,000 islands, which makes it logistically and financially difficult to lay down fiber networks and build out cell towers. Plus, many telcos rely on shared undersea cables and distant server routes that increase latency—especially when most internet traffic routes through data centers outside the country.

The bigger issue? There’s not enough real competition. The broadband market is dominated by a few players—PLDT, Globe, Converge—and in many areas, you don’t even have a choice. Fewer options means less pressure to improve service and pricing. And speaking of pricing—Filipino households pay more for slower internet compared to neighbors like Vietnam and Thailand, where faster speeds are available for half the cost.

Even mobile internet isn’t safe. Most promos come with data caps or throttled “unli” offers. Watching a few TikToks or attending video meetings on LTE can burn through your monthly quota quickly.

Bottom line: PH internet is improving—but it’s still too slow, too expensive, and too uneven. Until infrastructure becomes truly nationwide and competition increases, many Filipinos will keep paying more… for less.

BUSINESS AND INVESTMENT

BPI Makes ₱10 InstaPay Fee Permanent After Surge in Usage. BPI is locking in its reduced ₱10 InstaPay fee—for good. Originally a promo (down from ₱25), the lower charge for inter-bank transfers via its mobile app saw a spike in user adoption. Now it’s official. BPI says the move supports its push for more convenient, affordable digital banking for Filipinos.

DTI Reassesses ₱1.75T Investment Goal as 2025 Targets Get Tougher. The Department of Trade and Industry is revisiting its ambitious ₱1.75T investment target for 2025. Trade Secretary Cristina Roque says a review is underway, following a strong 2024 performance with ₱1.9T in registered investments—now the new baseline to beat. The DTI is also doubling down on easing red tape via a new investment facilitation network and equipping exporters for complex global markets with digital tools and training.

PH Expands Meat Sources, Taps Taiwan and Thailand. The Department of Agriculture just approved new meat imports from Taiwan and Thailand in a bid to stabilize local prices and supply. Four Taiwanese and two Thai meat suppliers passed safety checks and can now export pork offal, skin, chicken, and duck to the Philippines until 2028. With African swine fever still hurting local hog farms, the DA says more global partners mean better quality and prices for Filipinos—for now.

GCash, Pluang PH First to Enter SEC’s Regulatory Sandbox. The SEC has greenlit GCash and Pluang Philippines as the inaugural testers in its new regulatory sandbox, “StratBox.” The goal? Let fintechs trial new products in a safe, controlled setting. Pluang’s upcoming app, Flow, plans to offer Filipinos access to fractional U.S. stock investments—starting at just $1. Think Nvidia, Google, or Amazon, but bite-sized. The sandbox will limit users initially while the SEC watches how the tech plays out.

WORLD NEWS

Poland Elects Conservative Historian in Razor-Thin Upset. In a nail-biter finish, Karol Nawrocki—a right-wing historian and PiS-backed political newbie—snagged Poland’s presidency with 50.9% of the vote, edging out liberal Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski.The twist? Exit polls initially showed Trzaskowski ahead. He even claimed victory. But overnight, Nawrocki pulled off the comeback.Nawrocki, 42, is pro-family, pro-sovereignty, anti-Brussels. He’ll likely wield his veto pen to block PM Donald Tusk’s EU-friendly agenda.While Poland’s presidency is mostly ceremonial, veto power means Tusk’s coalition may struggle to pass reforms—especially on judicial independence and abortion rights.

UN: Gaza Now the “Hungriest Place on Earth” as Aid Access Collapses. The UN says Gaza is experiencing “engineered scarcity” as Israeli restrictions, delayed approvals, and chaotic distribution choke life-saving aid. Over 80% of the Strip is now militarized or under displacement orders.Despite donor-funded food stockpiled and cleared for entry, only a trickle of aid is reaching Gazans. Of 900 trucks approved in the past 10 days, less than 600 were offloaded, and even fewer reached people—many of whom are now swarming trucks in desperation.A U.S.-backed private aid system is also under fire after 47 Palestinians were shot while trying to collect food. The UN called the effort “not working” and a violation of humanitarian neutrality.Two million people remain trapped in an escalating crisis with famine looming. After 600 days of conflict, the UN is urging a “moment of reckoning.”

Saudi Arabia Blocks 269,000 Unauthorized Pilgrims from Entering Mecca. Saudi authorities are cracking down hard ahead of this year’s Hajj, stopping over 269,000 people without permits from entering Mecca. The move aims to prevent overcrowding and avoid a repeat of last year’s deadly heatwave, where unauthorized pilgrims reportedly made up a large share of fatalities.

Only 1.4 million registered pilgrims are currently in Mecca, but more are expected. Fines of up to $5,000—and possible deportation—await those caught sneaking in, including Saudi residents. So far, 23,000 locals have been penalized and 400 Hajj companies had their licenses revoked.With scorching temperatures and millions of people on the move, Saudi Arabia is deploying drones for the first time to monitor crowds and even put out fires.

U.S. to Revoke Chinese Student Visas in National Security Push. The U.S. will start "aggressively" revoking visas of Chinese students, especially those tied to the Chinese Communist Party or studying in “critical fields,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday. Think: AI, biotech, quantum—the high-stakes stuff.China fired back, calling the move discriminatory and a hit to America’s global image. The tension adds to already declining numbers: Chinese students in the U.S. dropped from 370,000 in 2019 to 277,000 in 2023–24.

SCIENCE & QUIRKY

Whisky, but make it weird: Yes, you can ferment diabetic pee into alcohol

In one of the strangest science-meets-art crossovers ever, British designer James Gilpin once turned his diabetic grandmother’s urine into… whisky. The project, aptly named Gilpin Family Whisky, wasn't about launching the next Glenfiddich killer—it was a thought experiment on waste, health, and how far humans can go to repurpose biology.

Here’s the science: people with uncontrolled diabetes often excrete glucose in their urine. Gilpin extracted that sugar, purified it, and used it to ferment alcohol. The final product? A very unconventional spirit with a story no one asked for.

Don’t worry—this was more art installation than bar menu item. But it did raise legit questions: what biological waste are we ignoring? Could this tech help in disaster zones? Should we ever drink anything that once left a bladder?

Purple Blood, Don’t Care: Japan’s Universal Fake Blood Could Save Millions

Move over vampires—Japan’s latest medical flex might just rewrite the rules of emergency care. Scientists at Nara Medical University say they’ve created artificial blood that works on anyone, regardless of blood type. And yes, it’s purple.

Led by Prof. Hiromi Sakai, the team crafted this sci-fi serum by recycling hemoglobin from expired blood and wrapping it in a virus-proof shell. Translation: universal red blood cells that don’t play the A-B-O matching game.

Even cooler? It lasts up to two years—way longer than the usual 28-day lifespan of regular blood. That’s a game-changer for disaster relief, military medics, and hospitals that run dry.

The tech is still in trials, but if all goes well, Japan could roll it out by 2030. Until then, we’ll be watching closely... preferably from the non-purple side of the IV line.

Got Type O Blood? You're Basically a Mosquito Buffet

Science confirms what itchy people have long suspected: mosquitoes do play favorites—and Type O blood is their top pick. Studies show these thirsty pests land on Type O individuals nearly twice as often as those with Type A. Type B? Somewhere in the middle, like a mosquito’s maybe pile. The secret's in your skin—literally. About 85% of us are “secretors,” meaning we ooze blood-type signals through our pores. For Type O folks, that means broadcasting an all-you-can-eat buffet to nearby bugs.

But blood type isn’t the only factor. Mosquitoes also love CO2 (hello, mouth-breathers), sweat chemicals, body heat, and dark clothing. Bigger bodies, pregnant women, and joggers? Extra tasty.

The real concern: more bites = higher risk of diseases like dengue or malaria. So if you're a Type O secretor in the tropics wearing black while jogging—yeah, good luck.

PESO PICKS
Curated Finds for Savvy Filipinos

📵 Freedom App
Block distractions. Focus better. Works across all devices.
Link of the site. : Click here

📚 Kwentoon
Discover Pinoy comics & webtoons. Support Filipino creatives.
Link of the site. : Click here

🗣️ Pimsleur
Learn languages via audio. Includes Filipino content.
Link of the site. : Click here

🎓 MasterClass
Top-tier lessons from global experts. High-quality + inspiring.
Link of the site. : Click here

🍴 Market Manila
Deep dive into Filipino food culture. Recipes + history + flavor.
Link of the site. : Click here

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