Category: Philippine Star

Diesel and kerosene prices are set to fall today, but the rollback is an uneven breather at the pumps as gasoline is still expected to climb.

The rollback lands after weeks of fuel volatility tied to the Iran war and fears of supply disruption through the Strait of Hormuz, pressures that have pushed energy security from gas stations to the ASEAN agenda.

But the relief is not broad-based. Analysts warn that oil-price swings are still clouding the country’s relatively rapid inflation, while electricity costs remain under strain from hotter weather, stronger demand and pass-through charges despite temporary collection relief measures for consumers.

Here are the estimated fuel prices for Tuesday, May 12.

Newly installed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s claim that no senator has ever been arrested inside Senate premises is false. Two of the five former senators he named to support his claim – Antonio Trillanes IV and Leila de Lima – were arrested inside the Senate.

Cayetano made the statement Monday, May 11, after being freshly installed as the upper chamber’s new leader, and as his first moves were to place Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa under protective custody. Dela Rosa is the subject of a warrant of arrest by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

“No senator was allowed to be arrested ever in the Senate premises. Enrile, Estrada, Revilla… I think… Trillanes. Apat na yun [That’s four.] So si Leila, eh ‘di lima na ‘yun. [That’s five.] Never been allowed arrested, and there’s always coordination with the office of the Senate president,” Cayetano said at the plenary.

Rating: This is false.

Facts

Trillanes was arrested inside the Senate on Sept. 25, 2018 while it was in session.

The Philippine National Police served a warrant for rebellion issued by the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150, under then-Judge Elmo Alameda.

The warrant followed then-President Rodrigo Duterte’s revocation of the amnesty granted to Trillanes for his role in the 2003 Oakwood mutiny and the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege.

At least two news reports from The STAR and GMA News in 2018 state that Trillanes was waiting for National Capital Region Police Office chief Guillermo Eleazar and his team at the senators’ lounge, after which he was escorted out of the Senate premises.

Trillanes was then taken to the Makati Police Station for booking. He posted P200,000 bail that same day.

The former senator also refuted Cayetano directly in a Facebook post Monday evening.

“Anong pinagsasabi ni Alan Cayetano na wala pang naa-aresto sa loob ng Senate? Eh, ano ‘to? Back in 2018, Makati RTC issued a warrant against me for rebellion and it was served by the PNP while the Senate was in session,” he wrote. “The arresting PNP personnel read to me the Miranda rights while I was at the Executive Lounge beside the Senate Session Hall. Sumama ako sa mga pulis na nag-aresto sakin.”

De Lima was also arrested inside the Senate. The Muntinlupa RTC issued a warrant against her on Feb. 23, 2017, on drug trafficking charges, later condemned by international human rights bodies as politically motivated.

Police first tried to serve the warrant at her home that night. She returned to her Senate office, where she spent the night.

On the morning of Feb. 24, 2017, De Lima turned herself over to the arresting authorities. From her Senate office in Room 502, she was escorted by the agents of the CIDG led by then-Chief Superintendent Roel Obusan. [x, x]

Both De Lima and Trillanes were vocal critics of former President Rodrigo Duterte, under whose term their arrests were carried out.

Cayetano was correct in saying former senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. were not arrested in the Senate. But neither were the three at the Senate when the warrants for their arrest were issued, and none had police come for them there.

Revilla left his home and surrendered directly to the Sandiganbayan on June 20, 2014, the same morning the anti-graft court issued the warrant.

Estrada turned himself over to police at Camp Crame on June 23, 2014, after leaving his Quezon City home and stopping at his parents’ house in San Juan.

Enrile left his Dasmariñas Village home in Makati and surrendered at Camp Crame on July 4, 2014, hours after the Sandiganbayan ordered his arrest.

Why we fact-checked this

Cayetano invoked the supposed precedent on his first night as Senate president to justify placing Dela Rosa under protective custody and barring NBI agents from serving the ICC-linked warrant.

He said the Senate under his leadership will entertain only arrest warrants issued by Philippine courts, citing Senate Resolution No. 44.

CCTV footage shown during Monday’s session captured dela Rosa running up a fire exit and stumbling on the stairs to evade NBI agents before reaching the plenary, where he cast the 13th vote that installed Cayetano.

The Senate later cited the NBI personnel in contempt and placed the building on lockdown.

A lawmaker from Camarines Sur as well as officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and private contractor companies are facing graft and corruption complaints for the collapse of two flood control projects in the province.

Named in the complaint were Camarines Sur 4th District Rep. Arnulf Bryan Fuentebella, DPWH 4th district engineer Gemma Timbang, her predecessor Nestor Gorimbao, as well as officials of the A.C. Rivero Dev. Corp. and Partido Construction and Supply.

In the complaint filed before the Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon on April 13 and furnished to the media only yesterday, taxpayer Romeo Penilla alleged that the 60-meter flood control structure along Sagñay River collapsed while the entire 743-meter seawall stretch in Garchitorena town was washed out ‘despite being both fully paid and reported as completed.’

Penilla claimed that several deficiencies were found in the Sagñay River project, including the ‘absence of precast concrete piles and steel sheet piles, structural base failure, scouring, cracks (and) swelling.’

The defective seawall in Garchitorena ‘indicated poor quality of concrete (and) absence of rigid or stable foundation works,’ Penilla added, noting that the destruction of the seawall affected 34 households.

Penilla said the two projects were funded under the General Appropriations Act through the office of Fuentebella.

The Sagñay River flood control structure was funded with P37.2 million while the seawall from Barangays 1 to 4 in Garchitorena had a price tag of over P46.9 million.

Penilla asked the ombudsman to probe Fuentebella and the other respondents for violation of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Government Procurement Reform Act (RA 9184) and malversation of public funds.

Aside from criminal charges, Penilla wants Fuentebella, Timbang and Gorimbao held liable for gross neglect of duty, grave misconduct, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

The local stock market is expected to move with a downward bias amid a cautious investor environment this week.

Despite ending in the red at 5,960.97 last Friday, the Philippine Stock Exchange index gained by 2.18 percent week-on-week.

Unicapital Securities head of research Wendy Estacio-Cruz said the PSEi is expected to trade sideways to cautiously lower this week as investors remain focused on inflation risks, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas policy expectations, slowing gross domestic product growth and global geopolitical developments.

‘Sentiment may stay fragile following the recent spike in inflation and renewed concerns over additional rate hikes, while concerns over softer economic growth, a weak peso and elevated oil prices could continue to limit risk appetite,’ she said.

However, Estacio-Cruz said bargain hunting may emerge on oversold blue chips, especially if global markets stabilize.

First Metro Investment Corp. head of research Cristina Ulang, for her part, said the market may remain weak, hovering just around 6,000.

She said investors would look for positive catalyst related to the US-Iran peace deal ahead of US President Donald Trump’s visit to China to justify bargain hunting.

‘Any cooling of tension in the Middle East brokered by China’s support for the Strait of Hormuz’ reopening will be cheered by the market,’ Ulang said.

Philstocks Financial research manager Japhet Tantiangco also sees bearish bias in the coming days as the market deals with the country’s challenging economic outlook, while continuing to monitor the developments between the US and Iran.

Tantiangco said even if the local market remains at bargain levels, it may pull back this week given the negative factors in play.

‘Hence, investors are advised to move with caution,’ he said.

Immediate support is seen at 5,800, while resistance is at 6,050

Fuel price relief this week is shaping up as uneven. Diesel and kerosene are headed for rollbacks on Tuesday, May 12, while gasoline is still expected to rise.

Energy security has meanwhile moved into the region’s policy agenda, with the Philippines, having declared a national emergency, as chair. At the ASEAN Summit in Cebu, leaders discussed fuel supply risks and coordinated energy measures. This is while the Iran war and potential Strait of Hormuz disruptions influence fuel flows across Asia.

Here are the reported benchmark prices and range for May 11.

Team Stallions asserted its dominance in CrossFire Southeast Asia, completing an unbeaten run to capture the Spring 2026 CrossFire Stars (CFS) SEA Masters with a 3-0 sweep of Virtus.pro in the grand finals.

The top Filipino squad, runner-up in last year’s CFS World Championship, opened its 2026 campaign in the newly expanded regional league with authority. The team went 9-0 in the group stage, dropping just a single map en route to the playoffs.

The squad met resistance in the knockout stage, conceding another map to FERVID. After edging a tight Map 2 at 13-12, to regain control of the series, the former Philippine champion rode the momentum to secure a 3-1 victory and advance to the finals.

Facing Virtus.pro – whose roster features the former EVOS roster – Team Stallions avenged its lone map loss from the group stage with a clinical showing, sweeping the series to clinch the first CFS SEA Masters title of the year.

Both Team Stallions and Virtus.pro are currently competing in the Philippine Invitational in line with the CrossFire Pro League (CFPL) with Chinese teams in preparation for the Summer Edition of the CFS SEA Masters, where the top two teams will earn spots in the Esports World Cup CrossFire event.

All eyes will be on La Salle as UAAP golf makes its awaited debut in Season 88 as a demonstration sport today at Tagaytay Midlands. But while the Taft-based squad enters as the clear team to beat, a determined field of rivals is primed to challenge that status.

Coming off a dominant sweep in last year’s ICTSI Intercollegiate Tournament, La Salle carries both momentum and expectation into the historic four-day event, fighting rivals from Ateneo, UST, UP, and Adamson.

Before his 2025 feat completely fades, Joo dae Yeong sent a reminder.

The 29-year-old South Korean provided a glimpse of his old magnificence as he ruled yesterday’s Stage 11 that started in Candon City in Ilocos Sur and ended in the town hall here.

Joo clocked three hours, 19 minutes and 16 seconds in topping the relatively flat 151.7-kilometer lap, 11 seconds ahead of Malaysian national team’s Saniy Syahmi Mohd Safiee.

Pangasinan’s Dominic Perez edged Standard Insurance’s Ronald Oranza, Go for Gold’s Aidan James Mendoza, 7-Eleven’s Mervin Corpuz and Excellent Noodles’ Joseph Javiniar to claim third place, 12 seconds off the pace.

But none shone brighter than Joo. And he made sure everybody remembers.

Upon reaching the line, he pointed a finger to the adoring, wood-thumping crowd, dismounted from his bike and dropped a curtsy before giving high five to every fan he saw.

He ended up being fined by race officials for his ‘harmless but technically unsafe celebration.’

But it’s just his way of showing appreciation to the crowd who cheered for him. ‘It was for the fans,’ said Joo.

While he conceded he’s out of the overall individual race, Joo said he’s content achieving two goals in this Tour – wearing the king of the mountain jersey, which he accomplished once, and winning a stage.

‘I’m done, my leg is done,’ said Joo. ‘Last year I was very lucky. This year, I only want the KOM jersey and become a stage winner.

‘I’m still happy,’ he added.

The general classification leaders simply rode it safe with Nikita Shulchenko of LCW UAE remaining untouchable on top with an aggregate clocking of 32:57:30, 3:41 and 3:54 minutes ahead of teammate Ibrahiem Alrefai and 7-Eleven’s Antoine Huby, respectively.

The Marcos administration reduced its debt payments to P169 billion in March amid a decline in amortization payments. Still, debt service more than doubled in the first quarter, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) said.

Latest data from the Treasury showed the government slashed its debt payments in March, settling some P169.09 billion in obligations, down by 7.8 percent from P183.36 billion in the same month last year.

Month-on-month, the debt service bill plunged by 60.7 percent from P430.64 billion in February.

Debt service refers to payments made by the government on domestic and foreign borrowings. Spending on amortization goes to returning the loan principal, while interest payments go to complying with interest obligations.

In March, amortization payments declined by 23.7 percent to P72.71 billion from the recorded P95.24 billion in the previous year.

Almost the entire allocation for principal payments was remitted to foreign sources, while only P128 million was made to domestic creditors.

On the other hand, interest payments inched up by 9.4 percent to P96.38 billion from P88.12 billion. in the comparative period. It comprised 57 percent of the total debt service bill.

Domestic interest payments rose by 24.1 percent to P79.71 billion in March from P64.21 billion a year ago.

This consisted of P47.04 billion for fixed-rate Treasury bonds (T-bonds), P28.23 billion for retail T-bonds and P4.41 billion for Treasury bills.

The Treasury sells government securities every week to generate funding for public programs and projects.

Apart from payment to local lenders, the government settled P16.68 billion in interest owed to foreign financiers in March.

Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. chief economist Michael Ricafort attributed the lower debt service bill largely to lower government securities that matured in March 2026.

This fundamentally reduced debt servicing costs, while complemented by the series of rate cuts by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Federal Reserve that tempered interest payments, he said.

Meanwhile, debt payments more than doubled to P737.41 billion in the first quarter from the P342.02 billion in January to March 2025.

As of end-March, the government has settled 37 percent of its total debt service for 2026, amounting to P2.01 trillion.

The government intends to spend P950 billion for interest payments and return P1.06 trillion worth of principal to comply with the amortization of debts.

The Philippines’ outstanding debt is at a record P18.49 trillion as of end-March due to a weakening peso and issuance of domestic securities.

Ricafort added that the peso breaching a new record low of P61 per dollar might increase debt servicing costs of foreign debt payments.

In the period of shifting economic landscape, decisions become more deliberate. People reassess not only how they spend, but what truly adds value to their lives.

Increasingly, the most meaningful investments are those that deliver more than a single return-choices that protect long-term financial security while also supporting an elevated lifestyle and well-being.

A secondary home, when thoughtfully chosen, can serve this dual purpose. Real estate has long been regarded as a source of stability amid a shifting economic climate and a secondary property offers a strategic extension of one’s lifestyle and portfolio as a safeguarding asset. In this context, Celestia at Timberland Heights in San Mateo, Rizal stands out as a compelling residential property.

‘We believe the most sustainable secondary homes are those that strike a balance,’ shared Daphne Mae Odra-Sanchez, Filinvest’s senior VP for residential and estates. ‘Celestia offers a sense of retreat while remaining accessible enough to be genuinely used. That combination tends to protect and hold value, both personally and financially, over time.’

Where time and energy are restored

Taking extended breaks from the hectic city life often comes with a trade-off: distance. Long drives, higher fuel costs, and time away from work or school can turn otherwise appealing destinations into impractical choices.

This is not the case with Celestia. Located just minutes from Quezon City, this scenic valley community remains closely connected to the metro while offering a markedly different living environment. This proximity allows residents to experience the relaxed pace of provincial life without the burden of lengthy travel. Time regained becomes an expression of wellness in itself as it translates to more energy for family, rest and meaningful pursuits.

Master-planned community as a reliable anchor

Set within the master-planned Timberland Heights township, Celestia benefits from an environment intentionally shaped around wellness.

The elevated setting yields cooler air and panoramic views of the Sierra Madre, while open spaces follow the site’s natural terrain. A network of walkable roads and landscaped green pockets encourages daily movement, complemented by access to hiking trails and nature-oriented amenities to support physical and mental well-being in a manner that feels sustaining and revitalizing.

Beyond lifestyle considerations, masterplanned communities offer a degree of structure and safety that becomes especially relevant during uncertain times. Infrastructure, security, and long-term development work together to ensure that neighborhoods age well with its residents while reinforcing property value.

A smart hedge in challenging times

Celestia attracts sustained interest, particularly as available land near the metro becomes increasingly limited. Its prime location, combined with deliberate land use and controlled density, supports lasting value, making it a reliable buffer investment against short-term market fluctuations.

For homeowners, acquiring a secondary property in a community like Celestia can be a means to diversify wealth while anchoring value in something tangible and usable. It can also flexibly adapt with life stages: used more frequently at certain times, held for the future, or eventually passed on to the next generation.

As density increases across the metro, residential sanctuaries that offer space, elevation and connectivity are becoming increasingly rare. This scarcity supports long-term relevance, especially for communities that align with evolving values around health, sustainability, and quality of life.

Investing in what endures

In unprecedented times like this, Celestia represents the natural shift toward intentional ownership. It offers an environment that supports wellbeing through nature, access, and community. It also stands as a prudent asset-one grounded in location, planning and sustained desirability.

In choosing Celestia, homeowners are not simply acquiring property. They are investing in a deliberate way of living that prioritizes balance, protects time and wellness, and holds its value across changing economic conditions. It is an investment that works quietly but consistently-elevating both the life being lived today and the stability being built for tomorrow.