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Voter turnout na 81.65% naitala sa Halalan 2025 — Comelec

Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
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Voter turnout na 81.65% naitala sa Halalan 2025 — Comelec

MAYNILA. Umabot sa 81.65% o katumbas ng mahigit 55 milyon sa 69,673,655 rehistradong botante ang lumahok sa Halalan 2025, na siyang nagtala ng pinakamataas na voter turnout sa kasaysayan ng midterm elections sa bansa, ayon sa Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Ayon kay Comelec Chairman George Garcia, ang mataas na bilang ng mga bumoto ay maituturing na makasaysayan. “Base sa initial nating pagtingin, talagang dumagsa ang kabataan sa pagboto nitong nakaraang 2022 elections. Ang boses nila, gusto ng sambayanan na mapakinggan… Naniniwala ako the vote of the youth matters,” pahayag ni Garcia, na binigyang-diin ang mahalagang papel ng kabataang botante sa resulta ng eleksyon.

Mula sa kabuuang bilang ng rehistradong botante, 68,431,965 ay nasa loob ng Pilipinas habang 1,241,690 naman ang mga overseas Filipino voters.

Samantala, nakapagtala rin ang Comelec ng mataas na turnout para sa Local Absentee Voting (LAV) na umabot sa 90.23%. Ayon sa ahensya, 52,067 mula sa 57,704 na aprubadong aplikasyon para sa LAV ang aktwal na bumoto.

Noong Huwebes, muling nagpulong ang Comelec na kumikilos bilang National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) upang simulan ang pagtatala ng mga boto para sa mga senador at mga party-list organizations.

Ang Halalan 2025 ay sinasabing patunay ng lumalakas na interes ng mamamayang Pilipino, lalo na ng kabataan, sa demokratikong proseso ng bansa.


Movie review: ‘Final Destination’ returns with gruesome wit and datal family secrets

Paraluman P. Funtanilla
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Movie review: ‘Final Destination’ returns with gruesome wit and datal family secrets

“Final Destination: Bloodlines” is a wickedly clever return to the cult horror franchise that’s turned ordinary household items into instruments of deadly fate. Fourteen years after the last installment, co-directors Zach Lipovsky and Adam B. Stein bring fresh energy—and a twisted sense of humor, to the series’ sixth entry, reminding audiences why we fear toasters, ceiling fans, and yes, even blenders.

The film opens with what is arguably its most stunning and suspenseful sequence: a flashback to 1969 atop the towering Skyview restaurant (which strongly resembles Seattle’s Space Needle but was actually filmed in Vancouver). There, we meet Iris (Brec Bassinger), a young woman expecting a romantic evening, and an unexpected proposal. But a slip of the blade and a foreboding comment, “I’ll live,” she says after nicking her finger, set the stage for disaster.

Soon, bolts are flying, the tower is crumbling, and patrons are falling to their deaths, all to the ironic tune of “Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head”. It’s a chaotic, clever opening that blends nostalgia with dread, and it jolts us straight into the franchise’s signature formula.

Then we wake up, literally, with present-day college student Stefani (Kaitlyn Santa Juana), who’s been haunted by this same terrifying vision. Failing school and driven by obsession, Stefani returns home to learn more about her family’s murky past. Her journey leads her to the reclusive Iris, her grandmother, who survived the 1969 incident thanks to a premonition.

But survival came at a price. “Death is coming for our family,” Iris warns. Those who cheated death that night were doomed to eventually meet grisly ends, and worse, so are their descendants. This chilling revelation explains the movie’s subtitle, Bloodlines — Stefani and her family were never meant to exist.

From here, the film launches into a series of cleverly choreographed death sequences that feel like demented Rube Goldberg machines. A peaceful family barbecue turns nightmarish thanks to a glass shard lurking in a blender and a rake ominously resting beneath a trampoline. A visit to a tattoo parlor leads to one of the movie’s most inventive kill setups, and an MRI scanner becomes the centerpiece of one of the most suspenseful scenes—reminding us why strong magnets and metal don’t mix.

But it’s not just the deaths that keep viewers on edge. Equally important are the moments when death doesn’t strike, just yet. “Actually he doesn’t die,” the reviewer noted, recalling moments of deliciously prolonged tension.

Lipovsky and Stein strike a rare balance in horror: this is a movie that dares you to laugh while covering your eyes. The film’s wit makes the blood-soaked mayhem more palatable, allowing even genre skeptics to giggle amid the gore. As the directors shared at the premiere, they hoped audiences would “be watching this… through their fingers, but with smiles on their faces.”

Indeed, for horror fans and the morbidly curious alike, Final Destination: Bloodlines delivers both thrills and twisted chuckles. It reminds us that in this franchise, Death doesn’t just knock — it constructs an elaborate chain reaction first.“Final Destination: Bloodlines” is a Warner Bros. release rated R by the Motion Picture Association for “strong violent/grisly accidents, and language.” Running time: 110 minutes.
Rating: ★★½ out of 4.

Philippines and Germany forge new defence pact

Venus L Peñaflor
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Philippines and Germany forge new defence pact

MANILA. The Philippines and Germany have officially signed a new defense agreement to strengthen military cooperation and expand joint activities, as Manila continues to bolster alliances amid rising tensions with China in the disputed South China Sea.

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius formalized the “arrangement concerning defence cooperation” in Berlin on Wednesday. The Philippine Department of National Defense confirmed the development in a statement released Thursday.

According to the DND, the agreement will cover a range of areas including cybersecurity, defense armament, logistics, and United Nations peacekeeping operations.

The signing comes after Pistorius visited Manila in 2023, where both officials pledged to deepen long-term defense ties between their nations.

This new pact marks another significant addition to the Philippines’ growing list of military partnerships beyond its traditional ally, the United States. In recent months, the Philippines has signed similar agreements with New Zealand and is poised to finalize one with Canada. In December 2024, the Senate also ratified a reciprocal access agreement with Japan, and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the start of negotiations with France for a visiting forces agreement.

Germany’s involvement signals Berlin’s increasing engagement in the Indo-Pacific. In August 2023, during his visit to Manila, Pistorius reaffirmed Germany’s support for the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which invalidated China’s sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea.

“The ruling remains valid, without any exceptions,” Pistorius stated firmly at the time.

The arbitration ruling clarified that China’s claims had “no legal basis,” a decision Beijing continues to reject.

In a symbolic move, two German warships also conducted a rare transit through the Indo-Pacific in September 2023 to emphasize Germany’s commitment to freedom of navigation in international waters.

The latest Philippine-German defense arrangement underscores a broader strategic realignment as Manila strengthens ties with like-minded nations amid increasing regional security challenges posed by Beijing’s assertive actions in the South China Sea.

Trump heads to UAE to bolster AI cooperation

EDGARDO HERNAL
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Trump heads to UAE to bolster AI cooperation

DOHA, Qatar. U.S. President Donald Trump is set to conclude his Gulf tour with a stop in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where discussions are expected to focus on artificial intelligence (AI) collaboration. Trump will depart Qatar on Thursday after delivering a speech to American troops stationed at Al Udeid Air Base, the largest U.S. military installation in the Middle East.

The visit comes amid growing efforts by the UAE to position itself as a global hub for AI development, and it hopes to secure robust support from the U.S. in realizing that ambition.

According to a Reuters report published Wednesday, Washington and Abu Dhabi have reached a preliminary agreement that would allow the UAE to import 500,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips annually, starting this year. The agreement is expected to accelerate the UAE’s construction of large-scale data centers necessary for training AI models.

However, the deal has stirred national security concerns within segments of the U.S. government. Sources familiar with the discussions indicated that “the terms could change” due to fears the chips might be redirected to third parties such as China, potentially enhancing Beijing’s military capabilities.

During his four-day swing through the Gulf region, Trump has announced a series of major business deals, including:

  • Qatar Airways’ agreement to purchase up to 210 Boeing widebody jets,
  • A $600 billion commitment from Saudi Arabia to invest in the United States, and
  • $142 billion in U.S. arms sales to Riyadh.

The trip has also been marked by significant diplomatic developments. In a surprise move on Tuesday, Trump announced that the United States would lift long-standing sanctions on Syria, followed by a meeting with Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

Trump’s final destination will be Abu Dhabi, where he will meet with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other top officials. The focus is expected to shift toward deepening technological cooperation, particularly in the realm of AI.

Under the administration of former President Joe Biden, the U.S. had placed tight restrictions on the export of high-end AI chips to the Middle East, citing concerns over unauthorized technology transfers to China.

Trump, in contrast, has prioritized strengthening ties with Gulf nations and repositioning the region as a third axis of global AI innovation, alongside the United States and China.

Although he had previously floated the idea of a brief stop in Turkey to join ongoing Russia-Ukraine peace talks, a senior U.S. official confirmed on Wednesday that “the president will not make that stop” and is expected to return directly to Washington following his UAE meetings.

As Trump wraps up this high-profile tour, the AI agenda looms large, not only as a sign of deepening U.S.-Gulf relations but also as a potential pivot point in the global technological power race.

Najie Gapangada, bagong alkalde ng San Pablo City, tinalo si Vicente Amante sa Halalan 2025

Paraluman P. Funtanilla
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Najie Gapangada, bagong alkalde ng San Pablo City, tinalo si Vicente Amante sa Halalan 2025

SAN PABLO CITY. Isang makasaysayang pagbabago ang naganap sa politika ng lungsod na ito matapos talunin ni Arcadio “Najie” Gapangada si incumbent Mayor Vicente “Vic” Amante sa katatapos lamang na halalan noong Mayo 2025.

Ayon sa opisyal na tala ng Commission on Elections (Comelec), si Gapangada, na tumakbo sa ilalim ng Reform Party (RP), ay nakakuha ng 70,449 boto, habang si Amante ng Nacionalista Party (NP) ay nagtala ng 66,028 na boto.

Ang pagkapanalo ni Gapangada ay nagwakas sa mahigit tatlong dekadang liderato ng pamilya Amante sa San Pablo City. Si Vicente Amante ay nagsilbing alkalde mula 1992 hanggang 2001, at muling nahalal mula 2004 hanggang 2013 at 2022 hanggang 2025. Ang kanyang anak na si Loreto Amante ay nagsilbi rin bilang alkalde mula 2013 hanggang 2022.

Sa kanyang talumpati matapos ang proklamasyon, sinabi ni Gapangada: “Ito na ang simula ng tunay na pagbabago sa San Pablo. Panahon na para sa isang gobyernong bukas, makatao, at para sa lahat.”

Si Gapangada ay kilala sa kanyang adbokasiya para sa transparency, participatory governance, at grassroots development. Sa kanyang kampanya, binigyang-diin niya ang pangangailangan para sa reporma sa serbisyong pampubliko at mas inklusibong pamumuno.

Samantala, tumanggap ng pagkatalo si Amante at nagpaabot ng pagbati kay Gapangada. Sa isang pahayag, sinabi niya: “Nirerespeto ko ang pasya ng taumbayan. Nawa’y ipagpatuloy ni Mayor Gapangada ang mga nasimulan nating proyekto para sa ikabubuti ng San Pablo.”

Ang tagumpay ni Gapangada ay itinuturing na simula ng bagong yugto sa politika ng San Pablo City, na inaasahang magdadala ng sariwang pananaw at pamumuno sa lungsod.Para sa karagdagang impormasyon at opisyal na resulta ng halalan, bisitahin ang ABS-CBN Halalan Results.

Midyear bonus ng mga empleyado ng gobyerno, matatanggap na

Venus L Peñaflor
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Midyear bonus ng mga empleyado ng gobyerno, matatanggap na

MAYNILA. Magsisimula nang matanggap ng mga manggagawa sa gobyerno ang kanilang midyear bonus ngayong Huwebes, Mayo 15, 2025, ayon sa anunsyo ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Ang bonus ay katumbas ng isang buwang basic na sahod ng mga kwalipikadong empleyado at saklaw nito ang lahat ng civilian personnel, maging permanent, temporary, contractual, o elected, a lahat ng sangay ng pamahalaan, pati na rin ang mga military at uniformed personnel (MUP) mula sa iba’t ibang ahensya.

Aabot sa ₱63.695 bilyon ang inilaang pondo ng gobyerno para sa midyear bonus ngayong taon. Mula rito, ₱47.587 bilyon ang nakalaan para sa mga civilian personnel habang ₱16.108 bilyon naman ang para sa mga MUP.

Ayon sa DBM, ang pondo para sa midyear bonus ay naipamahagi na sa mga national government agencies at local government units simula pa noong Enero 2025, bilang paghahanda sa takdang petsa ng distribusyon.

Para maging kwalipikado sa bonus, kailangang:

  • Nagsimula ang serbisyo hindi lalampas sa Hulyo 1, 2024;
  • Nakatapos ng hindi bababa sa apat na buwang aktwal na serbisyo mula Hulyo 1, 2024 hanggang Mayo 15, 2025;
  • Nasa aktibong serbisyo sa gobyerno sa mismong araw ng Mayo 15, 2025; at
  • May katanggap-tanggap na performance rating sa huling evaluation period.

Sa kabila ng mga limitasyon sa budget at iba’t ibang gastusing kinakaharap ng bansa, tiniyak ng pamahalaan na matatanggap pa rin ng mga empleyado ng gobyerno ang kanilang karampatang benepisyo sa takdang oras.

Ang midyear bonus ay isa sa mga insentibo na layong hikayatin ang mas mataas na antas ng serbisyo publiko at pagpapanatili ng maayos na performance sa hanay ng mga kawani ng pamahalaan.

“Peace be with you all!” First American pope revives @Pontifex handle on Instagram

Paraluman P. Funtanilla
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“Peace be with you all!” First American pope revives @Pontifex handle on Instagram

VATICAN CITY. Pope Leo XIV made a notable return to social media on Tuesday, reviving the Vatican’s official social media presence with a message centered on peace and unity.

Taking over the @Pontifex Instagram account, the newly elected pontiff posted a set of photographs capturing the early moments of his historic papacy, along with the words, “Peace be with you all!”, the same greeting he first offered to the world as pope.

The Vatican confirmed that it is now archiving all social media posts from Pope Francis’ 12-year pontificate, making way for Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope in the history of the Catholic Church, to take over the digital mantle.

While the Vatican’s @Pontifex presence on X (formerly Twitter) was not yet active as of Tuesday, the social media team indicated updates will soon follow. The multilingual platform, originally launched in 2012 under Pope Benedict XVI, now operates in nine languages, English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, French, German, Polish, Arabic, and Latin, and has amassed a global following of 52 million users.

Unlike past popes whose messages were posted on their behalf by the Vatican’s communication team, Pope Leo XIV is expected to have more direct input, especially given his prior engagement online. When he was still Cardinal Robert Prevost, he maintained a personal X account since 2011, which had been dormant since July 2023, but became active again earlier this year. In recent months, that account had posted critical commentary on Trump-era immigration policies and remarks made by U.S. Vice President JD Vance.

As Pope Leo XIV steps into a role that is both spiritual and increasingly digital, his first social media message underscores a clear theme for his papacy, one that begins with peace.

Target ng Comelec na iproklama ang 12 panalong senador sa Mayo 17

Venus L Peñaflor
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Target ng Comelec na iproklama ang 12 panalong senador sa Mayo 17

MAYNILA. Posibleng maiproklama na ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) ang 12 nanalong senador para sa Eleksyon 2025 sa darating na Sabado, Mayo 17, ayon sa pinakahuling pahayag ni Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia.

“Baka itong Sabado o Linggo, sana makapag-proklama na tayo ng senador,” ani Garcia sa panayam.

Ayon pa sa Comelec chairman, halos kumpleto na ang mga election returns (ERs) na kailangan upang maisagawa ang proklamasyon. Sa kabila nito, iginiit niyang kailangang maging buo pa rin ang official canvass ng Comelec.

“Mabilis naman eh. Tingnan niyo 98.9% na nga ang nandyan, kapiraso na lang ang kulang. Kahit siguro wala yung kulang basta maipadala sa amin sa national board perhaps baka wala ng effect ang natitirang results. Pero syempre kailangan ang Comelec 100% ang canvass. Walang kahit isa man na COC ang maiiwan pag nag-canvass ang Comelec,” paliwanag pa ni Garcia.

Batay sa pinakahuling datos hanggang tanghali ng Martes, o isang araw matapos ang halalan, nasa 98.99% na ng kabuuang lokal na ERs ang naipadala sa Comelec transparency servers. Katumbas ito ng 92,453 sa kabuuang 93,387 na inaasahang election returns mula sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng bansa.

Samantala, muling nag-convene ang Comelec bilang National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) nitong Martes ng hapon upang ipagpatuloy ang opisyal na canvassing ng mga boto para sa pagka-senador at party-list groups para sa katatapos na midterm elections.

Sa inaasahang proklamasyon ngayong weekend, mas mapapabilis ang pag-usad ng opisyal na pagtatalaga sa mga bagong miyembro ng Senado na magsisilbi para sa susunod na termino.

Trump announces end to Syria sanctions, signs $600 Billion investment deal with Saudi Arabia

EDGARDO HERNAL
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Trump announces end to Syria sanctions, signs $600 Billion investment deal with Saudi Arabia

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia. U.S. President Donald Trump launched his Gulf visit on Tuesday with a stunning policy shift, announcing the United States will lift long-standing sanctions on Syria. At the same event, he also unveiled a massive $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia to the United States, including a record-breaking defense deal.

Speaking at an investment forum in Riyadh, Trump said the decision to end sanctions on Syria came at the request of Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“Oh what I do for the crown prince,” Trump said jokingly, drawing laughter from the crowd. He acknowledged that while the sanctions had served a purpose, “it was now time for the country to move forward.”

The move signals a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy. Syria had been designated a state sponsor of terrorism since 1979, with sanctions imposed in 2004 and further intensified following the outbreak of the country’s civil war in 2011. The decision to lift sanctions comes months after rebel forces led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa ousted long-time Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad in December.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani welcomed the U.S. move, calling it a “new start” for Syria’s reconstruction efforts in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter). A White House official confirmed that Trump is scheduled to briefly meet with Sharaa in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday.

Historic Defense Deal

The White House described the newly signed $142 billion arms package with Saudi Arabia as the largest defense cooperation agreement in U.S. history. The deal spans multiple sectors, including air and missile defense, air force and space, maritime security, and communications, involving over a dozen American defense contractors.

It remains unclear whether the agreement includes Lockheed Martin’s F-35 fighter jets, though sources indicate that such discussions have taken place. Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman added that the full value of the partnership could reach $1 trillion once additional agreements are finalized in the coming months.

Strengthening Strategic Ties

The broader $600 billion deal includes cooperation in energy, mining, defense, and infrastructure. Trump emphasized the importance of strengthening U.S.-Saudi ties, especially to enhance regional alignment with Israel and act as a counterweight to Iran.

Saudi Arabia remains one of the United States’ top arms customers, and the relationship has long been anchored in a security-for-oil arrangement. However, tensions emerged in 2018 after the murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi agents in Istanbul. U.S. intelligence concluded that Crown Prince bin Salman had approved the operation, but the Saudi government denied involvement.

Trump did not mention the Khashoggi case during his remarks and praised bin Salman, saying, “I really believe we like each other a lot.” He also described the crown prince as an “incredible man.”

Business and Vision 2030

Several high-profile U.S. business figures were present at the Riyadh event, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, BlackRock’s Larry Fink, and Blackstone’s Stephen Schwarzman.

Trump was seen discussing Saudi Arabia’s ambitious development plans with sovereign wealth fund governor Yasir al-Rumayyan, Aramco CEO Amin Nasser, and Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih. These plans form part of Crown Prince bin Salman’s Vision 2030, a bold economic reform program aimed at reducing the kingdom’s reliance on oil.

Among the key highlights were models of “Giga-projects” like NEOM, a futuristic smart city planned to be as large as Belgium. Despite bold ambitions, Saudi Arabia has reportedly scaled back some of its targets due to rising costs and declining oil revenues. In 2024, oil accounted for 62% of government income.

Trump is expected to continue his trip with visits to Qatar on Wednesday and the United Arab Emirates on Thursday. The focus, he emphasized, will be on investment and economic partnerships rather than security concerns in the region.

COMELEC, mariing itinanggi ang ‘dagdag-bawas’ sa resulta ng Halalan 2025

Carlo Juancho Funtanilla
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COMELEC, mariing itinanggi ang ‘dagdag-bawas’ sa resulta ng Halalan 2025

MAYNILA. Mariing pinabulaanan ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) ang kumakalat na alegasyon ng “dagdag-bawas” sa resulta ng 2025 senatorial race matapos mag-viral sa social media ang umano’y pagbagsak ng mahigit 5 milyong boto mula sa tally ng isang kandidato.

Sa isang pahayag, nilinaw ni Comelec Chairman George Garcia na ang nasabing isyu ay nag-ugat sa pagpapalabas ng ilang media outfits ng election results gamit ang raw data mula sa Comelec data server na hindi pa umano nalilinis o nasusuri nang maayos.

“There are only two media outfits na may programang linisin muna ang raw election results bago nila ito i-publish,” paliwanag ni Garcia.

Ayon sa Comelec, ang raw data ay hindi pa dumaan sa validation o data cleaning kaya’t posibleng may mga anomalyang lumabas kung agad itong gagamitin sa paglalathala. Itinanggi rin ni Garcia ang anumang manipulasyon o pandaraya sa resulta ng halalan.

“Walang rigging. Wala pong nangyayaring dayaan. Everything is transparent,” giit ni Garcia.

Ang paglilinaw ay ginawa sa gitna ng online usapin tungkol sa umano’y “discrepancy” at “decline” ng boto ng isang kandidato, na umanong nawalan ng limang milyong boto mula sa paunang resulta.

Samantala, patuloy naman ang trabaho ng National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) at nitong Martes ay tumanggap ito ng 30 Certificates of Canvass (COC), kabilang ang mga resulta mula sa Local Absentee Voting (LAV).

Tiniyak ng Comelec na mananatiling bukas at transparent ang proseso ng pagbibilang at walang puwang ang panlilinlang sa sistema.

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