Abbey M.

Several roads in Metro Manila were flooded this morning due to heavy rain brought by Super Typhoon Inday.

According to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), some roads in Navotas and Valenzuela experienced a slight rise in water level at around 6:50 a.m.

"Ilang kalsada sa Navotas at Valenzuela ang nakaranas ng bahagyang pagtaas ng tubig bandang alas-sais singkwenta ng umaga" 

(Some roads in Navotas and Valenzuela experienced a slight rise in water level at around 6:50 a.m.), the MMDA said.

The MMDA continues to monitor roads across Metro Manila as bad weather brought by the super typhoon persists.

Motorists are advised to be careful and to take alternative routes if necessary.

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The number of unemployed Filipinos rose to 2.50 million in May 2026, pushing the country's unemployment rate up to 4.8%, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

PSA National Statistician Claire Dennis Mapa said the biggest job losses were recorded in the agriculture and forestry sector, which lost approximately 905,000 jobs due to poor weather conditions, including the effects of El Niño.

Despite the rise in unemployment, the PSA said underemployment improved, as more Filipinos were able to work longer hours per week.

"In terms of number naman, ang number of unemployed persons averaged mula January to May 2026, ito ay mga nasa 2.62 million, kumpara naman nung January to May 2025 na nasa 2.03 million. So those are the numbers and averages in terms of unemployment rates for the period January to May 2025 and 2026." — Claire Dennis Mapa, PSA National Statistician

(In terms of numbers, the number of unemployed persons averaged from January to May 2026 at around 2.62 million, compared to January to May 2025, which was at 2.03 million. So those are the numbers and averages in terms of unemployment rates for the period January to May 2025 and 2026.)

"Visible underemployment has really dropped. It has dropped by 664,000 year-on-year. We know that visible underemployment." — Claire Dennis Mapa, PSA National Statistician

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A Makabayan lawmaker has criticized the strategy being used by the defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte to avoid or block the presentation of evidence through technicalities.

According to House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio, this is the defense strategy being employed by Vice President Sara Duterte's counsel.

"Walang katapusang objection sa lahat ng bagay." (There is no end to the objections on everything.)

He added, "Kung hindi objections, delaying tactics." (If not objections, [then] delaying tactics.)

Tinio also criticized the defense's plan to present a two-hour video of Vice President Sara Duterte's press conference, saying this would only prolong the trial and expose the weakness of their position.

The prosecution's first witness presented yesterday was John Mark Calilung, senior agent of the NBI Cyber Investigation and Assessment Center, who conducted the authentication of the video of VP Duterte's press conferences where the alleged threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. were made.

Rep. Tinio maintained that the NBI witness and video evidence showed the serious and documented nature of the threats made by the vice president.

Meanwhile, Atty. Michael Poa, spokesperson of VP Duterte's defense team, said that these kinds of objections are natural in litigation and trial proceedings.

He said what matters is that the objections are placed on record.

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President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is reportedly aware of the developments surrounding the ongoing impeachment trial against Vice President Sara Duterte.

According to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro, although PBBM is busy with his duties, she assured that the President knows what is happening in the impeachment trial through the news.

"When you say monitoring nakatutok sa nanunuod hindi naman ganun, maraming trabaho ang pangulo definetly malalaman naman niya yung mga balita"

("When you say monitoring, that he's glued to watching it, it's not really like that, the President has a lot of work, definitely he will know about the news")

Usec. Castro also reiterated that, as the President has said, it would be better for VP Sara to personally face the impeachment trial and answer the accusations against her.

“Mas maganda kung ako ang lawyer at alam ko na walang mali, malinis, walang pwedeng ikaso sa kaniya, papaharapin ko siya para mapasinungalingan ang mga akusasyon sa kaniya"

("It would be better if I were the lawyer and I knew that there was nothing wrong, that she is clean, that there is nothing that can be filed against her, I would have her face it to disprove the accusations against her")

VP Duterte earlier said that the President's opinion on the impeachment proceedings holds no value, and that instead, it should be guided by the Constitution and due process.

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The prosecution panel considers it a point scored to have presented evidence against Vice President Sara Duterte in connection with her alleged death threat against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Marcos, and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez.

National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Senior Agent John Mark Calilung was the first witness presented by the prosecution against VP Duterte.

He authenticated the videos of the vice president's press conference, where she allegedly made the serious threats.

House prosecution panel member Rep. Lorenz Defensor said the newly surfaced video and other statements from Vice President Sara Duterte bolster their case before the Senate impeachment court.

"Score kami sa video na lumabas na dapat naman talagang makita ng senate impeachment court, score kami sa ibang mga statements pa na lumabas galing sa bise presidente na sumusuporta sa article of impeachment."

(We scored a point with the video that came out, which the senate impeachment court really should see; we also scored a point with other statements that came out from the vice president supporting the article of impeachment.)

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