Abbey M.

The Visayas grid will be placed under yellow alert status starting this afternoon, based on the advisory of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

This will begin at 4:00 PM until 8:00 PM tonight.

As of now, the peak demand of the grid is nearing 2,513 megawatts compared to its available capacity of 2,676 megawatts.

The thinning of power supply is due to the forced outages of power plants and the rising demand for electricity supply.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. once again assured that the government will continue to act on the needs of the people, even amid the continuing political noise.

According to the President, his administration is ready to listen to the grievances of the public regarding the challenges they are facing.

"Asahan po ninyo na ang inyong pamahalaan ay hindi po natutulog, hindi po nagbabakasyon kung hindi walang ginawa, kung hindi mag-isip ng paraan kung ano ang pangangailangan ng ating mga – ng taumbayan, kung ano ang pangangailangan ng ating mga naghihirap na kababayan, kung ano pa ang aming magawa para makatulong. Ito po ay aming ginagawa. At bukod pa roon, kami po ay nakikinig din sa inyo. Kaya sabihin po ninyo sa amin kung ano ang mga problema, anong nahaharap ninyo, anong klaseng tulong ang kinakailangan ninyo at titingnan po natin," Marcos said.

("Rest assured that your government is not sleeping, not on vacation doing nothing, but rather thinking of ways to address what our people need, what our suffering countrymen need, and what else we can do to help. This is what we are doing. And aside from that, we are also listening to you. So tell us what your problems are, what you are facing, what kind of help you need, and we will look into it.")

The President's assurance comes as the government faces several pressing issues, including the recent commotion at the Senate, the ICC arrest of Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, the rotational brownouts being experienced in some areas, and other challenges confronting the nation.

United States President Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Iran, saying the country is running out of time.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared that Iran must act, warning that there would be nothing left of the country if it fails to do so.

The U.S. leader had earlier signaled his willingness to accept a 20-year suspension of Tehran's nuclear program in place of a complete halt.

"They fully agreed no nuclear and if they have any nuclear of any form, I don't read the rest of the 20 years is not enough for you. It's got to be a No, 20 years is enough. But the level of guarantee from them is uh in other words, it's got to be a real 20 years," Trump said.

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano defended his leadership amid growing calls for him to step down following the shooting incident at the Senate.

Cayetano maintained that the Senate cannot be made "submissive" or controlled under his leadership, rejecting the calls for his resignation as politically motivated.

According to the Senate leader, the moves to oust him are driven by those who want someone they can control at the helm of the chamber.

He stressed that the Senate, as an institution, will not be shaken by these pressures.

"Hindi niyo matitibag ang Senado," Cayetano told the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).

("The Senate cannot be brought down.")

Cayetano assumed the Senate presidency on May 11 after replacing Senator Vicente "Tito" Sotto III. He has since faced mounting criticism over the May 13 shooting incident inside the Senate building and over the Senate's protective custody of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, who is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) does not consider as a failure the missed opportunity to arrest Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa who is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said the bureau is aware of the processes and laws that must be followed before carrying out its mission.

He noted that Sen. Dela Rosa also has a pending petition before the Supreme Court against the ICC arrest warrant issued against him.

"We all know there is an ongoing case at the Supreme Court, and although there is no TRO yet, from the point of view of lawyers like those at the DOJ, a three-day or 72-hour period was given for the camp of the government and of Sen. Bato to respond. We believe the Supreme Court will issue a swift resolution, and it is better for us not to act in a manner that does not align with the direction the court will take," Matibag said.

The NBI chief added that the bureau holds the Senate in high regard as an institution, which is why its agents cannot simply enter its premises without proper coordination.

"And when the Senate declared protective custody over Sen. Bato, we thought it best to respect what the Senate said because our respect for our co-equal branch is there," he said.

After Sen. Dela Rosa leaves the Senate, the NBI will coordinate with other agencies and with the Senate itself to determine its next steps.

"There will be inter-agency collaboration with the PNP, NBI, and the law enforcement agencies. The DOJ, PCTC, of course always in coordination with the Office of the President, before we can issue a statement on what will surely be done," Matibag said.