Context Dispatch

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) has seized an estimated P900 million worth of high-end luxury cars in Taguig City, highlighting the ongoing battle against smuggling and its tax implications for both the government and businesses. The seizure on Wednesday, the BOC’s third operation this year, took place at a warehouse in Brgy. Ususan along Levi Mariano Ave.

In a dramatic finals game where every stone counted, the newly-formed Philippine men's curling team outsmarted South Korea to claim gold at the 9th Asian Winter Games in Harbin, China. With just one point separating the two teams heading into the final set, the Filipinos sent a perfectly placed stone into the center of the House—a move backed by an impenetrable defensive wall—that sealed the victory at 5-3. This historic win marks the first-ever medal finish for the Philippines, which started to participate in the AWG in 1990. In these edition of the quadrennial event, the Philippines sent 19 athletes, sparking hopes that a tropical nation could soon make waves in the Olympics with a non-traditional sport. To reach the gold medal match, the team triumphed over Asian powerhouse Japan and the host nation, China. The squad, which includes brothers Marc and Enrico Pfister, Benjo Delarmente, Christian Haller, and Alan Frei, represents Curling Pilipinas, the national curling federation established in 2023. They sent 10 curlers to compete in all three events: mixed doubles, men’s, and women’s teams.

Senate President Francis Escudero said Monday that a new Senate, convening on July 21, will decide on the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte, which the House of Representatives transmitted last week with the support of 215 congressmen—more than double the required 102. Escudero said that unlike proposed legislations, impeachment proceedings will continue even with the election of new senators after the May vote, similar to cases in regular courts or electoral tribunals. Drawing from the trial of former Chief Justice Renato Corona, he expects the trial to conclude within 2-3 months. Draft impeachment rules will be approved when senators reconvene in June.

The Bureau of Customs (BOC) announced the seizure of P39.6 million worth of kush (dried marijuana) concealed in two balikbayan boxes at the Manila International Container Port (MICP). The shipment, arriving from Canada, was flagged by Customs Intelligence and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) after receiving a tip last week.

Vice President Sara Duterte appeared composed and unshaken as she addressed the media on Friday regarding her impeachment and the looming Senate trial. She revealed that her legal team had been preparing for this moment since November, amid the House of Representatives' investigation into her alleged misuse of funds from both the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education—a portfolio she held until her resignation in June of last year. When asked about the gravity of the impeachment trial—where conviction would not only remove her from office but also bar her from future public service—Duterte casually quipped, "Mas masakit pa ang iwanan ng boyfriend kaysa ma-impeach ng House of Representatives. (It hurts more to be dumped by a boyfriend than be impeached by the House of Representatives.)”