00:02A delightful Wednesday evening to all of you. This is Patrick De Jesus who's pleased to bring you PTV News
00:09Now.
00:09And we kick off tonight's top stories.
00:12The Commission on Elections said it is fully prepared to conduct the first BARM parliamentary elections this year.
00:21Spokesperson John Rex Laujanko said they are awaiting a law from Congress to officially set the elections on September 14,
00:302026.
00:31Once passed, the poll body will immediately roll out the election calendar, rules, and guidelines for the conduct of the
00:40polls.
00:40Comelec added, there is enough time to prepare with the elections to be automated using the same system deployed in
00:49the 2025 national and local polls.
00:53The Philippine Coast Guard will deploy around 17,000 personnel nationwide for off-plan Biyaheng Ayos Semana Santa 2026 from
01:04March 28 to April 5 to ensure passenger safety.
01:08PCG said personnel will focus on ports, waterways, and nautical highways while police handle land security.
01:18Under the directive of Commandant Ronnie Hill Gavan, the agency will enforce heightened alert, strict vessel inspections, and 24-7
01:28monitoring of major sea routes.
01:30The PCG will also coordinate with agencies like the Department of Transportation to prevent overloading, conduct patrols, and ensure safe
01:41travel during the Holy Week rush.
01:45The May Day request U.S. President Donald Trump sent out to help protect the flow of oil tankers and
01:52cargo ships out of the Gulf states fell on deaf ears and was left unheeded by all the countries he
01:59called on to include, strangely enough, America's principal economic and military rival, China.
02:07And the U.S. chief executive is fuming over a zero-positive response on his entreaty, leaving him alone to
02:15figure how to get out of the hole he himself dug by starting the war against Iran, allegedly at the
02:22behest of Netanyahu and the Israeli government and its powerful American lobby.
02:29Still smarting from this rebuke from mostly European allies and China's cold and silent response, Trump is left with no
02:38option but to sustain his bombing campaign and airstrikes,
02:42with the hope Iran seeks de-escalation and expresses willingness to sit down and negotiate for a deal,
02:49one that would expressly halt all armed attacks on cargo-laden ships and restore the flow of oil out of
02:57the global energy choke point.
03:00Still in all, the Strait of Hormuz may be shut down right now, but Iran's total control on the strategic
03:08waterway has allowed 90 ships, cargo vessels, and oil tankers to include its own
03:15to deliver oil supplies to China and let ships headed for India and Pakistan out of the Strait for much
03:22-needed oil imports.
03:24Proof of the traditional war may be completely in America and Israel's favor, but definitely far from over with Iran's
03:34asymmetrical warfare working according to plan.
03:40So that's a wrap for tonight's show. Join us tomorrow night for another round of stories here and abroad, breaking
03:48at the hour.
03:50And remember to always stay connected by catching the news right here.
03:54I'm Patrick De Jesus, wishing you all a restful night ahead and thank you for watching PTV News Now.
Comments