Windows26: Midweek Digest: ‘Liberation Day’ of Trump’s tariffs and more

Hello, ! Just three months into his second term, US President Donald Trump has managed to rock not only his boat but everyone else's. So much so that even non-Americans are starting to worry about the policies of this self-proclaimed "stable genius."‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

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Hello, reader!

Just three months into his second term, US President Donald Trump has managed to rock not only his boat but everyone else's.

So much so that even non-Americans are starting to worry about the policies of this self-proclaimed "stable genius."

As he keeps repeating every chance he gets, he knows more than anyone about anything — which is whatever he's rambling about at the moment.

The big buzz this Wednesday — "Liberation Day" as Trump calls it — is about his tariffs.

As an AP story describes the day's import (sorry about that): It's "a moment when he plans to roll out a set of tariffs that he promises will free the United States from foreign goods."

Already, the Philippines has been feeling some of the effects of Trump's tariffs, as you can read in this story: "US tariffs seen dragging down PSEi."

Trump has no monopoly on his particular brand of genius.

Whoever made up the names of supposed recipients of the P500 million in confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President deserves extra points for schoolboy creativity and humor.

Speaking of the OVP, a survey conducted by the Center of Student Initiatives, a student-directed research institution, shows that 84.8% of students nationwide believe Vice President Sara Duterte should be removed from office.

These students probably appreciate the funny recipient names, but they don't really find the unaccounted for funds funny.

Meanwhile, the lawyers of the vice president's father, former President Rodrigo Duterte, are still trying to challenge the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over his crimes against humanity case arising from his drug war.

Now let's end this introduction on a more inspiring note.

Nineteen-year-old Alex Eala has just made another mark in the history of tennis. After her dream run at the Miami Open, she soared up in the Women's Tennis Association rankings - from 140 to 75 — a 65-spot jump.

As the WTA website puts it in an article: "Eala's milestone isn't just a personal one but a national one. She's the first player from the Philippines ever to reach the Top 100. By now, she's used to making history for her country. She became the first Filipina to compete in a WTA main draw (and win a match at that level) back in 2021 in Cluj-Napoca. And she overtook the country's previous ranking benchmark — the career high of No. 284 set by Maricris Gentz in 1999 — back in July 2022."

Here's our story about that: "Alex Eala rises to world No. 75 in WTA rankings."

On to our digest.

Cabinet done with Sen. Marcos' probe of Duterte arrest. Citing executive privilege and the sub judice rule, Malacañang has disallowed members of the Cabinet and other officials from attending future hearings of the Senate foreign relations committee that is investigating the arrest of ex-President Rodrigo Duterte and his handover to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands, on March 11. BY JULIE M. AURELIO, MARLON RAMOS

American author swarmed by Duterte supporters due to name mix-up. "It's insane!" An American author found himself in the middle of a social media mix-up as supporters of former President Rodrigo Duterte started messaging him, mistaking him as Duterte's lawyer. BY TETCH TORRES-TUPAS

15 Philippine tycoons led by Villar among Forbes 'World's Richest People.' Fifteen tycoons from the Philippines, led by property magnate Manuel Villar, made it to Forbes Magazine's World's Richest People for 2025. BY DORIS DUMLAO-ABADILLA

PH team arrives in Myanmar for two-week deployment to help quake victims. The first batch of a 91-member Filipino humanitarian response team arrived on Tuesday afternoon in the capital of Myanmar to provide disaster response and aid to residents affected by a quake that has claimed over 2,000 lives and left around 4,000 others injured. BY DEXTER CABALZA, NESTOR CORRALES

AFP chief tells troops: Be ready if Taiwan is invaded. Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. on Tuesday told troops at the Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) to "prepare for any eventuality" such as the invasion of Taiwan in the face of growing regional tensions over China's aggression. BY NESTOR CORRALES

PH help sought for Pinoys held in Trump immigration sweep. A network of organizations supporting Filipino migrants in the United States has called on the government to leverage diplomatic channels for the release of Philippine nationals who have been detained as a result of President Donald Trump's renewed crackdown on illegal immigrants, including a green card holder who has lived there for five decades. BY JANE BAUTISTA

EDITORIAL: Learning from failed reforestation. The success of any reforestation program does not lie in the trees nor the land, but in the people tasked to lead such a noble undertaking that must be given the best chances to bear fruit. BY THE PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER

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Regards,

Alexander T. Magno

April 2, 2025

Alex Magno is the current News Channel editor of INQUIRER.net. He oversees the daily operations of the News Desk, ensuring the timely and consistent delivery of news stories to our valued readers.

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