2025 through the lens: Top PDI photos of the year
2025 had been anticipated as a politically-charged year, owing to the mid-term elections, but nobody expected it to be this explosive.
After Vice President Sara Duterte was impeached by the House of Representatives in February, came a series of earthshaking events.
In March, her father—former President Rodrigo Duterte—was arrested upon arrival in Manila from Hong Kong and flown to the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands, to face murder charges as a crime against humanity, stemming from his war on drugs.
This set the tone for the otherwise peaceful mid-term senatorial elections in May, which, however, laid bare the deepening rift between President Marcos and his sister, Sen. Imee Marcos, who has cast her lot with the Dutertes.
And then in June, senators convened as a court for the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte. But in late July, the Supreme Court voided the impeachment complaint against her and ruled it as unconstitutional. The Senate remanded the articles of impeachment to the House, and then, in August, voted to archive these, pending House appeal of the SC ruling.
In his State of the Nation Address in late July, the President rebuked profiteers in government flood control projects: “Mahiya naman kayo!” Soon after, whistleblowers appeared in congressional inquiries and exposed the collusion of senators, congressmen, public works officials, and private contractors to pocket billions of pesos from flood control projects.
As the scandal raged, Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero was ousted; House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin and Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman resigned; and tens of thousands took to the streets, calling for accountability and the resignation of both Marcos and Duterte.
In late September, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake killed 79 people in Bogo City, Cebu, followed by similarly powerful ones.
In late October and early November, Typhoons “Tino” (Kalmaegi) and “Uwan” (Fung-wong) barreled across the archipelago, cutting a vast trail of devastation and killing more than 200 people.
Inquirer photographers chronicled most of these events, sometimes employing drones, adding not only color but also providing context and a sharp lens through which we can appreciate the nuances of riveting, fast-developing stories.
We selected some of the images that appeared in our pages from January to November, capturing news events that often provoked outrage and anguish, but also light moments that stirred hope and joy, even peace.
