Philippine news digest - July 20, 2026

The prosecution in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial is pressing its case for access to her financial records before proceedings resume today. Prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa says the defense's effort to block subpoenas raises questions, while the prosecution argues that the records could test the gap between Duterte's declared wealth and P6.7 billion in transactions flagged by the Anti-Money Laundering Council. The court deferred its ruling on the subpoenas last week, so the decision today matters more than another round of arguments outside the chamber. (via GMA News)

Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Erwin Tulfo's public quarrel is turning into a formal inquiry. Tulfo says the Blue Ribbon committee will invite both Alan and his brother, PTV general manager and former Taguig mayor Lino Cayetano, when it resumes hearings on alleged ghost flood-control projects after the July 27 SONA. Lino had sought a review of about P6 billion in Taguig projects from 2022 to 2025, while Alan denies that ghost projects exist in the city. (via GMA News)

Habagat is back in the daily forecast. PAGASA expects isolated rain showers or thunderstorms across Metro Manila, Ilocos, the Cordilleras, MIMAROPA, Western Visayas, the Negros Island Region, Zamboanga Peninsula, BARMM, Batanes, the Babuyan Islands, Zambales, Bataan, Cavite, Batangas, and Lanao del Norte. Localized thunderstorms may also bring rain elsewhere. There is no active tropical cyclone in the forecast, but sudden downpours remain the practical concern. (via GMA News)

Delta Air Lines has opened bookings for a nonstop Manila-Los Angeles service starting March 28, 2027. The route will begin with three flights a week and shift to daily service on June 7 using an Airbus A350-900. New NAIA Infra Corp. says Delta will be the only US airline flying the route nonstop, while the tourism department sees the added competition as useful for travelers, OFWs, and the Filipino-American market. (via Philstar)

The Philippine market had not opened at this morning's cut-off, so Friday's close still stands: the PSEi finished at 6,404.11, up 1.25 percent, while the peso closed at P61.587 to the dollar. The first useful signal today will be whether that rebound survives another weekend of Middle East tension. (via Philstar)

Oil companies had not yet posted their final Monday pump notices at the morning cut-off. The last public estimate from the DOE and industry players pointed to a July 21 increase of roughly P9 to P10 per liter for diesel and P3.50 to P4.50 for gasoline, with officials warning that the final adjustment could move as global trading closes. Treat those as working figures until retailers issue their notices. (via Philstar)

Phoenix kept its unbeaten Governors' Cup run intact by beating Barangay Ginebra on Sunday. Ricci Rivero and the Fuel Masters handed the Gin Kings their first setback of the conference, a tidy reversal of the marquee billing around Ginebra before tip-off. (via Philstar)

TNT also escaped with a win over the Macau Black Bears in Sunday's other PBA game. The Tropang 5G got the result, but the "escape" part is the useful warning this early in the eliminations: the guest side made them work for it. (via Philstar)

Independent animated musical "Plump Blossom" is set for a September 23 Philippine cinema release. Writer-director Kap Rossana describes it as one of the country's first AI-assisted animated features, though the team stresses that the writing, direction, editing, music, and creative choices remained human-led. The Tang Dynasty-inspired story follows Princess Ruo Hua, with Audie Gemora among the voice cast. (via Philstar)

It was a quiet morning for fresh Philippine food, travel, and culture stories from the tracked outlets.

Waze is rolling out Motorcycle Mode in the Philippines on Android and iOS. The new routing considers motorcycle-accessible shortcuts and restrictions, and it adds alerts for hazards that matter more on two wheels, including potholes, speed bumps, narrow bridges, and shoulder endings. The rollout is staged, so it may not appear for every rider immediately. (via YugaTech)

Asia United Bank customers get a smaller but immediately useful change today: AUB has removed its P8 InstaPay and PESONet transfer fees across AUB Preferred Online and Mobile Banking, HelloMoney, and Hello Pag-IBIG. It joins a growing group of Philippine banks cutting interbank transfer charges. (via YugaTech)