Philippine news digest - July 15, 2026

Day six of Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial got bogged down in paperwork, specifically her tax records. The Senate impeachment court heard oral arguments on the prosecution's request to subpoena Duterte's tax filings, along with those of her husband Manases Carpio and businesses linked to them, all tied to a sealed BIR box that has become its own subplot in this trial. Prosecution lawyer Lorna Kapunan also asked the tribunal to drop two witnesses who'd been queued up next (OVP chief of staff Zuleika Lopez and House security bureau director Capt. Belinda Bello), calling their testimony redundant now that NBI regional director Jeremy Lotoc's cross-examination wrapped Monday (via GMA News).

Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, detained since his July 6 arrest on plunder charges, was cleared to appear before the Sandiganbayan today after UP-PGH doctors ran an independent medical evaluation and found him fit for court, closing out a week of back-and-forth over his degenerative disc disease and pneumonia diagnosis. Whether he stays at the PNP hospital or moves elsewhere is now the anti-graft court's call (via Manila Times).

Away from the courtroom, President Marcos' numbers are looking up, barely. The Social Weather Stations' Q2 survey put his net satisfaction rating at -7, up eight points from March's record-low of -15, with the biggest gains among younger and college-educated respondents. He's still underwater everywhere except Balance Luzon (+11); Mindanao (-35) and Metro Manila (-24) remain the roughest ground (via Philstar).

Marcos himself is out of the country this week on a three-day working visit to Singapore, meeting Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and pitching investors at a Milken Institute roundtable, days after a Canada trip that landed roughly $2.5 billion in investment pledges. Back home, his Cabinet is still reviewing the proposed P7.2-trillion 2027 budget to make sure it lines up with projects that are actually ready to break ground (via Manila Times).

Josie is gone. What was briefly a tropical storm weakened to a depression, then to a remnant low, and exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility early today, last spotted 1,650 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon. PAGASA says it's unlikely to redevelop. The southwest monsoon it enhanced is still around, though: strong to gale-force gusts are forecast today for Ilocos Region, Abra, Apayao, Zambales, Bataan, and the Batanes and Babuyan Islands (via Philstar).

The cleanup from Inday and last week's habagat is mostly a recovery grind at this point. The death toll has held around 20, with roughly 16 still missing and over half a million people affected nationwide, evacuation centers still sheltering thousands of displaced families. Nothing new to report there today, which is itself the good news.

Cebu Pacific said it's set to become the first low-cost carrier in Southeast Asia to fly with SpaceX's Starlink Wi-Fi onboard, rolling out from 2027 across its fleet alongside sister budget airlines Frontier, Wizz Air, Volaris, and JetSMART under the Indigo Partners umbrella. Fast enough for HD streaming from your seat, eventually (via Rappler).

Malacañang, meanwhile, is still chewing over the 2027 budget: the Cabinet's development committee wants the proposed P7.2-trillion spending plan, about 21.7 percent of GDP, checked against which priority projects are truly shovel-ready before it heads to Congress (via Manila Times).

Tuesday's close: the PSEi slipped 0.15 percent, or 9.70 points, to 6,256.02, a quiet session on thin volume as traders stayed cautious about the US-Iran standoff and its knock-on effect on oil prices. The peso held near 61.6 to 61.7 against the dollar. Wednesday's own close wasn't out yet by our deadline; check the PSE's market report for the official print (via BusinessWorld).

The one genuinely good economic number of the week: headline inflation eased to 6.4 percent in June from 6.8 percent in May, its slowest pace in three months, on cooler transport and food costs. The first-half average now sits at 4.8 percent, still above the BSP's 2 to 4 percent comfort zone. The catch is core inflation, the stickier number that strips out food and fuel, which held near a 31-month high, which is why analysts don't expect the BSP to start cutting rates anytime soon despite the headline improvement (via Philstar).

PBA Governors' Cup kept rolling this week. Blackwater's new import Kentrell Barkley made an instant impression, posting a 29-point, 15-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in his league debut as Blackwater blew past Rain or Shine, 131-108. Converge, facing an import-less Titan Ultra, cruised to a 105-74 win behind Jalen Hudson's 20 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals, up 50-26 by halftime (via Manila Bulletin).

Tonight's card at Smart Araneta has Converge against Terrafirma at 5:15 p.m. and Meralco against Phoenix at 7:30.

Gilas Pilipinas' next real test isn't until August. After finishing round one of FIBA World Cup Asian qualifying at 2-4, third in Group A, the men's team crosses into Group E against Iran, Jordan, and Syria, needing a top-three finish to keep 2027 World Cup hopes alive. The women's team, meanwhile, drew world No. 4 China, No. 10 Japan, and No. 44 Lebanon in Group B of the 2027 FIBA Women's Asia Cup, which the Philippines is hosting at the newly opened SM Seaside Cebu Arena (via Manila Bulletin).

Bea Alonzo is off the market, officially. Her lawyer confirmed today that the actress married Puregold heir Vincent Co in a low-key civil ceremony at Makati City Hall on Monday evening, officiated by Mayor Nancy Binay, with a prenup the lawyer says both parties entered "freely, knowingly, and voluntarily." Neither Bea nor Vincent has personally addressed it, but between the mayor's photo and now the lawyer's on-record statement, this one's confirmed, not just rumor (via GMA News).

Alex Eala comes home today. Fresh off becoming the first Filipina seeded at a Grand Slam, the tennis star holds "Home Court: The Alex Eala Fan Meet Experience" this evening at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati, hosted by Globe. Registration opens 4 p.m., the program starts at 6, and she's expected to talk through her Wimbledon run before shifting focus to the US Open, which starts August 30 (via GMA News).

Google's first-ever Gemini Southeast Asia report found the Philippines is the only market in the region where more women use the AI assistant than men, with Filipino users leaning on it heavily for creative work, writing, and job-hunting prompts (via GizGuide).

Huawei officially unveiled its Pura 90s series, the Pura 90s Pro and Pro Max, leading with a 200-megapixel telephoto camera and billed as its new "King of Imaging" line. Philippine launch is slated for August (via UnGeek).

NAIA Terminal 3's month-long overnight lane closures kicked off today, running 9 p.m. to 4 a.m. through mid-August as departure drop-off lanes get squeezed for construction work. Budget extra time if you're doing a late-night airport run (via Manila Times).