The Wire

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. will deliver his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 27, framing it as a "reckoning" and "report to the people" on the administration's response to what he described as a "very difficult period" marked by external pressures, PTV News reports.

Marcos said the speech remains a working draft subject to last-minute changes and will focus on government accomplishments and adjustments made to "steady the ship." Presidential Communications Office Secretary Dave Gomez said the address will highlight progress in education, healthcare, transparency in public works and food security, and set the legislative agenda for Congress. When asked about corruption, Marcos offered only: "Abangan ang susunod na kabanata" (wait for the next chapter).

Sweden, Poland, Romania and Lithuania have acceded to the ASEAN Treaty of Amity and Cooperation, bringing the total number of signatories to 62, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said at the treaty's 50th anniversary commemoration in Manila. The four countries' accession marks the first time European nations have joined the accord, which was signed in 1976 to establish a code of conduct for regional stability.

Marcos said the Philippines was "honored" to host the inaugural High-Level Conference of the treaty's High Contracting Parties. Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said the conference will address conflict prevention, maritime security and emerging regional threats. Marcos noted the personal significance of the moment, as his father, former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr., represented the Philippines when it first signed the treaty in Bali 50 years ago, GMA News Online / News reports.

The Philippines and the European Union agreed to elevate their bilateral relations to an Enhanced Partnership, with the bloc approving its first-ever security assistance to Manila under the European Peace Facility: 15 million euros aimed at strengthening the Armed Forces of the Philippines' maritime domain awareness through improved surveillance and monitoring.

"This is the first ever European Peace Facility support to be implemented in the Indo-Pacific and the clear demonstration that Europe is stepping up as a security partner in the region," said EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas at a signing ceremony on July 24 in Manila.

The agreement comes as the EU reiterated support for the Philippines' position in the West Philippine Sea, consistent with the 2016 arbitral award, following recent incidents involving Chinese Coast Guard vessels. All 27 EU member states backed a joint statement on the matter, Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa P. Lazaro said, GMA News Online / News reports.

The Philippine National Police will collaborate with trade and communications officials to crack down on fraudulent QR code schemes on online selling platforms, according to the Manila Times.

Police will work alongside the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Department of Trade and Industry to identify individuals using fake codes to divert payment funds and steal personal data.

"Bad elements are using technology to scam people, and we cannot allow this to happen," PNP Chief Gen. Nartatez said, urging the public to verify payment codes before scanning and report suspicious activity immediately.

The Philippine Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center said Friday it is monitoring social media ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address on Monday to detect disinformation and potential cyberattacks.

CICC Undersecretary Renato Paraiso said the monitoring aims to prevent false information that could incite public unrest during the address. "Our job is not to police opinions but to help protect the integrity of our digital space so that public dialogue on the Sona remains informed, peaceful, and responsible," Paraiso said, SunStar reports.

House prosecutors called on Vice President Sara Duterte's defense team Friday to present evidence and respond to charges, saying "a simple denial is no longer enough" after three weeks of trial on allegations of grave threats and misuse of confidential funds.

"They need to answer the authenticated recordings, the forensic findings, the official investigation and the national security assessment already on record," said House prosecution spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa Jr. at a press briefing.

The call came after an OCTA Research survey showed 71% of Filipinos believe law and evidence — not popularity — should guide the Senate impeachment court's decision. House prosecutors welcomed the finding as backing their position that Duterte's high approval ratings do not shield her from accountability. The trial resumes July 29 after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address, Renalyn Ramirez reports for philstar.com.

Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian said he is discussing with impeachment court presiding officer Francis Escudero a potential change to allow the defense to present its response to Article IV before the prosecution moves to Article I, rather than waiting for all articles to be presented first.

The House prosecution completed its nine-day presentation on Article IV, which concerns Duterte's alleged death threats against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez. "In that way, the defense can see what the prosecution has already talked about; they can remove their witnesses, and the public can already follow instead of having to go back to the start," Gatchalian said. The change would require agreement from both the prosecution and defense. Prosecution spokesperson Jay Tolosa said they are open to the shift, GMA News Online / News reports.

Akbayan Party on Friday condemned death threats against Sen. Risa Hontiveros and called on authorities to immediately identify, investigate and prosecute those responsible, according to the Manila Times. The party warned that intimidation has no place in a democratic society and that democracy depends on free exchange of ideas resolved through peaceful dialogue, not fear or threats to life.

Akbayan also warned against normalizing death threats from public officials or private individuals, saying such a culture discourages people from speaking out and undermines democracy. Party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña said authorities cannot allow or dismiss such threats, adding that "Sen. Risa has been a constant target of harassment and intimidation because of her steadfast work in fighting for truth and accountability."

House prosecutor Terry Ridon on Friday denied accusations by Senator-Judge Robin Padilla that he had questioned the participation of detained senator-judges in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, calling the remarks "absolutely fake news."

Padilla had claimed Ridon and fellow House prosecutor Leila de Lima were criticizing detained senators including Jinggoy Estrada and Rodante Marcoleta for participating in the proceedings. Ridon said in a statement that Padilla's accusations had "no basis" and that he had made no public statement on the matter, adding that the question of whether detained senator-judges may participate should be left to the Senate Impeachment Court and relevant courts, James Daniel Danio reports for The Manila Times.

The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said Friday that Philippine vessels would remain stationed near Panatag Shoal and continue their mission despite what it called unlawful actions by China Coast Guard vessels earlier that day.

The Philippine Coast Guard reported that Chinese vessels fired water cannons at Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ships participating in a government mission to support Filipino fishermen. One Chinese vessel came within seven meters of a Philippine vessel's port bow, "a maneuver that placed Filipino personnel at serious risk of collision," the task force said.

"The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea strongly condemns the unlawful and dangerous actions of the China Coast Guard this morning," it said in a statement. The task force said Philippine vessels were performing "a legitimate public service" to ensure Filipino fishermen could exercise their traditional fishing rights, which are recognised under the 2016 South China Sea arbitral award.

China has controlled Panatag Shoal since a 2012 standoff with the Philippine Navy, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reports.

Members of the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement protested near the venue of the 59th Asean Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila on Friday, calling on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to deliver their demands to Beijing, according to the Manila Times.

The group demanded that China issue a public apology and remove an AI-generated video published by China Daily, which they said portrayed Filipinos in a demeaning manner. "China, we demand a public apology. We are not monkeys," the protesters said in a statement.

The activists also condemned China's "continued use of force and intimidation" in the West Philippine Sea, citing altercations with Philippine Navy personnel at Ayungin Shoal and harassment of Philippine Coast Guard and fishing authority vessels near Bajo de Masinloc. They called on Beijing to comply with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated China's sweeping South China Sea claims.

The Sandiganbayan has found Janet Lim Napoles, the detained "pork barrel scam queen", guilty on 10 counts of malversation over the diversion of P50 million in public funds intended for agricultural projects in Luzon that were never implemented. The anti-graft court also convicted her on 10 counts of violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. She was sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for each count of malversation and up to 15 years for each count of graft.

Former Department of Agrarian Reform undersecretary Jerry Pacturan was also found guilty on 10 counts of malversation and sentenced to up to 19 years, one month and 11 days in prison for each count. He was acquitted of graft charges after prosecutors failed to prove his guilt beyond reasonable doubt, according to the decision promulgated on Friday, July 24, 2026.

Prosecutors said the funds were funneled to non-government organizations linked to Napoles despite the absence of legitimate project implementation and qualified beneficiaries. The ruling marks another conviction involving Napoles, who has figured in several cases arising from the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam, SunStar reports.

The Bank of the Philippine Islands is preparing to test a stablecoin-based settlement system with digital clearinghouse Meridian to speed up and cut the cost of cross-border payments to the Philippines, ABS-CBN News reports. The pilot will initially target payroll credits for freelancers, virtual assistants, and overseas Filipino workers before a broader rollout to all BPI clients ahead of the ASEAN Summit in November.

"Filipinos move billions of pesos every year, and it is our responsibility to make sure that their money arrives faster, cheaper and just as securely as it does today," said TG Limcaoco, BPI's president and CEO. Stablecoins are digital tokens pegged to the US dollar that banks can use as a settlement instrument in cross-border transactions, potentially eliminating intermediary institutions that add fees and delays.

BPI said the initiative will operate within existing regulatory frameworks and be coordinated with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. The move follows Cebuana Lhuillier's July partnership with Fireblocks to build a similar Solana-based payment rail for remittances, Filipino news global reports.

The United States on Friday reaffirmed its interests in the South China Sea as Asean and China accelerate negotiations on a Code of Conduct for the disputed waterway, said US Ambassador to Asean Kevin Kim.

"Any outcome must not undermine the interests of the United States because the US has critical interests and stakes in the South China Sea," Kim said. Washington respects the regional bloc's negotiations with Beijing but stressed that any agreement should protect American strategic interests, INQUIRER.net reports.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. said his fifth State of the Nation Address will showcase the administration's efforts to help Filipinos navigate what he called "a very difficult period" marked by tropical cyclones, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and higher fuel and food prices from the Middle East crisis.

"I will make sure that people will know all of the things that we have done to navigate this very difficult period in our history, where we are buffeted by all of these external forces," Marcos said Friday during a media interview in Pampanga. He said the administration's response "has been good" and the adjustments made "have been effective and have served their purpose."

The speech, scheduled for Monday at the Batasang Pambansa Complex, will be "simple yet dignified" with no celebrity performances, according to Malacañang. Marcos said he would still be revising the text an hour before delivery, Reuters is reporting, PTV News reports.

The China Coast Guard fired water cannons at Philippine Coast Guard and Department of Agriculture vessels in waters near Bajo de Masinloc on Friday morning, the second such incident in as many days, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.

CCG vessel 3107 fired on the BRP Cape San Agustin at 6:26 a.m. from about 400 meters away, while the Filipino ship was on maritime patrol 15 nautical miles from the shoal. At 7:35 a.m., CCG vessel 21581 targeted the BRP Datu Paduhinog, a Department of Agriculture fisheries vessel, at 12 nautical miles northeast of the shoal, then struck it directly three times starting at 7:53 a.m. The Philippine Coast Guard said all personnel are safe but the incident caused a temporary loss of satellite internet connectivity on one vessel.

A Chinese Maritime Militia vessel was also spotted towing a rope 100 meters behind another Philippine vessel, the PCG said, which it described as a danger to safe navigation. The incidents mark a continuation of confrontations in the disputed waters, where the Philippines regularly conducts supply missions to fisherfolk, GMA News Online / News reports.

A US Coast Guard vessel facilitated the rescue of a Filipino Navy serviceman clubbed by Chinese coast guard personnel at Ayungin Shoal on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Thursday. "There was a US Coast Guard vessel in the region at the time that this happened and actually helped stand between the two sides," Rubio told media on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting in Manila. "It allowed the individual who was injured to be rescued and brought back for medical treatment."

The attack occurred when a rigid hull inflatable boat carrying eight Chinese coast guard personnel approached the grounded BRP Sierra Madre. When two AFP rubber boats moved to drive it away, a Chinese crewman struck a Navy serviceman on the head with a wooden baton, the worst injury a Filipino has sustained in the Ayungin dispute. China's coast guard said Manila was provocative; the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea called that "false and misleading."

Rubio called the incident "disturbing" and reaffirmed the US mutual defense commitment. "We have to have a relationship with China, Cristina Chi reports for the Philippine Star.

The prosecution told the court the Vice President now has the chance to defend herself and counter the case against her. "The defense panel has laid evidence to contradict what the prosecution said," one prosecutor said on House of Representatives. "This will work in her favor. So this is the time. This is what the people are waiting for. So the defense panel needs to be serious about it." The statement came as closing arguments wrapped on the prosecution's case.

Speaking on House of Representatives, the presiding officer and prosecution clarified that allegations attributed to self-confessed Davao Death Squad member Arturo Lascañas—including claims that the VP ordered killings kept hidden—were presented as part of NBI Director Jeremy Lotoc's testimony explaining the bureau's investigative conclusions, not as established truth. "It should not be taken as a truth of that statement," the prosecution said, noting Lascañas's account was relevant to establishing the gravity of threats against the president but should be weighed within the evidentiary context the NBI director provided.

A prosecution spokesperson told House of Representatives that while support for Vice President Sara Duterte rose 5 percentage points in Mindanao during the trial period—from 37 percent to 42 percent—this does not weaken the case for accountability. "Popularity does not mean immunity from accountability," the speaker said. "If you violated the law as a government official, there is an obligation to answer." The statement came as prosecutors presented survey data showing 70 percent of Filipinos still want the vice president to respond to impeachment charges.

Speaking on House of Representatives, prosecutors acknowledged that extrajudicial killings in Davao City under the prior administration were discussed during earlier quad-commission hearings, contrary to suggestions the issue was novel to this impeachment trial. An NBI official, the director Jeremy Lotoc, had cited statements from a self-confessed Davao Death Squad member, Arturo Lascañas, in connection with the allegations. The prosecution stressed that such statements should be understood only as part of Lotoc's testimony explaining evidence reviewed, not as established fact.

Speaking on House of Representatives, a prosecutor said the vice president's propensity for violence was discussed during earlier quad-commission hearings, specifically regarding extrajudicial killings that continued in Davao City even after her successor took office as mayor. The prosecutor noted that when former president Rodrigo Duterte became chief executive, VP Sara Duterte remained mayor of Davao City, and killings continued under her watch during that period.

Benjamin S. Tolosa Jr., the private prosecutor and legal spokesperson for the House prosecution panel, said speaking on House of Representatives that he does not need to choose between his dual role right now, but would prioritize his role as a private prosecutor if forced to choose.

"If I really have to pick one, I will have to take on the role of a private prosecutor," Tolosa said, "because that was the original commitment I made when I joined the impeachment."

He added that the prosecution panel is preparing to reduce his spokesperson duties once witness testimony begins. "We've arranged things to avoid the risk of violating [court rules], and when it comes time for us to present witnesses, we'll probably reduce his duties as spokesperson to prevent that kind of conflict," he said.

The prosecution expressed confidence on the House of Representatives broadcast that senator-judge Imee Marcos's opinion on the case will shift once both prosecution and defense evidence have been fully examined.

"Naniniwala kami pag atapos nilang masuril ang evidencia, imposible hindi hong ma-apecto ang opinion ni Imee Marcos," a prosecution spokesperson said. ["We believe that once they have scrutinized the evidence, it is impossible that the opinion of Imee Marcos will not be affected."]

The spokesperson added the prosecution was not pre-empting what the defense would present, but said they were confident in the weight of the evidence they had laid before the impeachment court.

A prosecution spokesperson told the House of Representatives broadcast that the Vice President's own words at a November 23 press conference, conducted via live streaming, amount to a direct admission of the alleged plot against the President.

"Bag-o pa nangyari, November 23, ang press conference na yan, through live streaming, makikita, nasinabi na ng busy presidente. Tigninitig nanya na gusto niyang pugota na ulong presidente. Nung araw na yun, inamin niya nung November 23, mayro na siyang kasedual," the spokesperson said. ["It had just happened — November 23, that press conference, through live streaming, it can be seen, the VP herself said it. She stated that day that she wanted the President killed. On that day, November 23, she admitted she already had it scheduled."]

The spokesperson, identified in the broadcast as private prosecutor and legal spokesperson Benjamin Tolosa Jr., said the statement was made publicly and on record, and that the prosecution's evidence rests on it.

Private prosecutor Benjamin Tolosa Jr. told House of Representatives that Vice President Duterte's trust and popularity ratings were recorded before the impeachment trial began, and predicted the numbers would shift once the court weighs the evidence already presented.

"Sa aking paniwala makakaapekto dito sa trust and popularity rating ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo," Tolosa said. ["In my view, this will affect the trust and popularity rating of our Vice President."]

He added that after both prosecution and defense evidence are assessed, he was confident public opinion would move — stopping short of predicting the direction, but saying it was "impossible" that opinion would be unaffected.

A member of the prosecution panel named three specific allegations he said the Filipino public expects Vice President Sara Duterte to address before the impeachment court: the grave threat charge, unexplained wealth amounting to P1 billion, and the use of confidential funds running into hundreds of millions of pesos, speaking on House of Representatives.

"Anong sagot niya dito sa allegations ng grave threat... dito sa allegations of unexplained wealth amounting to... P1,000,000,000. Anong sagot niya dito sa Confidential Fund sa amounting 200s of millions of pesos," the speaker said. ["What is her answer to the allegations of grave threat... to the allegations of unexplained wealth amounting to P1 billion. What is her answer to the Confidential Fund amounting to hundreds of millions of pesos."]

The speaker argued that the 70% survey finding — that Filipinos want a verdict based on evidence — shows the public demands direct answers to each count, not a reliance on the VP's popularity.