‘We’re not bound by SC rulings on impeach rules’“We don’t have to assert our independence. There is a separation of powers where each department shouldn’t cross each other’s turf,” House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Lorenz Defensor told reporters. He said they will adopt their House rules based on the intent of the framers of the Constitution. It also emasculated impeachment as a tool to hold officials accountable.”“The recent SC ruling makes future impeachment cases harder to move forward. The House can follow the SC decision and craft rules around it, or the lower chamber can insist on its independence,” Sarmiento said.

Expanded free public WiFi program gets P5 billion funding“We are counting on the program’s expansion to boost access to online learning, distance education and vital digital services, particularly in underserved and remote communities,” Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales said. The lone Eastern Samar district congressman cited the 2026 General Appropriations Act, under which Congress allocated an additional P5 billion to support the Free Public Internet Access Program (FPIAP) in SUCs and public elementary and high schools nationwide. Republic Act 10929, or the Free Internet Access in Public Places Act, mandates the nationwide installation of free internet access points in public spaces, including parks, libraries, barangay halls, elementary and secondary schools, SUCs, hospitals, airports, seaports and land transport terminals. “We will have universal feeding for all public schools in the Philippines for kindergarten and Grade 1, all for 180 days for the full school cycle – for the first time in Philippine history. The DepEd has partnered with international organization Open Ownership to pilot the use of beneficial ownership data in public procurement, a move aimed at boosting transparency and preventing corruption in education-related contracts.

What looks like a ‘curse’ is often genetics From a scientific standpoint, the most powerful explanation for repeated early cardiovascular events in families is inherited risk. Thus, what looks like an inherited curse is often an inherited lifestyle, reinforced over generations. The most important medical truth to convey is this: A family history is not a family sentence. From curse to call to action Seen through a medical lens, what families call an intergenerational curse is better understood as an intergenerational warning. Instead of “curse,” we should speak of inherited risk, family patterns, biological vulnerability, and preventable trajectories.

Pump prices rise by up to P1.60/L todayMotorists refuel at a gas station along East Avenue in Quezon City on February 2, 2026. MANILA, Philippines — Fuel prices stay up at the start of February as diesel rises for the sixth straight time and gasoline extends its month-long increase. Starting today, gasoline, diesel and kerosene prices are set to climb by P0.80, P1.60 and P1.10 per liter, respectively, according to Jetti, Seaoil, Petron, Caltex and PTT Philippines. Jetti president Leo Bellas said prices were elevated amid the European Union’s import ban on refined products from Russia, which threatens to disrupt flows and tighten the physical market. Amid high domestic pump movements, the DOE has assured the public that it is coordinating with relevant agencies to ensure prices remain fair, reasonable and compliant with the law.

Govt offers moving allowances for affected households in Sai Wan Estate and Phase 1 of Ma Tau Wai Estate redevelopment

Motive in murder of policewoman, son known – PNPThree suspects allegedly responsible for killing Senior M/Sgt. Diane Marie Mollenido and her eight-year-old son John Ysmael, the PNP announced yesterday. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said authorities are finalizing the case build-up and the identification of respondents. “The previously arrested husband has been dismissed from the service. Police earlier arrested in Novaliches, Quezon City the policewoman’s husband after he was implicated in the killing along with two other suspects.

Poor GDP growth – what now? But we can’t really rely on corruption spending for inclusive growth. This observed divergence between private-led spending and government expenditure underscores structural issues in the transmission and conversion of public spending into perceptible economic gains,” it said. If this happens, firm owners can increase investments in fixed capital, create more jobs and catalyze growth. “Only by confronting the uncomfortable reality that more government spending may prove contractionary can policymakers chart a course toward truly resilient, sustainable and inclusive long-term growth,” CPBRD said.

Golden glorySan Miguel behemoth June Mar Fajardo savors the Ramon Fernandez Finals MVP award, being the lead force in their title run in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup. And it’s one championship no team can’t duplicate – glory in the PBA Golden Philippine Cup. “Magaling talaga si coach Leo, isa siya sa pinakamagaling sa PBA, hindi lang siya nabibigyan ng masyadong credit at sobrang humble niya,” he said. “Pero ako na magsasabi sa inyo, magaling si coach, siya ‘yung dahilan kaya nananalo ng championship ang San Miguel.”Austria lauded TNT for pushing them to the limit. Both teams deserved to win a championship but we’re more lucky and I think the experience of the players, ‘yun ang nakapagdala sa amin,” he said.

Dairy output rises to record 43 million litersDomestic dairy output in 2025 reached 43.3 million liters, up from the 38.6 million liters recorded in 2024, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. This is the first time that local milk production breached the 43-million liter mark, based on PSA data. MANILA, Philippines — The country’s dairy output last year rose by 12 percent on an annual basis to over 43 million liters, the highest on record, as local herd expanded coupled with better animal management. Domestic dairy output in 2025 reached 43.3 million liters, up from the 38.6 million liters recorded in 2024, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority. “The substantial growth in dairy output in 2025 was achieved despite the absence of dairy animal importation, demonstrating the effectiveness of the National Dairy Authority’s dairy development programs,” NDA administrator Marcus Antonius Andaya said yesterday.

VP Sara hit with 2 fresh impeachment complaintsMembers of a civil society coalition use a trolley to submit the second impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte at the Office of the House Secretary General yesterday. Sylvia Claudio, Tindig Pilipinas co-convenor, told “Storycon” on One News yesterday that they seem to be facing an uphill battle, acknowledging they had better chances last year. Akbayan party-list Rep. Perci Cendaña and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima endorsed the Tindig Pilipinas suit. Hands offSought for comment, Malacañang distanced itself from the latest impeachment complaints filed against the Vice President. “But … we do not have any hand (in it), we are not responsible (for) the filing of those complaints or impeachment complaints.

Can’t win ‘em allThe ending would’ve been fairy tale-like if only Alex Eala won the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Tennis Open that was concluded at the Rizal courts last Saturday. But as Eala herself said, that’s tennis, you win some, you lose some and you can’t win ’em all. Second seed Eala fell to fifth seed Camila Osorio of Colombia in the quarters. Of course, the fans were disappointed that Eala didn’t make it to the finish line but they weren’t disheartened. The success of the Philippine Women’s Open wasn’t just on the Rizal courts.

Most of the criticisms gloss over the fact that the Supreme Court, although unelected, enjoys equal standing as the other two branches of government. Also, the Supreme Court tries its best to stand above the political fray. Every Court ruling is the product of careful reflection on the law. Economic Planning Secretary Arsi Balisacan says, without providing much evidence, that “strong fundamentals” will propel a higher growth rate this year. The rule of thumb has been to sustain a growth rate of seven percent to make a real dent in our poverty profile.

1 dead, 3 injured in Ironman motorcycle raceCAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — A motorcycle rider died and three others were injured when they figured in separate road accidents while competing in the Boss Ironman Motorcycle Challenge Mindanao Cup over the weekend. According to authorities, the endurance ride started Saturday evening in General Santos City and passed through Cagayan de Oro City and several provinces in Mindanao before heading back to GenSan. Police identified the fatality as Ronhums Tomuhan, a resident of Nabunturan, Davao de Oro. Emergency responders rushed him to a hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. The Boss Ironman Motorcycle Challenge is a long-distance endurance ride in the Philippines that tests stamina, discipline and road safety awareness of motorcycle riders.

It’s a very dangerous kind of belief, that makes for a very dangerous kind of world. It’s in this kind of world that the ability to think for ourselves, to think critically, is of the utmost importance. Thinking critically is not just the ability to question information that is presented to us – it is an ability to question beliefs held by others and those we hold ourselves. One of the first names we think of when it comes to questioning and examining thoughts and beliefs is the Greek philosopher Socrates. There are many beliefs that we think and proclaim to be “truths” but we have never examined whether these beliefs are supported by evidence or whether they are merely assumptions.

Factory production hits 9-month high in JanuaryMANILA, Philippines — The country’s manufacturing sector started 2026 on a strong note, expanding at its fastest pace in nine months, supported by higher demand and output, according to S&P Global. The PMI, which tracks operating conditions in the manufacturing sector, is generated from a survey of around 400 manufacturers. As a result, she said output posted growth for the first time in five months. Job creation in the manufacturing sector posted growth in January, after two consecutive months of declines, allowing Filipino manufacturers to reduce their work backlogs at the start of the year. “This hesitancy reflects lingering concerns regarding export demand and the sustainability of the latest improvement,” Baluch said.