Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Monday, January 26, 2026.
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READ: DOJ probes 14 infra scam cases in batches
THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has divided the 14 cases related to flood control fund anomalies into three batches. Justice Assistant Secretary and spokesman Polo Martinez said the cases were grouped based on the nature of the allegations, the contractors involved, and the stage of the proceedings. The first batch involved five malversation cases linked to Syms Construction Trading, all connected to flood control projects in Bulacan’s 1st district. Martinez said two of the cases had been referred to the Office of the Ombudsman and filed before the Sandiganbayan. The remaining three were expected to be resolved by the Office of the Prosecutor General within the month. The second batch consisted of six cases involving contractors Wawao Construction and Top Notch Catalyst Builders. Martinez said all six cases are still under preliminary investigation at the DOJ, but were moving at different paces, depending on the status of submissions by respondents and the evaluation of evidence.
READ: Government to ban shady contractors from infrastructure projects
FLY-BY-NIGHT and crooked contractors will no longer be allowed to take part in government infrastructure projects as part of the ongoing reforms at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said over the weekend that the move was on instructions of the president, in line with the reforms in the budget and implementation of government projects that the taxpayers’ money should go to their intended purposes. Dizon said he will make sure there will be no piecemeal implementation or rehabilitation of projects, like what happened to the Maharlika Highway, a network of roads, expressways, bridges, and ferry services that connects the islands of Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
READ: Duterte's lawyers argue ICC lacks legal authority
THE lawyers of former president Rodrigo Duterte argued before the International Criminal Court (ICC) that while the tribunal may have jurisdiction stricto sensu (strictly speaking) over alleged crimes linked to his administration, it lacked the legal authority to exercise that jurisdiction when the investigation into the Philippines was authorized in 2021. In a filing dated Jan. 23 submitted to the ICC Appeals Chamber, the lawyers responded to additional submissions on jurisdiction under Regulation 28, maintaining that the legal preconditions for the court to exercise jurisdiction were absent when the investigation into the Philippines situation was approved in September 2021. They said the Philippines’ withdrawal from the Rome Statute, which took effect in March 2019, was decisive. While the alleged crimes were said to have occurred when the country was still a State Party, the lawyers stressed that Article 12(2) of the Rome Statute required the state concerned to be a party at the time the court decided to exercise its jurisdiction, not merely at the time of the alleged acts.
READ: DOH, PhilHealth urged to expand benefits for middle class
EXECUTIVE Secretary Ralph Recto met with Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) President and CEO Edwin Mercado to discuss system-wide solutions that will ensure the efficient implementation of the administration’s Zero Balance Billing (ZBB) policy. A statement issued by the Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) on Sunday said Recto urged the DOH and PhilHealth to further expand benefits and packages “especially for middle class who are consistently paying their taxes and contributions.” The executive secretary said these contributors should receive benefits commensurate with their contributions.
READ: Eala faces Russian in PH Women’s Open debut
FILIPINO tennis sensation Alex Eala will play her first major match on home ground today, Jan. 26, taking on Alina Charaeva of Russia in the Round of 32 of the 2026 Philippine Women’s Open. The historic WTA 125 event at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila gives Eala’s local fans a chance to see her in action. Match time is 10 a.m. Charaeva, ranked 163rd in the world, peaked at No. 142 last Sept. 15 — a career-high mark. Eala, No. 43 in the WTA ranking, remains grounded despite the ranking gap, saying that complacency has no place in the world of tennis.
BUSINESS: Q4 rebound unlikely; growth miss expected
ECONOMIC growth likely slowed further in the fourth quarter as a massive corruption scandal continued to weigh on spending and sentiment, analysts said, dragging the full-year result to well below target. The median forecast was 3.7 percent for the October-December period, lower than the third-quarter slowdown to 4.0 percent from 5.5 percent in April-June and the 5.4 percent seen in the first three months of the year. If realized, 2025 gross domestic product (GDP) growth would average 4.6 percent, well below the 5.5- to 6.5-percent goal and markedly down from 2024’s 5.7 percent. It would also extend a run of missed growth targets to three years.
SPORTS: Sotto hurts ankle in Japan B.League comeback
FILIPINO young big man Kai Sotto’s highly anticipated return to basketball action suffered a quick setback as he sprained his right ankle during his debut game for the Koshigaya Alpha in their Japan B.League 2025-26 season on Saturday. The 7-foot-3 Sotto missed his two field goal attempts, but managed to make his presence felt on the defensive end after contributing three blocked shots in their road game against the Ibaraki Robots at Hitachi City Ikenokawa Sakura Arena. Sotto went for a block on Ibaraki’s Kotaro Hisaoka but landed awkwardly with his right ankle. It apprently looked like a sprained ankle, but the Filipino slotman managed to pick himself up as he gingerly walked back to the team’s bench.
READ: Editorial & Opinion
Rigoberto Tiglao, Fr. Ranhilio C. Aquino and Francisco Tatad are today’s front page columnists. Tiglao column is about the Chinese invasion. Fr. Aquino talks about the Filipino philosophy while Tatad talks about the impeachment cases filed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Today’s editorial is about throwing a lifeline to the sugar industry.
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