Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Friday, February 6, 2026.
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READ: Senate coup attempt falls short, Sotto says
SENATE President Vicente “Tito” Sotto said Thursday the instigator of a coup in the upper chamber failed to gain the 13 signatures required to trigger a leadership change. With the help of his bloc in the majority, Sotto on Wednesday survived a bid by the minority bloc to unseat him and install Sen. Loren Legarda in his place. Hours after the alleged power grab fizzled out, Sotto said a term sharing agreement with Legarda was brought up. But Legarda declined to confirm Sotto’s pronouncement that she will be installed as the first woman Senate president before the end of the 20th Congress in 2028.
READ: PCG divers enter sunken ferry, recover two bodies
PHILIPPINE Coast Guard (PCG) divers have successfully entered the sunken passenger ferry MV Trisha Kerstin 3, as underwater assessment and recovery operations intensified off the coast of Basilan. Coast Guard District Southwestern Mindanao commander Commo. Rejard Marfe said divers from the PCG Technical Diving Group safely accessed the submerged ferry following the earlier confirmation of its location about 1.8 nautical miles off Baluk-Baluk Island. In a statement, the PCG said the divers positively identified the wreck after clearly reading the vessel’s name, MV Trisha Kerstin 3, marked on the ship’s hull. Marfe said the divers inspected the interior of the vessel as part of the ongoing underwater assessment operations.
READ: Marcos joins launch of Tesda mobile app
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday attended the launch of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Skills Passport mobile application, his first public appearance since being sidelined by diverticulitis two weeks ago. PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday attended the launch of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) Skills Passport mobile application, his first public appearance since being sidelined by diverticulitis two weeks ago. It is a unified platform that “functions as a digital identity and portfolio, allowing users to securely store, manage, and present their skills and credentials.” Apart from backing Tesda’s digital push, the president also vowed his administration’s unceasing support for education and skills training, citing the two sectors’ vital role in empowering Filipinos to succeed in the workforce.
READ: Complainant seeks reversal of impeachment decision
FORMER lawmaker Neri Colmenares on Thursday sought a reversal of the House Committee on Justice’s decision to dismiss the impeachment complaint that he and other people filed against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. On Wednesday, 39 lawmakers of the committee found the complaint, which was endorsed by the three-member Makabayan bloc, insufficient in substance. The committee will still meet to vote on its report, which will be sent to the plenary.
BUSINESS: Inflation rises to 2.0%
HIGHER utility and fuel costs pushed inflation to an 11-month high of 2.0 percent in January, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday. Consumer price growth, which rose from 1.8 percent in December, exceeded the 1.8-percent median in a Manila Times poll but fell within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) estimate of 1.4 percent to 2.2 percent. Core inflation, which excludes select food and energy items, picked up to 2.8 percent from 2.4 percent.
SPORTS: Cone sets recovery time for gilas players
GILAS Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone hopes the extra week before the national team reconvenes will give the players enough time to recover from their injuries and fatigue. June Mar Fajardo, who powered San Miguel Beer to a successful title-retention of the PBA Philippine Cup recently, played through a painful shoulder during the finals series against TNT. Cone has said he is planning to call the team back in practice on Feb. 15, which would give Gilas Pilipinas at least 10 days of preparation before hosting New Zealand on Feb. 26 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in the second window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
READ: Opinion and editorial
Rigoberto Tiglao and Francisco Tatad are today’s front page columnists. Tiglao continues his maritime commentary, while Tatad looks at where the Constitution errs.
Today’s editorial says there is a global strategy in ending violence against children. Read the full version in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times.
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