Abbey M.

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala scored the biggest win of her career on Saturday, July 4, 2026 beating defending champion Iga Świątek 7-6(9), 6-2 in the third round of Wimbledon.

The 21-year-old Eala, seeded No. 29, saved two set points in a tight first-set tiebreak before sealing the win in one hour and 25 minutes on Centre Court.

She capped off the victory with a crosscourt forehand winner, then broke down in tears, calling it a childhood dream come true.

Eala raced to a big lead early in the second set. Świątek fought back and saved two match points, but Eala held her nerve and closed out the win on her third match point.

It was Eala's second career win over Świątek, after she also beat the Polish star at last year's Miami Open.

The victory makes Eala the first Filipina in the Open Era to reach the Wimbledon fourth round. She had already made history days earlier as the first Filipino player to reach the third round of a Grand Slam.

For Świątek, the loss ends her bid to defend her Wimbledon crown.

Eala will face world No. 13 Jasmine Paolini of Italy for a seat in the quarterfinals and another history for Philippine tennis.

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The Trial Chamber III of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has granted part of the prosecution's request to access some of former President Rodrigo Duterte's belongings currently in the custody of the ICC Registry.

"Makatuwiran ang inilatag na batayan ng prosecution para makatulong ang mga ito sa imbestigasyon kaugnay ng kasong crimes against humanity ni dating Pangulong Duterte."

(The grounds presented by the prosecution are reasonable, as these items could aid the investigation related to the crimes against humanity case against former President Duterte.)

However, the Court denied the request to access all the keys confiscated from the former president, citing insufficient justification from the prosecution. The Court also noted that granting this part of the request could affect the privacy rights of third parties.

The Chamber also directed the prosecution to submit any additional requests for other items belonging to FPRRD (Former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte) until June 30, 2026, while instructing the Registry to release to the prosecution the items that have already been approved.

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Former Cong. Mike Defensor has questioned the plunder case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against him, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta, and two other businessmen.

The former lawmaker maintained that no government funds were stolen, no favors were requested or received, and the money he gave to Sen. Marcoleta before the campaign period of the 2025 elections was his own private money.

"Walang ninakaw na pondo ng gobyerno, walang pabor na hiningi o tinanggap, at pribadong pera ang ibinigay ko kay Senator Marcoleta bago ang campaign period ng 2025 elections."
(No government funds were stolen, no favor was requested or received, and the money I gave to Senator Marcoleta before the campaign period of the 2025 elections was private money.)

Defensor also pointed out that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. received campaign donations from several individuals who were later given important positions in government.

He said that if campaign donations are being used as basis for the plunder case, then a similar investigation should also be conducted on others.

"Kung basehan na sa plunder case ang mga campaign donations, kailangan na magkaroon din ng kaparehong pagsisiyasat sa iba."
(If campaign donations are being used as basis for the plunder case, there should also be a similar investigation into others.)

Despite this, Defensor assured that he will face the case in the proper court and will continue exposing corruption in flood control projects.

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The Department of Education (DepEd) clarified that shifting to online classes is not the solution for students following a string of reports of violence in schools nationwide.

Amid growing concern from parents due to consecutive incidents of violence in schools across the country, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said schools cannot immediately transition to an online learning setup.

"In some schools it exists but it's not something that is readily available. Alam niyo naman yung state of internet infrastructure natin at siyempre yung ibang magulang hindi rin kaya na bantayan."

(You know the state of our internet infrastructure, and of course some parents also cannot afford to monitor it.)

According to Secretary Angara, internet connectivity and access to technology remain a challenge for many Filipino families. 

He also said the state of the country's internet infrastructure is not yet fully ready, and some parents would also not be able to support this kind of setup.

Instead, the secretary emphasized that DepEd is focusing on strengthening security in schools. This will be done through greater police presence, additional security guards, CCTV installation, and other safety protocols to ensure the security of students while face-to-face classes continue.

"So nagka-several meetings na kami with PNP, with DSWD, sa first aid aspect, etc. Pero itong mga threats kailangan talaga seryosohin kasi kung totoo yan, we cannot risk, hindi natin puwede i-risk na magpasukan talaga. So siniseryoso natin lahat ng mga threats na ganoon."

(So we have had several meetings with the PNP, with the DSWD, on the first aid aspect, etc. But these threats really need to be taken seriously because if that is true, we cannot risk it, we cannot risk having students go to school. So we are taking all threats like that seriously.)

On July 2, a school in Bagong Silangan, Quezon City was disturbed following an alleged security threat that caused fear among students and teachers. 

An alleged shooting and a wounded teacher were also reported in the incident, which immediately caused concern among the public.

However, in a statement released by the Quezon City Police District, initial investigation showed that the noise came from a nearby construction site, and students merely assumed it was gunfire.

Police confirmed that no shooting incident occurred and that no injuries or any untoward incident at the school were recorded. They said it was simply a fake threat against the school.

Because of this, the Department of Education once again reminded the public that this kind of spreading of false information is not to be taken lightly, and warned that penalties will be imposed on those caught doing so.

According to DepEd, students who are proven to be behind the making or spreading of school threats may face suspension, expulsion, or dismissal, as well as a possible criminal case, depending on the severity of the violation.

Meanwhile, the agency also reported that it is coordinating with the PNP and the DICT to investigate whether a person or group is behind the string of school violence incidents.

The Philippines and Canada signed two agreements following a meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

One of the agreements is the Joint Declaration of Intent on Energy and Natural Resources Cooperation. The second covers tourism and migration.

President Marcos said the two countries also signed bilateral understandings and declarations of cooperation in tourism, culture, and labor and migration.

"I am also glad to have witnessed today the signing of bilateral understandings and declarations of cooperation in the areas of tourism, culture, and labor and migration. These agreements will help us harness the strong people-to-people ties between our two countries, as we jointly build capacities and create a mutually beneficial talent pipeline for the future," Marcos said.

Marcos also thanked Canada for its Dark Vessel Detection Program, which has been deployed in the Philippines to help the country combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. 

He also thanked Canada for its continued support for the Philippines' position in the South China Sea.

Aside from strengthening ties with the Philippines, Carney also expressed Canada's desire to strengthen its relationship with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

"We are deepening our trade and investment across ASEAN, the fastest-growing region in the world, and nowhere [is it] more important that, under your leadership — your leadership in ASEAN — we're moving with determination to conclude negotiations of our Canada-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement by this summit this year," Carney said.

The two leaders also announced the elevation of Philippines-Canada relations to a "strategic partnership."

Following his meeting with the Canadian prime minister, Marcos is set to meet with Canadian businessmen and investors.

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