Dev Flores

Commission of Elections (COMELEC) Chairman George Erwin Garcia confirms that special elections in the 4th district of Dasmariñas, Cavite, will proceed on August 29, 2026, to fill the vacant seat of expelled Congressman Kiko Barzaga.

“Ang fixed date natin ay August 29 na. Yun din ang napag-usapan namin kanina sa Commission en banc,” he said

[“Our fixed date is on August 29. We already talked about that in Commission en banc.”]

The commission is set to meet with local officials, security forces, and other concerned agencies to fix the necessary matters regarding the calendar of activities, filing of certificates of candidacy, campaign period, election period, and the enforcement of the gun ban. 

The Comelec also stated that the special polls will be conducted through manual voting system.

Garcia previously mentioned that special polls in Barzaga’s district will be possible because there are still more than one year remaining before the current term expires.

“Tayo po ay nasa labas pa ng isang taon bago ang susunod na halalan ng 2028. Kung kaya naman kung tutuusin parang lumalabas kakailanganin talaga nating mag-hold ng special election,” he said

[“We are still over a year away from the next elections in 2028. Therefore, it appears we will really need to hold a special election.”]

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines extends the notice to airmen (NOTAM) to June 14, 2026, meaning commercial flights are still suspended until the given date.

“The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) has extended the Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) for General Santos Airport,” they said

According to CAAP, extensive cleaning and repair of facilities, particularly the passenger terminal building, are still needed before the airport is allowed to resume full operations. Aftershocks slow down the rehabilitation, which is also dangerous for the workers involved in the operations.

CAAP Spokesperson Eric Apolonio apologizes for the extension of the suspension of commercial flights; he emphasizes that they do not want to compromise passenger safety.

“Ina-announce natin ‘yong extension dahil kailangan talaga ayusin muna mabuti ‘yong passenger terminal building dahil we cannot compromise safety naman. Pasensya na lang po,” he said

Hence, the CAAP advises passengers to coordinate with their respective airlines for rebooking, refund, or other alternative travel options. They are also advised to use Davao Airport as an alternative for commercial flights while the GenSan Airport remains unavailable.

Vice President Sara Duterte will leave the impeachment trial preparations to the defense team. This is her response when asked regarding the preparations for the impeachment trial.

“Ang preparation o paghahanda sa impeachment trial ay iiwan ko na sa mga abogado,”

[“I will leave the preparation for impeachment trial to the lawyers.”]

She also mentioned that she’s just going to comply with the decisions of the defense team.

“Kung ano ‘yong sa tingin nila pinakatama at pinakamabisa at pinakamagaling na paraan ng kanilang defense ay susunod lang ako bilang kliyente nila,”she added

[“Whatever they think is most correct, most effective, and the best way of their defense , I will just comply as their client

The Senate also issued a notice of pre-trial conference, scheduled on June 18, 2026, to the defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Senate President Pro Tempore Sherwin Gatchalian confirms the continuous preparation for the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 6, 2026.

He also assures that the schedule will not be affected by the ongoing conflicts in the Senate.

The Senate also issued a notice of pre-trial conference to the house prosecution team and to the defense team of Vice President Sara Duterte.

“So pinadala na namin yan both to the defense and the prosecution team, and the next step they will send us their pre-trial brief containing the items in the pre-trial notice,” he said

[“So we have already sent that both to the defense and the prosecution team, and the next step they will send us their pre-trial brief containing the items in the pre-trial notice.”]

He also mentioned that he already met the impeachment internal team to ensure that ‘preparations are in order’.

However, the official Senate Presiding Officer of the trial remains unconfirmed, a matter he said they have to discuss.

With reports from Jed Nerecina

The Senate has issued notice of pre-trial conference to the House prosecution panel for the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte. 

The conference is scheduled on June 18, 2026, at 9:00 AM in the Senate building; the following agenda includes:

1. Stipluation of facts and simplification of issues;
2. Marking of documentary or real evidence and waiver of objections or admissions on evidence;
3. Number and identification of witnesses
4. Setting of trial dates
5. The proposed sequence for the presentation of evidence and possible modification of the order of trial.

Both parties – Vice President Sara Duterte and the House prosecution team are required to attend physically or through their legal counsel. However, the proceedings are closed to the media to execute more open discussion between the two sides.

Additionally, both sides must submit their pre-trial briefs to the clerk of the impeachment court ahead of the conference.

“The parties are required to file with the Clerk of the Impeachment Court and serve upon the adverse party their respective Pre-Trial Briefs via personal delivery or official electronic mail no later than June 15, 2026,” based on the issued notice

The notice of pre-trial conference is signed by acting Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian.