The Philippines rose three places to 87th out of 171 countries in the 2026 edition of the Global Social Progress Index by the nonprofit organization Social Progress Imperative. The country scored 66.76 out of 100, above the 63.75 global average. The index measures 57 drivers of social and environmental progress across the dimensions of basic needs, foundations of well-being, and opportunity.
THE MAIN INDEX ended lower on Wednesday as investors locked in gains before the release of inflation data and as worries over the Philippine economy’s prospects affected market sentiment.
The benchmark Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) dropped by 0.45% or 29.01 points to close at 6,372.95, while the broader all-share index increased 0.18% or 6.56 points to end at 3,555.
“The local bourse pulled back to the 6,300 level as investors booked profits ahead of the upcoming inflation report, taking gains amid expectations that price pressures would remain broadly stable and uncertainty over potential market reactions,” Regina Capital Development Corp. Head of Sales Luis A. Limlingan said in a Viber message.
“The local market dropped as the uncertainties over the local economy’s outlook weighed on sentiment. Investors also digested the national government’s latest outstanding debt which reached a new record at P17.71 trillion,” Philstocks Financial, Inc. Research Manager Japhet Louis O. Tantiangco said in a Viber message. “Finally, investors took a cautious stance ahead of the release of the country’s January inflation data.”
The Philippine Statistics Authority will release January inflation data on Thursday (Feb. 5).
A BusinessWorld survey of 18 economists yielded a median forecast of 1.8% for the January consumer price index, within the BSP’s 1.4% to 2.2% projection for the month. That means inflation would be unchanged from December and slower than 2.9% a year earlier.
January would also mark the 11th straight month that inflation stayed below the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) 2% to 4% annual target.
Analysts earlier said that benign inflation would allow the BSP to cut rates further to support the economy, especially after growth slowed to a five-year low in 2025 due to the fallout from a corruption scandal that stalled both public and private spending.
Sectoral indices ended mixed on Wednesday. Property dropped by 1.45% or 32.44 points to 2,204.62; holding firms retreated by 0.83% or 42.42 points to 5,029.40; and services decreased by 0.74% or 19.81 points to 2,646.94.
Meanwhile, mining and oil increased by 1.92% or 328.87 points to 17,457.82; industrials rose by 0.91% or 82.46 points to 9,130.84; and financials climbed by 0.28% or 5.97 points to 2,125.99.
“Globe Telecom, Inc. was the day’s index leader, climbing 5.07% to P1,678. San Miguel Corp. was the main index laggard, falling 4.31% to P76.55,” Mr. Tantiangco said.
Market breadth was positive, with 104 advancers against 94 decliners, while 77 stocks were unchanged.
Value turnover inched up to P6.94 billion with 1.13 billion shares traded from the P6.93 billion with 1.15 billion issues that changed hands on Tuesday.
Net foreign buying increased to P279.62 million from P236.41 million in the previous session. — A.G.C. Magno
THE House Justice Committee on Wednesday concluded talks on impeachment complaints accusing President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. of corruption, betrayal of public trust and violation of the Constitution after finding the allegations insufficient in substance.
On its third day of hearing, the committee voted to dismiss the ouster raps as 42 panel members agreed that the first complaint was insufficient in substance, and only seven voted in favor of the second complaint’s sufficiency against 39 lawmakers. This prevents impeachment proceedings from advancing to full hearings involving the President, complainants and their witnesses.
“It’s clear, the committee really seems determined to kill the complaints at this stage alone,” Party-list Rep. Antonio L. Tinio, who endorsed one of the complaints against Mr. Marcos, told reporters after the vote in Filipino. “The grounds for impeachment are sufficient.”
Mr. Marcos still faces the risk of being impeached despite the committee’s dismissal of charges, as its findings must still go to the House plenary for further deliberations. The odds remain low, however, as it will take 106 votes, or a third of the 318-member chamber, to overturn the body’s ruling and send the case to the Senate for trial.
“To be very clear, the process is not yet finished,” Batangas Rep. Gerville R. Luistro, who heads the House Justice Committee, said in a separate briefing after the hearing. “Until the plenary decides on the fate of the impeachment against the President, it is not completely over.”
She said the panel will meet on Monday next week to finalize the committee report detailing the decision behind the overwhelming vote against Mr. Marcos’ removal from office.
“We intend to transmit it right away to the plenary, but it depends as to when it will be tackled on the floor,” Ms. Luistro said, adding that the House Justice Committee will draft articles of impeachment against Mr. Marcos should lawmakers vote to overturn the panel’s decision.
Lawmakers argued that the offenses alleged against Mr. Marcos were not impeachable under the Constitution.
“The accusations are not factual allegations,” San Juan Rep. Ysabel Maria J. Zamora told the panel. “A lot of what is written are mere speculations or conjectures arising from hearsay… just to connect the President to the charges.”
The complaints attempted to make the case that Mr. Marcos had benefited from infrastructure projects by receiving kickbacks, and institutionalized corruption through a budget allocation formula for congressional districts.
The ouster charges also include Mr. Marcos’ decision to allow his predecessor, Rodrigo R. Duterte, to be arrested and flown to The Hague to face trial at the International Criminal Court and the President’s alleged drug use, making him unfit as chief executive.
Together, the ouster bids accused Mr. Marcos of graft, constitutional violations and betrayal of public trust — three of the five grounds for impeachment under the 1987 Constitution, alongside bribery and other high crimes.
NO RAILROADING
Ms. Zamora defended the House Justice Committee from criticism that lawmakers railroaded the panel’s proceedings to halt its hearings on the complaints.
“We went through each of the charges in both of the complaints,” she said in a media briefing after the vote. “We don’t think that there was any railroading of the proceedings.”
Impeachment complainant Neri J. Colmenares said his group will examine whether the House Justice Committee committed any lapse in House rules or the Constitution and will challenge the panels’ decision if they find one.
“It’ll be up to our lawyers if they’ll see any basis to challenge their decision,” he said in an interview in Filipino.
Ms. Luistro said they did not violate any rule when they threw out Mr. Marcos’ charges.
“Definitely and absolutely, the entire proceeding of the Justice committee is in accordance with the Constitution and the rules on impeachment,” she said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Marcos welcomed the panel’s decision to the complaints against him, saying lawmakers followed due process and found the accusations lacking merit.
Palace Press Officer Clarissa A. Castro said legislators declared the complaints “insufficient in form and substance,” reinforcing the President’s confidence that he committed no impeachable offense.
“We are pleased that the process was followed and that lawmakers saw the truth,” she told reporters in Filipino.
Mr. Marcos was informed of the House decision after the proceedings, as he was attending a private meeting and a separate.
Addressing criticism that Mr. Marcos’ confidence stemmed from his allies’ dominance in the House — including the chamber’s leadership — Ms. Castro dismissed the claim, noting that even lawyers and constitutional experts who are not administration supporters described the complaints as weak.
“With the issue settled for now, the President’s message is simple: let’s move forward,” she said. “His focus is on strengthening the economy and improving the lives of Filipinos.” — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio with Chloe Mari A. Hufana
THE PHILIPPINES is looking to complete discussions on the Code of Conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea by December, Senator Erwin T. Tulfo said on Wednesday.
“The dialogue of the Philippine government and Chinese government is ongoing in the Code of Conduct. That’s what they’re finishing. Hopefully, by December that will be over,” Mr. Tulfo told a news briefing, after his first meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro as Foreign Relations Committee chair.
The government is also seeking to accelerate the completion of the CoC as the Philippines assumed chairship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Manila has been advocating for a framework that balances China’s interests with other claimant states, providing legally binding rules for maritime conduct, dispute resolution and conflict prevention.
He added that the Chinese government has become more amenable to further discussions into finalizing the proposed agreement.
“It seems that the Chinese government has seen the proposed Code of Conduct and they are okay with it, they are slowly accepting it to ease the tension,” he said.
The CoC, first pledged in 2002, aims to manage disputes in the strategically critical waters, which serve as a corridor for trillions of dollars in annual trade.
But progress has been slow, with legal, political and strategic differences among ASEAN members and China repeatedly delaying the process.
Beijing and Manila have clashed repeatedly in recent years in the South China Sea, where Chinese vessels have engaged in dangerous maneuvers and fired water cannons at Philippine fishing boats.
Mr. Tulfo also noted that the series of sharp exchanges between Chinese diplomats and Philippine officials could delay the approval of the CoC.
“The finalization of the Code of Conduct has been stalled based on the explanation of the secretary, due to the ongoing spat between the two groups,” he said.
The senator added that the Department of Foreign Affairs was pushing for officials to “tone down” aggressive remarks against China to prevent further stalling discussions on the CoC.
“They were just hoping to tone it down a bit because the dialogue is ongoing. But the dialogue between the Philippine government and the Chinese Embassy is ongoing. That’s what they’re finishing and pursuing,” Mr. Tulfo said.
Mr. Tulfo, who was appointed committee chair just this Monday, added that he would meet with fellow lawmakers and the National Security Council to avoid further “personal attacks” against Beijing.
Officials from Beijing and Manila have been in an ongoing “word war” after the Chinese Embassy in Manila issued several statements criticizing officials over their vocal stance on the disputed waterway.
Those statements, some of which directly called out individual officials, prompted pushback from Philippine authorities, who said the messaging crossed diplomatic norms.
The South China Sea remains one of the region’s most volatile flashpoints. China has expanded its presence despite a 2016 ruling by a United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal that voided its sweeping claims over the waters. — Adrian H. Halili
By Chloe Mari A. Hufana, Reporter
PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s approval rating remained neutral at the end of 2025, according to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, amid an administration-led anti-graft push involving anomalous flood control projects.
The poll, conducted from Nov. 24 to 30, showed that 40% of Filipinos were satisfied with Mr. Marcos’ performance in the last quarter of 2025 and 43% were dissatisfied, resulting in a net satisfaction rating of -3, classified as “neutral.”
This showed little change from a -5 score in September, SWS said.
The flat national figure masks widening geographic and social divides as the President entered the latter part of his six-year term, ending in 2028.
Mr. Marcos revealed a kickback scheme among high-ranking government officials and private contractors during his fourth State of the Nation Address last July 2025, which has since blown up into a nationwide scandal that weighed on the country’s economy and public sentiment.
Net satisfaction rose in Balance Luzon to +13 and improved in the Visayas to +2, while it fell to -17 in Metro Manila, and stayed deeply negative at -29 in Mindanao, the bailiwick of the Duterte family.
Urban voters drove much of the decline, with Mr. Marcos’ net rating in cities dropping 13 points to -14 from September. By contrast, satisfaction in rural areas climbed 17 points to +9.
Support also varied sharply by age. Filipinos aged 55 and above posted a moderate net satisfaction of +15, while younger cohorts remained dissatisfied, with a -14 rating among those aged 18 to 24 and -22 among those aged 35 to 44.
SWS said the President recorded notable rebounds among the youngest voters and those aged 45 to 54, though net satisfaction in both groups remained below levels seen earlier in his term.
By gender, Mr. Marcos’ net satisfaction rating was neutral among men at zero and slightly negative among women at -6.
Ratings improved modestly among women compared with September, while remaining largely unchanged among men.
SWS also observed divergent trends across varying education levels. Filipinos with little or no formal education registered the highest approval, with net satisfaction at +19, while college graduates and those with some senior high school education posted net ratings of -14.
The survey was based on face-to-face interviews with 1,200 adults nationwide and has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points for national results.
Hansley A. Juliano, a political science lecturer at the Ateneo de Manila University, said a neutral approval rating masks a fragile political equilibrium for Mr. Marcos, reflecting ambivalence rather than endorsement.
Voters may tolerate the status quo or see him as the least objectionable option, but the reading points to shallow loyalty and limited prospects for a lasting legacy, he noted.
“This is the ‘balance’ of opinion that seems to explain where he is. It also suggests not enough of a following to maintain his legacy,” he added in a Facebook Messenger chat.
The result also reflected the erosion of the Duterte-backed coalition that propelled Mr. Marcos to power, with the collapse of the “Uniteam” alliance exposing the weakness of his personal brand, Mr. Juliano said, noting the political tandem of Mr. Marcos and Vice-President Sara Duterte-Carpio in 2022.
Constrained by impeachment dynamics and unable to rely on either the Dutertes or the opposition, Mr. Marcos’ main option is to deliver on policy — a challenge after years of unmet promises.
Both are now facing separate impeachment complaints before the House of Representatives.
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday cautioned lawmakers that implementing an anti-political dynasty law could complicate preparations for the 2028 national elections.
Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia told a Senate hearing that the commission may not have sufficient time to prepare for the national elections if the implementation of the law coincides with the filing of Certificates of Candidacy next year.
He noted that the commission could face “thousands” of potential cases should the proposed measure be enacted and may not have the time to resolve all cases filed against candidates.
“Thousands of cases will be filed to the Comelec involving anti-political dynasty, and that reality is that we may not be able to resolve all prior to the election,” the election chief said.
The filing of the Certificate of Candidacy for those running for public office will begin by October next year, he added.
“They have 25 days to file, and by January, we will be printing the ballots. So, we may not have the time to immediately resolve anti-political dynasty cases. Therefore, those candidates will be included in the ballots,” he said.
Mr. Garcia, however, said that Comelec remains supportive for the passage of a law banning political dynasties.
“There is no more issue with regard to if the anti-political dynasty should be passed. It really should be passed,” he added, noting it is the policy of the state to institutionalize an anti-political dynasty measure, citing Article II, Section 26 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
“The anti-political dynasty should not be a stand-alone law. There should be other laws that we should amend and correct so that law would be effective once it is implemented,” he added.
Senator Risa N. Hontiveros -Baraquel, who heads the Electoral Reforms panel, said that political dynasties have weakened accountability in the government.
“They weaken checks and balances and accountability — especially in the management of public funds, worsen local poverty conditions, and are strongly correlated to political violence,” she said.
The Senate on Wednesday began deliberation on proposed measures to ban political dynasties, after President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s call to advance reforms against political families running for public office. — Adrian H. Halili
TROPICAL Depression Basyang, which is threatening heavy rain, strong winds and hazardous seas across parts of the Visayas and Mindanao, is forecast to make landfall between Thursday evening and early Friday, the state weather bureau said on Wednesday.
The system is expected to bring periods of intense rainfall as it approaches land, with forecasters warning that flooding and rain-induced landslides remain possible even outside the projected landfall area and forecast confidence cone, according to the 5 p.m. bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.
Basyang is forecast to continue moving west for the next 36 hours. On its current track, the system may make landfall over eastern Mindanao between Thursday night and early Friday, cross the Visayas, and emerge over the Sulu Sea by Saturday.
Forecasters said Basyang could briefly intensify into a tropical storm before weakening over land and dissipating into a low-pressure area by Sunday.
Wind Signal No. 1 remains in effect in areas along eastern Mindanao and parts of the Visayas, where residents may experience minimal-to-minor damage from strong winds.
Authorities said the highest warning likely during Basyang’s passage is Wind Signal No. 2, as the system interacts with the northeast monsoon.
Coastal communities in Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur, and Davao Oriental face a minimal to moderate risk of storm surge over the next 48 hours, with peak heights of up to 2 meters in low-lying and exposed areas.
A gale warning is in effect over the eastern seaboards of the Visayas and Mindanao, where seas could reach as high as 5.5 meters off Surigao del Sur and about 5 meters off the Siargao-Bucas Grande Islands. Eastern coasts of Samar, Dinagat Islands and northern Davao Oriental may see waves of up to 4.5 meters.
Sea travel is considered dangerous for all vessels in these waters, with authorities urging mariners to remain in port or seek shelter.
Rough to moderate seas are also forecast across much of the country’s eastern and northern seaboards, prompting advisories for small fishing boats and motorized bancas to avoid venturing out to sea. — Chloe Mari A. Hufana
INTERNATIONAL Criminal Court (ICC) assistant to victims’ counsel Kristina Conti on Wednesday said she is optimistic that the ICC Appeals Chamber will dismiss former President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s challenge against a ruling that found him fit to stand trial.
“I am confident that when it reaches the Appeals Chamber, they will not favor or side with the defense’s claims regarding the Pre-Trial Chamber’s alleged errors,” Ms. Conti told reporters at the Department of Justice.
The former president’s legal team has requested the Pre-Trial Chamber to appeal the ruling, arguing that Mr. Duterte’s “cognitive deterioration” renders meaningful participation in the proceedings impossible.
Citing neurological reports of memory deficits and impaired executive function, his lawyer claimed that “Mr. Duterte is unable to process information in a manner that will enable him to exercise, meaningfully, his rights before this Court.”
The defense further argued that no proper clinical assessment was conducted before the Court declared him “fully mentally aware and fit,” seeking urgent intervention to “ensure that the pre-trial proceedings proceed on a sound basis.”
Ms. Conti said that the defense’s attempts to delay the case have taken a toll on the families of drug war victims.
“The uncertainty causes them great anxiety. And the big question is always whether the hearing will push through,” she said. “For us and our coordination with the ICC, this will proceed because, on the part of the Pre-Trial Chamber… there are no more pending issues.”
In January, the Pre-Trial Chamber denied Mr. Duterte’s request for an indefinite adjournment, ruling that he is fit to participate. The confirmation of charges hearing is currently scheduled to commence on Feb. 23. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking
THE Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday dismissed a petition challenging the constitutionality of Executive Order (EO) No. 94, which established the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) to investigate anomalies in government flood control projects in the country.
In a resolution written by Associate Justice Samuel H. Gaerlan, the High Court’s en banc ruled that the petition failed to meet the “basic requirements for judicial review,” specifically citing a violation of the hierarchy of courts doctrine.
According to the SC brief shared with the media, the justices emphasized that “while direct recourse to the SC is allowed in exceptional cases, the petition failed to cite any compelling reason to bypass the lower courts.”
The tribunal found that the petitioners, Jacinto V. Paras, Manuelito Delos Reyes Luna, and Ferdinand S. Topacio, failed to establish an actual case or controversy as they did not show “that their rights were violated, or that EO 94 adversely affected them.” — Erika Mae P. Sinaking
LEADERS of youth and activist groups, along with their lawyers, denied sedition and related charges on Wednesday, saying complaints tied to the Sept. 21 anti-corruption protest last year are baseless and intended to discourage public participation ahead of upcoming rallies.
In a counter-affidavit filing at the Department of Justice, Renato M. Reyes, Jr., president of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said allegations made by police were “made up, baseless, and without truth,” adding that it was “public knowledge” that his group did not instigate the unrest during protests in various parts of Manila.
“This, we believe, is harassment — pure intimidation — especially with Feb. 25 approaching, when various groups will once again gather. Such cases are clearly intended to intimidate and discourage the public from engaging in just and reasonable protests,” Mr. Reyes told reporters in Filipino.
“We are confident that our defense will be strong and that these fabricated charges brought by the police will be dismissed,” he added.
The Sept. 21 protest saw tens of thousands rally against corruption in flood control and infrastructure projects, with clashes in Manila resulting in injuries, arrests, and warnings of potential charges — targeting youth and university students.
The Public Interest Law Center said it is assisting six youth respondents facing sedition and inciting-to-sedition charges linked to the same assembly and added that there is no prima facie evidence tying them to the alleged crimes.
Maria Kristina C. Conti, secretary-general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers-National Capital Region, said the sedition case recently filed by the police is the second set of charges stemming from the Sept. 21 events, the first involving illegal assembly, assault on authorities, and related offenses. She said the new charges carry penalties of up to 12 years of imprisonment.
“From a legal point of view, these sedition charges are rubbish, basically a ‘repeat’ of the previous charges,” Ms. Conti told reporters.
“The funny thing here is that the names seem to have been filed randomly, and the statements don’t even match… It is a waste of government resources to pursue these additional cases when the proper focus should be on investigating corruption,” she added.
Ms. Conti is representing eight clients in the case, which lists about 38 respondents in total.
“With the filing of our counter-affidavits today, the complaint has been deemed submitted for resolution. We very much expect this complaint and other similar ones to be dropped by the prosecutors for utter lack of merit,” Ms. Conti said. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking
THE House of Representatives on Wednesday suspended Cavite Rep. Francisco “Kiko” A. Barzaga for another 60 days for “utter contempt” over acts that may have tarnished the chamber’s image.
With 238 members affirmative votes, 10 negative, and nine abstentions, the chamber adopted the House Ethics Committee’s recommendation to suspend Mr. Barzaga under Committee Report No. 28, which bars him from receiving his salary during the suspension.
“The imposition of the penalty carries with it a stern warning that a repetition of another misconduct would warrant a more severe disciplinary action, including expulsion from office,” Party-list Rep. Jonathan Clement M. Abalos II, who heads the Ethics committee, told the floor.
Mr. Barzaga gained notoriety as an outspoken lawmaker, frequently posting criticisms of the Marcos administration on his social media pages. Critics have argued that his posts were unbecoming of a legislator. He was suspended for 60 days in December.
“With the defiant acts of Rep. Barzaga while suspended from office clearly demonstrated that suspension from office as a disciplinary measure has failed and that Rep. Barzaga’s post-suspension conduct reflects his unfitness for legislative duties,” said Mr. Abalos.
“At the very least, the committee expects Rep. Barzaga to have exercised restraints and prudence while suspended from office,” he added. “Instead, the contrary happened.”
Also on Wednesday, the chamber removed a lawmaker implicated in a multibillion-peso graft scandal from its roster after receiving his resignation letter.
Leyte Rep. Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon moved for the House floor to recognize Edvic G. Yap’s resignation as a party-list representative. A copy of his resignation letter was not immediately made available. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio
THE Department of Justice (DoJ) said a Manila court has convicted three individuals for their role in the importation of nearly P1 billion worth of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, concealed in a shipment declared as tapioca starch.
In a statement on Wednesday, the DoJ said Branch 21 of the Regional Trial Court of Manila on Jan. 23 found Muktasil Abundol Asimuddin, Emmanuel Paulo Delos Reyes, and George Fernandez guilty of violating Section 1401(g), in relation to Section 118(g), of Republic Act No. 10863, the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act.
The court ruled that the three accused had “indispensable participation” in the unlawful importation of the illegal drugs, which were hidden inside aluminum pallets used to carry sacks of tapioca starch. Authorities said the shipment, abandoned in early 2019, was initially declared as containing only tapioca starch. Further investigation revealed that the pallets holding the sacks also concealed about 148.81 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride, with an estimated value of P998.3 million.
“The court sentenced each of the accused to reclusion perpetua and imposed a fine of P50 million,” the DoJ said.
The prosecution panel included Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Mary Jane W. Sytat, Assistant State Prosecutors Magelli Anne DL. Diaz and Mary Grace V. Pulido-Sadian, and Prosecution Attorney Eugene Q. Yusi. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking
