News & Stories

MANILA, Philippine – The Supreme Court has dismissed the petition to reverse the dismissal of the case against former San Fernando, Camarines Sur Mayor Fermin Mabulo for illegal quarrying.

In 2023, a complaint was filed against Mabulo, along with several barangay officials, for allegedly allowing quarrying activities without permits.

A year later, the Ombudsman dismissed

Already have Rappler+?

Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors.

For context, always refer to the full article.

REPRESENTATIVE.

Ana Corina Sosa Machado, daughter of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, looks on after accepting the award on behalf of her mother, during the Nobel Peace Prize award ceremony at Oslo City Hall, in Oslo, Norway, on December 10, 2025.

OSLO, Norway – Democracies must be prepared to fight for freedom in order to survive, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado said on Wednesday, December 10, in a speech delivered by her daughter during a ceremony Machado could not attend. Th

e Venezuelan opposition leader said that the prize held profound significance, not only for her country but for the world. “I

t reminds the world that democracy is essential to peace,” she said, via her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado. “And t

he most important, the lesson Venezuelans can share with the world, is a lesson forged on a long and difficult path: if we want democracy, we must be prepared to fight for freedom.” A large po

MANILA, Philippines —  A total of 1,198  out of 1,553 applicants passed the December 2025 Physical Therapists Licensure Examination, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) announced on Wednesday.  Topping the exam was Carmela Danielle Baldomero Alapide of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila with a score of 90.30 percent.  Securing the second spot was Janna Crystal Teh

Already have Rappler+?

Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors.

For context, always refer to the full article.

GOLDEN.

Taekwondo jin Justin Kobe Macario of the Philippines wins the men's individual freestyle poomsae gold in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games.

CHONBURI, Thailand – Taekwondo jin Justin Kobe Macario stepped out of his comfort zone and finally hit the golden jackpot in the Southeast Asian Games. Ma

cario, who hails from Baguio, captured the Philippines’ first gold medal in this edition as he topped the men’s individual freestyle poomsae at the Fashion Island Shopping Mall in Bangkok on Wednesday, December 10. It is

the first SEA Games title for the UST standout, who fell short of the top prize when he and the mixed freestyle poomsae team settled for silver in 2021 Vietnam and bronze in 2023 Cambodia. “When

our lineup was first announced, I was kind of nervous because I competed as part of the team in the past SEA Games. I just g

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Transportation (DOTr) launched the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 (MRT-3)’s exterior lighting on Wednesday evening. The

launching — which took place at the MRT-3 Kamuning station in Quezon City — was led by Acting DOTr Sec. Giov

anni Lopez, MRT-3 General Manager Michael Capati, acting Philippine National Police Chief Lt. Gen.

Jose

Melencio

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court has denied a motion by military and police officers seeking to overturn the writ of amparo granted to environmental advocates Jonila Castro and Jhed Tamano. In

a 15-page resolution, the Court affirmed the writs of amparo and habeas data and upheld the temporary protection order (TPO) it earlier issued

Already have Rappler+?

Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors.

For context, always refer to the full article.

FISHERS.

Protest outside the Regional Trial Court in Calapan, Oriental Mindoro, on December 9, 2025, calling for polluters to pay for damages.

MANILA, Philippines – Fisherfolk from Oriental Mindoro filed a class action suit with a regional trial court on Tuesday, December 9, seeking to hold liable the shipowner, charterer, insurer, as well as intergovernmental organizations over the “environmental catastrophe brought by the [Oriental] Mindoro oil spill.“ This c

omes more than two years after MT Princess Empress capsized off Naujan, Oriental Mindoro, triggering a fishing ban across the province and a congressional inquiry that delved into anomalies surrounding shipowner RDC Reield Marine Services. “Kung

ikukumpara sa naging pinsala sa amin, malaking sampal ang kakarampot na bigay ng IOPC,“ said fisherfolk leader Aldrin Villanueva, among the plaintiffs in the case. “Lalo pa s

a ilan na wala talagang natanggap.“ (If you compar

MANILA, Philippines — House of Representatives Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III also got the support of lawmakers from Southern Luzon, after 42 members signed a manifesto backing his leadership. Dy’s o

ffice shared copies of the manifesto, which was signed by lawmakers from Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal Quezon), Mimaropa (Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan), and Bicol Region.

Already have Rappler+?

Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors.

For context, always refer to the full article.

Editor’s note: This press release is sponsored by GCash and was handled by BrandRap, the sales and marketing arm of Rappler. No

member of the news and editorial team participated in the publishing of this piece. GC

ash, together with global payments technology firm Meridian, has unveiled the new GCash Virtual US Account, an in-app feature that allows users to receive USD directly into their e-wallets without extra deductions and hidden fees. Th

e capability is powered by Meridian Payments US1, the partner service provider of GCash, which provides the users with a unique routing and account number that enables direct deposits from US employers and platforms, an option traditionally available only through dollar accounts in banks. On

ce received into their GCash Virtual US Account, users can convert their USD funds into PHP at competitive exchange rates. Th

is marks a significant expansion of the cross-border payment capabilities of GCash. By

Already have Rappler+?

Sign in to listen to groundbreaking journalism.

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors.

For context, always refer to the full article.

CLUTCH CAT.

La Salle guard Jacob Cortez handles the ball against the UP defense in the UAAP Season 88 men's basketball finals.

MANILA, Philippines – Game in doubt? Ja

cob Cortez will close things out. Su

re enough, La Salle had the “Cool Cub’s” number on speed dial as it withstood a 34-point bomb from Harold Alarcon and outlasted defending UAAP men’s basketball champion UP, 74-70, courtesy of a patented game-winning Cortez step-back triple with 27.4 seconds left in regulation. Time and t

ime again, the former NCAA champion star from San Beda delivered the goods for the Green Archers’ injury-plagued and unlikely title push, as he routinely took over in the clutch to lift the program from a last-minute fourth-seeded entry to the cusp of men’s basketball title No. 11. On Wednesd

ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat — Police authorities arrested during a law enforcement operation led by Lt.

Col.

Julius R Malcontento, the town’s police chief, the alleged gunman who shot dead a village chief here in August last year.

In his report to Colonel Bernard Lao, Sultan Kudarat provincial police director, Malcontento identified the supect as alias

MANILA, Philippines — A group of “concerned citizens” has appealed to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to remove Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa over the alleged anomalies that were filed as cases before the Office of the Ombudsman. At t

he same time, the group, which calls itself “Concerned Citizens and Taxpayers,” also urged the president to request