[Rappler’s Best] Absentee judge

LOREN LEGARDA. Senator-judge Loren Legarda questions National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on July 22, 2026. Senate Social Media Unit The impeachment court last week saw one additional empty seat aside from three already vacated by others — proof of the utter misfortune of Filipino voters who elected these senators Metro Manila and 23 other provinces have been under depressing skies the past days, as rain dropped like there was no tomorrow, triggered by the southwest monsoon and enhanced by Typhoon Dolphin that battered Japan and China over the weekend. Expect more rainfall in the coming days. Two people died and eight others were hurt in the Cordillera, with heavy rain cutting off at least 20 road sections, uprooting crops, and forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes. Images of flooded communities spilled into our social feeds, a grim reminder of humanity’s self-inflicted wounds: the climate crisis and a flood control corruption scandal in our part of the world. Add to this the latest report on the economy. The country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell to its lowest quarter-level growth in nearly two decades (with the exception of the COVID-19 years) at 2.3%. What dragged it down, aside from the Middle East crisis, is slow government construction which, according to this story, plunged by 32.4% year-on-year. The cause is obvious: government agencies have been extra-cautious in implementing public works given the intense scrutiny of spending on infrastructure following the flood control scandal. The World Bank said that “uncertainty around infrastructure procurement” has dampened not just public spending but also private investments. The government had already trimmed down its growth targets for the remainder of the Marcos administration’s term in 2027 and 2028 to around 5 to 6%. But even that seems like an uphill climb now. Inflation woes will persist throughout the year. Unemployment is at 4.9% as fresh grads scramble for few job options. Worse, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s promised “historic” P85 a day minimum wage increase has also been put on hold. But Filipinos badly in need of a break got some last week. The feisty Lorna Kapunan, prosecutor in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, put some spice in an otherwise ho-hum trial that has become too technical — showing some courtroom masterclass. The question now is, will the senator-judge who was absent last week show up at the resumption of the trial this week? We refer to Senator Loren Legarda, who left the country on August 2 with her son Batangas Representative Leandro Leviste. (The impeachment court canceled the scheduled trial on Monday, August 10, due to bad weather.) The senator-judge skipped all the three trial days last week, but until the immigration bureau announced her travel, the Senate leadership was mum about her absence. It later said she filed for medical leave. Thus last week, the impeachment court saw one additional empty seat aside from three already vacated by others — proof of the utter misfortune of Filipino voters who elected senators Bato dela Rosa, now a fugitive; Rodante Marcoleta, now in jail for alleged plunder; and Jinggoy Estrada, also behind bars on a plunder suit. Legarda, on the other hand, is being investigated for plunder along with her son over the latter’s failed solar energy franchise. Here are some of Rappler’s bests that you shouldn’t miss: Jasmine Payo talks about Alex Eala’s rabid fans who are now defying some of tennis’ unwritten rules. But sports is never about sports, writes Vince Rodriguez, as he tells us about what Alex, Manny Pacquiao, and Alyssa Valdez can teach us about community. Our Brandrap team shows you a visually delightful ube, the much loved Filipino crop. Jairo Bolledo reminds us that the US asked for the extradition of detained Pastor Apollo Quiboloy a year ago. What happened between then and now that the justice department finally received the request from the US? Herbie Gomez narrates how the guilty plea of Los Angeles-based Maria de Leon helped strengthen the case against Quiboloy. Lance Spencer Yu reports that big banks are gearing up this year for Apple Pay, which launched last week in the Philippines. – Rappler.com Rappler’s Best is a weekly Rappler+ exclusive newsletter of our top picks delivered straight to your inbox every Monday. Visit rappler.com/newsletters to subscribe. The views expressed by the writer are his/her own and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Rappler. How does this make you feel? Loading