EALA DETHRONES DEFENDING CHAMP SWIATEK, STORMS INTO ROUND OF 16 By Peter Atencio
Swiatek briefly reduced the deficit to 4-2, but Eala closed out the match by winning the final two games to complete one of the biggest victories of her career. The win gave Eala a 2-1 edge over the five-time Grand Slam champion in their head-tohead series. Eala first defeated Swiatek in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open last year, winning 6-2, 7-5 in a breakthrough result that lifted her from world No. 140 to No. 75 and made her the first Filipina to break into the WTA Top 100. Swiatek leveled the rivalry with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory in the second round of the Madrid Open a month later before Eala regained the upper hand on Wimbledon’s biggest stage. Eala will next face 13th seed Jasmine Paolini for a place in the quarterfinals. The Filipina holds a previous victor y over the Italian after defeating her in the Round of 32 of the Dubai Tennis Championships earlier this year. The victory extends Eala’s landmark campaign at Wimbledon and marks the deepest run by a Filipino player at the Grand Slam tournament.
FILIPINO tennis star Alexandra “Alex” Eala produced another career-defining performance by upsetting defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland (7-6, 6-2) yesterday, to advance to the fourth round of Wimbledon. The 21-year-old Eala, seeded at a Grand Slam for the first time in her career, overcame the World No. 3 in two hours and 15 minutes on Center Court to become the first Filipino to reach the Round of 16 at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Eala survived a gripping opening set in which Swiatek recovered from an early deficit and erased three set points before the Filipina prevailed 11-9 in the tiebreak. The momentum shifted decisively after the opening set as Eala raced to a 4-0 lead in the second.
OMB dismisses ex-Senate security chief Mao Aplasca
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IN METRO MANILA
VOL. XL • NO. 141 • 3 SECTIONS 12 PAGES « JULY 5, 2026
HISTORIC. Filipino tennis star Alex Eala defeats defending champion Iga Swiatek (7-6, 6-2), earning a slot in the Round of 16 at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club i n Wimbledon, southwest London on Saturday, July 4, 2026. AFP
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Lacson: Return ‘BIR Green Box’ to prosecution panel Says only PBBM can order opening of VP Sara’s tax records
By Joel Zurbano, Rex Espiritu, Charles Dantes and Maricel Cruz
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HEAD of the start of Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial tomorrow, Senator Panfilo Lacson said the so-called “BIR Green Box’ containing her tax records should be returned to the House prosecution team. Lacson said the Senate as an impeachment court cannot keep the box since it has yet to be admitted as evidence by either the prosecu-
ICC partially OKs prosecution plea to obtain Rody’s ‘arrest items’
tion or defense team. He said the court is also not in a position to decide on whether to open or unseal the box as it might
risk being cited for grave abuse of discretion. He said this was the consensus during Friday’s senators’ caucus that was also attended by members of the minority bloc. “One of the things we agreed upon during Friday’s senators’ caucus was to return the box because keeping it in our custody will violate the law. It is not the impeachment court or any court’s role to unseal it,” Lacson said. “Senator Francis Escudero is right in saying the impeachment court has no business safekeeping the evi-
dence unless it is presented and admitted as evidence before the court by the prosecution or defense,” he added. Lacson also noted that under Sec. 71 of the National Internal Revenue Code, opening the box containing the Vice President’s tax records will need written authority from the President, upon the recommendation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Department of Finance. He said another way to unseal the boxes would be a written waiver from the respondent.
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By Rex Espiritu OMBUDSMAN Jesus Crispin Remulla on Saturday announced he has ordered the dismissal from government service of suspended Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (SAA) Mao Aplasca. “This Monday, I signed the dismissal of Mao Aplasca from the service...We have dismissed him from the service,”Remulla said in an interview with dzRH. “We will reveal the decision this week for the public to see... We will give it to the media. We will publish it,” he added. Remulla declined to give more details as to the dismissal order. The Ombudsman previously placed Aplasca under preventive suspension without pay for six months for discharging his firearm that triggered the shooting incident in the Senate on May 13. Remulla said then Aplasca’s admission he was the first to fire a warning shot at NBI operatives was “unacceptable.” Police also recommended the filing of criminal charges against Aplasca and two of his men. Aplasca, who hails from Davao, is a mistah or classmate of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who left the Senate premises hours after the shooting incident and has been hiding since.
PBBM urges Canadian biz leaders to invest in PH mining, energy By Charles Dantes
By Ratziel San Juan The International Criminal Court (ICC) Trial Chamber III has partly granted the prosecution’s request for the Registry to make available items obtained during the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines. “With regard to the first request, noting that (redacted) were retrieved from the accused’s belongings and are likely to have been used by the accused in relation to the alleged crimes, the chamber finds that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the requested search would produce evidence that is necessary for the investigation,” the decision read. “Further, noting that the prosecution indicates that it ‘will take all necessary measures to safeguard Mr. Duterte’s personal information’...the chamber finds that such search is necessary and proportionate to the legitimate investigative needs,” it added. In line with this, the chamber ordered the prosecution to submit within a month of receiving the redacted item a report detailing all of the measures it took to limit access to Duterte’s private information.
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Mao Aplasca
MUTUAL GROWTH. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnesses the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Business Council of Canada (BCC). PCO
PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Saturday (Manila time) invited Canadian investors to expand their presence in the Philippines, pitching the country as a stable destination for mining, critical minerals, and energy investments as the country seeks to strengthen economic ties with Canada. Speaking during the Philippines-Canada high-level roundtable discussion on mining, critical minerals, and energy at the Fairmont Pacific Rim Hotel, the President said the Philippines is prepared to deepen partnerships that support long-term investment and sustainable development. “The Philippines is certainly open for business, ready for partnerships, and committed to create a long-term value to responsible resource development and sustainable growth,” Mr. Marcos said. “As we continue to strengthen our economic ties, we look forward to working with Canadian partners in transforming opportunity into tangible investments, innovation, and shared progress,” he added. Turn to A4
America’s ‘royal wedding’: Swift and Kelce marry in NY NEW YORK – US pop queen Taylor Swift and NFL star Travis Kelce officially married Friday (Saturday, Manila time) at a lavish wedding that drew a galaxy of fashion-draped A-list celebrities in New York, sealing a union that has triggered frenzied global attention. Excitement has swirled around America’s “royal wedding,” which is happening on the United States’ 250th birthday weekend amid a recordbreaking heat wave, a near-total news blackout and a security
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lockdown of the kind typically reserved for heads of state. The anticipation was even greater as Swift and Kelce made no public announcements about their wedding plans at storied Madison Square Garden – and reportedly insisted guests sign non-disclosure agreements. But the singer’s long-standing publicist Tree Paine broke the silence as she detailed a luxurious and intimate ceremony – without saying exactly when the pair wed. “Taylor and Travis did not have
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bridesmaids or groomsmen. Instead, her brother Austin Swift served as Taylor’s Man of Honor and Jason Kelce was Travis’s Best Man,” she said in a statement. “The ceremony joined both families together and was officiated by friend Adam Sandler,” Paine added. She said the couple’s wedding looks were created by Christian Dior Haute Couture, while their shoes were custom made by Christian Louboutin. Swift wore Cartier jewelry. Turn to A4
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US musician Taylor Swift and US NFL football player Travis Kelce. AFP
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