Skip to playerSkip to main content
  • 3 hours ago
Today’s headlines: Rodrigo Duterte, Bong Revilla, Alex Eala | The wRap | February 16, 2026

Here are today's headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world:

- ICC names Dela Rosa, Bong Go, Aguirre among 8 of Duterte's co-perpetrators
- Bong Revilla refuses to enter plea
- Bail denied for activists Frenchie Mae Cumpio, Marielle Domequil
- ByteDance pledges to prevent unauthorized IP use on AI video tool after Disney threat
- Alex Eala feels for injured foe after advancing in Dubai Tennis Championship

https://www.rappler.com/video/daily-wrap/february-16-2026/

Category

🗞
News
Transcript
00:01Malacanang urges people named as indirect co-perpetrators in the ICC case against Rodrigo
00:06Duterte not to hide if they are innocent. The Sandigan Bayan enters a not guilty plea for
00:12Bong Revilla after he refused to state his guilt or innocence. Atacloban City court denies bail to
00:18Frenchy May Cumpio and Marielle Domequil. ByteDance promises to prevent the unauthorized use of
00:23intellectual property on its AI video generator after a threat from Disney. And Alex Ayala advances
00:29to the round of 32 of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
00:41Malacanang urges those named as indirect co-perpetrators of former Philippine President
00:45Rodrigo Duterte in the Crimes Against Humanity case not to go into hiding especially if they
00:50claim they were innocent.
00:52Kapagka may warrant of arrest na na-issue na po, kailangan na-implement. So kung babantayan
00:57sila sa ngayon wala pa pong dahilan para sila i-bantayan dahil wala pa pong nare-receive
01:01ang gobyerno ng Warren Sopares.
01:04The International Criminal Court Prosecution named Senator Ronald Bato de la Rosa, former
01:08Police Chief Vicente Danao, the late former Police Chief Camilo Cascolan, former Police Chief
01:14Oscar Albayalde, Senator Bongo, former National Bureau of Investigation Chief Dante Gueran, former
01:19Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Chief Isidro Lapeña, and former Justice Secretary
01:24Vitaliano Aguirre II. The ICC late Friday night, February 13, uploaded a less redacted
01:30version of the document containing charges. The latest release reveals names that were
01:34previously blacked out.
01:36Senator Ronald de la Rosa has not appeared in public or reported to the Senate ever since
01:40Ombudsman Boyeng Remulia said there is an ICC warrant against him. The alleged warrant has
01:45not been confirmed as ICC warrants may remain under seal until they are carried out.
01:51Senator Bong Revilia refuses to enter a plea as he faces the Sandigan Bayan Monday, February
01:5616, prompting the court to enter a not guilty plea for him.
02:00ABS-CBN reports Revilia's counsel, Francesca Sena, said they did not enter a plea because the
02:05former senator questions the legality and validity of the cases against him.
02:09Revilia is being slapped with a malversation charge over allegations he had received kickbacks
02:13from a flood control project in Pandi, Bulacan, worth 92.8 million pesos. He was charged alongside
02:20an accountant of the Public Works and Highways Department, Juanito Mendoza, who also claims
02:23his innocence before the anti-graft court's 3rd division. Revilia is at the center of the
02:28two biggest corruption scandals in the country, the pork barrel scam and the multi-billion
02:32peso flood control corruption mess. He had been at the Sandigan Bayan a couple of times
02:36before for his pork barrel cases where he secured acquittals.
02:41The Tacloban City Regional Trial Court denies the bail petition of activists Frenchy May Cumpio
02:46and Marielle Domequil. Judge Georgina Uy Perez says in her decision, the seriousness of the
02:52terrorism financing conviction raises concern that Cumpio and Domequil may provide support to
02:57terrorist organizations if they were granted temporary liberty. Various groups condemn the
03:02ruling immediately after it was made public. The Committee to Protect Journalists,
03:06Domequil also condemns the court's decision to deny bail. It urges authorities to drop all
03:10remaining charges. Cumpio and Domequil have been in detention for six years since they were arrested
03:15February 7, 2020, during the Duterte administration's nationwide crackdown on activists.
03:22Fight Dance will take steps to prevent the unauthorized use of intellectual property on its
03:27AI video generator, see Dance 2.0. This following threats of legal action from U.S. studios, including
03:33Disney. Disney has sent a cease and desist letter to ByteDance, accusing the Chinese company of using
03:38Disney characters to train and power its C-Dance 2.0 AI video generator without permission.
03:44Disney claims ByteDance's C-Dance 2.0 came preloaded with copyrighted characters from Star Wars,
03:50Marvel, and others, treating them like public domain images. The cease and desist letter says the AI tool
03:55reproduces, distributes, and creates derivative works of characters such as Spider-Man and Darth Vader.
04:01Videos generated by C-Dance 2.0, which was released last week, have gone viral in China,
04:06including one of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt in a fight.
04:11Filipina tennis star Alex Ayala advances to the round of 32 of the Dubai Tennis Championships
04:15after a 6-4, 0-1 win over Hailey Baptiste, who retired from their match due to an abdominal issue.
04:21But Ayala expresses concern for her injured opponent. She says no player wants to advance due to an
04:27opponent's retirement, adding that competing on tour has shown her how hard it is to stay physically
04:31healthy at the top level. Ayala also hopes Hailey recovers quickly. Ayala faces arguably her toughest
04:37test of the season as she battles world number 8 Jasmine Paulini of Italy, her first top 10 opponent
04:42of 2026 in the round of 32.
04:46And that's today's wrap. I'm JC Gotinga. Thank you for watching. Click the link below for the full story.
04:52For more updates, download the Rappler app.
Comments

Recommended