Independence Day Focus: Quezon City and nearby areas marked the 128th anniversary with calls for sovereignty that goes beyond politics—energy security, jobs, and stronger institutions featured in local rites, while Calabarzon was declared free from communist insurgent influence under SIPS. Disaster Response: After the 7.8 Mindanao quake, lawmakers pushed for a P15B supplemental budget and LGUs kept relief moving as death tolls and missing persons were still being validated amid hard-to-reach areas. Cybersecurity & Governance: The Senate website was defaced, with PNP-ACG coordinating an investigation and officials saying no sensitive data was compromised; separately, VP Sara Duterte rejected extra-constitutional People Power moves while lashing Marcos over corruption. China Tensions: China barred Defense Sec. Gilberto Teodoro and family from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao, escalating sanctions tied to West Philippine Sea disputes. Water & Health: DENR is expanding low-cost community water refilling stations nationwide to improve access to safe drinking water. Finance & Crypto Rules: BSP barred VASPs from trading privacy coins to keep transactions traceable, as the central bank also reported external debt easing to a one-year low. Quezon City Angle: Chavit Singson was arrested in Quezon City for cyberlibel, underscoring the week’s push-pull between politics, online speech, and law enforcement.