Good day. Here are the stories of The Manila Times for Friday, December 26, 2025. Today’s episode is brought to you by Wilcon Depot, The Philippines’ leading home improvement and construction supplies retailer—your Trusted Building Partner. READ: Cabral tested positive for antidepressant FORMER Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral, who died after a fall along Kennon Road in Benguet, tested positive for the antidepressant drug citalopram, authorities confirmed. Investigators also began to look deeper into her mental health and the electronic records she left behind to gain a clearer picture of the circumstances leading to her death. Citalopram was found in Cabral’s system following an autopsy. It is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) commonly prescribed for depression and certain anxiety disorders. It works by increasing serotonin levels in the brain, helping regulate mood. Traces of the drug in Cabral’s system suggest she was under treatment for a mental health condition. Cabral was found unconscious near the Bued River on Dec. 19, at the bottom of a 20-meter cliff along Kennon. A medico-legal report by the Philippine National Police (PNP) confirmed that she sustained blunt traumatic injuries, including fractures to her head, face, rib cage, and extremities. While these injuries were consistent with a fall, authorities said the presence of citalopram is central to understanding her state of mind prior to the incident. Medication and a knife recovered from her hotel room in Baguio City are being examined to determine if the drug had any impact on her actions. CCTV footage showed Cabral arriving at the Ion Hotel with her driver, checking into her suite on the fourth floor, and leaving later in her car. The vehicle was believed to have headed toward Kennon Road. Additional video evidence is still being reviewed as part of the investigation by the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI). Cabral’s driver, Ricardo Hernandez, told authorities that she asked him to leave her at the section of Kennon overlooking the Bued River. Police cleared Hernandez of involvement, saying there is no evidence connecting him to the incident. READ: Palace: Cabinet execs’ ties to budget insertion ‘hearsay’ MALACAÑANG dismissed as “hearsay” claims that some Cabinet secretaries were among the proponents of the multibillion-peso budget insertions for infrastructure projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). Palace Press Officer Claire Castro issued the statement after Batangas Rep. Leandro Leviste alleged that the late DPWH undersecretary Maria Catalina Cabral had given him documents on Sept. 4 containing the names of high-ranking officials, including Cabinet secretaries, who were in the list of proponents involved in the agency’s budget insertions. READ: Holiday travelers exceed Immigration projections THE volume of travelers visiting the Philippines surged during the Christmas season, according to the Bureau of Immigration (BI). Immigration spokesman Dana Sandoval said on Thursday that based on an initial report from the BI Port Operations Division, there were more than 61,000 arrivals at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) and other major ports on Dec. 23, almost 6,000 higher than the projected 56,000 arrivals. The figure, Sandoval said, was higher by 9,000 than last year's figure of 52-53,000 for the same period. At the NAIA alone, immigration officers processed 49,176 international arrivals and 61,784 departures on Dec. 23. READ: Marcos to sign 2026 budget on first week of January PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will sign the 2026 national budget into law on the first week of January, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said Wednesday. Recto said Malacañang needs more time to go over the proposed P6.793-trillion budget. Marcos was expected to sign the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA) on Dec. 29, but the bicameral conference committee’s proceedings were delayed as lawmakers asked for more time to scrutinize the budget. On Tuesday, Malacañang said Marcos would work on the immediate review of the national budget during the holidays. BUSINESS: BSP seen pausing SUBDUED economic growth, weak business confidence and external pressures are complicating the case for continued monetary easing and a former Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) official said a pause could follow the rate cut earlier this month. The BSP’s policy-making Monetary Board earlier this month lowered the benchmark overnight reverse repurchase (RRP) rate by another 25 basis points to 4.50 percent. Some analysts expect another cut to be announced during the first policy meeting for 2026 in February. SPORTS: Eala signs up in two pre-Australian Open tourneys FILIPINO tennis ace Alexandra ‘Alex’ Eala will play in a tournament in Auckland, New Zealand and Kooyong, Australia as warm up for her Australian Open debut. The 20-year-old Eala will see action first at the ASB Classic, formerly known as Auckland Open, set from January 5 to 11. World no. 53 Eala is seeded fourth in this 250-tier tournament. READ: Opinion and editorial Peter Wallace and Ma. Isabel Ongpin are today’s front page columnists. Wallace takes over Francisco Tatad’s column space to say there are too many people destroying the world’s livability, while Ongpin gives her Christmas thoughts. Today’s editorial talks about a new plan to end the conflict in Ukraine. Read the full version in the paper’s opinion section or listen to the Voice of the Times. For more news and information, read The Manila Times on print, subscribe to its digital edition or log on to www.manilatimes.net. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok and LinkedIn; and be part of our communities on Viber, Telegram, and Mastodon.