On the second day of the official canvassing of votes for president and vice president on Thursday, May 26, Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr led his closest rival Leni Robredo at around 6 pm Thursday, May 26. He kept that lead that peaked at 1.9 million over Robredo but dropped to over 83,000 votes by 10 pm. His votes from the so-called Solid North provinces, known to be Marcos strongholds, were canvassed Thursday. Canvassing continues Friday and could end also within the day if counting continues at its current pace.

Read more about the distribution of votes on Rappler.

While claiming victory for administration candidate Leni Robredo, President Benigno Aquino III admitted shortcomings in preventing the rise of Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son and namesake of the former dictator, in the vice presidential race. He said “propaganda” intended to change the history of martial law may have worked especially among the millennials. Aquino added that it might have been too late when we realized that many were misinformed. “Those of us who experienced the martial law years failed to take into account – especially for the millennials – that it is difficult to imagine that such a period like the Martial Law period actually happened in the country,” he said.

Read more about Aquino’s musings on martial law on Rappler.

Outgoing Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima will forward to his successor Carlos Dominguez III tax reform recommendations estimated to generate P164.5 billion to P351 billion in revenues in the first year of implementation. The proposals include lowering the top tax rate from 30% to 25%; increasing value added tax to 14%; and indexing to inflation excise tax on gas, diesel, and other oil products. Repealing bank secrecy for the Bureau of Internal Revenue and granting an all-in income tax exemption of P1 million to all wage earners are also part of the recommendations. Purisima met with Dominguez on May 20 to prepare for a smooth transition on June 30.

Read more about the recommended tax reform measures on Rappler.

The National Democratic Front has nominated former political detainee and current University of the Philippines (UP) professor Judy Taguiwalo to lead the Department of Social Welfare and Development under the administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte. If appointed Taguiwalo can provide a strong voice for women. She helped organize the Malayang Kilusan ng Kababaihan or Makibaka, which seeks to uphold women’s rights and further empower them. She teaches at UP’s Department of Women and Development Studies in the College of Social Work and Community Development.

Read more about the UP professor on Rappler.

Donald Trump has reached the needed number of delegates to clinch a Republican nomination for the US presidency. An Associated Press delegate count puts Trump at 1,238 delegates even as a Republican nomination will need 1,237 delegates for a win. Some 303 delegates are still at stake in 5 state primaries. The Republican Party will not make the results official until its national convention in July when votes are cast for the nominee.

Read more about Trump’s chances on Rappler.

The presence of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte in his proclamation is not compulsory, Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said Thursday, May 26. Head of the Senate contingent in the National Board of Canvassers, Pimentel said they would be able to proclaim the new president and vice president on Monday, May 30. The senator added they would request Duterte to attend his proclamation but “it’s not really necessary or mandatory.”

Read more about Duterte’s position on Rappler.

Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, the co-chair of the National Board of Canvassers, dismissed the issue of “undervotes” being raised by the camp of Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Earlier the lawyer of Marcos’ chief rival Leni Robredo, Romulo Macalintal, said undervoting is normal in any election and does not necessarily equate to electoral fraud. Marcos’ lawyer, George Garcia, however said they want an explanation for the 3.2 million votes for vice president that remain “unaccounted for”. Putting the undervotes on record can help the Marcos camp in “whatever legal remedy” they might seek later on, he added.

Read more about Pimentel’s and Macalintal’s reaction to the undervotes issue on Rappler.

Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza is still the richest member of the judiciary. He declared a net worth of P249.68 million, making him the richest for the second straight year. Appointed to the SC in August 2014, he declared a net worth of 244.41 million. Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo ranked second again in 2015 with a net worth of P130.91 million, while the judiciary’s newest member, Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, was third richest with P117.18 million. Among the justices, Presbitero Velasco Jr recorded the highest wealth increase compared to 2014, jumping by 20.77% to about P14.8 million from P12.22 million.

Read more about the SC justices’ net worth on Rappler.

An autopsy on the two victims who attended the “Closeup Forever Summer” outdoor concert Saturday evening, May 21, revealed a “highly unusual” state of their organs. National Bureau of Investigation legal officer Dr Wilfredo Tierra said Thursday, May 26, there was bleeding in the internal organs of victims Bianca Fontejon, 18, and Lance Garcia, 36. Initial autopsy findings showed they suffered from a heart attack. Tierra said their vital organs were swollen, congested, and contained an excessive amount of watery fluid. Describing what was seen in the autopsy, he said he saw very black hearts with areas of fracture and bleeding.

Read more about the autopsy findings on Rappler.

SpaceX postponed the launch of an Asian communications satellite after detecting a “tiny glitch” in the Falcon 9 rocket engine. CEO Elon Musk said on Twitter, “There was a tiny glitch in the motion of an upper stage engine actuator.” While not a flight risk, it is “still worth investigating,” he added. The satellite will provide broadcast and data services to South Asia and Southeast Asia.

Read more about SpaceX on Rappler.