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LATEST COMMENTARY

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FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

3-minute read

WHY WINNING DOES NOT END A VOTE-BUYING CASE

If a candidate has already won and been proclaimed, can a vote-buying case still cost them the position? The Supreme Court’s latest announcement on two Candijay, Bohol candidates shows why the election result does not settle everything.

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5-minute read

HOW THE NEXT CHIEF JUSTICE IS CHOSEN

The Judicial and Bar Council has finished interviewing candidates to succeed Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo, who is due to retire on November 6. GMA News reported the completed interviews on October 27. The interviews are one stage of a process that gives the President a choice, but also sets limits on who can be chosen and how the appointment is made.

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4-minute read

ABOUT COMPENSATION FOR WORK-RELATED HEAT ILLNESS

If someone becomes ill while working in extreme heat, the problem can continue after the shift ends: medical bills, missed work and uncertainty about where to ask for help. The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) announced guidelines on October 23 for heat-illness claims under the existing Employees' Compensation Program (ECP).

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5-minute read

ABOUT BATO DELA ROSA’S ₱50-MILLION BOUNTY

The DILG announced a ₱50-million bounty for Senator Bato dela Rosa’s capture on October 23. The announcement came after months of talk about a possible reward—and days after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said authorities knew dela Rosa was in Mindanao and were negotiating for his turnover.

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Afternoon6-minute read

ABOUT THE OVP’S 2027 BUDGET AFTER A 16-MINUTE SENATE HEARING

The Office of the Vice President’s proposed budget moved through a Senate panel today in 16 minutes. Vice President Sara Duterte was absent; her chief of staff answered for the office. Yesterday’s MCT explainer looked at parliamentary courtesy. Today’s question is what that short hearing actually did to the spending plan, and what it left for the Senate to examine.

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Afternoon6-minute read

ABOUT THE EDSA BUSWAY’S 2027 BUDGET GAP

The Department of Transportation is again asking Congress to fund the EDSA Busway. Its original ₱1.756 billion request received zero in the administration’s proposed 2027 National Expenditure Program. A House budget panel later inserted ₱75 million. Those two statements describe different stages of the same budget process. Neither tells us yet what Congress will finally approve.

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Afternoon7-minute read

ABOUT DECLARING AN AMBASSADOR PERSONA NON GRATA

Several lawmakers want Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan sent home. The Chinese Embassy has challenged them to follow through. That exchange leaves an ordinary reader with a reasonable question: if our own officials say an ambassador should leave, why is he still here?

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7:23 AM5-minute read

ABOUT LINO CAYETANO AND THE CHANGE AT THE PCO

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced on October 11 that Lino Cayetano would replace Dave Gomez at the Presidential Communications Office. He said Gomez had been bypassed by the Commission on Appointments and that the change would be formalized when they returned from Singapore.

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6:10 PM4-minute read

ABOUT THE DISPUTE OVER CHANGING THE ORDER OF IMPEACHMENT WITNESSES

The argument at Thursday’s impeachment hearing was about which witness the prosecution could present next. It began with an absent lawyer and became a dispute over preparation and notice. Understanding the exchange helps explain why a courtroom can pause even when the parties, documents and another potential witness are already in the building.

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3:01 PM3-minute read

ABOUT MARK VILLAR’S MOVE TO THE SENATE MAJORITY

Senator Mark Villar has formally left the Senate minority and joined the majority. The October 8 move strengthens the bloc supporting the chamber’s leadership and gives Villar two significant positions. Its implications for Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial, however, require more than counting political allies.

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9:56 AM4-minute read

ABOUT THE MANAGER’S CHECKS AND THE QUESTIONS OVER SARA DUTERTE’S SALN

A bank balance can fall even when the value represented by the money has not disappeared. That distinction sits behind the prosecution’s questions about manager’s checks in Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial. To understand the October 7 testimony, we need to follow the instrument, the person entitled to its value and the declaration of assets for the relevant year.

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9:08 PM3-minute read

ABOUT WHAT COA’S REJECTION OF THE OVP APPEAL MEANS

COA has rejected the request to reconsider the ₱73.287-million disallowance involving the Office of the Vice President’s December 2022 confidential expenses. The October 5 resolution became public on October 7. Its significance is easier to understand when the amount, the audit finding and the available legal remedies are kept separate.

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7:47 AM3-minute read

ABOUT WHAT BANK SECRECY PROTECTS IN AN IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

The arguments over bank records in Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial involve several protections. The privacy of a peso deposit, the protection of a foreign-currency deposit, and the confidentiality of a report sent to the AMLC come from different rules. Understanding those differences helps explain what the court has allowed and what remains in dispute.

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8:43 AM8-minute read

ABOUT THE AMLC RECORDS IN SARA DUTERTE’S IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

₱4.4 billion is a figure that can dominate a conversation before anyone asks what it counts. AMLC Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura presented that approximate total in the Senate impeachment court on October 5, covering reported transactions involving Vice President Sara Duterte and her husband, Manases Carpio. He also explained that a bank correction had reduced the earlier figure of ₱6.7 billion.

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6:44 PM5-minute read

ABOUT THE COINS.PH CASH-IN RESTRICTION AND WHAT USERS SHOULD CHECK

If you use Coins.ph to receive money or pay bills, a failed cash-in can disrupt plans for the day. Coins.ph has announced that some incoming peso services are temporarily unavailable following a BSP directive to improve its internal controls. Its advisory also identifies services that existing customers can still use.

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12:00 PM5-minute read

ABOUT THE PROPOSED RULES ON SECONDHAND PHONES

A secondhand phone can put a useful device within reach of someone who cannot afford a new one. The problem comes when the buyer has no clear information about where it came from, what condition it is in, or who will fix it if it fails.

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8:35 PM6-minute read

ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT’S DECISION ON THE IMPEACHMENT VOTE THRESHOLD

The Supreme Court dismissed three petitions on September 30 challenging how the Senate impeachment court would count the votes needed to convict Vice President Sara Duterte. The dismissal leaves the Senate’s September 23 ruling in place, but it needs to be read carefully. A case can be dismissed because it does not meet the requirements for the Court to hear it, without settling whether the challenged action is constitutional.

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6:12 AM6-minute read

ABOUT WHAT BASTE DUTERTE SHOULD HAVE CHECKED AS MAYOR

Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte told the Senate impeachment court on September 29 that he had been unfamiliar with GenCorp Industries Inc. before it came up in the proceedings. He also said he did not know about Vice President Sara Duterte’s declared business interest in the company.

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10:45 PM7-minute read

ABOUT THE OCTOBER WATER-RATE INCREASES

Metro Manila households served by Maynilad and Manila Water will see slightly higher water charges beginning October 1. The announced increases are small for many residential customers, but the figures vary by concessionaire and consumption level. That makes it easy to misunderstand a notice expressed only in centavos per cubic meter.

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7:21 AM6-minute read

ABOUT THE NOTE HANDED TO GIBO TEODORO IN SEOUL

Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. was answering questions at the Seoul Defense Dialogue on September 8 when a man handed him a note. He read it aloud, challenged its rejection of the 2016 South China Sea ruling and objected to being interrupted that way.

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9:55 AM8-minute read

ABOUT EL NIÑO AND PREPARING FOR LESS RAIN

It can be raining outside while PAGASA warns about El Niño. That can sound confusing when the immediate problem is a wet road or a flooded field. The two warnings describe different periods: the weather happening now and the rainfall conditions that may develop over the coming months.

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5:30 AM8-minute read

ABOUT THE NEW ARREST WARRANTS AGAINST ZALDY CO, MARTIN ROMUALDEZ AND TWO OTHERS

The Sandiganbayan has ordered the arrest of Zaldy Co, Martin Romualdez and two other accused in the plunder case filed on September 7. By Monday evening, authorities had served Romualdez's warrant and carried out booking procedures at Cardinal Santos Medical Center in San Juan. His arrest is a confirmed development; it does not establish that his three co-accused are also in custody.

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3:15 PM8-minute read

ABOUT THE PLUNDER CASE AGAINST MARTIN ROMUALDEZ

The Office of the Ombudsman filed a plunder case against former House Speaker Martin Romualdez at the Sandiganbayan on September 7 over his alleged involvement in flood-control kickbacks. The accusations have now reached the court that will handle the criminal case. Romualdez denies wrongdoing and remains presumed innocent.

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1:18 PM7-minute read

ABOUT THE NEW SWS POVERTY NUMBERS

Self-rated poverty and food poverty declined in June, but the figures also show how many Filipino families remain under pressure and why lower household budgets do not necessarily mean life became cheaper.

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2:02 PM11-minute read

ABOUT THE CHILDREN'S SOCIAL MEDIA SAFETY ACT

House Bill No. 9965 would bar children below 13 from having social media accounts, require parental consent for users aged 13 to 17, regulate platform algorithms, and impose fines reaching P50 million. It is still being deliberated in the House.

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12:02 PM7-minute read

ABOUT THE SEALED BIR BOX

Marcos authorized the BIR to comply with the Senate subpoena. That did not open the records to the public or prove the unexplained-wealth allegation.

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MCT DAILY BRIEF | AUGUST 7, 2026

MCT DAILY BRIEF | AUGUST 7, 2026

1

THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYED FILIPINOS ROSE, BUT UNEMPLOYMENT ALSO INCREASED

The estimated number of employed Filipinos reached 50.66 million in June, up from 49.63 million in May.

At the same time, the unemployment rate increased slightly from 4.8 percent to 4.9 percent. About 2.59 million Filipinos were unemployed in June, compared with roughly 2.50 million in May.

The reason both numbers can rise at the same time is that the labor force also became larger. About 53.25 million Filipinos were either working or looking for work in June, up from 52.13 million in May.

Underemployment was 12.1 percent, representing about 6.11 million employed Filipinos who wanted more working hours, another job, or a job with longer hours. That was slightly lower than May’s 12.2 percent but higher than the 11.4 percent recorded in June last year.

Young workers had weaker numbers compared with a year earlier. The employment rate among Filipinos aged 15 to 24 fell to 86.5 percent from 90.6 percent in June 2025.

The industries also moved in very different directions. Accommodation and food services, administrative support, government, education, and arts and recreation recorded some of the larger employment gains compared with a year earlier.

Wholesale and retail trade, meanwhile, lost an estimated 903,000 workers compared with June last year. Fishing and aquaculture lost around 467,000.

The June Labor Force Survey does not track the same individual workers from one month to the next, so it would be wrong to say that one million Filipinos personally “found jobs.” What the survey shows is that the estimated number of employed people increased while the number of unemployed people also rose.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch whether unemployment falls in July and whether the weaker youth employment numbers improve.

2

FACTORY PRODUCTION ROSE FROM MAY, WHILE SALES WERE ALMOST FLAT

Philippine manufacturing production increased in June compared with May.

After seasonal adjustments, both the value and volume of factory production increased 1.6 percent from the previous month.

Food manufacturing helped push production higher. Its production value increased 4.5 percent from May, while production volume rose 4.2 percent.

Sales were much weaker month to month.

The value of manufacturing sales fell 0.6 percent from May, while the volume of sales increased only 0.1 percent. Food manufacturers recorded declines in both sales measures.

That monthly picture should not be confused with the longer comparison. Manufacturing production and sales were still higher than they were in June last year.

The June report therefore shows factories producing more than they did in May while sales barely moved during the same period.

One month is not enough to tell us whether that gap will continue.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch whether factory output continues growing in July and whether sales begin rising at a similar pace.

3

AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES RETURNED TO GROWTH IN THE SECOND QUARTER

The value of Philippine agriculture and fisheries production reached ₱452.22 billion at constant 2018 prices during the second quarter.

That was 2.9 percent higher than a year earlier.

The result was an improvement from the first quarter, when agriculture and fisheries contracted by 0.3 percent compared with the same period last year.

All four major groups grew during the second quarter.

Crop production increased 1.6 percent. Palay grew 5.7 percent, while corn increased 0.8 percent.

Livestock increased 3.6 percent, helped by a 5.6-percent rise in hog production.

Poultry recorded the strongest growth among the four groups at 6.3 percent, while fisheries increased 2.7 percent.

The numbers show that farm and fisheries production recovered from the first-quarter contraction.

They do not mean food will automatically become cheaper.

This PSA report measures agricultural production. Consumer prices are measured separately, and the price people eventually pay in markets and supermarkets can move differently from farm output.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch whether agriculture continues growing in the third quarter and whether stronger production is eventually reflected in food prices.

4

THE UNITED STATES HAS FORMALLY ASKED THE PHILIPPINES TO EXTRADITE APOLLO QUIBOLOY

The United States has formally requested the extradition of Kingdom of Jesus Christ founder Apollo Quiboloy.

The Department of Foreign Affairs received the request and forwarded it to the Department of Justice.

That does not mean Quiboloy will immediately be sent to the United States.

The request must go through the Philippine extradition process, while Quiboloy also continues to face cases before Philippine courts.

U.S. prosecutors charged Quiboloy with conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking by force, fraud and coercion, along with sex-trafficking counts. The broader U.S. indictment against several Kingdom of Jesus Christ defendants contains other allegations.

Quiboloy has denied wrongdoing.

He also faces Philippine cases involving qualified human trafficking and alleged violations of the Anti-Child Abuse Law.

The Philippine government now has to deal with a formal extradition request while those local cases remain pending.

Philippine proceedings do not automatically make extradition impossible, and the treaty allows legal questions over timing and custody to be addressed through the process.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch how the Justice Department handles the U.S. request and what Philippine courts say about Quiboloy’s pending local cases.

5

CLASS SUSPENSIONS NOW NEED CLEARER LANGUAGE ABOUT ONLINE LEARNING

Another round of weather-related class suspensions has brought back a question students and parents increasingly have to ask.

When government announces that classes are suspended, does that also mean online classes are cancelled?

Under Department of Education rules, the answer can depend on the situation.

Schools are required to prepare learning-continuity plans for disasters and other emergencies. Those plans can include online classes, modules, printed materials, blended learning, and other ways of continuing lessons when students cannot safely report to school.

Some suspension rules apply specifically to face-to-face classes and allow alternative learning to continue where conditions permit.

More severe weather conditions can lead to broader suspensions covering both classes and school work.

That creates a problem when public announcements simply say “classes suspended” without explaining what happens to online learning.

Students can end up waiting for separate instructions from their school while parents try to work out whether a suspension means no travel, no classroom attendance, or no classes at all.

There are also practical limits to online learning during bad weather. Students dealing with flooding, power interruptions, evacuation, or weak internet connections may not be in a position to attend an online class just because they are physically at home.

Government suspension notices would be much more useful if they clearly stated whether they cover only face-to-face classes or all forms of instruction.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch whether future suspension announcements give clearer instructions on online and alternative classes.

BOTTOM LINE

The August 6 numbers give us several signs of improvement, but none of them should be read from the headline alone. The estimated number of employed Filipinos increased, yet unemployment also rose because the labor force grew. Factories produced more than they did in May, while sales barely moved during the month. Agriculture returned to growth after contracting in the first quarter, but stronger farm production does not automatically mean cheaper food. Outside the economic reports, the formal U.S. request for Apollo Quiboloy’s extradition opens another legal process while his Philippine cases continue. And another round of class suspensions showed that “walang pasok” no longer always tells students everything they need to know. The next set of reports and government decisions will tell us whether the economic gains continue and whether the two public-policy questions involving extradition and class suspensions become any clearer.

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