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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

MCT Daily Brief cover: Sara Duterte faces court case as COA details ₱73.287 million disallowance

AUGUST 12, 2026 | MORNING

Good morning.

The Department of Justice has filed a criminal case against Vice President Sara Duterte over her 2024 remarks about having President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos and then-Speaker Martin Romualdez killed if she herself were killed. At the Senate, a Commission on Audit witness explained why Duterte and two former OVP officials were named liable for ₱73.287 million in disallowed confidential-fund spending. The two proceedings are separate and neither has produced a final judgment against her.

Outside the impeachment trial, the storms and southwest monsoon have left millions affected and dozens dead. The proposed 2027 budget contains ₱107.4 billion for flood-control work, together with new promises that projects will be mapped and checked on the ground. The Supreme Court has also clarified what employers owe the Social Security System when a worker is eventually found to have been illegally dismissed.

Here are the five developments and what they mean in daily life.

1

DOJ FILED A GRAVE THREATS CASE AGAINST VICE PRESIDENT SARA DUTERTE

The Department of Justice filed one count of grave threats against Vice President Sara Duterte with the Office of the Clerk of Court of the Quezon City Regional Trial Court on Tuesday. The charge was filed under Article 282 of the Revised Penal Code in relation to the Cybercrime Prevention Act. The DOJ said bail was set at ₱120,000.

The case arose from Duterte’s online press briefing in November 2024. She said that she had instructed someone to kill President Marcos, the First Lady and Martin Romualdez if an alleged plot against her succeeded. Duterte later said her remarks had been taken out of context and were not a threat.

DOJ prosecutors said the evidence met the standard required to bring the grave-threats accusation to court. They dismissed the separate complaint for inciting to sedition because they found insufficient evidence to indict her on that charge.

A prosecutor’s decision to file a case is not a finding of guilt. Duterte remains presumed innocent. Her lawyers also argue that a sitting impeachable official cannot be prosecuted for an act that is already part of an impeachment case. The DOJ says the criminal prosecution and impeachment trial may proceed separately. That dispute will now have to be resolved by the court.

For ordinary citizens, the immediate issue is whether the same criminal process applies when the accused is the country’s second-highest official. The public should be able to see the court address the evidence and the defense arguments through regular proceedings, without political privilege and without treating an accusation as a conviction.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch for the raffle of the case to a Quezon City trial court, followed by any defense motion seeking its dismissal. The court’s first rulings should clarify whether the criminal case can proceed while the impeachment trial is underway. They will also show whether Duterte must be arraigned and enter a plea.

2

COA NAMED DUTERTE AND TWO FORMER OVP OFFICIALS LIABLE FOR ₱73.287 MILLION IN DISALLOWED SPENDING

Commission on Audit supervising auditor Xylene Mae del Campo told the Senate impeachment court that Vice President Duterte, former special disbursing officer Gina Acosta and former OVP chief accountant Julieta Villadelrey were held liable for ₱73.287 million in disallowed confidential-fund spending. The amount came from the ₱125 million released to the Office of the Vice President in December 2022 and spent from December 21 to 31. COA disallowed ₱69.787 million in reported reward payments because the submitted records did not sufficiently show successful information-gathering or surveillance work. It also disallowed ₱3.5 million spent on tables, chairs, computers and printers because the OVP did not show that the purchases were for confidential operations or submit the required sales invoices and official receipts.

Del Campo said the agency head is responsible for how confidential funds are used. Duterte’s defense has sought to place responsibility on the special disbursing officer. The audit notice named all three officials.

The audit process is not finished. COA’s Commission Proper affirmed the disallowance on April 10, 2026, and the OVP filed a motion for reconsideration in May. That motion remains pending. A notice of disallowance can lead to the return of public money if it becomes final. It is an audit finding, not a criminal conviction, and does not by itself prove that an official stole the funds.

For taxpayers, the question is basic: can the government show what the money bought, who received it and what public purpose was completed? Confidentiality can protect operational details. It cannot replace the internal documents that auditors need to verify that hundreds of millions of pesos were legally spent.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch how COA resolves the OVP’s motion for reconsideration and how the defense responds to the audit documents during cross-examination. If the disallowance becomes final, COA can demand repayment, subject to any court appeal. The impeachment court must separately decide what the audit evidence proves about Duterte’s responsibility.

3

STORMS AND MONSOON RAINS LEFT MILLIONS AFFECTED AS THE DEATH COUNT ROSE

Government agencies reported rising casualties from Typhoons Luis and Maymay and the southwest monsoon. The Office of Civil Defense reported 20 deaths, four missing people and 15 injured as of Tuesday afternoon. A later Philippine National Police report counted 26 deaths and said its figures were still subject to validation by disaster agencies.

The difference between the two totals reflects reporting time and validation. It should not be presented as a settled national count until the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council completes its checks.

The reports also used different snapshots for the number of people affected. The OCD counted about 2.8 million people, while a separate NDRRMC figure cited about 2.27 million. Tens of thousands remained in evacuation centers, and many more were displaced outside official evacuation sites. Landslides, flooding, power interruptions and blocked roads continued to disrupt several regions.

The casualty list captures only part of the damage. A flooded home can mean lost appliances, school materials and identification papers. A day without work means lost income. Farmers and small vendors may lose crops, stock and customers while still paying for food, medicine, transport and repairs. The announced value of relief does not tell families when food, clean water, medicine and shelter will actually reach them.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch the NDRRMC’s validated casualty and damage reports, the search for missing residents and local warnings on landslides and flooding. PAGASA expects less rain in some areas as the weather disturbances move away, although parts of Luzon may still receive intermittent monsoon rain. Residents should continue following local evacuation orders because saturated soil can remain dangerous after the heaviest rain stops.

4

THE PROPOSED 2027 BUDGET SETS ASIDE ₱107.4 BILLION FOR FLOOD CONTROL

The proposed 2027 national budget includes ₱107.4 billion for flood-control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways. The allocation is intended for maintenance, repair, rehabilitation and improvement of existing facilities. It includes ₱19.6 billion for continuing foreign-assisted projects. A separate ₱3.41 billion is proposed for the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s pumping stations and other flood-control facilities.

It is still a very large claim on public money, especially after investigations and allegations involving ghost and anomalous projects.

The Department of Budget and Management says proposed projects had to include tagged locations and actual work programs before being placed in the National Expenditure Program. It also says fund releases will be available through its COMPASS system, while DPWH implementation will be tracked through a transparency portal. Project DIME is supposed to use satellite data and other technology to check whether reported construction exists on the ground.

These controls sound useful, but a database is only as reliable as the records entered and the action taken when the records do not match reality. Congress must still examine whether each project is needed, properly designed, ready for construction and located in an area where it can reduce flood risk.

For households, the practical measure is not the size of the budget. It is whether floodwater becomes shallower, drains faster and reaches fewer homes, roads, schools and businesses. Every project should have a public location, cost, contractor, schedule, physical target and inspection result that citizens can understand.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch the House budget hearings for the project-by-project list behind the ₱107.4 billion. Lawmakers should compare the proposed locations with flood-risk maps and demand explanations for projects that lack clear designs, schedules or measurable benefits. Also watch whether COMPASS and the DPWH portal publish enough detail for residents to verify work in their own communities.

5

THE SUPREME COURT SAID ILLEGALLY DISMISSED WORKERS KEEP THEIR SSS ENTITLEMENT FOR THE BACKWAGE PERIOD

The Supreme Court upheld a ruling that Lopez Sugar Corporation must remit Social Security System contributions for four workers covering the period included in their backwage award. The workers had already won an illegal-dismissal case that awarded reinstatement and full backwages, although separation pay was later given in place of actual reinstatement. The company argued that no contributions were due for the period when the workers did not physically report for work. The Court rejected that position. When dismissal is legally found to be illegal and backwages are awarded, the employment relationship is treated as having continued during that period. The employer must therefore pay the contributions tied to those wages.

The ruling also upheld the penalty applied to the historical delinquency in the case. The old Social Security Act imposed three percent per month. The current Social Security Act reduced the rate to two percent per month, so the older figure should not be read as the penalty for new delinquencies today.

The decision does not automatically grant contributions to everyone who contests a dismissal. A worker must first establish through the proper labor process that the dismissal was illegal and obtain the corresponding relief. Once that judgment is final, the employer cannot treat the backwage period as a blank space in the employee’s SSS record.

For workers, missing contribution records can complicate or delay benefit claims and leave retirement records incomplete. The SSS can still pursue a delinquent employer, and employees remain entitled to protection under the law. Backwages replace lost salary, while restoring the contribution record preserves the months and amounts that should have been credited to the member.

WHAT TO WATCH

Workers with final illegal-dismissal awards should check their SSS contribution histories instead of assuming that the employer corrected the missing months. Watch how the SSS and labor agencies enforce the ruling when employers pay backwages but fail to remit the corresponding contributions and penalties.

BOTTOM LINE

Today’s developments test public systems at five different points. A criminal court must decide whether a threat case against a vice president can proceed while an impeachment trial is underway. COA and the Senate must separate an appealable audit finding from the evidence needed to establish official responsibility. Disaster agencies must turn changing reports into verified help for families. Congress must convert a ₱107.4-billion flood-control proposal into projects that citizens can locate and measure. Employers must restore the social-security records of workers whose dismissals were finally declared illegal. The common standard is evidence that the public can follow: court orders, audit records, verified casualty reports, mapped infrastructure and complete contribution histories. Announcements begin the process. Documents and measurable results show whether government and institutions actually did their jobs.

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