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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 13, 2026 | AFTERNOON

Good afternoon.

Today’s brief covers the first public hearing of an independent commission documenting drug-war killings, possible power interruptions in the Visayas and Mindanao, a new benefits-payment option for government contract workers, the growing impact of recent storms, and the police response to a fatal resort shooting in Cavite.

1

THE EJK TRUTH COMMISSION WILL HOLD ITS FIRST HEARING TOMORROW

The independent Truth Commission on Extrajudicial Killings will hold its first hearing on Friday, August 14, at the Pope Pius XII Catholic Center in Manila.

The commission was organized by Catholic Church and civil society groups to document alleged killings connected to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign. It is chaired by former International Criminal Court judge Raul Pangalangan.

This is not a government commission, a court, or part of the ICC. It cannot prosecute anyone or issue a judgment. Its work is to hear testimony, examine available records, preserve evidence, and produce a documented public account that may be submitted to Philippine authorities and international human rights organizations.

The first hearing is expected to include the case of Raymart Siapo, a 19-year-old Navotas resident killed in 2017 after he was allegedly accused of selling marijuana. Forensic findings from the examination of his remains are expected to be presented.

For families who have spent years trying to establish what happened to their relatives, the hearings provide a formal place where their accounts and supporting evidence can be recorded. Whether those records eventually lead to criminal cases will still depend on prosecutors, courts, and government investigators.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch how the commission handles evidence, protects witnesses, and allows opposing accounts to be heard. Its credibility will depend on whether its findings can withstand scrutiny beyond the hearing room.

2

THE VISAYAS POWER GRID WAS PLACED UNDER RED ALERT

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines placed the Visayas grid under yellow and red alerts on Thursday because several power plants were unavailable while electricity demand remained high.

A red alert was scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Available capacity was reported at 2,283 megawatts, below the projected peak demand of 2,360 megawatts. NGCP said 903.2 megawatts of generating capacity were unavailable because of plant outages and reduced operations.

A red alert means available electricity may be insufficient to meet demand and required operating reserves. Rotational power interruptions may be used to prevent a larger grid failure.

Mindanao was also placed under yellow alert during several periods. Its available capacity remained above projected demand, but its safety reserve was too small to meet the grid’s contingency requirement. A yellow alert does not automatically mean a blackout, but it leaves the system more vulnerable if another plant suddenly fails.

For households, businesses, hospitals, and local governments, the immediate concern is service interruption. People in affected areas should monitor announcements from their electric cooperatives and charge essential devices when power is available.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch for updated NGCP advisories and announcements from local distribution utilities. The restoration of unavailable generating units will determine whether the alerts continue after Thursday.

3

GOVERNMENT CONTRACT WORKERS MAY VOLUNTARILY PAY BENEFITS THROUGH PAYROLL DEDUCTIONS

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Administrative Order No. 43 allowing government contract of service and job order workers to have their SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG contributions deducted voluntarily from their compensation.

The order covers national government departments, agencies, government-owned or controlled corporations, and state universities and colleges. Local governments are encouraged, but not required, to adopt the same arrangement.

A worker must first give consent. The government agency must then deduct the selected contributions and remit them to the proper institutions within the required period.

This could make regular payments easier for workers who previously had to handle their contributions themselves. It may help them maintain access to health coverage, loans, pensions, and other benefits tied to consistent contributions.

The order does not convert contract of service or job order workers into regular government employees. It also does not give them the full employment benefits received by permanent government personnel. It only creates a more convenient way to pay voluntary contributions.

WHAT TO WATCH

The DBM, Civil Service Commission, Commission on Audit, SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG must still issue the detailed rules and accounting procedures. Those guidelines will show how workers can enroll, change their instructions, verify payments, and report deductions that were not remitted correctly.

4

MORE THAN 3.7 MILLION PEOPLE HAVE NOW BEEN AFFECTED BY THE STORMS AND HABAGAT

The Office of Civil Defense reported Thursday morning that 3,733,883 people, representing more than one million families, had been affected by Tropical Cyclones Luis and Maymay and the enhanced southwest monsoon.

More than 53,000 people remained in 553 evacuation centers. OCD also reported 21 deaths, 14 injuries, and three missing persons.

The Philippine National Police earlier reported a higher death count of 26. The figures should not be added together. Different agencies may receive reports at different times and must validate whether each death was directly connected to the weather disturbance.

OCD estimated infrastructure damage at approximately ₱2.65 billion and agricultural losses at about ₱347 million. The government had provided around ₱458 million in assistance as of the report.

These numbers represent displaced families, interrupted livelihoods, damaged public facilities, and communities that may need assistance long after floodwaters recede. Agricultural losses may also reduce farmers’ income and affect the local supply of food.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch for the OCD’s validated casualty count, updated damage assessments, and announcements on continued rainfall. The speed of assistance and the restoration of roads and other essential services will determine how quickly affected communities can recover.

5

A POLICE OFFICER FACES DISMISSAL PROCEEDINGS AFTER A FATAL CAVITE RESORT SHOOTING

The Philippine National Police ordered dismissal proceedings against an officer linked to a shooting at a resort in Maragondon, Cavite.

The incident reportedly occurred during a birthday celebration for the newly installed Maragondon police chief. One police officer and one civilian were killed, while another police officer was wounded. A police officer assigned to the Trece Martires Component City Police Station was arrested at the scene.

The Maragondon police chief was relieved and placed under administrative holding while the investigation continues.

The dismissal proceeding is an administrative process. It is separate from any criminal case that prosecutors may file. The order to begin proceedings is not yet a finding of guilt.

For the public, the case tests whether the PNP will impose accountability when its own personnel are involved. Announcing an investigation is only the beginning. The outcome will depend on the preservation of evidence, the filing of appropriate charges, and the transparent resolution of both the criminal and administrative cases.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch for the results of the investigation, the criminal charges recommended by police and prosecutors, and the administrative decision involving the arrested officer and other personnel present at the gathering.

BOTTOM LINE

Today’s developments are about whether institutions can turn announcements into accountable action. The EJK commission must build a record strong enough to be taken seriously. Power authorities must restore lost generating capacity before reserve shortages become prolonged interruptions. Government agencies must make sure workers’ deductions reach the correct benefit institutions. Disaster officials must turn damage figures into timely assistance. The PNP must show that an investigation involving police officers will be handled with the same seriousness expected in any other fatal shooting.

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