FIVE THINGS TO KNOW…

Short explainers published throughout the day.

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 READER PULSE · MCT-PULSE-2026-008

MCT READER SURVEY

Senator-judges who are absent from the impeachment trial—including those on medical leave, in hiding, or detained—should still be allowed to cast a vote. Do you agree?Ang mga senator-judge na wala sa impeachment trial—kabilang ang naka-medical leave, nagtatago, o nakadetine—ay dapat payagan pa ring bumoto. Sang-ayon ka ba?

Senator-judge Erwin Tulfo asked the impeachment court to clarify who may validly vote and how absent members affect the constitutional two-thirds requirement. He cited one senator on medical leave abroad, one in hiding, and two in detention. The court had not resolved those questions when this survey opened. This survey asks for your view; it does not state what the Constitution or the impeachment rules require.

Background: Senate impeachment records, INQUIRER.net, and MindaNews.

This is an informal survey of verified MCT readers who choose to participate. It is not nationally representative.

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MCT DAILY BRIEF

No fake news. No noise. Just the facts you need.

A Filipino work table with a radio, coffee, calculator, weather sheet and Philippine map beside a rain-speckled jalousie window.

Good morning. Today's brief covers DepEd's cancelled nationwide school-safety drill, BARMM's first parliamentary election, the rapid growth of digital bank transfers, Bohol's drought preparations, and continuing Habagat rain over parts of Luzon.

1

DEPED CANCELS THE NATIONWIDE ACTIVE-ATTACK DRILL

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in an interview with DZMM TeleRadyo that the nationwide active-attack drill planned for August 25 has been cancelled.

The Department of Education had directed public and private elementary and secondary schools to test their response plans at the same time. The Philippine Psychiatric Association and the Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry later urged the department to defer the live exercise. They supported stronger school security while warning that a poorly designed simulation could frighten children, cause distress, or expose them to unnecessary psychological harm.

The cancellation does not settle the larger school-safety problem. Schools still need clear emergency procedures, controlled access, trained personnel, reliable communication with parents, and plans suited to the age and needs of their students. Preparedness must protect children physically without carelessly harming them psychologically.

WHAT TO WATCH

DepEd now needs to issue written guidance explaining what schools should do on August 25 and what safer exercise, if any, will replace the cancelled drill.

2

BARMM PREPARES FOR ITS FIRST PARLIAMENTARY ELECTION

About 2.4 million voters in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao are scheduled to elect an 80-member parliament on September 14. The vote will end a seven-year transition during which the regional parliament was composed of presidential appointees.

Forty seats will be distributed among regional political parties according to their share of the vote. Thirty-two will be decided in parliamentary districts, while eight are reserved for sectoral representatives. Voters will not directly elect the chief minister. The new parliament will choose that official from among its members.

The election will test whether the Bangsamoro political settlement can produce a representative government while managing clan influence, security concerns, and the unfinished work of the peace process.

WHAT TO WATCH

The campaign ends on September 12, followed by the September 14 vote and the parliament's selection of a chief minister.

3

DIGITAL BANK TRANSFERS PASS ₱19 TRILLION

Transactions made through InstaPay and PESONet reached a combined ₱19.16 trillion from January to July, based on Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas data reported by the Manila Times. That was 44.8 percent higher than the ₱13.23 trillion recorded in the same period last year.

The figures show how quickly money transfers are moving away from cash and checks. They also raise practical questions about transfer fees, fraud protection, service interruptions, and what happens to users who have weak internet access or limited digital skills. Bigger transaction numbers are useful, but the quality and cost of the service still count.

WHAT TO WATCH

The next BSP payments report should show whether the rapid growth continues and whether lower or waived transfer fees reach more customers.

4

BOHOL PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE DROUGHT

Bohol remains vulnerable to dry conditions as officials monitor the possible effects of El Niño. The provincial government reactivated its El Niño task force earlier this year and prepared measures covering water supply, agriculture, health, power, and emergency response.

The province has discussed drought-resistant crops, irrigation support, water conservation, planting materials, farm reservoirs, and possible cloud-seeding operations. Drought can affect farms, food prices, household income, and public health before taps run dry.

WHAT TO WATCH

The next PAGASA El Niño advisory and Bohol's reports on dam and irrigation levels will show whether the province must move from preparation to emergency measures.

5

HABAGAT STILL BRINGS RAIN TO PARTS OF LUZON

PAGASA said the southwest monsoon would bring cloudy skies with scattered rain and thunderstorms over the Ilocos Region, Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro on Monday. The rest of the country may experience isolated rain showers or thunderstorms, especially in the afternoon or evening.

After weeks of damaging weather, saturated ground, damaged roads, and swollen waterways can remain dangerous after the heaviest rain has passed. Residents in affected areas should continue checking local advisories rather than relying only on the weather outside their windows.

WHAT TO WATCH

PAGASA and local governments may update rainfall, flood, road, and class advisories during the day as conditions change.

BOTTOM LINE

Today's developments reach daily life: how children are protected, how a new regional government is chosen, how money moves, how communities prepare for drought, and how families respond to continuing rain. Each story leaves a practical question about whether the plan is clear before people are asked to carry the risk.

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