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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Checking your reader session…

MCT DAILY BRIEF

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

Official portrait of Sara Duterte.

Good morning. Sara Duterte is due in court today to answer the grave-threats charges against her, while families of passengers aboard the MV June Aster are still waiting for news from Coron. Rain warnings also remain in place across parts of Luzon and the Visayas. On household expenses, a regional electricity-price cap could bring relief to consumers in the Visayas and Mindanao, and SSS members now have another way to apply for a short-term loan. Here is where each story stands this morning, including what has changed and what has yet to happen.

1

1. SARA DUTERTE IS DUE FOR ARRAIGNMENT TODAY

Vice President Sara Duterte is scheduled to be arraigned before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court today on three counts of grave threats. At an arraignment, the charges are read to the accused, who is asked to plead guilty or not guilty. The accused must be present and personally enter a plea. This morning’s reports have not yet established what plea she entered or whether the hearing proceeded as scheduled.

The case concerns her remarks about having President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos and former House speaker Martin Romualdez killed if she herself were killed. Duterte has said her remarks were taken out of context. She posted bail on September 5 after the court issued an arrest warrant the previous day.

An arraignment does not mean the court has found her guilty. The criminal case is also separate from the Senate impeachment trial, even though the alleged threats feature in both. Today’s court proceedings concern the criminal charges; they do not themselves decide whether she stays in office.

WHAT TO WATCH

The court’s record of the plea and its next hearing date, along with any Supreme Court order affecting the proceedings. Those will establish whether the criminal case moves forward today and on what timetable.

2

2. THE SEARCH CONTINUES FOR PEOPLE MISSING IN THE CORON FERRY FIRE

Search and rescue operations continue after the MV June Aster fire off Coron, Palawan. The figures reported on Thursday were 43 rescued and five dead, with others still missing. Families are waiting for news, while the Coast Guard and shipping company check the passenger list against the people found.

The fire broke out Wednesday evening. Smoke prevented rescuers from entering the vessel during Thursday’s operations, adding to the difficulty of finding those still missing. The Coast Guard’s Friday update confirms that the search is continuing. A person listed as missing has not been confirmed dead, and totals may change as search teams locate people and verify their identities.

For families waiting for news, the question remains: where are those who boarded and have not been found? An accurate passenger list is part of that search. It also helps investigators check who was aboard when they examine the voyage and the emergency response. The cause of the fire has not been established in the reports reviewed this morning.

WHAT TO WATCH

The next dated Coast Guard count, confirmation that teams have entered the ship, and identified survivors or casualties. A change in the missing count alone does not establish that someone has been rescued; the explanation for that change matters too.

3

3. FRIDAY’S RAIN WARNINGS COVER MORE THAN METRO MANILA

PAGASA’s 4 a.m. forecast places Pangasinan, La Union, Benguet, Zambales and Bataan under occasional rains from the southwest monsoon. Moderate to heavy rainfall may cause flash floods or landslides. Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, Western Visayas and Northern Samar can also expect scattered rain and thunderstorms, with similar risks where rain becomes heavy.

These forecasts cover broad areas, so conditions along a particular road or hillside may differ. It may have stopped raining near home while roads on the way to work or school remain flooded. Before leaving, check the latest local rainfall warning, flood and road advisories, and announcements from your school or local government.

The rest of the country is forecast to have isolated showers or thunderstorms. PAGASA also warns of possible flash floods or landslides during severe thunderstorms there. A place outside the main monsoon-rain areas is therefore not automatically free of risk.

WHAT TO WATCH

PAGASA’s next local rainfall bulletins and any changes to road access, evacuation instructions or class arrangements. Use the time and area named in each notice; yesterday’s suspension or an early-morning warning may no longer describe the situation when you leave.

4

4. A REGIONAL PRICE CAP TARGETS VISAYAS AND MINDANAO POWER COSTS

The Energy Regulatory Commission announced on September 10 that it had ordered regional price caps in the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market, starting with the August 2026 billing period. The order covers that earlier period as well as the months that follow. The spot market is where electricity is traded for delivery, and its prices can affect the generation charge passed on to consumers.

The problem was particularly sharp in the Visayas and Mindanao. Market operator IEMOP reported August average prices of ₱18.59 per kilowatt-hour in the Visayas and ₱19.56 in Mindanao, while Luzon’s average fell to ₱4.80. Outages, tight supply and limits on moving electricity between regions helped push prices higher in the two southern grids.

A regional cap responds to prices in each grid separately. Cheaper power in Luzon would no longer keep the cap from taking effect when prices rise sharply in the Visayas or Mindanao. That could lower the cost of spot-market purchases passed through by utilities. It does not mean every household’s total bill will be cut in half. The bill also depends on the utility’s other supply sources, other charges and how much electricity the household used.

WHAT TO WATCH

Revised market bills and each utility’s announcement of the resulting generation-charge adjustment. The household benefit will become clearer when the utility states the peso-per-kilowatt-hour change and the billing month in which it will appear.

5

5. SSS LOANLITE IS AVAILABLE THROUGH UNIONDIGITAL, WITH A SHORT REPAYMENT WINDOW

SSS says qualified members can now apply for LoanLite through UnionDigital Bank’s mobile app without an employer certification. Its September 8 announcement identifies UnionDigital as the first participating institution to open this channel. Loans range from ₱1,000 to ₱20,000, depending on the member’s records, with terms of 15, 30, 60 or 90 days.

The circular requires at least 12 posted monthly contributions, alongside other conditions on age, account status and existing loans. Having 12 contributions alone does not guarantee approval or the maximum amount. Applications still undergo the bank’s and SSS’s checks.

The stated interest is 8 percent a year, with fees on top. Under the circular, interest is deducted before the money is released. Its example charges ₱67 interest on a ₱20,000 loan for 15 days, before fees. That means the cash received can be less than the amount borrowed, while repayment comes quickly. The amount deposited, all deductions and the due dates deserve a close look before accepting an offer.

WHAT TO WATCH

The actual disclosure in the official app: cash to be received, interest, fees, total repayment and automatic-debit dates. SSS warns against third parties offering to process applications. The official channel and the written repayment terms are the checks to use before committing.

BOTTOM LINE

There are several different kinds of waiting this morning. Families in Coron need confirmed news about people still missing. The court must put today’s proceedings in Sara Duterte’s case on record. Households facing high power costs need to see what relief actually reaches their bills. In each case, the next concrete result will tell us more than an announcement alone. For today’s immediate decisions, check the latest local rain advisory before travelling, and check the money you will actually receive and repay before accepting a loan. We will follow the court and rescue developments as they are confirmed.

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