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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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BASTE DUTERTE, FUEL PRICES, AND SEPTEMBER 21

An empty witness chair and microphone in a hearing room.

Good morning. The Senate impeachment court is due to hear more evidence about Vice President Sara Duterte’s declared business interests this week, including testimony sought from her brother, Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte. Motorists face another possible fuel-price increase tomorrow, while commuters may have to contend with a transport strike. Today also brings Martial Law anniversary gatherings and class suspensions in parts of Cebu because of unhealthy air. Here are five developments to follow, with the decisions that remain unsettled.

1

PROSECUTORS WANT TO QUESTION BASTE DUTERTE AS A HOSTILE WITNESS

The Senate impeachment court has issued a subpoena for Davao City Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte to testify in his sister’s impeachment trial. His appearance is scheduled for September 23. House prosecutors say they will ask the court to declare him a hostile witness while they examine whether a company in which Vice President Sara Duterte declared a financial interest had dealings with the Davao City government. The prosecution has identified Gencorp Industries as one company it wants to ask about.

That is a proposed line of questioning, not a finding that any improper transaction occurred. The court has also not yet granted the hostile-witness request. If it does, prosecutors may use leading questions—questions that suggest an answer—while the court controls what evidence is admitted. The label would change the manner of examination; it would not decide whether the Vice President's declarations were accurate or whether the impeachment allegation is proven.

WHAT TO WATCH

Whether Duterte appears as scheduled, how the impeachment court rules on the request, and which corporate and procurement records the prosecution can connect to his testimony.

2

FUEL PRICES MAY RISE AGAIN ON TUESDAY

Drivers are preparing for another fuel-price adjustment on September 22. Early industry estimates point to a substantial increase, particularly for diesel, but an estimate is not a pump-price notice. The final per-liter changes and effective times should come from the oil companies’ advisories. Last week's confirmed increases—₱5.68 for gasoline, ₱4.31 for diesel and ₱4.62 for kerosene—should not be mistaken for tomorrow's figures.

The Department of Energy has certified that the one-month average Dubai crude price crossed the statutory US$80-a-barrel threshold for considering an excise-tax reduction or suspension. That certification starts a possible policy path; it does not mean the fuel tax has already been cut. For households and transport drivers, the immediate questions are the confirmed price at the pump and whether any announced relief is actually available.

WHAT TO WATCH

Company advisories for the exact gasoline, diesel and kerosene adjustments, plus any formal government action on fuel-tax relief.

3

MARTIAL LAW ANNIVERSARY GATHERINGS PUT ACCOUNTABILITY AND POLICING IN VIEW

Groups are expected to gather today, September 21, to mark the anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law and protest corruption. Police say security arrangements are in place and officers have been directed to observe maximum tolerance toward peaceful assembly. Malacañang has said the President respects the public's right to protest while urging participants to avoid violence.

The useful coverage today is specific: what each group is asking for, where gatherings actually take place, how police handle them, and whether roads or public services are affected. Planned attendance is not actual turnout. A rumor of disorder is not a verified incident. The anniversary also calls for care in describing the history being commemorated and the rights of people who assemble peacefully.

WHAT TO WATCH

Organizers' stated demands, documented events at each venue, official traffic notices and independently verified accounts of any confrontation.

4

UNHEALTHY AIR HAS MOVED CLASSES ONLINE IN PARTS OF CEBU

Cebu City suspended face-to-face classes at all levels in public and private schools today after reporting acutely unhealthy air quality on Sunday afternoon. Other Cebu local governments made different decisions: Mandaue and Toledo shifted all levels to alternative delivery, while the scope in Talisay and Naga depends on the school system. A family should check its own city and school announcement rather than assume a province-wide closure.

Haze has affected parts of the Philippines this month, and authorities have linked it to smoke from Indonesian fires carried by regional winds. Sunday's air reading is the immediate reason for Cebu City's order. It does not tell us when outdoor conditions will improve. People with breathing or heart conditions, children and older adults have reason to pay particular attention to local health and air-quality notices.

WHAT TO WATCH

New local air-quality readings, school notices for September 22 and health advice from city authorities.

5

A PLANNED TRANSPORT STRIKE COULD COMPLICATE THE COMMUTE

Transport group Manibela announced another strike for September 21–22 after its action last week over rising fuel costs. The plan matters to people who depend on jeepneys and other public transport, but an announced nationwide strike does not mean every route will stop operating. Its reach has to be checked on the ground.

This is connected to the fuel-price story, but the commuter question is separate: can people get to work, school or a medical appointment today? Some local governments or schools may change schedules, and agencies may arrange rides, but those measures should be reported only when confirmed for the affected area. Do not assume every class suspension is caused by the strike; several announced today have other reasons.

WHAT TO WATCH

Confirmed strike participation by route, transport-agency updates, local ride assistance and school or workplace advisories.

BOTTOM LINE

Today’s five stories each turn on a decision or a measurable event. The impeachment court must rule on how Baste Duterte can be questioned. Oil companies must publish tomorrow's actual fuel adjustments. Protesters and police will show how the right to peaceful assembly works in practice. Cebu authorities will have to track air quality before reopening classrooms. Commuters need to know which routes still run. We will follow the records and the conditions people can check, rather than treat a forecast, plan or allegation as a result.

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