MCT CASE TRACKERTracking Sara Duterte’s impeachmentHearings, documents and disputed issues.Follow the trial → MCT CASE TRACKERTracking Rodrigo Duterte’s ICC caseCourt records, hearing dates and sourced notes.Follow the case →

LATEST COMMENTARY

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FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

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 editorial cover for October 9, 2026, morning edition: coffee and a newspaper beside a rainy city window.

Good morning. The ICC has made public its ruling that Rodrigo Duterte is fit to stand trial. DOE is seeking investment to bring electricity to remote communities, while Taal's latest activity, the peso's Thursday close, and today's rain forecast also require attention.

1

ICC FINDS RODRIGO DUTERTE FIT TO STAND TRIAL

The International Criminal Court's Trial Chamber III made public on October 8 a decision dated September 28 finding former president Rodrigo Duterte fit to stand trial. The trial is scheduled to open on November 30, 2026.

The case concerns crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the war on drugs. The ruling addresses whether Duterte can participate in the proceedings while exercising his fair trial rights.

The court said an independent panel of experts unanimously found that he could understand the charges and the proceedings, follow the evidence, and instruct his lawyers in preparing and conducting his defense.

Fitness concerns his ability to participate in a fair trial. The finding does not decide whether he is guilty of the crimes charged.

The chamber also directed continued monitoring of his health and said hearing hours would be assessed according to the circumstances of the accused and witnesses.

WHAT TO WATCH

The court's directions for the opening of trial and any further order concerning participation or scheduling. November 30 remains the announced trial date.

2

DOE SEEKS MICROGRID INVESTMENT FOR REMOTE COMMUNITIES

The Department of Energy is seeking private investment to bring electricity to remote communities through microgrid development. Reports from Thursday's Philippine Energy Investment Forum describe the agency's proposed coverage.

The proposed coverage includes 369 unserved or underserved areas across 23 provinces, potentially benefiting 101,468 households without electricity.

DOE's published initial list remains subject to validation and revision. Being included in the proposal does not establish that a project has secured funding or that the listed households are already connected.

For residents waiting for electricity, the practical question is which projects will receive funding and when service can begin. The announced coverage gives them a proposal to follow, but a service date still needs to be confirmed for their community.

WHAT TO WATCH

The final project areas, selection of providers, confirmed investment, and announced service dates. Check whether a community is included in an awarded project before treating the proposal as an incoming connection.

3

TAAL RECORDS A MINOR PHREATOMAGMATIC ERUPTION

PHIVOLCS reported a five-minute minor phreatomagmatic eruption at Taal's main crater at 6:06 p.m. on Thursday, October 8. The event produced a plume reaching 4,000 meters above the crater.

Alert Level 1 remained in place. PHIVOLCS warned that thin ashfall could affect southwestern lakeshore towns and nearby areas.

Residents should follow the latest instructions for their specific locality. The alert level and the ashfall warning need to be read together when deciding whether to travel or remain outdoors near affected areas.

WHAT TO WATCH

Fresh PHIVOLCS bulletins and local government instructions, including confirmed ashfall reports and any evacuation advisory.

4

PESO CLOSES AT ₱62.90 TO THE DOLLAR

The peso closed Thursday's trading at ₱62.90 to one US dollar, compared with ₱62.75 on Wednesday. This is the October 8 closing rate, rather than a quotation for Friday's trading.

At those two rates, US$100 corresponds to ₱6,290 and ₱6,275 respectively, before fees or a provider's exchange-rate margin. The difference is ₱15.

For a payment, purchase, or remittance, check the actual rate and charges offered by the bank or service involved. The market close does not establish the exact amount a customer will pay or receive.

WHAT TO WATCH

Friday's trading and the final rate quoted for your transaction. Avoid treating a Thursday closing figure as today's fixed retail exchange rate.

5

RAIN FORECAST COVERS SEVERAL REGIONS

PAGASA's 4 a.m. forecast for October 9 identifies rain from the trough of a low pressure area, the Intertropical Convergence Zone, and northeasterly windflow.

Scattered rain and thunderstorms are forecast for Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Quezon, Marinduque, and Romblon. Mindanao, the remaining Visayas, and Palawan also have scattered rain and thunderstorms in the forecast.

Rain is forecast for Cagayan Valley, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, and Aurora. PAGASA warns of possible flash floods or landslides in these areas when rain becomes moderate to heavy.

Metro Manila and the remaining Luzon areas may have isolated showers or thunderstorms, with possible flooding or landslides during severe thunderstorms.

WHAT TO WATCH

Local rainfall and thunderstorm advisories before travel. The forecast identifies possible hazards; it does not establish that every named area is already flooded.

BOTTOM LINE

The ICC's published decision puts Rodrigo Duterte's trial preparations back in focus. The court's next directions will explain the arrangements for his participation.

At home, follow the latest local instructions near Taal and check rainfall advisories before travel. For exchange rates and proposed electricity projects, use the figures with their dates and conditions: a market close is not a retail quotation, and an investment target is not a completed connection.

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