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LATEST COMMENTARY

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FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

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

MCT Daily Brief evening cover showing a modest Filipino household and its food budget.

MORE FAMILIES SAY THEY ARE POOR, AS TWO DUTERTE CASES MOVE TO THEIR NEXT STAGE

Tonight's news brings a reminder that politics is only part of the country's story. A new poverty survey puts household hardship back in focus. Two court proceedings moved forward, while the government named a new technology chief and faced another warning about electricity supply.

Reporting cutoff: October 13, 2026, 9:32 PM Philippine time.

1

MORE FAMILIES SAY THEY ARE POOR

Social Weather Stations reported Tuesday that 55% of Filipino families rated themselves poor in September, up from 49% in June. Families who rated themselves food-poor also rose, from 36% to 44%.

These are families' own assessments, not the government's income-based poverty count. The interviews took place September 21 to 27, so the release describes conditions during that period rather than a change that happened today.

Why it matters: Economic claims should be tested against what people can actually afford. This survey does not tell us which policy caused the increase. It does give officials a reason to explain how their plans will ease pressure on household budgets.

WHAT TO WATCH

Government responses to the poverty findings.

2

SARA DUTERTE'S IMPEACHMENT TRIAL NOW CENTERS ON ONE ARTICLE

The Senate impeachment court allowed prosecutors to withdraw Articles I, III and IV against Vice President Sara Duterte. Article II, which concerns alleged unexplained wealth, asset disclosures and business interests, remains.

According to GMA's report on the ruling, the defense no longer has to present evidence solely to answer the withdrawn articles. Materials already placed in the court's record will remain there.

Why it matters: The withdrawal is now a court-approved change, not merely a prosecution plan. It does not settle whether the remaining allegations are true. The next question is how the defense answers Article II and how the senator-judges weigh the evidence.

WHAT TO WATCH

The defense's answer to Article II.

3

ICC PROSECUTORS PLAN TO PRESENT FIVE WITNESSES BEFORE YEAR-END

At Tuesday's status conference in Rodrigo Duterte's case, ICC senior trial lawyer Julian Nicholls said prosecutors plan to bring five witnesses before the court before the end of the year, barring unforeseen problems. GMA reported the development at 9:15 PM.

The report places the trial's opening week on November 30 to December 4. Nicholls also acknowledged that some witnesses the prosecution had hoped to call might not appear.

Why it matters: A witness plan is not completed testimony. The public will need to distinguish what prosecutors expect witnesses to say from what is actually presented and tested in court. Neither a schedule nor a witness count proves the charges.

WHAT TO WATCH

Further ICC scheduling orders.

4

MARCOS NAMES ROBERT JOSEPH DE CLARO AS DICT SECRETARY

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced that he had signed the ad interim appointment of SSS president and CEO Robert Joseph de Claro as the new Department of Information and Communications Technology secretary, replacing Henry Aguda.

The Palace cited De Claro's work in SSS information technology and his banking board roles.

Why it matters: Those are credentials, not results in the new job. The useful test will be whether people can get through government online services reliably, keep their information safe, and finish transactions without being sent back to another queue. Watch for clear targets and deadlines, not just another promise to go digital.

WHAT TO WATCH

De Claro's first stated priorities.

5

DOE WARNS OF ANOTHER POWER-SUPPLY RISK IN THE VISAYAS

The Department of Energy warned that the Visayas could face renewed grid alerts if planned power barges and battery storage fail to come online as electricity demand rises. The Philippine Star reported the warning Tuesday, citing Energy Undersecretary Mario Marasigan and DOE simulations.

Marasigan said the department was watching whether planned projects would be ready by January. He expects fewer alerts if those projects arrive on time.

Why it matters: This is a warning about a possible shortfall, not a notice of scheduled blackouts tonight. What matters next is whether the promised supply becomes available when needed. Announced capacity does not keep the lights on until it is actually operating.

WHAT TO WATCH

Confirmed progress on Visayas power projects.

BOTTOM LINE

Court proceedings need evidence. Government promises need results. For families trying to get through the month, the question is simpler: what will actually make life less difficult?

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