MCT COMMENTARY

Thoughts, reflections, and commentary written over coffee.

September 17, 2026 MCT Impeachment Tracker DAY 26: SIXTEEN IS NOT A MAGIC NUMBER Day 26 put the Senate’s disputed 16-vote threshold under direct constitutional scrutiny. Three retired chief justices said the number can change; Justice Adolfo Azcuna disagreed.

September 15, 2026 An MCT Commentary DID VINLUAN REALLY DESTROY JUSTICE TANG? The short clips made Atty. Mark Vinluan’s cross-examination look devastating. I watched the complete examination to see whether the celebration matched what actually happened.

September 15, 2026 MCT Impeachment Tracker MCT IMPEACHMENT TRACKER: DAY 24 | THE LAW CAME BEFORE THE RECORDS Day 24 gave the prosecution a legal framework for Article II. The SALNs, bank records and corporate documents still have to prove what the large figures actually mean.

September 13, 2026 An MCT Commentary WHEN A POWERFUL MAN GETS SICK, WHAT SHOULD WE BELIEVE? I wanted to understand what was happening to Martin Romualdez because the question was never as simple as whether he had an illness.

September 12, 2026 A Long MCT Commentary THE DUTERTE PLAN B AND THE ROBIN PADILLA TRAP While watching one of Richard Heydarian’s programs, I heard Sir Ronald Llamas, retired Justice Antonio Carpio and Prof. Richard discuss a question that bothered me long after the episode ended. What happens to the Duterte…

September 12, 2026 An MCT Opinion SARA DUTERTE DOES NOT HAVE THE ASCENDANCY TO DEMAND MARCOS’ RESIGNATION Let me preamble this piece by saying I have never been a Marcos supporter. As such, nothing in this piece should be mistaken for a defense of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. My view of Marcos has not softened just because Sara Duterte…

September 12, 2026 An MCT Commentary A SCHOOL RULE SHOULD NEVER COST A STUDENT HER DIGNITY This story reached Morning Coffee Thoughts through an email from a student connected to Batangas State University and the LGBTQIA+ community. I am withholding his name and identifying details for his safety and security.

September 9, 2026 MCT Commentary WHY HASN’T GIBO TEODORO BECOME PRESIDENT? I have long admired Gibo Teodoro. Looking at his election results, alliances and decisions made me ask what that admiration leaves unanswered.

September 3, 2026 MCT Commentary I SUPPORT CADENA. HERE’S WHY I LOOKED DEEPER. CADENA could give Filipinos a clearer trail from the budget to the contractor, payment, inspection and result—but blockchain cannot make false records true.

September 1, 2026 An MCT Opinion THE RECORD SHOULD DECIDE THE NEXT CHIEF JUSTICE The next Chief Justice should be judged through independence, performance, administrative ability and a serious plan for the judiciary.