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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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November 10, 2026 · Morning Edition

ABOUT FILIPINO SIGN LANGUAGE: THE ACCESS RIGHTS PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE

AI-generated editorial illustration of an accessible public-service counter with written communication, with the official MCT logo.

A hospital consultation, a police interview or a school lesson depends on being able to understand and be understood. For a Deaf person who uses Filipino Sign Language, that can require an interpreter and information presented in an accessible form. It should not depend entirely on whether a relative happens to be available to help.

Deaf Awareness Week begins today and runs through November 16. The Filipino Sign Language Act, Republic Act 11106, sets out what public institutions are required to make accessible. The law recognizes FSL in education, justice, health care and government transactions, while preserving each person's choice of how to communicate. Here are five ways the law applies to everyday services.

1

THE PERSON'S COMMUNICATION CHOICE COMES FIRST

The law recognizes FSL as the national sign language and as a medium of official communication in transactions involving Deaf people. It also expressly preserves other forms of communication according to individual choice or preference.

At a service counter, staff should find out how the person wants to communicate instead of deciding for them. Someone may request an FSL interpreter; someone else may prefer writing or another accessible method. Recognizing FSL does not mean requiring every Deaf person to use the same method.

The useful first question is simple: what communication support do you need for this transaction? A companion's presence does not answer that question for the person seeking the service.

WHAT TO WATCH

Whether staff ask the person directly about their communication preference and make arrangements that allow them to participate, rather than conducting the entire transaction through someone else.

2

GOVERNMENT TRANSACTIONS MUST INCLUDE COMMUNICATION ACCESS

Section 9 directs national agencies, government-owned or controlled corporations and local government units to use FSL in public transactions involving Deaf people. It also provides for qualified FSL interpreters and accessible materials whenever necessary or requested at government activities such as meetings, forums and community events.

This reaches beyond putting an interpreter on stage for an awareness program. People also need to understand the instructions, questions and decisions involved in dealing with a public office. When arranging a visit or attending a government meeting, ask the office who will handle the requested communication support and how it will be provided.

The duty applies even where an office still needs to arrange an interpreter. Asking in advance can help establish who will provide the support for the appointment.

WHAT TO WATCH

A specific response to the request: the support the office will provide, the person coordinating it and the arrangement for the actual appointment or activity.

3

HEALTH CARE INCLUDES A REQUEST FOR FREE INTERPRETING SUPPORT

Section 8 says state hospitals and health facilities must take steps to make health services accessible, including free FSL interpreters and accessible materials upon the request of Deaf patients or people with Deaf family members. The same section separately encourages private health facilities to provide access as part of their corporate social responsibility.

A patient needs to understand questions about symptoms, explanations of treatment and instructions after the consultation. A request for support should identify the communication needs for the visit, not just the fact that someone will accompany the patient.

For a planned consultation, ask the facility how it arranges interpreting and accessible information. Ask who can arrange the support if an interpreter is not on duty.

WHAT TO WATCH

Whether the communication arrangement covers the consultation and the information the patient takes home. Confirm what the facility can provide rather than assuming that an appointment booking includes interpreting support.

4

JUSTICE ACCESS STARTS BEFORE A COURT HEARING

Section 6 requires qualified sign-language interpreting in proceedings involving Deaf people, while preserving their right to choose another mode of communication. Its scope includes courts, quasi-judicial agencies and tribunals, as well as police stations, preliminary investigations and proceedings before the barangay's Lupong Tagapamayapa.

That means the issue begins when a person needs to give an account, understand a question or respond to a complaint. It is not something to address only when a case reaches trial. The law calls for qualified interpreting, a more specific requirement than having any available person who knows some signs.

Tell the office handling the proceeding what communication support is needed and ask how it will be arranged. If legal rights or a statement are at stake, raise any difficulty understanding the exchange with the lawyer or official conducting the proceeding.

WHAT TO WATCH

Whether qualified support is available for the actual stage of the proceeding, including the initial interview, and whether the person's chosen means of communication is respected.

5

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC INFORMATION HAVE THEIR OWN DUTIES

Section 4 directs the education agencies to use FSL as a medium of instruction in Deaf education and to teach it as a separate subject for Deaf learners. It also requires the teaching of reading and writing in Filipino, other Philippine languages and English. Teacher training is to be developed with representatives of the Filipino Deaf community.

Families can ask the school how the learner will access lessons, who will provide support and how the learner's communication preference will be respected. The law's recognition of FSL should lead to an explanation of the actual classroom arrangements.

The law also covers access to television news and public affairs. Section 10 provides for FSL interpreter insets that meet television accessibility standards in news and public-affairs programs. Viewers should be able to follow the interpreting when important public information is broadcast.

WHAT TO WATCH

The school's teaching and support arrangements, and whether public-information programs provide interpreting that viewers can actually follow. A statement that a service is inclusive needs to be reflected in how people receive the information.

BOTTOM LINE

The everyday test is whether a Deaf person can understand the service, express their own decisions and take part without being pushed to the side. RA 11106 sets duties for public institutions and preserves individual communication choice. This week's observance is a useful time to ask how those duties work at the school, hospital, police station or government office people actually use.

SOURCES

  1. National Council on Disability Affairs: Current Deaf Awareness Week announcement, November 10–16, 2026https://ncda.gov.ph/
  2. National Council on Disability Affairs: Proclamation 829, establishing the annual observancehttps://ncda.gov.ph/disability-laws/proclamations/proclamation-829/
  3. National Council on Disability Affairs: Republic Act 11106, particularly sections 3, 4, 6, 8, 9 and 10https://ncda.gov.ph/disability-laws/republic-acts/ra-11106/
  4. Lawphil: Republic Act 11106, approved October 30, 2018https://lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2018/ra_11106_2018.html
Photo credits

AI illustration / OpenAI OpenAI

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