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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 9, 2026 · Morning Edition

ABOUT GRID BATTERIES: WHAT THEY CAN DO WHEN POWER IS TIGHT

Battery storage cabinets beside an electricity substation.

A battery can help keep electricity available when demand rises or a power source suddenly drops. But the word “battery” does not tell us how much power it can deliver, how long it can last or which problem it is meant to solve.

Reports on the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines' Project Airbag have renewed attention to battery storage and pressure on the grid. The proposal deserves a practical reading. Here are five things that matter before an announced storage project becomes something households can rely on.

1

A BATTERY STORES ELECTRICITY. IT STILL NEEDS TO BE CHARGED.

A grid battery takes in electricity and releases it later. The electricity has to come from a generating source, and some energy is lost in charging and discharging.

That makes storage useful when electricity is available at one time but needed at another. It can also respond quickly when supply and demand move out of balance. It does not remove the need for power plants or another source that can recharge it.

For a system facing a long shortage, that charging question matters. A battery that has used its stored energy needs another supply of electricity before it can do the same job again.

WHAT TO WATCH

Where the charging electricity will come from and what service the battery is designed to provide. A plan for a short, sudden imbalance is different from a plan to cover several hours of high demand.

2

ASK HOW MUCH POWER AND FOR HOW LONG.

A project's megawatt rating describes how much power it can deliver at a time. Its megawatt-hour rating describes the amount of energy it can store. The two numbers answer different questions.

For a simple example, a hypothetical system with 400 megawatt-hours of usable stored energy could supply 100 megawatts for about four hours. That is an illustration, not a specification for Project Airbag. Actual operation also depends on the system's limits, losses and remaining charge.

A large power rating alone does not show whether a battery can cover a long evening peak. Readers need the energy rating and expected duration as well.

WHAT TO WATCH

The proposed output, usable storage capacity and duration at the stated output. Ask whether those figures describe a single installation or the combined total of several sites.

3

STORAGE CAN MOVE SOLAR POWER INTO HOURS WHEN IT IS MORE USEFUL.

Solar output follows daylight. Household and business demand does not always follow the same pattern. Batteries can store electricity when it is available and release it later, including into the evening.

This is one reason storage is being added to electricity systems with more renewable power. A battery can also react quickly to changes in supply. Those are useful services, but they are not unlimited: the installation still has a maximum output and a finite amount of stored energy.

The relevant question is which hours and which grid need the project will serve. A battery's value depends on the problem it is being asked to solve, not just on the size of the announcement.

WHAT TO WATCH

The operating plan: when the battery will charge, when it will discharge, and which grid constraint or demand period it is intended to address.

4

GRID STORAGE DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY KEEP EVERY HOME ON DURING AN OUTAGE.

Electricity still needs a working path to the customer. Damage to transmission or distribution equipment can interrupt that path even when electricity is available elsewhere.

Local backup systems and properly designed microgrids can serve particular buildings or communities during a wider outage. That is a different arrangement from simply adding a large battery somewhere on the grid. Even rooftop solar usually needs suitable equipment and a properly configured system to operate safely when the grid is down.

A grid-storage announcement should therefore not be read as a promise that every household will have backup power. The location, connections and intended service determine who can benefit during a particular disruption.

WHAT TO WATCH

Which network problem the project addresses, where it connects and whether it is designed to serve an isolated area during an outage. Look for an explicit operating plan rather than assuming that any battery provides household backup.

5

AN ANNOUNCEMENT IS ONLY THE START OF A WORKING PROJECT.

Reports on Project Airbag describe a proposed storage response to grid strain. They do not establish that the equipment is already operating or that household bills will fall by a stated amount.

Storage projects need financing, permission to proceed, a grid connection and commissioning before they can provide their intended service. The International Energy Agency identifies these practical requirements as part of getting storage projects into operation.

For Philippine consumers, the useful next record is a project plan that sets out the sites, capacity, cost, approvals and delivery schedule. Those details allow the public to judge the promised benefit against the actual project, including how any cost would be recovered.

WHAT TO WATCH

The regulatory filings and decisions, the approved technical plan, commissioning dates and evidence of actual operation. A forecast benefit should remain a forecast until the service and its cost can be checked.

BOTTOM LINE

Grid batteries can respond quickly and make electricity available at a more useful time. Their limits matter just as much: they need charging, have a finite duration and depend on the surrounding network. Before treating a project as an answer to shortages or high bills, ask what it will do, for how long, where and at what cost.

SOURCES

  1. The Philippine Star, November 9, 2026 Project Airbag and the proposed response to grid strainhttps://www.philstar.com/headlines/2026/11/09/2568885/ngcp-unveils-project-airbag-ease-grid-strain
  2. BusinessMirror, November 9, 2026 NGCP's storage proposal and grid preparationhttps://businessmirror.com.ph/2026/11/09/ngcp-unveils-project-airbag-to-ease-grid-strain-ready-for-el-nino/
  3. U.S. Energy Information Administration, March 25, 2022 Battery storage duration and different grid useshttps://www.eia.gov/TodayinEnergy/detail.php?id=51798
  4. U.S. Energy Information Administration, January 8, 2018 Power capacity, energy capacity and battery charginghttps://www.eia.gov/todayinEnergy/detail.php?id=34432
  5. International Energy Agency, May 29, 2026 Battery storage's expanding role and requirements for deliveryhttps://www.iea.org/commentaries/battery-storage-is-scaling-up-and-taking-on-a-larger-system-role
  6. U.S. Department of Energy Solar and Resilience Basics, including local storage and damaged networkshttps://www.energy.gov/cmei/systems/solar-and-resilience-basics
  7. National Energy System Operator How storage helps balance the gridhttps://www.neso.energy/energy-101/electricity-explained/how-do-we-balance-grid/how-does-storage-help-us-balance-grid

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