FIVE THINGS TO KNOW…

Short explainers published throughout the day.

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 READER PULSE · MCT-PULSE-2026-007

MCT READER SURVEY

House prosecutors are considering whether to stop presenting evidence on the bribery article against Vice President Sara Duterte and move directly to the unexplained-wealth charge. Do you agree with that strategy?Pinag-iisipan ng mga prosekutor ng Kamara kung ititigil ang paghaharap ng ebidensiya sa artikulo tungkol sa panunuhol at tututok sa kasong hindi maipaliwanag na yaman laban kay Bise Presidente Sara Duterte. Sang-ayon ka ba sa estratehiyang ito?

Some prosecutors want to move directly to the unexplained-wealth charge; others want to proceed with all four articles. No final decision had been announced when this survey opened. The question is about prosecution strategy, not guilt.

Background: The Philippine Star and Daily Tribune.

This is an informal survey of verified MCT readers who choose to participate. It is not nationally representative.

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View previous survey results →
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September 9, 2026 · 2:14 PM6-minute read

ABOUT SARA DUTERTE'S SECURITY DETAIL

The reported 400 personnel, her complaints about safety, and what the military has actually said.

Rear view of a woman walking with three men in plain barong shirts.

Sara Duterte says she does not feel safe. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has responded by pointing to what he described as 400 security personnel assigned to her, while the Armed Forces says it continues to assess her security concerns.

The number has become central to the argument. It needs to be understood alongside the detail's duties, the source and date of the count, and the difference between an allegation of danger and a threat the authorities have confirmed.

1

The current “400” claim comes from Remulla

At a September 7 briefing, Remulla said Duterte had 400 security agents. That is an attributed statement from the Interior Secretary. It is not a newly published personnel roster that independently establishes exactly how many people are assigned to her today.

There is an earlier military figure behind much of the discussion. On August 6, 2024, AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said more than 400 military personnel were dedicated to the Vice President's protection. That report is two years old. It helps explain why the number is familiar, but it cannot stand in for an updated count in September 2026.

Other reports from earlier disputes used different totals for police and military personnel. Adding those figures together would risk counting people twice or combining assignments from different periods. An updated count should state its date, the agencies included and whether it covers everyone assigned to the unit or only those performing particular duties.

WHAT TO WATCH

An updated, attributable aggregate count from the agencies responsible. A current total can answer a public spending question without revealing names, schedules or details that could put protection personnel and the people they guard at risk.

2

A security unit is larger than the group seen beside an official

The Vice Presidential Security and Protection Group was activated in June 2022 to protect the Vice President and the Vice President's family. In April 2025, the AFP said it had reorganized the unit into the AFP Security and Protection Group, which also protects other approved VIPs. The military said the change did not interrupt the Vice President's protection. It is a government responsibility, not a private organization belonging to one politician.

In explaining the 400-plus figure in 2024, the AFP said security work included close-in protection and area security, with deployment depending on the Vice President's activities and requirements. Close-in personnel stay near the person being protected. Area security concerns the wider place where an activity happens.

That distinction prevents a misleading picture of hundreds of guards surrounding Duterte at every moment. It does not establish that any particular total is necessary or reasonable. The AFP still has to determine assignments based on its responsibilities and security assessment, and public resources remain involved whether personnel are visible beside the Vice President or working elsewhere.

WHAT TO WATCH

An explanation of the unit's authorized staffing and broad responsibilities. The useful information is what the government is funding and why, without publishing operational arrangements that could weaken security.

3

Duterte's safety complaint and the government's denial remain different accounts

Duterte has questioned whether she can trust police protection and raised concerns about her family's safety. She also alleged harassment connected with police presence near the family's Davao residence. Those are serious claims, but they have not been established as findings simply because they were made publicly.

Remulla denied that police entered the home or conducted an operation to harass the family. The DILG described the presence as a routine security arrangement and said it was intended to deter possible harm. That denial is the government's account of what the police were doing, rather than an independent resolution of Duterte's complaint.

The size of a security detail cannot, on its own, prove that a threat exists or that someone is safe. Equally, a statement that an official feels unsafe does not establish who is responsible for a threat. Those questions require information about what happened and an assessment by the agencies responsible, with care not to expose the private details of family members.

WHAT TO WATCH

Any formal complaint, investigation or documented finding concerning the alleged harassment. More political statements would not by themselves resolve the conflicting accounts of the police presence.

4

The AFP says the assessment continues

On September 8, the AFP said Duterte's security concerns were under continuous assessment. Padilla said the military takes such concerns seriously and bases adjustments on validated information and the threat situation. She did not disclose whether the specific threats Duterte described had been validated.

That leaves an important limit on what can be claimed publicly. The AFP's statement confirms an ongoing assessment; it does not announce that every reported threat has been verified. Withholding operational information also does not establish that the military has found nothing. Some security information cannot safely be discussed in detail in a news briefing.

The government can still explain who is responsible for protection and the broad basis for staffing decisions. There is room to account for public resources without exposing movements or protective arrangements. The AFP says it can adjust the security detail as needed. It has not publicly supplied the findings that would settle the dispute over the specific threats Duterte has described.

WHAT TO WATCH

Any publicly announced change in the security arrangement and the reason officials give for it. The standard should be a documented assessment, not a headcount treated as a complete answer to every safety concern.

5

Teodoro raised withdrawal as something Duterte could request

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on September 8 that Duterte could request the withdrawal of military protection if she no longer trusted it. His statement described an option she could ask for. It was not an announcement that the AFP had already removed her detail.

Remulla also said police protection had been offered and declined, while PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez confirmed the offer. The availability of that offer is separate from Duterte's stated concern about trusting the police. Neither account establishes that every form of government protection has ended.

Any actual change would need a clear announcement from the responsible authorities. A dispute between officials, a proposed withdrawal and a completed reassignment are different events, with different consequences for who carries out protection duties. Until such a change is confirmed, describing Duterte as having lost her entire security team would go beyond what these statements establish.

WHAT TO WATCH

Whether Duterte requests a change and whether the AFP or PNP confirms an implemented arrangement. Announced decisions should identify the agency responsible, while keeping sensitive operational details out of public circulation.

BOTTOM LINE

Remulla's 400 figure deserves an updated explanation, and Duterte's safety concerns deserve a proper assessment. The AFP says that assessment continues. The public record does not support treating a two-year-old headcount as today's exact roster, or Teodoro's statement as an order that has already stripped her of protection.

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