NEW FROM MCT · CONTINUING RECORDThe Sara Duterte Impeachment TrialFollow the hearing day by day, read the documents in plain language and see what each side says, what remains disputed and what the courts have actually decided.I’m still working through parts of the record. Published material is based on documents already reviewed, and anything awaiting confirmation is clearly marked.Open the tracker →

LATEST COMMENTARY

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FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

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 READER PULSE · MCT-PULSE-2026-010

MCT READER SURVEY

Who would you like to see run for president and vice president of the Philippines in the next election?

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This is an informal survey of people who choose to participate. It is not a scientific or nationally representative sample.

View previous survey results →
October 3, 2026 · 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.

A smartphone and notebook on a worn wooden table in a modest home.

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.

Here are five things to understand before attempting another transfer, accepting a payment or responding to someone offering to fix your account.

1

The advisory covers specific incoming peso services

Coins.ph lists peso cash-ins through InstaPay and PESONet, along with QRPH collection services, as temporarily unavailable. InstaPay and PESONet are transfer networks used by banks and e-wallets. A customer trying to receive money through an affected route needs to check that service before asking someone to send funds.

The company says the BSP directed it to improve its internal controls. Its public advisory does not explain every control that needs changing or provide a public restoration date. That leaves important questions open about how long users will need another way to receive payments.

WHAT TO WATCH

Look for an official update naming the service being restored and the date it becomes available. A general announcement about the app will not necessarily establish that your particular cash-in route is working.

2

Receiving a QR payment and paying a merchant are separate functions

The company’s advisory lists QRPH collection among the unavailable services, while saying QRPH payments remain accessible to existing customers. Receiving a payment and using an existing balance to pay a merchant therefore need to be checked separately.

If you sell goods or accept customer payments, check your receiving arrangement before displaying a Coins.ph collection code. Explain any alternative payment method clearly and confirm that a payment has arrived before treating a screenshot as proof that you received it. Buyers should also confirm the seller’s accepted method before paying.

WHAT TO WATCH

Follow an explicit update on QRPH collection. Restoration of a different service does not automatically answer whether your business can receive payments through its code.

3

Coins.ph says existing customers retain access to other services

The advisory identifies cash-outs, bill payments and cryptocurrency trading among the services available to existing customers. The status page checked for this article also labels InstaPay and PESONet cash-outs operational, while marking the corresponding cash-ins under maintenance.

A service listed as operational does not guarantee that every individual transaction will succeed immediately. If you need to pay a bill, check the transaction result and the biller’s confirmation. If a transfer fails or remains pending, keep its reference number and ask official support about that transaction before making another attempt.

WHAT TO WATCH

Check the live status for the exact service you intend to use, especially before a bill deadline. Keep the confirmation so you can follow up if the expected payment or transfer does not arrive.

4

Keep a record of any transfer affected by the restriction

If your sending bank or wallet shows a debit but Coins.ph does not show the money, record the amount, time, sending institution, recipient details and transaction reference. Contact the sending institution and Coins.ph through their official support channels to trace what happened.

Do not assume that every unsuccessful attempt has the same result or that a refund will arrive at a particular time. Ask for the status of your own transaction and the next step. Keeping the details together makes it easier to follow up without relying on memory or repeating an uncertain transfer.

WHAT TO WATCH

Follow the response to your support case and whether the sending institution confirms completion, rejection or reversal. The outcome of that case is the evidence you need about your money.

5

Treat safety assurances and offers of help carefully

Coins.ph says customer funds remain safe under BSP requirements. That is the company’s assurance. It should be read alongside the announced restrictions and continuing updates, without turning it into a guarantee about every transaction or the value of cryptocurrency holdings.

Use support reached through the official app or website. Coins.ph’s support guidance says its representatives will never ask for your password, one-time password, private keys or recovery phrases. Someone requesting those details to “restore” your cash-in access is asking for information that can expose your account.

WHAT TO WATCH

Check any restoration claim against the official advisory and status page. If someone asks for account secrets, stop the exchange and report it through official support.

BOTTOM LINE

Check the exact service you need, keep the record of any affected transaction, and plan how to receive or pay money while the restriction remains. Coins.ph has not supplied a public restoration date in the advisory reviewed. Wait for a service-specific update before assuming cash-ins or QR collections have resumed.

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