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FIVE THINGS TO KNOW

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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September 30, 2026 · 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.

Sebastian Baste Duterte takes his oath at the September 29 Senate impeachment hearing. Photo: Jam Sta. Rosa / Pool via Reuters.

He explained that other officials handled procurement and signed contracts under delegated authority. He also acknowledged that he remained accountable.

A mayor cannot personally handle every purchase made by a city government. Even so, the job comes with duties to supervise officials, protect public funds, and ask for records when questions arise. His testimony puts those duties under scrutiny.

1

A mayor is responsible for supervising the city government

Section 455 of the Local Government Code gives a city mayor general supervision and control over the city’s programs, projects, services, and activities.

The law also gives the mayor authority to examine city records and requires him to see that executive officials carry out their duties.

That does not require memorizing every supplier’s name. It does require a working way to know whether city offices are doing their jobs, especially when spending has been questioned.

Baste’s lack of direct knowledge raises a practical question: what reports and checks were reaching his office about these transactions?

WHAT TO WATCH

Records showing what his office received, what officials reported, and what follow-up was done.

2

Delegating signing authority still requires supervision

Baste said he had authorized another official to sign contracts on his behalf.

Delegation can be allowed under applicable rules. A city government needs officials who can carry out assigned work without every document stopping at the mayor’s desk.

But the arrangement should have clear authority, limits, and reporting. During the hearing, Baste agreed that delegating his signature did not transfer all his accountability.

The question remains how he supervised the work done under that authority.

WHAT TO WATCH

The written delegation, the transactions it covered, and the reports submitted to the mayor. Delegation by itself does not establish wrongdoing.

3

A supplier’s qualifications need to be supported by records

Baste relied on the work of the Bids and Awards Committee, or BAC, in defending the city’s procurement process.

The BAC handles tasks such as assessing bids and checking whether bidders meet the applicable requirements. A mayor can rely on staff doing their assigned work, but a public assurance that a supplier was properly checked should have a basis that can be produced.

If a requirement is questioned, the useful answer is in the bidding documents and the supplier’s supporting records. An assumption that the process was followed leaves that question unanswered.

WHAT TO WATCH

The actual requirements for each questioned transaction and the records used to determine whether GenCorp met them.

4

Family links can affect whether a company is allowed to bid

Procurement rules require disclosure of certain relationships between bidders and officials involved in procurement.

Under the 2016 rules, the restriction for a corporation covers its officers, directors, and controlling stockholders who are related within the prohibited degree to specified officials. The exact role a relative holds therefore needs checking.

Baste said he did not know of Sara’s business interest in GenCorp. He also said he would have blocked the contracts had he known of her interest.

Her declared interest raises a question requiring records. It does not, by itself, settle whether she held a role covered by the disqualification rule at the relevant time.

WHAT TO WATCH

The company records, sworn disclosures, and evidence establishing the nature and timing of her interest.

5

A mayor should have a basis for publicly defending questioned contracts

Baste had defended the city’s handling of the GenCorp transactions. His testimony then exposed limits to his personal knowledge of the company and the contracts.

A mayor can ask the officials responsible for a transaction to explain how it was approved. Before making a firm public assurance, he should know what records support it and where questions remain.

That review can include the supplier’s qualifications, the reason for the award, and proof that the goods or services were delivered and paid for properly.

Saying that no problem was reported to the mayor leaves open whether the checks were thorough enough to find one.

WHAT TO WATCH

Whether the city produces records that answer the specific questions raised, and whether those records support its earlier assurances.

BOTTOM LINE

Baste’s answers leave legitimate questions about how closely his office supervised the transactions it was defending. His acknowledgment of accountability belongs alongside those gaps.

The public can expect a mayor to explain how city spending was checked. Whether any particular contract was unlawful, or any official personally liable, still requires evidence about what happened.

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