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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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July 30, 2026 · 5:09 PM7-minute read

ABOUT LITHUANIA’S OFFER TO HELP FIGHT DISINFORMATION

Lithuania is offering technology, training, and experience in tracking organized propaganda campaigns, but no detailed Philippine program has been announced.

Lithuania is offering to share its tools and experience in fighting disinformation with the Philippines.

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys discussed the offer during a July 23 meeting in Manila with the Department of Information and Communications Technology. He said Lithuanian companies that build cyber tools and systems for tracking propaganda may establish a presence in the Philippines.

Lithuania has spent years dealing with campaigns linked to Russia. Budrys said his country also faces pressure from China and sees similarities between the threats faced by Lithuania and the Philippines.

The offer goes beyond checking individual false posts. It includes technology, training, government coordination, civil society participation, and methods for identifying organized campaigns.

No separate anti-disinformation agreement, funding package, list of participating companies, or timetable has been publicly announced. The talks show what Lithuania is prepared to offer, while the working details still have to be agreed upon.

Here are five things to know.

1

THE OFFER INCLUDES TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN TRACK ORGANIZED CAMPAIGNS

Budrys said Lithuanian companies use artificial intelligence to monitor online activity and identify propaganda operations. These systems can look for repeated messages, unusual posting patterns, fake accounts, and groups of accounts that appear to be working together.

Lithuania is also prepared to share its experience in running security operations centers, writing cyber rules, protecting digital government services, and responding to threats that combine online attacks with political pressure.

This type of monitoring can help investigators see that a viral claim is being pushed by a coordinated network rather than spreading naturally. Human analysts are still needed because software can misread satire, political arguments, breaking news, and ordinary mistakes.

WHAT TO WATCH

The Philippine government should identify which tools are being considered and what information they will collect. The public also needs to know if the systems will examine public posts only or gain access to personal data, private messages, or government databases.

2

LITHUANIA DOES NOT RELY ON GOVERNMENT ALONE

One lesson Budrys offered was to give the main jobs to a small number of institutions. Every agency may have a role, although responsibility for detecting and answering organized campaigns should remain clear.

Lithuania also relies heavily on civil society. Volunteer fact-checkers known as “elves” track suspicious content, check claims, expose falsehoods, and identify accounts or websites that repeatedly spread pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Some volunteers work with Debunk.org, an independent Lithuanian group that combines automated monitoring with human review. Its volunteers check content missed or wrongly classified by the automated system.

The Philippine government cannot simply copy this model. Local fact-checkers, journalists, researchers, schools, and civic groups would need independence and the freedom to question government claims as well.

WHAT TO WATCH

Check which Philippine groups are invited to join and who chooses them. A credible program should include independent organizations, rather than groups selected only because they support the administration.

3

COOPERATION BETWEEN THE TWO COUNTRIES HAS ALREADY STARTED

The offer did not come from a first meeting between strangers. The Philippines and Lithuania signed a defense cooperation agreement in June 2025 covering cybersecurity, maritime security, defense industries, and other shared concerns.

Lithuanian experts later trained Filipino cybersecurity personnel, including representatives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. A Philippine delegation is also expected to visit Lithuania in September 2026 for meetings with government agencies and specialists.

The two countries have discussed cooperation through the Amber Mist cybersecurity exercise and Balikatan. Lithuania’s latest proposal could add training on disinformation tracking, coordinated online operations, and communication during a cyber or national security emergency.

WHAT TO WATCH

The September visit should show which Philippine agencies will lead the work and what training they will receive. Watch for a signed work plan containing deadlines, participants, costs, and the results both governments expect.

4

THE PHILIPPINES ALREADY HAS ITS OWN ANTI-DISINFORMATION PROGRAM

The Presidential Communications Office, Department of Information and Communications Technology, and Department of Justice signed an agreement in April 2026 creating a coordinated response to false information, disinformation, and artificial intelligence-generated deepfakes.

Under Oplan Kontra Fake News, the communications office documents suspected networks, the technology department handles technical support and cyber protection, and the justice department reviews possible violations of existing laws. The government is also working with news organizations, schools, and civil society on verification and media literacy.

Lithuania’s contribution could improve the technical side, especially the early detection of coordinated accounts and foreign campaigns. It could also help Philippine agencies divide their jobs more clearly.

Technology will not solve poor government communication. False claims spread more easily when agencies release incomplete information, answer slowly, or contradict one another.

WHAT TO WATCH

Look for a public explanation of how the Lithuanian work will connect with Oplan Kontra Fake News. Agencies should also publish examples showing what the new tools detected, how analysts checked the findings, and what action followed.

5

THE SAME TOOLS COULD BE ABUSED AGAINST CRITICS

Disinformation involves deliberate deception. It is different from an honest mistake, an unproven report, satire, criticism, or a political opinion that the government dislikes.

That distinction becomes important when the government helps operate monitoring systems. Officials could use the language of fighting fake news to target journalists, activists, opposition figures, or ordinary citizens who challenge official statements.

International guidance calls for cooperation among governments, independent media, researchers, private companies, and civil society. It also stresses the protection of free expression and access to many sources of information.

Any Philippine program using Lithuanian technology should have written rules on what may be monitored, how a campaign is identified, who may see the information, how long data may be kept, and how a person can challenge a wrong finding.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch for privacy rules, outside review, and public reporting before the system begins operating. The government should also disclose if information gathered through these tools may be sent to law enforcement or used in a criminal case.

BOTTOM LINE

Lithuania’s offer could help the Philippines identify coordinated disinformation earlier and understand how online campaigns connect with cyberattacks, political pressure, and foreign influence. The offer remains broad. No complete program has been announced, and the government has not identified the tools, companies, costs, or controls that would apply in the Philippines. The real test is what comes next. The partnership needs a clear work plan, independent participation, strong privacy rules, and a firm line between organized deception and protected criticism.

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