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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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August 14, 2026 · 7:15 PM7-minute read

ABOUT TEACHING THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA IN SCHOOLS

Two Senate proposals would make lessons about the West Philippine Sea a permanent part of school education.

MCT cover showing a classroom map, textbook, compass, and fishing boats for an explainer about West Philippine Sea education

Almost every day, Filipinos see news about Chinese ships, Filipino fishermen, and confrontations in the West Philippine Sea. But many people still do not know which waters belong to the Philippines, what Filipinos have the right to do there, or what the 2016 international ruling actually decided.

Two senators want schools to teach these questions clearly. Senator Risa Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 577, while Senator Jinggoy Estrada filed Senate Bill No. 1424.

Their proposals would add lessons about the West Philippine Sea to public and private schools. Students would learn about its history, the laws covering the area, its natural resources, and the experiences of Filipino fishermen.

Some schools have already started teaching parts of the subject. The proposals would make sure the lessons continue nationwide, even when the people running DepEd change.

Here are five things to know.

1

THE PROPOSALS WOULD MAKE SCHOOLS TEACH THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA

Senate Bill No. 577 would cover public and private educational institutions. Senate Bill No. 1424 would cover public and private primary and secondary schools and give DepEd the main responsibility for carrying it out.

Both proposals are still pending in the Senate Committee on Basic Education. Neither has passed the Senate or the House. Neither is a law.

If one becomes law, lessons about the West Philippine Sea would no longer depend only on occasional seminars or the preference of the current DepEd leadership.

This does not automatically mean schools would add a new subject or extend class hours. DepEd could include the lessons in Araling Panlipunan, history, geography, social science, environmental studies, or related subjects.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch whether the Senate combines the two proposals and clearly identifies the grade levels, subjects, teaching time, and teacher training required.

2

STUDENTS WOULD LEARN THAT NOT EVERY PART OF THE SEA HAS THE SAME LEGAL STATUS

A common mistake is to treat every part of the West Philippine Sea as if the same legal rules apply everywhere.

The Philippines has sovereignty over its territory and territorial sea. Farther from shore, it has sovereign rights inside its exclusive economic zone, or EEZ. These rights allow the country to explore, use, protect, and manage natural resources such as fish, oil, and gas.

Sovereign rights over resources are different from ownership of territory. This difference explains why fishing, oil exploration, navigation, and ownership of islands can involve separate legal questions.

Senate Bill No. 1424 calls for lessons on the EEZ, the continental shelf, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and Philippine maritime laws. Students who understand these terms will be better able to judge claims made by government officials, foreign governments, and social media posts.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch the maps and teaching materials. They should clearly explain territory, territorial waters, the EEZ, resource rights, and disputed land features instead of treating the entire area as one simple legal question.

3

STUDENTS WOULD STUDY WHAT THE PHILIPPINES WON IN 2016

Both proposals would require students to learn about the July 12, 2016 ruling issued by an international tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The tribunal ruled that China had no legal basis to claim historic rights to resources across the large area inside its nine-dash line beyond the rights allowed by the convention. It also found that China had violated Philippine sovereign rights in the country’s EEZ, including by interfering with fishing and oil exploration.

The ruling did not decide who owns islands or other land territory. It did not give the entire South China Sea to the Philippines. China rejected the decision, and the tribunal had no police or military force to enforce it.

Students need to learn what the ruling decided and what it left unresolved. That can help them understand why the Philippines won an important legal case while confrontations at sea continue.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch whether the lessons quote and explain the actual ruling. Exaggerating what the Philippines won would make students easier to mislead later.

4

THE SUBJECT IS ALSO ABOUT FOOD, JOBS, AND THE ENVIRONMENT

Senate Bill No. 1424 would include traditional fishing grounds, marine resources, environmental damage, food security, sea lanes, and the experiences of Filipino fishermen.

Access to fishing grounds affects how much fishermen catch and earn. Damage to coral reefs can reduce fish populations. Limits on exploration can affect the country’s search for oil and gas. Ships passing through the area carry goods that eventually reach Philippine ports and stores.

Even families living far from the coast can feel the effects through fish prices, energy costs, defense spending, and the taxes used for Coast Guard, Navy, diplomatic, and environmental work.

Students should also learn how to separate a verified event from an allegation, a government statement, an opinion, and an online rumor. Lessons that produce anger without teaching evidence would leave them poorly prepared to judge the next incident.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch whether fishermen, marine scientists, historians, lawyers, and teachers help prepare the lessons. Their participation can keep the material tied to real livelihoods and reliable evidence.

5

SOME SCHOOLS HAVE ALREADY STARTED TEACHING THE SUBJECT

DepEd had already announced plans to include West Philippine Sea issues in selected grade levels before Senator Estrada filed Senate Bill No. 1424. Regional offices have issued instructions supporting lessons in Araling Panlipunan and social science.

DepEd also held activities in 2026 for teachers and students. These included documentary screenings and workshops about the law of the sea, the 2016 ruling, and the Philippine position.

Schools do not have to wait for Congress before teaching the subject. The pending bills did not create every West Philippine Sea lesson already being used.

A national law could make the requirement consistent across the country, require age-appropriate materials, provide maps and documents to school libraries, support teacher training, and keep the lessons in place after officials change.

WHAT TO WATCH

Watch for DepEd curriculum guides, sample lessons, teacher training records, and the actual material given to students. These will show whether schools are teaching the subject carefully or simply repeating slogans.

BOTTOM LINE

Teaching the West Philippine Sea can help young Filipinos understand an issue that affects fishing, food, energy, national security, and the country’s relationship with China. Students should learn more than the statement that the West Philippine Sea is ours. They need to know what the Philippines controls, what rights it has over resources, what remains disputed, what the 2016 ruling decided, and why confrontations continue. The two Senate proposals are still pending. DepEd has already begun teaching parts of the subject. The next question is whether schools will receive accurate materials and properly trained teachers. If the lessons are reduced to slogans, students may remember what to say without understanding why it is true.

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