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A court suspends Marcoleta, the DFA summons China’s envoy, and Champi nears PAR.
Good evening.
The Sandiganbayan has ordered Senator Rodante Marcoleta suspended for 90 days. Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro summoned China’s ambassador over his remarks about the use of force. Super Typhoon Champi remains outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility, but its trough is already affecting the weather in parts of the country. There are also new figures on school security and confirmed fuel-price changes for tomorrow.
Here are five developments to follow tonight.
1
The Sandiganbayan orders Marcoleta suspended
The Sandiganbayan’s Third Division has ordered Senator Rodante Marcoleta preventively suspended for 90 days in connection with his pending plunder case. The period runs from his receipt of the resolution, according to the court announcement reported Monday. The underlying case concerns ₱75 million in alleged undeclared campaign contributions. Marcoleta has denied wrongdoing.
A preventive suspension removes an official from exercising the office for a set period while the case proceeds. It is not a finding of guilt or a final ruling on the plunder charge. Marcoleta was already in custody, but the new order directly addresses his position as senator. The court’s written resolution and its date of receipt will settle when the 90-day period begins and ends.
WHAT TO WATCH
The Senate’s formal response to the order, any legal challenge from Marcoleta, and whether his suspension affects his status in the impeachment court. His detention and his suspension are related but separate restrictions.
2
The Philippines summons China’s ambassador
Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro summoned Ambassador Jing Quan on Monday to convey the Philippines’ objection to his October 15 remarks. The Department of Foreign Affairs called his language provocative and unacceptable, and objected to the Chinese Embassy’s public attacks on Philippine lawmakers. The ambassador had said China could easily win if it used force against the Philippines, while adding that China would not do so.
Senator Erwin Tulfo has also filed a resolution urging the DFA to recommend declaring Jing *persona non grata*. A filed resolution does not expel an ambassador. The Palace said President Marcos does not want that step at present, while the DFA has left open the possibility of further diplomatic action.
WHAT TO WATCH
China’s formal response, any further DFA action, and the Senate’s handling of Tulfo’s proposal. The summons is an official protest; expulsion has not been announced.
3
Champi is still outside PAR, but its trough is bringing rain
PAGASA’s 4 p.m. weather report classified Champi as a super typhoon outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility. At 3 p.m., its center was about 1,525 kilometers east of southeastern Luzon, with maximum sustained winds of 185 kilometers per hour. It was moving west-northwest at 15 kilometers per hour. These figures describe the storm at that reporting time; they will change as new advisories arrive.
PAGASA attributed scattered rain and thunderstorms in Catanduanes, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar to the storm’s trough, with possible flash floods or landslides during moderate to heavy rain. That is the immediate local concern even before the cyclone enters PAR. Its 4 p.m. report also identified separate rain risks in Zamboanga Peninsula and Palawan from the intertropical convergence zone.
WHAT TO WATCH
PAGASA’s next cyclone advisory, local rainfall warnings and notices from local governments. Being outside PAR does not mean the storm’s surrounding weather cannot affect Philippine communities.
4
DepEd asks for more school-security funding
DepEd is seeking an additional ₱8.18 billion in its proposed 2027 budget for guards, metal detectors and perimeter fences. Its school-safety audit, presented at a Senate budget hearing last week and reported Monday, showed security guards at about 39 percent of DepEd schools as of October 11. About 48 percent had working CCTV cameras, while about one in five lacked a perimeter fence.
DepEd proposes ₱4.55 billion for 15,155 additional guards, ₱2.13 billion for detectors and scanners, and ₱1.5 billion for fences. These are requests, not approved allocations. Senator Bam Aquino asked the agency to identify which schools need the equipment most before the budget reaches plenary debate. A national percentage cannot tell a parent whether their child’s school has a guard, a usable camera or a working response plan.
WHAT TO WATCH
DepEd’s school-level priority list, the amount senators actually approve, and plans for staff training and student support alongside physical security.
5
Tuesday’s fuel-price changes move in opposite directions
Shell has announced a ₱4.30-per-liter cut in gasoline, a ₱1.00-per-liter cut in kerosene and a ₱2.60-per-liter increase in diesel, effective 6 a.m. Tuesday, October 20. Other retailers had not all announced their adjustments when GMA published its report, so these figures should not be treated as one confirmed price change at every station.
The split is useful to remember: a gasoline driver may pay less per liter tomorrow, while a diesel driver may pay more. The peso change on a full tank depends on the number of liters purchased and the retailer’s posted price. It is too early to state a single effect on fares or food prices from this announcement alone.
WHAT TO WATCH
The notices from your usual fuel retailer, the pump price when the adjustment takes effect, and any separate transport-fare announcement from the proper regulator.
BOTTOM LINE
Tonight’s stories are at different stages. A court has ordered a senator suspended, but has not decided his criminal case. The DFA has formally protested an ambassador’s words, but has not expelled him. PAGASA has issued a weather assessment, while local warnings will tell communities what to do next. DepEd has asked for school-security funds; Congress has yet to decide the amount. Fuel retailers are announcing changes that motorists can check at the pump tomorrow.
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