Pangulo, pinagre-resign... Sara, galit lang sa akin — BBM

ni Mylene Alfonso @News | September 15, 2026

Photo: Bongbong Marcos at Sara Duterte - FB, OVP

Hindi apektado si Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr. kaugnay sa naging pahayag ni Vice President Sara Duterte laban sa kanya at sa kanyang administrasyon.

Ayon kay Marcos, siya mismo ang pangunahing pinupuntirya ng galit ng Bise Presidente.

"You know I hear about them, I don't really have a response. She's very angry. I suppose with what's happening to her. And I am the target of that anger... or the main target for that anger," tugon ni Marcos sa naging mga banat sa kanya ni Duterte sa press conference sa sidelines ng BRIC Summit sa India.

"What can I do?...You cannot force anyone to love you," dugtong ng Pangulo.

Ang BRICS Summit ay taunang pagpupulong ng mga pinuno ng estado na nagsisilbing plataporma para sa konsultasyon at kooperasyon sa iba't ibang pandaigdigang isyu.

Noong Biyernes, nanawagan si Duterte na magbitiw sa puwesto si Pangulong Marcos sa isinagawang rally sa Quezon City Hall matapos maantala ang nakatakda sana niyang arraignment kaugnay ng kasong grave threats sa Quezon City trial court. 

Naipagpaliban ang arraignment dahil sa mosyong inihain ng kampo ni Duterte.

PBBM's peace initiatives pave way for historic BARMM polls

by Info @Brand Zone | September 13, 2026

File

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s sustained implementation of the Bangsamoro peace agreements, from amnesty and normalization of former Moro combatants to strengthening BARMM autonomy and preparing for its first regular parliamentary elections, has helped pave the way for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to complete its historic transition from armed struggle to democratic political participation.

Various initiatives by the Administration are now converging with the political track of the peace process as BARMM prepares to hold its first regular parliamentary elections on Monday September 14 or 50 years after the signing of the historic Tripoli Agreement.

Datu Michael O. Mastura, a former senior member of the MILF panel in peace negotiations with the government, welcomed and lauded the MILF’s participation in the historic parliamentary elections. “The important thing is that they (MILF) are seeking legitimacy. So, let us welcome them to the electoral process,” Mastura said in an interview.

“They have to know how to transition from an armed conflict group to a party seeking seats in a parliament, in a voting-rights way,” said Mastura, a former deputy minister for the Office of Muslim Affairs. “I am very happy that they have accepted it. Finally, we have the go-signal on Monday, Sept. 14,” said Mastura, who also served as a delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention.

Mastura said the significance of the BARMM elections goes beyond institutionalizing a parliament and ushering in new political leadership in the autonomous region.

“We should use these (BARMM elections) as a reform movement. We are moving into a system that will discourage one-man rule. In exchange, we have the assembly or parliament. We would like to see a strong bureaucracy, coupled with a strong party system,” the Muslim scholar said.

“We have 13 parties vying for seats in the parliament. That is a good sign that we are finally realizing that a party system can work,” said Mastura, who represented Maguindanao and Cotabato City in Congress from 1987 to 1995.

“Voting will be done to select parties that will have seats in the parliament. The more seats you have, the more you will be qualified to form the government of the day. I think the way is a coalition government,” Mastura added.

The September 14 elections represent a major milestone in a peace process spanning half a century of negotiations, armed conflict, political upheavals and constitutional challenges in the search for a peaceful settlement of the Moro struggle.

The Tripoli Agreement was signed on December 23, 1976, during the administration of then-President Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., with Libya and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation helping facilitate negotiations between the Philippine government and the MNLF.

The process subsequently led to the 1996 Final Peace Agreement between the government and the MNLF during the administration of President Fidel V. Ramos, while separate negotiations with the MILF culminated in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro in 2014 and eventually the establishment of BARMM.

Under the administration of President Marcos Jr., the national government has sought to advance both the political and normalization tracks of the Bangsamoro peace process, including the transition of the MILF from a revolutionary organization into an active participant in parliamentary democracy.

President Marcos has also ordered security and law enforcement agencies to ensure that the September 14 elections are peaceful, orderly, free and credible, while authorizing the deputation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and other government agencies to assist the Commission on Elections.

The President also declared September 14 a special non-working day throughout BARMM to give Bangsamoro voters the opportunity to fully participate in the historic electoral exercise. During the opening of the 2026 National Peace Consciousness Month, President Marcos underscored that the election represents another opportunity to consolidate decades of peace gains through democratic institutions.

“Let this election show that the future of the Bangsamoro is shaped by the people themselves: through your voices, your choices, and your hopes for your respective communities,” President Marcos said.

Survey shows Filipinos feel their lives are getting better

by Info @Brand Zone | September 13, 2026

More Filipinos today than in 2025 Filipinos feel that their lives will get better in the 12 months ahead, according to the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey.  

The survey, done from June 20 to 29, found that 48% of Filipino adults expected their lives to get better in the next year (optimists) while only 8% said things will get worse (pessimists).

With more optimists than pessimists, the country recorded a Net Personal Optimism score of +40, which SWS calls “excellent.”

This was 17 points higher than the “high” +23 recorded in March, when 38 percent of people expected their quality of life to improve, and 16 percent expected it to worsen.

Another 31% said they expected no change, and 12% did not answer.

SWS said the latest number was the highest since the +41 recorded in June 2025.

The polling firm said the improvement was recorded across all major areas of the country.

“Compared to March 2026, net personal optimism rose from high to excellent in Balance Luzon, up by 27 points from +22 to +49. It rose from high to very high in Metro Manila, up by eight points from +28 to +36, in the Visayas, up by six points from +27 to +33, and in Mindanao, up by 11 points from +20 to +31,” SWS said.

Optimism rises across demographic groups

The survey showed optimism rose by 17 points in both rural and city areas. The rural score rose from +24 in March to +41 in June, moving from “high” to “excellent,” while the city score went up from +22 to +39, changing from “high” to “very high.”

Women showed a 23-point increase, raising their net optimism score from +20 to +43 and moving the rating from “high” to “excellent.” Among men, the score went up 12 points from +26 to +38, or from “high” to “very high.”

Younger Filipinos showed the strongest outlook. Those aged 18 to 24 scored +58, followed by the 25-to-34 age group at +51, and both were rated “excellent.”

Respondents aged 35 to 44 scored +38, while those aged 45 to 54 scored +36; both were rated “very high.” Those aged 55 and above posted +17, classified as “fair.”

The biggest increase from March came among Filipinos aged 25 to 34, whose score jumped 29 points from +22 to +51. The 45-to-54 group gained 20 points from +16 to +36, while the 18-to-24 group rose 19 points from +39 to +58.

Those aged 35 to 44 rose 10 points from +28 to +38, while respondents 55 and older rose 7 points from +10 to +17.

Optimism stronger in all educational levels

Optimism also grew stronger across every level of educational achievement.

“Compared to March 2026, Net Optimism rose from high to very high among non-elementary graduates, up by nine points from +22 to +31, and among junior high school graduates, up by 12 points from +22 to +34,” SWS said.

“It rose from fair to very high among elementary graduates, up by 19 points from +19 to +38. It rose from high to excellent among those with some senior high school, up by 17 points from +29 to +46, and among college graduates, up by 31 points from +26 to +57,” the survey said.

The Second Quarter 2026 Social Weather Survey involved face-to-face interviews with 1,200 Filipinos aged 18 and above nationwide. Metro Manila, Balance Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao each contributed 300 respondents.

The survey has a margin of error of ±3 percentage points for national figures and ±6 percentage points for each major island group.