Abbey M.

Senator Panfilo Lacson did not hold back in his reaction to reports that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is set to subpoena Nancy Dela Rosa, wife of Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, calling it lazy work outright.

Lacson warned the NBI against pursuing the move, saying it would not only expose the agency's inability to gather information on its own, but would also reflect poorly on them for harassing a senator's wife simply to locate her husband.

The NBI director, however, clarified that the planned subpoena of Nancy Dela Rosa has nothing to do with tracking down Senator Dela Rosa's whereabouts.

According to the director, the agency wants to clarify a text message she sent claiming that Senator Bato allegedly fled during the shooting incident at the Senate.

NBI Director Matibag added that if that information is accurate, it raises a serious question — and that is precisely what the NBI wants to find out.

Typhoon Domeng is on its way out of the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR).

Based on the weather forecast of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) as of 11:00 AM, the typhoon was expected to exit PAR by 8:00 PM.

As of 8:00 AM, Domeng was still tracked within PAR at typhoon category, located 695 kilometers northeast of Itbayat, Batanes.

The typhoon was carrying maximum sustained winds of 120 kilometers per hour and gustiness of up to 150 kilometers per hour. It was moving northward at 20 kilometers per hour.

Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano has denied minority bloc allegations that the majority's push to amend Senate rules on remote participation is connected to the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Cayetano clarified that impeachment and the proposed rules amendment are two separate matters entirely.

He further stressed that what was debated on the Senate floor on May 26 was only whether the motion to amend the rules could be taken up, not the actual substance of Senator Rodante Marcoleta's motion.

"Wala pong katotohanan na yung amendment ng rule na ito ay nakaugnay sa amendment sa rule sa impeachment. Bakit po? Unang-una, in-adopt na po namin yung rules sa impeachment. Pag binago namin yun, ipa-publish pa, tatagal pa po yun. So, ngayon po, ang pinag-uusapan ay rule sa Senado. Wala pong katotohanan yung mga nagpo-post na nagsasabing ito po ay may kilalaman sa impeachment."

(There is no truth to the claim that this rules amendment is connected to the amendment of the impeachment rules. Why? First of all, we have already adopted the rules on impeachment. If we change that, it still needs to be published, and that will take time. So right now, what we are talking about is a Senate rule. There is no truth to what those posting online are saying — that this has something to do with impeachment.)

Cayetano also emphasized that the Senate majority did not violate any chamber rules, contradicting statements made by minority members.

A pilot literacy assessment by the Department of Education has revealed that 87% of grade 11 learners, equivalent to 1.3 million students, cannot yet read on their own and still require constant guidance from a teacher, parent, or another person.

The findings were contained in a DepEd report submitted to the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM 2, during a hearing of the House Committee on Basic Education, painting a troubling picture of the state of education quality in the country.

Based on the March 2026 pilot run of the Senior High School Literacy Assessment, only 12.58 percent of the 1.4 million grade 11 students are considered independent readers. The remaining 1.3 million fall under the categories of instructional and frustration readers.

Frustration readers are those who struggle to read and comprehend, while instructional readers are those who can read but still need guidance. Grade 11 students are typically between 16 and 17 years old.

"Only 12 percent of learners in the 11th grade level are independent learners or readers that are fully able to comprehend and understand as expected from their grade level what the outcome or information supposed to be," EDCOM 2 Chief Legislative Officer Atty. Simoun Salinas said.

(Tanging 12 porsyento lamang ng mga mag-aaral sa ika-11 baitang ang mga independiyenteng mag-aaral o mambabasa na ganap na kayang maunawaan at intindihin ayon sa inaasahan ng kanilang antas kung ano ang resulta o impormasyong dapat nilang malaman.)

House Committee on Basic Education Chairperson and Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo said DepEd must address the problem through the curriculum, stressing that the issue goes beyond the proposed shift to a three-term school calendar expected to be implemented in 2026 and 2027.

"Yung curriculum ba nila, whether 3 semesters o 4 quarters, kailangang matugunan nila yung issue of quality of education, yung reading comprehension, kasi yun talaga ang issue," Romulo said.

ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio argued that the data is proof of the failure of the K to 12 program.

"Systemic yung problema, hindi pwedeng sabihing isang factor lamang ito, kundi yung buong sistema mismo at yung mga incentives at all levels, from the individual, from the teacher level, to the school level hanggang sa buong sistema, yun ang lumikha ng ganitong sitwasyon. Basically para magtuloy-tuloy ang takbo ng sistema, kailangang ipasa, pero ang resulta, kalakhan ng guma-graduate ay wala yung competencies na kailangan ng isang senior high school graduate," Tinio said.

Romulo called on DepEd to conduct a thorough internal study and discussion to address the core problem of reading comprehension, saying it is time for the department to come forward with its own concrete solutions.

"Nakita naman natin, karamihan ng suggestions ay nanggaling from policymaker, third party, so siguro it's time for DepEd to tell us, 'we appreciate po naming lahat ng ginagawa at suggestions ninyo, pero di kaya ng DepEd na maimplement lahat yan, ang kaya ng DepEd para malutas ang functional literacy.' Yun ang kailangan nating marinig," Romulo said.

Senator Robin Padilla is pushing for the use of technology to allow Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa to continue fulfilling his duties as a senator amid what Padilla described as security threats against his colleague.

In an online post, Padilla defended Dela Rosa and said that allowing senators to vote and attend sessions online would help him continue serving the public. 

He clarified that Dela Rosa does not want to be absent in person, but is prevented from doing so due to alleged security threats, specifically, the risk of being arrested or forcibly taken abroad and detained by the International Criminal Court, or ICC, if he leaves his current location.

Padilla also noted that Dela Rosa has one of the best attendance records in the history of the Senate.

Given the alleged security threat facing his fellow senator, Padilla is recommending that Dela Rosa be allowed to work and attend sessions through online or teleconferencing means.

Padilla stressed that Dela Rosa cannot yet be considered a criminal, as no final decision or conviction has been handed down by any court proving his guilt. On that basis, Padilla maintained that Dela Rosa retains the right to perform his duties as a senator.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan of the Senate minority bloc rejected the arguments being made in defense of Dela Rosa.

Pangilinan emphasized that hiding and evading arrest is the conduct of a law breaker, and should not be given special consideration or be compared to the situation of former senator and now Congresswoman Leila de Lima, who complied with legal processes.

On that basis, he said virtual attendance at sessions cannot simply be allowed, especially if it is not covered under the institution's current rules.

A motion to amend the Senate rules to allow online or virtual attendance and voting by senators during sessions remains pending and is expected to be taken up in the next session.